¤[Theme Music]
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>>John Bradshaw: This is It
Is Written. I'm John Bradshaw.
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Thanks for joining me.
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The city of Rome in
Italy oozes history.
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It seems as though
no matter where you turn
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there's another ancient
monument recalling the heady
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glory days of the Roman Empire.
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Rome began to be ruled by
emperors around 2,000 years ago.
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Men like Caesar Augustus,
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who was the emperor
when Jesus was born.
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He's mentioned
in Luke 2, verse 1.
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“And it came to
pass in those days,
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that there went out a
decree from Caesar Augustus,
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that all the
world should be taxed.”
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He was followed by Tiberius,
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who was the emperor
when Jesus was crucified.
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There were other
well-known emperors:
00:01:01.12\00:01:02.42
Nero, Hadrian, Caligula.
00:01:02.46\00:01:05.36
Some lesser known:
Hostilian, Quintillus, Macrinus.
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Depending on how you count,
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there were somewhere between
70 and 90 Roman emperors.
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And here in Rome,
they're memorialized,
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some of them, in
some impressive ways.
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The Arch of Constantine
stands between the Colosseum
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and the Palatine Hill, where
the imperial palaces were built.
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It's a monument to the triumphs
of the emperor Constantine,
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the man who not only
won great military battles
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but converted to Christianity
and introduced Sunday worship
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to the Roman Empire.
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He ruled in the first
half of the fourth century.
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Trajan's Column
does much the same thing,
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recording details of the
exploits of the emperor Trajan,
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who ruled for 20 years or so in
the first and second centuries.
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It's more than 1,900 years old.
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The Arch of Titus commemorates
the victories of Titus,
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including his
conquest of Jerusalem in 70AD.
00:02:06.29\00:02:10.03
That's the
destruction of Jerusalem Jesus
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talked about in Matthew 24.
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Details on the Arch of Titus
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show the spoils from
the siege of Jerusalem.
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And if you've ever wondered what
they did with all of the wealth
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that came from the
destruction of Jerusalem,
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well, among other things, they
used it to build the Colosseum.
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There's the Arch
of Septimius Severus,
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emperor of Rome from 193 to 211.
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The Castel
Sant'Angelo was commissioned
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by the Emperor Hadrian,
who became emperor in 117 AD.
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Glorious times.
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Larger-than-life figures.
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One of the emperors who
doesn't get talked about a lot
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is a man whose name
is usually only mentioned
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for the darkest of reasons:
the persecution of Christians,
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persecution so bad
it's mentioned in the Bible.
00:03:04.55\00:03:08.52
And he's the only emperor
who resigned from being emperor.
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All of the other emperors, well,
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they didn't ordinarily meet
with quite such a happy ending.
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About 20 of the other
emperors died of natural causes;
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23 were assassinated.
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Ten died in battle, seems
about another ten were executed,
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and five took their own lives.
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But this man, after ruthlessly
persecuting Christians,
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retired to his summer palace
by the sea to raise vegetables.
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The story of Diocletian
is, as much as anything,
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a story of persecution.
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¤[Background music, ominous]
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Persecution
followed the people of God
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all the way through the Bible.
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Pharaoh refused to let
God's people leave Egypt,
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pressing them into slavery,
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and after the plagues fell
he pursued them to the Red Sea,
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intending to kill them.
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Moses survived a decree ordering
the execution of Hebrew babies.
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The story of Esther
is the story of a decree
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to eradicate all of Israel.
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Israel was taken
into Babylonian captivity.
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Herod had the
baby boys born around
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the time of Jesus'
birth put to death.
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And Jesus stated
that many of His followers
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would be
subjected to persecution.
00:04:22.66\00:04:24.93
It was certainly true in
the time of the early church.
00:04:24.96\00:04:28.23
Jesus said to His disciples,
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“Then they will deliver you
up to tribulation and kill you,
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and you will be hated by
all nations for My name's sake.
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And then many will be offended,
will betray one another,
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and will hate one another.”
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Matthew 24:9-10.
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And it's certainly true for
believers in Earth's last days.
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Daniel 12:1 says,
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“There shall be
a time of trouble,
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such as never was
since there was a nation.”
00:04:50.59\00:04:53.82
And Paul wrote to
Timothy and he said,
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“And all who desire to
live godly in Christ Jesus
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will suffer persecution.”
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2 Timothy 3, verse 12.
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Which might make
you stop and think.
00:05:03.77\00:05:06.17
There's no doubt that there
are many people around the world
00:05:06.20\00:05:09.57
who, right now, are
suffering persecution.
00:05:09.60\00:05:13.04
It's serious and it's terrible.
