Prophecy - 41

Dan 11:29 At the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the south; but it shall not be as the former, or as the latter.


Remember how that Little Horn came up *diverse* from the others? It was a different sort of kingdom wasn't it? A religious/political power, not solely a political power. Now here we have the King of the North coming towards the King of the South- but it wasn't going to be as it had been before, and not just as it was the last time. So we have to ask ourselves why wasn't it as it was before? History reveals that IF that appointed time spoken of is the *Dan. 11:24 '...even for a time.' * then the momentous events occurring in 330AD were what? We took a quick glance at them yesterday.


• May 11 – Emperor Constantine the Great dedicates Constantinople, or Nova Roma (modern Istanbul), and moves the capital of the Roman Empire there from Rome. He has spent 4 years building the city on the site of ancient Byzantium; having chosen the site for its strategic location (a seaport with easy access to Anatolia and the Danube).
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Constantine the Great. Constantine was the emperor who did what? He was...

'Well known for being the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity'
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Again, RELIGION! A religious power is coming into play, not strictly political!


This religious power combined with politics was divided- N/W verses S/E .


The First Council of Nicea was convened by Constantine I upon the recommendations of a synod led by Hosius of Córdoba in the Eastertide of 325. This synod had been charged with investigation of the trouble brought about by the Arian controversy in the Greek-speaking east.[10] To most bishops, the teachings of Arius were heretical and dangerous to the salvation of souls. In the summer of 325, the bishops of all provinces were summoned to Nicea (now known as Iznik, in modern-day Turkey), a place easily accessible to the majority of delegates, particularly those of Asia Minor, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Greece, and Thrace.

This was the first general council in the history of the Church since the Apostolic Council of Jerusalem, the Apostolic council having established the conditions upon which Gentiles could join the Church.[11] In the Council of Nicea, "the Church had taken her first great step to define doctrine more precisely in response to a challenge from a heretical theology."[12]

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Christians holding different beliefs.


'Athanasius of Alexandria [b. ca. (296-298) – d. 2 May 373] - He was the 20th bishop of Alexandria.[1] His long episcopate lasted 45 years (c. 8 June 328 - 2 May 373), of which over 17 years were spent in five exiles ordered by four different Roman emperors. He is considered to be a renowned Christian theologian, a Church Father, the chief defender of Orthodoxy against Arianism, and a noted Egyptian leader of the fourth century.

He is remembered for his role in the conflict with Arius and Arianism. In 325, at the age of 27, Athanasius had a leading role against the Arians in the First Council of Nicaea. At the time, he was a deacon and personal secretary of the 19th Bishop of Alexandria, Alexander. Nicaea was convoked by the Emperor Constantine in May–August 325 to address the Arian heresy that Christ is of a distinct substance from the Father.'

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'Arianism is the theological teaching attributed to Arius (ca. AD 250–336), a Christian presbyter from Alexandria, Egypt, concerning the relationship of the entities of the Trinity ('God the Father', 'God the Son' and 'God the Holy Spirit') and the precise nature of the Son of God as being a subordinate entity to God the Father.

Deemed a heretic by the First Council of Nicaea of 325, Arius was later exonerated in 335 at the First Synod of Tyre,[1] and then, after his death, pronounced a heretic again at the First Council of Constantinople of 381.[2]

The Roman Emperors Constantius II (337–361) and Valens (364–378) were Arians or Semi-Arians. The Arian concept of Christ is that the Son of God did not always exist, but was created by—and is therefore distinct from and inferior to—God the Father. This belief is grounded in the Gospel of John passage “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I." (verse 14:28)[3]

Arianism is defined as those teachings attributed to Arius which are in opposition to mainstream Trinitarian Christological doctrine, as determined by the first two Ecumenical Councils and currently maintained by the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Churches and most Reformation Protestant Churches. "Arianism" is also often used to refer to other nontrinitarian theological systems of the 4th century, which regarded Jesus Christ—the Son of God, the Logos—as either a created being (as in Arianism proper and Anomoeanism), or as neither uncreated nor created in the sense other beings are created (as in Semi-Arianism).'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arianism


We need to remember how the first church was viewed- seriously, let's take a look at things. How did Jesus intend His church to be?

There would be elders-


Act 11:29 Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea:
Act 11:30 Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.


Act 14:20 Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.
Act 14:21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch,
Act 14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
Act 14:23 And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.


Act 15:2 When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.


What is an elder--

pres-boo'-ter-os
Comparative of πρέσβυς presbus (elderly); older; as noun, a senior; specifically an Israelite Sanhedrist (also figuratively, member of the celestial council) or Christian “presbyter”: - elder (-est), old.

G4245
πρεσβύτερος
presbuteros
Thayer Definition:
1) elder, of age
1a) the elder of two people
1b) advanced in life, an elder, a senior
1b1) forefathers
2) a term of rank or office
2a) among the Jews
2a1) members of the great council or Sanhedrin (because in early times the rulers of the people, judges, etc., were selected from elderly men)
2a2) of those who in separate cities managed public affairs and administered justice
2b) among the Christians, those who presided over the assemblies (or churches) The NT uses the term bishop, elders, and presbyters interchangeably
2c) the twenty four members of the heavenly Sanhedrin or court seated on thrones around the throne of God


'Among Christians- those who preside over the assemblies-churches. Also- the term elder means the same as the word bishop.'


Were these men- these elders/bishops- put in charge over the people of God expecting to be worshipped themselves? NO! NEVER!


Jesus was their EXAMPLE! Jesus did NOT want people to ever worship other people, not ever. God was to be first always! Guidance was the most He wanted for people. The elders would guide the younger members- and this is in their new life as Christians. A fifty year old man newly born to Christ could be served well by a thirty year old man who has been a Christian for several years. Age does not lay claim to knowledge in all things by any means.


Today we live in a world that has many leaders, and in our churches there are men who are leaders and those leaders more often than not believe they are above all others. Jesus taught the disciples this--


Mat 20:26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
Mat 20:27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
Mat 20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.


To minister, to give our lives, to be a servant and NOT just ceremonially, but in reality! Never were people to take honor for themselves, never were people to put themselves above others.


Mat 23:2 Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:
Mat 23:3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
Mat 23:4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
Mat 23:5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
Mat 23:6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
Mat 23:7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
Mat 23:8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
Mat 23:9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
Mat 23:10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.
Mat 23:11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.


This is what our SAVIOR wanted for us, for HIS church, HIS people! This however is NOT how things evolved for the mainstream churches not at all. The mainstream churches not long after our Savior died began taking steps away from Christ not towards Him!


1Jn 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.


As politics and religion began to mingle so thoroughly men of God wanted to become men with great power, men with great influence. This is NOT how God wanted it to be, not in the least!


These political wars being influenced so greatly by religious matters was NOT what God desired for His people, and yet those who believed they were greatest with God were in fact in league with the devil, knowingly or unknowingly.


More on this tomorrow by the grace of God! We need so much to understand all this, and we can by His love.


In Him!!!


Amen.

Prophecy - 40

Dan 11:24 'He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches…'


Augustus was able to do what his fathers hadn't, nor his father's father… he brought peace. With peace however came the end of the constant battling and yet he had to keep up his armies. The armies enjoyed special privileges because of this. Pax Romana was introduced…


'Pax Romana (Latin for "Roman peace") was the long period of relative peace and minimal expansion by military force experienced by the Roman Empire in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. Since it was established by Caesar Augustus it is sometimes called Pax Augusta. Its span was about 207 years (27 BC to 180 AD).[1]'

'The concept of Pax Romana was first described by Edward Gibbon in The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, in Chapter Two. Gibbon proposed a period of moderation under Augustus and his successors and argued that generals bent on expansion (e.g. Germanicus, Agricola and Corbulo) were checked and recalled by the Emperors during their victories favouring consolidation ahead of further expansion. Gibbon lists the Roman conquest of Britain under Claudius and the conquests of Trajan as exceptions to this policy of moderation and places the end of the period at the death of Marcus Aurelius in 180 AD, despite the conclusion of peace by the latter's son Commodus later in the same year. During the Pax Romana, the area of Roman rule expanded to about five million square kilometres (two million square miles).'

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'Augustus faced a problem making peace an acceptable mode of life for the Romans, who had been at war with one power or another continuously for 200 years.[2] Romans regarded peace not as an absence of war, but the rare situation that existed when all opponents had been beaten down and lost the ability to resist.[3] Augustus' challenge was to persuade Romans that the prosperity they could achieve in the absence of warfare was better for the Empire than the potential wealth and honor acquired when fighting a risky war. Augustus succeeded by means of skillful propaganda. Subsequent emperors followed his lead, sometimes producing lavish ceremonies to close the Gates of Janus, issuing coins with Pax on the reverse, and patronizing literature extolling the benefits of the Pax Romana.[2]'

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Keeping other *strongholds* from becoming strong enough to devise against him was a task that had to be undertaken and was done so successfully.


Daniel 11:24 '...yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time. '


'The provinces of the empire (as they have been described in the
preceding chapter) were destitute of any public force, or constitutional
freedom. In Etruria, in Greece, [28] and in Gaul, [29] it was the first
care of the senate to dissolve those dangerous confederacies, which
taught mankind that, as the Roman arms prevailed by division, they might
be resisted by union. Those princes, whom the ostentation of gratitude
or generosity permitted for a while to hold a precarious sceptre, were
dismissed from their thrones, as soon as they had per formed their
appointed task of fashioning to the yoke the vanquished nations.
The free states and cities which had embraced the cause of Rome
were rewarded with a nominal alliance, and insensibly sunk into real
servitude. The public authority was every where exercised by the
ministers of the senate and of the emperors, and that authority was
absolute, and without control. [291] But the same salutary maxims of
government, which had secured the peace and obedience of Italy were
extended to the most distant conquests. A nation of Romans was gradually
formed in the provinces, by the double expedient of introducing
colonies, and of admitting the most faithful and deserving of the
provincials to the freedom of Rome.'


Pasted from- Title: The History of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Volume 1 Author: Edward Gibbon Commentator: H. H. Milman
Posting Date: June 7, 2008 [EBook #731] Release Date: November, 1996 Language: English
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DECLINE OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE ***

History reveals that the Roman Empire was to remain a relative peace for so long because it kept all those who might have had a chance to work up an army against them- in check- under the Roman thumb.


