The Dark Ages and How This Period of Time Changed Your Church

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Posted July 7, 2025 | End Times Watch | River Wilde

(These writings are entirely my own opinion, obtained through independent study and prayerful research. I do not speak on behalf of any church or church representative.)

I have been blessed with an unquenchable desire to learn things. I love this gift that God has given to me. I thrive on research, in hopes to understand things, for through this understanding comes additional conformation of truth.

My wife and I were in a conversation regarding the “Dark Ages”. She asked me many questions about this period that I just didn’t know. So, with this new fire light, I snuck away to the office and began to research the details of the “Dark Ages.”

Without even starting my swan dive into learning, I just assumed that with something referred to as “Dark”, satan certainly must have his hands of influence over this time period.

Satan did all that he could to try and destroy Jesus Christ while He was on the earth. When Christ died, Satan didn’t stop. He attacked the “Church” that Christ had established (the Gospel). It was satan’s full intent to bury all of the teachings that Jesus had shared with the people that were near Him. What followed is what’s called The Dark Ages—a time when the true gospel was buried under tradition, corruption, and control.

Satan couldn’t destroy Christ, so changed his focus to destroying the Gospel messages that the Christ shared.

If you are a bit of a religious historian, you are already aware that the Catholic church was started from this scripture from Christ:

Matthew 16:18 (KJV):

“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

The Roman Catholic Church teaches that Peter was the first Bishop of Rome, and started the Catholic Church.

In about 476 AD, the Roman Empire fell. It was at that time that the Pope gained power and became both a religious and political leader. The church then became a mighty political empire.

Manmade rituals and traditions replaced biblical truth. Teachings such as purgatory, indulgences, and worship of saints took over…And the greatest victory for satan?…

 Salvation by Grace was replaced with salvation by works and sacraments.

The Physical Bibles were hidden. Removed from the people to prevent them from reading and learning the real truth about the teachings of Jesus Christ. The Church became a tool of control. The Gospel of grace was buried. Christ greatest gift that He had given to the world was replaced with the new doctrine of a person earning their way into heaven through their works.

In my religious learning, I was taught that the priesthood was also removed from the earth at this time. Was it? It would make logical sense that with the true teachings of Jesus Christ now gone, perhaps the priesthood was taken away as well.

But, let’s not make any assumptions. Let’s see if we can discover what happened to the priesthood after Jesus Christ died. Let’s back up a bit and learn about Jesus bringing the priesthood to the earth when He was alive.

When Jesus Christ came to earth, He fulfilled the Law and brought in a new and living way, establishing His Church through His teachings, His atoning death, and His resurrection. He ordained His apostles and gave them power and authority to preach, to heal, and to cast out devils (Mark 3:14-15).

This divine authority was not merely symbolic; it was a heavenly commission. In John 20:21-23, after His resurrection, Jesus breathed on His disciples and said, “As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you… Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” This was the divine empowerment of His chosen vessels, the Church.

Christ is “a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec” (Hebrews 7:17), and as the Head of the Church, His priesthood is eternal. Unlike the Levitical priesthood, which was limited to lineage and ceremony, the priesthood of Christ is a spiritual office, given by grace and maintained through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

The early apostles, filled with the Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2), became the foundation of the Church’s ongoing ministry, as Christ had promised: “I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).

So, Christ gave the priesthood to His Church. What exactly was His Church? Let’s keep learning…

Christ’s Church is not defined as a specific building or denomination, but rather as a spiritual body of believers who are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and who follow Him as Lord and Savior. Here are key scriptures and principles that define Christ’s Church:

1. The Church Is the Body of Christ

“Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.”
— 1 Corinthians 12:27, KJV

Christ’s Church consists of all those who are spiritually united with Him—His followers are His body on earth, each with a role.

2. Christ Is the Head of the Church

“And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.”
— Colossians 1:18, KJV

Jesus is the sole leader and authority of His Church—not any man or institution.

3. The Church Is Made Up of Born-Again Believers

“Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
— John 3:3, KJV

“And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.”
— Acts 2:47, KJV

Only those who are spiritually reborn and believe in Christ are part of His true Church. It is God who adds them—not man.

4. Built on the Foundation of Christ

“For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
— 1 Corinthians 3:11, KJV

The Church is not built on Peter, prophets, or popes—but solely on Jesus Christ.

5. A Spiritual House, Not a Physical Temple

“Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood…”
— 1 Peter 2:5, KJV

Christ’s Church is a spiritual assembly, not limited by geography, buildings, or organized religion.

6. There Is One Church (One Body)

“There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;”
— Ephesians 4:4, KJV

Though many denominations exist, Christ sees only one true Church—those who belong to Him by faith.

Some notable points here. Jesus Christ gave the priesthood to His church. His church is defined as those who have been Born Again, and have chosen to follow Him. But wait, does that include women as well? Did he give His priesthood to both men and women?

All Believers Have Access to God Through Christ

• 1 Peter 2:9 (KJV)
  “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people…”
  ➤ This refers to all believers, both men and women, being part of a “royal priesthood” — meaning we all have direct access to God through Jesus Christ, without needing a human mediator.
• Revelation 1:5–6 (KJV)
  “Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God…”
  ➤ Again, this is written to the whole church — men and women — indicating that Christ has made all His followers into priests unto God.

