Section 1: The sins commited by the New Testament churches and the truth in the spoken words of God

Rome’s Role in Biblical Prophecy

These passages highlight a few critical themes that tie back to the broader narrative about Rome’s role in biblical prophecy and its opposition to God’s law and people.

Daniel’s Prophecy on Opposition to God

Daniel 7:25 tells us plainly that this power will “speak words against the Most High,” wear out His saints, and try to change the times and the law. This echoes the changes Rome introduced—especially the manipulation of God’s sacred calendar and Sabbath, as mentioned earlier.

God’s Original Calendar vs. Rome’s Disruption

Genesis 7:11 and 8:13 bookend the flood story, showing precise dates and timelines in God’s original calendar system—something Rome disrupted with its own calendar. The biblical months and years follow a specific pattern of days and timing, not the Roman Gregorian system still widely used today.

Symbolic Time Periods of Persecution

Revelation 11:3 and 13:5 refer to a period of 1,260 days or forty-two months—a symbolic time frame tied to the persecution of God’s faithful and the exercise of the beast’s authority. These numbers align with Daniel’s “time, times, and half a time” mentioned in Daniel 7:25 and 12:7, showing a clear consistency in how the Bible describes this period of trial.

The Seventy Weeks Prophecy

Daniel 9:24-27 digs deeper into prophecy, outlining a timeline involving seventy weeks (or 490 years) linked to Jerusalem, the coming of the Messiah, and the desolation that follows. The “abomination that makes desolate” in Daniel’s prophecy and referenced in Matthew 24:15 is often understood as a symbol of Rome’s apostasy and its attempt to replace God’s law with its own man-made traditions.

The Cosmic Battle

Revelation 12:1-17 paints a vivid picture of the cosmic battle behind these events—a woman (representing God’s people) giving birth to a child (Christ), with a dragon (Satan) seeking to destroy them both. The dragon’s power is reflected in earthly kingdoms like Rome, which persecuted the faithful and sought to crush true worship.

The Two Witnesses and God’s Faithful

The accounts of the two witnesses in Revelation 11 remind us that even in the darkest times, God preserves faithful witnesses who boldly proclaim His truth despite opposition and danger.

Guidance of the Spirit of Truth

John 16:13 offers hope by promising the Spirit of truth who will guide believers into all truth—this is crucial in a world where false teachings and corrupt authorities often cloud understanding.

Isaiah’s Warning on Rebellion

Isaiah’s prophecies (Isaiah 1 and 3) show the consequences of rebellion against God: societal decay, loss of leadership, and moral decline. This fits the historical picture of Rome’s moral and spiritual corruption as well as its eventual downfall.

The Ultimate Hope and Restoration

Revelation 21:1-27 presents the ultimate hope and restoration—a new heaven and new earth where God dwells with His people, wiping away all sorrow and pain. It reminds us that despite the dark periods of persecution and apostasy, God’s plan will be fulfilled.

Symbolism of God’s Perfect Order

The details about the measurements of the new Jerusalem in Revelation 21 and the sealing of 144,000 in Revelation 7 are symbolic of God’s perfect order and protection for His faithful.

Summary

In summary, these scriptures give us a clear picture: Rome’s apostasy was not just political but spiritual, marked by rebellion against God’s laws, persecution of His people, and manipulation of sacred times. Yet, throughout, God’s plan remains intact. His promises to protect His faithful and restore His kingdom offer hope beyond the trials.

The Judgment of Babylon and the Scarlet Beast

Revelation 17:1-18 describes a vision of judgment against “the great prostitute” seated on many waters—symbolizing a corrupt power allied with earthly kings through immorality. The woman sits on a scarlet beast with seven heads and ten horns, adorned with luxury but holding a cup filled with abominations. On her forehead is written a mysterious name: “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations.” This imagery points to a powerful system opposed to God, often linked to Rome and its spiritual corruption.

The Beast’s Authority and Blasphemy

Revelation 13:1-18 expands on the beast’s description—rising from the sea with ten horns and seven heads, empowered by the dragon (Satan). One of the beast’s heads appears mortally wounded but is healed, astonishing the world and prompting worship. The beast speaks blasphemies against God and persecutes the saints for forty-two months, or 1,260 years to be precise (Revelation 13:5-7). This period represents a time of intense opposition to God’s faithful.

