Participants: John Bradshaw
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW001287A
00:01 ♪ [Dramatic Historical Music] ♪
00:08 It has stood the test of time. 00:13 God's book, the Bible. 00:17 Still relevant in today's complex world. 00:22 It Is Written, sharing hope around the globe. 00:36 [Lightning sounds] 00:43 ♪ [Peaceful Melody] ♪ 00:50 JB: I'm John Bradshaw and this is It Is Written. 00:53 Thanks for joining me today. 00:55 The old saying is that all roads lead to Rome, and it's certainly 00:59 true of this one. 01:00 This is Via Appia, the Appian Way, 01:03 built more than 300 years before the birth of Jesus and 01:06 the most famous of all the roads that lead to Rome. 01:10 It was along this very road, from lands as far away as 01:13 Britain, northern Europe, Africa and the Middle East, that the 01:17 conquering legions of the world's greatest empire returned 01:20 in triumph to Rome, the center of western civilization. 01:28 It was roads like this one that enabled Rome to transform 01:30 her legions quickly to various trouble spots in her empire 01:34 and throughout the world. 01:36 In time, this road was extended all the way to Brindisi, 01:40 the port city in Italy's southeast. 01:43 It was along this road, following the final defeat of 01:46 the slave rebellion led by Spartacus, that 6,000 slaves 01:52 were crucified. 01:53 Their bodies left to be stripped bare from Capua all the way to 01:59 the gates of the city of Rome. 02:01 And it was along this very road that the messengers of the 02:04 Christian gospel brought the good news of salvation to the 02:08 sprawling, spectacular city that was the city of Rome. 02:13 The queen of ancient cities. 02:16 ♪ [Brooding Drone] ♪ 02:23 Of all things fairest, sang the poet, first among 02:26 cities and home of the gods is golden Rome. 02:31 This Roman road leads all the way to the heart of golden Rome. 02:37 What was Rome, anciently? 02:40 The Old Testament book of Daniel prophesies about this power, 02:44 comparing it twice to the strength of iron. 02:48 This power ruled the world when Jesus was born. 02:52 It was a Roman magistrate who sent Jesus to His death. 02:55 It was on a Roman cross that Jesus died. 02:59 And in later years, Rome had a heavy influence on Christianity, 03:03 as both persecutor and protector. 03:07 Roman heresies would eventually pollute the witness of the 03:10 Christian faith, and the effect of these teachings extends to 03:14 this time in which we live and is still felt today. 03:20 ♪ [Pensive Melody] ♪ 03:25 I'm on the Palatine Hill in Rome, 03:28 one of the seven famous hills on which the city of Rome 03:31 was founded, and it was at the base of this very hill 03:35 where everything began for the Roman empire. 03:40 The story has it that a woman named Rhea Silvia, the daughter 03:43 of the king of the nearby city of Alba Longa, had twin sons 03:47 named Romulus and Remus. 03:50 Rhea's uncle, Amulius, seized power and intending to kill the 03:54 twin boys placed them in a small basket and set it on the Tiber 03:58 River, hoping the boys would never be heard from again: a 04:01 story that sounds a lot like the story of Moses. 04:04 Legend has it that this basket washed up at the base of this 04:08 hill and was found by a she-wolf who nursed the infant boys. 04:15 The boys were rescued and raised by a man and his wife. 04:18 Eventually they killed Amulius. 04:20 They put their grandfather on Alba Longa's throne. 04:24 Romulus killed Remus and established a city 04:27 here on this very hill, the original city of Rome. 04:32 Romulus, after whom Rome is named, 04:35 was the first of seven kings who ruled the original 04:38 Roman community. 04:40 A number of Rome's earliest monuments, such as the Kyrie, 04:44 or senate house, and the Circus Maximus, 04:47 were built during the time of these kings. 04:50 The last of these rulers was an Etruscan named 04:53 Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, otherwise known as 04:56 Tarquin the Proud. 04:58 He was not a nice man. 05:01 He usurped the kingdom through his girlfriend, Tulia, daughter 05:04 of King Servius Tulius, who was then Rome's monarch. 