>>John Bradshaw:
This is It Is Written.
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I'm John Bradshaw.
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
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the heady 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:
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Nero, Hadrian, Caligula.
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Some lesser-known:
Hostilian, Quintillus, Macrinus.
00:01:05.26\00:01:11.33
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 70 AD.
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That's the
destruction of Jerusalem
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Jesus 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.
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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 10 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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¤[Solemn music]¤
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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
00:04:06.24\00:04:09.11
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 the time of Jesus' birth
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put to death.
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And Jesus stated
that many of His followers
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would be
subjected to persecution.
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It was certainly true in
the time of the early church.
00:04:24.83\00:04:28.10
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.”
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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.
00:05:03.63\00:05:06.03
There's no doubt that there
are many people around the world
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who right now are
suffering persecution.
00:05:09.47\00:05:12.91
It's serious, and it's terrible.
00:05:12.94\00:05:16.11
But there are few people
in the Western world who could
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honestly say that
that's their experience.
00:05:18.58\00:05:21.92
It might be that the reason
is so few people are living
00:05:21.95\00:05:25.69
that consistent Spirit-filled
life that Paul wrote about.
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But during the early
centuries of the Christian era,
00:05:30.56\00:05:33.46
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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¤[somber 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 AD.
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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.
00:06:02.72\00:06:05.29
The summer palace he built for
his retirement was magnificent.
00:06:05.33\00:06:11.07
This is the central
square of Diocletian's palace
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as it appears today.
00:06:14.30\00:06:16.14
It was here that
the aging emperor
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lived out his last
years from 305 to 313 AD.
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He evidently
enjoyed his retirement.
00:06:22.84\00:06:25.35
When his former
co-emperor, Maximilian,
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contacted him and urged
him to return to the throne
00:06:27.68\00:06:30.82
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
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his 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.
00:06:56.68\00:06:58.91
The emperors of Rome, including
the one emperor who survived
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emperor-hood,
certainly lived well,
00:07:04.29\00:07:07.19
as you'd expect for
people who were considered
00:07:07.22\00:07:10.06
to be god on the earth.
00:07:10.09\00:07:12.26
It was believed that Diocletian
was the special spokesman
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for Jupiter, the
king of the gods.
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To really understand this man
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remembered by history as
the instigator of the worst-ever
00:07:22.54\00:07:26.31
persecution against Christians,
00:07:26.34\00:07:28.68
we'll need to
start at the beginning.
00:07:28.71\00:07:31.11
So who was Diocletian,
00:07:31.15\00:07:33.31
and why the intense persecution
of the Christian church?
00:07:33.35\00:07:37.85
We'll find out in just a moment.
00:07:37.89\00:07:39.42
¤[Music]¤
00:07:39.45\00:07:46.86
>>John: What role
does the United States play
00:07:49.26\00:07:51.43
in end-times Bible prophecy?
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Find out what the book of
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To receive “The United
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call us right
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That's 800-253-3000.
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You can write to the
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or visit us
online at iiwoffer.com,
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iiwoffer.com.
00:08:17.06\00:08:18.69
>>John: December 21,
2012, was when the Maya calendar
00:08:20.96\00:08:24.80
was set to expire.
00:08:24.83\00:08:26.03
Many said with the
expiration of this calendar
00:08:26.07\00:08:28.74
would come the end of the world.
00:08:28.77\00:08:31.47
The Maya were
remarkable builders,
00:08:33.78\00:08:35.54
but they did not
predict the end of the world.
00:08:35.58\00:08:38.21
So where can we find
predictions that we can trust?
00:08:38.25\00:08:42.02
Recent reports state
that more and more people
00:08:42.05\00:08:45.15
are embracing witchcraft, tarot
card reading, and astrology.
00:08:45.19\00:08:49.76
People are grabbing on to this,
00:08:49.79\00:08:51.76
even though there's absolutely
no evidence that it's valid,
00:08:51.79\00:08:55.66
and they're rejecting the Bible.
00:08:55.70\00:08:58.13
Now, the Bible isn't
simply a book of predictions.
