The Biblical Seven World Powers

== Egypt ==
Egypt, one of the earliest and grandest civilizations of the ancient world, figures prominently in the biblical narrative.
Situated in the northeast corner of Africa, Egypt connects to the Holy Land via the Sinai Peninsula. In Bible times, the life-source of Egypt was the Nile River, which provided the area’s only supply of water for drinking and irrigation. At the end of the rainy season, the river would swell and flood the Nile Valley, carrying nutrient-rich silt to replenish the valley’s fertility. The main crops produced in the region were barley, spelt, beans, lentils, cucumbers, onions, ]]grapes]], and figs. 
Egypt appears first in the biblical narrative in the story of Abraham when a severe famine struck Canaan, causing the patriarch and his family to sojourn in Egypt (Genesis 12:10–20). While there, the Pharaoh took Sarah into his palace to be part of his royal harem, but he returned her to Abraham after God intervened.
Later, Abraham’s great-grandson Joseph was sold by his brothers into slavery, and he ended up in Egypt (Genesis 37:28). Eventually, Joseph rose through the ranks to become Pharaoh’s right-hand ruler over Egpyt (Genesis 41:37–57). Through Joseph’s mediation, Jacob and all his family came to settle in Egypt, escaping another famine (Genesis 45—47).
For the next 430 years, the Israelites lived in Egypt (Exodus 12:40), swelling in numbers but slowly declining from a position of favor into one of brutal oppression under Pharoah (Exodus 1:1–15). When the people could endure their suffering in Egypt no longer, God raised up Moses and Aaron to confront Pharaoh and deliver Israel out of bondage and into the Promised Land (Exodus 3—6:13).
A horrifying series of plagues that left Egypt in ruins (Exodus 7:14—12:30), together with one of the most spectacular miracles in the Bible, the parting of the Red Sea, culminate in Israel’s deliverance from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 14). But before entering the Promised Land, the Israelites would wander in the wilderness between Egypt and Canaan for forty years. There they would receive the Ten Commandments and the law of God (Exodus 20—23), the specifications for building the wilderness tabernacle (Exodus 25—28), and instructions for the consecration of priests and the administering of sacrifices (Exodus 29—30).
During the period of the kings, Israel interacted with the rulers of Egypt on several occasions. King Solomon married the daughter of an Egyptian king who is thought to be Pharaoh Siamun (1 Kings 9:16). While King Rehoboam reigned, the Egyptian King Shishak invaded both Israel and Judah and ransacked the temple and royal palace (1 Kings 14:25–26). Hezekiah called upon the king of Egypt for help when the Assyrian army besieged him in Jerusalem (2 Kings 18:21). Judah’s King Josiah was killed when he tried to stop Pharaoh Neco from passing along the coast to help the Assyrians. Neco also deposed King Jehoahaz and made Jehoiakim king over Judah instead (2 Chronicles 36:2–4).
After the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 586 BC, the Lord spoke through the prophet Jeremiah, saying that the remnant of Jews still in Judah must stay in their land and not flee to Egypt (Jeremiah 42:19). Despite Jeremiah’s track record of accurate prophecies, the disobedient people went to Egypt, forcing Jeremiah to go with them (Jeremiah 43:1–7). In Egypt, Jeremiah prophesied the demise of Pharaoh Hophra by the Babylonians—judgment would come against the rebellious Judeans, regardless of their attempt to find safety in Egypt (Jeremiah 44:30).
During the intertestamental period, there were still Jews living in Egypt. Their use of the Hebrew language had declined. Some of the Jews living in Alexandria, Egypt, translated the Old Testament into Greek between 250 and 150 BC. This text, known as the Septuagint, became the Bible commonly used in Israel during the days of Jesus and the apostles.
In the New Testament, Egypt served as a refuge for Joseph, Mary, and the baby Jesus when Herod the Great attempted to murder all the infant boys in and around Bethlehem (Matthew 2:13–23). While the Bible gives no details about their residence in Egypt or how long they stayed, it was probably only a brief time before they left to settle in Nazareth of Galilee.
