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Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW018168A
01:29 ♪[Theme Music]
01:40 ♪[Theme Music] 01:51 >>John Bradshaw: This is It Is Written. I'm John Bradshaw. 01:54 Thanks for joining me. 01:56 The city of Rome in Italy oozes history. 02:00 It seems as though no matter where you turn 02:02 there's another ancient monument recalling the heady 02:04 glory days of the Roman Empire. 02:07 Rome began to be ruled by emperors around 2,000 years ago. 02:11 Men like Caesar Augustus, 02:13 who was the emperor when Jesus was born. 02:15 He's mentioned in Luke 2, verse 1. 02:17 “And it came to pass in those days, 02:20 that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, 02:23 that all the world should be taxed.” 02:26 He was followed by Tiberius, 02:28 who was the emperor when Jesus was crucified. 02:31 There were other well-known emperors: 02:32 Nero, Hadrian, Caligula. 02:35 Some lesser known: Hostilian, Quintillus, Macrinus. 02:41 Depending on how you count, 02:42 there were somewhere between 70 and 90 Roman emperors. 02:46 And here in Rome, they're memorialized, 02:49 some of them, in some impressive ways. 02:52 The Arch of Constantine stands between the Colosseum 02:57 and the Palatine Hill, where the imperial palaces were built. 03:01 It's a monument to the triumphs of the emperor Constantine, 03:05 the man who not only won great military battles 03:07 but converted to Christianity and introduced Sunday worship 03:12 to the Roman Empire. 03:14 He ruled in the first half of the fourth century. 03:16 Trajan's Column does much the same thing, 03:20 recording details of the exploits of the emperor Trajan, 03:24 who ruled for 20 years or so in the first and second centuries. 03:28 It's more than 1,900 years old. 03:30 The Arch of Titus commemorates the victories of Titus, 03:36 including his conquest of Jerusalem in 70AD. 03:40 That's the destruction of Jerusalem Jesus 03:42 talked about in Matthew 24. 03:45 Details on the Arch of Titus 03:47 show the spoils from the siege of Jerusalem. 03:51 And if you've ever wondered what they did with all of the wealth 03:54 that came from the destruction of Jerusalem, 03:57 well, among other things, they used it to build the Colosseum. 04:02 There's the Arch of Septimius Severus, 04:05 emperor of Rome from 193 to 211. 04:08 The Castel Sant'Angelo was commissioned 04:11 by the Emperor Hadrian, who became emperor in 117 AD. 04:18 Glorious times. 04:20 Larger-than-life figures. 04:23 One of the emperors who doesn't get talked about a lot 04:27 is a man whose name is usually only mentioned 04:30 for the darkest of reasons: the persecution of Christians, 04:34 persecution so bad it's mentioned in the Bible. 04:38 And he's the only emperor who resigned from being emperor. 04:42 All of the other emperors, well, 04:44 they didn't ordinarily meet with quite such a happy ending. 04:47 About 20 of the other emperors died of natural causes; 04:51 23 were assassinated. 04:53 Ten died in battle, seems about another ten were executed, 04:56 and five took their own lives. 04:59 But this man, after ruthlessly persecuting Christians, 05:03 retired to his summer palace by the sea to raise vegetables. 05:09 The story of Diocletian is, as much as anything, 05:13 a story of persecution. 05:15 ♪[Background music, ominous] 05:16 Persecution followed the people of God 05:19 all the way through the Bible. 05:21 Pharaoh refused to let God's people leave Egypt, 05:24 pressing them into slavery, 05:26 and after the plagues fell he pursued them to the Red Sea, 05:30 intending to kill them. 05:31 Moses survived a decree ordering the execution of Hebrew babies. 05:36 The story of Esther is the story of a decree 05:39 to eradicate all of Israel. 05:41 Israel was taken into Babylonian captivity. 05:44 Herod had the baby boys born around 05:47 the time of Jesus' birth put to death. 05:50 And Jesus stated that many of His followers 05:52 would be subjected to persecution. 05:54 It was certainly true in the time of the early church. 05:58 Jesus said to His disciples, 06:00 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, 06:03 and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. 