I will let you draw your own conclusion here, through your own prayerful study.

Nowhere in Scripture does it say that this priesthood was ever removed from the earth. In fact, Jesus promised in Matthew 28:20, “lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” The Church has continued through the ages, sometimes hidden, sometimes persecuted, but never destroyed.

His true followers, empowered by His Spirit, have always carried forth the gospel. The gifts and callings of God are “without repentance” (Romans 11:29), meaning that He does not revoke His divine appointment. His priesthood continues today in the body of Christ, not confined to a specific institution, but present in all who are truly born again and called to serve by the Holy Ghost.

Here is the most revealing part I feel, as it relates to the priesthood being lost during the Dark Ages:

You Are Part of a “Royal Priesthood”

Fast forward to today. From the teachings of the New Testament, when you are born again through faith in Jesus Christ, you are made spiritually alive, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and given direct access to God. The Bible says:

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.”
— 1 Peter 2:9, KJV

You are not just a believer, but you become part of a spiritual priesthood with the right to:

• Intercede in prayer (Hebrews 4:16)
• Preach the Gospel (Matthew 28:19–20)
• Live and serve as a holy vessel unto God (2 Timothy 2:21)

Jesus Is the Final High Priest

“We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens.”
— Hebrews 8:1, KJV

Through Jesus Christ, every believer becomes a priest under His eternal priesthood. There is no longer a need for a separate class of human priests like in the Old Testament, because Christ is our perfect mediator:

“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”
— 1 Timothy 2:5, KJV

If you become a “Born Again” believer, having faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ, an choose to serve and follow Him…Do You Have the Priesthood?

Yes, as a born-again believer, you have direct access to God and are part of the royal priesthood of Jesus Christ:

• You don’t need any human priest to stand between you and God.
• You are empowered by the Holy Spirit to serve, teach, pray, and live a holy life.
• The priesthood is not a position, but a spiritual identity in Christ.

The authority to heal comes from Jesus Christ, not from a personal priesthood title or office. Through our prayers in healing the sick, if it be Thy will, He will heal that person.

If someone teaches that you need to be ordained by men to receive priesthood authority, that’s Old Covenant thinking, not New Testament truth. The true priesthood now belongs to every born-again believer, not an elite class.

With this understanding, I feel confident that we could say that the priesthood that Jesus Christ gave to “His Church” was never taken away from the earth. And as we have learned, obtaining the priesthood is not a physical ordinance, but rather given to those who are Born Again directly from Jesus Christ, at the time that they accept His as their Savior.

I would like to ask you to participate in answering a question right now, just in your mind. I’d like for you to define the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Can you do that? Just think about all of the things that you would list under the heading of “The Gospel of Jesus Christ.” If you’d like, perhaps you might even want to start a list that you can continue to add to.

Now in this assignment, remember not to include the Doctrine of Your Church, for they are different. Every church organization has its own Church Policies, Rules, History, Procedures, etc. Only include the teachings that Christ shared when He was on the earth, for this is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I think one thing that you will note in this exercise, is that it is a very natural assumption to include both of these categories under the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We think that what our church teaches is “The Gospel of Jesus Christ.” But His gospel certainly doesn’t include activities, church history, teachings from leaders unless specific to Jesus Christ, and so on.

Does your list include the most important teaching that was lost in the Dark Ages:

We receive our Salvation by the Grace of Jesus Christ through His atoning sacrifice. It is His Gift to us.

Or has it been replaced by:

We receive our salvation as a result of our own works. We earn our way into Heaven.

To me it’s very clear that satan has been able to bury this important principle of the gospel, not only through the Dark Ages, but even throughout time and into our current day.

This principle alone is the shining star of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Satan knows this, and is doing all that he can to make us feel that getting to heaven has nothing to do with the Savior. It is up to US to achieve this goal.

For the times that I have believed this way, I express my deepest sorrow. I’m certain that believing this way is offensive to God… for, His atonement was ENOUGH! His sacrifice was ENOUGH! His gift to us was ENOUGH. To Him I am eternally grateful for what He has done for me.

I hope that today has stimulated your thinking. I invite you to take the things that you are learning to God to establish their truthfulness. He will tell you… I LOVE that!!! I love that I can take anything that I study and learn to Him. I have always found that when I do this, additional teaching occurs, and most often, I am given a conformation of its truthfulness.

As a final thought. Remember that your church has “doctrine” that is specific to your church. This again is not the same as the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When the church makes mistakes with their doctrine, we should show them some patience. When “mankind” gets involved, things can become cloudy or even erroneous. This is not what we should fret. As we live and go by the Gospel of Jesus Christ, He will never change what He has shared with us when He was on the earth. You can find it in the New Testament. It is still there today, and has not changed. That gospel doesn’t need to be revised, restored, or changed, for it is perfect. It is from Him…given to us…as another gift.

I invite you to continue learning the truths about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I love the concept that those who follow Christ are “His Church.” I can certainly feel that connection with you as we continue to learn.

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