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How long would this new and much different sort of life last? Dan. 11:24 '...even for a time.' As we learned a while back in studying prophecy 'a time' stands for something. A year. A Biblical year is 360 days. A prophetic year equal 360 years. So if this time of Rome rule and relative peace under the Romans was to last 360 years what year would that bring us to if we take the date when the decisive battle of Actium was won and Augustus became the First Citizen of Rome- 31BC then that brings us to 330 AD (accounting for the '0' transition year as we also noted previously - think number timeline negative to positive numbers)


Did anything momentous happen in 330AD?


• May 11 – Emperor Constantine the Great dedicates Constantinople, or Nova Roma (modern Istanbul), and moves the capital of the Roman Empire there from Rome. He has spent 4 years building the city on the site of ancient Byzantium; having chosen the site for its strategic location (a seaport with easy access to Anatolia and the Danube).
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But first before we get ahead of ourselves too far we have to continue into the time BEFORE that appointed time. Things were to happen, many things that need to be pointed out so there would be NO doubt as to the Roman power in control here. Is it any wonder we are being shown this several times? Seriously, Rome- the legs of iron. Rome the power in control at the time of our Savior's birth, life, and death! Rome- the power that would eventually be divided but NEVER disappear fully- not until our Savior returns. We cannot forget this very, very important point here. The legs of iron, the little horn power, which so prominently figure into prophecy. Those feet of iron mingled with clay would stand until crushed under the entering of the stone made without hands- our Savior's return and the end of the world as we know it. There would have been a MUCH different prophetic picture if we weren't to focus so heavily upon the Roman kingdom brought into play after Greece, which came into existence as a power after the Medes and Persians, which came to their height of power after Babylon. These are HISTORIC FACTS! The existence of this power would have influence until our Savior returns the same power that was in control when our Savior walked the earth. The pagan Rome power became papal Rome power and that power has never ended entirely though it's gone through various transitions, in fact the Papacy today is exceedingly proud of its 2000 year history, exceedingly proud!


So yes, it makes a lot of sense for Rome to be a major, major focus, an undeniable focus that warranted detail after detail in this vision given, so there would be no doubt as to the power of this force, no doubt whatsoever. There is no doubt in my mind how these puzzle pieces of prophecy are fitting together. Very, very seldom is a puzzle ever put together in one continuous motion, but rather there is a piecing together, a weaving, an interlocking as the pieces are given. History had to unfold, details of that history had to be recorded for all time. When the little book was opened and man was ready to find comprehension as the last cries for man to find their Savior were to begin to go forth with power, this was when the puzzle was truly begun and the pieces began to be put into their proper places.


Because the prophecy extends down to the very end we have not lived to that end, but we are found in there as those who are living in the time before Christ's return. We have a special admonition to watch and pray or we'll be taken unaware. By the grace of God we will NOT be taken unaware, but found in Him fully known by Him!


So continuing on...


Dan 11:25 And he shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand: for they shall forecast devices against him.
Dan 11:26 Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow: and many shall fall down slain.
Dan 11:27 And both these kings' hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper: for yet the end shall be at the time appointed.
Dan 11:28 Then shall he return into his land with great riches; and his heart shall be against the holy covenant; and he shall do exploits, and return to his own land.


Is there a force that pits the King of the North with the King of the South in a great battle? Yes. We've gone over some of this before but now we have added details to look at.


Dan 11:26 Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow: and many shall fall down slain.
Dan 11:27 And both these kings' hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper: for yet the end shall be at the time appointed.


The next bit from Wikipedia is lengthy but PLEASE take the time to read it.

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The final war of the Roman Republic, also known as Antony's civil war or the war between Antony and Octavian, was the last of the Roman civil wars of the republic, fought between Cleopatra (assisted by Mark Antony) and Octavian. After the Roman Senate declared war on the Egyptian queen Cleopatra, Antony, her lover and ally, betrayed the Roman government and joined the war on Cleopatra’s side. After the decisive victory for Octavian at the Battle of Actium, Cleopatra and Antony withdrew to Alexandria, where Octavian besieged the city until both Antony and Cleopatra committed suicide.

Following the end of the war, Octavian brought peace to the Roman state that had been plagued by a century of civil wars. Octavian became the most powerful man in the Roman world and the Senate bestowed upon him the name of Augustus in 27 BC. Octavian, now Augustus, would be the first Roman Emperor and would transform the oligarchic/democratic Republic into the autocratic Roman Empire.

The last Republican Civil War would mark the beginning of the Pax Romana, which remains the longest period of peace and stability that Europe has seen in recorded history.

Political and military buildup

The Caesarians Octavian (Caesar's principal, though not sole, heir), Mark Antony, and Marcus Lepidus under the Second Triumvirate had stepped in to fill the power vacuum caused by Julius Caesar's assassination. After the Triumvirate had defeated Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus at the Battle of Philippi (42 BC) and Lepidus was expelled from the Triumvirate (36 BC), Octavian and Antony were left as the two most powerful men in the Roman world. Octavian took control of the west, including Hispania, Gaul, Italia, and Africa. Antony received control of the east, including Graecia, Asia, Syria and Aegyptus.

For a time, Rome saw peace. Octavian put down revolts in the west while Antony reorganized the east; however, the peace was short lived. Antony had been having an affair with the queen of Egypt, Cleopatra. Rome, especially Octavian, took note of Antony’s actions. Since 40 BC, Antony had been married to Octavia Minor, the sister of Octavian. Octavian seized the opportunity and had his minister Gaius Maecenas produce a propaganda campaign against Antony.

All of Rome felt astonished when they heard word of Antony’s Donations of Alexandria. In these donations, Antony ceded much of Rome’s territory in the east to Cleopatra. Cleopatra and Caesarion were crowned co-rulers of Egypt and Cyprus; Alexander Helios was crowned ruler of Armenia, Media, and Parthia; Cleopatra Selene II was crowned ruler of Cyrenaica and Libya; and Ptolemy Philadelphus was crowned ruler of Phoenicia, Syria, and Cilicia. Cleopatra took the title of Queen of Kings and Caesarion took the title of King of Kings.

In response, Octavian increased the personal attacks against Antony, but the Senate and people of Rome were not convinced. Octavian’s chance came when Antony married Cleopatra in 32 BC before he divorced Octavia. That action combined with information that Antony was planning to establish a second Senate in Alexandria created the perfect environment for Octavian to strip Antony of his power.

Octavian summoned the Senate and accused Antony of anti-Roman sentiments. Octavian had illegally seized Antony’s will from the Temple of Vesta. In it, Antony recognized Caesarion as Caesar's legal heir, left his possessions to his children by Cleopatra, and finally indicated his desire to be buried with Cleopatra in Alexandria instead of in Rome. The Senators were not moved by Caesarion or Antony’s children but Antony’s desire to be buried outside of Rome invoked the Senate’s rage. Octavian, the natural politician he was, blamed Cleopatra and not Antony. The Senate declared war on Cleopatra, and Octavian knew that Antony would come to her aid.

When Cleopatra received word that Rome had declared war, Antony threw his support to Egypt. Immediately, the Senate stripped Antony of all his official power and labeled him as an outlaw and a traitor. Octavian summoned all of his legions, numbered at almost 200,000 Roman legionaries. Cleopatra and Antony did the same, assembling roughly the same number in mixed heavy Roman and light Egyptian infantry.

The War
Naval theater

The Battle of Actium was the decisive battle of the naval theater.

By mid-summer of 31 BC, Antony maneuvered his army into Greece and Octavian soon followed. Octavian brought with him his chief military advisor and closest friend Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa to command his naval forces. Although the ground forces were comparable, Octavian's fleet was superior. Antony's fleet was made up of large vessels, but with inexperienced crews and commanders. Octavian's fleet of smaller, more maneuverable vessels was filled with experienced sailors.

Octavian moved his soldiers cross the Adriatic Sea to confront Antony near Actium. Meanwhile, Agrippa disrupted Antony's supply lines with the navy. Gaius Sosius commanded a squadron in Mark Anthony's fleet with which he managed to defeat the squadron of Lucius Arruntius and put it to flight, but when the latter was reinforced by Marcus Agrippa, Sosius's ally Tarcondimotus - the king of Cilicia - was killed and Sosius himself was forced to flee.

Octavian decided not to attack and risk unnecessary losses. Instead, Octavian wanted to battle Antony by sea where his experienced sailors could dominate. In response, Antony and Octavian engaged in Fabian strategy until the time was right. As the summer ended and autumn began to set in, both Octavian and Antony settled for a battle of attrition. The strategy of delay paid dividends to Octavian's cause, as morale sank and prominent Romans deserted Antony's cause.

The first conflict of the war occurred when Octavian's general Agrippa captured the Greek city and naval port of Methone. The city had previously been loyal to Antony. Although Antony was an experienced soldier, he did not understand naval combat, which led to his downfall. Antony moved his fleet to Actium where Octavian’s navy and army had taken camp. In what would become known as the Battle of Actium, Antony, on September 2, 31 BC, moved his large quinqueremes through the strait and into the open sea. There, Octavian’s light and maneuverable Liburnian ships drew in battle formation against Antony’s warships. Cleopatra stayed behind Antony’s line on her royal barge.

A devastating blow to Antony’s forces came when one of Antony’s former generals delivered to Octavian Antony’s battle plan. Antony had hoped to use his biggest ships to drive back Agrippa's wing on the north end of his line, but Octavian's entire fleet stayed carefully out of range. Shortly after mid-day, Antony was forced to extend his line out from the protection of the shore, and then finally engage the enemy. Octavian's fleet, armed with better trained and fresher crews, made quick work of Antony’s larger and less experienced navy. Octavian’s soldiers had spent years fighting in Roman naval combat, where one objective was to ram the enemy ship and at the same time kill the above deck crew with a shower of arrows and catapult-launched stones large enough to decapitate a man.

As the armies stood on either side of the naval battle, they watched as Antony was being outmatched by Agrippa. Seeing that the battle was going against Antony, Cleopatra's fleet retreated to open sea without firing a shot, leaving Antony to fight for himself. As a gap opened in Agrippa's blockade, she funneled through, and was soon closely followed by Antony's command ships. The commanders of Antony's land forces, which were supposed to follow him to Asia, promptly surrendered their legions without a fight. Antony retreated to a smaller vessel with his flag and managed to escape to Alexandria. By the end of the day, Antony’s entire fleet would lie at the bottom of the sea and the Roman world had witnessed the largest naval battle in almost 200 years.

Land campaign

With Octavian now in control of nearly 60 legions (approximately 360,000 men), he was left as the indisputable master of the Roman world. Although Octavian wanted to immediately pursue Antony and Cleopatra, many of his veterans wanted to retire and return to private life. Octavian allowed many of his longest serving veterans (as many as 10 legions by some accounts) to retire. Many of those legionaries could trace their service to Julius Caesar some 20 years earlier.