00:08:58.17\00:09:01.20
It's the story of God's
love for the human family.
00:09:01.24\00:09:04.24
But it's true that the
Bible does contain predictions.
00:09:04.27\00:09:08.01
In fact, God
stakes His reputation
00:09:08.04\00:09:11.31
on His ability to
forecast the future.
00:09:11.35\00:09:14.32
“Predictions You Can Trust.”
00:09:14.35\00:09:16.08
Watch now on It Is Written TV.
00:09:16.12\00:09:19.35
>>John: Thanks for joining
me today on It Is Written.
00:09:21.42\00:09:23.66
I'm John Bradshaw.
00:09:23.69\00:09:24.76
I'm in Split, Croatia,
00:09:24.79\00:09:27.13
the town where the Roman
emperor Diocletian retired.
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He was born and
raised near here.
00:09:30.80\00:09:32.77
Both of his parents were slaves.
00:09:32.80\00:09:35.34
He came back here to see
out his days in splendor.
00:09:35.37\00:09:39.41
By 284 AD, the Roman
Empire was in turmoil.
00:09:39.44\00:09:45.21
One soldier after another had
murdered his way to the throne.
00:09:45.25\00:09:49.08
And it seemed as
though the empire
00:09:49.12\00:09:50.59
was not going to
be able to continue.
00:09:50.62\00:09:54.19
A young general was
determined to bring order
00:09:54.22\00:09:57.33
out of the madness that
was gripping the Roman Empire.
00:09:57.36\00:10:00.86
Diocletian was a pagan,
00:10:00.90\00:10:03.50
and he worshiped the
old gods of the Roman state.
00:10:03.53\00:10:07.27
Diocletian marched on the
city of Nicomedia and became
00:10:07.30\00:10:11.34
the unchallenged
master of the Roman world.
00:10:11.37\00:10:15.11
But how did this
heroic soldier-emperor,
00:10:15.14\00:10:18.81
who brought stability
to the world of his day,
00:10:18.85\00:10:21.25
become such a fierce
persecutor of God's people?
00:10:21.28\00:10:24.72
The answer is interesting,
00:10:24.75\00:10:25.99
because it helps
us identify a pattern,
00:10:26.02\00:10:28.42
which lets us
see why God's people
00:10:28.46\00:10:30.63
have been persecuted so often.
00:10:30.66\00:10:32.09
¤[Music]¤
00:10:32.13\00:10:32.76
In ancient Rome,
00:10:32.79\00:10:34.00
religious persecution
really wasn't common.
00:10:34.03\00:10:37.50
The polytheistic
empires of the time
00:10:37.53\00:10:39.50
were tolerant when it
came to religious diversity.
00:10:39.53\00:10:42.54
As long as there was peace,
00:10:42.57\00:10:44.04
and as long as
people paid their taxes,
00:10:44.07\00:10:46.44
the state didn't
really care about
00:10:46.47\00:10:48.81
who or what people worshiped.
00:10:48.84\00:10:51.11
Be a good citizen
and you could worship
00:10:51.15\00:10:53.15
whoever or
whatever you chose to.
00:10:53.18\00:10:57.85
But these
Christians were different.
00:10:57.89\00:11:00.62
While the Romans
worshiped many gods,
00:11:00.66\00:11:03.32
the Christians
worshiped the one true God.
00:11:03.36\00:11:06.83
If you were a Roman,
00:11:06.86\00:11:07.96
you could worship Jesus
without any difficulty at all
00:11:07.96\00:11:10.27
because you could just
add Jesus to the long list
00:11:10.30\00:11:12.77
of gods you already worshiped.
00:11:12.80\00:11:14.44
¤[Music]¤
00:11:14.47\00:11:17.14
One of the most
magnificent buildings
00:11:17.17\00:11:19.14
in Rome is the Pantheon,
completed in the year 126.
00:11:19.17\00:11:24.68
Its dome is the
largest unreinforced
00:11:24.71\00:11:27.92
concrete dome in the world.
00:11:27.95\00:11:30.05
The Pantheon is now
a functioning church,
00:11:30.09\00:11:33.46
but when it was built, it
was constructed to be a temple.