05:08 First, she killed her husband, then killed her father by 05:12 driving her chariot over him in the streets of Rome 05:14 during a parade. 05:16 Soon she married her lover, Tarquinius, and made him 05:19 king of Rome. 05:21 Things really went from bad to worse. 05:23 A reign of terror followed, eventually resulting in the 05:25 monarchy being overthrown and the world's first republic being 05:29 established in the year 509 B.C. 05:34 The Roman forum was the center of commercial and civil life 05:38 during the centuries of the Roman republic. 05:41 People would gather here to buy and sell, to hold elections, 05:45 to listen to speeches, and to watch the triumphal 05:48 processions of great conquerors over hundreds of years. 05:53 It was here that you could hear 05:54 Roman luminaries, such as Cicero, 05:58 one of Rome's greatest orators; the statesman Cato the elder, 06:03 even Julius Caesar. 06:05 Not far from here, in the senate house, 06:08 Julius Caesar was assassinated by Brutus 06:11 and his co-conspirators. 06:13 And it was here, in 27 B.C., on this very spot where Caesar's 06:19 nephew Octavian took the name of Augustus and was acclaimed by 06:23 the senate and people of Rome as the state's first emperor. 06:29 From here you could see the great temple of Jupiter, who was 06:33 the supreme god of the Roman people, crowning the summit 06:36 of the Capitoline Hill. 06:40 It was here in 390 B.C. 06:42 that the city of Rome was secretly infiltrated by a group 06:45 of Gaelic soldiers, who sacked the city and destroyed 06:49 much of it. 06:50 Now, the presence of the enemy was betrayed 06:52 by a flock of geese. 06:54 They reacted when the invaders came in here. 06:58 Now, for some reason the Roman dogs did not react. 07:02 They didn't bark. 07:05 Rome never forgave its dogs. 07:08 The procession commemorating this event for years afterwards 07:11 featured nine crucified dogs and a goose wearing 07:16 a garland of flowers. 07:22 Now, I don't know if you could say today that 07:24 all roads lead to Rome, but when you come to the Bible 07:28 you see that Rome plays an extremely significant role 07:32 as the Bible unfolds. 07:34 I'll be back with more in just a moment. 07:41 >: You are watching the weekly It Is Written program with 07:43 Pastor John Bradshaw, but did you know that 07:46 there's a daily program, too? 07:48 Every Word is a one-minute Bible-based 07:50 daily devotional presented by Pastor John Bradshaw 07:54 and designed especially for busy people like you. 07:57 Look for Every Word on selected networks, or watch it online 08:00 every day on our website, ItIsWritten.com. 08:04 Receive a daily spiritual boost. 08:06 Watch Every Word. 08:07 You'll be glad you did. 08:12 [bright rythmic melody] 08:19 JB: Thanks for joining me. 08:19 Peter and John were told by religious leaders 08:22 to no longer speak or teach in the name of Jesus. 08:25 This wasn't a suggestion but an order 08:26 from the very people responsible for the death of Jesus. 08:29 Here's what they said in response: 08:31 "Whether it be right in the sight of God to listen to 08:33 you more than God, you judge." 08:35 That's Acts 4:19. 08:37 Now that's the right question: What's right 08:39 in the sight of God? 08:41 We know what you're saying, but ultimately we're going 08:43 to be led by what God says. 08:44 Now, I'm not advocating belligerence 08:47 in the name of Jesus. 08:48 There's already too many people who justify bad behavior by 08:50 appearing to God's will. 08:53 But that question should guide us. 08:55 What's the right thing to do in God's sight? 08:57 Not in the sight of friends or family or even authorities. 09:00 Today, ask that same question and follow God's leading 09:04 in your life. 09:05 I'm John Bradshaw for It Is Written. 09:07 Let's live today by every word. 09:13 ♪ [Haunting Melody] ♪ I'm John Bradshaw, 09:22 and this is It Is Written. 09:24 Thanks for joining me today. 09:26 When you read the Bible, the kingdom of Rome 09:29 and the city of Rome are hugely influential. 09:33 No, you're not going to find Rome in Genesis, Exodus, 09:36 Leviticus or Numbers or so forth. 