But to see how fitting the ten brutal Roman persecutions of the Christians describes the fifth seal, we ought to know something about them (The Fifth Seal, 303-313 AD, pg. 32).
For a complete account of the ten great persecutions, see John Foxe, Book of Martyrs, Ch. 1, and Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, Vol. 2, Ch. 2, p.31-82. All of the facts concerning the persecutions not specifically annotated, were checked against these sources.
“From the fifth century it has been customary to reckon ten great persecutions: under Nero, Domitian, Trajan, Marcus Aurelius, Septimius Severus, Maximinus, Decius, Valerian, Aurelian, and Diocletian. This number was suggested by the ten plagues of Egypt taken as types (which, however, befell the enemies of Israel, and present a contrast rather than a parallel), and by the ten horns of the Roman beast making war with the Lamb, taken for so many emperors. But the number is too great for the general persecutions, and too small for the provincial and local. Only two imperial persecutions—those of Decius and Diocletian—extended over the empire; but Christianity was always an illegal religion from Trajan to Constantine, and subject to annoyance and violence everywhere. Some persecuting emperors—Nero, Domitian, Galerius, were monstrous tyrants, but others—Trajan, Marcus Aurelius, Decius, Diocletian—were among the best and most energetic emperors, and were prompted not so much by hatred of Christianity as by zeal for the maintenance of the laws and the power of the government. On the other hand, some of the most worthless emperors—Commodus, Caracalla, and Heliogabalus—were rather favorable to the Christians from sheer caprice. All were equally ignorant of the true character of the new religion.”
Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, Vol. 2, pp. 38-39.
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