06:06 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, 06:09 and will hate one another.” 06:11 Matthew 24:9-10. 06:14 And it's certainly true for believers in Earth's last days. 06:17 Daniel 12:1 says, 06:19 “There shall be a time of trouble, 06:20 such as never was since there was a nation.” 06:23 And Paul wrote to Timothy and he said, 06:26 “And all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus 06:29 will suffer persecution.” 06:30 2 Timothy 3, verse 12. 06:33 Which might make you stop and think. 06:36 There's no doubt that there are many people around the world 06:39 who, right now, are suffering persecution. 06:43 It's serious and it's terrible. 06:46 But there are few people in the Western world who could honestly 06:49 say that that's their experience. 06:52 It might be that the reason is so few people are living 06:55 that consistent, Spirit-filled life that Paul wrote about. 07:00 But during the early centuries of the Christian era, 07:03 times were different. 07:05 Many historians believe it was the fiercest persecution 07:08 ever experienced. 07:09 ♪[Music] 07:10 This was the persecution that began during the reign 07:12 of the Roman emperor Diocletian in 303 A.D. 07:17 ♪[Music] 07:20 After 21 years as the Roman Emperor, 07:24 Diocletian retired to a town on the coast of the Adriatic Sea, 07:28 known today as Split, in Croatia. 07:32 He was something of a builder. 07:35 The summer palace he built for his retirement was magnificent. 07:41 This is the central square of Diocletian's palace 07:44 as it appears today. 07:46 It was here that the aging emperor 07:47 lived out his last years, from 305 to 313 A.D. 07:51 He evidently enjoyed his retirement. 07:55 When his former co-emperor, Maximilian, 07:57 contacted him and urged him to return to the throne 08:01 of the Roman Empire, 08:02 so he could deal with some issues that had surfaced 08:04 since his resignation, 08:05 Diocletian responded by telling his old friend that if only 08:09 he could see the fine cabbages that he grew here, 08:13 then he wouldn't want Diocletian to trade in his 08:15 newfound happiness for the headaches and hassles 08:18 that would accompany a return to the throne. 08:22 And this place was only Diocletian's summer palace. 08:26 It's like a vacation home. 08:28 The emperors of Rome, including the one emperor who survived 08:34 emperor-hood, certainly lived well, 08:37 as you'd expect for people who were considered 08:40 to be god on the Earth. 08:42 It was believed that Diocletian was the special spokesman 08:45 for Jupiter, the king of the gods. 08:50 To really understand this man, 08:52 remembered by history as the instigator of the worst-ever 08:56 persecution against Christians, 08:58 we'll need to start at the beginning. 09:01 So who was Diocletian, 09:03 and why the intense persecution of the Christian church? 09:08 We'll find out in just a moment. 09:09 ♪[Theme Music] 09:19 >>John: What role does the United States play 09:21 in end-times Bible prophecy? 09:24 Find out what the book of Revelation says by receiving 09:27 “The United States in Bible Prophecy,” 09:30 absolutely free. 09:32 To receive “The United States in Bible Prophecy,” 09:34 call us right now at 800-253-3000. 09:38 That's 800-253-3000. 09:41 You can write to the address on your screen, 09:43 or visit us online at iiwoffer.com, 09:47 iiwoffer.com. 09:51 >>John: December 21, 2012 was when the Maya calendar 09:54 was set to expire. 09:56 Many said with the expiration of this calendar 09:58 would come the end of the world. 10:03 The Maya were remarkable builders, 10:05 but they did not predict the end of the world. 10:08 So where can we find predictions that we can trust? 10:12 Recent reports state that more and more people 10:15 are embracing witchcraft, tarot card reading, and astrology. 10:19 People are grabbing onto this, 10:21 even though there's absolutely no evidence that it's valid, 10:25 and they're rejecting the Bible. 10:28 Now, the Bible isn't simply a book of predictions. 10:31 It's the story of God's love for the human family. 10:34 But it's true that the Bible does contain predictions. 10:38 In fact, God stakes His reputation 10:41 on His ability to forecast the future. 10:44 “Predictions You Can Trust.” 