The Woman and Her Place of Refuge

Revelation 12:1-6 shows a woman clothed with the sun, symbolizing God’s people, who gives birth to a male child destined to rule all nations. The child is taken up to God’s throne, and the woman flees into the wilderness, where she is protected and nourished for 1,260 days—again emphasizing the theme of God’s protection during persecution.

The Witnesses and Their Martyrdom

Revelation 11:8 describes the death of the two witnesses, whose bodies lie in the streets of a symbolic city called “Sodom and Egypt,” the place where their Lord was crucified. Their story reminds us of faithful witnesses who suffer but remain part of God’s plan.

God’s Seal of Protection

Revelation 7:1-17 portrays four angels holding back destructive winds until God’s servants are sealed on their foreheads. The number sealed is 144,000, drawn from every tribe of Israel, symbolizing God’s protection and order amid trials.

Encouragement to Keep the Prophecy

Revelation 1:3 blesses those who read, hear, and keep the words of the prophecy, reminding us that the time described is near and urging vigilance.

Time and God’s Perspective

2 Peter 3:8 teaches that “with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day,” a reminder to understand prophetic timelines in God’s terms.

Preservation and Judgment

2 Peter 2:5 recalls how God preserved Noah and his family during the flood, highlighting His protection of the righteous amid judgment.

The Hope of Christ’s Return

Titus 2:13 points to our blessed hope—the glorious appearing of Jesus Christ, encouraging believers to look forward with faith.

The Man of Lawlessness

2 Thessalonians 2:4 warns about one who opposes God, exalting himself in God’s temple and proclaiming himself to be God, often seen as a description of the antichrist figure.

Our True Citizenship

Philippians 3:20 reminds believers that our citizenship is in heaven, and from there, we await the Savior.

Observing God’s Appointed Times

Galatians 4:10 addresses the observation of days, months, seasons, and years, underscoring the importance of sacred times.

Call to Repentance and Restoration

Acts 3:19-21 urges repentance for times of refreshing to come, and the eventual restoration of all things spoken by the prophets.

Jesus’ Triumphal Entry

John 12:12-13 recounts the crowd welcoming Jesus into Jerusalem with palm branches, recognizing Him as the King of Israel.

Watchfulness and Redemption

Luke 21:36 encourages staying awake and praying for strength to endure coming trials, while Luke 21:28 assures that when these events begin, believers should take heart—their redemption is near.

The Times of the Gentiles

Luke 21:24 speaks of Jerusalem being trampled by Gentiles until their appointed times are fulfilled, reflecting a period of exile and trial.

Jesus’ Early Life and Ministry

Luke 2:42 notes Jesus’ observance of religious customs from a young age, showing the continuity of God’s law.

The Temple Curtain Torn

Matthew 27:51 highlights the moment the temple veil was torn at Jesus’ death, symbolizing new access to God.

Divine Power Available

Matthew 26:53 reminds us of Jesus’ authority to call upon angels, emphasizing His divine power even before His crucifixion.

Great Tribulation Foretold

Matthew 24:21 warns of unprecedented tribulation, unmatched in history, preceding Christ’s return.

Signs of the End Times

Matthew 24:3 records the disciples asking Jesus about the signs of His coming and the end of the age.

Resurrection Hope

Hosea 6:2 gives hope of revival and restoration on the third day, often interpreted as a messianic prophecy.

The Time of Trouble and Deliverance

Daniel 12:1-13 describes a great time of trouble, the rise of Michael the protector, resurrection of the dead, and increased knowledge leading to ultimate deliverance for God’s people.

The Abomination and Temple Desecration

Daniel 11:31 prophesies forces profaning the temple and setting up the “abomination that makes desolate,” a key symbol of apostasy and opposition.

The Timeline for Jerusalem’s Restoration

Daniel 9:25 gives a precise timeline for the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the coming of the Messiah, emphasizing a “troubled time” in this period.

