Body: | What did early Christians believe about...?
(Before 400 AD)
Uninspired records of how early Christians worshipped and what doctrine
they believed!
Click to View
The prophecies of Revelation are fulfilled
Click to View
71+AD The Jewish Sibylline Oracles (On Nero, The Beast) "Then Beliar
will come from the Sebastinoi [i.e., the line of Augustus] and he will
raise up the height of mountains, he will raise up the sea, the great fiery
sun and shining moon, and he will raise up the dead. . . . But he will,
indeed, also lead men astray, and he will lead astray many faithful, chosen
Hebrews, and also other lawless men who have not yet listened to the word
of God. (Sibylline Oracles 3:63-70; OTP 1:363.)
71+AD The Jewish Sibylline Oracles (On Nero, The Beast) "One who has
fifty as an initial will be commander, a terrible snake, breathing out
grievous war, who one day will lay hands on his own family and slay them,
and throw every-thing into confusion, athlete, charioteer, murderer, one
who dares ten thousand things. He will also cut the mountain between two
seas and defile it with gore. But even when he disappears he will be
destructive. Then he will return declaring himself equal to God. But he
will prove that he is not. Three princes after him will perish at each
other's hands." (.5:28-35; OTP 1:393.)
71+AD The Jewish Sibylline Oracles (On Nero, The Beast) "a
savage-minded man, much-bloodied, raving nonsense, with a full host
numerous as sand, to bring destruction on you." (5:96; OTP 1:395.)
71+AD The Jewish Sibylline Oracles (On Nero, The Beast) "a terrible
and shameless prince whom all mortals and noble men despise. For he
destroyed many men and laid hands on the womb. (5:143- 145; OTP 1:396.)
71+AD The Jewish Sibylline Oracles (On Nero, The Beast) "There will
come to pass in the last time about the waning of the moon a war which will
throw the world into confusion and be deceptive in guile. A man who is a
matricide will come from the ends of the earth in flight and devising
penetrating schemes in his mind. He will destroy every land and conquer all
and consider all things more wisely than all men. He will immediately seize
the one because of whom he himself perished. He will destroy many men and
great rulers, and he will set fire to all men as no one else ever did.
Through zeal he will raise up those who were crouched in fear. There will
come upon men a great war from the West. Blood will flow up to the band of
deep-eddying rivers. Wrath will drip in the plains of Macedonia, an
alliance to the people horn the West, but destruction for the king."
(Oracles 5:361-374; OTP 1:401-402.)
71+AD The Jewish Sibylline Oracles (On Nero, The Beast) "making
himself equal to God." (12:79, 81, 86; OTP 14-47.)
403AD Sulpcius Severus (On Nero, The Beast) "As to Nero, I shall not
say that he was the worst of kings, but that he was worthily held the
basest of all men, and even of wild beasts. It was he who first began a
persecution; and I am not sure but hew will be the last also to carry it
on, if, indeed, we admit, as many are inclined to believe, that he will yet
appear immediately before the coming of Antichrist. Our subject would
induce me to set forth his vices at some length, if it were not
inconsistent with the purpose of this work to enter upon so vast a topic. I
content myself with the remark, that he showed himself in every way most
abominable and cruel, and at length even went so far as to be the murderer
of his own mother. After this, he also married a certain Pythagoras in the
style of solemn alliances, the bridal veil being put upon the emperor,
while the usual dowry, and the marriage couch, and wedding torches, and, in
short, all the other observances were forthcoming--things which even in the
ease of women, are not looked upon without some feeling of modesty. But as
to his other actions, I doubt whether the description of them would excite
greater shame or sorrow. He first attempted to abolish the name of
Christian, in accordance with the fact that vices are always inimical to
virtues, and that all good men are ever regarded by the wicked as casting
reproach upon them. For, at that time, our divine religion had obtained a
wide prevalence in the city. Peter was there executing the office of
bishop, and Paul, too, after he had been brought to Rome, on appealing to
Caesar from the unjust judgment of the governor. Multitudes then came
together to hear Paul, and these, influenced by the truth which they were
given to know, and by the miracles of the apostles, which they then so
frequently performed, turned to the worship of God. For then took place the
well-known and celebrated encounter of Peter and Paul with Simon. He, after
he had flown up into the air by his magical arts, and supported by two
demons (with the view of proving that he was a god), the demons being put
to flight by the prayers of the apostles, fell to the earth in the sight of
all the people, and was dashed to pieces. " (Section XXVIII, Sacred
History)
419AD Augustine (On Nero, The Beast) "What means the declaration,
that the mystery of iniquity already works?... Some suppose this to be
spoken of the Roman emperor, and therefore Paul did not speak in plain
words, because he would not incur the charge of calumny for having spoken
evil of the Roman emperor: although he always expected that what he had
said would be understood as applying to Nero." (quoted by Moses Stuart in
Apocalypse, 386AD)
450AD Andreas of Cappadocia Caesarea (On Revelation 6:12) "There are
not wanting those who apply this passage to the siege and destruction of
Jerusalem by Titus."(Commentary on Revelation)
450AD Andreas of Cappadocia Caesarea (On Revelation 7:1) "These
things are referred by some to those sufferings which were inflicted by the
Romans upon the Jews."(Commentary on Revelation)
450AD Andreas of Cappadocia Caesarea (On Revelation 7:2) "Although
these things happened in part to Jewish Christians, who escaped the evils
inflicted on Jerusalem by the Romans, yet they more probably refer to
Anti-christ."(Commentary on Revelation)
Go Back to last menu
Click Your Choice
Go To Start: WWW.BIBLE.CA
|