Podcast appearances and mentions of leo iii

Why did the new pope choose the name Leo XIV? In this episode, we explore the possible historical, theological, and symbolic significance of the name “Leo”—from Leo the Great to Leo XIII—and what it might reveal about the new pope's priorities, vision, and identity. Karlo Broussard also discusses whether this signals a moderate papacy and how the choice reflects on the Church's current moment. Join The CA Live Club Newsletter: Click Here Invite our apologists to speak at your parish! Visit Catholicanswersspeakers.com Questions Covered: 18:28 – What are your thoughts on why he chose the name Leo XIV? Do you think he will be a moderate? 22:06 – Can we receive communion at a Orthodox church? 24:19 – What are some general guidelines in discerning satanic resistance vs God closing the door? 30:13 – Do you think the resurgence of traditional Catholicism in the US gave the idea that we were ready to have an American pope? That we are no longer looked upon as a wild card? 30:13 – Do you think the resurgence of traditional Catholicism in the US gave the idea that we were ready to have an American pope? That we are no longer looked upon as a wild card? 34:15 – The new Pope has a degree in Math. Could his papal blessing also impart more math knowledge? 37:41 – I think Cy’s book Ad Limina was a great parallel to what we have now. What are your thoughts on those parallels? 44:18 – What are your thoughts on the general name Leo and the historical significance of Leo III? 49:00 – What’s the difference between Catholicism and Episcopalians?

Spencer Michaud discusses the Full Moon in Leo III, finding meaning through an exploration of Decanic Tarot, Fixed Stars, and the I-Ching. . This is the last week to sign up for our Guided Group Study: The Lord of the Rings - 2025 Book Club! We start this year-long exploration of Tolkien's masterwork this Monday, February 10th. See more details below! : ) . Check out our next Dignity & Devotion: The 7 Traditional Planets Webinar Series as well, we explore The Sun this Sat. Feb. 8th! . #astrology #fullmoon #leo #aquarius #horoscope #zodiac #forecast #tarot #decans #fixedstars #traditionalastrology #mythology #divination #iching #spencermichaud #thelordoftherings #tolkien #bookclub . Visit Spencer: https://www.spencermichaud.com/ . Visit Third Coast Mojo: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ThirdCoastMojo . Guided Group Study: The Lord of the Rings - 2025: https://www.spencermichaud.com/2025/01/guided-group-study-lord-of-rings-2025.html . Dignity & Devotion - The Sun Webinar - Sat. Feb. 8th: https://spencermichaudastrology.as.me/dignity-and-devotion-the-sun . Finding value in these videos? Help Spencer keep creating content by buying him a coffee! Thank you for your support! :) . Buy me a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/spencermichaud . Venmo: @spencermichaud . PayPal Me: http://www.paypal.me/spencermichaud . Thank you for supporting your local astrologer! : ) . Book a reading / tutoring session: https://spencermichaudastrology.as.me/ . Subscribe to the Newsletter: https://www.spencermichaud.com/p/subscribe.html#.YC2Gu157lp8 . Visit the blog: http://www.spencermichaud.com . Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spencermichaud/ . Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/spencermichaud.bsky.social . Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/.../spencer.../id1498982837 . https://youtu.be/gBMOwubXhew

