Participants:
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW018168S
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00:21 >>John Bradshaw: This is It Is Written.
00:23 I'm John Bradshaw. Thanks for joining me. 00:26 The city of Rome in Italy oozes history. 00:30 It seems as though no matter where you turn 00:32 there's another ancient monument recalling 00:34 the heady glory days of the Roman Empire. 00:37 Rome began to be ruled by emperors around 2,000 years ago. 00:41 Men like Caesar Augustus, 00:43 who was the emperor when Jesus was born. 00:45 He's mentioned in Luke 2, verse 1. 00:47 “And it came to pass in those days, 00:50 that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus 00:53 that all the world should be taxed.” 00:56 He was followed by Tiberius, 00:57 who was the emperor when Jesus was crucified. 01:00 There were other well-known emperors: 01:02 Nero, Hadrian, Caligula. 01:05 Some lesser-known: Hostilian, Quintillus, Macrinus. 01:11 Depending on how you count, 01:12 there were somewhere between 70 and 90 Roman emperors. 01:16 And here in Rome, they're memorialized, 01:19 some of them, in some impressive ways. 01:23 The Arch of Constantine stands between the Colosseum 01:27 and the Palatine Hill, where the imperial palaces were built. 01:31 It's a monument to the triumphs of the emperor Constantine, 01:35 the man who not only won great military battles 01:37 but converted to Christianity and introduced Sunday worship 01:42 to the Roman Empire. 01:44 He ruled in the first half of the fourth century. 01:47 Trajan's Column does much the same thing, 01:50 recording details of the exploits of the emperor Trajan, 01:53 who ruled for 20 years or so in the first and second centuries. 01:57 It's more than 1,900 years old. 02:01 The Arch of Titus commemorates the victories of Titus, 02:06 including his conquest of Jerusalem in 70 AD. 02:09 That's the destruction of Jerusalem 02:11 Jesus talked about in Matthew 24. 02:14 Details on the Arch of Titus 02:17 show the spoils from the siege of Jerusalem. 02:20 And if you've ever wondered what they did with all of the wealth 02:23 that came from the destruction of Jerusalem, 02:27 well, among other things, they used it to build the Colosseum. 02:32 There's the Arch of Septimius Severus, 02:35 emperor of Rome from 193 to 211. 02:39 The Castel Sant'Angelo was commissioned 02:41 by the emperor Hadrian, who became emperor in 117 AD. 02:48 Glorious times. 02:49 Larger-than-life figures. 02:53 One of the emperors who doesn't get talked about a lot 02:57 is a man whose name is usually only mentioned 02:59 for the darkest of reasons: the persecution of Christians, 03:04 persecution so bad it's mentioned in the Bible. 03:08 And he's the only emperor who resigned from being emperor. 03:12 All of the other emperors, well, 03:14 they didn't ordinarily meet with quite such a happy ending. 03:17 About 20 of the other emperors died of natural causes; 03:21 23 were assassinated. 03:23 Ten died in battle, seems about another 10 were executed, 03:26 and five took their own lives. 03:29 But this man, after ruthlessly persecuting Christians, 03:33 retired to his summer palace by the sea to raise vegetables. 03:39 The story of Diocletian is, as much as anything, 03:43 a story of persecution. 03:44 ♪[Solemn music]♪ 03:46 Persecution followed the people of God 03:48 all the way through the Bible. 03:50 Pharaoh refused to let God's people leave Egypt, 03:54 pressing them into slavery, 03:56 and after the plagues fell, he pursued them to the Red Sea, 03:59 intending to kill them. 04:01 Moses survived a decree ordering the execution of Hebrew babies. 04:06 The story of Esther is the story of a decree 04:09 to eradicate all of Israel. 04:11 Israel was taken into Babylonian captivity. 04:14 Herod had the baby boys born around the time of Jesus' birth 04:18 put to death. 04:20 And Jesus stated that many of His followers 04:22 would be subjected to persecution. 04:24 It was certainly true in the time of the early church. 04:28 Jesus said to His disciples, 04:30 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, 04:33 and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. 04:36 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, 04:39 and will hate one another.” 