The Ten Roman Emperors

While there were more than 10 Roman Emperors only 10 are recorded as having persecuted the early Church. This is then seen to be symbolic of the 10 days of tribulation in Revelation chapter 2 verse 10 where the church saints were tried in the crucible of fiery trials, tests and persecution from 96AD through to 305AD.

In 313AD the Roman Emperor Constantine adopted Christianity as the state religion that accepted all other religions to come under his governing authority and so the Church of Rome was born! It has been a contaminated and corrupt system from the very beginning and will be judged in the Tribulation years. Rome to this day sees Protestants as separated brethren that need to come home into the arms of Mother Church. Not on my watch as a pastor!

The Ten:-

Domitian – 96AD

Trajan – 98-117AD

Hadrian – 117-138AD

Antonius Pius – 138-161AD

Marcus Aurelius – 161-180AD

Septimus Severus – 193-211AD

Maximin – 235-238AD

Decius – 249-251AD

Valarian – 251-260AD

Diocietian – 284-305AD

These 10 Emperors in various ways persecuted many Christians, throwing them into prison or the arena! Others were taken into slavery, their homes and possessions confiscated by the State. You either recognised the Emperor as a god and lived under Roman Law and the Peace of Rome (Pax Roma) but in doing so you denied the Lordship of Christ and so many were prepared to go to their deaths rather than do this. We have the peace of Jesus as Lord and Saviour. He is the only way to Heaven as He stated in John 14:6.

We may note that Nero 37-68AD (seen as a type of the Anti-Christ) blamed the Christians for the great fire of Rome in 64AD and a period of persecution broke out and so fiery trials are part of our faith in Christ. He committed suicide in 68AD after the Senate declared him a public enemy of the State. He is remembered as an ineffectual, neglectful and brutal leader. An example of this is that it is believed that he kicked his wife Poppaea to death in 65AD.
We are told in Acts 14:22 that we must go through much tribulation to enter the Kingdom of God as this world will hate and despise us. Let us then do so with a strong faith and the Word of God set in our hearts and minds. This makes us disciples and overcomers to the glory of our Lord Jesus. Amen.

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