09:38 You won't read about many Roman generals in 1 Kings or 2 Kings; 09:42 but go a little further into the Bible and Rome begins 09:46 to make its appearance. 09:47 And when it does, it's a whale of an appearance. 09:52 In Daniel chapter 2 there's the remarkable prophecy of the image 09:56 of King Nebuchadnezzar's dream. 09:58 Woken one night by an impressive dream, Nebuchadnezzar asked his 10:03 wise men to tell him what the dream was and what it meant. 10:08 In fact, he told them that if they couldn't do it he'd 10:10 have them all killed. 10:13 Why was he so exercised over a dream? 10:16 Well, it's because he believed the gods communicated with him 10:19 through dreams. 10:20 Ancient kings believed that routinely. 10:23 Ultimately, young Daniel, a captive in Babylon, 10:26 came to Nebuchadnezzar and explained the dream. 10:30 The head of gold of the image? 10:31 That was Babylon. 10:34 The chest and arms of silver, that was Medo-Persia, the next 10:38 world-ruling kingdom to come onto the world stage. 10:42 In fact, in Daniel chapter 5 that kingdom is mentioned 10:45 by name. 10:46 The midsection of brass, Greece. Alexander the Great 10:51 led the Greek armies to conquer the world. 10:54 And then the legs of iron, that's Rome, 10:58 and the long legs equate to a long Roman reign. 11:02 From 168 B.C. 11:04 to 476 A.D. 11:07 Rome ruled. 11:08 That's a long time. 11:10 In Nebuchadnezzar's dream, the legs of iron represented 11:14 the kingdom of Rome. 11:16 But notice what happens next. 11:18 Daniel said that the kingdom of Rome would be divided into 11:21 feet and toes, partly of clay and partly of iron. 11:25 Daniel said this in Daniel 2 verse 41. 11:31 "Whereas you saw the feet and toes partly of potter's clay and 11:34 partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided. 11:38 Yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw 11:43 the iron mixed with ceramic clay." 11:47 Now, what Daniel tells us is that the iron, 11:50 representing Rome, would be present in the 11:53 feet and the toes down to the end of time; meaning that the 11:57 effect of the Roman empire would be felt all the way down to the 12:02 time of the return of Jesus. 12:04 That's a very biblical idea. 12:07 Keep in mind that at its apex the empire of Rome 12:12 was a colossus. 12:14 ♪ [Miltitary Anthem] ♪ 12:18 Emperor Trajan was voted by the senate as Optimus Princeps, 12:23 the best emperor. 12:25 This magnificent structure is Trajan's Column, 12:29 built to memorialize Trajan's military conquests. 12:33 It was built in 113 A.D. 12:37 It's 1900 years old. 12:41 During Trajan's time the empire stretched in one direction all 12:45 the way to Hadrian's Wall, England's border with Scotland. 12:48 And in the other, to the Caspian Sea 12:51 and the Persian Gulf. 12:53 This was a massive kingdom. 12:56 Now, you'd expect that something that powerful, that influential, 13:00 would leave its mark. 13:01 The Greeks, who ruled before the Romans, certainly left theirs in 13:05 philosophy, in architecture, in a great many ways. 13:10 So, how would Rome leave its mark? 13:13 Now, keep in mind, the Romans were essentially heathens, 13:17 but they were a religious bunch. 13:19 The fact is they worshipped a great many gods. 13:24 They built temples to gods, they dedicated some of 13:27 the spoils of wars to gods, they prayed 13:31 and offered sacrifices, sometimes human sacrifices. 13:36 Not often, evidently, but at times they did just that. 13:40 So, imagine Roman soldiers coming face to face with the 13:44 message of salvation through Jesus. 13:48 When Jesus was born in Israel, Israel was occupied by 13:53 the government of Rome. 13:54 That was a Roman cross on which Jesus died. 13:58 Roman soldiers heard John the Baptist preach. 14:01 They heard John the Baptist say that the Messiah 14:04 was soon to come. 14:06 In fact, they were deeply moved by what they heard John say. 14:11 We read this in the Gospel of Luke: 14:14 "Likewise, the soldiers asked him, saying, 14:17 'And what shall we do?' So he said to them, 14:20 'Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be 14:25 content with your wages.'" 