The Church in the Wilderness

If the writers of the New Testament were to use a Greek word to describe a gathering together of the people of God in the Old Testament they would naturally use the Greek word ekklesia which means assembly. 

Act 7:38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:

 The word has a “holy” meaning to us today, but if we just use the word “assembly” we can see how absurd the claim is that the church was born that day. The people of God have always assembled together and the Greek word could even be used to describe the assembly of Jews in a synagogue.

The same Greek word is used in this passage translated as “assembly” and it’s not about the church at all:

Act 19:32 Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly was confused; and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together.