00:11:33.49\00:11:37.29
“Pantheon” means,
basically, “for all the gods.”
00:11:37.33\00:11:40.93
It was built to
honor the gods, plural.
00:11:40.96\00:11:45.47
The Romans worshiped
a whole gaggle of gods.
00:11:45.50\00:11:50.21
But not the Christians.
00:11:50.24\00:11:51.91
They worshiped just one God.
00:11:51.94\00:11:54.41
So in the eyes of the Romans,
00:11:54.44\00:11:55.81
the Christians
were basically atheists.
00:11:55.84\00:11:58.81
A small sect that
originated in Israel,
00:11:58.85\00:12:02.35
dedicated to
following an obscure teacher
00:12:02.38\00:12:05.05
who ended up being
crucified on a cross,
00:12:05.09\00:12:07.99
and yet they were
standing up to Rome and saying,
00:12:08.02\00:12:10.93
“No! We don't
believe in Jupiter,
00:12:10.96\00:12:13.73
or in Mars, or in Quirinus.
00:12:13.76\00:12:16.97
We worship just one God.”
00:12:17.00\00:12:20.07
The fact that the Christians
wouldn't add the worship
00:12:20.10\00:12:22.84
of the Roman gods
to the worship of Jesus
00:12:22.87\00:12:25.77
is why they were persecuted.
00:12:25.81\00:12:27.78
It's a lot like the experience
of the three young Hebrew men
00:12:27.81\00:12:31.05
out on the plain
of Dura in Babylon.
00:12:31.08\00:12:32.78
¤[Music]¤
00:12:32.81\00:12:33.98
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon
had made an image of gold,
00:12:34.02\00:12:36.85
and he gathered
all the local rulers
00:12:36.89\00:12:38.59
from throughout his empire
to come and worship this image,
00:12:38.62\00:12:41.52
on pain of death if
they should choose not to.
00:12:41.56\00:12:45.03
The three Hebrews, of course,
refused to bow before the image,
00:12:45.06\00:12:48.86
and they were thrown
into a fiery furnace,
00:12:48.90\00:12:51.13
only to escape
death by a miracle
00:12:51.17\00:12:54.20
because the Son of God
Himself came to protect them.
00:12:54.24\00:12:58.11
For those who gathered out
there on the plain of Dura,
00:12:58.14\00:13:00.74
worshiping one
more god was no issue.
00:13:00.78\00:13:04.61
But those who
worshiped the one true God
00:13:04.65\00:13:07.88
refused to worship that idol.
00:13:07.92\00:13:10.45
And that's because the
first of God's Ten Commandments
00:13:10.49\00:13:13.86
says something totally unique
00:13:13.89\00:13:16.42
among the religions
of the ancient world.
00:13:16.46\00:13:19.13
“You shall have no
other gods before me.”
00:13:19.16\00:13:22.70
Exodus 20, verse 3.
00:13:22.73\00:13:24.63
Pagan culture
had no concept at all
00:13:24.67\00:13:27.74
of what we call the
separation of church and state.
00:13:27.77\00:13:31.31
In fact, the first time
that idea was articulated was
00:13:31.34\00:13:34.91
when Jesus appeared before the
Roman governor Pontius Pilate.
00:13:34.94\00:13:38.35
“My kingdom is
not of this world.
00:13:38.38\00:13:41.55
If my kingdom
were of this world,
00:13:41.58\00:13:43.65
my servants would fight,
00:13:43.69\00:13:45.92
so that I should not
be delivered to the Jews;
00:13:45.95\00:13:48.52
but now my
kingdom is not from here.”
00:13:48.56\00:13:51.73
John 18:36.
00:13:51.76\00:13:53.80
Now, that was
decidedly un-Roman.
00:13:53.83\00:13:57.03
In the pagan
mindset of old Rome,
00:13:57.07\00:13:59.73
every citizen was expected to
make a public showing of loyalty
00:13:59.77\00:14:03.74
to the gods of the
state or the emperor himself,
00:14:03.77\00:14:07.31
usually by offering a sacrifice
or burning incense in public.