04:41 Matthew 24:9-10. 04:43 And it's certainly true for believers in earth's last days. 04:47 Daniel 12:1 says, 04:48 “There shall be a time of trouble, 04:50 such as never was since there was a nation.” 04:53 And Paul wrote to Timothy, and he said, 04:56 “And all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus 04:59 will suffer persecution.” 05:00 2 Timothy 3, verse 12. 05:03 Which might make you stop and think. 05:06 There's no doubt that there are many people around the world 05:09 who right now are suffering persecution. 05:12 It's serious, and it's terrible. 05:16 But there are few people in the Western world who could 05:18 honestly say that that's their experience. 05:21 It might be that the reason is so few people are living 05:25 that consistent Spirit-filled life that Paul wrote about. 05:30 But during the early centuries of the Christian era, 05:33 times were different. 05:35 Many historians believe it was the fiercest persecution 05:38 ever experienced. 05:39 ♪[somber music]♪ 05:40 This was the persecution that began during the reign 05:42 of the Roman emperor Diocletian in 303 AD. 05:47 ♪[Music]♪ 05:50 After 21 years as the Roman emperor, 05:54 Diocletian retired to a town on the coast of the Adriatic Sea, 05:58 known today as Split, in Croatia. 06:02 He was something of a builder. 06:05 The summer palace he built for his retirement was magnificent. 06:11 This is the central square of Diocletian's palace 06:14 as it appears today. 06:16 It was here that the aging emperor 06:17 lived out his last years from 305 to 313 AD. 06:22 He evidently enjoyed his retirement. 06:25 When his former co-emperor, Maximilian, 06:27 contacted him and urged him to return to the throne 06:30 of the Roman Empire 06:32 so he could deal with some issues that had surfaced 06:34 since his resignation, 06:36 Diocletian responded by telling his old friend that if only 06:39 he could see the fine cabbages that he grew here, 06:42 then he wouldn't want Diocletian to trade in 06:44 his newfound happiness for the headaches and hassles 06:48 that would accompany a return to the throne. 06:52 And this place was only Diocletian's summer palace. 06:56 It's like a vacation home. 07:00 The emperors of Rome, including the one emperor who survived 07:04 emperor-hood, certainly lived well, 07:07 as you'd expect for people who were considered 07:10 to be god on the earth. 07:12 It was believed that Diocletian was the special spokesman 07:15 for Jupiter, the king of the gods. 07:20 To really understand this man 07:22 remembered by history as the instigator of the worst-ever 07:26 persecution against Christians, 07:28 we'll need to start at the beginning. 07:31 So who was Diocletian, 07:33 and why the intense persecution of the Christian church? 07:37 We'll find out in just a moment. 07:39 ♪[Music]♪ 07:49 >>John: What role does the United States play 07:51 in end-times Bible prophecy? 07:54 Find out what the book of Revelation says by receiving 07:57 “The United States in Bible Prophecy” 08:00 absolutely free. 08:02 To receive “The United States in Bible Prophecy,” 08:04 call us right now at 800-253-3000. 08:08 That's 800-253-3000. 08:11 You can write to the address on your screen 08:13 or visit us online at iiwoffer.com, 08:17 iiwoffer.com. 08:20 >>John: December 21, 2012, was when the Maya calendar 08:24 was set to expire. 08:26 Many said with the expiration of this calendar 08:28 would come the end of the world. 08:33 The Maya were remarkable builders, 08:35 but they did not predict the end of the world. 08:38 So where can we find predictions that we can trust? 08:42 Recent reports state that more and more people 08:45 are embracing witchcraft, tarot card reading, and astrology. 08:49 People are grabbing on to this, 08:51 even though there's absolutely no evidence that it's valid, 08:55 and they're rejecting the Bible. 08:58 Now, the Bible isn't simply a book of predictions. 09:01 It's the story of God's love for the human family. 09:04 But it's true that the Bible does contain predictions. 09:08 In fact, God stakes His reputation 09:11 on His ability to forecast the future. 09:14 “Predictions You Can Trust.” 