Wed.’s Devo - Rome - The Beast

Read Rev. 13:1-4 I want to go back to yesterday’s reading and explain more of the history of Rome. Rome was the head that was wounded to death. This happened when Emperor Constantine came to power and united the nominal Christian church with the State at the First Nicea Council of AD 325. Two years later, Constantine made Byzantium the new capital and named it Constantinople. It is Istanbul today. This created rivalry within the administration and the empire eventually split forming East and West (symbolizing the two legs in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 2). This split spread to the Roman church. Emperor Theodosius outlawed the worship of ancient gods and made it mandatory to convert to Roman Catholicism. When Theodosius died his sons ruled the East and the West and the Empire was occupied by their enemies of Gaul, the Visigoths from Germany, and the Hun. Pope Leo was able to persuade Attila the Hun not to invade Rome thus empowering the Roman church and the office of the Pope. The West eventually fell to the Germans. They planned to rebuild the Roman Empire and Emperor Justinian was in charge of its restoration. He tried to rid the land of heretics and rebuild. At his death he had depleted the funds for restoration and the land was open for attacks. The shift of Rome from an Imperial to a Papal power healed the beast’s womb. Today, Rome rules a universal Empire with greater power than she has ever known. The United States is a type of Rome and the Protestant doctrine is a type of the Roman Catholic church. I know we don’t want to hear that, but it is true. They have in the past and will continue to persecute the true Bride of Christ. The foolish virgins will conform, but the wise virgins will keep their oil always in their lamps and continue to wait and watch for her bride groom to come for her. Lord, may we be full of oil and ever waiting for your return.