00:14:07.34\00:14:11.58
Sincerity didn't matter,
just as long as you did it.
00:14:11.61\00:14:16.79
This is what happens
when church and state unite.
00:14:16.82\00:14:19.59
It's happened again and again
down through the centuries.
00:14:19.62\00:14:22.82
In medieval
times, under the popes,
00:14:22.86\00:14:25.56
millions were
persecuted because they refused
00:14:25.59\00:14:27.96
to go along with
the state religion.
00:14:27.96\00:14:30.23
And even though they
themselves were escaping
00:14:30.27\00:14:32.87
religious persecution,
the Puritans of New England
00:14:32.90\00:14:36.81
lowered the boom on anybody
who didn't worship in the way
00:14:36.84\00:14:40.48
which they prescribed.
00:14:40.51\00:14:42.54
Now, by Diocletian's time,
00:14:42.58\00:14:44.55
Christianity had become deeply
entrenched in the Roman Empire.
00:14:44.58\00:14:48.82
But the Christians' refusal
to worship the gods of the state
00:14:48.85\00:14:53.39
ended up becoming
much more than Diocletian
00:14:53.42\00:14:56.49
was willing to put up with.
00:14:56.52\00:14:58.29
It was a visit to
the oracle at Miletus,
00:14:58.33\00:15:01.06
in what today is Turkey,
00:15:01.10\00:15:02.73
at that time one of the
holiest shrines in the empire,
00:15:02.76\00:15:05.70
that set Diocletian on
his blood-soaked course.
00:15:05.73\00:15:09.80
A message
supposedly from the god Apollo
00:15:09.84\00:15:13.24
told Diocletian
that the “righteous ones”
00:15:13.27\00:15:16.44
on earth were preventing
him from speaking the truth.
00:15:16.48\00:15:20.62
When the pagan priests
said that these “righteous ones”
00:15:20.65\00:15:24.19
were the
Christians, that was that.
00:15:24.22\00:15:27.92
Diocletian would take
care of the Christians.
00:15:27.96\00:15:31.36
Now, keep something in mind.
00:15:33.33\00:15:35.03
History has a
habit of repeating.
00:15:35.06\00:15:37.87
And the book of Revelation
makes clear that, in this case,
00:15:37.90\00:15:41.27
history is going to repeat.
00:15:41.30\00:15:43.57
I'll have more in just a moment.
00:15:43.61\00:15:45.04
¤[Music]¤
00:15:45.07\00:15:52.78
[Fire crackling
and crickets chirping]
00:15:54.38\00:15:55.72
[Coyote barking]
00:15:55.75\00:15:58.59
¤[Music]¤
00:15:58.62\00:16:07.13
[Camera equipment rattling]
00:16:07.13\00:16:10.53
[People murmuring]
00:16:10.57\00:16:13.64
[Wind blowing]
00:16:13.67\00:16:18.57
¤[Music]¤
00:16:18.61\00:16:28.65
¤[Music]¤
00:16:28.65\00:16:38.46
[Cheering]
00:16:38.49\00:16:44.07
¤[Music]¤
00:16:44.10\00:16:54.14
¤[Music]¤
00:16:54.14\00:17:00.68
>>John: This is It Is
Written. I'm John Bradshaw.
00:17:02.48\00:17:05.32
And this is picturesque
Split, on the Adriatic Sea,
00:17:05.35\00:17:10.16
on the coast of Croatia.
00:17:10.19\00:17:12.33
It's dominated by the palace
of the Roman emperor Diocletian.
00:17:12.36\00:17:16.46
It's not hard to
imagine how spectacular
00:17:16.50\00:17:18.23
this place was 1,700 years ago.
00:17:18.27\00:17:22.04
Diocletian is the
only Roman emperor
00:17:22.07\00:17:24.01
to have retired from office.
00:17:24.04\00:17:26.31
And he retired here to a
specially-built summer palace.
00:17:26.34\00:17:30.95
His reign is distinguished
by 10 years of persecution
00:17:30.98\00:17:34.78
of Christians, which
began in February of 303 AD,
00:17:34.82\00:17:41.06
the fulfillment of a
prophecy of Jesus Himself.