10:46 Watch now on itiswritten.tv. 10:51 >>John: Thanks for joining me today on It Is Written. 10:53 I'm John Bradshaw. 10:54 I'm in Split, Croatia, the town where the Roman 10:58 emperor Diocletian retired. 11:00 He was born and raised near here. 11:02 Both of his parents were slaves. 11:05 He came back here to see out his days in splendor. 11:09 By 284 AD, the Roman Empire was in turmoil. 11:15 One soldier after another had murdered his way to the throne. 11:19 And it seemed as though the empire 11:20 was not going to be able to continue. 11:24 A young general was determined to bring order 11:27 out of the madness that was gripping the Roman Empire. 11:31 Diocletian was a pagan, 11:33 and he worshiped the old gods of the Roman state. 11:37 Diocletian marched on the city of Nicomedia and became 11:41 the unchallenged master of the Roman world. 11:45 But how did this heroic soldier-emperor, 11:48 who brought stability to the world of his day, 11:51 become such a fierce persecutor of God's people? 11:54 The answer is interesting, 11:56 because it helps us identify a pattern 11:58 which lets us see why God's people 12:00 are being persecuted so often. 12:02 ♪[Music] 12:02 In Ancient Rome, 12:04 religious persecution really wasn't common. 12:07 The polytheistic empires of the time 12:09 were tolerant when it came to religious diversity. 12:12 As long as there was peace, 12:14 and as long as people paid their taxes, 12:16 the state didn't really care about 12:19 who or what people worshiped. 12:21 Be a good citizen and you could worship 12:23 whoever or whatever you chose to. 12:28 But these Christians were different. 12:30 While the Romans worshiped many gods, 12:33 the Christians worshiped the “one true God.” 12:36 If you were a Roman, 12:38 you could worship Jesus without any difficulty at all, 12:40 because you could just add Jesus to the long list 12:42 of gods you already worshiped. 12:44 ♪[Music] 12:47 One of the most magnificent buildings 12:49 in Rome is the Pantheon, completed in the year 126. 12:54 Its dome is the largest unreinforced 12:58 concrete dome in the world. 13:00 The Pantheon is now a functioning church, 13:03 but when it was built it was constructed to be a temple. 13:07 Pantheon means, basically, “for all the gods.” 13:11 It was built to honor the gods, plural. 13:15 The Romans worshiped a whole gaggle of gods. 13:20 But not the Christians. 13:22 They worshiped just one God. 13:24 So in the eyes of the Romans, 13:26 the Christians were basically atheists. 13:29 A small sect that originated in Israel, 13:32 dedicated to following an obscure teacher 13:35 who ended up being crucified on a cross, 13:38 and yet they were standing up to Rome and saying, 13:41 “No! We don't believe in Jupiter, 13:43 or in Mars, or in Quirinus. 13:47 We worship just ONE God.” 13:49 The fact that the Christians wouldn't add the worship 13:53 of the Roman gods to the worship of Jesus 13:55 is why they were persecuted. 13:57 It's a lot like the experience of the three young Hebrew men 14:01 out on the plain of Dura in Babylon. 14:03 ♪[Music] 14:04 King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had made an image of gold, 14:07 and he gathered all the local rulers 14:08 from throughout his empire to come and worship this image, 14:11 on pain of death if they should choose not to. 14:15 The three Hebrews, of course, refused to bow before the image, 14:19 and they were thrown into a fiery furnace, 14:21 only to escape death by a miracle because 14:24 the Son of God Himself came to protect them. 14:28 For those gathered out there on the plain of Dura, 14:30 worshiping one more god was no issue. 14:34 But those who worshiped the one true God 14:38 refused to worship that idol. 14:40 And that's because the first of God's Ten Commandments 14:44 says something totally unique 14:46 among the religions of the ancient world. 14:49 “You shall have no other gods before me.” 14:52 Exodus 20, verse 3. 14:54 Pagan culture had no concept at all 14:57 of what we call the separation of church and state. 15:01 In fact, the first time that idea was articulated was when 15:05 Jesus appeared before the Roman governor Pontius Pilate. 15:08 “My kingdom is not of this world. 