Revelation 6:8 :
Seals
Daniel 2:33 & 40:
Daniel 7:7:
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Revelation 6:8 |
8: |
And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and the Grave followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. |
This is the Roman Empire. Which again is proven by history.
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Revelation 12:11 |
11: |
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. |
Story of Nations - 1956, page 152:
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The Emperor Nero murdered thousands of (BELIEVERS) whom he falsely accused of setting fire to the city. Many devout believers were thrown to hungry wild beasts in the arenas, to provide the Romans entertainment, as well as to discourage the spread of (THIS FAITH). |
Exploring The Old World - 1965, page 131:
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TO STAMP OUT THE (FAITH), (believers) were thrown to lions, crucified, burned alive, or killed by gladiators. |
And this was not the religion of Christianity, that they wanted to stamp out. This was the very reason why Christianity was created, so that it could absorb all other religions.
History And Life - 1977, page 137:
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Nero blamed the (believers) for the burning of Rome in 64 C.E. and punished them severely. Other emperors, seeking excuses for bad conditions during their reigns, used the (believers) as scapegoats. They crucified (believers), threw them to wild beasts and to mad dogs in the arenas, or had them burned alive. It was a threat upon the emperor of Rome, when the people of (Yahweh) would not worship him, or any of the other pagan deities. |
There were ten periods of persecutions from Emperor Nero being the first in 64 C.E., to Emperor Diocletian in 303 C.E. varying in length. In 70 C.E. Judaism was destroyed, the Torah was defaced and anyone owning a Torah was murdered, also the Temple and Jerusalem were destroyed. Jews were exiled in 132 - 133 C.E. with the occurrence of the second war with Rome. They were totally kicked out of Palestine with the threat of death and for 1700 years, were killed on sight if they stepped foot back there. After Nero came the persecutions from Emperor Domitian then Emperor Decius in 250 C.E., after him came Emperor Valerian in 257 to 258 C.E., and finally the last and worst under Emperor Diocletian who began his rule in 284 C.E., and his persecutions started in 303 C.E. while Maximian was Emperor of the West. All books, records, and writings were confiscated and burned, like in the other persecutions. Every person including children suspected of being of the faith in Yahweh were killed without recourse to laws or by any other means. Horsemen rode across the empire with a public proclamation of extermination.
During this time is when the great falling away of truth happened and all the true believers were killed off.
The Christian History study takes you from this point, which is part of the 5th Seal.
You need to read this study to understand why this happened. Also, read this study before going to the Fifth Seal: These Signs Shall Follow Them That Believe: The Fate of the First Believers.