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But there are few people in the
Western world who could honestly
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say that that's
their experience.
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It might be that the reason
is so few people are living
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that consistent, Spirit-filled
life that Paul wrote about.
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But during the early
centuries of the Christian era,
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times were different.
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Many historians believe it
was the fiercest persecution
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ever experienced.
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¤[Music]
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This was the persecution
that began during the reign
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of the Roman emperor
Diocletian in 303 A.D.
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¤[Music]
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After 21 years as
the Roman Emperor,
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Diocletian retired to a town on
the coast of the Adriatic Sea,
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known today as
Split, in Croatia.
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He was something of a builder.
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The summer palace he built for
his retirement was magnificent.
00:06:05.46\00:06:11.20
This is the central
square of Diocletian's palace
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as it appears today.
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It was here that
the aging emperor
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lived out his last
years, from 305 to 313 A.D.
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He evidently
enjoyed his retirement.
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When his former
co-emperor, Maximilian,
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contacted him and urged
him to return to the throne
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of the Roman Empire,
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so he could deal with
some issues that had surfaced
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since his resignation,
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Diocletian responded by telling
his old friend that if only
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he could see the fine
cabbages that he grew here,
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then he wouldn't want
Diocletian to trade in his
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newfound happiness for
the headaches and hassles
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that would accompany
a return to the throne.
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And this place was only
Diocletian's summer palace.
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It's like a vacation home.
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The emperors of Rome, including
the one emperor who survived
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emperor-hood,
certainly lived well,
00:07:04.42\00:07:07.32
as you'd expect for
people who were considered
00:07:07.36\00:07:10.19
to be god on the Earth.
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It was believed that Diocletian
was the special spokesman
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for Jupiter, the
king of the gods.
00:07:15.66\00:07:18.17
To really understand this man,
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remembered by history as
the instigator of the worst-ever
00:07:22.67\00:07:26.44
persecution against Christians,
00:07:26.47\00:07:28.81
we'll need to
start at the beginning.
00:07:28.84\00:07:31.25
So who was Diocletian,
00:07:31.28\00:07:33.45
and why the intense persecution
of the Christian church?
00:07:33.48\00:07:37.99
We'll find out in just a moment.
00:07:38.02\00:07:39.32
¤[Theme Music]
00:07:39.35\00:07:47.13
>>John: What role
does the United States play
00:07:49.40\00:07:51.57
in end-times Bible prophecy?
00:07:51.60\00:07:54.37
Find out what the book of
Revelation says by receiving
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“The United States
in Bible Prophecy,”
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absolutely free.
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To receive “The United
States in Bible Prophecy,”
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call us right
now at 800-253-3000.
00:08:04.31\00:08:08.18
That's 800-253-3000.
00:08:08.22\00:08:11.45
You can write to the
address on your screen,
00:08:11.49\00:08:13.46
or visit us
online at iiwoffer.com,
00:08:13.49\00:08:17.16
iiwoffer.com.
00:08:17.19\00:08:18.83
>>John: December 21, 2012
was when the Maya calendar
00:08:21.10\00:08:24.93
was set to expire.
00:08:24.97\00:08:26.17
Many said with the
expiration of this calendar
00:08:26.20\00:08:28.87
would come the end of the world.
00:08:28.90\00:08:31.37
The Maya were
remarkable builders,
00:08:33.91\00:08:35.68
but they did not
predict the end of the world.
00:08:35.71\00:08:38.35
So where can we find
predictions that we can trust?
00:08:38.38\00:08:42.15
Recent reports state
that more and more people
00:08:42.18\00:08:45.29
are embracing witchcraft, tarot
card reading, and astrology.
00:08:45.32\00:08:49.32
People are grabbing onto this,
00:08:49.36\00:08:51.89
even though there's absolutely
no evidence that it's valid,
00:08:51.93\00:08:55.80
and they're rejecting the Bible.
00:08:55.83\00:08:58.27
Now, the Bible isn't
simply a book of predictions.
00:08:58.30\00:09:01.34
It's the story of God's
love for the human family.
00:09:01.37\00:09:04.04
But it's true that the
Bible does contain predictions.
00:09:04.07\00:09:08.14
In fact, God
stakes His reputation
00:09:08.18\00:09:11.45
on His ability to
forecast the future.
00:09:11.48\00:09:14.45
“Predictions You Can Trust.”
00:09:14.48\00:09:16.22
Watch now on itiswritten.tv.
00:09:16.25\00:09:20.06
>>John: Thanks for joining
me today on It Is Written.
00:09:21.56\00:09:23.79
I'm John Bradshaw.
