Lately I have been reading about the history of the Roman Empire and there are some scary parallels with today.
One particular instance stands out.
It occurred during the time of Emperor Nero’s reign: no, it is not the great fire of Rome, there have been severe bushfires we have had in this country but none that nearly destroyed the great city of Rome.
One particular moment of history repeating itself during that time of history has stood out.
Queensland Police Shootings
Last December’s Queensland Police Shootings was declared “anactofdomesticterrorismlinkedtotheChristianfundamentalistbeliefsystemknownaspremillennialism”.
This is the first time in Australia’s history that the so-called “Christian Ideology” has been linked to a terror attack.
QLD Police Deputy Commissioner Tracey Linford said in her media conference that “she was not an expert on Christian Ideology”
Which is clear because she could not point out where in premillennialism is any authority given whatsoever for a person to use premeditated violence.
For the non-premillennialist experts, Premillennialism is simply a belief that Christ will come and reign for a thousand years.
It’s a belief system shared by millions of Australian Christians.
The belief has been around since 1845 yet not one terror attack has been attributed to this belief.
Premillennialism affirms the absolute authority of New Testament teaching that Christians are to submit to governing authorities.
We saw this with Jesus submitting to the judgement of Pontius Pilate and his affirmation that “my kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36).
There is also nowhere in Christianity that justifies murder of anyone let alone officers of the state.
It is simply not possible to call this Christian Fundamentalism because it is simply not Christian.
It’s correlation to Rome
In Ancient Rome, the Emperor Nero blamed the great fire of Rome on Christians.
Which started over 400 years of Christian Persecution.
Christianity was blamed because the leaders of Rome at the time either hated it or did not understand it.
I am not sure of the Deputy Commissioner’s motive in attributing something so foreign to Christianity.
Perhaps she was just reading the briefings but her ignorance on the topic was clear as was Ancient Rome’s towards Christianity.
History can repeat itself and we will see persecution.
But where great persecution has occurred so do great revivals.
Our churches need this, I say bring on the revival.
Ben Kruzins is the Campus Pastor of The Hub Baptist Church in Ocean Shores on the North Coast of New South Wales. He is also a Journalism graduate who has written articles in The Canberra Times and The Sydney Morning Herald.