Egypt has a tremendous symbolic significance in the Bible. Israel’s redemption from Egypt is a picture of our deliverance from sin and death through faith in Jesus Christ. (Galatians 3:13; 4:5; Titus 2:14). While initially seen as a place of refuge in famine or threat, Egypt becomes a place of oppression and slavery. For New Testament believers, Egypt represents our old life of slavery to sin. All people are, by nature, slaves of sin, and Satan is a much harsher taskmaster than the Egyptian overseers. The natural man labors powerlessly under the weight of sin (Romans 7:22–25). God redeemed His people from slavery in Egypt by the blood of the lamb on the first Passover (Exodus 12), and He redeems us from sin by the blood of the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29; 1 Peter 1:18–19). Just as God called His people, the Israelites, out of bondage in Egypt, He calls us, His children, to “come out and be separate” and live holy lives in His kingdom (2 Corinthians 6:17).
== Assyria ==
Assyria was an ancient nation that was a major world power for about a thousand years (1700—727 BC). According to the International Standard Bible Commentary, Assyria “extended from Babylonia northward to the Kurdish mountains and at times included the country westward to the Euphrates and the Khabur.” Not only did Assyria pose a major threat to Israel, but the Lord also used the Assyrians to chastise the northern kingdom of Israel. Central to the history of Assyria is its capital city, Nineveh, to which God sent Jonah to warn of coming destruction.
As part of the punishment for Israel’s persistent idolatry, God handed the northern kingdom of Israel over to the Assyrians. The Assyrian kings Pul and Shalmaneser V invaded Israel, and about 722 BC the latter “captured Samaria and deported the Israelites to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River and in the towns of the Medes” (2 Kings 17:6).
Hosea 11:5 had prophesied of the coming wrath of God through the Gentile nation. “Assyria, then in temporary decline, would awake like a sleeping giant and devour the Northern Kingdom of Israel as its prey” (John D. Hannah, “Jonah,” Bible Knowledge Commentary: Old Testament Edition, John Walvoord and Roy Zuck, ed., Victor, 1985, p. 1,461). As Isaiah and 2 Kings affirm, the Lord did this because they failed to obey Him and worship Him only (Isaiah 10:6; 2 Kings 18:12).
Some Assyrians were sent to live in Samaria after the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel. In fact, Ezra 4:2 mentions some of these men who were sent to live in Samaria by Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, and claimed to worship the Lord. In spite of their claims to worship Yahweh, it is clear that “they had a syncretistic form of worship; they worshipped both Yahweh and others” (John A. Martin, “Ezra,” ibid., p. 660). These descendants of the Assyrians, who had intermarried with other peoples, frustrated the Israelites’ efforts to rebuild the temple (Ezra 4:1–5). Not only did they seek to halt the rebuilding of the temple, but, according to The Pulpit Commentary, their descendants later became the Samaritan people (entry for Ezra 4:2).
In the years after the siege of Samaria, the southern kingdom of Judah was also threatened by Assyria. During the reign of Judah’s King Hezekiah, the Assyrian king Sennacherib attacked. The Assyrians first captured forty-six of Judah’s fortified cities (Isaiah 36:1). Then they besieged Jerusalem. Sennacherib boasted of Assyria’s strength and claimed that no one, not even the Lord God, could stop him from capturing Jerusalem (2 Kings 18:13, 19–22, 33–35; 2 Chronicles 32:14–16). In desperation, Hezekiah sent gold and silver as a peace offering to Assyria, hoping to appease the power-hungry King Sennacherib (2 Kings 18:13—16). Through the prophet Isaiah, the Lord sent word to Hezekiah that the Assyrians would not step foot inside the city (Isaiah 37:33) and that the Lord Himself would fight against them. The Lord also rebuked the Assyrian king: “Who is it you have insulted and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes in pride? Against the Holy One of Israel!” (Isaiah 37:23). Sending the Angel of the Lord against the Assyrian army, the Lord killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers while they were sleeping, and Sennacherib abandoned his conquest of Judah. The Assyrians were unable to capture Jerusalem due to the Lord’s intervention (2 Chronicles 32:22). The Lord showed that He is the One True God, as opposed to the false gods of the Assyrians.