00:09:23.83\00:09:24.83
I'm in Split, Croatia,
the town where the Roman
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emperor Diocletian retired.
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He was born and
raised near here.
00:09:30.93\00:09:32.90
Both of his parents were slaves.
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He came back here to see
out his days in splendor.
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By 284 AD, the Roman
Empire was in turmoil.
00:09:39.57\00:09:45.35
One soldier after another had
murdered his way to the throne.
00:09:45.38\00:09:49.22
And it seemed as
though the empire
00:09:49.25\00:09:50.72
was not going to
be able to continue.
00:09:50.75\00:09:54.32
A young general was
determined to bring order
00:09:54.36\00:09:57.46
out of the madness that
was gripping the Roman Empire.
00:09:57.49\00:10:00.96
Diocletian was a pagan,
00:10:01.00\00:10:03.63
and he worshiped the
old gods of the Roman state.
00:10:03.67\00:10:07.40
Diocletian marched on the
city of Nicomedia and became
00:10:07.44\00:10:11.47
the unchallenged
master of the Roman world.
00:10:11.51\00:10:15.24
But how did this
heroic soldier-emperor,
00:10:15.28\00:10:18.95
who brought stability
to the world of his day,
00:10:18.98\00:10:21.38
become such a fierce
persecutor of God's people?
00:10:21.42\00:10:24.85
The answer is interesting,
00:10:24.89\00:10:26.12
because it helps
us identify a pattern
00:10:26.15\00:10:28.56
which lets us
see why God's people
00:10:28.59\00:10:30.76
are being persecuted so often.
00:10:30.79\00:10:32.23
¤[Music]
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In Ancient Rome,
00:10:32.93\00:10:34.13
religious persecution
really wasn't common.
00:10:34.20\00:10:37.63
The polytheistic
empires of the time
00:10:37.67\00:10:39.63
were tolerant when it
came to religious diversity.
00:10:39.67\00:10:42.67
As long as there was peace,
00:10:42.70\00:10:44.17
and as long as
people paid their taxes,
00:10:44.21\00:10:46.57
the state didn't
really care about
00:10:46.61\00:10:48.94
who or what people worshiped.
00:10:48.98\00:10:51.25
Be a good citizen
and you could worship
00:10:51.28\00:10:53.28
whoever or
whatever you chose to.
00:10:53.31\00:10:57.99
But these
Christians were different.
00:10:58.02\00:11:00.76
While the Romans
worshiped many gods,
00:11:00.79\00:11:03.46
the Christians
worshiped the “one true God.”
00:11:03.49\00:11:06.96
If you were a Roman,
00:11:07.00\00:11:08.06
you could worship Jesus
without any difficulty at all,
00:11:08.10\00:11:10.40
because you could just
add Jesus to the long list
00:11:10.43\00:11:12.90
of gods you already worshiped.
00:11:12.93\00:11:14.57
¤[Music]
00:11:14.60\00:11:17.27
One of the most
magnificent buildings
00:11:17.31\00:11:19.27
in Rome is the Pantheon,
completed in the year 126.
00:11:19.31\00:11:24.81
Its dome is the
largest unreinforced
00:11:24.85\00:11:28.05
concrete dome in the world.
00:11:28.08\00:11:30.19
The Pantheon is now
a functioning church,
00:11:30.22\00:11:33.59
but when it was built it
was constructed to be a temple.
00:11:33.62\00:11:37.43
Pantheon means,
basically, “for all the gods.”
00:11:37.46\00:11:41.03
It was built to
honor the gods, plural.
00:11:41.06\00:11:45.70
The Romans worshiped
a whole gaggle of gods.
00:11:45.73\00:11:50.34
But not the Christians.
00:11:50.37\00:11:52.04
They worshiped just one God.
00:11:52.07\00:11:54.54
So in the eyes of the Romans,
00:11:54.58\00:11:55.94
the Christians
were basically atheists.
00:11:55.98\00:11:58.95
A small sect that
originated in Israel,
00:11:58.98\00:12:02.48
dedicated to
following an obscure teacher
00:12:02.52\00:12:05.19
who ended up being
crucified on a cross,
00:12:05.22\00:12:08.12
and yet they were
standing up to Rome and saying,
00:12:08.16\00:12:11.06
“No! We don't
believe in Jupiter,
00:12:11.09\00:12:13.86
or in Mars, or in Quirinus.
00:12:13.90\00:12:17.10
We worship just ONE God.”
00:12:17.13\00:12:19.53
The fact that the Christians
wouldn't add the worship
00:12:19.57\00:12:22.97
of the Roman gods
to the worship of Jesus
00:12:23.00\00:12:25.91
is why they were persecuted.