fWotD Episode 2635: Thekla (daughter of Theophilos) Welcome to Featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia’s finest articles.The featured article for Monday, 22 July 2024 is Thekla (daughter of Theophilos).Thekla (Greek: Θέκλα; early 820s or 830s – after 870), Latinized as Thecla, was a princess of the Amorian dynasty of the Byzantine Empire. The daughter and eldest child of Byzantine emperor Theophilos and empress Theodora, she was proclaimed augusta in the late 830s. After Theophilos's death in 842 and her mother becoming regent for Thekla's younger brother Michael III, Thekla was associated with the regime as co-empress alongside Theodora and Michael.Thekla was deposed by Michael III, possibly alongside her mother, in 856 and consigned to a convent in Constantinople. Some time later, she allegedly returned to imperial affairs and became the mistress of Michael III's friend and co-emperor Basil I. After Basil murdered Michael in 867 and took power as the sole emperor, Thekla was neglected as his mistress and she took another lover, John Neatokometes. Once Basil found out about the affair, Thekla fell out of favor, was beaten and had her property confiscated.Thekla was born on an uncertain date, as calculating her date of birth depends on the year her parents married, estimated to be either c. 820/821, or 830. Thus she was born in either the early 820s or the early 830s. The historian Warren Treadgold gives her a birth date of c. 831, and the historian Juan Signes Codoñer of spring 822. She is presented by contemporary sources as the eldest child of Byzantine emperor Theophilos and empress Theodora; but, some historians, such as John Bagnell Bury and Ernest Walter Brooks, have argued that her sister Maria was the eldest on the basis that she is the only one of the daughters to have been engaged, and generally the eldest married first. She was named after Theophilos's mother, Thekla. Thekla had six siblings: the four sisters Anna, Anastasia, Pulcheria, and Maria, whom Theophilos took great pride in, and the two brothers Constantine and Michael. Constantine, who shortly after birth had been proclaimed co-emperor by their father, drowned in a palace cistern as an infant.In the 830s, the eldest sisters Thekla, Anna, and Anastasia were all proclaimed augustae, an honorific title sometimes granted to women of the imperial family. This event was commemorated through the issue of an unusual set of coins that depicted Theophilos, Theodora, and Thekla on one side and Anna and Anastasia on the other. Although Theophilos was a staunch iconoclast, and thus opposed the veneration of icons, Thekla was taught to venerate them in secret by her mother and Theophilos's step-mother Euphrosyne. Theophilos built a palace for Thekla and her sisters at ta Karianou. Shortly before his death, Theophilos worked to betroth Thekla to Louis II, the heir to the Carolingian Empire, to unite the two empires against the threat they faced from continued Arab invasions. Such a match would also have been advantageous for Louis II's father Lothair I, who was engaged in a civil war against his brothers. Because of Lothair's defeat at the Battle of Fontenoy in 841 and Theophilos's death in 842, the marriage never happened.After Theophilos's death on 20 January 842, Empress Theodora became regent for Thekla's young brother, the three-year-old Michael III. In practical terms, Theodora ruled in her own right and is often recognized as an empress regnant by modern scholars, although the eunuch Theoktistos held much power. Coins issued in the first year of Theodora's reign depict Theodora alone on the obverse and Michael III together with Thekla on the reverse. The only one of the three given a title is Theodora (as Theodora despoina, "the Lady Theodora"). Thekla was associated with imperial power as co-empress alongside Theodora and Michael; this reality is indicated by her depiction in coins, where she is shown as larger than Michael. An imperial seal, also from Theodora's early reign, titles not only Michael but also Theodora and Thekla as "Emperors of the Romans". This may suggest that Theodora viewed her daughter, just as she did her son, as a potential future heir. The numismatist Philip Grierson comments that dated documents from the time of the coins' minting prove that she was "formally associated with Theodora and Michael in the government of the Empire." However, the historian George Ostrogorsky states that Thekla does not appear to have been interested in government affairs. Thekla fell heavily ill in 843, and is said to have been cured later by visiting the Theotokos monastery in Constantinople; for curing Thekla, Theodora issued a chrysobull to the monastery.On 15 March 856, Theodora's reign officially ended with Michael III being proclaimed sole emperor. In 857 or 858 Theodora was expelled from the imperial palace and confined to a convent in Gastria, in Constantinople; the monastery had been converted from a house by her maternal grandmother, Theoktiste, likely during the reign of Theophilos. Thekla and the other sisters were either expelled and placed in the same convent at the same time, or had already been there for some time. Whether they were ordained as nuns is uncertain: they may have actually been ordained, or it may only have been intended. In one version of the narrative, they were confined to the palace at ta Karianou in November 858, possibly in a semi-monastical setting. Another version claims they were immediately placed in the Monastery of Gastria. The most common narrative states that Theodora was confined to the monastery with Pulcheria, while Thekla, and her other sisters Anna and Anastasia, were first kept at the palace at ta Karianou, but shortly thereafter moved to the Monastery of Gastria and shorn as nuns. Theodora may have been released from the convent around 863. According to the tradition of Symeon Logothete, a 10th-century Byzantine historian, Thekla was also released and used by Michael III to attempt to make a political deal. He states that in around 865, Michael had married his long-time lover Eudokia Ingerina to his friend and co-emperor Basil I, in order to mask the continued relationship of Michael and Eudokia. Some historians, such as Cyril Mango, believe that Michael did so after impregnating Eudokia, to ensure that the child would be born legitimate. However, Symeon's neutrality is disputed, and other contemporary sources do not speak of this conspiracy, leading several prominent Byzantists, such as Ostrogorsky and Nicholas Adontz to dismiss this narrative.According to Symeon, Michael also offered Thekla to Basil as a mistress, perhaps to keep his attention away from Eudokia, a plan which Thekla had allegedly consented to. Thus Thekla, who Treadgold states was 35 at the time, became Basil's mistress in early 866, according to Symeon's narrative. The historian William Greenwalt speculates on the reasons that drove Thekla to agree to this relationship: resentment for having been unmarried for so long, Basil's imposing physical stature, or political gain. After Basil murdered Michael III in 867 and seized power for himself, Symeon further writes that Thekla then became neglected and took another lover, John Neatokometes, sometime after 870. When Basil found out about the affair, he had John beaten and consigned to a monastery. Thekla was also beaten and her considerable riches were confiscated. Mango, who supports the theory of the alleged affairs, commented that Basil would already have had good reason to dislike Neatokometes, as the man had attempted to warn Michael of his impending murder, but believes the best explanation for Basil's response is that "Thekla had previously occupied some place in his life", as a mistress. The De Ceremoniis, a 10th-century Byzantine book on courtly protocol and history, states that she was buried in the Monastery of Gastria, where she had been confined earlier, in a sarcophagus with her mother and her sisters Anastasia and Pulcheria.Codoñer, Juan Signes (2016) [2014]. The Emperor Theophilos and the East, 829–842: Court and Frontier in Byzantium during the Last Phase of Iconoclasm. Oxford: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-7546-6489-5.Garland, Lynda (1999). Byzantine Empresses: Women and Power in Byzantium AD 527–1204. London: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-14688-7.Greenwalt, William S. (2002). "Thecla". In Commire, Anne (ed.). Women in World History: A Biographical Encyclopedia. Vol. 15: Sul–Vica. Waterford: Yorkin Publications. ISBN 0-7876-4074-3.Grierson, Philip (1973). Catalogue of the Byzantine Coins in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection and in the Whittemore Collection, 3: Leo III to Nicephorus III, 717–1081. Washington, D. C.: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection. ISBN 978-0-88402-045-5.Herrin, Judith (2002) [2001]. Women in Purple: Rulers of Medieval Byzantium. London: Phoenix Press. ISBN 1-84212-529-X.Herrin, Judith (2013). Unrivalled Influence: Women and Empire in Byzantium. Oxford: Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-15321-6.Kazhdan, Alexander, ed. (1991). Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium (ODB). Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-504652-6.Lilie, Ralph-Johannes; Ludwig, Claudia; Pratsch, Thomas; Zielke, Beate (1998–2013). Prosopographie der mittelbyzantinischen Zeit (in German). Berlin and Boston: De Gruyter.Mango, Cyril (1973). "Eudocia Ingerina, the Normans, and the Macedonian Dynasty". Zbornika Radova Vizantoloskog Instituta. 14–15. ISSN 0584-9888.Ostrogorsky, George (1956). History of the Byzantine State. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press. ISBN 978-0-813-51198-6.Ringrose, Kathryn M. (2008). "Women and Power at the Byzantine Court". In Walthall, Anne (ed.). Servants of the Dynasty: Palace Women in World History. Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN 978-0520254435.Treadgold, Warren (1975). "The Problem of the Marriage of the Emperor Theophilus". Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies. 16: 325–341. ISSN 2159-3159.Treadgold, Warren (1997). A History of the Byzantine State and Society. Stanford: Stanford University Press. ISBN 978-0-8047-2630-6.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:30 UTC on Monday, 22 July 2024.For the full current version of the article, see Thekla (daughter of Theophilos) on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Ayanda.

Romanos, Justinian II, Leo III and Alexios face off against each other in our first semi final. Who could say who will win!? (ok, this one may be obvious - but the next two are too close to call! And join us anyway, we have fun!)

Spencer Michaud discusses the New Moon in Leo III, looking at the lunation through the houses, finding meaning through an exploration of Decanic Tarot, Fixed Stars, and the I-Ching. . #astrology #newmoon #leo #horoscope #forecast #tarot #decans #fixedstars #traditionalastrology #mythology #divination #iching #spencermichaud . Visit Spencer: https://www.spencermichaud.com/ . Visit Third Coast Mojo: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ThirdCoastMojo . 20% OFF until 8/23 - Leo Decans Webinar: https://www.spencermichaud.com/p/store_9.html#.Yw4aOCHMJVk . Finding value in these videos? Help Spencer keep creating content by buying him a coffee! Thank you for your support! :) . Buy me a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/spencermichaud . Venmo: @spencermichaud . PayPal Me: http://www.paypal.me/spencermichaud . Thank you for supporting your local astrologer! : ) . Book a reading / tutoring session: https://spencermichaudastrology.as.me/ . Subscribe to the Newsletter: https://www.spencermichaud.com/p/subscribe.html#.YC2Gu157lp8 . Visit the blog: http://www.spencermichaud.com . Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spencermichaud/ . Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpencerMichaud . Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/.../spencer.../id1498982837 . Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1BZBpFaFRUBeUVrdPtRZ5X?si=kuKimd0wSr66qCUAQ6rzNw . Soundcloud: http://www.soundcloud.com/spencermichaudastrology . Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/spencermichaudastrology . https://youtu.be/mzoXx6dLlEI

Welcome to The Saint of the Day Podcast, a service of Good Catholic and The Catholic Company. Today's featured saint is Pope St. Leo III. If you like what you heard, share this podcast with someone you know, and make sure to subscribe!

Saint Theodosia was a nun martyred in the year 729 during the reign of the Leo III the Isaurian of the Byzantine Roman Empire.  The emperor was an adherent of the iconoclast heresy, which prohibited the veneration of icons. When the emperor sent an official to remove an icon of Christ which stood above the Chalke Gate of the imperial palace, Saint Theodosia and some other women gathered to stop him. Saint Theodosia shook the ladder which the official was using, and he fell to his death. In retaliation, Saint Theodosia was killed by having a ram's horn hammered through her neck. She is today recognized as a saint in both Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy.