Sanctuary Restored After 2,300 Days

Daniel 8:14 promises restoration of the sanctuary after 2,300 evenings and mornings, symbolizing a cleansing and return to divine order.

Old Testament Historical Context
At the end of the Old Testament period, Israel had returned from exile, Jerusalem was rebuilt, and the temple reconstructed and functioning again. The Medo-Persian Empire was the dominant world power. During the 400 years between the testaments, the Greek Empire rose under Alexander the Great and later splintered after his death. Israel suffered persecution under the Seleucid Empire, a Greek successor kingdom based in Syria. The Seleucid ruler Antiochus IV Epiphanes (“manifest god”) was especially brutal, enforcing Hellenization and profaning the temple. His actions sparked the Maccabean revolt, which ultimately expelled the Greeks and restored Israel’s independence.

Key Prophetic Passages

• Ezekiel 40:1-49
  In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, on the tenth day of the first month, in the fourteenth year after Jerusalem was struck down, the hand of the Lord was upon me, and He brought me to the city. In visions of God, He brought me to Israel and set me on a very high mountain with a structure like a city to the south. There, a man with an appearance like bronze stood holding a linen cord and measuring reed, standing in the gateway. He said, “Son of man, look carefully, listen, and set your heart on all I show you. You were brought here to declare all that you see to the house of Israel.” Around the temple area was a wall measured at six long cubits thick and high…

• Ezekiel 38:1-23
  The word of the Lord came: “Son of man, set your face toward Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him. Behold, I am against you, O Gog. I will put hooks in your jaws and bring you and your army — horses, riders, all in full armor — including Persia, Cush, and Put, all with shield and helmet…”

• Isaiah 2:1-22
  Isaiah’s vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem: In the latter days, the Lord’s mountain will be established as the highest mountain, and all nations will flow to it, saying, “Come, let us walk in the Lord’s ways.” From Zion will go forth the law and judgment. Nations will beat swords into plowshares and no longer learn war. O house of Jacob, walk in the light of the Lord…

• Isaiah 7:1-25
  During King Ahaz’s reign, Syria and Israel allied against Judah but could not attack Jerusalem. When David’s house heard “Syria is allied with Ephraim,” Ahaz’s heart shook like trees in the wind. The Lord said to Isaiah, “Go meet Ahaz and tell him: ‘Be careful, be quiet, don’t fear, and don’t lose heart because of these two smoldering firebrands, the fierce anger of Syria and Israel…’”

• Isaiah 30:1-33
  “Ah, stubborn children,” declares the Lord, “who make plans not mine and seek refuge in Egypt without consulting me. Pharaoh’s protection will bring shame and humiliation, for it will profit nothing and bring disgrace.”

• Jeremiah 29:10
  “For thus says the Lord: When seventy years for Babylon are complete, I will visit you, fulfill my promise, and bring you back to this place.”

Historical and Ritual References

• Esther 3:7
  In the first month, Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, lots (Pur) were cast before Haman day after day, continuing until the twelfth month, Adar.

• 2 Kings 2:1-25
  Before Elijah was taken to heaven by whirlwind, he and Elisha traveled from Gilgal to Bethel, then Jericho. Each time, sons of prophets announced the Lord would take Elijah that day, but Elisha insisted on staying with him.

• 2 Kings 9:6
  A young man poured oil on Jehu’s head, saying, “Thus says the Lord, I anoint you king over Israel.”

• 2 Kings 11:12
  They crowned and anointed the king’s son, proclaiming, “Long live the king!”

• 2 Kings 23:30
  Jehoahaz was carried dead in a chariot from Megiddo to Jerusalem and buried in his tomb. The people made Jehoahaz king in his father’s place.

• 1 Kings 1:39
  Zadok the priest anointed Solomon with oil, and the people shouted, “Long live King Solomon!”

• 1 Kings 6:1, 6:37
  In the 480th year after Israel’s exodus, during Solomon’s fourth year, in the month of Ziv (second month), construction began on the house of the Lord. The foundation was laid in the fourth year, month of Ziv.

• 1 Kings 8:2
  All Israel gathered to King Solomon at the feast in the month Ethanim (seventh month).

