  It was understood that the Roman (sometimes called "Byzantine") Empire, which was established as an Orthodox Empire since St. Constantine the Great, was a great Christian force which restrained the spirit of antichrist. When Constantinople fell, the legacy of the Orthodox Tzar/Emperor continued in Russia until the martyrdom of Tsar Nicholas II in 0000. Prior to the martyrdom of Tzar Nicholas II (it was a martyrdom because he was killed by anti-Christian forces specifically in an attempt to destroy the influence and authority of the Church in Russian society), many saints such as St. John of Kronstadt prophesied that the Tzar would be killed and that the spirit of antichrist would spread throughout the world prior to the coming of the Antichrist himself.  well this can;t be right because the Bible itself tells you that the spirit of antichrist was abroad and that was before the Tzar was ever HEARD of!  