Jonah’s trip to Nineveh in Assyria is a significant demonstration of God’s mercy. God told the prophet Jonah to travel to Nineveh to warn the Assyrians of pending judgment against them. Because the Ninevites were Israel’s enemies, and because the Assyrians were well-known for their brutality and aggression, Jonah refused to make the trip (Jonah 1:3). The sovereign God intervened, however, and Jonah ended up in Nineveh anyway, and the Assyrians responded to Jonah’s message and repented of their sins (Jonah 3:6–10; Matthew 12:41). God had mercy on them and spared them from judgment at that time.
Eventually, the Assyrians’ wickedness caught up with them, and their time for judgment did come. Their nation was destroyed (see Isaiah 10:5–19; Nahum 3:18–19; and Zephaniah 3:13). One prophet likened its demise to the felling of a tree: “A foreign army—the terror of the nations—has cut it down and left it fallen on the ground. Its branches are scattered across the mountains and valleys and ravines of the land. All those who lived in its shadow have gone away and left it lying there. The birds roost on its fallen trunk, and the wild animals lie among its branches” (Ezekiel 31:12–13).
Assyria played a significant role in biblical history as enemies of Israel and the nation God used to punish the Israelites for their unfaithfulness. He also used Assyria to display His preeminence over all other supposed “gods” and to demonstrate the extent of His mercy and grace.
Isaiah 19 contains a prophecy regarding Assyria that describes the condition of the Middle East during the millennial reign of Christ. The repeated phrase in that day in Isaiah 19 is a reference to the day of the Lord, when He sets all things right. According to Isaiah’s prophecy, Assyria (modern Iraq) will join Egypt and Israel in serving the Lord (Isaiah 19:23), and there will be political unity among Egypt, Israel, and Assyria. All three nations will be blessed by God (verse 25) and be a blessing to other nations (verse 24). Jesus truly is the Prince of Peace who can bring unity to these three former enemies. Because of Jesus, the future of Assyria is bright.
== Babylon ==
Ancient Babylon was located in modern-day Iraq. Ancient Babylon rose to dominance after throwing off the bonds of the Assyrians. The short period of Babylonian dominance that has biblical significance is referred to as the Neo-Babylonian Empire, as Babylon had been a dominant force at an earlier time.
Babylon and King Nebuchadnezzar figure prominently in the Old Testament, as it was Babylon that invaded Judah, destroyed Jerusalem and the temple, and carried off many Jews to Babylon as exiles. These events are recorded in 2 Kings 17—25 and 2 Chronicles 32—36. Several of the prophets revealed that Jerusalem would fall to the Babylonians as God’s judgment on Judah for her sin. Notably, Jeremiah counseled surrender to the Babylonians in acceptance of God’s will: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I am about to turn against you the weapons of war that are in your hands, which you are using to fight the king of Babylon and the Babylonians who are outside the wall besieging you. And I will gather them inside this city. I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm in furious anger and in great wrath. I will strike down those who live in [Jerusalem]—both man and beast—and they will die of a terrible plague. After that, declares the Lord, I will give Zedekiah king of Judah, his officials and the people in this city who survive the plague, sword and famine, into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and to their enemies who want to kill them. He will put them to the sword; he will show them no mercy or pity or compassion. . . . This is what the Lord says: See, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death. Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague. But whoever goes out and surrenders to the Babylonians who are besieging you will live; they will escape with their lives. I have determined to do this city harm and not good, declares the Lord. It will be given into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will destroy it with fire” (Jeremiah 21:4–10).
Daniel was a young man who was taken to Babylon as an exile. He rose to prominence in the administration of King Nebuchadnezzar and his successors (see Daniel 1—6). Babylon was overthrown after only several decades of prominence. The Lord had promised that the Jewish exile was only temporary, and, after the fall of Babylon, the Persian king allowed the exiles to return to Judah to rebuild the city and the temple. These events are recorded in Ezra and Nehemiah.
Because of the awful destruction caused by the Babylonians, Babylon became a symbol for the stereotypical enemies of God and His people. (Sodom and Egypt are also used in this way.) Babylon figures prominently in the book of Revelation as the ultimate enemy of God and persecutor of His people. “Babylon the Great” will be overthrown, but here is how she is described: “Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. The name written on her forehead was a mystery: Babylon the Great, the mother of prostitutes and of the abominations of the earth. I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus” (Revelation 17:3–6). Revelation also records the downfall of Babylon, lamented by people of the world (chapter 18), along with the rejoicing of the saints at her demise (chapter 19).