After the winter ended, Octavian resumed the hunt. In the spring of 30 BC, Octavian rejected the idea of transporting his army across the sea and attacking Alexandria directly, and instead traveled by land through Asia. Antony had received much of his backing from Rome’s client kingdoms in the east. By marching his army by land, he ensured Antony could not regroup and cement his authority over the provinces.

The Death of Cleopatra by Reginald Arthur.

Meanwhile, Antony attempted to secure an army in Cyrenaica from Lucius Pinarius. Unfortunately for Antony, Pinarius had switched his loyalty to Octavian. When Octavian received word of this development, he ordered Pinarius to move his four legions east towards Alexandria while Octavian would move west. Trapped in Egypt with the remnant of his former army, Antony and Cleopatra bided their time awaiting Octavian's arrival.

When Octavian and Pinarius arrived at Alexandria, they placed the entire city under siege. Before Octavian had arrived, Antony took the roughly 10,000 soldiers he had left and attacked Pinarius, unaware that he was outnumbered 2 to 1. Pinarius destroyed what was left of Antony’s army with Antony escaping back to Alexandria before Octavian arrived. As Octavian approached with his legions, what remained of Antony's cavalry and fleet surrendered to Octavian. Most of Antony’s infantry surrendered without any engagement at this stage of the conflict, they were Italian veterans and Antony's cause was lost.

Antony was forced to watch as his army and hopes of dominance in Rome were handed to Octavian. In honorable Roman tradition, Antony, on August 1, 30 BC, fell on his sword. According to the ancients accounts however, he was not entirely successful and with an open wound in his belly, was taken to join Cleopatra, who had fled to her mausoleum. Here Antony succumbed to his wound and supposedly died in his lover's arms, leaving her alone to face Octavian.

Cleopatra did not immediately follow Antony in suicide. Instead, in a last ditch effort, Cleopatra opened negotiations with Octavian. Cleopatra begged Octavian to spare Caesarion’s life in exchange for willing imprisonment. Octavian refused. Within a week, Octavian informed Cleopatra that she was to play a role in Octavian's Triumph back in Rome. This role was "carefully explained to her", while Caesarion was "butchered without compunction". Octavian supposedly said "two Caesars are one too many" as he ordered Caesarion's death.[3] According to Strabo who was alive at the time of the event, Cleopatra died from a self-induced bite from a venomous snake, or from applying a poisonous ointment to herself.[4] With Cleopatra's death, the final war of the Republic was over.

Due to this war, Octavian would become Augustus and the first Roman Emperor.
Aftermath

Within a month, Octavian was named Pharaoh, and Egypt became his personal possession. With Octavian in control of all of Rome's provinces and over 50 legions, he was now the undisputed master of the Roman world. Through executing Antony's supporters, Octavian finally brought a century of civil war to a close. Within a few years, Octavian was named Augustus by the Senate and given unprecedented powers. Octavian, now Augustus, merged the western and eastern halves of the Republic into the Roman Empire with Augustus ruling it as the first Roman Emperor.

In the ensuing months and years, Augustus passed the series of laws that while outwardly preserving the appearance of the Republic made his position within it of paramount power and authority. He laid the foundations for what is now called the Roman Empire. From then on, the Roman state would be ruled by a Princeps (first citizen), in modern terms, Rome would from now on be ruled by Emperors. The Senate ostensibly still had power and authority over certain Senatorial provinces, however, the critical border provinces, like Syria, Egypt, Gaul, requiring the greatest numbers of legions would be directly ruled by Augustus and the Emperors who succeeded him.

With the end of the last Republican civil war, the Republic was replaced by the Empire. Augustus's reign would usher in a golden era of Roman culture and produce a stability that Rome had not seen in over a century. With Rome in control of the entire Mediterranean world, a peace that would reign in the Roman world for centuries after Augustus’s death: the Pax Romana (Roman Peace). The Empire that Augustus established would last in Western Europe until the fall of Rome in the 5th century AD. The Eastern part of the Roman Empire would also survive as the Byzantine Empire until the fall of Constantinople in 1453 AD.

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Remember this…


Dan 11:26 Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow: and many shall fall down slain.
Dan 11:27 And both these kings' hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper: for yet the end shall be at the time appointed.


The GREAT deceptions that took place! If it weren't for the lies spoken, if it weren't for the those sitting at his table bent on destroying him- Antony wouldn't have lost the battle so decisively. Betrayal. Those who are dependent upon you turning upon you causing your destruction. Read the following about one of Mark Antony's trusted generals!

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Lucius Pinarius Scarpus (flourished 1st century BC) was a Roman that lived in the late Roman Republic and the early Roman Empire.

According to Suetonius,[1] Pinarius was a great nephew of dictator Gaius Julius Caesar through one his sisters (sororum nepotes). His cousins were consul Quintus Pedius, Octavia Minor (the fourth wife of Triumvir Mark Antony) and Octavian (future first Roman Emperor Augustus).[2]

His father was a member of the gens Pinaria, an ancient, distinguished family of patrician status. The family can be traced to the foundations of Rome. Various members of the gens served as priests and were among the first to serve as consuls in the republic.

Little is known on Scarpus' early life. He is first mentioned in the ancient sources when Caesar was assassinated in Rome in March 44 BC. In the will of Caesar, Scarpus received one eighth of the property of the dictator, the same amount as Pedius. The main heir of Caesar was Octavian, who received three quarters of the property of his great uncle. But Scarpus and Pedius also assigned their inheritance to Octavian.[3]

Scarpus became an ally to Mark Antony and commanded for him in the war against the murderers of Caesar, Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus.[4] In the years leading up to the Final War of the Roman Republic, in Actium Greece 31 BC, Antony appointed Scarpus to the military command of Cyrenaica. Scarpus had with him four legions to command. During his time in Cyrenaica Scarpus had control of the currency mint in Cyrene, as he became a moneyer. Scarpus had issued various coins bearing Antony’s name and Scarpus’ name was inscripted as an issuer of these coins.

After Antony and his lover, the Ptolemaic Greek Queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt, were defeated by Octavian at Actium (September 2, 31 BC), they sailed back to North Africa. Antony sent messengers to Scarpus for help. But Scarpus refused to see Antony’s messengers and put them to death. Instead he changed sides.[5] He gave his legions to Gaius Cornelius Gallus, Octavian’s lieutenant, to command.[6] While Octavian marched from the East through Asia, Syria and Judea against Egypt, Cornelius Gallus advanced with Scarpus’ legions from the west against Alexandria.

When Antony and Cleopatra died, Octavian became the new Roman master and then emperor. Augustus had appointed his cousin as the Roman governor of Cyrenaica. Scarpus as he did for Antony, became a moneyer and had issued various coins bearing Augustus’ name. On these coins, Scarpus had his name inscripted as an issuer of the coins. Beyond this, nothing is known on Scarpus.

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When Octavian arrived he had fresh crews and small light ships that were easier to maneuver compared to the huge ships that Mark Antony had, as the battle progressed, Antony’s general (Delius) decided that he was going to switch side when he saw which way the battle was going, so on he went to Octavian taking Mark Antony’s battle plans with him.

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Before the naval battle Mark Antony's general known as Delius defected to Octavian and brought with him Mark Antony’s battle plans. Antony had hoped to use his biggest ships to drive back Agrippa's wing on the north end of his line, but Octavian's entire fleet stayed carefully out of range. Shortly after mid-day, Antony was forced to extend his line out from the protection of the shore, and then finally engage the enemy.

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The details here are unmistakable. Could Octavian have won the battle so incredibly without all the defecting and betrayal towards Antony? I honestly can't answer that, but all that betrayal surely hastened the end of the rebellion and herald in the Roman Empire- and it was predicted!


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Dan 11:28 Then shall he return into his land with great riches; and his heart shall be against the holy covenant; and he shall do exploits, and return to his own land.


Was Agrippa a friend of the Jewish people, God's chosen? No, not especially in fact he had the distinction of being the head of the pagan religions because he welcomed more and more cults and deities allowing them to merge with established Roman deities.


'After the civil wars and social upheavals that led to the collapse of the Roman Republic, Caesar's heir Augustus carried out a program of religious revivalism designed to frame his ascent to sole power as a restoration of peace, tradition, and rectitude in accordance with divine will. The Augustan institution of Imperial cult put pious respect for tradition on display, and aimed to foster religious unity and mutual toleration among Rome's newly acquired provinces. The preservation of the "religion of Numa" remained the foundation of Rome's security and continued success.

But as Rome had extended its dominance throughout the Mediterranean world, its religious mode was to absorb the deities and cults of other peoples rather than to eradicate and replace them.[2] Both fascinated by and deeply suspicious of religious novelty, Romans looked for ways to understand and reinterpret the divinities of others by means of their own, and acknowledged religion in the provinces or foreign territories as an expression of local identity and traditions. Some religious practices were embraced officially, others merely tolerated. A few were condemned as alien hysteria, magic or superstition, and thus unwanted at Rome. Attempts, sometimes brutal, were made periodically to suppress religionists who seemed to threaten traditional morality and unity. In the eyes of conservative Romans, the Dionysian mysteries encouraged illicit behaviour and subversion; Christianity was superstition, or atheism, or both; druidism employed human sacrifice. The monotheistic rigor of Judaism led sometimes to compromise and the granting of special exemptions, and sometimes to intractable conflict. By the height of the Roman Empire, however, numerous foreign cults were practiced at Rome and throughout even the most remote provinces, among them the mystery cult of the syncretized Egyptian goddess Isis and deities of solar monism such as Mithras and Sol Invictus, found as far north as Roman Britain.'

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More than enough for today, a lot to digest!

Such a blessed Sabbath day! Praise and glory to God! Thank you Lord for all You've done! All through Your love, Your grace, Your mercy!!!!


Amen.

The Lord is not slack...

2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.


Longsuffering.


Do you know what it means to be longsuffering?


–adjective
1.
enduring injury, trouble, or provocation long and patiently

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To endure - long and patiently. As children we believe we are longsuffering when we have to endure the hardship of going to school. You remember that don't you? The hour after hour of sitting in a classroom, watching the clock tick down the long hours until that bell of freedom would ring and we'd be allowed to leave the school and go home. Then of course we had to suffer through homework and sometimes we'd definitely classify that as being longsuffering. We suffered long, enduring seemingly unjust punishments for what seemed to us to be miniscule disobediences on our part. Remember being grounded? Boy, did we suffer. As we grew up and joined the work force there came a whole new meaning to longsuffering, yes? Long, hard days spent toiling away - again spent watching a clock just waiting for the work day to be over.