00:17:41.09\00:17:45.36
It started with the
destruction of a newly-built
00:17:45.39\00:17:48.30
Christian church in Nicomedia.
00:17:48.33\00:17:51.23
A few months later the
imperial palace caught fire.
00:17:51.27\00:17:54.47
Christians believed that
God was punishing the emperor
00:17:54.50\00:17:57.41
for his attack
against the church.
00:17:57.44\00:17:59.84
Of course, the emperor
didn't see it that way,
00:17:59.87\00:18:02.14
and he issued an edict demanding
that all Christian clergy
00:18:02.18\00:18:05.68
be arrested and put in prison.
00:18:05.71\00:18:08.28
Places of worship were
destroyed all across his empire,
00:18:08.32\00:18:11.49
and Christians were
forbidden to worship.
00:18:11.52\00:18:14.92
The flames of
persecution burned hotter,
00:18:14.96\00:18:17.96
as church leaders were summoned
00:18:17.99\00:18:19.69
before local magistrates
and subjected to torture.
00:18:19.73\00:18:23.77
Clergy would be released,
00:18:23.80\00:18:25.10
as long as they agreed to
sacrifice to the pagan gods.
00:18:25.13\00:18:29.50
It's a lot like
the story of Shadrach,
00:18:29.54\00:18:31.41
Meshach, and
Abednego on the plain of Dura
00:18:31.44\00:18:34.41
in ancient Babylon.
00:18:34.44\00:18:36.64
Their lives would be spared
00:18:36.68\00:18:38.15
as long as they
worshiped the state gods.
00:18:38.18\00:18:41.68
Author Stephen Williams:
00:18:41.72\00:18:43.52
“It was now that
the horrors began:
00:18:43.55\00:18:46.35
racks, burnings,
flayings, pincers.”
00:18:46.39\00:18:50.89
In 304 the emperor
issued another edict saying that
00:18:50.93\00:18:54.83
any Christian,
man, woman, or child,
00:18:54.83\00:18:57.80
who refused to
gather in a public square
00:18:57.83\00:19:00.50
and offer a sacrifice to
the gods would be executed.
00:19:00.54\00:19:05.94
Exactly how many people died
in the persecution isn't known,
00:19:05.97\00:19:09.08
but one count reckoned
that 17,000 were put to death
00:19:09.11\00:19:13.82
in a period of just three days.
00:19:13.85\00:19:17.49
That brutal persecution
lasted for 10 long years.
00:19:17.52\00:19:22.82
In Revelation 2,
verse 10, Jesus says,
00:19:22.86\00:19:26.26
“Do not fear any of those things
which you are about to suffer.
00:19:26.29\00:19:29.96
Indeed, the devil is about to
throw some of you into prison,
00:19:30.00\00:19:33.87
that you may be tested, and you
will have tribulation ten days.
00:19:33.90\00:19:38.54
Be faithful unto death, and I
will give you a crown of life.”
00:19:38.57\00:19:43.65
Many students of the
book of Revelation believe
00:19:43.68\00:19:46.25
that the seven churches of
Revelation chapters 2 and 3
00:19:46.28\00:19:50.19
reference successive periods
throughout the Christian era.
00:19:50.22\00:19:55.12
The church of Smyrna
corresponds to the second,
00:19:55.16\00:19:57.43
third, and fourth centuries AD,
00:19:57.46\00:19:59.76
during which intense
persecution was inflicted
00:19:59.79\00:20:03.40
upon followers of Jesus.
00:20:03.43\00:20:05.90
It's believed that the most
intense period of persecution
00:20:05.93\00:20:08.27
was that 10-year
period we spoke of,
00:20:08.30\00:20:10.81
303 to 313 AD.
00:20:10.84\00:20:13.71
¤[Music]¤
00:20:13.74\00:20:14.61
Now, Revelation said “ten days.”
00:20:14.64\00:20:17.51
But in Bible prophecy,
a day represents a year.