09:16 Watch now on It Is Written TV. 09:21 >>John: Thanks for joining me today on It Is Written. 09:23 I'm John Bradshaw. 09:24 I'm in Split, Croatia, 09:27 the town where the Roman emperor Diocletian retired. 09:30 He was born and raised near here. 09:32 Both of his parents were slaves. 09:35 He came back here to see out his days in splendor. 09:39 By 284 AD, the Roman Empire was in turmoil. 09:45 One soldier after another had murdered his way to the throne. 09:49 And it seemed as though the empire 09:50 was not going to be able to continue. 09:54 A young general was determined to bring order 09:57 out of the madness that was gripping the Roman Empire. 10:00 Diocletian was a pagan, 10:03 and he worshiped the old gods of the Roman state. 10:07 Diocletian marched on the city of Nicomedia and became 10:11 the unchallenged master of the Roman world. 10:15 But how did this heroic soldier-emperor, 10:18 who brought stability to the world of his day, 10:21 become such a fierce persecutor of God's people? 10:24 The answer is interesting, 10:26 because it helps us identify a pattern, 10:28 which lets us see why God's people 10:30 have been persecuted so often. 10:32 ♪[Music]♪ 10:32 In ancient Rome, 10:34 religious persecution really wasn't common. 10:37 The polytheistic empires of the time 10:39 were tolerant when it came to religious diversity. 10:42 As long as there was peace, 10:44 and as long as people paid their taxes, 10:46 the state didn't really care about 10:48 who or what people worshiped. 10:51 Be a good citizen and you could worship 10:53 whoever or whatever you chose to. 10:57 But these Christians were different. 11:00 While the Romans worshiped many gods, 11:03 the Christians worshiped the one true God. 11:06 If you were a Roman, 11:07 you could worship Jesus without any difficulty at all 11:10 because you could just add Jesus to the long list 11:12 of gods you already worshiped. 11:14 ♪[Music]♪ 11:17 One of the most magnificent buildings 11:19 in Rome is the Pantheon, completed in the year 126. 11:24 Its dome is the largest unreinforced 11:27 concrete dome in the world. 11:30 The Pantheon is now a functioning church, 11:33 but when it was built, it was constructed to be a temple. 11:37 “Pantheon” means, basically, “for all the gods.” 11:40 It was built to honor the gods, plural. 11:45 The Romans worshiped a whole gaggle of gods. 11:50 But not the Christians. 11:51 They worshiped just one God. 11:54 So in the eyes of the Romans, 11:55 the Christians were basically atheists. 11:58 A small sect that originated in Israel, 12:02 dedicated to following an obscure teacher 12:05 who ended up being crucified on a cross, 12:08 and yet they were standing up to Rome and saying, 12:10 “No! We don't believe in Jupiter, 12:13 or in Mars, or in Quirinus. 12:17 We worship just one God.” 12:20 The fact that the Christians wouldn't add the worship 12:22 of the Roman gods to the worship of Jesus 12:25 is why they were persecuted. 12:27 It's a lot like the experience of the three young Hebrew men 12:31 out on the plain of Dura in Babylon. 12:32 ♪[Music]♪ 12:34 King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had made an image of gold, 12:36 and he gathered all the local rulers 12:38 from throughout his empire to come and worship this image, 12:41 on pain of death if they should choose not to. 12:45 The three Hebrews, of course, refused to bow before the image, 12:48 and they were thrown into a fiery furnace, 12:51 only to escape death by a miracle 12:54 because the Son of God Himself came to protect them. 12:58 For those who gathered out there on the plain of Dura, 13:00 worshiping one more god was no issue. 13:04 But those who worshiped the one true God 13:07 refused to worship that idol. 13:10 And that's because the first of God's Ten Commandments 13:13 says something totally unique 13:16 among the religions of the ancient world. 13:19 “You shall have no other gods before me.” 13:22 Exodus 20, verse 3. 13:24 Pagan culture had no concept at all 13:27 of what we call the separation of church and state. 13:31 In fact, the first time that idea was articulated was 13:34 when Jesus appeared before the Roman governor Pontius Pilate. 13:38 “My kingdom is not of this world. 