Of course we all know what it's like to suffer to some to degree, right? We also know that plenty of people suffer a lot more than we do.


Now, do we know what it's like to be longsuffering towards another person? A lot of us can relate to this on a family level, right? We endure the nonsense of our family and never disown them because they are family. Unlike perhaps friendships that we've let slip away because who needs to suffer long in a bad friendship, right? Of course some friendships are worth being longsuffering for, but there may come a time when an abusive friendship just isn't worth the suffering and it's better to give up on it rather than let it destroy you, yes?


Ultimately most of us know what it is like to be longsuffering towards others, but can we really compare any longsuffering we've endured to what God has endured with us?


Some might believe that because God has the power to destroy us and not put up with us that He isn't really longsuffering. Some believe that God allowed us to be this way and shouldn't have, it's all His fault that we are the sinful creatures we are so He must not be enduring anything long and patiently. There are a lot of people who don't even care about God suffering- long or otherwise, because He's God and God doesn't have to suffer. In fact if *they* were God, if they had the power of God they wouldn't spend that time enduring the nonsense of others for anyone or anything- they'd just fix things.


We in our finite thinking cannot truly fathom the depths of God's reasoning. We are the CREATURES! For creatures to question their Creator, why it's really unthinkable. We get the idea that because we can reproduce we are sort of creators. We recreate over and over again, I personally recreated another human being twice. But I had NO hand in anything other than being a vessel for that creation inside me. I didn't form the tiny heart, the teeny tiny brain, those precious little fingers and toes, I had no part in it other than allowing it to take place inside of my body. I couldn't control one bit how that baby grew within me. So while we may allow creation to form within us we did not and do not have any claim whatsoever to the design of the human being. As parents however we want what's best for our children. We want our children to respect us, to be obedient to us. We want our children to be happy, to learn to become productive adults and start families of their own to carry on this grand design of human beings. As parents we are allowed to enter into a fraction of understanding of how God feels towards us, His human creation- truly the One who brought us into existence. We have an analogy for this from Jesus--


Mat 7:11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?


And this from Paul--


Heb 12:9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?


We know what it's like to give good gifts to our children, we want to do this! We want to be able to give our children good things. If we who are sinfilled want to do this- how much more GOD wants to do that for us- HIS children. We are His creation, much more than that though, He has made us His children! The animals are His creations but He is not their Heavenly Father, the angels are His creations but they are not His children! We have such a SPECIAL, such a UNIQUE role as human beings.


That second verse there- we have had fathers which have corrected us- we have, haven't we? I know I had a father who corrected me and I learned to respect Him. He was a person just like me with many faults, a sin-filled human being just like me, and I still respected Him. How much more, seriously, how much more should we long to be in subjection to our Heavenly Father! A heavenly Father who abhors sin and a heavenly Father who loves us so much He made a WAY for us to abhor sin just as He does and to cling to the Sinless One, obtaining forgiveness through the Sinless One.


God promised a way of Salvation and before Christ was born, lived, and died to confirm that promise, people could live in hope of that Promised One. After Christ was born, lived, and died people could live in hope of the confirmation of that Promised One. Before and after we had to and must live by faith in God and God's promises. However many- millions and millions since the first man was created- have chosen to disobey God, to disobey their heavenly Father. If our Heavenly Father, if our Creator weren't the full embodiment of love itself then we as a human race would have been wiped out long ago, just as man has time and time again fought against each other wiping each other out because one man gets it in their head that they are superior to another. It is only sinfilled man that can begin to believe they have the right to take another's life. God wills that ALL would come to repentance. But will all do so? No. Have all done so? No. Time and again since that first sin man has rebelled against God, they've rebelled against the only One who truly loves them. Because of that rebellion many have chosen death over life, many have chosen self over God. And though many have done this- right up to a very few not doing this, God still did NOT wipe out all of mankind as being hopeless, unworthy of being saved.


People don't realize that God suffers when we disobey Him, when we choose not to obey Him, not to love Him. As I said before, they don't even believe God can suffer. God is very longsuffering. God endures long with our disobedience, God endures our provocation. God keeps enduring because He's not willing that ANY will perish. Those who will be His are those He is enduring for. There have been and there still are those who long to be God's children. Though they are few and far between they exist and NOT one will perish, all who choose to obey their God, all who choose to accept their Savior will be saved eternally and it is ONLY for these children of God- of which I pray I'm one- that our God endures the disobedience of so many.


Read the following verses-- Our God is very longsuffering.


1Ti 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.


2Pe 3:15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you


Psa 86:15 But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.


Isa 30:18 And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.


1Ti 1:16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.


Luk 18:6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.
Luk 18:7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?
Luk 18:8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?


Heb 10:37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.


Amazing verses! Amazing!


This is a daunting question though- 'Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh shall he find faith on the earth?'


I pray to God He does find faith on the earth! By His grace! By His love! By His righteousness!


All in Him!


Amen.

Vessels of Mercy

Vessels of Mercy


Jer 18:6 O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.
Jer 18:7 At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it;
Jer 18:8 If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.
Jer 18:9 And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it;
Jer 18:10 If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.


Good and evil.


Life exists upon these two points…for now.


None would dispute that our lives are filled with tragedies, filled with pain, heartache, along with joys and happy moments. Life is also filled with mediocrity, a lot of mediocrity. But that mediocrity is usually tinged with a negativity, a passiveness, a relenting to being in a state that is neither happy nor sad. I said usually because it's not always that way. Sometimes there is a peace to be found in the middle, in the lengthy in-betweens we find along the spectrum of being bookended by joy and pain.


When we think of life without any heartache and pain, without sadness we do so with a longing for that sort of life. As we enjoy memories of good times sometimes we do so with a hint of longing, of sadness that those joys are gone never to be recaptured.


When man was first formed there was no sin in him, none. Man was not created by God with sin. There wasn't even a pinprick of sin inside him.


We were made to live in a sinless existence- where there is no pain, no heartache, no tragedy, nothing that brings sadness.


When sin entered everything changed.


We are born with an innocence that quickly erodes and the day comes when we begin to make choices between right and wrong. No one can pinpoint that day, it's different for all of us, but even as children we begin to make choices and those choices eventually determine who we become and whether or not we've chosen to live for God or for ourselves.


Our Creator is with us every step of the way, knowing where our hearts are inclined. Our Savior will know our hearts and if we are His- if our hearts belong to Him- because we choose Him over ourselves, over all that would keep us from Him.


So when we read verses about our Potter and how the clay is molded- we have to do so knowing it is US who are flawed and only the righteousness of our Savior, only the mercy and grace of our Lord will save us. He is the perfect vessel that is willing to use HIS righteousness for us.


Rom 9:21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
Rom 9:22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
Rom 9:23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
Rom 9:24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?


A potter molding clay makes many, many vessels. Does he set out to make vessels that are flawed? No. Does it happen that vessels do end up being flawed? Yes. Does this make the potter sad? Yes. The vessels end up in a state other than desired and unlike those inanimate vessels a person who becomes flawed and desires to remain flawed rather than choose the Savior who alone can repair them, is left flawed, is left a vessel fit for wrath.


God endures with MUCH longsuffering.


And there will be vessels of mercy- prepared unto glory!


We need to be vessel of mercy, filled with the mercy of our Savior!


All to HIS glory, all to HIS love!


IN HIM ALWAYS!


AMEN!

Prophecy -39

Prophecy is amazing. It reminds me a bit about what Christ said about parables-

Mat 13:10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
Mat 13:11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
Mat 13:12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
Mat 13:13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
Mat 13:14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
Mat 13:15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
Mat 13:16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
Mat 13:17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.


Why speak in parables, why not speak plainly?


Because it's given to some to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven- but to others it's not given.


And that sounds awful doesn't it? Like God is selecting a few and offering them eternal life but not others, which isn't true at all!


Jesus went on to say- 'because they seeing - see not; and hearing they- hear not, neither do they understand'


Jesus also added- 'for this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed- lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their hear, and should be converted and I should heal them.'


PEOPLE don't want healing! PEOPLE don't want to hear! PEOPLE don't want to see! People don't want to be converted from their evil ways! It's the choice people make, not God's choice. God is willing to heal, willing that all would come to Him, but they won't. Sadly, they won't.


It's the same for prophecy- there can be understanding, pieces can fit together. Logically things can follow order and make sense but to most people it is all just jumbled nonsense that points to the end of days and only then will it all come to pass. The facts don't concern them because it's just too hard to understand it all. Then you'll get those who piece things together somewhat and do so differently than others and so discount another's belief. I know there are many, many people out there that won't agree at all with the interpretations I've posted and that's fine. We all have to follow how God leads us, every single one of us. I'm not writing what I'm writing to convince others of anything. I feel compelled by God on my walk with Christ to study prophecy and that's what I'm doing. I just hope and pray that I'm not deceived, that the Holy Spirit will guide my studying.


Yesterday we studied from the reign of Julius, to Augustus, and then to Tiberius Caesar who lived when our Savior was killed. All the while we're talking about Tiberius we are also talking about the Roman Empire which is the big picture. We cannot separate any of these rulers from the Roman Kingdom- never. So while the prophecy is giving us details it is NEVER leaving the main kingdoms that were first predicted by Daniel interpreting Nebuchadnezzar's dream.


Do you remember how over and over the prophecy is revisiting the same empires- growing in detail each time. Well we have another case of that here.


We know that Augustus Caesar was the man who solidified the Roman Empire. Remember this---


Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus-- is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. Born Gaius Octavius Thurinus, he was adopted posthumously by his great-uncle Gaius Julius Caesar in 44 BC via his last will and testament, and between then and 27 BC was officially named Gaius Julius Caesar.


Augustus was ruling when Rome (HE) worked deceitfully, becoming strong with a small people.


Dan 11:23 And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people.


'The Battle of Actium was the decisive confrontation of the Final War of the Roman Republic. It was fought between the forces of Octavian and the combined forces of Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII. The battle took place on 2 September 31 BC, on the Ionian Sea near the city of Actium, at the Roman province of Epirus vetus in Greece. Octavian's fleet was commanded by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, while Antony's fleet was supported by the ships of Queen Cleopatra of Ptolemaic Egypt.
Octavian's victory enabled him to consolidate his power over Rome and its dominions. To that end, he adopted the title of Princeps ("first citizen") and some years after the victory was awarded the title of Augustus by the Roman Senate. This became the name by which he was known in later times. As Augustus, he would retain the trappings of a restored Republican leader; however, historians generally view this consolidation of power and the adoption of these honorifics as the end of the Roman Republic and the beginning of the Roman Empire.[1]'

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This victory by Augustus (under the name of Octavian) CONSOLIDATED his power over Rome and its dominions.


