Rome, the eternal city and heart of the mighty Roman Empire, has been enchanting or terrifying visitors for almost 3000 years. All roads lead to Rome, and you would be wise to have your last will and testament signed if you plan to drive one of them. A lengthy staircase or escalator ride into the depths of the Metro reveal layer upon layer of the history the city is built upon.
Rome is one enormous mausoleum. There, the past lies visibly stretched upon his bier. There is no today or tomorrow in Rome; it is perpetual yesterday.
Thomas Bailey Aldrich
Ancient Rome in the time of the Caesars was an entirely different place full of the worship of pagan gods, grand imperialism, lavish living, and mythical symbolism. The Seven Hills of Rome were within the walls from about the 6th century BC forward and can still be recognized by buildings named after the hill where they rest. Roman law forbade placing cemeteries inside of city walls, and in ancient times a cemetery sat outside the western wall on the southern slope of the Vatican hill called the necropolis.
Emperor Constantine leveled the Vatican necropolis after his conversion to Christianity to build a basilica over the supposed grave of the Apostle Peter. It has been thought that Peter was buried there because of its proximity to the Circus of Nero where he was martyred.
On one visit to Rome, we made reservations for a tour of the Scavi, the excavations under St. Peters Basilica in Vatican City. These were once mausoleums in the ancient cemetery, and are still partially intact. Built from brick, some contained built-in shelves, seating, and columns designed to make the mausoleums almost homelike. The climate is carefully controlled to preserve the narrow red brick structures. A historian guided our small group through this underground maze telling of how the owners of these chambers would visit while alive to ponder their future and be with their family already laid to rest.
The guide was honest in saying, “We think this is where Peter was buried, but we don’t really know.” He was executed as a criminal, so it seems unlikely he was buried any differently unless Roman Christians cared for his body.
As you walk the streets once traveled by Peter and Paul, Rome is no longer the capital of the great empire. The ancient Forum, once the legal, religious, and economic center of the city, is now a collection of fallen columns, broken down structures, and hewn stone relics from once beautiful shops, temples, and other public buildings. Triumphal arches commemorate military victories throughout the main thoroughfare. On one end of the forum stands the colosseum, a freestanding amphitheater robbed of stone to build palaces and churches. Tradition says that many Christians were martyred in its ring, but historical records and excavations have shown they mostly took place in other locations. The only things that don’t seem to change around the ancient sites are the umbrella pines and the multitude of fountains fed by ancient aqueducts.
Corrupt rulers and satanic worship once intertwined into a complex society that didn’t value the human life God created. Prisoners of war, Christian believers, slaves, weak politicians, and a whole host of humans whom God loved made their final journey on this earth on roads leading into and through Rome. Innumerable executions stained the streets and stones with blood.
And where was God?
“Where can I go from Your Spirit?
PSLAM 139:7-12
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.
If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,”
Even the night shall be light about me;
Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,
But the night shines as the day;
The darkness and the light are both alike to You.”
God was walking with every soul through the darkest evil of the Roman world knowing that his glory is radiant on the other side.
We are living in the midst of raging warfare, and not a soul on this earth will escape the darkness of the battle. As prophecy and the history of the ages have shown, we aren’t living very far from ancient Rome.
But take heart! The God of angel armies is everywhere leading us, holding us, and His glory hasn’t changed.
“Arise, shine, for your light has come,
Isaiah 60:1-3
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will be seen upon you.
And nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your rising.”
Call to Action
Let your light shine. Do not fear the darkness. Walk in the light
May the glory of the Lord shine upon us!
All scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
