The persecution of witchcraft enabled the Roman Catholic Church to prolong the profitability of the Inquisition. The Inquisition had left regions so economically destitute that the inquisitor Eymeric complained, "In our days there are no more rich heretics... it is a pity that so salutary an institution as ours should be so uncertain of its future." By adding witchcraft to the crimes it persecuted, however, the Inquisition exposed a whole new group of people from whom to collect money. It took every advantage of this opportunity. The author Barbara Walker notes:

Victims were charged for the very ropes that bound them and the wood that burned them. Each procedure of torture carried its fee. After the execution of a wealthy witch, officials usually treated themselves to a banquet at the expense of the victim's estate.

In 1592 Father Cornelius Loos wrote:

Wretched creatures are compelled by the severity of the torture to confess things they have never done... and so by the cruel butchery innocent lives are taken; and, by a new alchemy, gold and silver are coined from human blood.

From the Dark Side of Christian History
The Witch Hunts: The End of Magic and Miracles by Helen Ellerbe

In the third century, as the Roman Empire entered a period of crisis, persecution of Christians intensified. Barbarians broke through the borders of the empire, plague ravaged the cities, and the Roman economy went into a sharp decline. This period also saw a rapid turnover of emperors, as political instability, civil war, and bloody battles resulted in the death of many emperors before they had a chance to rule for very long. Some of the short-lived emperors in this period were friendly toward Christianity. Philip the Arab, for example, seems to have been interested in the religion and corresponded with Christian intellectuals. His successor, Decius, however, was far less tolerant. Blaming the catastrophes afflicting the empire on Christianity, Decius instituted the first empire-wide persecution of hristians. In 250 AD, Decius required all citizens of the empire to sacrifice to the emperor, AND RECEIVE A CERTIFICATE TO PROVE THAT THEY HAD DONE THIS. THOSE WITHOUT A CERTIFICATE COULD BE EXECUTED.

Christianity spread throughout the Roman world, especially the eastern Mediterranean, in the years after the death of Christ. Because Christian communities were spread out, in sporadic contact, AND FORCED UNDERGROUND BY THE ROMAN STATE, many forms of Christianity flourished in different areas. The Romans persecuted Christianity because they felt that the Christians endangered their cities and the whole Roman state BY REFUSING TO GIVE THE GODS THEIR SACRIFICES (worshipping the BEAST). They also feared that the Christians were traitors, since they did not worship the emperor and met in secret. There were also a variety of rumors about strange Christian behavior. Besides the persecution of Christians in Rome by Nero in 64 AD, the Roman state only persecuted Christians sporadically for a long time. By the third century, as disasters befell the empire and Christians were blamed FOR NOT SACRIFICING TO THE GODS (worshipping the Beast), persecutions became harsher and more common, until they reached a height with The Great Persecution, under Diocletian.

These things are true but yet none of it changes the fact that at the end of this present age a final persecuting beast will arise and vent his fury against the Jewish people and the believing church. So it has happened in history in varying degrees. It won't change what is to come. The end of the age context of a final beast cannot be displaced. As Christ was the ultimate incarnation of the mystery of godliness do the final beast will be a full incarnation of the mystery of iniquity.

_________________
David Winter

As Docs said, this doesn't change the facts of scripture & the prophecies in context as A whole. "No man can buy or sell save the mark of the beast" & the whole timeline of the beast and false prophet and when they get thrown into the lake of fire in Revelation 19-20 (Jesus isn't going to throw a system in the lake of fire, nor is he going to throw many down the centuries in there and call that in scripture in the singular Greek participles as individuals).

The question still remains: if the system is in place in the whole earth, and we are now later than before in history (obviously) where on earth is this in play right now (outside of North Korea)? It's not even the case in Iran? And how does it affect your life Julius? "NO MAN can buy or sell". That would include you & me would it not? Fact is rational logical application to prove out such a theory rarely gets the respect of an answer. Because it's unanswerable apparently. Doesn't prop up the narrative. And then if that's literal, Romans 11 might be too, & that certainly can't be!

Honestly, this type of applying everything that looks like it could be affiliated/related in type to the actual literal fulfillment of prophesy looks JUST like how the Preterist approaches hermeneutics, prophesy, eschatology, etc.

Right under our noses, throughout the world we have Christians who won't worship the Beast of the Islamic Religion and they suffer dire consequences. Do you think they can get the employment of their choice in an Islamic country? Many have had their possessions confiscated and have been forced to flee from their country.

"The Shariah is the divine law sent by Allah... It is justice for mankind... It is a noble thing to invite someone to a superior way of life."
-- Imam Anjem Choudary

Saying there is an invitation to become a Muslim implies there is a choice. As history has recorded, the choice is to convert to Islam or die. To Muslims, this is an invitation... to non-Muslims, it is a death threat. This is just another example of the dishonest nature of Islam in its treatment of non-Muslims. They say that Islam is a superior way of life, and then they have to force people to accept Islam often under penalty of death.

Forced servitude to Imams and other totalitarian Islamic governments who interpret the teachings of Islam as they see fit is not a superior way of life!!!

Satan, has been energizing and directing the Beast of Religion through the centuries to marginalize Christians in various ways since the Early Church. These ways include, confiscation of property, social and economic ostracizing and death to those who do not "worship the Beast" (agree with and love the world).

Now you are getting warmer Julius! 😊

And this is the system I believe that one day will have a leader arise out of the area of Turkey, lead a coalition of Islamic nations bringing Sunni & Shiite together, surround Israel (which they already do geographically) & attack her. Implement these things (Sharia, Jizya, etc.) on a wide and massive scale that actually fulfill to the T the prophetic texts, & Jesus Himself will come down and tread these enemies underfoot) after the fullness of the Gentiles come in, and all Israel see Him whom they pierced and cry out and all Israel shall be saved (Romans 11:26) & the Lord will show Himself strong in that day & deal with the beast & the false prophet, & eventually Satan himself.

Definitely getting warmer brother Julius! 👍

Again Julius, rational, logical literalism"

Beast with seven heads literal = no

Woman riding a beast with names on her forehead literal = no

"No man can buy or sell lest they have the mark.." Literal = yes

Common sense rational Literalism based on context.

What about the serpent in the garden? Was that literal? Or the leviathan? Or the great fish that swallowed Jonah? Or Gehenna? Or the Nephilim? Or great hailstones of fire and brimstone falling from heaven on Sodom & Gomorroah? Are all those literal? Yes, yes, they are!

And I believe from context that so is "the mark of the beast". I even could possibly stretch way out there on a limb (from nothing in the text) & see it as possibly being symbolic of "the works of your hands" (right hand) and/or "the thoughts of your mind" (forehead) as a major stretch, but it's going to be pretty universal & widespread & related to the beast of Daniel, the son of perdition/man (man is singular for A MAN - an individual) of lawlessness, etc.

Are lady's riding on dragons & what not literal? No, I think we instinctively know from the language and context that isn't "literal". Contextual Rational literalism.