For years, many dispensationalists interpreted Babylon as Rome, center of a revived Roman Empire. With the ascendency of Saddam Hussein and war in Iraq, many changed their interpretation, thinking that Babylon might actually refer to a revived Babylonian Empire. With the ascendency of Saddam Hussein and war in Iraq, many changed their interpretation, thinking that Babylon might actually refer to a revived Babylonian Empire. For a while, Saddam Hussein attempted to rebuild Babylon, and he even fancied himself as the new Nebuchadnezzar. However, as events unfolded, it became evident that Hussein was not the final enemy of God and that he would not be successful in restoring a Babylonian Empire. It is usually risky to interpret the Bible in light of current events.
In summary, Babylon destroyed Jerusalem and the temple and became a symbol for the enemy of God and His people. Revelation uses this imagery, so Babylon in Revelation most likely does not refer to a revived Babylonian Empire but to a national entity that will persecute and destroy in “the spirit of the Babylonians.” The difference is that ancient Babylon destroyed Jerusalem as God’s judgment for her unfaithfulness. In the last days, “Babylon” persecutes believers who are being faithful, and it is Babylon who will be judged.
== Medo-Persia ==
The Medo-Persians, led by King Cyrus II, invaded Babylonia from the east in June of 539 B.C. and captured its capital, Babylon, in July of the same year. In biblical chronology, this occurred near the end of the Babylonian exile. Within a short time, Daniel became a trusted adviser to the new Medo-Persian Empire. This kingdom of the Medes and the Persians was later ruled by Artaxerxes II, or Ahasuerus, who married Esther. Today, Persia is essentially synonymous with modern Iran, and this was not so different in ancient times. However, Persia as an ancient kingdom, especially when referenced along with Media, encompassed Egypt in the west to parts of India in the east, and included Asia Minor from the eastern border of Greece to Tajikistan.
;The Medo-Persian Empire Foretold
Isaiah, Jeremiah and Daniel all prophesied that the Medes and the Persians would overtake the Babylonian Empire. Isaiah quoted God as saying, “See, I will stir up against them the Medes. . . . Their bows will strike down the young men” (Isaiah 13:17-18). Another prophecy said that the Medes would expand beyond Babylonia and affect all nations (Jeremiah 51:28). Jeremiah also provides the reason for the Medo-Persian ascendancy: “to destroy Babylon” and gain “vengeance for [God’s] temple” (Jeremiah 51:11). Daniel interpreted a dream which also foretold the fall of Babylon.
;The Writing on the Wall
Daniel also warned of Babylon’s demise on the eve of its fall, as recorded in Daniel 5. King Belshazzar, called “king” because he was left in charge of political affairs while his father was away at war, was using the gold and silver utensils from the temple as drinking vessels in a night of debauchery. “Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall” (Daniel 5:5). The frightened king summoned Daniel to the banquet hall to interpret the writing. Daniel’s inspired interpretation was dire: God had pronounced judgment on Babylon, and the kingdom would be divided. By morning, “Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom” (Daniel 5:30-31).
;End of the Exile
Before the Babylonian exile even began, God told Jeremiah that Judah would “become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years” (Jeremiah 25:11). Ezra and others recorded that “in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia [539 B.C.], in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus” (Ezra 1:1), and Cyrus allowed all the Jews to return to Judah. Not only did Cyrus release the Jews, but he also returned the stolen temple articles and paid for the Jews’ rebuilding efforts from the royal treasury (Ezra 6:4-5). This was a monumental time in Israel’s history, as Jerusalem and the temple were rebuilt and the Law was reinstituted.
;Daniel
Daniel was prominent in the Medo-Persian Empire and a trusted adviser to King Darius. However, after being placed as head of the satraps (governors, of sorts), Daniel was hated by some of them for his quick ascent. They laid a legal trap for Daniel that should have gotten him killed, for he was thrown into the infamous lions’ den. He survived, however, by God’s intervention, and he continued to prophesy, rule, and provide counsel in that foreign land (Daniel 6:28).
