The prophesied rise of the Romans comes on the heels of a vanquished Greek Empire and forces the overthrow of the Hasmonean Dynasty, which ruled Judea for a hundred years. With the arrival of the promised Messiah, the nation of Judah receives, and largely rejects, the Messianic message, leading to a shift in the movement and the creation of the leavened Christian religion.

Emperor Nero rises to power, and, needing someone to blame for the suffering caused by his excesses, persecution of Christians begins under his reign. This leads to Christian apologetics and martyrdom, as well as a new policy dictating how and when Christians should be punished for their obstinacy. Thus, the martyr becomes a hero and model of Christian perfection, and someone to be venerated as a saint.

While the ancient catholic church tries to achieve universal appeal, the rival Gnostics challenge its authority. This conflict presses the church to complete its establishment of orthodoxy, which it struggles to maintain in the form of creeds, Scripture cannon, and apostolic succession. This allows the church to cement its hold on the Christian message, and denounce as heretics all challengers to its “apostolic” authority.

None were more instrumental to the development of Christian theology and doctrine than the church fathers; men who, in the early centuries of the movement, rose to prominence via their written expositions of the Christian faith. Modern Christianity exists on the foundation that the church fathers built. And while they gave the Christian movement its doctrinal legs, those doctrines pushed Christianity farther from both Torah and Yeshua’s message.

A succession of intolerant emperors inflicts severe punishment on obstinate Christians who refuse to serve the Roman deities, culminating in the harshest of all persecutions of the first four centuries—that under Diocletian. The empire itself, meanwhile, faces near collapse under the weight of economic crises, internal political conflicts, civil war, and invasion from confederate barbarians pouring in from beyond the Rhine and the Danube.

Constantine defeats his rival Maxentius for control of Italy, leaving him with one final rival blocking the way to complete control of the Roman Empire. The battle of Chrysopolis decides the fate of the realm, establishing Constantine as sole ruler. Constantine thereafter cements his place in history by effectively shaping the course of Christianity through edicts, sanctions, and other policies, and by favoring the movement with many gifts.

Theodosius attempts to stamp out the remnants of the Arian movement from his realm, but not before it spreads to Rome’s fiercest enemies. Paganism, on the other hand, is outlawed, and eradicated from the realm, leading to the further rise of the Christian movement. Bishop Ambrose of Milan exercises his new authority while building the church into a political and legal institution, adding to its ecclesiastical strength.

Among the most celebrated of all the historical Catholic figures, Augustine, more than most, shaped the theology of the church like a master sculptor, influencing many generations that came after him. The doctrines he spearheaded arose from various controversies that plagued North Africa during his time as bishop, but those doctrines persist to this day, even reaching beyond the church, into the very halls of government.

Christianity’s development beyond the borders of the Roman Empire was also significant, showing the thorough spread of the spiritual leaven. East, west, and even north, to the lands of Persia, India, Mesopotamia, and the barbarian regions beyond the Rhine and Danube, one form of Christianity or another took root. And, finally, Christian barbarians, of the Arian persuasion, having amassed great numbers and strength, invaded the empire.

Following the reign of Constantine, who lavished the church with gifts and property, rich and powerful church members were seen as the main beneficiaries of Yah’s blessings, to the disgust of many among the lowly laity. And with the end of persecutions and martyrdom—which was seen as a means of attaining perfection and sainthood—the laity looked to another path to achieving these goals: monasticism.

With monasticism firmly established, the church sets about converting the pagan territories of the Picts and Scots in Scotland, the Angles and Saxons in England and other tribes in western Europe. Also, the barbarian Franks rise to fulfill a key prophecy. Meanwhile, the three horns that are plucked up in Daniel chapter 7 are made known, that being three barbarian tribes which successfully establish kingdoms that are eventually uprooted.

Justinian comes to power, thanks to his uncle, Emperor Justin, and a law has to be changed in order for him to wed a forbidden woman. Opulence fills Justinian’s court, and he is faced with early revolt, but surviving this, he overhauls the entire Roman law code—which has since been adopted by much of the world. Finally, he suffers disasters that devastate his realm and drains the Treasury.

Muhammad, born in Mecca to a low clan, marries into wealth and claims to receive visions that would form the foundation for Islam. Forced to emigrate from Mecca, he finds a strong following in Medina, and after unifying warring tribes in the cause of Islam, the united Arab front storms into the Byzantine territories of the ancient Near East, which they would dominate to the present day.

The church experiences a low ebb of morality while enduring the external threat of yet other invasions, this time by Magyars from the east and Norsemen from the north. Vikings and Danes plunder the west and establish kingdoms in what would become powerful European states, while the church and the papacy suffer from widespread corruption. The practice of simony plagues the clergy, and feudalism sweeps through the empire.

Medieval European society reaches unprecedented heights as peace reigns, allowing for improved trade, urban expansion, wider missionary efforts, intellectual and artistic pursuits, and more. The papacy also benefits from the period of development, as the most powerful pope in Christian history, Innocent III, wields his authority over kings and nations alike. But dissent would be fomented against the papacy following the transfer of the papal residence to Avignon.

With a string of venalities and controversies surrounding the papacy, the hearts of men began to turn against the office and the ancient church structure. At the forefront of the pre-Reformation movement were John Wycliffe and John Huss. Wycliffe’s writings and teachings would prove highly influential, leading to a popular following comprised of the Lollards. And when that influence reached Bohemia, John Huss took it even farther.

While the Great Schism of the papacy played out following the Avignon period, the glories and excesses of the Renaissance were being realized. Painters, sculptors, artists, and poets—by blending paganism and Christianity—sought to capture the essence of Greek and Roman splendor as expressed through art and literature. Amidst the creative explosion, the popes sought to elevate Rome to new heights and restore her former glory.

Due to his outlaw status, Martin Luther is forced to remain in the shadows of the Reformation while others assume leadership positions in his church, which quickly develops into an institution. Meanwhile, Ulrich Zwingli, a prominent Swiss reformer laboring apart from Luther, spearheads an important reform movement in the Swiss Confederacy that gives rise to radical Protestants who create yet another denomination: the Anabaptists.

Intent on passing through Geneva after a one-night stay, John Calvin is asked to join the reform movement there. His efforts and leadership in effect resulted in a third branch of Protestantism: Reformed Christianity. In the late 1550s, a militant version of this movement spreads beyond Geneva and draws a large number of converts. The denomination reached its height in Scotland and migrated to America after engulfing Europe.

The harlot daughters of the mother church begin to spread across the American colonies and carve out individual paths to eventual separation from the old world. Slavery, meanwhile, thrives as a result of increased trade created in a new market system, which, with the establishment of the United States, gives rise to capitalism, a new and far-reaching religion.