'Thus, Octavian's victory at the Battle of Actium gave him sole and uncontested control of "Mare Nostrum" (Our Sea i.e. the Roman Mediterannean) and he became "Augustus Caesar" and the "first citizen" of Rome. This victory, consolidating his power over every Roman institution, marked the transition of Rome from Republic to Empire. Egypt's final surrender following Cleopatra's death also marks the final demise of both the Hellenistic Age and the Ptolemaic Kingdom'

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'Worldwide consequences
Shakespeare turned the story of Antony and Cleopatra into a famous play, but historically, the Battle of Actium had even more important consequences.
Octavian, for his part, remained standing as the sole ruler of Rome in a time when the Republic was hanging on by a thread. Just a few years later, he was renamed Augustus and declared divine head of the new Roman Empire, a system that would last a further 400 years and engulf much of Europe, as well as parts of the Middle East and Africa under its rule.
Rome's influence over the language, religion and architecture of the 2.2 million square miles it once controlled lasts until this day.
By killing Julius Caesar and Cleopatra's son Caesarion, Octavian also effectively ended a 4,000-year tradition in Egypt. There would not be another true pharaoh in that country, which was absorbed under the banner of the empire. '

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NOTICE THIS--


'... divine head of the new Roman Empire, a system that would last a further 400 years and engulf much of Europe, as well as parts of the Middle East and Africa under its rule'


And this--

'Before an assembly thus modelled and prepared, Augustus pronounced
a studied oration, which displayed his patriotism, and disguised his
ambition. "He lamented, yet excused, his past conduct. Filial piety had
required at his hands the revenge of his father's murder; the humanity
of his own nature had sometimes given way to the stern laws of
necessity, and to a forced connection with two unworthy colleagues:
as long as Antony lived, the republic forbade him to abandon her to
a degenerate Roman, and a barbarian queen. He was now at liberty to
satisfy his duty and his inclination. He solemnly restored the senate
and people to all their ancient rights; and wished only to mingle with
the crowd of his fellow-citizens, and to share the blessings which he
had obtained for his country." [4]

[Footnote 4: Dion (l. liii. p. 698) gives us a prolix and bombast speech
on this great occasion. I have borrowed from Suetonius and Tacitus the
general language of Augustus.]

It would require the pen of Tacitus (if Tacitus had assisted at this
assembly) to describe the various emotions of the senate, those that
were suppressed, and those that were affected. It was dangerous to
trust the sincerity of Augustus; to seem to distrust it was still more
dangerous. The respective advantages of monarchy and a republic have
often divided speculative inquirers; the present greatness of the Roman
state, the corruption of manners, and the license of the soldiers,
supplied new arguments to the advocates of monarchy; and these general
views of government were again warped by the hopes and fears of each
individual. Amidst this confusion of sentiments, the answer of
the senate was unanimous and decisive. They refused to accept the
resignation of Augustus; they conjured him not to desert the republic,
which he had saved. After a decent resistance, the crafty tyrant
submitted to the orders of the senate; and consented to receive the
government of the provinces, and the general command of the Roman
armies, under the well-known names of Proconsul and Imperator. [5] But
he would receive them only for ten years. Even before the expiration
of that period, he hope that the wounds of civil discord would be
completely healed, and that the republic, restored to its pristine
health and vigor, would no longer require the dangerous interposition
of so extraordinary a magistrate. The memory of this comedy, repeated
several times during the life of Augustus, was preserved to the last
ages of the empire…'

http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/731/pg731.txt


Dan 11:23 And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people.

This deceit was REAL, very, very real in the rule of Augustus!

That Rome became strong with a small people is a reality--


'Peregrinus was the term used during the early Roman empire, from 30 BC to 212 AD, to denote a free provincial subject of the empire who was not a Roman citizen. Peregrini constituted the vast majority of the empire's inhabitants in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. In 212 AD, all free inhabitants of the Empire were granted citizenship by the constitutio Antoniniana, abolishing the status of peregrinus.

The Latin peregrinus "foreigner, one from abroad" is a derivation from the adverb peregre "from abroad", composed of per- "abroad" and agri, the locative of ager "field, country". During the Roman Republic, the term peregrinus simply denoted any person who did not hold Roman citizenship, full or partial, whether that person was under Roman rule or not. Technically, this remained the case during the Imperial era. But in practice the term became limited to subjects of the empire, with inhabitants of regions outside the empire's borders denoted barbari (barbarians).'

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People we were NOT born Roman, made up the majority of ROME! Soldiers that fought for others gave their allegiance to Rome by being made Roman citizens. They took a few and made MANY! He became strong from those people, very, very strong.

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This is enough for tonight, little bit by little bit to digest, to read over and over and compare to Scripture. To go delve deep into our libraries, into historical sources. Do these fit? Does this paint the picture being portrayed? Does it make logical sense? We have so much to learn, so much to study and to understand ALL by the GRACE of GOD! May God help us! May God guide us always!!!


In His LOVE!


Amen!

Prophecy - 38

A few days ago we studied prophecy that revealed the down fall of the Grecian Empire and the rise of the Roman Empire. We left off having seen where prophecy predicted Julius Caesar's demise.


We noted something previously that needs to be noted once again. The continuous use of the North and South as kingdoms, kings. From one leader to the next whoever was in control of the land north of Jerusalem and south of Jerusalem were the kings of the North and South. Very understandable to us because we've lived with the kings of various countries today and when that king dies another becomes the king of that country, that land. The land remains the same even if the kings change over and over again.


Picking up next we're going to see the king who lived when Jesus was born.


Dan 11:20 Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes in the glory of the kingdom: but within few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle.


After Julius Caesar came Caesar Augustus.


Luk 2:1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed


'Augustus

Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14 is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in AD 14.

Born Gaius Octavius Thurinus, he was adopted posthumously by his great-uncle Gaius Julius Caesar in 44 BC via his last will and testament, and between then and 27 BC was officially named Gaius Julius Caesar.

In 27 BC the Senate awarded him the honorific Augustus ("the revered one"), and thus consequently he was Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus. Because of the various names he bore, it is common to call him Octavius when referring to events between 63 and 44 BC, Octavian (or Octavianus) when referring to events between 44 and 27 BC, and Augustus when referring to events after 27 BC. In Greek sources, Augustus is known as (Octavius), (Caesar), (Augustus), or (Sebastos), depending on context.

The young Octavius came into his inheritance after Caesar's assassination in 44 BC.'


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Dan 11:20 Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes in the glory of the kingdom: but within few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle.


A raiser of taxes.


Luk 2:1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed


ALL the world should be taxed!


These two verses fit!


As for being destroyed…Augustus was a very sickly man throughout his remaining years, 14 or so after the tax decree went forth as noted in Luke 2:1.


'He was of short stature, handsome and well proportioned and he possessed that commodity so rare in rulers - grace. Though he suffered from bad teeth and was generally of feeble health. His body was covered in spots and he had many birthmarks scattered over his chest and belly.'

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'Though officially retired from public life, he worked tirelessly despite fragile health to reform the political & social structure of the Roman state, producing a long string of projects & edicts that were ratified by the Senate. Rather than personally engaging in military campaigns, he relied on professional soldiers like Agrippa & his stepson, Tiberius.'

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'Octavian was a competent politician and military commander but his real talent was as an administrator. He introduced the administrative reforms that led to the Pax Romana with its flourishing of trade and the arts. He did this while ostensibly maintaining the form of the Roman Republic while in actuality creating the Roman Empire. He did this through diligent hard work in spite of bouts of ill health and personal tragedies. '

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Augustus lived a long time, but only a short time after our Savior was born, and he didn't die in battle like so many leaders did.


Now we need to look at what is next…


Dan 11:21 And in his estate shall stand up a vile person...

A vile person shell stand up in this ruler's place- did this happen?


Tiberius was next.


'Tiberius (Latin: Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus;[1] November 16, 42 BC – March 16, AD 37), was Roman Emperor from 14 AD to 37 AD.'

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Was he a vile person?


'The characterisation of Tiberius throughout the first six books is mostly negative, and gradually worsens as his rule declines, identifying a clear breaking point with the death of Drusus in 23 AD.[86] The rule of Julio-Claudians is generally described as unjust and 'criminal' by Tacitus.[89] Even at the outset of his reign, he seems to ascribe many of Tiberius' virtues merely to hypocrisy.[79] Another major recurring theme concerns the balance of power between the Senate and the Emperors, corruption, and the growing tyranny among the governing classes of Rome. A substantial amount of his account on Tiberius is therefore devoted to the treason trials and persecutions following the revival of the maiestas law under Augustus.[90] Ultimately, Tacitus' opinion on Tiberius is best illustrated by his conclusion of the sixth book:
His character too had its distinct periods. It was a bright time in his life and reputation, while under Augustus he was a private citizen or held high offices; a time of reserve and crafty assumption of virtue, as long as Germanicus and Drusus were alive. Again, while his mother lived, he was a compound of good and evil; he was infamous for his cruelty, though he veiled his debaucheries, while he loved or feared Sejanus. Finally, he plunged into every wickedness and disgrace, when fear and shame being cast off, he simply indulged his own inclinations.[79]'


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He was a very vile person.


Dan. 11:21 '... to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom…'


Tiberius, the second emperor of Rome, was not the first choice of Augustus and was not popular with the Roman people.

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Tiberius did not have the favor of the people of Rome at all.


'Tiberius was cold and unpopular in his manners, awkward and even timid in his carriage, but a master of dissimulation. The only person of whom he stood in awe was his mother Livia; but he lived in constant fear of insurrection. Aelius Sejanus, the Prefect of the Praetorians, had long been the friend and chief adviser of the emperor. Sejanus was cruel, unscrupulous, and ambitious in fact the proper instrument of a tyrant. In A.D. 27 Tiberius hid himself in the island of Capri where he built twelve villas in different parts of the island living with a few companions. No one was allowed to land upon the shores of Capri except of course Sejanus and even fishermen who broke this rule through ignorance were severely punished. Every day, however, dispatches were brought from the continent and he still continued to direct the affairs of his vast empire. Sejanus was left to govern Rome but eventually Tiberius realised that Sejanus had become so powerful that he himself was at risk. Tiberius sent a letter to the Senate in which he denounced Sejanus as a traitor. Sejanus was flung into the Mamertine Prison, and there he was strangled in 31AD. The people of Rome threw his body into the Tiber. Great numbers of his friends or relatives perished with Sejanus, and a general massacre filled Rome with terror. Tiberius, meanwhile, seems to have become a raging madman. He put to death his niece Agrippina, with her two children and ruled over the Senate with pitiless cruelty. Tiberius died on March 16, A.D. 37. He is believed to have been smothered with a pillow. Tiberius left the empire in a prosperous condition. His cruelty, in fact, seems to have been exercised upon the great and the rich, while the people of Rome lived in relative security.'