14:28 When you understand the times a little bit, it isn't difficult 14:30 to appreciate what was going on there. 14:33 Discontent among Roman soldiers regarding their pay was common 14:37 in those days, and here were men who were simply 14:40 looking for a better way. 14:42 And then there's the story where Jesus heals the servant 14:45 of the centurion. 14:47 We read about that in the Gospel of Matthew. 14:51 "Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to 14:54 him, pleading with him, saying, 'Lord, my servant is 14:58 lying at home, paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.' 15:03 And Jesus said to him, 'I will come and heal him.' 15:07 The centurion answered and said, 'Lord, I'm not worthy that you 15:11 should come under my roof, but only speak a word 15:14 and my servant will be healed. 15:16 For I also am a man under authority, 15:19 having soldiers under me, and I say to this one, 15:23 Go, and he goes, and to another, Come, and he comes, 15:26 and to my servant, do this, and he does it.' 15:30 When Jesus heard it, he marveled and said 15:34 to those who followed, 'Assuredly I say to you, 15:38 I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel.'" 15:43 Matthew 8:5-10. 15:49 [water gurgling] This is one of the most profound 15:51 of the miracle stories of Jesus. 15:54 Here was a man representative of many. 15:57 He was looking for something more than his faith and than 15:59 his culture offered him. 16:02 And the fact is, Jesus pointed out that this man demonstrated 16:06 more faith in Jesus than anybody living in Israel at that time. 16:12 He had more faith than the people who were supposed 16:16 to be looking for the return of the Messiah. 16:19 This man had been walking the Roman road, but he 16:22 was powerfully impacted by the person of Jesus. 16:26 So, how much more would Christianity affect Rome, 16:30 and how much would Rome affect Christianity? 16:38 Perhaps the ultimate encounter between Jesus and the Romans 16:41 took place in the judgment hall of a governor named 16:45 Pontius Pilate. 16:47 Pontius Pilate was impressed by Jesus; so impressed, 16:50 the Bible says that he wanted to set Jesus free. 16:54 In spite of the accusations made against Jesus, Pilate believed 16:57 that Jesus was innocent. 16:59 In fact, he received a message from his wife who had had a 17:03 dream about Jesus, and the message for Pilate was: 17:06 Have nothing to do with this just man. 17:09 Jesus tried to impress upon Pilate the importance of 17:12 following God and being honest about Bible truth. 17:17 But Pilate seemed mystified by what Jesus had to say, 17:20 even asking Jesus at one point: What is truth? 17:24 See, even Pontius Pilate had the opportunity to repent. 17:27 I wonder how things might have been different, had he done so. 17:32 The Apostle Paul went to Rome. 17:35 He was imprisoned there, and died there. 17:37 In a moment, we'll go to the Mamertine Prison, the very 17:42 place Paul was kept in Rome as a prisoner. 17:46 I'll be right back. 17:50 ♪ [Dreamy Melody] ♪ 17:59 ♪ [Epic and rythmic music] ♪ >: "Babylon Rising" is a dynamic 18:02 book by Pastor John Bradshaw that describes the significance 18:06 of Babylon in Bible prophecy. 18:08 Right now this powerful book is available free 18:11 from It Is Written. 18:12 Just call 1 (800) 253-3000; ask for the book 18:15 "Babylon Rising." 18:17 Or, write to It Is Written, Box O, 18:20 Thousand Oaks, CA 91359, and we will mail a copy 18:24 to your address in North America. 18:26 Please note, this free book is limited to the supply on hand. 18:29 For even faster access, you can download a free electronic 18:32 version of the book "Babylon Rising" 18:34 from our website. 18:35 It Is Written is a faith-based outreach made possible 18:38 by viewers like you. 18:39 Thank you for your continued support. 18:41 Our toll-free number is 1 (800) 253-3000, 18:44 and our web address ItIsWritten.com. 18:52 JB: When you get a little further into the New Testament, 18:54 you see how profoundly the Christian gospel affected 18:58 Roman society. 19:00 Many historians believe that Paul was kept as a prisoner in 19:02 the Mamertine Prison in Rome during his trial before 19:06 Emperor Nero. 19:08 By the time Paul got to Rome, Christianity had penetrated 19:12 much of the Mediterranean basin. 