Spencer Michaud and special guest Dulcie Cardinal of @astrology.victoria discuss the astrology of the Full Moon in Leo III, finding meaning through an exploration of Decanic Tarot, Fixed Stars, and the I-Ching. . #astrology #fullmoon #leo #aquarius #horoscope #forecast #tarot #decans #fixedstars #traditionalastrology #mythology #divination #iching . Visit Astrology Victoria: https://www.facebook.com/groups/371249390455970 . Register for The Decans of Aquarius Webinar / Winter Bundle: https://spencermichaudastrology.as.me/ . Please like, subscribe, and share! . Finding value in these videos? Help Spencer keep creating content by buying him a coffee! Thank you for your support! :) . Buy me a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/spencermichaud . Venmo: @spencermichaud . PayPal Me: http://www.paypal.me/spencermichaud . Thank you for supporting your local astrologer! :) . Book a reading / tutoring session: https://spencermichaudastrology.as.me/ . Subscribe to the Newsletter: https://www.spencermichaud.com/p/subscribe.html#.YC2Gu157lp8 . Visit the blog: http://www.spencermichaud.com . Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spencermichaud/ . Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpencerMichaud . Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/.../spencer.../id1498982837 . Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1BZBpFaFRUBeUVrdPtRZ5X?si=kuKimd0wSr66qCUAQ6rzNw . Soundcloud: http://www.soundcloud.com/spencermichaudastrology . Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/spencermichaudastrology . https://youtu.be/0NhqAo4wdXs

Sulayman's underwhelming time in charge ended with a twist, and Omar ibn Abdulaziz proved to be a real surprise. The famously pious Umayyad had a vision for the umma, and he used his new position to impose an order unseen since the early, predynastic days of the caliphate. Although he is not covered in much detail, our sources roundly praise him for his courageous reforms and religious character courageous reforms. Glossary Ali ibn il Husayn ibn Ali bin Abi Talib: Ali Zainulabidin was the only (adult) male survivor of the Hashemite massacre at Karbala. He was too ill to take part in the fighting and the 21 year old was spared, as was his 4 year old son Mohammad. Many pro-Umayyad accounts exaggerate the grace with which Yazid received them in Damascus, trying to blame Ubaydallah ibn Ziyad for the travesty and portray the caliph as having been respectful of the prophet's clan. Zainulabidin was the first Hashemite who returned to his clan's clerical roots. He delved into religious studies deeper than any around him, earning his moniker, best of the worshippers. He died aged 53, and was succeeded by his son Mohammad as leader of the Hashemite clan. “Constantine”: by this point the emperor of Byzantium was a Leo III, a leader who would come to be known as a restorer of Byzantine power. He rose to power in a coup just before Sulayman's siege of Constantinople, and his defense of the capital against Sulayman's bungling invasion came just in time to save the empire from what would have surely been a mortal blow. While the caliphate was the more powerful of the two powers in terms military might and overall resources, Leo did well to keep his armies together, mainly by keeping them in fortifications and avoiding pitched battles. Still, it worked, and the Byzantines weren't the pushovers they were back in Abdulmalik and Walid's time.

As a non-noble elected to the Papacy, Leo received a terrible welcome. Fortunately, miracles and Charlemagne made things right. In his episode, we discuss the precedents of judging a pope and oaths of purgation, Holy Roman Emperors, and so much about Carolingian mythmaking that Fry can't take it.