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Did the following happen?

Dan. 11:21… but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.


Yes. He didn't come in warring for the position, it was handed to him by Augustus, who didn't really want him in there but he was the only obvious choice left for him. He obtained the kingdom not by war but by flatteries. Read this...


'In response, a series of potential heirs seem to have been selected, among them Tiberius and his brother, Drusus. In 24 BC, at the age of seventeen, Tiberius entered politics under Augustus's direction, receiving the position of quaestor,[8] and was granted the right to stand for election as praetor and consul five years in advance of the age required by law.[9] Similar provisions were made for Drusus.[10]'

*
'With Tiberius's departure, succession rested solely on Augustus' two young grandsons, Lucius and Gaius Caesar. The situation became more precarious in AD 2 with the death of Lucius. Augustus, with perhaps some pressure from Livia, allowed Tiberius to return to Rome as a private citizen and nothing more.[27] In AD 4, Gaius was killed in Armenia and Augustus had no other choice but to turn to Tiberius.[28][29]

The death of Gaius in AD 4 initiated a flurry of activity in the household of Augustus. Tiberius was adopted as full son and heir and in turn, he was required to adopt his nephew, Germanicus, the son of his brother Drusus and Augustus' niece Antonia Minor.[28][30] Along with his adoption, Tiberius received tribunician power as well as a share of Augustus's maius imperium, something that even Marcus Agrippa may never have had.[31] In AD 7, Agrippa Postumus, a younger brother of Gaius and Lucius, was disowned by Augustus and banned to the island of Pianosa, to live in solitary confinement.[29][32] Thus, when in AD 13, the powers held by Tiberius were made equal, rather than second, to Augustus's own powers, he was for all intents and purposes a "co-princeps" with Augustus, and in the event of the latter's passing, would simply continue to rule without an interregnum or possible upheaval.[33] Augustus died in AD 14, at the age of 75.[34] He was buried with all due ceremony and, as had been arranged beforehand, deified, his will read, and Tiberius confirmed as his sole surviving heir.[35]'


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He was adopted into the position.


Dan 11:22 And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him and shall be broken;….'


Arms of a flood, overflown. We cannot forget that these were still tumultuous times with constant battles being waged for territory- unlike today when we actually see very little battle waged for territories. Yes, there are some, but not like back then, not by a long shot.


Read this…


'Rise and fall of Germanicus

Problems arose quickly for the new Princeps. The legions posted in Pannonia and in Germania had not been paid the bonuses promised them by Augustus, and after a short period of time, when it was clear that a response from Tiberius was not forthcoming, mutinied.[45] Germanicus and Tiberius's son, Drusus Julius Caesar, were dispatched with a small force to quell the uprising and bring the legions back in line. Rather than simply quell the mutiny however, Germanicus rallied the mutineers and led them on a short campaign across the Rhine into Germanic territory, stating that whatever treasure they could grab would count as their bonus.[46] Germanicus's forces smashed across the Rhine and quickly occupied all of the territory between the Rhine and the Elbe. Additionally, Tacitus records the capture of the Teutoburg forest and the reclaiming of standards lost years before by Publius Quinctilius Varus,[47] when three Roman legions and its auxiliary cohorts had been ambushed by a band of Germans.[47] Germanicus had managed to deal a significant blow to Rome's enemies, quell an uprising of troops, and once again return lost standards to Rome, actions that increased the fame and legend of the already very popular Germanicus with the Roman people.[48]

After being recalled from Germania,[49] Germanicus celebrated a triumph in Rome in AD 17,[47] the first full triumph that the city had seen since Augustus's own in 29 BC. As a result, in AD 18 Germanicus was granted control over the eastern part of the empire, just as both Agrippa and Tiberius had received before, and was clearly the successor to Tiberius.[50] Germanicus survived a little over a year before dying, accusing Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso, the governor of Syria, of poisoning him.[51] The Pisones had been longtime supporters of the Claudians, and had allied themselves with the young Octavian after his marriage to Livia, the mother of Tiberius; Germanicus's death and accusations indicted the new Princeps. Piso was placed on trial and, according to Tacitus, threatened to implicate Tiberius.[52] Whether the governor actually could connect the Princeps to the death of Germanicus will never be known; rather than continuing to stand trial when it became evident that the Senate was against him, Piso committed suicide.[53][54] Tiberius seems to have tired of politics at this point. In AD 22, he shared his tribunician authority with his son Drusus,[55] and began making yearly excursions to Campania that reportedly became longer and longer every year. In AD 23, Drusus mysteriously died,[56][57] and Tiberius seems to have made no effort to elevate a replacement. Finally, in AD 26, Tiberius retired from Rome altogether to the island of Capri.[58]

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They SMASHED across the Rhine. They QUICKLY occupied. Deal a SIGNIFICANT blow. Return LOST standards to Rome. INCREASED the fame and legend.


They most certainly did act as a flood and they literally overflew any that were trying to threaten any of their territory and then some.


And the next bit of prophecy…


Dan 11:22 '... yea, also the prince of the covenant.'


Without any doubt this was fulfilled perfectly.


Who is the prince of the covenant? OUR SAVIOR!


Was our Savior broken before Tiberius' reign? Yes.


'Tiberius (Latin: Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus;[1] November 16, 42 BC – March 16, AD 37), was Roman Emperor from 14 AD to 37 AD.'

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Our Savior died in 31 AD we've proven that already beyond a doubt. Tiberius was ruler until 37 AD.


Our Savior was broken- our Savior was KILLED under the reign of this man just as prophecy predicted!!!!


By the grace of God may we continue to follow history and watch prophecy unfold!


It's only through the love of our Savior, only through His mercy, His grace, His forgiveness, His righteousness that we can hope, all our hope is in HIM now and forever!!!


Please Lord lead us, Please Lord guide us! Please Lord give us all we need to understand all that you would have us understand, not by our wisdom, not by anything we possess at all whatsoever, but all by YOU! For Your honor, Your glory, for You, for YOU Lord, our Creator, our Savior!


Amen.

Cleanse me from secret faults!

Psa 19:1-14


To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.
There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.
Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,
Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.
His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.


The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.


Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.
Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.
Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.


Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.


*******

Oh by the grace of God this is my prayer!



Cleanse me from secret faults!
Keep ME from presumptuous sin- let them NOT have dominion over me! Please Lord Let me through Your love, Your grace, Your mercy, Your righteousness- be upright , be innocent from the great transgression!


Please Lord, please - let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.


This says so much, so incredibly much.


Unfortunately I hurt one of my fingers so I'm going to keep this very short tonight. This Psalm is so incredible though and deserves to be studied, to be read, to be a part of our lives.


It's all through the grace of our Savior's love!


AMEN!

Prophecy - 37

Prophecy - 37


History rich. We are very history rich. We are blessed with the recorded history we have, blessed beyond measure. To many people history is dull and very boring to trudge through. And yes, I imagine it can be tiresome to those who have absolutely no interest in the past. Any serious Bible student knows that prophecy is proven by history. Even if it's a prophecy for something to happen a day later, history proves it comes to pass.


Do we need to be serious Bible students? Or do we just have to be casual Bible readers? Give it some thought, this isn't something to take lightly. Is it just fine to read a single Bible verse once a day? Or once a week?


Who am I to answer these questions? Seriously.


Every single one of us needs to walk the walk we are called to and not everyone is called to walk the same walk. Am I copping out? I don't think so. It's true, I can't judge a single person for how often or how much of the Bible they read. I could be accountable to read so much more than I do, we all have to answer to God in our own way, we really, really do.


Having said all that I have to say I think we need to study the Bible diligently if we are called to do so. If the opportunity is ours we need to take it. I suppose I'm feeling the need to say this because I know how long and detailed all this is, and how tedious to read it can be. Every bit of it though is confirmation of prophecy, and as confirmation of prophecy we are assured that every single word of God's prophecy WILL come to pass without any doubt whatsoever. People ask how can you know the Bible is real, they ask how can you know God is real, they say that the Bible and all that prophecy stuff are fairy tales, fables, nonsense. As history has proven the truth of prophecy HOW can there be doubt? How can there be a single shred of doubt? There can't be.


May God help us as prophecy unfolds in history.

*******
(KoN- King of North KoS- King of South)


Dan 11:10 But his sons shall be stirred up, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces: and one shall certainly come, and overflow, and pass through: then shall he return, and be stirred up, even to his fortress.


'Seleucus II Callinicus or Pogon...was a ruler of the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire (KoN), who reigned from 246 to 225 BC.

After the death of this father, Antiochus, (KoN) he was proclaimed king by his mother, Laodice in Ephesos, while her partisans at Antioch murdered Berenice and her son, another Antiochus.


This dynastic feud began the Third Syrian War.


Ptolemy III (KoS), who was Berenice's brother and the ruler of Egypt, invaded the Seleucid Empire (KoN) and marched victoriously to the Tigris or beyond. He received the submission of the Seleucid Empire's eastern provinces, while Egyptian fleets swept the coast of Asia Minor.


Seleucus (KoN) managed to maintain himself in the interior of Asia Minor. When Ptolemy (KoS) returned to Egypt, Seleucus recovered Northern Syria and the nearer provinces of Iran. However, Antiochus Hierax, a younger brother of Seleucus (KoN), was set up as a rival in Asia Minor against Seleucus by a party to which Laodice herself adhered.


At Ancyra (about 235 BC) Seleucus (KoN) sustained a crushing defeat and left the country beyond the Taurus to his brother and the other powers of the peninsula. Seleucus then undertook an anabasis to regain Parthia, the results of which came to nothing. According to some sources, he was even taken prisoner for several years by the Parthian king. Other sources mention that he established a peace with Arsaces I, who recognized his sovereignty.


In Asia Minor, Pergamon now rose to greatness under Attalus I. Antiochus Hierax, after a failed attempt to seize his brother's dominions when his own were vanishing, perished as a fugitive in Thrace in 228 or 227 BC.


