Church History in Plain Language

by Bruce L. Shelley

In one sense Rome was right because many Christians considered this conflict of loyalties a cosmic struggle. The Revelation of John in the New Testament reflects the Christian response to the imperial cult in Asia Minor toward the end of the first century. John traces the oppression of believers to the devil himself, to the great red dragon, who wages war against the saints through two agents, the beasts of Revelation 13. The first is the beast from the sea (or abyss), the imperial power. The second is the beast from the land (the false prophet), or the imperial worship. And what was the Christian defense against this attack from Rome? They conquered the dragon, John says, “by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death” (Rev.