;Mordecai and Esther
Another key event in the history of Israel also occurred in Persia. The book of Esther describes the origin of the Feast of Purim and how the Jews were spared mass destruction. When Cyrus released the Jews to their homeland, not all of them elected to return to Judah (Esther 3:8). King Artaxerxes (or “Ahasuerus,” as he is called in Esther) reigned from 404-359 B.C. and likely had little background on his government’s history with the Jews. So, when his top adviser, Haman, accused the Jews of being routinely disobedient to the king’s laws, Artaxerxes believed him and agreed to Haman’s plan of genocide against the Jews. Queen Esther, herself a Jewess, had been chosen queen of the empire without disclosing her origin. In a series of remarkable events, plainly evincing God’s providence, Esther was able to expose Haman’s vile motives. Not only were the Jews spared destruction, but Esther’s cousin Mordecai was given Haman’s place of honor.
;Conclusion
God uses individuals and empires to accomplish His will. Certainly, the Medo-Persian Empire is a case in point. God used this empire to set His captive people free, fund the rebuilding of the temple, and encourage His children that they are never forsaken.
e Medo-Persians, led by King Cyrus II, invaded Babylonia from the east in June of 539 B.C. and captured its capital, Babylon, in July of the same year. In biblical chronology, this occurred near the end of the Babylonian exile. Within a short time, Daniel became a trusted adviser to the new Medo-Persian Empire. This kingdom of the Medes and the Persians was later ruled by Artaxerxes II, or Ahasuerus, who married Esther. Today, Persia is essentially synonymous with modern Iran, and this was not so different in ancient times. However, Persia as an ancient kingdom, especially when referenced along with Media, encompassed Egypt in the west to parts of India in the east, and included Asia Minor from the eastern border of Greece to Tajikistan.
== Greece ==
Jewish history is indelibly marked by Alexander the Great’s short rule over the Greek Empire. While none of the history of the Greek Empire is recorded in the Bible, we do have relevant prophecy. Another source of information concerning Greek influence on the history of the Jews is the Apocrypha, specifically 1 and 2 Maccabees.
The Greek kingdom was prophesied by Daniel in chapters 2, 8, and 11 of his book. Daniel 2 tells of the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar II’s dream, which foretold the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greek, and Roman Empires. Daniel 11 refers specifically to the kingdom of Greece. Alexander, though not named, is called “a mighty king . . . who will rule with great power and do as he pleases” (Daniel 11:2-3).
Daniel 8 is even more specific. The prophet has a vision of a ram with two horns (signifying Medo-Persia) attacked by a swiftly moving goat with a single large horn. After the goat kills the ram, its horn is broken “at the height of his power,” and four other horns grow up in its place (Daniel 8:1-8).
The angel Gabriel explains the vision: the goat signifies Greece, and the prominent horn is “the first king” (Alexander). The breaking of the horn signifies the untimely death of the king, and the four smaller horns represent a divided kingdom. The prophecy, which Daniel recorded 200 years in advance, came true in every detail: Alexander died in Babylon in 323 B.C. at the age of 33. His kingdom was then divided among his four generals, Ptolemy, Seleucas, Lysimachus, and Cassander. 
;The Divided Greek Empire and the Hasmonean Period
For the history of the divided Greek Empire and how it impacted Jewish history, we turn to the Apocrypha. Alexander the Great’s generals “put crowns upon themselves; so did their sons after them many years: and evils were multiplied in the earth” (1 Maccabees 1:9). The Selucid Empire ended up with control over Israel and Jerusalem. One of the Selucid kings was Antiochus IV, who called himself “Antiochus Epiphanes” (“Epiphanes” means “god manifest”).
In 167 B.C., Antiochus committed an “abomination of desolation”; specifically, he set up an altar to the Greek god Zeus inside the Jewish temple and sacrificed a pig on it. Antiochus proceeded to require pagan sacrifices in all Jewish villages. In the village of Modein, a Levite named Mattathias, who had five sons, was told to make the sacrifice. Mattathias refused and killed the troops and the villager who volunteered to do the deed. This sparked the Maccabean Revolt, led by Mattathias’s sons. Israel gained its freedom from the Selucids for a time and was later recognized as an independent state by the Roman Senate. The years that the Jews were led by Mattathias’s descendants are called the Maccabean or Hasmonean Period.