About a year later, Seleucus (KoN) was killed by a fall from his horse. Seleucus II married his cousin Laodice II, by whom he had five children and among them were: Antiochis, Seleucus III Ceraunus and Antiochus III the Great. He was succeeded by his elder son, Seleucus III Ceraunus, and later by his younger son Antiochus III the Great. (KoN)'


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Sons--


He was succeeded by his elder son, Seleucus III Ceraunus (KoN), and later by his younger son Antiochus III the Great. (KoN)


Prophecy-- ONE shall certainly come, and overflow, and pass through: then shall he return, and be stirred up, even to his fortress.


Let's take a look at these sons- will ONE of them overflow, pass through, return?


SON ONE-
'Seleucus III Soter, called Seleucus Ceraunus (... 243 BC – 223 BC), was a ruler of the Hellenistic Seleucid Kingdom, the eldest son of Seleucus II Callinicus and Laodice II. His birth name was Alexander and was named after his great uncle the Seleucid official Alexander. Alexander changed his name to Seleucus after he succeeded his father as King. After a brief reign of three years (225 BC-223 BC), Seleucus was assassinated in Anatolia by members of his army while on campaign against Attalus I of Pergamon. His official byname "Soter" - Greek: S?t?? means "Saviour", while his nickname "Ceraunus" …'


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seleucus_III_Ceraunus


SON TWO-
'Antiochus III the Great (Greek:.. 241–187 BC, ruled 222–187 BC), younger son of Seleucus II Callinicus, became the 6th ruler of the Seleucid Empire as a youth of about eighteen in 223 BC. Ascending the throne at young age, Antiochus was an ambitious ruler. Although his early attempts in war against the Ptolemaic Kingdom were unsuccessful, in the following years of conquest Antiochus proved himself as the most successful Seleucid King after Seleucus I himself. His traditional designation, the Great, reflects an epithet he briefly assumed after his Eastern Campaign (it appears in regnal formulas at Amyzon in 203 and 202 BC, but not later). Antiochus also assumed the title "Basileus Megas" (which is Greek for "Great King"), the traditional title of the Persian kings, which he adopted after his conquest of Coele Syria.'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiochus_III_the_Great


Surely it is obvious one son rose far up above the other and passed Him by, stirring up a fortress.


Dan 11:11 And the king of the south shall be moved with choler, and shall come forth and fight with him, even with the king of the north: and he shall set forth a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into his hand.
Dan 11:12 And when he hath taken away the multitude, his heart shall be lifted up; and he shall cast down many ten thousands: but he shall not be strengthened by it.


Read this--


'The Battle of Raphia, also known as the Battle of Gaza, was a battle fought on 22 June 217 BC near modern Rafah between the forces of Ptolemy IV Philopator, king of Egypt (KoS) and Antiochus III (KoN)the Great of the Seleucid kingdom during the Syrian Wars. It was one of the largest battles of the Hellenistic kingdoms of the Diadochi and was waged to determine the sovereignty of Coele Syria.'


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King of the South (KoS) and King of the North (KoN) fighting.


Who took away the multitude?


'Antiochus (KoN) initially set up his camp at a distance of 10 (about 2 km) and then only 5 stades (about 1 km) from his adversary's.(KoS) Many skirmishes took place before the battle due to this proximity. One night, Theodotus the Aetolian, formerly an officer of Ptolemy, sneaked inside the Ptolemaic camp and reached what he presumed to be the King's tent but Ptolemy was absent and so failed to assassinate him.


After 5 days of skirmishing, the two Kings decided to array their troops for battle. Both placed their Phalangites in the center. Next to them they fielded the light armed and the mercenaries in front of which they placed their elephants and even further in the wings their cavalry. They spoke to their soldiers, took their places in the lines — Ptolemy(KoS) in his left and Antiochus(KoN) in his right wing — and the battle commenced.


In the beginning of the battle, the elephant contingents on the wings of both armies moved to charge. Most African elephants, the species used by Ptolemy, retreated in panic before the impact and ran through the lines of friendly infantry arrayed behind them, causing disorder in their ranks. At the same time, Antiochus had led his cavalry to the right, rode past the left wing of the Ptolemaic elephants charging the enemy horse. At the same time, the right wing of Ptolemy was retreating and wheeling to protect itself from the panicked elephants. Ptolemy rode to the center encouraging his phalanx to attack, while on the Ptolemaic far right, Ptolemy's cavalry was routing their opponents.


Antiochus (KoN) routed the Ptolemaic (KoS) horse posed against him and pursued the fleeing enemy en masse, believing to have won the day, but the Ptolemaic (KoS) center eventually drove the Syrians back and soon Antiochus(KoN) realized that his judgment was wrong. Antiochus(KoN) tried to ride back, but by the time he rode back, his troops were routed and could no longer be regrouped. The battle had ended.

After the battle, Antiochus(KoN) wanted to regroup and make camp outside the city of Raphia but most of his men had already found refuge inside and he was thus forced to enter it himself. Then he marched to Gaza and asked Ptolemy (KoS) for the customary truce to bury the dead, which he was granted.

According to Polybius, the Syrians suffered a little under 10,000 foot dead, about 300 horse and 5 elephants, 4,000 men were taken prisoner. The Ptolemaic losses were 1,500 foot, 700 horse and 16 elephants. Most of the Syrian elephants were taken by the Ptolemies.' (KoS)

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Clearly the King of the South won!

Who took away the multitude? The king of the South!


But…
Dan 11:12 '...but he shall not be strengthened by it.'
Dan 11:13 For the king of the north shall return, and shall set forth a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come after certain years with a great army and with much riches.
Dan 11:14 And in those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south: also the robbers of thy people shall exalt themselves to establish the vision; but they shall fall.


Did this happen as Scripture said it would? Did this prophecy come true? It's God's prophecy, it came true!


'The Battle of Panium (also known as Paneion) was fought in 200 BC between Seleucid (KoN) and Ptolemaic (KoS) forces as part of the Syrian Wars. The Seleucids were led by Antiochus III the Great, while the Ptolemaic army was led by Scopas of Aetolia. The Seleucids (KoN) won the battle. Details of this battle are not clear, but it is known today that major factor in the Seleucid victory was that the Seleucid army used the cataphract in a decisive manner. The cataphracts attacked the Egyptian cavalry on the flanks and drove the enemy cavalry off, leaving the backs of the enemy infantry to the front of the line exposed. The Seleucid cataphracts then attacked their infantry in the rear, thus leading to an Egyptian rout. The specific equipment used by these relatively early cataphracts is not clearly known.'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Panium we have to realize all the time passing here- soon another force was going to come into play and it came in gradually not all at once, kingdoms were formed by winning battles. Great kingdoms are formed by winning A LOT of battles and conquering many. We know from our previous prophetic visions that after Greece, and after the four divisions and after that kingdom begins to wan then the Roman kingdom would begin its rise.


Now


Let's see if this isn't the beginning of Rome's influence here-


Dan 11:15 So the king of the north shall come, and cast up a mount, and take the most fenced cities: and the arms of the south shall not withstand, neither his chosen people, neither shall there be any strength to withstand.


'Palestine had passed from the Egypt-based Ptolemaic rule to that of the Syrian-oriented Seleucids after Antiochus III was first checked at battle of Raphia in 217 B.C., but then succeeded against his Egyptian foe at Panion in 198 B.C. Antiochus III's triumph in Palestine was to be short-lived, however, for his ambitions in Greece crossed the Roman dare-line. '


'The Romans thrashed the Syrian monarch in Thrace in two land battles and a naval campaign at Corycus that served notice that the Romans were now a factor to be considered on water as well as land.'


'A client of Rome, Ptolemy V Epiphanes (KoS) assumed the throne of Ptolemaic Egypt in 205 BC at the tender age of 5, only to see his dominion wracked by civil war and reduced by the invading armies of Antiochus III (KoN) of Persian and Philip V of Macedonia, who had plotted a secret alliance to divide the Ptolemaic kingdom between them. In 201 BC, an attempt by Antiochus (KoN) to seize Palestine and Gaza was rebuffed by the Ptolemaic army.(KoS) In 200 BC, Antiochus again struck out from Syria with an army of invasion. The Ptolemiac army under Scopas (Skopes) marched north to block their route at the head of the Jordan valley. But Antiochus had already reached the high ground at Mt. Hermon and made his camp there to await the Ptolemiac approach.'

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Rome steps into the picture but not the all conquering Rome we know of history- this was it's beginning and in its beginning there were failures.


Dan 11:15 So the king of the north shall come, and cast up a mount, and take the most fenced cities: and the arms of the south shall not withstand, neither his chosen people, (ROMANS) neither shall there be any strength to withstand.


Neither his chosen people- why are these the chosen people, because the King of the South chose Roman to align with, these was also God's chosen to become the next great kingdom.


Antiochus (KoN) prevailed over the KoS (Ptolemiac Army) and the Romans help them.


So what happened next?


Dan 11:16 But he that cometh against him (KoN) shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand before him (KoS -Roman power rising) : and he shall stand in the glorious land, which by his hand shall be consumed.


'War against Rome and death

Main article: Roman–Syrian War


Antiochus (KoN) then moved to Asia Minor, by land and by sea, to secure the coast towns which belonged to the remnants of Ptolemaic (KoS) overseas dominions and the independent Greek cities. This enterprise brought him into antagonism with Rome, since Smyrna and Lampsacus appealed to the republic of the west, and the tension became greater after Antiochus (KoN) had in 196 BC established a footing in Thrace. The evacuation of Greece by the Romans gave Antiochus his opportunity, and he now had the fugitive Hannibal at his court to urge him on.

In 192 BC Antiochus invaded Greece with a 10,000 man army, and was elected the commander in chief of the Aetolians. In 191 BC, however, the Romans under Manius Acilius Glabrio routed him at Thermopylae and obliged him to withdraw to Asia. The Romans followed up their success by attacking Antiochus in Anatolia, and the decisive victory of Scipio Asiaticus at Magnesia ad Sipylum (190 BC), following the defeat of Hannibal at sea off Side, delivered Asia Minor into their hands.

By the Treaty of Apamea (188 BC) the Seleucid king (KoN) abandoned all the country north of the Taurus, which Rome distributed amongst its friends. As a consequence of this blow to the Seleucid power, the outlying provinces of the empire, recovered by Antiochus, reasserted their independence. Antiochus mounted a fresh expedition to the east in Luristan, where he died in an attempt to rob a temple at Elymaïs, Persia, in 187 BC.'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiochus_III_the_Great


'The Battle of Pydna in 168 BC between Rome and the Macedonian Antigonid dynasty saw the further ascendancy of Rome in the Hellenic/Hellenistic world and the end of the Antigonid line of kings, whose power traced back to Alexander the Great.
Paul K. Davis writes that "Pydna marked the final destruction of Alexander's empire and introduced Roman authority over the Near East."[1]'

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The Iron rule of Rome was coming up fully doing away with the last remnants of Greece rulership.


