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AN EXPOSITION OF THE APOCALYPSE
Sixth Edition, 1915
By Dr. John Thomas (first edition written 1861)
Chapter 8
Section 1 Subsection 3
Historical Testimony_
In the case? It is that the decisive battle that ejected the "Great Red Dragon" out of the heaven, in which he had been carrying on war against the Michael-Power, was fought at Scutari, or Chrysopolis, A.D. 324. "By this victory of Constantine," says Gibbon, "the Roman world was again united under the authority of one emperor, thirty-seven years after Diocletian had divided his power and provinces with his associate Maximin." Constantine reigned after this battle till A.D. 337, in which he died on May 22. This gives a little over thirteen years to his death. But to these thirteen years there are four months to be added, as the silence continued so long after the emperor’s death. It may, therefore, be said that the silence was unbroken for nearly fourteen years. As I have already quoted, Gibbon characterizes the last fourteen years of Constantine’s reign as peaceful; "the general peace," says he, " which he maintained during the last fourteen years of his reign." I cannot, however, make it quite so long. If he is correct, then, it would be over fourteen, and in the fifteenth year of silence to the first voice. At all events, the "silence in the heaven" fell short of the full half-hour, by some months. It was therefore as the text declares, not exactly, but about half an hour."