15:11 If my kingdom were of this world, 15:13 my servants would fight, 15:16 so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; 15:18 but now my kingdom is not from here.” 15:21 John 18:36. 15:24 Now, that was decidedly un-Roman. 15:27 In the pagan mindset of old Rome, 15:29 every citizen was expected to make a public showing of loyalty 15:33 to the gods of the State or the emperor himself, 15:37 usually by offering a sacrifice or burning incense in public. 15:41 Sincerity didn't matter, just as long as you did it. 15:46 This is what happens when church and state unite. 15:49 It's happened again and again down through the centuries. 15:52 In medieval times, under the popes, 15:55 millions were persecuted because they refused 15:58 to go along with the State religion. 15:59 And even though they themselves were escaping religious 16:03 persecution, the Puritans of New England lowered the boom on 16:08 anybody who didn't worship in the way which they prescribed. 16:12 Now, by Diocletian's time, 16:14 Christianity had become deeply entrenched in the Roman Empire. 16:19 But the Christians' refusal to worship the gods of the State 16:23 ended up becoming much more than Diocletian 16:26 was willing to put up with. 16:28 It was a visit to the oracle at Miletus, 16:31 in what today is Turkey, 16:32 at that time one of the holiest shrines in the Empire, 16:35 that set Diocletian on his blood-soaked course. 16:39 ♪[Music] 16:40 A message supposedly from the god Apollo 16:43 told Diocletian that the “righteous ones” 16:46 on Earth were preventing him from speaking the truth. 16:50 When the pagan priests said that these “righteous ones” 16:54 were the Christians, that was that. 16:58 Diocletian would take care of the Christians. 17:03 Now, keep something in mind. 17:05 History has a habit of repeating. 17:08 And the book of Revelation makes clear that, in this case, 17:10 history is going to repeat. 17:13 I'll have more in just a moment. 17:15 ♪[Theme music] 17:24 ♪[Music] 17:25 [Crickets chirp] 17:28 ♪[Music] 17:36 [Camera equipment rattling] 17:40 [People murmuring] 17:43 [Wind] 17:48 ♪[Music] 17:58 ♪[Music] 18:08 [Cheering] 18:14 ♪[Music] 18:24 ♪[Music] 18:32 >>John: This is It Is Written. I'm John Bradshaw. 18:35 And this is picturesque Split, on the Adriatic Sea, 18:40 on the coast of Croatia. 18:42 It's dominated by the palace of the Roman emperor Diocletian. 18:46 It's not hard to imagine how spectacular 18:48 this place was 1,700 years ago. 18:52 Diocletian is the only Roman emperor 18:54 to have retired from office. 18:56 And he retired here to a specially built summer palace. 19:01 His reign is distinguished by ten years of persecution 19:05 of Christians, which began in February of 303 AD, 19:10 the fulfillment of a prophecy of Jesus Himself. 19:15 It started with the destruction of a newly built 19:18 Christian church in Nicomedia. 19:21 A few months later the imperial palace caught fire. 19:24 Christians believed that God was punishing the emperor 19:27 for his attack against the church. 19:30 Of course, the emperor didn't see it that way, 19:31 and he issued an edict demanding that all Christian clergy 19:35 be arrested and put in prison. 19:38 Places of worship were destroyed all across his empire, 19:41 and Christians were forbidden to worship. 19:45 [fire crackling] The flames of persecution burned hotter, 19:48 as church leaders were summoned 19:49 before local magistrates and subjected to torture. 19:53 Clergy would be released, 19:55 as long as they agreed to sacrifice to the pagan gods. 19:59 It's a lot like the story of Shadrach, 20:01 Meshach, and Abednego on the plain of Dura 20:04 in ancient Babylon. 20:06 Their lives would be spared as long 20:08 as they worshiped the State gods. 20:11 Author Stephen Williams: 20:13 “It was now that the horrors began: 20:16 racks, burnings, flayings, pincers.” 20:20 In 304 the emperor issued another edict saying that 20:24 any Christian, man, woman, or child, 20:27 who refused to gather in a public square 20:30 and offer a sacrifice to the gods would be executed. 20:36 Exactly how many people died in the persecution isn't known, 20:39 but one count reckoned that 17,000 were put to death in a 20:44 period of just three days. 20:46 That brutal persecution lasted for ten long years. 