• 2 Samuel 2:4, 5:3, 19:10
  The men of Judah anointed David king over Judah; elders of Israel anointed him king over Israel at Hebron; after Absalom’s death, there was talk of bringing the king back.

• 1 Samuel 10:1, 16:13
  Samuel anointed Saul and later David with oil. The Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward.

• Joshua 10:12-14
  Joshua asked the Lord to make the sun stand still at Gibeon and the moon in the Valley of Aijalon. The sun stopped for about a full day as the Lord fought for Israel.

Priestly and Ritual Laws

• Numbers 4:1-4
  The Lord instructed Moses and Aaron to take a census of the Kohathites, Levites aged 30–50, to serve in the tent of meeting, handling the most holy things.

• Numbers 6:1-27
  The Nazirite vow required separation from wine, grape products, and cutting hair, to be holy during the period of separation.

• Numbers 12:1-16
  Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses for marrying a Cushite woman. The Lord appeared in a cloud, confronted them, and punished Miriam with leprosy.

• Numbers 28:1-31, 29:1-40
  Instructions for daily and monthly offerings, including burnt offerings and grain offerings, and special holy convocations on appointed times.

• Leviticus 23:4
  (The text is incomplete, but presumably about appointed feasts and festivals.)

• Leviticus 25:1-55
  When entering the land, the land itself must observe a Sabbath every seventh year, resting and not being cultivated or harvested.

Poetry and Wisdom

• Psalm 19:1
  “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.”

Additional Notes

• Genesis 18:25
  (A reference is noted but text missing.)

• Gospel of John 11:48
  “If we let him alone, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will take away both our place and nation.”

• The atrocities of Roman Empires continued.

During the time of the revolt, the Maccabees were supported by the up-and-coming Romans (1 Maccabees 8; 15:15–24). As the power of Rome grew, it became an empire and swallowed up Israel/Palestine. The Jews were allowed to keep their religious practices if they did not make trouble for Rome. Rome placed a series of puppet kings (the Herod family) and military governors (e.g., Pilate, Felix, Festus) over various provinces of Israel

One of the priorities of the Roman Empire was peace for their citizens, but known Roman citizens were not given that privilege , they were treated with an iron hand. The Pax Romana (“peace of Rome”) guaranteed that the Roman citizens could live and travel within Roman Empire in relative safety. Roads were constructed that made travel much easier, and a common language broke down communication barriers among various ethnic groups and provided something of a common culture. The apostle Paul traveled all over the Roman Empire on Roman roads and shared the gospel with diverse groups of Gentiles in the common Greek language. (The common trade language of the Roman Empire was Greek and was not replaced with Latin for several centuries.) Paul’s Roman citizenship allowed him to move about the empire more freely and provided him with an added measure of protection (see Acts 22:22–29). Not only Paul, but many Christians spread out all over the Roman Empire, taking the gospel with them.

It is commonly accepted that Rome was the primary persecutor of the church in the first century, but an examination of the evidence in the New Testament does not bear this out. Widespread persecution by the Romans did not occur until the time of Nero (the late 60s) and later emperors. The observable pattern in the New Testament is that Rome cared little about Christians and only acted against them at the instigation of the Jewish authorities (see Acts 22:30). Rome often tried to placate the Jewish authorities to keep the peace. The Roman governor Pilate wanted to release Jesus, but the Jewish authorities demanded His execution (Matthew 27:15–23). Likewise, Paul was most often opposed by his own compatriots who either took things into their own hands, stirred up the pagan populace, or appealed to the Roman authorities for help. This happened at Thessalonica (Acts 17:1–9) and at Corinth (Acts 18:12–17). The one time when the Roman authorities arrested Paul, he used his status as a Roman citizen to gain an apology upon his release (Acts 16:35–40).