19:14 The effect that the Christian message had on Roman society 19:18 was revolutionary. 19:20 The Bible tells us how the Apostle Paul was brought 19:23 to the city of Rome. 19:25 First, he was arrested by his own people, 19:27 then delivered to the Romans, and eventually he was brought 19:30 across the Mediterranean to Rome for trial 19:34 before the emperor. 19:36 The Bible doesn't describe Paul's arraignment before Nero 19:40 or his eventual martyrdom in what was then 19:42 the world's capitol city. 19:45 But the Bible does say the apostle's message 19:48 reached directly into the emperor's court. 19:51 We read this in the book of Philippians, possibly written by 19:54 Paul from this very prison. 19:57 "All the saints greet you, but especially those 20:01 who are of Caesar's household." 20:04 Philippians 4:22. 20:07 So there were Christians in the household of Emperor 20:11 Nero himself. 20:13 The Christian gospel was shaking the Roman empire 20:16 to its very heart. 20:18 No doubt it was from the Mamertine Prison that the 20:20 Apostle Paul penned these poignant words: 20:24 "For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, 20:28 and the time of my departure is at hand. 20:32 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, 20:36 I have kept the faith. 20:38 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which 20:42 the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that day. 20:48 And not to me only, but also to all who have 20:52 loved his appearing." 20:53 2 Timothy chapter 4, 6-8. 20:58 ♪ [Sounds of the city] ♪ 21:02 The famous Roman Coliseum could hold as many as 80,000 people. 21:07 Over a period of a couple hundred years, 21:09 thousands of Christians met their final, 21:13 gruesome fate here in this arena. 21:17 Some of them were fed to wild animals, 21:19 some were crucified, some of them were rolled in 21:23 pitch and burned alive during evening festivities. 21:28 But there was something that the persecuting Romans 21:30 just couldn't figure out about these Christians. 21:34 One early Christian leader, Tertullian, wrote to Emperor 21:36 Decius during a time of some of the most intense persecution 21:40 suffered by the Christians. 21:42 Here's what he said: "The oftener we are mown down 21:47 by you, the more in number we grow. 21:50 The blood of Christians is seed." 21:56 The more the Romans tried to wipe out Christianity, 21:59 the more Christianity flourished. 22:02 And the Romans didn't persecute the Christians because the 22:05 Christians worshipped Jesus. 22:07 People all over the empire had their various gods 22:10 that they worshipped. 22:11 It didn't bother the Romans a bit. 22:13 But what the Christians wouldn't do is, they wouldn't add the 22:15 worship of Jesus to the worship of the Roman state. 22:20 In obedience to the commandment of God, they refused to take 22:23 that seemingly innocuous pinch of incense and place it upon 22:27 Caesar's altar. 22:29 Writing about this, one recent historian had this to say: 22:34 "Rome could accept their version of a supreme god 22:37 whom others called Jupiter or Saul. 22:40 It could also accept Christ, together with other heroes 22:43 and divinities. 22:45 But what was preposterous was that Christians' arrogant 22:49 insistence that no gods had ever walked the earth until 22:54 an obscure Jewish teacher, who was executed 22:56 during the reign of Tiberius." 23:00 You see, what the Romans had going on is they were mixing 23:03 truth together with untruth. 23:05 Truth and error. 23:07 They really didn't mind if the Christians wanted to believe 23:09 in Jesus. 23:11 What they weren't impressed with was the Christians' believing 23:14 in Jesus alone. 23:16 And that attitude of combining truth and error 23:19 would be the attitude, the pattern moving forward. 23:24 You see, over time Satan managed to figure some things out. 23:27 He came to realize that he was never going to be able to crush 23:30 Christianity altogether. 23:33 So he decided that if persecution wouldn't work, 23:36 he'd come at it from another angle. 