20:52 In Revelation 2, verse 10, Jesus says, 20:56 “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. 20:59 Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, 21:04 that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. 21:08 Be faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life.” 21:13 Many students of the book of Revelation believe that the 21:16 seven churches of Revelation chapters 2 and 3 21:20 reference successive periods throughout the Christian era. 21:25 The church of Smyrna corresponds to the second, 21:27 third, and fourth centuries AD, 21:29 during which intense persecution was inflicted 21:33 upon followers of Jesus. 21:36 It's believed that the most intense period of persecution 21:38 was that ten-year period we spoke of, 21:40 303 to 313 AD. 21:43 ♪[Music] 21:44 Now, Revelation said “ten days”" 21:47 But in Bible prophecy, a day represents a year. 21:52 Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:6 make this plain, 21:57 as does the seventy-week prophecy of Daniel chapter 9, 22:01 which pinpoints the time in which Jesus the Messiah 22:04 would appear on this earth and die for our sins. 22:06 Some modern translations even use the phrase “weeks of years” 22:11 in translating Daniel 9:24. 22:13 With this principle in mind, 22:16 the “ten day” prophecy of Revelation 2 and verse 10 22:20 is in all likelihood a reference to the ten years 22:23 of persecution under the emperor Diocletian. 22:26 Thousands of people gave their lives. 22:30 But the promise of Jesus was always before them: 22:34 “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life” 22:38 (Rev. 2:10). 22:39 When we look into the future, 22:41 we see trouble coming for the world. 22:43 Remember Daniel 12, verse 1. 22:45 “And at that time shall Michael stand up, 22:48 the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: 22:52 and there shall be a time of trouble, 22:54 such as never was since there was a nation even to that same 22:57 time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, 23:01 every one that shall be found written in the book.” 23:04 In Revelation 13, we see persecution coming, 23:08 again, connected to worship. 23:11 Verse 8. 23:12 “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, 23:15 whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb 23:19 slain from the foundation of the world.” 23:22 Then verse 10. 23:23 “He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: 23:27 he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. 23:31 Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.” 23:35 Verse 12. Again, worship. 23:37 “And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, 23:42 and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship 23:47 the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.” 23:50 Then verse 15. 23:52 “And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, 23:55 that the image of the beast should both speak, 23:58 and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the 24:02 beast should be killed.” 24:04 In Diocletian's time, 24:06 the massive persecution against the Christian church was because 24:10 of the church's refusal to go along with the worship 24:13 of the gods of the State. 24:15 In the Book of Revelation, 24:17 you have enforced false worship again, 24:20 and persecution against those who refuse to comply. 24:24 Union of church and state has always been disastrous, 24:28 and it will be disastrous again. 24:31 It's not that the church shouldn't influence 24:33 the thinking of the State. 24:35 But when the State enforces religious laws? 24:40 Well, that's never gone well. 24:41 ♪[Music] 24:49 So what do you do when the heat gets turned 24:52 up in your experience? 24:55 In the Bible, we have the example of three young men, 24:58 in the book of Daniel, 24:59 who were persecuted when they refused to violate their 25:02 conscience and participate in false worship. 25:07 Their faithfulness led them into a fiery furnace, 25:11 and Jesus was there with them. 25:13 Daniel himself, ordered to worship the king, 25:16 a false god. 25:18 He wouldn't do it and was cast into a den of lions. 25:21 And God delivered him. 25:24 His faithfulness gave God 25:26 the opportunity to work in his behalf. 