It may sound strange, but it is true that the invisible church thrives when she is under persecution. I am not talking about the number of Christians. I think Christianity started to go off the track since the Edict of Milan was made. Christianity can never be a religion of the majority.

“And someone said to Him, “Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?” And He said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, and you begin standing outside and knocking on the door, saying, ‘Lord, open up to us!’ and He then will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know where you are from.’ Then you will begin saying, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets!’ And yet He will say, ‘I do not know where you are from; LEAVE ME, ALL YOU EVILDOERS.’ In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being thrown out. And they will come from east and west, and from north and south, and will recline at the table in the kingdom of God. And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.” (Luke 13:23-30)

I think the saints in the last generation will have the more knowledge because temptations and persecutions will be very severe. And they will be considered as dung by people of the world. However, God will strengthen them and made them endure. The church must be fully mature by the time Christ comes.

Before I go further, I’d like to emphasize the importance of knowing the differences between the visible and the invisible church. It is possible that a church as a religious group does not have a single saint in her. The invisible church includes only saints who are chosen by God. The invisible church is the bride of Christ. But a visible church can be rejected by Christ although the saints in the church are saved by God’s divine election. In the NT era, God has appointed seven churches like the twelve tribes of Israel nation in the OT. These seven churches are not the invisible church but visible churches. Regardless of how many saints are in the visible churches, they are subject to God’s rebuke and judgement. The messages in Revelation 2 and 3 are targeted to the visible churches. However, the messages are understood only by the saints. “The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” This was mentioned in every letter.

People, especially those in the Baptist denomination, think the NT era is different from the OT era. If we look at the church history carefully, it is not much different. Both Israel nation in the OT and the visible churches in the NT have the obligation to show God’s glory. God set a system to teach His people – Israel nation in the OT and the visible churches in the NT. Therefore, infant baptism is what God wills. Ceremonial baptism (baptism done on the body) is a mere substitute to circumcision done on the body. All who receive ceremonial baptism is included in the system. They are registered as the Kingdom people. But not all will be saved. Only the remnant will be saved as God spoke through the prophets in the OT.

“Though your people, O Israel, be like the sand of the sea, only a remnant will return. Destruction has been decreed, overflowing with righteousness.” (Isaiah 10:22)

And this passage was quoted by the Apostle Paul in Rom 9:27.

Therefore, the OT prophecies are not different from the prophecies in the NT. They are, in fact, talking about us and now. People rely on the system and manipulate it and thus, rejects what God says. It is not surprising that many ministers do not promote Bible reading or explain the role of the Holy Spirit accurately at the pulpit because the system is producing many false leaders.

My advice is not to read many theology books. The less you read, the better.