Dan 11:16 But he that cometh against him (KoN) shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand before him (KoS -Roman power rising) : and he shall stand in the glorious land, which by his hand shall be consumed.


The dividing rule of North and South was slipping away as Rome became ruler over all the land.


Within the Roman rule however there was a lot of internal strife and there were many years of fighting amongst themselves.


Now we have to look at prophecy and it say- HE shall stand in the glorious land. Where is the glorious land?


Eze 20:6 In the day that I lifted up mine hand unto them, to bring them forth of the land of Egypt into a land that I had espied for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands


Jer 3:19 But I said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations? and I said, Thou shalt call me, My father; and shalt not turn away from me.


Zec 2:12 And the LORD shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again.


So the one to rise and none stand against him would do so in the glorious land (Palestine)- let's look at history but first let's read this--


Dan 11:16 But he that cometh against him shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand before him: and he shall stand in the glorious land, which by his hand shall be consumed.


'Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, also known as Pompey ... (September 29, 106 BC – September 29, 48 BC), was a military and political leader of the late Roman Republic. '


'Pompey in the east

….

'Pompey in the Temple of Jerusalem, by Jean Fouquet

At Pompey's approach, Mithridates strategically withdrew his forces. Tigranes the Great refused him refuge, so he made his way to his own dominions in the Cimmerian Bosporus. Pompey secured a treaty with Tigranes, and in 65 BC set out in pursuit of Mithridates, but met resistance from the Caucasian Iberians and Albanians. He advanced to Phasis in Colchis and liaised with his legate Servilius, admiral of his Euxine fleet, before decisively defeating Mithridates. Pompey then retraced his steps, wintered at Pontus, and made it into a Roman province. In 64 BC, he marched into Syria, deposed its king, Antiochus XIII Asiaticus, and reconstituted this, too, as a Roman province.[34] In 63 BC, he moved south, and established Roman supremacy in Phoenicia and Coele-Syria.[35]


In Judea, Pompey intervened in civil war between Hyrcanus II, who supported the Pharisee faction against Aristobulus II and the Sadducees in Judaea's civil war. The armies of Pompey and Hyrcanus II laid siege to Jerusalem. After three months, the city fell.[36]


"Of the Jews there fell twelve thousand, but of the Romans very few.... and no small enormities were committed about the temple itself, which, in former ages, had been inaccessible, and seen by none; for Pompey went into it, and not a few of those that were with him also, and saw all that which it was unlawful for any other men to see but only for the high priests. There were in that temple the golden table, the holy candlestick, and the pouring vessels, and a great quantity of spices; and besides these there were among the treasures two thousand talents of sacred money: yet did Pompey touch nothing of all this, on account of his regard to religion; and in this point also he acted in a manner that was worthy of his virtue. The next day he gave order to those that had the charge of the temple to cleanse it, and to bring what offerings the law required to God; and restored the high priesthood to Hyrcanus, both because he had been useful to him in other respects, and because he hindered the Jews in the country from giving Aristobulus any assistance in his war against him." (Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, book 14, chapter 4; tr. by William Whiston, available at Project Gutenberg.)


During the war in Judea, Pompey heard of Mithridates' suicide; his army had deserted him for his son Pharnaces.[34] Rome's Asian protectorates now extended as far east as the Black Sea and the Caucasus. Pompey's military victories, political settlements and annexations in Asia created Rome's new frontier on the east.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pompey


But Pompey had others that would stand before him - who is this person? Who would continue what Pompey had begun?


Dan 11:17 He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him; thus shall he do: and he shall give him the daughter of women, corrupting her: but she shall not stand on his side, neither be for him.
Dan 11:18 After this shall he turn his face unto the isles, and shall take many: but a prince for his own behalf shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; without his own reproach he shall cause it to turn upon him.


'Gaius Julius Caesar[2] (13 July 100 BC[3] – 15 March 44 BC)[4] was a Roman general and statesman. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire.


In 60 BC, Caesar entered into a political alliance with Crassus and Pompey that was to dominate Roman politics for several years. Their attempts to amass power through populist tactics were opposed within the Roman Senate by the conservative elite, among them Cato the Younger with the frequent support of Cicero. Caesar's conquest of Gaul, completed by 51 BC, extended Rome's territory to the English Channel and the Rhine. Caesar became the first Roman general to cross both when he built a bridge across the Rhine and conducted the first invasion of Britain. These achievements granted him unmatched military power and threatened to eclipse Pompey's standing.


The balance of power was further upset by the death of Crassus in 53 BC. Political realignments in Rome finally led to a standoff between Caesar and Pompey, the latter having taken up the cause of the Senate. Ordered by the senate to stand trial in Rome for various charges, Caesar marched from Gaul to Italy with his legions, crossing the Rubicon in 49 BC. This sparked a civil war from which he emerged as the unrivaled leader of the Roman world.


After assuming control of government, he began extensive reforms of Roman society and government. He centralised the bureaucracy of the Republic and was eventually proclaimed "dictator in perpetuity". A group of senators, led by Marcus Junius Brutus, assassinated the dictator on the Ides of March (15 March) 44 BC, hoping to restore the constitutional government of the Republic. However, the result was a series of civil wars, which ultimately led to the establishment of the permanent Roman Empire by Caesar's adopted heir Octavius (later known as Augustus). Much of Caesar's life is known from his own accounts of his military campaigns, and other contemporary sources, mainly the letters and speeches of Cicero and the historical writings of Sallust. The later biographies of Caesar by Suetonius and Plutarch are also major sources.'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_Caesar


'REIGN OF JULIUS CAESAR (48 - 44 BC)
Julius Caesar, who lived from 100 - 44 BC, finally settled his struggle with Pompey in 48 BC at the Battle of Pharsalus. In this battle Pompey was killed, and Julius Caesar then became the undisputed ruler of the Roman Empire. Antipater, who had previously supported Pompey, was an excellent diplomat and managed to convince Julius Caesar that he was now loyal to him. Julius Caesar allowed him to remain in his position of power in Palestine.

Julius Caesar also manifested a very lenient attitude toward the Jewish people throughout his kingdom, and granted them many special favors, among which was the right of full religious freedom. A year after Julius Caesar came to power Antipater died, and his son Herod became Procurator of Judea. Three years later, in March, 44 BC, Julius Caesar was assassinated.'

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Dan 11:17 He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him; thus shall he do: and he shall give him the daughter of women, corrupting her: but she shall not stand on his side, neither be for him.
Dan 11:18 After this shall he turn his face unto the isles, and shall take many: but a prince for his own behalf shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; without his own reproach he shall cause it to turn upon him.


The upright ones? God's chosen people. The Jewish people and Julius Caesar got along well together.


Who was the daughter of women?


'Cleopatra VII Philopator (...Late 69 BC[1] – August 12, 30 BC) was the last pharaoh of Ancient Egypt.


As pharaoh, she consummated a liaison with Julius Caesar that solidified her grip on the throne. She later elevated her son with Caesar, Caesarion, to co-ruler in name.'

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'...but she shall not stand on his side, neither be for him. After this shall he turn his face unto the isles, and shall take many: but a prince for his own behalf shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; without his own reproach he shall cause it to turn upon him.' (Dan. 11:17,18)


After Caesar's assassination in 44 BC, she aligned with Mark Antony in opposition to Caesar's legal heir, Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus (later known as Augustus). '

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'Caesar even took steps to transform Italy into a province, and to link more tightly the other provinces of the empire into a single cohesive unit. This addressed the underlying problem that had caused the Social War decades earlier, where individuals outside Rome and Italy were not considered "Roman", and thus were not given full citizenship rights. This process, of fusing the entire Roman Empire into a single unit, rather than maintaining it as a network of unequal principalities, would ultimately be completed by Caesar's successor, the emperor Augustus. '

*

'On the Ides of March (15 March; see Roman calendar) of 44 BC, Caesar was due to appear at a session of the Senate. Mark Antony, having vaguely learned of the plot the night before from a terrified Liberator named Servilius Casca, and fearing the worst, went to head Caesar off. The plotters, however, had anticipated this and, fearing that Antony would come to Caesar's aid, had arranged for Trebonius to intercept him just as he approached the portico of Theatre of Pompey, where the session was to be held, and detain him outside. (Plutarch, however, assigns this action to delay Antony to Brutus Albinus.) When he heard the commotion from the senate chamber, Antony fled.[74]


According to Plutarch, as Caesar arrived at the Senate, Tillius Cimber presented him with a petition to recall his exiled brother.[75] The other conspirators crowded round to offer support. Both Plutarch and Suetonius say that Caesar waved him away, but Cimber grabbed his shoulders and pulled down Caesar's tunic. Caesar then cried to Cimber, "Why, this is violence!" ("Ista quidem vis est!").[76] At the same time, Casca produced his dagger and made a glancing thrust at the dictator's neck. Caesar turned around quickly and caught Casca by the arm. According to Plutarch, he said in Latin, "Casca, you villain, what are you doing?"[77] Casca, frightened, shouted, "Help, brother!" in Greek ("?de?f?, ß???e?!", "adelphe, boethei!"). Within moments, the entire group, including Brutus, was striking out at the dictator. Caesar attempted to get away, but, blinded by blood, he tripped and fell; the men continued stabbing him as he lay defenceless on the lower steps of the portico. According to Eutropius, around 60 or more men participated in the assassination. He was stabbed 23 times.'


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_Caesar


'Cause it to turn upon him' Dan. 11:18 Indeed Julius Caesar caused those he thought his own to turn upon him.


Prophecy- History.


So much to learn, so much to study and by the grace of God we will understand this as we are meant to understand. Step by step, bit by bit it does unfold and will continue to unfold.


You might have notice I'm taking a lot of my reference from the online- wikipedia. Why? Because it's a source that EVERYONE can contribute to, not just one person's opinion. We need to have a source that is non-bias in a lot of way and strictly informational. Not that people don't post their opinions but if any one finds out it is just an opinion and not a fact then they're called on it right away. Is it perfect, no, not by any means. By the grace of God we will be able to learn truth and only His truth.


In His amazing LOVE!


Through HIS righteousness, only HIS righteousness!


Amen.