Imperator Caesar Divi Filius Augustus

I am reading Guy De La Bedoyere’s Praetorian: The Rise and Fall of Rome’s Imperial Bodyguard. He speaks most interestingly of Octavian, the young man who became Augustus, Rome’s first emperor and master of the Mediterranean world.

We Christians are aware of a dark figure prophesied by the scriptures who will combine political and religious authority in the final days, ahead of Christ's return. He is not someone whom we should seek, but what the Bible discloses we are entitled to consider. Augustus provides an interesting forerunner of such a man; both appear from relative obscurity to receive unimaginable wealth and power. Both claim a degree of divinity, and are in office when the real Christ actually arrives on earth; Augustus reigned at the time of Christ’s first coming, the Man of Lawlessness shall reign at the time of His second.

While Augustus claimed to be princips, first among equals, he arranged to be annually elected Tribune of Plebs, a position which provided a veto over all legislation. Later he was made censor (the magistrate supervising public morality), and finally became Pontifex Maximus, the chief priest of the Roman college of pontiffs. He made permanent the praetorian guards (previously a commanding general’s bodyguard), basing three cohorts around Rome, thus creating his own private army, one loyal to him personally, rather than the state. They were soon being used to spy on the population as well as ‘deal’ with any instances of opposition to the new imperial rule. Having saved the Roman world from interminable civil war, Tacitus suggested that a relieved Roman populace willingly engaged in Augustus’ conspiracy to assume absolute power. The emperor changed times and seasons, renaming the month of Sextilis to August- after himself. Furthermore, he claimed divinity, being Imperator Caesar divi filius Augustus (General, Emperor, son of god, praiseworthy). The irony, is that the real, actual Son of God was born during his reign.

Augustus is long gone, but one will arise from his shadow, ushering in an even darker reign. Thank God, though, Christ the real King shall return in His most glorious light:

And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 2 Thessalonians 2:8

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