The Development of the Great Apostacy Chapter 12
Our review of the Sixth Seal last month involved the chronicle of Constantine’s military triumph over the other rulers of the Empire and his ascension to complete dominance in the civil administration of Rome and its far-flung dominions. However, much more beside the civil administration of the empire was at stake. Two great forces were contending with each other, namely Paganism and nominal Christianity.
Constantine Champions the Church
What Constantine’s private opinions were in regard to the Christians we do not know. But one thing is reasonably certain. He recognized in the Christians a growing and powerful body of people whose favor was to be encouraged.
His father had leanings to the new religion concerning Christ, and the son appears to have followed in his footsteps. The decision to support the new religious party was a tremendous step for one whose desire it was to rule all nations.
A Notable Woman
John was undoubtedly surprised with this vision of a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon at her feet, and having on her head a crown of 12 stars; and she, being with child, cried travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered”.
Obviously the woman represented something. But what could that be? The word “wonder” means “sign” (see Young’s Concordance).
The Sun
In regard to the sun, moon and stars. These also were symbolic.
The sun represents the ruling power or supreme government. The woman being clothed with the sun indicates that the government was completely dominated by the class of people represented by the woman. Whereas before Constantine’s ascension to power the Pagans had been supreme, now nominal Christianity, or the Christian party, dominated the Empire’s affairs though its Emperor, who styled himself as their champion.
The Moon Under Her Feet
In the natural heaven the moon derives its light from the sun.
As heaven is the dwelling place of God, the woman certainly could not have been there. Symbolically, the “woman” was in the political heaven, controlling or dominating the government, and the ecclesiastical system being at her feet shows that she dominated that also.
Previously Paganism had been sponsored by the Emperors.
A Crown on the Woman’s Head
The Greek word for crown as used here is “stephan”, or a laurel wreath, as awarded to the victors in the Olympic games, and signifies that the victory won had been achieved by striving and
contending for mastery. The true teaching of Christ had indeed striven against State Paganism, and at this stage appeared to the beholder of the vision to be victorious.
However, the “woman” in the chapter before us includes both nominal and true Christians, and to one simply looking on the Empire’s affairs no difference in the “woman’s” adherents would be seen.
Twelve Stars on the Woman’s Head
Crowns worn by rulers have a special significance, and this was so in this vision of John. From the first Caesar to John’s day 12 rulers had occupied the throne of Rome. including Domitian who was ruling during the beloved Apostle’s life. It was in the days of Vespasian and Titus that Jerusalem had been destroyed and God’s people, Israel, had had their polity taken away and in the resultant dispersion the preaching of the Gospel had reached even to Rome itself. The Christian party now dominated the empire’s affairs. Hence the crown with the twelve stars upon the woman’s head.
She Being with Child
In the 66th chapter of Isaiah, Zion of the future is represented as a woman bringing forth a man child. (See particularly verses 7 and 8.)
Paul said he desired to present the ecclesias as a chaste virgin to Christ. The Woman in John’s vision was certainly not chaste, for she was found to be with child from an illicit alliance. It has ever been the duty of the true servants of Christ to decline the active cares of war and government. The Christian party of that day, while nominally professing Christ, were not true servants at heart. Nevertheless they afforded some means of protection to the true saints.
A Great Red Dragon
The dragon would more correctly be described as an Egyptian Crocodile (see Ezek. 29. 3). Red is more literally rendered “Fiery”.
Upon the Dragon were seven heads. Rome has been notorious throughout history as the city of seven hills, with these names: Coelius, Viminal, Aventine, Esquiline, Quirinal, Capitoline, Palatine; also seven forms of government were experienced by Rome: Regal, Consular, Dictatorial, Decemvirs, Tribunital, Imperial, Gothic.
Ten Horns on the Dragon
The reader will have noted in the second chapter of Daniel that the four great world empires eventually were split into 10 kingdoms, represented in the 10 toes of the image.