00:12:25.94\00:12:27.91
It's a lot like the experience
of the three young Hebrew men
00:12:27.94\00:12:31.18
out on the plain
of Dura in Babylon.
00:12:31.21\00:12:32.91
¤[Music]
00:12:32.95\00:12:34.12
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon
had made an image of gold,
00:12:34.15\00:12:36.99
and he gathered
all the local rulers
00:12:37.02\00:12:38.72
from throughout his empire
to come and worship this image,
00:12:38.75\00:12:41.66
on pain of death if
they should choose not to.
00:12:41.69\00:12:45.16
The three Hebrews, of course,
refused to bow before the image,
00:12:45.19\00:12:49.00
and they were thrown
into a fiery furnace,
00:12:49.03\00:12:51.27
only to escape
death by a miracle because
00:12:51.30\00:12:54.67
the Son of God
Himself came to protect them.
00:12:54.70\00:12:58.24
For those gathered out
there on the plain of Dura,
00:12:58.27\00:13:00.88
worshiping one
more god was no issue.
00:13:00.91\00:13:04.75
But those who
worshiped the one true God
00:13:04.78\00:13:08.02
refused to worship that idol.
00:13:08.05\00:13:10.59
And that's because the
first of God's Ten Commandments
00:13:10.62\00:13:13.99
says something totally unique
00:13:14.02\00:13:16.56
among the religions
of the ancient world.
00:13:16.59\00:13:19.26
“You shall have no
other gods before me.”
00:13:19.29\00:13:22.83
Exodus 20, verse 3.
00:13:22.86\00:13:24.77
Pagan culture
had no concept at all
00:13:24.80\00:13:27.87
of what we call the
separation of church and state.
00:13:27.90\00:13:31.44
In fact, the first time that
idea was articulated was when
00:13:31.47\00:13:35.24
Jesus appeared before the
Roman governor Pontius Pilate.
00:13:35.28\00:13:38.48
“My kingdom is
not of this world.
00:13:38.51\00:13:41.68
If my kingdom
were of this world,
00:13:41.72\00:13:43.79
my servants would fight,
00:13:43.82\00:13:46.05
so that I should not
be delivered to the Jews;
00:13:46.09\00:13:48.66
but now my
kingdom is not from here.”
00:13:48.69\00:13:51.86
John 18:36.
00:13:51.89\00:13:53.93
Now, that was
decidedly un-Roman.
00:13:53.96\00:13:57.17
In the pagan
mindset of old Rome,
00:13:57.20\00:13:59.87
every citizen was expected to
make a public showing of loyalty
00:13:59.90\00:14:03.87
to the gods of the
State or the emperor himself,
00:14:03.91\00:14:07.44
usually by offering a sacrifice
or burning incense in public.
00:14:07.48\00:14:11.71
Sincerity didn't matter,
just as long as you did it.
00:14:11.75\00:14:16.92
This is what happens
when church and state unite.
00:14:16.95\00:14:19.72
It's happened again and again
down through the centuries.
00:14:19.75\00:14:22.96
In medieval
times, under the popes,
00:14:22.99\00:14:25.69
millions were
persecuted because they refused
00:14:25.73\00:14:28.06
to go along with
the State religion.
00:14:28.10\00:14:29.90
And even though they themselves
were escaping religious
00:14:29.93\00:14:33.44
persecution, the Puritans of
New England lowered the boom on
00:14:33.47\00:14:38.24
anybody who didn't worship in
the way which they prescribed.
00:14:38.27\00:14:42.68
Now, by Diocletian's time,
00:14:42.71\00:14:44.68
Christianity had become deeply
entrenched in the Roman Empire.
00:14:44.71\00:14:48.95
But the Christians' refusal
to worship the gods of the State
00:14:48.98\00:14:53.52
ended up becoming
much more than Diocletian
00:14:53.56\00:14:56.62
was willing to put up with.
00:14:56.66\00:14:58.43
It was a visit to
the oracle at Miletus,
00:14:58.46\00:15:01.20
in what today is Turkey,
00:15:01.23\00:15:02.86
at that time one of the
holiest shrines in the Empire,
00:15:02.90\00:15:05.83
that set Diocletian on
his blood-soaked course.
00:15:05.87\00:15:09.44
¤[Music]
00:15:09.47\00:15:10.37
A message
supposedly from the god Apollo
00:15:10.41\00:15:13.38
told Diocletian
that the “righteous ones”
00:15:13.41\00:15:16.58
on Earth were preventing
him from speaking the truth.
00:15:16.61\00:15:20.75
When the pagan priests
said that these “righteous ones”
00:15:20.78\00:15:24.32
were the
Christians, that was that.