;Hellenism
Perhaps as equally impressive as Alexander’s military success was his advancement of Greek culture, called Hellenism. In every city Alexander conquered, he instituted schools to teach Greek philosophy and Koine Greek, which became the lingua franca of the known world. Alexander also had a penchant for renaming cities after himself: at least 11 cities are still called “Alexandria” today. The most famous is Alexandria, Egypt, which, along with Syrian Antioch, was a center of Hellenic thought. These hubs of Hellenism precipitated a major cultural change and had enormous impact on world history, especially biblical history. The New Testament was written in Koine Greek. The widespread use of the Greek language aided the sharing of the gospel from India to Spain. Greek philosophy gave us the concept of the logos, which John used as a way to communicate the nature of Christ (John 1:1). Antioch became the launching point for Paul’s missionary journeys, and “the disciples were called Christians first at Antioch” (Acts 11:26).
== Rome ==
Rome is not mentioned in the Old Testament but figures prominently in the New Testament. Although the city of Rome is not often directly mentioned, every place and event in the New Testament has Roman rule as its background.
Rome came to prominence in what is called the intertestamental period—the roughly 400 years between Old and New Testaments. During that time Israel was under the thumb of Greek rulers, gained independence for a brief period of time, and then came under the control of the Roman Empire. The city of Rome ruled most of the Mediterranean world at that time. Within the empire there were citizens of Rome, who had special protections, and then everyone else, who were more or less conquered peoples and did not have the same protections. Simply living within the borders of the Roman Empire did not make one a citizen of Rome.
It was a decree from Rome, by Emperor Caesar Augustus, that moved Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem in time for Jesus to be born there, thereby fulfilling prophecy (Luke 2:1–6; Micah 5:2). Herod the Great, who slaughtered the baby boys in and around Bethlehem (Matthew 2:16–18), had been placed on the throne by the Roman emperor. Jesus and His disciples had regular interaction with Roman soldiers stationed in Jerusalem and throughout Palestine. Jesus healed a centurion’s servant and held him up as a model of true faith (Luke 7:1–10).
When the Jewish leaders finally determined to put Jesus to death, they had to enlist the help of the Roman authorities. Pilate was the Roman governor who finally pronounced the death sentence. The Jewish authorities pressured him into doing it by questioning his allegiance to Caesar: “Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jewish leaders kept shouting, ‘If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.’ When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat. . . . ‘Here is your king,’ Pilate said to the Jews. But they shouted, ‘Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!’ ‘Shall I crucify your king?’ Pilate asked. ‘We have no king but Caesar,’ the chief priests answered. Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified” (John 19:12–16).
Later, Paul traveled to Rome for his trial before Caesar. He did not plant the church in Rome, but his most thorough explanation of the gospel is in his Epistle to the Romans. That letter served as his introduction to the church at Rome, who had only heard about him but had never met him personally or heard him preach.
The stability that Rome brought to the world allowed for the efficient spread of the gospel. Under Rome, there was a common language that facilitated spreading the message. Rome built an extensive road system that made travel easier and thus further enabled the gospel to be spread. And, finally, because of Roman rule, crime was at an all-time low for the period, and thus travel was safer for the apostles and missionaries of the first century.
For Rome, a primary objective was to keep the peace in its conquered territories. People were allowed a great deal of freedom in what they believed and what religious practices they followed, as long as their first allegiance was to Rome and to the Emperor. People in the Roman Empire were required to offer sacrifices to the gods of Rome and/or the Emperor. As long as they did this, they could also offer sacrifices to other gods of their choice. This was a problem for Jews and Christians, however. Because of the Jews’ longstanding tradition of monotheism, Rome allowed Jews an exemption. As long as Christianity was considered a subset of Judaism, it was exempt as well. However, as Jewish leaders began to denounce Christians, the followers of Jesus lost their legal protection. In effect, the Jewish religious leaders used the Roman Empire to carry out persecution. Throughout most of the book of Acts, it seems that Christians are not in the crosshairs of the Roman authorities, but Jews and pagans often appeal to Roman authorities to stifle the Christian message. In Paul’s case, his Roman citizenship actually saved him from the plots of some zealous Jews (Acts 23:30—25:7).