Prosperous EP487 - การขยายธุรกิจกลุ่ม Logistic หุ้น LEO และ III

The Riddle of the BeastThe book of Revelation is Jesus Christ's final written words to His church.These words foretell future events as they relate to the Church of God. The book is both a revealing and a riddle.A riddle is a word puzzle in which the answer is understandable based upon what is said, yet not understood by anyone but the riddler. Here's a classic riddle you may have heard; "what is black and white and read/red all over?" The person hearing the riddle is misdirected by the clever word play based on the word red/read. The meaning is concealed but yet fully spoken.Most people don't get good riddles until they are given the answer. Then when the answer is revealed it all seems quite obvious.  for this same reason:First, through a riddle He can speak about matters that have not yet happened without altering or affecting their outcome. [If God foretold you would be in an car accident in your 30th year which would badly cripple you but leave you spiritually stronger and better prepared for eternal life...you might hide in your basement from age 29 to 31 hoping to avoid the painful trial and derail the process].Second, once the event happens we can look back at the original riddle and see that God did indeed accurately speak about the future. [If God foretold your accident through a riddle, you wouldn't alter your actions between age 29-31. Then, when you figured out the riddle after the fact you would clearly see the hand of God at work. This would build your confidence and faith in the trial we were about to live through to prepare us for eternal life] John 14:18-31 Jesus death solved many OT riddles… but many riddle still remain… today we are going to review the riddle of the beast.Nebuchanezzar's DreamWhen Jerusalem finally fell to the invading armies of Babylon a young man named Daniel was taken as a captive back to Babylon where he was educated and prepared to serve as a civil servant in the Babylonian government. Through Daniel prophecies were recorded which provide a grand sweeping picture of the future of human governments stretching from the demise of Israel to the second coming of Jesus Christ. Daniel 12:4, 8-9 These writings were not understood [or intended to be understood] a the time written. But, would only be understood as the time for Christ's return drew closer… and knowledge increased. Daniel 2:1-3 Babylonian culture placed a high importance on dreams as messages from beyond. Nebuchadnezzar wanted to know the significance of His dream. The dream had indeed been given to him from YHWH Himself, it was a riddle regarding the future of human self government from the fall of Israel up to the very end. The Babylonian wise men were unable to answer the king's questions and Nebuchadnezzar ordered them executed. Daniel heard about it and decided to try to save all their lives by offering to interpret the dream for the king. Before attempting to answer the king Daniel went home, talked about the situation with his companions, and asked them to pray together with him for God's help. Daniel's prayers were answered in a vision Daniel 2:19-23.Daniel takes the answer to the king but is very careful to ensure the king knows the answer is given by the God of Israel Daniel 2:27-28.The Content of the DreamFirst Daniel told the king the content of the dream Daniel 2:31-35Then what it meant Daniel 2:36-45· Part of the riddle could be understood then and there: Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom was the head of gold.. but the rest could only be understood at a later time. · The chest and arms of them image would turn out to be the Medo-Persian empire. This transition actually happened in within Daniel's own lifetime [539 B.C.  when Babylon was conquered]. Persia now controlled the land that had been Israel.· The belly of bronze was the Greco-Macedonian empire of Alexander, which gobbled up the territory of the Persians [including Israel] and ruled for 300 years.· The legs of iron are the Romans who took over much of what had been held by the Greeks [including Israel].We can look back now and see how these empires fulfill the symbolism of the prophecy very well. Most people who know and read the bible agree on these fulfillment which are based on well known historical facts of history.Daniel's Has His Own DreamDaniel had his own personal dream about these same 4 sequential empires which add important details that will allow us to tie the prophecies back to the book of Revelation.Daniel 7:1-14 here we have a parallel sequence: 4 successive kingdoms that carry on until the coming of Christ to establish the rule of God over all people and nations. We sync them up with the Nebuchadnezzar’s dream  and see:  the lion is Babylon, the bear is Persia, the leopard is Greece, and Rome is the final terrible beast who cannot be compared to any animal known in creation.Daniel wonders especially about the horns of the 4th beast. And they are important, and they are part of the riddle that can point you in the wrong direction. Like the double meaning of the word red/read in our sample riddle. But Daniel does not know the full meaning of the riddle, God does not tell it to him, and it is sealed/hidden until the time of the end. John's Vision of Human Government.The book of Revelation was recorded about 90 A.D., when the 4th beast was in power. John too sees a beast which is similar to the vision given to Daniel... but different Revelation 13:1-4. John's vision is an updated version of the prophetic sequence we saw in Daniel. Updated because by 90 A.D. the first three phases were completed: Babylon, Persia, and Greece were matters of history centuries old. But Rome [the 4th beast] was in its heyday.The strange beast of Revelation is basically the same as the 4th beast of Daniel but with some modifications and additional details. It too rises up out of the sea, it combines all the features of he lion, bear,and leopard.However, it has a configuration of heads and horns that remind us of Daniel's vision... but they are different. This beast will be at war with Christ and actually rises up to fight Him when He comes. Where is Rome Today?The Roman empire is a thing of the past, its not in power today. So how can these prophecies be referring to Rome as the 4th beast, or the legs of iron that are in place when Christ returns? At this point there is a parting of the ways among people seeking to interpret prophecy. Many  teach that the prophecies ended with Christ. They say the victory of Christ recorded by Daniel over the 4th beast and the golden image was accomplished through His first coming. And that the kingdom of God He established is accomplished either spiritually within the hearts of humans or through the rule of the great universal Church... this is nature of Christ's victory over the beast.This is the basic explanation of the visions which was formulated long ago. Actually, it goes back to the days when the Roman empire was still standing.The Church of God does not agree with this take on the prophecies. We do not believe the KOG is realized in the hearts of humanity, or in the rule of a great and victorious church. Subsequent centuries have passed and significant elements of the original prophecy have come to pass which could not have been understood back then. Knowledge has increased… and the riddle has unfolded.  UCG Explanation: history has seen multiple revivals of the Roman empire over the centuries and the final revival will be the one in place when Christ returns in all His glory and power… which has not yet happened. These revivals are pictured by the 10 horns on the beast of Daniel, and the seven heads of the beast in Revelation.How does 7 equal 10: Remember that 3 of the 10 horns of Daniel's beast were "pulled out by the roots" leaving 7 horns. These 7 remaining horns equate to the 7 heads of the beast in Revelation. Similar, but not the same... a key ingredient in many good riddles. The Revivals of the Roman System in HistoryRevelation 13: 3,12 the beast received a deadly wound to the head but was brought back to life. In 476 A.D. the original empire of Rome was invaded, the city sacked, and the deadly head wound delivered. The emperor Romulus Augustus was deposed. What had been Rome was ruled over by 1) the Vandals 2) the Heruli 3) the Ostrogoths. These are the three horns "plucked up". They are different from the remaining 7. The remaining 7 all of which work in a partnership with the universal religious power based in Rome... 7 horns, 7 heads.1) Justinian - 554 A.D. sought to revive the western Roman empire as a Christian empire. He decreed that the bishops of Rome should appoint magistrates who would administer the "empire". This imperial revival worked for a while, then waned over time and broke up.2) Charlemagne 800 A.D. - crowned by pope Leo III with the title Holy Roman Emperor [Most Serene Augustus Crowned By God Great & Pacific Emperor governing the Roman Empire]. It was a marriage of church and state. After   His death the kingdom was divided among his sons and later dissolved. 3) Otto the Great 962 A.D. - crowned by pope John XII. He called himself "Ruler of the Roman Empire". Lasted about 300 years. The dream of a restored empire lived on. This iteration was widely recognized by Christians as the 4th empire. 4) Hapsburgs 1273 A.D. -- 1740 A.D. the greatest of these Hapsburg emperors was Charles V who owned most of central Europe, Germany, Spain, and vast portions of North and South America.5) Napoleon 1799 -- 1814 crowned emperor by Pope Pius. His was a short and frantic revival. Napoleon dreamed of rivaling Charlemagne in uniting all of western Europe. At his height of power he ruled most of Europe.6) The Reich 1871 - 1945 first Italy unified under Garibaldi, then Germany under Bismark. Next the two joined forces through Mussolini and Adolph Hitler and managed to gain control over most of Europe. They signed a peace treaty with the pope.It was around this time in the 1930's that the Church of God recognized the answer to another part of the riddle... 5 of the revivals of the beast pictured by the successive heads of the beast in Revelation, [or the horns of the Beast in Daniel] had now come to pass Revelation 17:6-10.The 6th revival of the beast was happening at that  And the Church of God began shouting the news using radio, printing press, and then TV. Over the next 50 years that understanding grabbed the attention of millions of people and many were brought to deeper understanding of God's truth. But now the message seems like old news... hundreds of self proclaimed teachers have taken up the message, many taking it in strange directions, looking for the next new thing. Where is the Church of God? We are back to pondering the portion of the riddle that is not yet solved... concerning events that have not yet taken place. There is One More Revival of The Beast To Go!6 of the 7 revivals of the beast have now come and gone. By reviewing history we can see how an empire can exist, disappear, then re-appear in a different form... what was, is not, and yet is ... the final reappearance of the Roman system is yet to come. It will arise quickly, and as if from nothing [ascending out of the bottomless pit].The riddle regarding the final revival has a feature not yet been solved. The image with the head of gold moves down the body and ends with its 10 toes of clay. The toes are smashed by the stone that is Christ at His glorious return. The final appearance of the beast is also pictured by the 7th head of the beast of Revelation. This final head has 10 horns which are leaders. We believe these are the same as the 10 toes. The final version of the beast will be a whole made up of 10 separate parts. Leaders who band together and give over their authority and sovereignty to a single power... which is the beast. The Church of God believes these 10 parts may be 10 European countries who band together to form a political, economic and military union. But its still a riddle... and its still unsolved... we won't know the full answer until it comes to pass. What's The Point of Pondering This Riddle?It would be good for you to know about the prophecies recorded in the bible. You can get a lot more detail concerning the beast of the end time in our booklet "The Final Super-Power". I recommend you get yourself a copy and go through the scriptures so you know, and know that you know. Some who are in Christ will be alive at this future time… possibly you. By knowing the terms, facts, features of the riddle you will be better equipped to recognize when is comes to pass. Those who are caught up in the terrible events surrounding the rise of the final beast will be able to more clearly see those terrible times as the obvious working of God… it will provide an important reassurance of faith.We cannot stop the beast, or avoid the beast... but we can be prepared to meet the future with faith and confidence in the God. Knowing He has brought these things to pass... knowing He is still in charge and has not lost control of the situation... knowing He will not let you slip through His fingers... and He can deliver you even from death Isaiah 44:6-8.

Spencer Michaud discusses the astrology for the week of Sept. 21-27, 2020 Topics discussed include CONSTELLATIONS: VIRGO, BOOTËS, FIXED STARS: SPICA, ARCTURUS, MERCURY square PLUTO Rx, FALL EQUINOX: SUN in LIBRA I, MERCURY square SATURN Rx, FIRST QUARTER MOON, MERCURY opposite MARS Rx, VENUS in LEO III, MERCURY in SCORPIO I, TAROT: II of SWORDS. VII of WANDS, V of CUPS #astrology #weeklyforecast #horoscope #fallequinox #capricorn #aries #taurus #leo #virgo #libra #scorpio #mercury #sun #mars #pluto #marsretrograde #jupiter #firstquartermoon #tarot #decans #fixedstars #traditionalastrology #mythology *This forecast was recorded hours before the news about the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. While I strive to contextualize astrological events through our shared experiences, sometimes life throws us a curveball. Hopefully, the words spoken here can still bring a measure of peace within the chaos of the moment. Introduction – 00:00 Planetary Condition – 1:50 Monday – 24:30 Tuesday – 37:20 Wednesday – 1:05:55 Thursday – 1:19:41 Friday – 1:33:47 Saturday – 1:39:33 Sunday – 1:46:10 Please like, subscribe, and share! Finding value in these videos? Help Spencer keep creating content by leaving a tip! Your donations are much appreciated! : ) Venmo: @spencermichaud PayPal Me: http://www.paypal.me/spencermichaud Thank you for supporting your local astrologer! : ) Book a reading: spencermichaudastrology@gmail.com Visit the blog: http://www.spencermichaud.com Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spencer-michaud-astrology/id1498982837 Soundcloud: http://www.soundcloud.com/spencermichaudastrology Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/spencermichaudastrology