00:15:24.35\00:15:28.06
Diocletian would take
care of the Christians.
00:15:28.09\00:15:31.16
Now, keep something in mind.
00:15:33.46\00:15:35.16
History has a
habit of repeating.
00:15:35.20\00:15:38.00
And the book of Revelation
makes clear that, in this case,
00:15:38.03\00:15:40.74
history is going to repeat.
00:15:40.77\00:15:43.81
I'll have more in just a moment.
00:15:43.84\00:15:45.17
¤[Theme music]
00:15:45.21\00:15:52.91
¤[Music]
00:15:54.52\00:15:55.85
[Crickets chirp]
00:15:55.88\00:15:58.72
¤[Music]
00:15:58.75\00:16:06.26
[Camera equipment rattling]
00:16:06.29\00:16:10.67
[People murmuring]
00:16:10.70\00:16:13.77
[Wind]
00:16:13.80\00:16:18.71
¤[Music]
00:16:18.74\00:16:28.78
¤[Music]
00:16:28.78\00:16:38.59
[Cheering]
00:16:38.63\00:16:44.20
¤[Music]
00:16:44.23\00:16:54.28
¤[Music]
00:16:54.28\00:17:00.82
>>John: This is It Is
Written. I'm John Bradshaw.
00:17:02.62\00:17:05.45
And this is picturesque
Split, on the Adriatic Sea,
00:17:05.49\00:17:10.29
on the coast of Croatia.
00:17:10.33\00:17:12.06
It's dominated by the palace
of the Roman emperor Diocletian.
00:17:12.09\00:17:16.60
It's not hard to
imagine how spectacular
00:17:16.63\00:17:18.37
this place was 1,700 years ago.
00:17:18.40\00:17:22.17
Diocletian is the
only Roman emperor
00:17:22.20\00:17:24.14
to have retired from office.
00:17:24.17\00:17:25.97
And he retired here to a
specially built summer palace.
00:17:26.01\00:17:31.08
His reign is distinguished
by ten years of persecution
00:17:31.11\00:17:34.92
of Christians, which
began in February of 303 AD,
00:17:34.95\00:17:40.36
the fulfillment of a
prophecy of Jesus Himself.
00:17:40.39\00:17:45.49
It started with the
destruction of a newly built
00:17:45.53\00:17:48.43
Christian church in Nicomedia.
00:17:48.46\00:17:51.37
A few months later the
imperial palace caught fire.
00:17:51.40\00:17:54.60
Christians believed that
God was punishing the emperor
00:17:54.64\00:17:57.54
for his attack
against the church.
00:17:57.57\00:18:00.04
Of course, the emperor
didn't see it that way,
00:18:00.08\00:18:01.61
and he issued an edict demanding
that all Christian clergy
00:18:01.64\00:18:05.81
be arrested and put in prison.
00:18:05.85\00:18:08.42
Places of worship were
destroyed all across his empire,
00:18:08.45\00:18:11.29
and Christians were
forbidden to worship.
00:18:11.32\00:18:15.39
[fire crackling] The flames
of persecution burned hotter,
00:18:15.42\00:18:18.09
as church leaders were summoned
00:18:18.13\00:18:19.83
before local magistrates
and subjected to torture.
00:18:19.86\00:18:23.90
Clergy would be released,
00:18:23.93\00:18:25.23
as long as they agreed to
sacrifice to the pagan gods.
00:18:25.27\00:18:29.64
It's a lot like
the story of Shadrach,
00:18:29.67\00:18:31.54
Meshach, and
Abednego on the plain of Dura
00:18:31.57\00:18:34.54
in ancient Babylon.
00:18:34.58\00:18:36.78
Their lives
would be spared as long
00:18:36.81\00:18:38.88
as they
worshiped the State gods.
00:18:38.91\00:18:41.82
Author Stephen Williams:
00:18:41.85\00:18:43.65
“It was now that
the horrors began:
00:18:43.69\00:18:46.49
racks, burnings,
flayings, pincers.”
00:18:46.52\00:18:50.66
In 304 the emperor
issued another edict saying that
00:18:50.69\00:18:54.93
any Christian,
man, woman, or child,
00:18:54.96\00:18:57.93
who refused to
gather in a public square
00:18:57.97\00:19:00.64
and offer a sacrifice to
the gods would be executed.
00:19:00.67\00:19:06.07
Exactly how many people died
in the persecution isn't known,
00:19:06.11\00:19:09.21
but one count reckoned that
17,000 were put to death in a
00:19:09.24\00:19:14.28
period of just three days.
00:19:14.32\00:19:16.95
That brutal persecution
lasted for ten long years.