00:20:17.55\00:20:22.45
Numbers 14:34 and
Ezekiel 4:6 make this plain,
00:20:22.48\00:20:27.26
as does the 70-week
prophecy of Daniel chapter 9,
00:20:27.29\00:20:31.16
which pinpoints the time
in which Jesus the Messiah
00:20:31.19\00:20:33.83
would appear on this
earth and die for our sins.
00:20:33.86\00:20:36.56
Some modern translations even
use the phrase “weeks of years”
00:20:36.60\00:20:41.10
in translating Daniel 9:24.
00:20:41.14\00:20:43.87
With this principle in mind,
00:20:43.91\00:20:46.04
the “ten day” prophecy
of Revelation 2 and verse 10
00:20:46.07\00:20:49.78
is in all likelihood a
reference to the 10 years
00:20:49.81\00:20:52.91
of persecution under
the emperor Diocletian.
00:20:52.95\00:20:56.69
Thousands of
people gave their lives.
00:20:56.72\00:20:59.85
But the promise of
Jesus was always before them:
00:20:59.89\00:21:04.09
“Be faithful unto death, and I
will give you a crown of life.”
00:21:04.13\00:21:08.80
When we look into the future,
00:21:09.80\00:21:11.30
we see trouble
coming for the world.
00:21:11.33\00:21:13.60
Remember Daniel 12, verse 1.
00:21:13.64\00:21:15.60
“And at that time
shall Michael stand up,
00:21:15.64\00:21:18.27
the great prince which standeth
for the children of thy people:
00:21:18.31\00:21:22.14
and there shall be a time
of trouble, such as never was
00:21:22.18\00:21:24.95
since there was a
nation even to that same time:
00:21:24.98\00:21:28.25
and at that time thy
people shall be delivered,
00:21:28.28\00:21:31.15
every one that shall be
found written in the book.”
00:21:31.19\00:21:33.92
In Revelation 13, we
see persecution coming,
00:21:34.92\00:21:38.33
again, connected to worship.
00:21:38.36\00:21:40.86
Verse 8:
00:21:40.90\00:21:42.00
“And all that dwell upon
the earth shall worship him,
00:21:42.03\00:21:45.70
whose names are not written
in the book of life of the Lamb
00:21:45.73\00:21:49.04
slain from the
foundation of the world.”
00:21:49.07\00:21:51.94
Then verse 10:
00:21:51.97\00:21:53.41
“He that leadeth into captivity
shall go into captivity:
00:21:53.44\00:21:57.41
he that killeth with the sword
must be killed with the sword.
00:21:57.45\00:22:01.78
Here is the patience and
the faith of the saints.”
00:22:01.82\00:22:05.49
Verse 12, again, worship:
00:22:05.52\00:22:08.42
“And he exerciseth all the power
of the first beast before him,
00:22:08.46\00:22:12.79
and causeth the earth and them
which dwell therein to worship
00:22:12.83\00:22:16.90
the first beast, whose
deadly wound was healed.”
00:22:16.93\00:22:20.20
Then verse 15:
00:22:20.24\00:22:22.27
“And he had power to give life
unto the image of the beast,
00:22:22.30\00:22:25.21
that the image of the
beast should both speak,
00:22:25.24\00:22:28.18
and cause that as many as
would not worship the image
00:22:28.21\00:22:31.55
of the beast should be killed.”
00:22:31.58\00:22:34.52
In Diocletian's time,
00:22:34.55\00:22:36.22
the massive persecution against
the Christian church was because
00:22:36.25\00:22:39.85
of the church's refusal
to go along with the worship
00:22:39.89\00:22:43.32
of the gods of the state.
00:22:43.36\00:22:45.76
In the book of Revelation,
00:22:45.79\00:22:46.86
you have enforced
false worship again,
00:22:46.90\00:22:50.37
and persecution against
those who refuse to comply.
00:22:50.40\00:22:54.57
Union of church and state
has always been disastrous,
00:22:54.60\00:22:58.34
and it will be disastrous again.
00:22:58.37\00:23:01.38
It's not that the
church shouldn't influence
00:23:01.41\00:23:03.58
the thinking of the state.
