Speaking of the ‘rejuvenated’ Roman Empire, Daniel said it would be ‘‘strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes; that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others.” A resurgence of the ancient Roman Empire that would bring about forced Emperor Worship is on the uprising.
The next city on the ancient postal circuit was Smyrna, about 40 miles north of Ephesus. It was a flourishing city and the main centre of emperor worship. Jesus tells the church in Smyrna: “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days” (verse 10).
These words had not only a prophetic sense, but a literal fulfillment in John’s day as well. The brethren in Smyrna knew they were special targets of the persecution under the Roman Empire, for the city’s history had shown an unwavering loyalty to Rome. Smyrna was proud that it had been declared a ‘free city’ by Rome, which meant its residents had the right to govern their own affairs. “Long before Rome was undisputed mistress of the world,” comments William Barclay, “Smyrna had cast in its lot with her, never to waver in its fidelity. The only way Church members could go about peacefully in this place was to carry a certificate showing they had offered incense to the emperor and proclaimed him lord.” Cicero, the Roman orator, called Smyrna ‘one of our most faithful and most ancient allies.’
Such was the reverence of Smyrna for Rome that as far back as 195 B.C. it was the first city in the world to erect a temple to the goddess Roma” (Letters to the Seven Churches, William Barclay, 1957, p. 29).
Now notice this story in Acts 8: 9-11: “But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries”.
Certain men like Simon above, outnumbered the true Christians by reason of excessive liberty of the Church and negligence of the truth, appeared to be pastors, deserting the law of piety, were inflamed against each other with mutual strifes, accumulating querrels and threats, rivalry, hostility, and hatred to each other, only anxious to cease any slight opportunity to enter the Church and practice their wickedness and sorceries.
Following a long chain of persecution by his predecessors, Emperor Diocletian (284 – 305), re-opened a bitter persecution on Christians who had just begun to regroup. It aws the nineteenth year of the reign of Diocletian, in the month of Dystrus (March), in which the passover was at hand, that the imperial laws were published everywhere to tear down the churches to their foundations, and to destroy the sacred scriptures by fire. The laws issued that those in honurable stations should be degraded to ruins if thy continued their adherence to Christianity.
After the ousting of Diocletian (305) as the Emperor of Rome by Constantine ‘the Great’, he (Constantine) saw an opportunity to make Christianity the political frontline of his campaign to become Roman Emperor, so he successfully associated all the religious bodies present at the time (Judaism, Catholicism, Paganism, and the likes) –into a single Christian denomination called the Roman Catholic Church.
He provided legal grounds for those “Simonites” in the Church, and any true Christian who refused to adhere to the confederacy put in place by Constantine was immediately imprisoned and afterwards killed. Constantine (306 – 337 A.D.) also made many fabrications to the original Christianity; substituting many Christian beliefs for Pagan rights. Today, issues still arising from the council of Constantinople (381) include the Sabbath day of worship, celebration of numerous Pagan festivals such as Christmas and Easter, and worship of the dead, widely known as ‘incense’ offered to the saints.
In prophecy it is plainly shown that this papal power would with deliberate intention change the law of God, signs, times and seasons. And the Lord Jesus warned the Church of such a time like this through “the angel of the Church in Smyrna… I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of satan… Be faithful until death and I will give you the crown of life” (Rev. 2: 8-10).
Many true Christians in Smyrna would be discouraged because of this fierce persecution. So Christ encourages and reminds them that He is offering them something Caesar worship could never provide—the chance to live forever. He exhorts them: “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.” (Revelation 2:10-11).
These words had not only a prophetic sense, but a literal fulfillment in John’s day as well. The brethren in Smyrna knew they were special targets of the persecution under the Roman Empire, for the city’s history had shown an unwavering loyalty to Rome. Smyrna was proud that it had been declared a ‘free city’ by Rome, which meant its residents had the right to govern their own affairs. “Long before Rome was undisputed mistress of the world,” comments William Barclay, “Smyrna had cast in its lot with her, never to waver in its fidelity. The only way Church members could go about peacefully in this place was to carry a certificate showing they had offered incense to the emperor and proclaimed him lord.” Cicero, the Roman orator, called Smyrna ‘one of our most faithful and most ancient allies.’
Such was the reverence of Smyrna for Rome that as far back as 195 B.C. it was the first city in the world to erect a temple to the goddess Roma” (Letters to the Seven Churches, William Barclay, 1957, p. 29).
Now notice this story in Acts 8: 9-11: “But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries”.
Certain men like Simon above, outnumbered the true Christians by reason of excessive liberty of the Church and negligence of the truth, appeared to be pastors, deserting the law of piety, were inflamed against each other with mutual strifes, accumulating querrels and threats, rivalry, hostility, and hatred to each other, only anxious to cease any slight opportunity to enter the Church and practice their wickedness and sorceries.
Following a long chain of persecution by his predecessors, Emperor Diocletian (284 – 305), re-opened a bitter persecution on Christians who had just begun to regroup. It aws the nineteenth year of the reign of Diocletian, in the month of Dystrus (March), in which the passover was at hand, that the imperial laws were published everywhere to tear down the churches to their foundations, and to destroy the sacred scriptures by fire. The laws issued that those in honurable stations should be degraded to ruins if thy continued their adherence to Christianity.
After the ousting of Diocletian (305) as the Emperor of Rome by Constantine ‘the Great’, he (Constantine) saw an opportunity to make Christianity the political frontline of his campaign to become Roman Emperor, so he successfully associated all the religious bodies present at the time (Judaism, Catholicism, Paganism, and the likes) –into a single Christian denomination called the Roman Catholic Church.
He provided legal grounds for those “Simonites” in the Church, and any true Christian who refused to adhere to the confederacy put in place by Constantine was immediately imprisoned and afterwards killed. Constantine (306 – 337 A.D.) also made many fabrications to the original Christianity; substituting many Christian beliefs for Pagan rights. Today, issues still arising from the council of Constantinople (381) include the Sabbath day of worship, celebration of numerous Pagan festivals such as Christmas and Easter, and worship of the dead, widely known as ‘incense’ offered to the saints.
In prophecy it is plainly shown that this papal power would with deliberate intention change the law of God, signs, times and seasons. And the Lord Jesus warned the Church of such a time like this through “the angel of the Church in Smyrna… I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of satan… Be faithful until death and I will give you the crown of life” (Rev. 2: 8-10).
Many true Christians in Smyrna would be discouraged because of this fierce persecution. So Christ encourages and reminds them that He is offering them something Caesar worship could never provide—the chance to live forever. He exhorts them: “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.” (Revelation 2:10-11).
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