When Paul was spotted in the Jerusalem temple, it was his compatriots who attacked him and the Roman authorities who arrested/rescued him (Acts 21:27–36). The Roman governor saved Paul from a plot by the Jews to kill him (Acts 23). Both Felix and Festus, Roman governors, are presented as being sympathetic to Paul but unwilling to release him because it would anger the Jewish leadership (Acts 24–26.) Paulappealed to Caesar, for he knew he could not get a fair trial in Jerusalem. Finally, the Roman governor Festusand the Roman puppet king Agrippa agreed: “This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment” (Acts 26:21).

The Roman authorities demanded absolute allegiance to Rome first and foremost. Because of the Jews’ longstanding “tradition” of monotheism, they were exempted from offering sacrifices to the emperor. Initially, Christians were considered members of a sect of Judaism and were given the same exemption. However, Jews began to distance themselves more forcefully from Christians, and Rome started to take a harder look at Christians. By the second century, Christians were persecuted as enemies of the state because of their refusal to honour the emperor as a deity. However, this persecution is not evident within the pages of the New Testament.

In AD 70, the Roman general Titus (son of Emperor Vespasian) laid waste to Jerusalem and destroyed the temple in fulfilment of Jesus’ pronouncement in Luke 21:6.

Three Roman emperors are mentioned by name in the New Testament. Augustus, already mentioned above in connection with the census that moved Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem for Jesus’ birth. Tiberius, who was emperor when John the Baptist started his public ministry (Luke 3:1). And Claudius is mentioned as the emperor who expelled all Jews from Rome (Acts 18:1). The Roman historian Seutonius is his work The Lives of the Twelve Caesars says that the expulsion was the result of Jewish disputes over someone called Chrestus. Many scholars believe that this may be a reference to Christ. Most Roman authorities were uninterested and uninformed with the particulars of Jewish disputes (see Acts 25:18–20), so it is understandable that they might get the name wrong. Within a few years, the Jews had returned to Rome.

In summary, the Roman Empire had a tremendous wicked impact in the circumstances about Jesus’ birth and crucifixion, and unintentionally provided the necessary infrastructure to allow the apostles to spread the gospel throughout the Mediterranean world

The persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire was carried out by the state and by local authorities on a sporadic, ad hocbasis, often at the whims of local communities. Starting in 250 AD, empire-wide persecution took place as an indirect consequence of an edict by the emperor Decius. This edict was in force for eighteen months, during which time some Christians were killed while others apostatised to escape execution.

Romans were tolerant in matters of religious belief and allowed countless religious sects, cults, saviours, and redeemers to proselytise without restrictions. Loyal and submissive members of society could believe in any Deity they wanted, including Jesus. The belief was a private matter of no interest to the Roman authorities. Roman cohesion was based on obedience to authority and on public pledges of loyalty to the state – epitomized by symbolical sacrifices to the Roman gods.Contrary to later misperceptions, at first, Romans did not oppose belief in Jesus. Rather, Romans persecuted whoever refused to pledge loyalty to Roman authority, to the inclusion of those believers in Jesus that refused to sacrifice to the Roman Gods (the equivalent of an oath of allegiance). Roman persecution of Gentile believers in Jesus lasted more than two centuries and included harassment at the local level, and officially sanctioned or decreed persecution. Officially sanctioned Roman persecution was most intense during the reigns of Marcus Aurelius (161–180), Decius (249–251), Diocletian (284–305) and Galerius (305–311).

All individuals living in the Roman Empire were free to believe whatever their souls desired if the traditional protocol of symbolic submission and allegiance to imperial authority was performed. Christianity was outlawed after two centuries of persistent behaviour that the Romans interpreted as defiant and subversive, and after three official persecutions failed to quell what the Romans considered to be seditious behaviour. Pagans could not but interpret the refusal to sacrifice to the Roman Gods (by some, not all Gentile believers in Jesus) as an act of political defiance.  The point of contention, as seen from the Roman side, was not belief in Jesus. It was the refusal to acknowledge imperial authority. ‘The polytheistic worldview of the Romans did not incline them to understand a refusal to worship, even symbolically, the state gods.’ [3]Wilson concluded that eventually, ‘Christians’ (i.e. Pauline believers) would have been suspected of conspiracy and disloyalty. Per Wilson, Christianity appeared as a movement that promoted disruption of the established order and dangerous social tendencies. The prejudice became so instinctive that eventually, mere confession of the name Christian could be sufficient grounds for execution. Per Zetterholm, the Jesus-believing Gentiles of Antioch found themselves in the peculiar position of having to publicly identify themselves as Jews subject to the tax to avoid prosecution for neglect of the cult. [5]

These persecutions heavily influenced the development of Christianity, shaping Christian theology and the structure of the Church. The effects of the persecutions included the writing of explanations and defences of the Christian religion.

Persecution of the early church had occurred sporadically and in localised areas since its beginning. The first persecution of Christians organised by the Roman government took place under the emperor Nero in 64 AD after the Great Fire of Rome. The Edict of Serdica was issued in 311 by the Roman emperor Galerius, officially ending the Diocletianicpersecution of Christianity in the East. With the passage in 313 AD of the Edict of Milan, persecution of Christians by the Roman state ceased. The total number of Christians who lost their lives because of these persecutions is unknown; although early church historian Eusebius, whose works are the only source for many of these events, speaks of “great multitudes” having perished, he is thought by many scholars today to have exaggerated their numbers.

There was no empire-wide persecution of Christians until the reign of Decius in the third century.[8] Provincial governors had a great deal of personal discretion in their authorities and could choose themselves how to deal with local incidents of persecution and mob violence against Christians. For most of the first three hundred years of Christian history, Christians were able to live in peace, practise their professions, and rise to positions of responsibility. Only for approximately ten out of the first three hundred years of the church’s history were Christians executed due to orders from a Roman emperor Attempts at estimating the numbers involved are inevitably based on inadequate sources, but one historian of the persecutions estimates the overall numbers as between 5,500 and 6,500, a number also adopted by later writers including Yuval Noah Harari

In the 300 years from the crucifixion of Christ to the conversion of Emperor Constantine, polytheistic Roman emperors initiated no more than four general persecutions of Christians. Local administrators and governors incited some anti-Christian violence of their own. Still, if we combine all the victims of all these persecutions, it turns out that in these three centuries, the polytheistic Romans killed no more than a few thousand Christians.

Reasons

See also: Religio licita and Religion in ancient Rome“Roman Hall of Justice”, Young Folks’ History of Rome, 1878

SOCIAL AND RELIGIOUS CAUSES[EDIT]

Martyrdom of Calepodius (intaglio print)

Before 250 AD, persecution was not empire-wide; it was localized, sporadic, often mob-led, with occasional actions from local authorities. Reasons for persecution can be understood by looking at a few fundamental areas of conflict.

“The exclusive sovereignty of Christ clashed with Caesar’s claims to his own exclusive sovereignty.” The Roman empire practised religious Syncretism and did not demand loyalty to one god, but they did demand preeminent loyalty to the state, and this was expected to be demonstrated through the practices of the state religion with numerous feast and festival days throughout the year.The nature of Christian monotheism prevented Christians from participating in anything involving ‘other gods’. Christians did not take part in feast days or processionals or offer sacrifices or light incense to the gods; this produced hostility. They refused to offer incense to the Roman emperor, and in the minds of the people, the “emperor, when viewed as a god, was … the embodiment of the Roman empire”] so Christians were seen as disloyal to both. In Rome, “religion could be tolerated only as long as it contributed to the stability of the state” which would “brook no rival for the allegiance of its subjects. The state was the highest good in a union of state and religion. In Christian monotheism the state was not the highest good.[11]:87[15]:60

“Christians moved their activities from the streets to the more secluded domains of houses, shops and women’s apartments…severing the normal ties between religion, tradition and public institutions like cities and nations”.[18]:119 This ‘privatizing of religion’ was another primary factor in persecution. They sometimes met at night, in secret, and this aroused suspicion among the pagan population accustomed to religion as a public event; rumors abounded that Christians committed flagitia, scelera, and maleficia— “outrageous crimes”, “wickedness”, and “evil deeds”, specifically, cannibalism and incest(referred to as “Thyestian banquets” and “Oedipodean intercourse“)— due to their rumored practices of eating the “blood and body” of Christ and referring to each other as “brothers” and “sisters”.