September 22: THE CONSTANTINIAN SHIFT (part 1)

At the appointed time he shall return and go toward the south; but it shall not be like the former or the latter. Daniel 11: 29

The prophecy continues to deal with Rome, who stepped into the role of king of the North as of verse 16. His career as a pagan empire undergoes a shift that will eventually move him into his second phase. The appointed time, previously referenced in verses 24 and 27, was approached by these events: in 306AD after the death of Emperor Constantius, Constantine, his son, was proclaimed emperor by his army; in 312 Constantine fought and won the Battle of the Milvian Bridge, defeating Maxentius, thus solidifying his emperorship over the western leg of the Roman empire; that same year, he declared his own conversion to Christianity; in 313, he issued the Edict of Milan which decriminalized Christianity; in 324 he defeated his last rival, Licinius, and gained rulership over the eastern leg of the Roman empire (remember the symbolic representation of Rome as the legs of iron in 2:33).

The year 330 marked the end of the appointed time, the 360 years which began just after the Battle of Actium (31BC). The Roman empire’s movement toward the south was not like the former, when Egypt became a Roman province, or the latter, when the Holy Land was overrun (70AD). Those defeats had buoyed Rome into his days of prestige and worldly glory.

In 330, Constantine relocated the empire’s capital from Rome to Byzantium. He made numerous major renovations and additions, transforming it into a grand imperial city adorned with new monuments. He expanded its fortifications and enacted sweeping administrative, military, and financial reforms. With a massive new imperial residence as well as new public buildings in the classical Roman-style architecture, Constantine renamed the city for himself: Constantinople.

This change, known as the “Constantinian Shift”, had a dramatic demoralizing effect upon the city of Rome. The removal of the seat of the empire from Rome to Constantinople signaled the downfall of the empire in the west. In addition to the loss of prestige, the west was left vulnerable to the incursions of foreign enemies. Constantine had designated the bishop of Rome (later known as the pope) to take charge, thus this religious office gradually assumed political influence to fill the vacuum. It was the “perfect storm” that led to the eventual installment of papal Rome as the new king of the North.

No amount of taxation could offset the government overspending of Rome. Military costs were soaring as immense logistical challenges for defending the vast borders became increasingly complex. Spoils from Rome’s past conquests, such as slaves, precious metals, and war treasures were quickly drying up. Infrastructure and public works, in need of maintenance, were sliding into disrepair. Lavish spending on luxuries for the elite and government “giveaways” for the sake of popularity and political power helped speed the empire toward its downfall. Every step of the way, inappropriate measures were being taken in order to relive the past, as though that former “glory” were being held up as the standard of greatness. The LORD says:

“Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:19 (see also Luke 9:62; 2 Corinthians.5:17; Philippians 3:13-14)