The time of which John wrote was future to his day, because we read in Rev. 17. 12, “The ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings which have received no kingdom as yet”. (In John’s day). After the fall of the Empire, however, ten Catholic countries arose in Europe and this divided state (now more than ten) obtains to this present day.
Seven Crowns upon each Head
The crowns being upon the heads of the dragon indicates that authority was vested in the seven forms of government which had ruled the empire. This helps us to understand the time period of the prophecy as being before the break-up into ten kingdoms.
The horns would be a later stage in the development of the Roman system, as shown in Rev. Chap. 1 3. 1, when the horns have crowns upon them.
The Dragon’s Tail
That the beast or dragon is highly symbolic is abundantly evident when we consider the further statement of John that the animal’s tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven. How could any animal affect the stars of the natural heaven?
The dragon we have stated to be a crocodile, and when a crocodile is angry it will lash its foes with its tail, which is heavily armoured with almost impenetrable scales. A time of commotion and war involving separate parts of the empire is here indicated.
Third Part of the Stars of Heaven
At the time of this prophecy—between 300-313—the Roman empire was divided into three sections, each submitting however to the supreme authority of Rome.
Constantius, the father of Constantine, ruled the west, i.e. all of Gaul (France), Britain and Spain. His headquarters were at York in Britain. He was very tolerant of the Christians and undoubtedly his feelings in this regard were communicated to his son.
Upon the death of Constantius, Constantine was elected by the army to succeed him. Galerius, the chief emperor, feigned agreement but secretly made preparations to attack him. Constantine’s enemy in this case was a pagan ruling over Italy and the rest of the central third.
Galerius died and was succeeded by Maxentius, who resisted Constantine but was defeated by him in a series of remarkable battles. Many of the Christians of the west took up arms in support of Constantine and greatly assisted his victory. They had done this despite Christ’s exhortation not to take the sword.
Constantine took the city of Rome and assumed power over the central and western thirds of the Empire.
Maximin ruled in Byzantium (later Constantinople) and Licinius in Illyricum. Maximin, as a Pagan, announced his intention of defeating Constantine and overthrowing Christianity. He first attacked Licinius, but died and Licinius took over his territory, thereby drawing the third part of the stars of heaven to himself, and he became the champion of Paganism. He now confronted or “stood before” the woman to devour her man child (Constantine) as soon as he was born (raised to rulership).
The Man Child to Rule all Nations
The “Woman” or “Church” had now brought forth one who was to rule all nations, that is to say, who would be sole Emperor of the entire empire. He ascended into the political Heaven, or place of supreme power, and paved the way for the God of the earth (see also Rev. 1 1 . 4 ) . On coming to power Constantine ruled with severity, which indeed amounted to a “rod of iron”.
The Woman Flees into the Wilderness
John saw that the woman brought forth the man child and thereafter that she “fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and three score days”.
Constantine used the Christians in order to achieve power. He promulgated a decree, called the Edict of Milan, whereby religious freedom was granted to all Christians, whether Catholic or otherwise.
There now developed a schism in the ranks of the Christians; it was to be known as the “African Controversy”.
Carthage, a large city on the Mediterranean coast of North Africa, was an important centre of Christianity. Caecilian and Donatus, two powerful bishops of that city, alleged of each other that apostasy had taken place during Diocletian’s reign, in that the scriptures had been given up to be destroyed. Each, of course, denied the allegations.
Eventually the matter was taken to Constantine who declared in favour of the Catholics, who by their influence were able to persuade Constantine to exclude them from civil and religious rights. Thus the party contending for the true paths were cast into the symbolic “wilderness”.
This “wilderness”, or state of separation, was to continue for a period of 1,260 years, from A.D. 312 to 1572, when the witnesses were massacred on St. Bartholomew’s Day in France. Their testimony against Church and State was to be silenced for a period.
The maxim, “Put not your trust in princes”, had indeed proved true.
Constantine’s reign was to prepare the way for the Papacy, the great deception which would involve all nations.
Jacob’s Prophecy in Gen 49 and Other Discussion Questions