13:41 If my kingdom were of this world, 13:43 my servants would fight, 13:45 so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; 13:48 but now my kingdom is not from here.” 13:51 John 18:36. 13:53 Now, that was decidedly un-Roman. 13:57 In the pagan mindset of old Rome, 13:59 every citizen was expected to make a public showing of loyalty 14:03 to the gods of the state or the emperor himself, 14:07 usually by offering a sacrifice or burning incense in public. 14:11 Sincerity didn't matter, just as long as you did it. 14:16 This is what happens when church and state unite. 14:19 It's happened again and again down through the centuries. 14:22 In medieval times, under the popes, 14:25 millions were persecuted because they refused 14:27 to go along with the state religion. 14:30 And even though they themselves were escaping 14:32 religious persecution, the Puritans of New England 14:36 lowered the boom on anybody who didn't worship in the way 14:40 which they prescribed. 14:42 Now, by Diocletian's time, 14:44 Christianity had become deeply entrenched in the Roman Empire. 14:48 But the Christians' refusal to worship the gods of the state 14:53 ended up becoming much more than Diocletian 14:56 was willing to put up with. 14:58 It was a visit to the oracle at Miletus, 15:01 in what today is Turkey, 15:02 at that time one of the holiest shrines in the empire, 15:05 that set Diocletian on his blood-soaked course. 15:09 A message supposedly from the god Apollo 15:13 told Diocletian that the “righteous ones” 15:16 on earth were preventing him from speaking the truth. 15:20 When the pagan priests said that these “righteous ones” 15:24 were the Christians, that was that. 15:27 Diocletian would take care of the Christians. 15:33 Now, keep something in mind. 15:35 History has a habit of repeating. 15:37 And the book of Revelation makes clear that, in this case, 15:41 history is going to repeat. 15:43 I'll have more in just a moment. 15:45 ♪[Music]♪ 15:54 [Fire crackling and crickets chirping] 15:55 [Coyote barking] 15:58 ♪[Music]♪ 16:07 [Camera equipment rattling] 16:10 [People murmuring] 16:13 [Wind blowing] 16:18 ♪[Music]♪ 16:28 ♪[Music]♪ 16:38 [Cheering] 16:44 ♪[Music]♪ 16:54 ♪[Music]♪ 17:02 >>John: This is It Is Written. I'm John Bradshaw. 17:05 And this is picturesque Split, on the Adriatic Sea, 17:10 on the coast of Croatia. 17:12 It's dominated by the palace of the Roman emperor Diocletian. 17:16 It's not hard to imagine how spectacular 17:18 this place was 1,700 years ago. 17:22 Diocletian is the only Roman emperor 17:24 to have retired from office. 17:26 And he retired here to a specially-built summer palace. 17:30 His reign is distinguished by 10 years of persecution 17:34 of Christians, which began in February of 303 AD, 17:41 the fulfillment of a prophecy of Jesus Himself. 17:45 It started with the destruction of a newly-built 17:48 Christian church in Nicomedia. 17:51 A few months later the imperial palace caught fire. 17:54 Christians believed that God was punishing the emperor 17:57 for his attack against the church. 17:59 Of course, the emperor didn't see it that way, 18:02 and he issued an edict demanding that all Christian clergy 18:05 be arrested and put in prison. 18:08 Places of worship were destroyed all across his empire, 18:11 and Christians were forbidden to worship. 18:14 The flames of persecution burned hotter, 18:17 as church leaders were summoned 18:19 before local magistrates and subjected to torture. 18:23 Clergy would be released, 18:25 as long as they agreed to sacrifice to the pagan gods. 18:29 It's a lot like the story of Shadrach, 18:31 Meshach, and Abednego on the plain of Dura 18:34 in ancient Babylon. 18:36 Their lives would be spared 18:38 as long as they worshiped the state gods. 18:41 Author Stephen Williams: 18:43 “It was now that the horrors began: 18:46 racks, burnings, flayings, pincers.” 18:50 In 304 the emperor issued another edict saying that 18:54 any Christian, man, woman, or child, 18:57 who refused to gather in a public square 19:00 and offer a sacrifice to the gods would be executed. 19:05 Exactly how many people died in the persecution isn't known, 19:09 but one count reckoned that 17,000 were put to death 19:13 in a period of just three days. 19:17 That brutal persecution lasted for 10 long years. 19:22 In Revelation 2, verse 10, Jesus says, 19:26 “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. 19:30 Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, 19:33 that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. 19:38 Be faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life.” 19:43 Many students of the book of Revelation believe 19:46 that the seven churches of Revelation chapters 2 and 3 19:50 reference successive periods throughout the Christian era. 19:55 The church of Smyrna corresponds to the second, 19:57 third, and fourth centuries AD, 19:59 during which intense persecution was inflicted 20:03 upon followers of Jesus. 20:05 It's believed that the most intense period of persecution 20:08 was that 10-year period we spoke of, 20:10 303 to 313 AD. 20:13 ♪[Music]♪ 20:14 Now, Revelation said “ten days.” 20:17 But in Bible prophecy, a day represents a year. 20:22 Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:6 make this plain, 20:27 as does the 70-week prophecy of Daniel chapter 9, 20:31 which pinpoints the time in which Jesus the Messiah 20:33 would appear on this earth and die for our sins. 20:36 Some modern translations even use the phrase “weeks of years” 20:41 in translating Daniel 9:24. 20:43 With this principle in mind, 20:46 the “ten day” prophecy of Revelation 2 and verse 10 20:49 is in all likelihood a reference to the 10 years 20:52 of persecution under the emperor Diocletian. 20:56 Thousands of people gave their lives. 20:59 But the promise of Jesus was always before them: 21:04 “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life.” 21:09 When we look into the future, 21:11 we see trouble coming for the world. 21:13 Remember Daniel 12, verse 1. 21:15 “And at that time shall Michael stand up, 21:18 the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: 21:22 and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was 21:24 since there was a nation even to that same time: 21:28 and at that time thy people shall be delivered, 21:31 every one that shall be found written in the book.” 21:34 In Revelation 13, we see persecution coming, 21:38 again, connected to worship. 21:40 Verse 8: 21:42 “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, 21:45 whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb 21:49 slain from the foundation of the world.” 21:51 Then verse 10: 21:53 “He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: 21:57 he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. 22:01 Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.” 22:05 Verse 12, again, worship: 22:08 “And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, 22:12 and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship 22:16 the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.” 22:20 Then verse 15: 22:22 “And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, 22:25 that the image of the beast should both speak, 22:28 and cause that as many as would not worship the image 22:31 of the beast should be killed.” 22:34 In Diocletian's time, 22:36 the massive persecution against the Christian church was because 22:39 of the church's refusal to go along with the worship 22:43 of the gods of the state. 22:45 In the book of Revelation, 22:46 you have enforced false worship again, 22:50 and persecution against those who refuse to comply. 22:54 Union of church and state has always been disastrous, 22:58 and it will be disastrous again. 23:01 It's not that the church shouldn't influence 23:03 the thinking of the state. 23:05 But when the state enforces religious laws? 23:10 Well, that's never gone well. 23:12 ♪[Music]♪ 23:18 So what do you do when the heat gets turned up 23:22 in your experience? 23:25 In the Bible, we have the example of three young men, 23:27 in the book of Daniel, 23:29 who were persecuted when they refused to violate 23:32 their conscience and participate in false worship. 23:37 Their faithfulness led them into a fiery furnace, 23:41 and Jesus was there with them. 23:43 Daniel himself, ordered to worship the king, 23:46 a false god. 23:48 He wouldn't do it and was cast into a den of lions. 23:51 And God delivered him. 23:54 His faithfulness gave God 23:56 the opportunity to work in his behalf. 23:59 When you have the opportunity to be faithful to God, 24:02 take that opportunity, no matter what your surroundings 24:05 or your circumstances look like. 24:07 And know that as you do, 24:09 it gives God the opportunity to do great things for you. 24:14 You see, whether or not God delivers a person 24:17 from persecution or a difficult situation 24:20 is not really the point. 24:22 God doesn't always deliver people 24:24 who are persecuted for their faith in Jesus. 24:26 The question is, 24:29 are you willing to trust God enough that you'll choose 24:32 to be faithful to Him, no matter the cost? 24:35 Jesus was persecuted, and it cost Him everything. 24:40 The crowd demanded His life, and He gave it. 24:44 And why did He do that? 24:46 For you. 24:47 For you and for me. 24:50 God more than likely is not asking you to die for Him. 24:52 Not right now. 24:54 But He's certainly asking you to live for Him. 24:56 Are you willing to do that? 24:57 Willing to invite Jesus into your heart? 25:00 Willing to surrender your life completely to God? 25:03 It's when you do that, that you have peace, 25:05 no matter what your circumstances are, 25:07 no matter what you're facing. 25:09 With Jesus in your heart, 25:10 you can look to the future with certainty and confidence, 25:14 no matter what's going on. 25:15 Because with Christ in your life, 25:17 your future embraces eternity. 25:24 >>John: What role does the United States play 25:26 in end-times Bible prophecy? 25:29 Find out what the book of Revelation says by receiving 25:32 “The United States in Bible Prophecy,” 25:35 absolutely free. 25:37 To receive “The United States in Bible Prophecy,” 25:39 call us right now at 800-253-3000. 25:43 That's 800-253-3000. 25:46 You can write to the address on your screen 25:48 or visit us online at iiwoffer.com, 25:52 iiwoffer.com. 25:54 >>John: Thank you for remembering that It Is Written 25:56 exists because of the kindness of people just like you. 26:00 To support this international life-changing ministry, 26:03 please call us now at 800-253-3000. 26:07 You can send your tax-deductible gift 26:09 to the address on your screen, 26:10 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 26:14 Thank you for your prayers and for your financial support. 26:17 Our number again is 800-253-3000. 26:21 Or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 26:26 >>John: Let's pray together now. 26:28 Our Father in heaven, 26:29 we thank You today for the knowledge 26:31 that You have not given us the spirit of fear, 26:33 but the spirit of power and of love and of a sound mind. 26:37 And so, looking to the past, 26:39 knowing what Christians have faced, 26:41 we look to the future knowing that there are going to be 26:43 some interesting times. 26:45 We can't face those times successfully without first 26:48 settling in our heart that we want You to be 26:51 the Lord of our lives. 26:52 So be that now. 26:54 Friend, as I pray, 26:55 if you've not settled it with God, 26:57 if you haven't surrendered everything to Jesus, 26:59 would you do that? 27:00 He'll flood your life with peace now 27:02 and keep you in any challenges that the future might bring. 27:06 Lord, we pray, too, for those who are being persecuted 27:08 for their faith around the world. 27:10 There are many. 27:11 And we ask You to be close to them, 27:13 be present with them as You were present with Daniel, 27:16 and as You were present with the three boys 27:17 who found themselves in a burning, fiery furnace. 27:20 And so we thank You today for a future that is positive. 27:23 We thank You that beyond the difficulties of this world, 27:26 Jesus will come back, to gather us up and take us home. 27:31 If You have us now, You'll have us then. 27:33 Friend, does Jesus have you now? 27:36 Lord, take us, make us Yours, and keep us forever, 27:40 we pray in Jesus' name. 27:43 Amen. 27:44 >>John: Thanks so much for joining me today. 27:46 I'm looking forward to seeing you again next time. 27:48 Until then, remember: 27:50 “It is written, 27:51 ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, 27:54 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'” 28:00 ♪[Theme music]♪ |
Revised 2022-01-20