23:40 In the 4th century A.D., the Emperor Constantine 23:42 claimed to be converted. 23:45 Roman symbols became Christianized. 23:48 The Roman day of the sun, Sunday, 23:52 became the popular day of Christian worship. 23:55 The statue of Jupiter, the Roman supreme god, 23:59 would become the statue of the Apostle Peter, 24:02 now, in St. Peter's Basilica. 24:05 Over time, Rome became a strong Christian center. 24:12 But Rome continued to mix truth with error. 24:15 While today's Roman religion deals a lot with values and 24:18 morals, and that's good, you have today a system where people 24:21 are taught to pray-- which is truth-- 24:23 to so-called saints-- which is not truth. 24:27 And in order to get forgiveness from God, believers are 24:30 instructed to confess their sins--which is truth-- 24:33 to a priest, an ordinary sinful man--which is error. 24:41 Martin Luther learned this when he found himself 24:44 walking on his knees up Pilate's staircase in Rome, 24:48 along with many other pilgrims. 24:50 He was humbling himself before God: truth-- 24:54 while expecting to somehow get merit with God 24:57 by his works--error. 25:01 Luther came to realize that the just shall live by faith, 25:05 which is truth. 25:07 And not by penance and sacraments, which are error. 25:14 When Jesus saw iron in the feet and toes of the image of Daniel 25:17 chapter 2, he saw the influence of Rome extending down 25:21 to the very end of time. 25:23 Put another way, he saw, whether he realized it or not, 25:27 well-intentioned, well-meaning people mixing truths and error 25:33 together down to the last days of earth's history. 25:37 Now, is that something we should be concerned about? 25:39 Well, if you think truth is important, it would be something 25:42 that you should be concerned about. 25:44 You see, Jesus said that if anybody wants pardon for sin, 25:47 they should come straight to Him. 25:50 Well-intentioned people have said, if you want pardon 25:52 for sin, come and see one of our priests. 25:55 But then you might be like Pontius Pilate, who, 25:58 the night before Jesus died, couldn't decide whether or not 26:01 truth was important. 26:03 There are two roads that you can follow: One is the way of Jesus; 26:09 the other is that Roman road, where truth and error are 26:13 blended together. 26:15 Paul walked the Appian Way. 26:18 It led him to the heart of the city of Rome. 26:21 He walked this very road, and it led him to yielding 26:26 his life to the cause of Jesus. 26:29 Jesus walked a road. 26:30 He walked the Via Dolorosa, the Way of Suffering, 26:33 the path of self-denial. 26:35 He was led down that road because of his total commitment 26:39 to his Father's Word and doing His Father's will. 26:42 So, which road are you going to walk? 26:44 You could walk the road of self; you could walk the road 26:47 of doing your own thing. 26:49 Or you could walk that road where Jesus leads the way. 26:52 Will it be for you truth and error, tradition and truth? 26:57 Or will it be all Jesus, and all the Bible? 27:01 God is looking today for people who will stand up and say I'm 27:03 going to follow the Bible. 27:04 I'm going to, by doing that, allow the God of heaven to come 27:07 into my life and make me completely His. 27:11 God will do that for you, if you'll let Him. 27:14 Will you let Him do that today? 27:15 Let's pray together. 27:17 Our Father in heaven, we thank You 27:19 that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. 27:22 I thank You that people such as Paul walked this Appian Way; 27:26 others like Him walked these roads, sharing Jesus and 27:30 demonstrating a commitment to the God of heaven. 27:33 Give us grace to walk those same footsteps, that same road. 27:36 The road of commitment, the road of truth, 27:40 the road of Christ. 27:41 We thank You today. 27:43 In Jesus' name, amen. 27:48 Thanks for joining me today. 27:49 I look forward to seeing you again, next time. 27:51 Until then remember: It is written. 27:55 Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that 27:59 proceeds from the mouth of God. 28:04 ♪ [It Is Written Theme] ♪ |
Revised 2015-06-18