Spencer Michaud discusses the astrology for the week of August 10-16, 2020 Topics discussed include CONSTELLATIONS: URSA MAJOR, URSA MINOR, CANCER, FIXED STARS: MIRZAM, ACUBENS, DUBHE, MERCURY square URANUS, MERCURY in LEO II, LAST QUARTER MOON, SUN in LEO III, MARS square PLUTO Rx, MERCURY in LEO III, URANUS STATION RETROGRADE, SUN trine MARS, TAROT: II of CUPS, VI of WANDS, VI of PENTACLES, VII of WANDS #astrology #weeklyforecast #horoscope #capricorn #aries #taurus #cancer #leo #mercury #sun #mars #venus #uranus #pluto #lastquartermoon #tarot #decans #fixedstars #traditionalastrology #mythology Introduction – 00:00 Planetary Condition – 2:29 Monday – 16:34 Tuesday – 25:53 Wednesday – 33:47 Thursday – 47:40 Friday – 51:58 Saturday – 57:55 Sunday – 1:02:37 Please like, subscribe, and share! Finding value in these videos? Help Spencer keep creating content by leaving a tip! Your donations are much appreciated! : ) Venmo: @spencermichaud PayPal Me: http://www.paypal.me/spencermichaud Thank you for supporting your local astrologer! : ) Book a reading: spencermichaudastrology@gmail.com Visit the blog: http://www.spencermichaud.com Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spencer-michaud-astrology/id1498982837 Soundcloud: http://www.soundcloud.com/spencermichaudastrology Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/spencermichaudastrology

Today's Topics: 1) St. Clement & St. Irenaeus 2) St. Leo & St. Gelasius 3) Charlemagne & Pope St. Leo III 4) Conclusions

Christmas Day, 800 AD, easiest date to remember in History, Charlemagne and the Pope

Sponsors Sentry use code “devchat” for $100 credit Cloud 66 - Pain Free Rails Deployments: Try Cloud 66 Rails for FREE & get $66 free credits with promo code RubyRogues Panel Charles Max Wood Andrew Mason With Special Guests: David A. Black and Joseph Leo III Episode Summary David A. Black has been a Ruby user for 19 years and has been writing books about Ruby for the last 14 years. Joseph spent 12 years in software and started the company Def Method Inc. Together, they co-authored the book The Well-Grounded Rubyist, which will soon have its third edition released. They give some of the history behind The Well-Grounded Rubyist. Joseph talks about his experience being brought into the project. David and Joseph talk about how The Well-Grounded Rubyist is different from other books on Ruby. This book is helpful because a lot of people begin by understanding Ruby more than Rails, and this book talks about ways to think about Ruby and understand how it’s structure. Joseph and David talk about how The Well-Grounded Rubyist 3rd edition differs from the 2nd edition. The book has been updated so that a lot of the code and solutions for the exercises are available online and there is an additional chapter in part 3 about Ruby dynamics and how one would write functional programming with Ruby The panel discusses how important it is to learn Ruby before starting a job in Rails 2. They agree that if you are a Ruby developer, even if you’re working on Rails apps, so you should know your tools. They discuss how far down that road The Well Grounded Rubyist would get readers. They panelists talk about other books that are a natural prequel or sequel to the The Well-Grounded Rubyist. Joseph and David talk about their approach to reading books and how The Well-Grounded Rubyist should be read. Their goal in making the book was not to have people work on an overarching application while reading the book, but rather there are exercises and examples that you are encouraged to work through. There are some lessons in the book that you won’t write often, but you still need to know how to do it. While the book doesn’t have everything about Ruby, but the examples are designed to give you the best returns for you study. David and Joseph conclude by giving their final thoughts on the book. Links The Well-Grounded Rubyist, Third Edition Perl Programming Ruby 1.9 & 2.0: The Pragmatic Programmers' Guide (The Facets of Ruby) 4th Edition Practical Object-Oriented Design: An Agile Primer Using Ruby (2nd Edition) by Sandi Metz String mutability Follow DevChat on Facebook and Twitter Picks Andrew Mason: Default Gems Charles Max Wood: Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make The Leap and Others Don't by Jim Collins David A. Black: Pragmatic Programmer 2nd edition Davidablack.net and @david_a_black on Twitter Joseph Leo III:  Barbarians at the Gate Firehydrant.io @jleo3 and defmethod.com

Sponsors Sentry use code “devchat” for $100 credit Cloud 66 - Pain Free Rails Deployments: Try Cloud 66 Rails for FREE & get $66 free credits with promo code RubyRogues Panel Charles Max Wood Andrew Mason With Special Guests: David A. Black and Joseph Leo III Episode Summary David A. Black has been a Ruby user for 19 years and has been writing books about Ruby for the last 14 years. Joseph spent 12 years in software and started the company Def Method Inc. Together, they co-authored the book The Well-Grounded Rubyist, which will soon have its third edition released. They give some of the history behind The Well-Grounded Rubyist. Joseph talks about his experience being brought into the project. David and Joseph talk about how The Well-Grounded Rubyist is different from other books on Ruby. This book is helpful because a lot of people begin by understanding Ruby more than Rails, and this book talks about ways to think about Ruby and understand how it’s structure. Joseph and David talk about how The Well-Grounded Rubyist 3rd edition differs from the 2nd edition. The book has been updated so that a lot of the code and solutions for the exercises are available online and there is an additional chapter in part 3 about Ruby dynamics and how one would write functional programming with Ruby The panel discusses how important it is to learn Ruby before starting a job in Rails 2. They agree that if you are a Ruby developer, even if you’re working on Rails apps, so you should know your tools. They discuss how far down that road The Well Grounded Rubyist would get readers. They panelists talk about other books that are a natural prequel or sequel to the The Well-Grounded Rubyist. Joseph and David talk about their approach to reading books and how The Well-Grounded Rubyist should be read. Their goal in making the book was not to have people work on an overarching application while reading the book, but rather there are exercises and examples that you are encouraged to work through. There are some lessons in the book that you won’t write often, but you still need to know how to do it. While the book doesn’t have everything about Ruby, but the examples are designed to give you the best returns for you study. David and Joseph conclude by giving their final thoughts on the book. Links The Well-Grounded Rubyist, Third Edition Perl Programming Ruby 1.9 & 2.0: The Pragmatic Programmers' Guide (The Facets of Ruby) 4th Edition Practical Object-Oriented Design: An Agile Primer Using Ruby (2nd Edition) by Sandi Metz String mutability Follow DevChat on Facebook and Twitter Picks Andrew Mason: Default Gems Charles Max Wood: Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make The Leap and Others Don't by Jim Collins David A. Black: Pragmatic Programmer 2nd edition Davidablack.net and @david_a_black on Twitter Joseph Leo III:  Barbarians at the Gate Firehydrant.io @jleo3 and defmethod.com

