The Seventh King: Constantine the Great of Byzantium
Revelation 17:10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen , and one is , and the other is not yet come ...
When Apostle John received his apocalyptic visions toward the end of Emperor Titus' reign, the seventh king and his kingdom have not yet appeared. Remember that the seven heads of the Beast do not only mean seven different kings, they also mean seven different kingdoms. In my previous blog "The Seven Heads of the Beast" , I identified the six kings ruling six different kingdoms, namely:
- Nimrod of Babel,
- the Pharaoh of Egypt,
- Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon,
- Haman substituting for King Ahasuerus of Persia,
- Antiochus IV Epiphanes of the Seleucid Empire,
- and Emperor Titus of Rome
The seventh Antichrist Empire which rose after the Roman Empire was the Byzantine empire founded by Constantine I the Great.
Best known for being the first Christian Roman emperor, Constantine I the Great reversed the persecutions of his predecessor, Diocletian, and issued the Edict of Milan in 313, which proclaimed religious toleration throughout the empire. The Byzantine liturgical calendar, observed by the Eastern Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholic Churches of Byzantine rite, lists both Constantine and his mother Helena as saints. Although he is not included in the Latin Church's list of saints, which does recognize several other Constantines as saints, he is revered under the title "The Great" for his contributions to Christianity.
Byzantium under the Constantinian dynasties was the earliest period of the Byzantine Empire that saw the creation of an eastern Empire from the Roman Empire under the emperor Constantine I in his new capital, Constantinople, created on the site of the old Greek Byzantium. Constantinople (present day Istanbul, Turkey) was built over six years, and consecrated on 11 May 330.
"Antichrist" is the English translation of the original Koine Greek ἀντίχριστος. It is made up of two root words, αντί + Χριστός (anti + Christos). "Αντί" can mean not only “against” and “opposite of”, but also “in place of", "Χριστός", translated "Christ". Thus, the Antichrist is someone who not only opposes Christ but also places himself in Christ's position.
Sun worshipper
Christ has warned his disciples against such people "who come unto you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves". Constantine's hypocrisy can be demonstrated when he claimed to follow Christ and yet continued to worship the Roman god Sol Invictus (Unconquered Sun).
Emperors portrayed Sol Invictus on their official coinage, with a wide range of legends, only a few of which incorporated the epithet invictus, such as the legend SOLI INVICTO COMITI, claiming the Unconquered Sun as a companion to the Emperor, used with particular frequency by Constantine. Statuettes of Sol Invictus, carried by the standard-bearers, appear in three places in reliefs on the Arch of Constantine. Constantine's official coinage continues to bear images of Sol until 325/6.
A solidus of Constantine as well as a gold medallion from his reign depict the Emperor's bust in profile twinned ("jugate") with Sol Invictus, with the legend INVICTUS CONSTANTINUS.
Constantine decreed (March 7, 321) dies Solis—day of the sun, "Sunday"—as the Roman day of rest:
On the venerable day of the Sun let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed. In the country however persons engaged in agriculture may freely and lawfully continue their pursuits because it often happens that another day is not suitable for grain-sowing or vine planting; lest by neglecting the proper moment for such operations the bounty of heaven should be lost.
Constantine's triumphal arch was carefully positioned to align with the colossal statue of Sol by the Colosseum, so that Sol formed the dominant backdrop when seen from the direction of the main approach towards the arch.
The Labarum: the Abomination that causes desolation
It is commonly stated that on the evening of October 27, 312, with his army preparing for the Battle of the Milvian Bridge, the emperor Constantine I had a vision which led him to fight under the protection of the Christian God. Eusebius of Caesarea gives a detailed account of this vision and stresses that he had heard the story from the emperor himself. As a result of this vision, Constantine the Great started portraying himself as "Christ - the Redeemer" by blasphemously placing his own image on the cross.
Eusebius Book I Chapter XXXI: A Description of the Standard of the Cross, which the Romans now call the Labarum.