00:19:16.99\00:19:22.96
In Revelation 2,
verse 10, Jesus says,
00:19:22.99\00:19:26.39
“Do not fear any of those things
which you are about to suffer.
00:19:26.43\00:19:29.76
Indeed, the devil is about to
throw some of you into prison,
00:19:29.80\00:19:34.00
that you may be tested, and you
will have tribulation ten days.
00:19:34.04\00:19:38.67
Be faithful unto death, and I
will give you a crown of life.”
00:19:38.71\00:19:43.78
Many students of the book
of Revelation believe that the
00:19:43.81\00:19:46.65
seven churches of
Revelation chapters 2 and 3
00:19:46.68\00:19:50.32
reference successive periods
throughout the Christian era.
00:19:50.35\00:19:55.26
The church of Smyrna
corresponds to the second,
00:19:55.29\00:19:57.56
third, and fourth centuries AD,
00:19:57.59\00:19:59.56
during which intense
persecution was inflicted
00:19:59.59\00:20:03.23
upon followers of Jesus.
00:20:03.26\00:20:06.03
It's believed that the most
intense period of persecution
00:20:06.07\00:20:08.40
was that ten-year
period we spoke of,
00:20:08.44\00:20:10.94
303 to 313 AD.
00:20:10.97\00:20:13.51
¤[Music]
00:20:13.54\00:20:14.28
Now, Revelation said “ten days”"
00:20:14.34\00:20:17.65
But in Bible prophecy,
a day represents a year.
00:20:17.68\00:20:22.58
Numbers 14:34 and
Ezekiel 4:6 make this plain,
00:20:22.62\00:20:27.39
as does the seventy-week
prophecy of Daniel chapter 9,
00:20:27.42\00:20:31.29
which pinpoints the time
in which Jesus the Messiah
00:20:31.33\00:20:33.96
would appear on this
earth and die for our sins.
00:20:34.00\00:20:36.70
Some modern translations even
use the phrase “weeks of years”
00:20:36.73\00:20:41.24
in translating Daniel 9:24.
00:20:41.27\00:20:43.34
With this principle in mind,
00:20:43.37\00:20:46.17
the “ten day” prophecy
of Revelation 2 and verse 10
00:20:46.21\00:20:49.91
is in all likelihood a
reference to the ten years
00:20:49.94\00:20:53.15
of persecution under
the emperor Diocletian.
00:20:53.18\00:20:56.82
Thousands of
people gave their lives.
00:20:56.85\00:21:00.06
But the promise of
Jesus was always before them:
00:21:00.09\00:21:04.23
“Be faithful unto death, and
I will give you a crown of life”
00:21:04.26\00:21:08.40
(Rev. 2:10).
00:21:08.43\00:21:09.90
When we look into the future,
00:21:09.93\00:21:11.43
we see trouble
coming for the world.
00:21:11.47\00:21:13.74
Remember Daniel 12, verse 1.
00:21:13.77\00:21:15.74
“And at that time
shall Michael stand up,
00:21:15.77\00:21:18.41
the great prince which standeth
for the children of thy people:
00:21:18.44\00:21:22.28
and there shall
be a time of trouble,
00:21:22.31\00:21:23.98
such as never was since there
was a nation even to that same
00:21:24.01\00:21:27.38
time: and at that time
thy people shall be delivered,
00:21:27.42\00:21:31.42
every one that shall be
found written in the book.”
00:21:31.45\00:21:34.02
In Revelation 13, we
see persecution coming,
00:21:34.06\00:21:38.46
again, connected to worship.
00:21:38.49\00:21:40.96
Verse 8.
00:21:41.00\00:21:42.13
“And all that dwell upon
the earth shall worship him,
00:21:42.16\00:21:45.83
whose names are not written
in the book of life of the Lamb
00:21:45.87\00:21:49.17
slain from the
foundation of the world.”
00:21:49.20\00:21:52.21
Then verse 10.
00:21:52.24\00:21:53.68
“He that leadeth into captivity
shall go into captivity:
00:21:53.71\00:21:57.55
he that killeth with the sword
must be killed with the sword.
00:21:57.58\00:22:01.92
Here is the patience and
the faith of the saints.”
00:22:01.95\00:22:05.62
Verse 12. Again, worship.
00:22:05.65\00:22:07.89
“And he exerciseth all the power
of the first beast before him,
00:22:07.92\00:22:12.93
and causeth the earth and them
which dwell therein to worship
00:22:12.96\00:22:17.03
the first beast, whose
deadly wound was healed.”
00:22:17.07\00:22:20.34
Then verse 15.
00:22:20.37\00:22:22.40
“And he had power to give life
unto the image of the beast,
00:22:22.44\00:22:25.34
that the image of the
beast should both speak,
00:22:25.37\00:22:28.18
and cause that as many as would
not worship the image of the
00:22:28.21\00:22:31.95
beast should be killed.”
00:22:31.98\00:22:34.65
In Diocletian's time,
00:22:34.68\00:22:36.35
the massive persecution against
the Christian church was because
00:22:36.38\00:22:39.99
of the church's refusal
to go along with the worship
00:22:40.02\00:22:43.59
of the gods of the State.
00:22:43.63\00:22:45.89
In the Book of Revelation,
00:22:45.93\00:22:47.00
you have enforced
false worship again,
00:22:47.03\00:22:50.50
and persecution against
those who refuse to comply.
00:22:50.53\00:22:54.70
Union of church and state
has always been disastrous,
00:22:54.74\00:22:58.47
and it will be disastrous again.
00:22:58.51\00:23:01.51
It's not that the
church shouldn't influence
00:23:01.54\00:23:03.71
the thinking of the State.
00:23:03.75\00:23:05.91
But when the State
enforces religious laws?
00:23:05.95\00:23:10.22
Well, that's never gone well.
00:23:10.25\00:23:11.35
¤[Music]
00:23:11.39\00:23:16.39
So what do you do
when the heat gets turned
00:23:19.09\00:23:22.50
up in your experience?
00:23:22.53\00:23:25.43
In the Bible, we have the
example of three young men,
00:23:25.47\00:23:28.04
in the book of Daniel,
00:23:28.07\00:23:29.77
who were persecuted when
they refused to violate their
00:23:29.80\00:23:32.81
conscience and
participate in false worship.
00:23:32.84\00:23:37.38
Their faithfulness led
them into a fiery furnace,
00:23:37.41\00:23:41.25
and Jesus was there with them.
00:23:41.28\00:23:43.62
Daniel himself,
ordered to worship the king,
00:23:43.65\00:23:46.15
a false god.
00:23:46.19\00:23:48.29
He wouldn't do it and
was cast into a den of lions.
00:23:48.32\00:23:51.79
And God delivered him.
00:23:51.83\00:23:54.03
His faithfulness gave God
00:23:54.10\00:23:56.33
the opportunity to
work in his behalf.
00:23:56.36\00:23:59.70
When you have the opportunity
to be faithful to God,
00:23:59.73\00:24:02.60
take that opportunity, no
matter what your surroundings
00:24:02.64\00:24:05.77
or your circumstances look like.
00:24:05.81\00:24:07.68
And know, that as you do,
00:24:07.71\00:24:09.54
it gives God the opportunity
to do great things for you.
00:24:09.58\00:24:14.62
You see, whether or not
God delivers a person from
00:24:14.65\00:24:17.65
persecution or a
difficult situation,
00:24:17.69\00:24:20.46
is not really the point.
00:24:20.49\00:24:22.26
God doesn't
always deliver people
00:24:22.29\00:24:24.39
who are persecuted
for their faith in Jesus.
00:24:24.43\00:24:26.13
The question is,
00:24:26.16\00:24:29.23
are you willing to trust
God enough that you'll choose
00:24:29.26\00:24:32.10
to be faithful to
Him, no matter the cost?
00:24:32.13\00:24:35.94
Jesus was persecuted,
and it cost Him everything.
00:24:35.97\00:24:40.21
The crowd demanded
His life, and He gave it.
00:24:40.24\00:24:44.41
And why did He do that?
00:24:44.45\00:24:46.61
For you.
00:24:46.65\00:24:47.72
For you and for me.
00:24:47.75\00:24:50.15
God more than likely is
not asking you to die for Him.
00:24:50.19\00:24:52.92
Not right now.
00:24:52.95\00:24:54.29
But He's certainly
asking you to live for Him.
00:24:54.32\00:24:56.89
Are you willing to do that?
00:24:56.93\00:24:58.06
Willing to invite
Jesus into your heart?
00:24:58.09\00:25:00.16
Willing to surrender
your life completely to God?
00:25:00.20\00:25:03.13
It's when you do
that, that you have peace.
00:25:03.16\00:25:05.13
No matter what
your circumstances are.
00:25:05.17\00:25:07.40
No matter what you're facing.
00:25:07.44\00:25:09.67
With Jesus in your heart,
00:25:09.70\00:25:10.97
you can look to the future
with certainty and confidence,
00:25:11.01\00:25:14.18
no matter what's going on.
00:25:14.21\00:25:15.88
Because, with
Christ in your life,
00:25:15.91\00:25:17.91
your future embraces eternity.