00:23:03.61\00:23:05.78
But when the state
enforces religious laws?
00:23:05.81\00:23:10.09
Well, that's never gone well.
00:23:10.12\00:23:12.05
¤[Music]¤
00:23:12.09\00:23:16.26
So what do you do when
the heat gets turned up
00:23:18.96\00:23:22.86
in your experience?
00:23:22.90\00:23:25.30
In the Bible, we have the
example of three young men,
00:23:25.33\00:23:27.90
in the book of Daniel,
00:23:27.94\00:23:29.64
who were persecuted
when they refused to violate
00:23:29.67\00:23:32.47
their conscience and
participate in false worship.
00:23:32.51\00:23:37.25
Their faithfulness led
them into a fiery furnace,
00:23:37.28\00:23:41.12
and Jesus was there with them.
00:23:41.15\00:23:43.49
Daniel himself,
ordered to worship the king,
00:23:43.52\00:23:46.02
a false god.
00:23:46.05\00:23:48.16
He wouldn't do it and
was cast into a den of lions.
00:23:48.19\00:23:51.66
And God delivered him.
00:23:51.69\00:23:54.23
His faithfulness gave God
00:23:54.30\00:23:56.06
the opportunity to
work in his behalf.
00:23:56.10\00:23:59.57
When you have the opportunity
to be faithful to God,
00:23:59.60\00:24:02.47
take that opportunity, no
matter what your surroundings
00:24:02.50\00:24:05.64
or your circumstances look like.
00:24:05.67\00:24:07.54
And know that as you do,
00:24:07.58\00:24:09.41
it gives God the opportunity
to do great things for you.
00:24:09.44\00:24:14.48
You see, whether or
not God delivers a person
00:24:14.52\00:24:17.32
from persecution or
a difficult situation
00:24:17.35\00:24:20.32
is not really the point.
00:24:20.36\00:24:22.12
God doesn't
always deliver people
00:24:22.16\00:24:24.26
who are persecuted
for their faith in Jesus.
00:24:24.29\00:24:26.83
The question is,
00:24:26.86\00:24:29.10
are you willing to trust
God enough that you'll choose
00:24:29.13\00:24:31.97
to be faithful to
Him, no matter the cost?
00:24:32.00\00:24:35.80
Jesus was persecuted,
and it cost Him everything.
00:24:35.84\00:24:40.08
The crowd demanded
His life, and He gave it.
00:24:40.11\00:24:44.28
And why did He do that?
00:24:44.31\00:24:46.48
For you.
00:24:46.51\00:24:47.58
For you and for me.
00:24:47.62\00:24:50.02
God more than likely is
not asking you to die for Him.
00:24:50.05\00:24:52.79
Not right now.
00:24:52.82\00:24:54.16
But He's certainly
asking you to live for Him.
00:24:54.19\00:24:56.76
Are you willing to do that?
00:24:56.79\00:24:57.93
Willing to invite
Jesus into your heart?
00:24:57.96\00:24:59.96
Willing to surrender
your life completely to God?
00:25:00.06\00:25:03.00
It's when you do
that, that you have peace,
00:25:03.03\00:25:05.00
no matter what
your circumstances are,
00:25:05.03\00:25:07.27
no matter what you're facing.
00:25:07.30\00:25:09.54
With Jesus in your heart,
00:25:09.57\00:25:10.84
you can look to the future
with certainty and confidence,
00:25:10.87\00:25:14.04
no matter what's going on.
00:25:14.08\00:25:15.74
Because with
Christ in your life,
00:25:15.78\00:25:17.78
your future embraces eternity.
00:25:17.81\00:25:22.38
>>John: What role
does the United States play
00:25:24.52\00:25:26.79
in end-times Bible prophecy?
00:25:26.82\00:25:29.59
Find out what the book of
Revelation says by receiving
00:25:29.62\00:25:32.93
“The United States
in Bible Prophecy,”
00:25:32.96\00:25:35.63
absolutely free.
00:25:35.66\00:25:37.30
To receive “The United
States in Bible Prophecy,”
00:25:37.33\00:25:39.50
call us right
now at 800-253-3000.