Now it was made in the following manner. A long spear, overlaid with gold, formed the figure of the cross by means of a transverse bar laid over it. On the top of the whole was fixed a wreath of gold and precious stones; and within this, the symbol of the Saviour's name, two letters indicating the name of Christ by means of its initial characters, the letter P being intersected by X in its centre: and these letters the emperor was in the habit of wearing on his helmet at a later period. From the cross-bar of the spear was suspended a cloth, a royal piece, covered with a profuse embroidery of most brilliant precious stones; and which, being also richly interlaced with gold, presented an indescribable degree of beauty to the beholder. This banner was of a square form, and the upright staff, whose lower section was of great length, bore a golden half-length portrait of the pious emperor and his children on its upper part, beneath the trophy of the cross, and immediately above the embroidered banner.
The emperor constantly made use of this sign of salvation as a safeguard against every adverse and hostile power, and commanded that others similar to it should be carried at the head of all his armies.
According to Eusebius of Caesarea the Labarum was like a supernatural military charm that miraculously desolates all of Constantine's enemies:
Eusebius Book II Chapter VII: That Victory everywhere followed the Presence of the Standard of the Cross in Battle.
Indeed, wherever this appeared, the enemy soon fled before his victorious troops. And the emperor perceiving this, whenever he saw any part of his forces hard pressed, gave orders that the salutary trophy should be moved in that direction, like some triumphant charm against disasters: at which the combatants were divinely inspired, as it were, with fresh strength and courage, and immediate victory was the result.
Daniel 8:24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power [it will be supernatural]; and he shall destroy marvellously [or miraculously], and shall prosper, and shall practise, and shall destroy the mighty ones, and the people of the saints.
Licinius, one of Constantine's enemies, came to fear the Labarum so much that he counseled his soldiers to avoid any contact with it:
Eusebius Book II Chapter XVI: How Licinius counseled his Soldiers not to attack the Standard of the Cross.
Having now learned by experience the Divine and mysterious power which resided in the salutary trophy, by means of which Constantine's army had become habituated to victory, he admonished his soldiers never to direct their attack against this standard, nor even incautiously to allow their eyes to rest upon it; assuring them that it possessed a terrible power, and was especially hostile to him; so that they would do well carefully to avoid any collision with it.
When Constantine XI Palaiologos is resurrected, he will make his own version of the Labarum, having his animated image displayed on the cross of Christ:
Revelation 13:15 And it was given to it to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should also speak, and should cause that as many as should not do homage to the image of the beast should be killed.
And once the third Jewish Temple is constructed in Jerusalem and animal sacrifices start to be offered there, he will invade Jerusalem and stop the daily burnt offerings. He will then claim that Christ's sacrifice on the cross made these animal sacrifices unlawful. And in place of the animal sacrifices, he will set up on the holy altar his abominable cross, the Labarum, instead:
Daniel 11:31 His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation. (NIV)
In both Biblical and rabbinical Hebrew the word "abomination" is a familiar term for an idol or a religious image.
His other blasphemies
In addition to portraying himself as "Christ - the Redeemer", Constantine the Great also portrayed himself as the prophesied "Seed" that will crush the head of the Serpent:
Genesis 3:14 The LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, cursed are you above all cattle, and above all wild animals; upon your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. 15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."
Eusebius Book III Chapter III: Of his Picture surmounted by a Cross and having beneath it a Dragon.
And besides this, he caused to be painted on a lofty tablet, and set up in the front of the portico of his palace, so as to be visible to all, a representation of the salutary sign [of the cross] placed above his head, and below it that hateful and savage adversary of mankind, who by means of the tyranny of the ungodly had wasted the Church of God, falling headlong, under the form of a dragon, to the abyss of destruction. For the sacred oracles in the books of God's prophets have described him as a dragon and a crooked serpent; and for this reason the emperor thus publicly displayed a painted resemblance of the dragon beneath his own and his children's feet, stricken through with a dart, and cast headlong into the depths of the sea.
While still alive, Constantine constructed a magnificent church which he named the Church of the Holy Apostles, and placed inside it his future tomb. Constantine instructed that twelve empty coffins should be placed alongside his future coffin; six of which are to be placed at the left side, while the remaining six are to be placed at the right side. His stated reason for this is to perpetrate the memory of the Twelve Apostles. But by virtue of this blasphemous scheme, Constantine actually portrayed himself as the Head of the Apostles and usurped once again one of Christ's special roles, namely that of the Lord of the Twelve Apostles.
Eusebius Book IV Chapter LX: He also erected his own Sepulchral Monument in this Church.