25:29 When you have the opportunity to be faithful to God, 25:32 take that opportunity, no matter what your surroundings 25:35 or your circumstances look like. 25:37 And know, that as you do, 25:39 it gives God the opportunity to do great things for you. 25:44 You see, whether or not God delivers a person from 25:47 persecution or a difficult situation, 25:50 is not really the point. 25:52 God doesn't always deliver people 25:54 who are persecuted for their faith in Jesus. 25:56 The question is, 25:59 are you willing to trust God enough that you'll choose 26:02 to be faithful to Him, no matter the cost? 26:06 Jesus was persecuted, and it cost Him everything. 26:10 The crowd demanded His life, and He gave it. 26:14 And why did He do that? 26:16 For you. 26:17 For you and for me. 26:20 God more than likely is not asking you to die for Him. 26:23 Not right now. 26:24 But He's certainly asking you to live for Him. 26:26 Are you willing to do that? 26:28 Willing to invite Jesus into your heart? 26:30 Willing to surrender your life completely to God? 26:33 It's when you do that, that you have peace. 26:35 No matter what your circumstances are. 26:37 No matter what you're facing. 26:39 With Jesus in your heart, 26:41 you can look to the future with certainty and confidence, 26:44 no matter what's going on. 26:45 Because, with Christ in your life, 26:47 your future embraces eternity. 26:54 >>John: What role does the United States play 26:56 in end-times Bible prophecy? 26:59 Find out what the book of Revelation says by receiving 27:03 “The United States in Bible Prophecy,” 27:05 absolutely free. 27:07 To receive “The United States in Bible Prophecy,” 27:09 call us right now at 800-253-3000. 27:13 That's 800-253-3000. 27:16 You can write to the address on your screen, 27:18 or visit us online at iiwoffer.com, 27:22 iiwoffer.com. 27:25 >>John: Thank you for remembering that It Is Written 27:27 exists because of the kindness of people just like you. 27:30 To support this international life-changing ministry, 27:33 please call us now at 800-253-3000. 27:37 You can send your tax-deductible gift 27:39 to the address on your screen, 27:40 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 27:44 Thank you for your prayers and for your financial support. 27:47 Our number again is 800-253-3000. 27:51 Or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com 27:56 >>John: Let's pray together now. 27:57 Our Father in heaven, 27:59 we thank You today for the knowledge that You 28:01 have not given us the spirit of fear, 28:04 but the spirit of power and of love and of a sound mind. 28:07 And so, looking to the past, 28:09 knowing what Christians have faced, 28:11 we look to the future knowing that there are going to be 28:13 some interesting times. 28:16 We can't face those times successfully without first 28:18 settling in our heart that we want You to be 28:21 the Lord of our lives. 28:22 So be that now. 28:24 Friend, as I pray, 28:25 if you've not settled it with God, 28:27 if you haven't surrendered everything to Jesus, 28:29 would you do that? 28:30 He'll flood your life with peace now, 28:32 and keep you in any challenges the future might bring. 28:36 Lord, we pray too for those who are being persecuted 28:38 for their faith around the world. 28:40 There are many. 28:41 And we ask You to be close to them, 28:43 be present with them as You were present with Daniel, 28:46 and as You were present with the three boys 28:48 who found themselves in a burning, fiery furnace. 28:50 And so we thank You today for a future that is positive. 28:53 We thank You that beyond the difficulties of this world, 28:56 Jesus will come back, to gather us up and take us home. 29:01 If You have us now, You'll have us then. 29:03 Friend, does Jesus have you now? 29:06 Lord, take us, make us Yours, and keep us forever, 29:10 we pray in Jesus' name. 29:13 Amen. 29:15 >>John: Thanks so much for joining me today. 29:16 I'm looking forward to seeing you again next time. 29:18 Until then, remember: 29:20 “It is written, 29:22 ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, 29:24 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'” 29:30 ♪[Theme music] |
Revised 2018-08-16