Sponsors Sentry use code “devchat” for $100 credit Cloud 66 - Pain Free Rails Deployments: Try Cloud 66 Rails for FREE & get $66 free credits with promo code RubyRogues Panel Charles Max Wood Andrew Mason With Special Guests: David A. Black and Joseph Leo III Episode Summary David A. Black has been a Ruby user for 19 years and has been writing books about Ruby for the last 14 years. Joseph spent 12 years in software and started the company Def Method Inc. Together, they co-authored the book The Well-Grounded Rubyist, which will soon have its third edition released. They give some of the history behind The Well-Grounded Rubyist. Joseph talks about his experience being brought into the project. David and Joseph talk about how The Well-Grounded Rubyist is different from other books on Ruby. This book is helpful because a lot of people begin by understanding Ruby more than Rails, and this book talks about ways to think about Ruby and understand how it’s structure. Joseph and David talk about how The Well-Grounded Rubyist 3rd edition differs from the 2nd edition. The book has been updated so that a lot of the code and solutions for the exercises are available online and there is an additional chapter in part 3 about Ruby dynamics and how one would write functional programming with Ruby The panel discusses how important it is to learn Ruby before starting a job in Rails 2. They agree that if you are a Ruby developer, even if you’re working on Rails apps, so you should know your tools. They discuss how far down that road The Well Grounded Rubyist would get readers. They panelists talk about other books that are a natural prequel or sequel to the The Well-Grounded Rubyist. Joseph and David talk about their approach to reading books and how The Well-Grounded Rubyist should be read. Their goal in making the book was not to have people work on an overarching application while reading the book, but rather there are exercises and examples that you are encouraged to work through. There are some lessons in the book that you won’t write often, but you still need to know how to do it. While the book doesn’t have everything about Ruby, but the examples are designed to give you the best returns for you study. David and Joseph conclude by giving their final thoughts on the book. Links The Well-Grounded Rubyist, Third Edition Perl Programming Ruby 1.9 & 2.0: The Pragmatic Programmers' Guide (The Facets of Ruby) 4th Edition Practical Object-Oriented Design: An Agile Primer Using Ruby (2nd Edition) by Sandi Metz String mutability Follow DevChat on Facebook and Twitter Picks Andrew Mason: Default Gems Charles Max Wood: Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make The Leap and Others Don't by Jim Collins David A. Black: Pragmatic Programmer 2nd edition Davidablack.net and @david_a_black on Twitter Joseph Leo III:  Barbarians at the Gate Firehydrant.io @jleo3 and defmethod.com

In the soft volcanic rock of Cappadocia, eroded by wind and water into fantastic shapes, ancient peoples carved dwelling places.  By the Byzantine era, locals created vast underground refuges: places to hide from raiders and foreign armies.  They painted murals on rock-cut churches, exemplars of medieval Roman religious art. In the 8th century, this art, both here and around the empire, became the centerpiece of a spirited controversy: iconoclasm.  Some, particularly the emperors Leo III and Constantine V, believed that people's venerating religious art was causing God to forsake the empire. Others disagreed.  The argument would have far-reaching consequences for the empire and for history. Iconoclasm initially ended under the guidance of Irene, the first ruling Empress in Roman history. She was ruthlessly efficient, as seen by her treatment of her son. She's one bad mother.... Listeners Krister and Jacob Törneke come by to discuss visiting Cappadocia, where cave churches and underground cities should the mark of the medieval Byzantines and where the natural landscape inspires jaw-dropping amazement. Plus, they talk about the Cappadocian Turkish food, including ayran, a salty yogurt drink that goes perfectly with meat kebabs, even if it sounds repulsive. Sources: Brownworth, Lars.  Lost to the West: The Forgotten Byzantine Empire That Rescued Western Civilization Decrees of the Ecumenical Councils, ed. Norman P. Tanner Herrin, Judith.  Byzantium: The Surprising Life of a Medieval Empire Lonely Planet Turkey Norwich, John Julius. Byzantium: the Early Centuries Theophanes. Chronographia Treadgold, Warren.  A Concise History of Byzantium Photograph by Gerardo Lazzari

At last the 20 years anarchy draws to an end, but only because one man was able to grab the reins and reign well for a couple of decades (in the the rain?) Find out how Leo did this, but also what he did to rip the very stability he produced apart. Oh, and there is rumour of Poo Pie. 

Dem Papst die Zunge herausreißen? Die Stellvertreter mussten die Geschichte hindurch viel mitmachen... Leo III. wurde jedoch besonders übel mitgespielt. Wie er sich von dem auf ihn verübten Anschlag erholte und was Karl der Große damit zu tun hat, erfahrt ihr im neuen Popecast aus der Reihe #diestellvertreter.

795 - 800 We look at the election and tumultuous adventures of pope Leo III before he goes on to crown Charlemagne, thus determining the relations between the papacy and the budding Holy Roman Empire for centuries to come

House of Harley Radio broadcasting LIVE at the I AM LEO III feat Ginuwine hosted by Vivica Fox

House of Harley Radio broadcasting LIVE at the I AM LEO III feat Ginuwine hosted by Vivica Fox

We trace the origins of Leo III from his family's relocation to Thrace, his service in the Caucasus through to his interaction with the invading Arabs. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Rebroadcast of the long running radio program, "The Ave Maria Hour", a presentation of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement. www.AtonementFriars.org St. Leo III - Leo III is remembered as Charlemagne's pope. The cardinal priest of Santa Susanna, Leo was unanimously elected to the papal see in 795. Four years later, a mob led by relatives of his predecessor, Pope Adrian I, tried to blind Leo and cut out his tongue; such mutilations would have rendered him unfit to rule. Having escaped physical danger, he was imprisoned in a monastery during an attempt to depose him. He escaped to Charlemagne's retreat at Paderborn, where Alcuin defended him against charges of adultery and purjury on the grounds that no earthly power can judge the successor to St. Peter.

War er nun meineidig und ein Ehebrecher, oder doch nicht? Auf jeden Fall schwor Papst Leo III. in dieser Sache am 23. Dezember 800 einen Reinigungseid. Kein Problem, schon längst ging es in Wahrheit um viel Wichtigeres. Autorin: Christian Feldmann