After this he proceeded to erect a church in memory of the apostles, in the city which bears his name. He had, however, another object in erecting this building: an object at first unknown, but which afterwards became evident to all. He had in fact made choice of this spot in the prospect of his own death, anticipating with extraordinary fervor of faith that his body would share their title with the apostles themselves, and that he should thus even after death become the subject, with them, of the devotions which should be performed to their honor in this place. He accordingly caused twelve coffins to be set up in this church, like sacred pillars in honor and memory of the apostolic number, in the center of which his own was placed, having six of theirs on either side of it.
His hatred for God's people
One hallmark of those kings who were possessed by the spirit of the Antichrist was their common hatred for the Jews; and Constantine the Great was not an exception.
Eusebius Book III Chapter XVIII: He speaks of their Unanimity respecting the Feast of Easter, and against the Practice of the Jews.
And first of all, it appeared an unworthy thing that in the celebration of this most holy feast [of Easter] we should follow the practice of the Jews, who have impiously defiled their hands with enormous sin, and are, therefore, deservedly afflicted with blindness of soul... Let us then have nothing in common with the detestable Jewish crowd; for we have received from our Saviour a different way... Beloved brethren, let us with one consent adopt this course, and withdraw ourselves from all participation in their [the Jews] baseness. For their boast is absurd indeed, that it is not in our power without instruction from them to observe these things. For how should they [the Jews] be capable of forming a sound judgment, who, since their parricidal guilt in slaying their Lord, have been subject to the direction, not of reason, but of ungoverned passion, and are swayed by every impulse of the mad spirit that is in them? ... But supposing these reasons were not of sufficient weight, still it would be incumbent on your Sagacities to strive and pray continually that the purity of your souls may not seem in anything to be sullied by fellowship with the customs of these most wicked men [the Jews].
And by Peace he shall destroy many ...
Daniel 8:25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many ... (KJV)
Daniel 8:25 He will succeed through craftiness and deceit, become swelled with pride, and destroy many people just when they feel the most secure ... (CJB)
Daniel 8:24 ... and he shall destroy ...the people of the saints. (DBY)
Many historians believe that Constantine's so-called conversion to Christianity was merely a political move for uniting his empire ("he will succeed through craftiness and deceit").
Far from being humble, Constantine started developing a "Messianic complex" after a series of miraculous victories with his battles ("he will become swelled with pride").
The Diocletianic Persecution (or Great Persecution) was the last and most severe persecution of Christians in the Roman empire. In 303, Emperor Diocletian and his colleagues Maximian, Galerius, and Constantius issued a series of edicts rescinding the legal rights of Christians and demanding that they comply with traditional religious practices. Later edicts targeted the clergy and demanded universal sacrifice, ordering all inhabitants to sacrifice to the gods. Persecutory laws were nullified by different emperors at different times, but Constantine and Licinius's Edict of Milan (313) has traditionally marked the end of the persecution.
What Diocletian failed to accomplish through persecution, Constantine succeeded through his peace offering to the Christians ("and by Peace he shall destroy many"). By offering the Christians freedom from persecution, together with much flatteries and expensive gifts, he seduced the Christians into embracing false doctrines which corrupted their once pure faith:
Daniel 11:32 With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him. (NIV)
Eusebius Book I Chapter XLII: The Honors conferred upon Bishops, and the Building of Churches.
The emperor also personally inviting the society of God's ministers, distinguished them with the highest possible respect and honor, showing them favor in deed and word as persons consecrated to the service of his God. Accordingly, they were admitted to his table, though mean in their attire and outward appearance; yet not so in his estimation, since he thought he saw not the man as seen by the vulgar eye, but the God in him. He made them also his companions in travel, believing that He whose servants they were would thus help him. Besides this, he gave from his own private resources costly benefactions to the churches of God, both enlarging and heightening the sacred edifices, and embellishing the august sanctuaries of the church with abundant offerings.
In my next blog, I will be discussing the false doctrines introduced by Constantine the Great into Christianity which led to a great schism among Christians and started the apostasy prophesied by Apostle Paul:
2 Thessalonians 2:1 Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to Him: we ask you, brothers, 2 not to be easily upset in mind or troubled, either by a spirit or by a message or by a letter as if from us, alleging that the Day of the Lord has come. 3 Don't let anyone deceive you in any way. For [that day] will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction.