The slave trade was a terrible time of tribulation. It presented, however, some odd resemblance to the end times. During this period in time, the Colonists were supposedly looking for an escape from the British. The ships that would carry all who fled from Europe destined for a particular place already deemed on maps as the "New World." "Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth." (Isaiah 65:17)
After the Revolutionary War and years of "Enlightenment" that developed after the "Dark Ages", one can only imagine the tribulation experienced in Europe at the time, and to, in their eyes, have this bit of escape was monumental. Anybody who was hoodwinked from the fact that the devastation of the slave trade was already brewing well in the 16th century, could have thought they in some way were saved - the "predestined."
"Ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel." (Luke 22:30) When "race science" developed in the New World, those poisoned by white supremacy must have thought they were fit to judge the slaves that would soon come in. It takes a great deal of compassion to look back at the whole picture and figure out why many churchgoers had no trouble with the slave trade. Even after abolition, the remnants of racism lingered, even in the northern states. Though slavery was abolished, equality still did not exist on a "legal" standpoint for much time after.
Before the abolition, the captured slaves in West Africa had no hope, even if they were as kings in their tribes. Though the West Indies and the South did the dirty work of owning slaves, the ships came out of the North. In fact, the corporate headquarters for the cotton and rum industries were in the North. They utilized cheap production from the southern plantations to make profits and cause America to expand quickly.
The trip across the Atlantic had the interesting nickname of "The Middle Passage." This was the time when those captured could be considered lucky to make it to the New world. Lucky is a better fitted word, rather than blessed, since the word is correlated to the name Lucifer. On the ships, slaves were positioned so tightly together and did not get such luxuries as a bathroom break.
As can be expected, ship captains had to be stocked up with food supply to feed their crews and the slaves. If, however, resources began to deplete, due to storms or other delays, slaves would be the first to starve. If any slave seemed to have a disease, they would be thrown overboard to "save" the whole ship. "For nation shall rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places." (Matthew 24:7)
In other religions, "The Middle Path" takes one from reality to truth. During Luther's time, the belief in Purgatory gave the Roman Catholic Church leverage to sell certificates, known as "indulgences", to those wishing to pray for either themselves or their Ancestors to make it to Heaven, or Paradise. Inferno, then, is like Hell. Mythology calls this the Underworld.
In Genesis, God separated the waters of Earth with the waters of Heaven by the great expanse of sky and space. In What is Caesar's and What is God's, the topic of the white rabbit was briefly discussed. In many ancient culture's, instead of a man on the moon, there were tales of the white rabbit on the moon. In Alice and Wonderland, the white rabbit was always pressed for time to make it back to a different demension, coincidentally leading Alice there. The rabbit hole indicates a sort of passageway to the underworld. The Charon is that man seen rowing a boat to carry individuals either down to the underworld or out of it. Quantum physics calls a part of space that leads from one demension to another a "wormhole." The reason why this correlates with the moon is because at the beginning of a Lunar month, the Full moon is revealed but throughout the month, it "vanishes" into a "mysterious place" and becomes "new". God ordained the sun, moon, and stars, not just for seasons but for signs!
So, now it can be understood that the idea of an underworld "Hell" has origins in mythology. Hell, to many people who try to instill the fear of God on people, is depicted with fire, which is why it is called, "Inferno," the Great Furnace.
Daniel's friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, went through a fiery furnace yet surprisingly came out alive since God was with them. Those who persecuted them, however, fell in and died. "The trial of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perisheth, though it be tried by fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 1:7)
At birth, we come into the world, many times, without having gone through any "fire". During this time, we are raised in the material world but it isn't until we are tried by fire and endure it with faith that we draw nearer to God. "The Lord is near to the broken hearted and saves those that are crushed in spirit." (Psalm 34:18) For slaves to have faith in God during "The Middle Passage" would have been so much of an awesome testimony. The horrific story lasted up into the 20th century with the ivory trade.
That was a "physical" tribulation. Wars, famines, and diseases, constantly test our faith but the "Spiritual" tribulation is a mind that has been blinded from truth by an enchantment. "Behold, I am against your magic bands by which you hunt lives, there, as birds and I will tear them from your arms; and I will let them go, even those lives whom you hunt as birds." (Ezekiel 13:2) Any Colonist who saw the evils of the slave trade and tried to speak out against it would be publicly humiliated, if not stoned. Their character would be completely destroyed.
The greatest sign of The Resurrection was that the Ascension had not occurred until after the trial, persecution, and overcoming the grave. "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" ( 1 Corinthians 15:55) Sheol, the Hebrew word interpreted as Hell, means "grave." Upon the ceremony of Baptism, during immersion, the Preacher states, "Buried into death, raised to walk in the newness of life." This phrase indicates that the water represents a sort of death. God divided the waters of the world and the waters of Heaven. All life is made up of water. This truth allows for the understanding that the beast, "out of the water" is either a person, a nation, a worldly concept, or a combination of these. "You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world." 1 John 4:4
Once we overcome the waters of this world and walk on it like Jesus and Peter, that is when we are immersed in the waters of Heaven. "For John baptized with water but you will be baptized with the Holy Sprit. " (Acts 1:5) Satan knows that the body is only material so what he wants more than anything is to destroy bodies and for all of us to give him the glory and the honor by worshiping ourselves and disobeying God. He attacks those who believe in God even more than he does atheists. He aims to turn all hearts to him. He does this by whispering, "You, surely, will not die!" (Genesis 3:4)
Our "Middle Passage " is the tribulation of overcoming our flesh and being one with God in Spirit and Truth. As mentioned before, Jesus hid in the crowds, and so truth is hidden from the arrogant but can still be found by those who seek Him. Thank the Lord, the journey to the material "New World" was not the end. He is slow to anger and He waits for every single lost sheep to return to His green pasture that never ceases but always brings everlasting life. The Red Sea had to be split for Moses to pass and the path had to be made for the Triumphant entry of Jesus. We shall endure and overcome the depths of this world so that we may enter into His presence with joy and thanksgiving! Amen.
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