The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 1

II. Eusebius’ New Prophetic Interpretation

The changed outlook of the church after Constantine’s conversion is strikingly exemplified by Eusebius himself, who after Nicaea still continues to refer to the prophecies, but with radically altered application to suit the unprecedented developments. The prophecies of Isaiah 35 and Psalm 46, concerning the latter days, he applies to the new churches of the new era. PFF1 382.4

1. MAGNIFICENT CHRISTIAN CHURCHES FULFILLING Isaiah 35

Book 10 of Eusebius’ History, given over to his “panegyric upon the restoration of the churches,” is addressed to Bishop Paulinus of Tyre, in Phoenicia, upon the completion of the splendid Christian temple there. This extravagant eulogy was composed as Eusebius saw in “every place” “temples” (churches) again rising from their foundations to an immense height, and receiving a splendor far greater than that of the old ones which had been destroyed. ³⁴ Eusebius goes so far in his praise of the achievement of the bishop of Tyre as to liken his new church to “a new and much better Jerusalem,” and the songs of jubilee filling these new temples to the songs of triumph in the New Jerusalem and the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 35. ³⁵ PFF1 383.1

2. RESTORED JERUSALEM POSSIBLY NEW JERUSALEM

He further suggests that the magnificent church structure built by Constantine at old Jerusalem might be the New Jerusalem predicted by the prophets. PFF1 383.2

“On the very spot which witnessed the Saviour’s sufferings, a new Jerusalem was constructed, over against the one so celebrated of old, which, since the foul stain of guilt brought on it by the murder of the Lord, had experienced the last extremity of desolation, the effect of Divine judgment on its impious people. It was opposite this city that the emperor now began to rear a monument to the Saviour’s victory over death, with rich and lavish magnificence. And it may be that this was that second and new Jerusalem spoken of in the predictions of the prophets, [Footnote: “Apparently referring (says Valesius) to Revelation 21:2: ‘And I, John, saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God, out of heaven,’ &: c.; an extraordinary, nay, almost ludicrous application of Scripture, though perhaps characteristic of the author’s age.-Bag.”] concerning which such abundant testimony is given in the divinely inspired records.” ³⁶ PFF1 383.3

Picture 1: CONSTANTINE THE GREAT DOMINATES THE FOURTH CENTURY
Giant statue of Constantine, at Rome, affording supposed actual likeness of this powerful figure (inset); tapestry of decisive battle of Saxa Rubra, or Milvian bridge, resulting in Maxentius’ defeat and in edict of Milan giving civil rights and freedom to christians throughout the empire (upper); modern church of the holy Sepulcher at Jerusalem, a successor to one built under Constantine and looked upon by contempories as part of the “new Jerusalem” (lower).
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Indeed, according to the church historian Socrates, this was actually named the “New Jerusalem” by Constantine’s mother ³⁷ and the bishops assembled at the Synod of Tyre were directed by the emperor to proceed with dispatch to the “New Jerusalem,” where they celebrated a festival in connection with the consecration of the place. ³⁸ PFF1 385.1

3. FEAST FOR BISHOPS FORESHADOWS KINGDOM.

So far did Eusebius go in his extravaganzas to Constantine ³⁹ as actually to liken his feast with the bishops, given after the Nicene Council, upon the occasion of the twentieth year of his reign, to a shadowing forth of Christ’s kingdom ⁴⁰ PFF1 385.2

4. NEW JERUSALEM PROPHECIES APPLIED TO GLORIES OF CHURCH.

Certain of the Scriptural prophecies formerly applied to the latter days and to the predicted New Jerusalem of Revelation 21 he now applies to the glories of the church as established by Constantine. And the casting down of the dragon, in Revelation 12, he declares to be the overthrow of pagan domination as effected by Constantine. It would have been unbelievable to him, or to others involved, that the imperial enthronement of Christianity in the empire would someday be looked back to as the foundation upon which would be erected the structure of the predicted antichristian ecclesiastical empire in the territory of the Roman world. PFF1 385.3