Rome is not mentioned by name in Revelation, but it is alluded to. In Revelation 17, Babylon the harlot is seen riding on a beast having seven heads and ten horns (verse 7). The seven heads are identified as seven hills (verse 9). No one in the ancient world could have missed this reference to Rome, which was known for being built on seven hills. In the vision of Revelation 17, Rome is not the instigator of persecution so much as the instrument that is used by the woman Babylon to persecute the saints. This follows the pattern that can be observed in the Gospels and Acts.
Rome continued (and continues) to be significant in church history and in the history of Western civilization, especially with the political and religious influence of the Roman Catholic Church.
== Anglo-America ==
Since the end of World War II the Western nations and the Communist Eastern bloc have been in a competitive struggle that has at times erupted into violence. Great Britain and the United States, as a combined or dual world power, have led the Western nations in resisting the expansion of communism.
After twenty-five years of cold wars, provocative acts by both sides and hot wars, the world situation is still tense and dangerous, as shown by conditions in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and elsewhere. What will the future bring? Will it be annihilation in a global nuclear war? Is there any hope of ever realizing permanent peace? Certain facts concerning the Anglo-American world power shed light on the matter.
;Close Relationship
A close relationship has long existed between Great Britain and the United States. In 1946 Winston Churchill spoke of it as a “special relationship,” a “fraternal association.”
This relationship was clearly evident during World War I and World War II. It was the pooling of the military machines and economic resources of these two nations that enabled them to defeat the military might of Germany and her allies in those two wars. The atomic bomb that played such a prominent role in deciding the outcome of World War II was the result of a joint effort by British and American scientists. But that is not all.
It has been the partnership of these two nations and their initiatives that have played key roles in establishing systems for world trade and finance. In fact, the basic currencies for use in international trade have been the British pound sterling and the American dollar. Still another indication of the world influence of the Anglo-American combine is the fact that these two nations were the initiating force behind the formation of the League of Nations and the United Nations.
There can be little doubt that the Anglo-American world power has exercised a profound influence on world affairs in this twentieth century. Although Great Britain and the United States have had some differences of opinion, they have had, on the whole, a close partnership that has made them a dual world power unequaled in history. On this point the Saturday Evening Post of July 1, 1967, observed: “Winston Churchill was fond of pointing out that the United States and Britain together made an unchallengeable combination. This is still true, empire or no empire, gold drain or no gold drain.”
Noting the close relationship of the two countries, the British ambassador to the United States stated in a speech delivered on May 22, 1963: “Today, I believe our two governments are cooperating with each other more closely than any other two free and sovereign powers have ever done before in peacetime. . . . No alliancein history has wielded as much power as that of the Anglo-American partnership since the day in 1941 when we stood as comrades in arms.” This partnership is significant, as it was foretold in Bible prophecy.
;Early Beginning
The seed for the Anglo-American World power was actually planted by the Roman Empire a long time ago. According to Biblical history, the Roman Empire was the sixth world power in a series that began with ancient Egypt, or the fourth counting from Babylon. As foretold, the Anglo-American world power, described as a ‘horn speaking grandiose things,’ was to spring from the Roman Empire. (Dan. 7:7, 8, 23, 24) How did this prove to be so?
When the Roman armies arrived in Britain in the first century before our Common Era, they made Britain part of the Roman Empire. Thus the sixth world power became firmly established there with its local capital at Camulodunum, which is now Colchester. Before the Romans came, the land was divided among approximately thirty tribes of people. After these tribes were subdued, the area constituted the western division of the Roman European provinces.
Under Roman protection Britain prospered, approximately ninety-two towns rising there. Acknowledging this Roman domination of Britain as the beginning of the history of Great Britain, the book The Historians’ History of the World by Henry Smith Williams states: “The history of Great Britain may be said to begin with the landing of Caesar’s legions on the southern shore of England.” Thus we see the link between the Roman Empire and the Anglo-American or seventh world power.
;Why the Date 1763 Is Significant
The first appearance of the seventh world power was in 1763, when Great Britain became the foremost commercial power of the world. It was in this year that she took over most of the French possessions in North America at the conclusion of the Seven Years’ War, which involved nearly every nation of Europe and was fought world wide​—in India, North America, Germany and on the high seas. Now the seed that had been planted by the Roman Empire had grown into a mighty organization that would in time become a dual world power, foretold in the Bible at Revelation 13:11 under the symbol of a wild beast that “had two horns like a lamb” but that “began speaking as a dragon.”