One of the most interesting moments in Church History comes in the conflict over the use of images in Worship. It's born of the reality that Christianity has its roots in Judaism but had vast appeal among pagan Gentiles.During the time of the Kings of Judah & Israel, Israel struggled with its call by God to abstain from idolatry. Indeed, a premier hallmark of religious revival under what are called the “Good Kings” was often marked by a systematic dismantling of idolatry across the land. King Josiah's campaign to eradicate idolatry and pagan high places after the reign of his grandfather Manasseh is a prime example. But ultimately, these revivals weren't able to stem the tide. Idols and high places went up as fast as they were torn down. So as warned by God, both Israel and Judah were carried away into captivity by foreign conquerors.Carted off to Babylon, Idolatry Central, the Jewish exiles came to loath idols as well as to lament the tendency of their souls to turn to them. Babylon seemed to be a kind of aversion therapy for the Jews. “You want idols? Okay, have them aplenty!” And there in Babylon Israel was seemingly cured of idolatry; they never struggled with it again. On the contrary, they returned from exile with an almost allergic reaction to anything that even hinted at idolatry. So much so, that Jews were regarded as strange by their pagan neighbors, not just that they believed in a single, All-Powerful God, but that they utterly refused to give Him any kind of imagery & physical representation. Some pagans wondered if in fact Jews were atheists, because of their fierce reduction of the gods & goddesses to a single deity Who refused to be represented by an image.And of course, the earliest Christians were Jews who understood their Faith, not as something new, but as something very old that had simply been moved along by God into the fulfillment He'd always pointed it toward. Jesus was THE fulfillment of what God had promised the First Jew = Abraham, all the way back at the beginning in Genesis 12. It was through Jesus all nations would be blessed. Fulfilling God's promise to Adam and Eve in Gen, 3, Jesus was the seed of the woman Who crushed satan's head and effected humanity's salvation.This Gospel quickly jumped the boundary between Jews & Gentiles. It turns out the Greco-Roman world of the 1st C was ripe for some much needed Good News. People were weary of the thread-bare of paganism with its pantheon of fickle gods and bitter goddesses. They were burned-out on the fatalism of Greek philosophy that locked them in a hopeless cage. The Gospel offered an entirely different way of looking at the world and life. It re-wrote peoples' idea of God and offered an intimate & eternal love relationship with Him that infused them with boundless hope and joy. It filled life with meaning and purpose.Once pagan Gentiles began coming to Faith in ever larger numbers, the Church had oit figure out what ot do with them. The NT book of Acts records an account of the Jewish leadership of the Church in Jerusalem wrestling with how to cope with all the Gentile converts. They didn't deal with the issue of images then, but they'd have to later. Because it was inevitable that image-hating Jews & image-loving Gentiles would come to a loggerheads over the role of images in the practice of the faith.Early on, Gentile converts to the Faith deferred to their elder Jewish brothers to define for them what to believe and how to conduct themselves. This included the use of images in worship. Pagans regarded opposition to the wor­ship of images as irreligious, and so the rumor began that Christians were atheists. But as more and more Gentiles came into the Faith and took on leadership of the Church, some of the old strictures fell by the wayside. From the 3rd to 7th Cs, a change in attitude toward imagery took place. In the 3rd C, the theologian Origen slammed the use of images worship. But by the 7th C images had become an indispensable part of religious life. The reasons and chronology for this sea change regarding images are obscured by a glaring lack of record. Like the transition form adult to infant baptism, it's something that took place without much controversy or debate, at least that we have record of.We don't became aware of the importance of images in worship until there was a major controversy over them. It's almost as though a significant portion of the Church woke up one day & said, “Wait. Where'd all these images come from and why are people worshipping them? This has to stop.” Now of course, that's way overstating it; but as far as the record in concerned, that's the way it appears. We don't really see much about the ubiquity of images in worship until there was a movement to banish them in the 8th & 9th Cs in what's called the Iconoclast Controversy. This controversy between image-haters and lovers stirred up fierce passion and is well documented. It concluded with the establishing of Eastern Orthodoxy as it's practiced today, where images in the form of icons play a central role in worship.With the arrival of Islam in the 7th C, the face of the Mediterranean World changed dramatically. In short order, vast regions that had looked to the Cross, now looked to the Crescent Moon. One time great centers of Christianity in Syria & Egypt became Muslim. But Islam's relentless march into Europe was stalled in 4 yr long siege of Constantinople and in Southern France by Charles Martel at the Battle of Tours in 732. Until the 8th C, though Rome was the sentimental capital of the Roman Empire, the Pope it's theological center, the far more populous East was the de-facto center of Christianity. With Islam's conquest of the Middle East and North Africa, Christianity's center shifted Westward into Europe, leaving Constantinople an increasingly isolated island in a Muslim Sea.Deprived of its once vaunted status and vast resources  supplied by the East, the Church in Constantinople went into decline. It was unable to answer the challenge of the now dominant Islam that proved to be an effective adversary to the moribund Faith the Church had fallen to. Islam was nothing like the mish-mash of frayed paganism Christianity had contended with in its early Cs. Islam regarded Christianity as degenerate and polytheistic in much the same way Chris­tians had considered paganism. Church leaders realized they needed to turn things around. A new generation of theologians and leaders emerged to take on the challenge.Leo III came to Constantinople's throne in 717 during the 2nd Muslim siege. He attributed the Arab presence and pressure on the City to Divine displeasure. The solution was a thorough round of repentance; a systematic purification of both Church & State.Leo established the Isaurian Dynasty after a 22 year period of near anarchy in Constantinople that saw 6 different emperors seize the throne. The Isurians ruled for the rest of the 8th C, repeatedly rescuing the Capital & what was left of the Christian East from the on-going menace of the Arabs and a new threat by pagan Bulgars. Even more thoroughly than Justinian the Great had, Leo reformed the Law Code, seeking to harmonize it with the Christian Faith.When Leo III came to the throne in 717, the Muslims launched a major campaign to take Constantinople. In Mid-Summer, an Arab army laid siege round the walls on the land side. An Arab fleet arrived a month later to seal off the flow of supplies by water.  But the Arab Navy was hammered by strong storms and Imperial cutters using a new weapon called Greek fire. Dysentery, the perennial enemy of siege-forces, as well as other sickness, forced the Arabs to withdraw the next Summer. While the army was able to march away, nearly the entire Arab fleet was sunk by a fierce storm. The Christians attributed all this to divine intervention. With the people of Constantinople thankful toward God, Leo thought it a good time to launch a reform of the Church; especially in regard to something he assumed was obvious to all godly folk; the use of images in worship. Well, Leo couldn't have misread the attitudes of his public more.As I mentioned, the early church theologian Origen was vehemently opposed to the use of images in worship based on the clear reading of the Second Commandment. The little we know about the eventual use of images began with the inclusion of relics. In Acts 19:12 we read an interesting little story about how some of the Apostle Paul's clothing was used to effect healing. Based on that, a theology was derived that used the remains and possessions of saints as touchpoints of devotion. And of course, a relic needed to be kept somewhere, so shrines were built to house them. Then churches were built to house the shrines. Both church and shrine were decorated with images pointing to the relic and the saint the relic came from.But of course, the use of symbols and a simple iconography started very early in the Christian tradition. Who doesn't know today that the fish became a secret symbol Christians used to identify themselves to one another in the midst of persecution? The catacombs of Rome are rich with imagery depicting the faith of those interred there. The anchor, ship and a shepherd are all early images Christians used to mark their faith.A lingering reluctance from Judaism to cast Jesus in the form of a man saw Him instead depicted as the Lamb of God. It wasn't till the very end of the 7th C  that a Council in Constantinople decreed Christ should be portrayed in His human form RATHER than as a lamb or some other symbol.While both Jews & Gentile converts agreed God in His essence as deity ought not be represented by an image, Jesus Christ was God become man. Some argued that just as God became man, taking on human flesh so that people could see, hear, and touch Him, so it wasn't just permissible to make images representing Him, it was necessary! Spurring the production of these images were the “discovery” of manuscripts that supposedly gave a description of Jesus, enabling artists to create a portrait. Wild reports of these portraits' miraculous completion at the hands of an angel while the artist slept were heard. Such “not made by hands” images were then given created for effecting healings and miracles. When Constantinople was attacked by the Avars in 626, Patriarch Ser­gius had icons of Mary painted on the City's gates & walls for protection.At the dawn of the 8th C images were in wide use in the worship of the Eastern Church. The West used them primarily as instructional aids, but their coin as aids in worship was growing. But that's not to say their use hadn't been a point of debate, minor as it may have been. Beginning in the 5th C, there are a handful of protests by church leaders in both the East and West. In 599 Bishop Serenus of Marseille was appalled by the cult that had sprung up around the images in his diocese. He ordered their destruction. Pope Gregory I at the turn of the 7th C told him he was right to resisr the adoration of images but instead of destroying them ought to use them as aids in instruction the illiterate.Our first record of a government action against images was a decree, not by a Christian ruler, but by a Muslim. In 723, Caliph Yazid II ordered the destruction of all images, not just in churches but in houses as well. This ban was secured by a Palestinian Jew's promise such a command would yield long life to the Caliph.  