The immediate splendor of it all blinded him; ⁴¹ it appeared to him as the very image of the kingdom of Christ, and he fancied that the anticipated millennium had commenced. Thus the exaltation of Christianity as the religion of the state led not only to tragic declension in spiritual life, but also to a gross change in the attitude of the church toward the Lord’s coming, as we shall see. PFF1 385.4

5. CONSTANTINE BOASTS OF CASTING DOWN DRAGON-PAGANISM

Particularly significant in this connection is Constantine’s unequivocal representation of himself as casting down the “dragon,” or “serpent,” of the pagan persecution in the Roman Empire. Eusebius describes Constantine’s picture placed on the front of the imperial palace, surmounted by a cross, and beneath it the dragon hurled headlong into the depths. PFF1 386.1

“And besides this, he [Constantine] caused to be painted on a lofty tablet, and set up in the front of the portico of his palace, so as to be visible to all, a representation of the salutary sign placed above his head, and below it that hateful and savage adversary of mankind, who by means of the tyranny of the ungodly had wasted the Church of God, falling headlong, under the form of a dragon, to the abyss of destruction. For the sacred oracles in the books of God’s prophets have described him as a dragon and a crooked serpent; and for this reason the emperor thus publicly displayed a painted resemblance of the dragon beneath his own and his children’s feet, stricken through with a dart, and cast headlong into the depths of the sea. PFF1 386.2

“In this manner he intended to represent the secret adversary of the human race, and to indicate that he was consigned to the gulf of perdition by virtue of the salutary trophy placed above his head. This allegory, then, was thus conveyed by means of the colors of a picture: and I am filled with wonder at the intellectual greatness of the emperor, who as if by divine inspiration thus expressed what the prophets had foretold concerning this monster, saying that ‘God would bring his great and strong and terrible sword against the dragon, the flying serpent; and would destroy the dragon that was in the sea.’ This it was of which the emperor gave a true and faithful representation in the picture above described.” ⁴² PFF1 386.3

In the period of the late empire the dragon was one of Rome’s military ensigns. ⁴³ And Constantine seems, in this picture, definitely to have recognized that the apostle John had depicted paganism in Rome as the instrument of the dragon which was to be cast into the abyss. Writing to Eusebius and other bishops, respecting the vigorous repairing and building program for the churches through aid of the provincial governors, Constantine had declared unequivocally that by his own instrumentality the “dragon,” personified by a recent pagan persecutor, presumably Licinius, had been driven from state affairs.” ⁴⁴ PFF1 386.4

Picture 2: CASTING DOWN OF PAGANISM MEMORIZED ON Roman COINS
Constantine coin showing the christian Labarum, or symbol, exalted and above the pagan dragon that is now cast down (left); a later emperor with foot on head of the conquered dragon of paganism-typical of similar poses on other coins of christian emperors (right).
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He even caused coins to be struck, representing the event under the likeness of the labarum above the conquered dragon, ⁴⁵ examples of which are preserved in the British Museum and other collections. Eusebius, as already quoted, makes it clear that Constantine’s Christian contemporaries regarded the emperor as the overthrower of the pagan dragon. PFF1 387.1

6. APPOINTMENT OF KIN “FULFILLS” DANIEL’S PROPHECY.

Finally, at the close of Constantine’s thirtieth year of imperial rule—one of his sons having been advanced to share his imperial power during each decade-he appoints a nephew to the same dignity. And Eusebius is moved to declare that by these appointments Constantine fulfills the prediction of the prophet Daniel (7:18), “The saints of the most High shall take the kingdom.” ⁴⁶ PFF1 387.2

The public and private zeal of Constantine exerted a powerful influence upon the Greek church, for the fifty copies of the Greek Bible which he caused to be prepared for use in the churches of his new capital formed a standard for ecclesiastical use. The effects were soon seen. And during the controversies that agitated the church throughout his reign, Constantine did adhere to the authority of Scripture. When he convened the council the Scripture was accepted as the authority by which both parties must sustain their positions. PFF1 387.3

What a strange anomaly, therefore, is presented by the figure of Constantine preaching the gospel, calling himself bishop of bishops, hoping to establish Christianity as the religion of the empire, and convening the first general council of the church, though he was himself not even baptized or received into church membership until his deathbed, some twenty years after professing the Christian faith! ⁴⁷ PFF1 388.1