00:25:17.95\00:25:22.52
>>John: What role
does the United States play
00:25:24.65\00:25:26.92
in end-times Bible prophecy?
00:25:26.96\00:25:29.72
Find out what the book of
Revelation says by receiving
00:25:29.76\00:25:33.06
“The United States
in Bible Prophecy,”
00:25:33.09\00:25:35.76
absolutely free.
00:25:35.80\00:25:37.43
To receive “The United
States in Bible Prophecy,”
00:25:37.47\00:25:39.63
call us right
now at 800-253-3000.
00:25:39.67\00:25:43.61
That's 800-253-3000.
00:25:43.64\00:25:46.74
You can write to the
address on your screen,
00:25:46.78\00:25:48.74
or visit us
online at iiwoffer.com,
00:25:48.78\00:25:52.55
iiwoffer.com.
00:25:52.58\00:25:54.15
>>John: Thank you for
remembering that It Is Written
00:25:54.98\00:25:56.99
exists because of the kindness
of people just like you.
00:25:57.02\00:26:00.42
To support this international
life-changing ministry,
00:26:00.46\00:26:03.66
please call us
now at 800-253-3000.
00:26:03.69\00:26:07.93
You can send your
tax-deductible gift
00:26:07.96\00:26:09.36
to the address on your screen,
00:26:09.40\00:26:10.87
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:26:10.90\00:26:14.67
Thank you for your prayers
and for your financial support.
00:26:14.70\00:26:17.54
Our number
again is 800-253-3000.
00:26:17.57\00:26:21.71
Or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com
00:26:21.74\00:26:24.88
>>John: Let's pray together now.
00:26:26.48\00:26:27.55
Our Father in heaven,
00:26:27.58\00:26:29.25
we thank You today
for the knowledge that You
00:26:29.28\00:26:31.32
have not given us
the spirit of fear,
00:26:31.35\00:26:33.92
but the spirit of power and
of love and of a sound mind.
00:26:33.96\00:26:37.49
And so, looking to the past,
00:26:37.53\00:26:39.29
knowing what
Christians have faced,
00:26:39.33\00:26:41.20
we look to the future knowing
that there are going to be
00:26:41.23\00:26:43.47
some interesting times.
00:26:43.50\00:26:46.03
We can't face those times
successfully without first
00:26:46.07\00:26:48.84
settling in our heart
that we want You to be
00:26:48.87\00:26:51.11
the Lord of our lives.
00:26:51.14\00:26:52.47
So be that now.
00:26:52.51\00:26:54.21
Friend, as I pray,
00:26:54.24\00:26:55.21
if you've not
settled it with God,
00:26:55.24\00:26:57.65
if you haven't
surrendered everything to Jesus,
00:26:57.68\00:26:59.68
would you do that?
00:26:59.71\00:27:00.58
He'll flood your
life with peace now,
00:27:00.62\00:27:02.78
and keep you in any challenges
the future might bring.
00:27:02.82\00:27:06.45
Lord, we pray too for
those who are being persecuted
00:27:06.49\00:27:08.76
for their faith
around the world.
00:27:08.79\00:27:10.49
There are many.
00:27:10.53\00:27:11.83
And we ask You
to be close to them,
00:27:11.86\00:27:13.70
be present with them as
You were present with Daniel,
00:27:13.73\00:27:16.26
and as You were
present with the three boys
00:27:16.30\00:27:18.00
who found themselves in
a burning, fiery furnace.
00:27:18.03\00:27:20.40
And so we thank You today
for a future that is positive.
00:27:20.44\00:27:23.77
We thank You that beyond
the difficulties of this world,
00:27:23.81\00:27:26.78
Jesus will come back, to
gather us up and take us home.
00:27:26.81\00:27:31.65
If You have us now,
You'll have us then.
00:27:31.68\00:27:33.78
Friend, does Jesus have you now?
00:27:33.82\00:27:36.22
Lord, take us, make us
Yours, and keep us forever,
00:27:36.25\00:27:40.29
we pray in Jesus' name.
00:27:40.32\00:27:43.26
Amen.
00:27:43.29\00:27:44.93
>>John: Thanks so
much for joining me today.
00:27:44.96\00:27:46.43
I'm looking forward to
seeing you again next time.
00:27:46.46\00:27:48.53
Until then, remember:
00:27:48.56\00:27:50.60
“It is written,
00:27:50.63\00:27:51.97
‘Man shall not
live by bread alone,
00:27:52.00\00:27:54.77
but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'”
00:27:54.80\00:28:00.28
¤[Theme music]
00:28:00.31\00:28:16.29