A hollow promise since Yazid died the next year. That becomes a frequent charge made by Christians at that time; that Jews urged Muslim rulers to interfere with their worship as get back for the Cs Christians had troubled Jews.The Quran doesn't pro­hibit images per se; only when they're turned into objects of worship; AKA idols. The first caliphs decorated their palaces with mosaics in the Byzantine style and used Roman coins that often bore the effigy of an Emperor or Christ. It was during this time Arabs began to reject all images, not merely those used in worship.As far as Christian rulers, it was Leo III, following the successful breaking of the 2nd Siege by the Arabs, who installed reforms that moved to eradicate the use of images in worship. The Patriarch of Constantinople at the time was Germanus. He pushed back on the initial order but only tepidly. He really didn't want to take on the Emperor. Besides many of the local bishops of Asia Minor were all for a suppression of images. In 720 Leo ordered that all coins be minted bearing the head of his son and co-emperor Constantine V, rather than the traditional bust of Jesus. Later, a simple cross was used. Leo's zeal increased dramatically when a volcano erupted. He took that as a sign of God's anger at the lingering presence of idolatry.  Leo personally took a hand in demolishing a bronze image of Christ tradition had assigned to the agency of no one less than Constantine the Great.In 730, Leo replaced Patriarch Germanus, who'd been less than enthusiastic about Leo's war on religious imagery.  The Imperial Chancellor Anastasius was made the new Patriarch. In the mean­time, John of Damascus, the most eminent Orthodox theologian since the Cappadocian Fathers, penned a defense of images from his refuge in Arab-ruled Palestine.At this point in our story, we'll switch from referring to religious imagery as images to their more accurate term – icons. Since we talked about what an icon was in Season 1 we'll summarize by simply saying that an icon isn't considered by those who make them as being painted; they are written. Artists who produce them attend extensive training and there are set rules for their production. They are deemed to be a means by which God's grace flows to those who use them in worship. They aren't worshipped, per se, they're venerated as aids IN worship or aids TO worship.Those opposed to the use of icons are called iconoclasts; icon-breakers. Supporters of icons were called iconodules; icon-servants.The afore-mentioned Constantine V was named co-emperor by his father in 720. He reigned as sole Emperor, 741-75. He was even more opposed to icons than his father. A number of theological arguments were developed by iconoclasts, mostly relating to portrayals of Christ. They said that since His human nature can't be separated from His divine nature, any attempt to portray Him was an at­tempt to portray God, which is forbidden by the 2nd Commandment. A similar line of reasoning was used with icons of saints who'd been raised into the heaven.  Icons were labelled by the boogeyman of being Nestorian. The only safe image iconoclasts allowed was the Cross. Emperor Constantine himself wrote an iconoclast treatise which is lost to us but which was cited by others. He ar­gued that while Christ's human nature may indeed be represented by an image, his divine nature can't. So, all portrayals separate the natures and are therefore heretical. Constantine V's position is called by some historians, Christian Primitivism. He would have caused no problems in his thinking among Christians prior to the con­version of his namesake, Constantine the Great. He rejected the interces­sion of the saints, a practice unknown among early Christians.In 754 Constantine V held what he numbered as the Seventh Ecumenical Coun­cil—a distinction denied by both Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism. Neither the pope nor the patriarchs of Alexandria, Anti­och, and Jerusalem, who by then were under Arab rule, attended. The patriarch­ate of Constantinople at the time was vacant. The Council lasted 7 months, and the record of its actions has been lost – all except its final decision regarding icons. The veneration of icons, that is, their use in worship was forbidden. So too was their destruction. A new iconoclast Patriarch was seated in Constantinople while the deposed Germanus, a Bishop of Cyprus, and John of Damascus were declared heretics.Constantine V didn't immediately treat iconodules as hated heretics. Threats from Islam obliged him to preserve internal peace for a time. But when the vast majority of monks became increasingly agitated iconodules, monasticism came under imperial scorn. In 761, 2 iconodule-monks were executed for speaking out against the Emperor. That action crossed a line in Constantine's mind that saw him then proceed to ramp up persecution of those calling for a reinstitution of icons.iThe Iconoclastic Controversy, as it is officially called, was the first period of persecution in Church history to be based on something other than a dispute concerning doctrinal fundamentals. Although to those caught up in it, it certainly seemed fundamental to them! Hey, when blood is being spilled, people tend to think it's pretty fundamental. Anything that trumps the urge to survival will do that. We're allowed the leisure of saying this was a controversy over non-essentials only because we're so far removed from its bite. For the first time, Christians executed Christians for religious reasons.When the main force of lingering iconodule support was found in monasteries and among monks, an Imperial military commander at Ephesus named Michael Lachanodracon decided to take matters into his own hands. He may have felt that he was only implementing what the Emperor wanted to but was restrained by politics from doing. In 770, he gathered all the monks and nuns he could find and ordered them to marry. Those who refused were blinded and exiled to Cyprus. He razed monasteries and those churches so filled with iconography it was easier to just level them. The military's participation in this may have been partly fueled by their frustration at being handed one defeat after another by the Muslims. But they  were also furious at the monasteries and monks  who drained much needed resources form the war effort and robbed the army of much needed man-power. As Lachanodracon assumed, Constantine V expressed his appreciation for his brutal and bloody campaign.When Constantine died in 775, the throne passed to his son Leo IV, The Khazar; so named because his mother was a Khazar princess named Irene. Which is a whole other fascinating tale. Influenced by his wife, also named Irene, who later played a gruesome role in Byzantine history, Leo abandoned the repressive iconoclast policies of his father. Leo named his 6 year old son Constantine VI co-emperor shortly after his own ascent. When he died only 5 yrs into his reign the 10 yr old became sole Emperor; except for that interesting mother of his who became the real power at court.Irene had already backed down the iconoclastic policy of the imperial gov­ernment during her husband's reign. With him out the way, she moved quickly to put an end to iconoclasm altogether. The iconoclastic patriarch Paul was forced to abdicate, allowing Irene's secretary, Tarasius to be elected to the post. A new Council was called in 786 to restore the veneration of images. It's called the 7th Ecumenical Council, even though that's what Constantine V had called his 32 yrs earlier. The new Council was opposed by large numbers of the military still beholden to Constantine V. Irene replaced iconoclast units with more loyal troops from Thrace and reconvened the council in Nicaea. The veneration of im­ages was declared orthodox; iconoclasts who recanted were forgiven & restored, despite the hostility of monks who wanted some serious pay-back. The Council managed to get around the charge of idolatry by saying the veneration shown images was to be understood as applying to the saint depicted, not to the image itself. Worship was reserved for God alone.When Constantine VI reached maturity, his power-hungry mom refused to step down. In the ensuing conflict, the ferocious icon­oclastic general Michael Lachanodracon took the son's part. Irene was able to resist at first, but when Asian troops threw in with Constantine he prevailed and was proclaimed sole ruler in 790.It seems Irene's apple didn't fall far from her tree in her son. He merged cowardice with cruelty, and lost the support of his followers. In  a shocking moment of scandal, he set aside his wife of 7 yrs to marry his mistress. That enflamed the hatred of the monks who went to Irene and gave her their support. So she was able to return and take the throne in August, 797. Constantine was blinded, a deformity that by Byzantine Law prohibited him from ever being ruler again.Talk about being a bad mom! Way to go Irene.Her cruelty may have done away with her son, but it provoked a coup that replaced her with Nicephorus I in 802. He died in battle 9 yrs later, to be succeeded by the inept Michael I Rangabe. Barely 2 yrs later Michael was deposed by another Leo, the V, who sought to restored the old Iconoclast policies of his namesake. He convened yet another council at Constantinople in 815, to once more do away with icons. But Leo V didn't have any popular support and was murdered by supporters of the next Emperor, Michael II. This guy was a moderate iconoclast,; that is, while advocating a theological position opposed to icons, he didn't use imperial force to make people stop their use. He hired an the out­standing iconoclastic scholar named John the Grammarian as tutor for his son and successor Theophilus, under whom iconoclasm enjoyed its last gasp. In 837, Tutor John was made Constantinople's Patriarch. An energetic repression of iconodules once again began, with a special focus on those pesky icon-loving monk.But by that time iconoclasm had lost its popular following and the movement ended with the death of Theophilus in 842. He was succeeded by his son Michael III under the regency of his widow, Theodora who immediately set about restoring the use of icons. John the Grammarian was deposed and in 843, a synod officially reinstalled the veneration of images.The brief revival of iconoclasm that ended with the so-called "triumph of orthodoxy" in March of 843 produced what we know today as Eastern Orthodoxy, the “Church of the Seven Councils.” From the perspective of Eastern churches, the Council of Nicaea in 787 was the 7th and last ecumenical council.  The councils Rome  convened and labeled as ecumenical the East regards only as regional synods. Later events would drive a wedge between the two churches, that up to this point had been one.