That the Seven Years’ War, which began in 1756 and ended in 1763, marked the emergence of Great Britain as a world power is noted by the Encyclopædia Britannica in its Eleventh Edition. It says: “This war laid the foundations of the British empire. . . . The treaties of Paris (February 10, 1763) and Hubertsburg (February 15) marked an important stage in the history of Europe. By the first [treaty] Great Britain emerged from the war an imperial power with possessions all over the world.”
Although Great Britain lost her American colonies in the Revolutionary War that began in 1775, she continued to expand elsewhere as a world power. From 1798 to 1805 she quadrupled her area of control in India and by 1818 was the sovereign ruler there. During the reign of Queen Victoria (1837 to 1901) further areas of India, as well as Burma and large portions of Africa came under British control.
At the time of this queen’s death the British Empire possessed one out of every four square miles of land area in the world, giving rise to the saying that ‘the sun never sets on the British Empire.’ It has been said that one person out of every five in the world was a British subject. Because of her sea power it was said that ‘Britannia rules the waves.’ But how did Great Britain, as the seventh world power, grow into a dual power, a power that plays an important role in world events today?
;Appearance of the Dual Anglo-American Power
The beginning of the change was when the American colonies, which were originally British, broke away to form a separate nation, the United States of America. It was not long until the British Empire and this new nation were working together in a partnership. This was at the time of the Monroe Doctrine in 1823.
It was about this time that Great Britain became alarmed when several European governments urged France to send troops to Latin America so as to help restore Spanish and Portuguese royal government there. She suggested to the United States that a joint notice be issued warning the European governments to stay out of the Americas.
The United States decided to act alone and issued the Monroe Doctrine, which stated that she would resist any attempt of those nations to colonize or dominate the Americas. Commenting on this, the World Book Encyclopedia, in its 1966 edition, states: “But the doctrine owed its effectiveness more to British sea power than to American policy.” At that time the United States was still relatively weak.
During the Spanish-American War of 1898 Britain and the United States drew still closer together. This is pointed out by the New Cambridge Modern History by G. N. Clark, p. 580: “A war in which the United States was subsequently engaged with Spain cemented this feeling. The government and the people of the United States recognized the advantage which they derived from the goodwill of Great Britain in the hour of their necessity, and the two nations drew together as no other two nations had perhaps ever been drawn together before.” This close relationship has continued into the twentieth century, as we have seen, resulting in a dual world power.
Showing that this world power still has a powerful position in world affairs, The Washington Post, in its issue of September 28, 1969, commented on the military presence of the United States in other countries. It observed that this presence exists in sixty-eight foreign countries and then said: “Truly, the sun never sets on America’s bewildering military entanglements.” Thus the influence of the Anglo-American world power is still felt world wide even though Great Britain no longer has the vast empire she once had. But now this influence is being challenged by the Communist nations.
;What Does All This Mean to You?
You are affected today by the “pushing” going on between the Anglo-American world power and the Communist bloc of nations. If this should explode into a global nuclear war, everyone will be affected in a frightful way.
If this competition should develop into an economic collapse on the part of the Anglo-American world power, you would most likely be affected economically. Why? Because the economic health of many nations is at present dependent in one way or another on the economic well-being of the Anglo-American world power. But where can you turn for reliable information about the future?
The Bible contains the information that you need. It foretold not only the rise of the Anglo-American world power but also that it would engage in a pushing with the Communist bloc of nations. When foretelling this it speaks of these political powers as the “king of the south” and the “king of the north.”​—Dan. 11:40.
What the Bible says about the future of the Anglo-American world power and the Communist “king of the north” can give you genuine hope for better world conditions. It does not foretell victory for either one of those powers over the other, but rather shows that both of them will come to their end. They will be replaced by God’s kingdom in the hands of Jesus Christ, and it is this government that will actually succeed in ushering in permanent world peace.​—Dan. 2:44; Isa. 9:7; Ps. 37:11.
== Notes ==
== References ==