00:25:39.53\00:25:43.47
That's 800-253-3000.
00:25:43.51\00:25:46.61
You can write to the
address on your screen
00:25:46.64\00:25:48.61
or visit us
online at iiwoffer.com,
00:25:48.64\00:25:52.28
iiwoffer.com.
00:25:52.31\00:25:54.02
>>John: Thank you for
remembering that It Is Written
00:25:54.85\00:25:56.85
exists because of the kindness
of people just like you.
00:25:56.89\00:26:00.29
To support this international
life-changing ministry,
00:26:00.32\00:26:03.53
please call us
now at 800-253-3000.
00:26:03.56\00:26:07.76
You can send your
tax-deductible gift
00:26:07.83\00:26:09.23
to the address on your screen,
00:26:09.26\00:26:10.73
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:26:10.77\00:26:14.54
Thank you for your prayers
and for your financial support.
00:26:14.57\00:26:17.41
Our number
again is 800-253-3000.
00:26:17.44\00:26:21.58
Or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:26:21.61\00:26:24.61
>>John: Let's pray together now.
00:26:26.35\00:26:28.08
Our Father in heaven,
00:26:28.12\00:26:29.12
we thank You
today for the knowledge
00:26:29.15\00:26:30.99
that You have not
given us the spirit of fear,
00:26:31.02\00:26:33.79
but the spirit of power and
of love and of a sound mind.
00:26:33.82\00:26:37.36
And so, looking to the past,
00:26:37.39\00:26:39.16
knowing what
Christians have faced,
00:26:39.19\00:26:41.06
we look to the future knowing
that there are going to be
00:26:41.10\00:26:43.33
some interesting times.
00:26:43.37\00:26:45.90
We can't face those times
successfully without first
00:26:45.93\00:26:48.70
settling in our heart
that we want You to be
00:26:48.74\00:26:50.97
the Lord of our lives.
00:26:51.01\00:26:52.34
So be that now.
00:26:52.37\00:26:54.08
Friend, as I pray,
00:26:54.11\00:26:55.08
if you've not
settled it with God,
00:26:55.11\00:26:57.51
if you haven't
surrendered everything to Jesus,
00:26:57.55\00:26:59.55
would you do that?
00:26:59.58\00:27:00.65
He'll flood your
life with peace now
00:27:00.68\00:27:02.65
and keep you in any challenges
that the future might bring.
00:27:02.68\00:27:06.32
Lord, we pray, too, for
those who are being persecuted
00:27:06.35\00:27:08.62
for their faith
around the world.
00:27:08.66\00:27:10.36
There are many.
00:27:10.39\00:27:11.69
And we ask You
to be close to them,
00:27:11.73\00:27:13.56
be present with them as
You were present with Daniel,
00:27:13.60\00:27:16.13
and as You were
present with the three boys
00:27:16.16\00:27:17.87
who found themselves in
a burning, fiery furnace.
00:27:17.90\00:27:20.87
And so we thank You today
for a future that is positive.
00:27:20.90\00:27:23.87
We thank You that beyond
the difficulties of this world,
00:27:23.91\00:27:26.64
Jesus will come back, to
gather us up and take us home.
00:27:26.68\00:27:31.51
If You have us now,
You'll have us then.
00:27:31.55\00:27:33.55
Friend, does Jesus have you now?
00:27:33.58\00:27:36.08
Lord, take us, make us
Yours, and keep us forever,
00:27:36.12\00:27:40.16
we pray in Jesus' name.
00:27:40.19\00:27:43.12
Amen.
00:27:43.16\00:27:44.79
>>John: Thanks so
much for joining me today.
00:27:44.83\00:27:46.29
I'm looking forward to
seeing you again next time.
00:27:46.33\00:27:48.40
Until then, remember:
00:27:48.43\00:27:50.47
“It is written,
00:27:50.50\00:27:51.83
‘Man shall not
live by bread alone,
00:27:51.87\00:27:54.64
but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'”
00:27:54.67\00:28:00.14
¤[Theme music]¤
00:28:00.18\00:28:14.19