Crying Voices of the Great Tribulation
The history of Christian martyrs, according to the Bible,
begins in Acts with the stoning of the apostle Stephen.
Later in the book of Acts, the Apostle Paul calls Stephen
Jesus' martyr. It says in Acts 22:20; "And when the
blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I stood there
giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those
who were killing him.".
However, the history of Christian martyrs does not end
with Stephen's death. During the first century after Jesus'
death nearly all of his flowers suffered martyrdom for
His sake. At first the Church was seen as just another
sect of Judaism, a legal religion (Acts 2:47). Christianity
was identified along with Judaism, but people quickly
came to see it as a different religion. The Judaizers
saw it as a strange, new cult, as it began to spread across
geographical boundaries (Colossians 1:23). The Judaizers
felt threatened by this oddball new religion and forbid
Christians to speak the name of Jesus (Acts 4:1-22).
Many of the Early Disciples Died for their Faith.
James the son of Zebedee was beheaded in approximately
44 A.D., Philip was crucified in 54 A.D.. Matthew was
killed with a halberd, an ax-like weapon, in 60 A.D. James,
who is thought to be the brother of Jesus, was beaten to
death, Matthias was beheaded, Andrew was crucified,
Mark was torn to pieces and Peter was crucified upside
down. Jude, Bartholomew, and Thomas were also martyred.
Paul suffered martyrdom in Rome where he was beheaded.
Other early apostles Luke, Barnabas, Timothy, and Simon
were also killed for the sake of Christ. John, the "beloved
disciple," was the brother of James. Although he suffered
great persecution, including imprisonment where he wrote
the book of Revelation, he was the only apostle who
escaped a violent death.
The unbelieving Jews were the prime persecutors of
Christians from the time of Christ’s death until 60 A.D. and
the heathen powers of Rome persecuted them for a season
beyond that. The gospel had such a powerful impact upon
the Roman Empire that there were Christians even in the
very household of Caesar.
In Phil.4:22, we learn of saints in "Caesar's household",
which at that time would be Nero's household. Evidently,
the rapid spreading of Christianity in Roman itself, was
also a primary factor in Nero's persecution of Christians.
The Gospel of grace spread like wildfire, at tremendous
cost to the early followers of Christ.
The first century church was beset with persecution,
torture, and martyrdom. In spite of this, Christian
churches were being established throughout the
Mediterranean region, Asia Minor, and into Europe.
Unwilling to see the system of Judaism come to an end,
the Judaizers did everything they could to stop the spread
of this new up coming religion. After all they had
the Mosaic Covenant with its animal sacrifices for
over 1500 years.
The end of biblical Judaism represented a major crisis
to the Judaizers who were "zealous for the law" because
of all the Temple signified for them. The Presence of God
(the shekinah of gory) was in the temple. Secondly this
Jewish catastrophe meant the end of daily sacrifices the
Levite priest hood and Israel’s election etc. They were
drawing the wrong inferences from the Mosaic Covenant
because they were clinging to the older covenant
(Galatians 3:24-26 ). The Judaizers did not want to give
up the old Jewish ways in order to become Christians.
People want to feel superior to other people. They insist
that they were the true sons of Abraham, and that all
the promises belongs to them (John 8:32-47).
So the Judaizers revolted against Christ and tried to stop
his rapid spreading new religion anyway they could.
Under the Roman Empire law the Jews were not permitted
to put anyone to death (John 18:31). These laws were
extremely strict.
The Jews then enlisted the help of Caesar to help stop
this new religion wherever it pop up. The Apostles John
describes this event in Revelation as a harlot sitting on
the back of the scarlet beast (see Revelation 17: 1-4).
It might be of passing interest here to also mention
at this point that the fine clothing is that of the Priest
(see Exodus 28:1-43).
The Emperor had the men and ships to destroy Christianity
wherever it started so the Jews enlisted the help of Roman.
Paul's discouraged marriage in 1 Corinthians 7:26-31,
during the "present distress". While many today teach that
Christians didn’t go through any tribulation the Bible says
Christians did go through the tribulation (John 16:33).
John also call himself their brother and companion in
tribulation (Revelation 1:9).
In 64 A.D., the Roman Emperor Caesar Nero attempted
to systematically exterminate all people who professed
faith in the newfound Christian religion. Rome underwent
a catastrophic fire, which some believed had been set at
the orders of the emperor himself. Tacitus claims that Nero
tried to shift the blame to the unpopular Christians, though
other sources indicate that their persecution may have been
unconnected to the fire.
The Empire was in an uproar. The people of Rome wanted
answers and there were none. Nero was a very hated man:
Nero murdered many people, including his mother, sister,
and many others whom he did not trust. The people knew
what kind of man their Emperor was, and they hated him.
Nero needed a scape goat of his own, so he chose to blame
the Christians; a new 'Jewish' sect that was hated by those
zealous for the law.
These Jewish Christian at the early date, were accused
of disloyalty because of their refusal to return under
the Mosaic Covenant. These Christians also refused to
acknowledge the divine status of Emperor worship and
refused the traditions, and gods of the Roman Empire.
Nero hoped to placate the people by blaming the Christians
for starting the fire. He hoped this would begin a policy
of persecution of all Christians.
Nero performed the worst atrocities upon his victims;
he did not just kill Christians, he wanted to make them
suffer first. Nero enjoyed dipping the Christians in tar,
and impaling them on poles around his palace, he would
then light them on fire, that they might illumine the night
and yell: "Now you truly are the light of the world.".
Nero used them to amuse the people.
Nero also performed many other kinds of torture, often
killing them in the Circus Maximus in front of large crowds
of spectators where he did some of his most gruesome
murders. Here he would wrap Christians up in animal skins
and throw them to lions, or dogs who would then tear these
men and women apart in front of thousands of entertained
spectators.
At other times he would crucify them, and after the crowd
would get bored, he would set the Christians on fire. Nero
falsely accused and executed Christians, who were infamous
for their faith in Christ. There were many rumors flying
about that Christians were cannibals (because of the 'Lord's
Supper' in which they eat the 'flesh' and drink the 'blood'
of Jesus Christ), and that they performed human sacrifice
(none of this was true). But ultimately Christians were
executed not for the public good or any criminal acts but
on the account that they were a threat to the Judaizers
and the old system of Judaism.
We have no idea how many Christians lost their life under
the Neronian persecution, but Nero's persecution "lasted
several years, and was not confined to Rome but was
practiced throughout the Empire, and cost the lives of
a very large number of Christians". In spite of all the
Judaizers and Nero's efforts to exterminate the Christians
everything backfired. Many people came under the banner
of Christianity during and after Nero's reign for various of
reasons.
These martyrdom gives testimony to the verse in John 15:
20-21, where Jesus tells His disciples, "Remember the words
I spoke to you: No servant is greater than his master. If
they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they
obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will
treat you this way because of my name, for they do not
know the One who sent me.".
--
"Flowers never emit so sweet and strong a fragrance
as before a storm. When a storm approaches thee,
be as fragrant as a sweet-smelling flower."
-Jean Paul Richter
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