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• These two parts of the Roman Empire - the western and eastern legs of the Roman Empire - are familiar to many because of Daniel’s prophecy in chapter 2, which we have already looked at in earlier lessons. In Daniel’s day, in Babylon, king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had a dream, which was actually a prophecy of empires that would follow his own. The huge statue which he saw in his dream had a head of gold (signifying king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon), arms of silver (signifying the two ‘arms’ or powers of the Medo-Persian Empire), belly and thighs of brass (signifying the brazen-coated Greeks under the Greek Empire) and legs of iron (signifying the two legs, eastern and western, of the iron might of the Roman Empire).
• And so, when many people think of an eastern Church, or the Church in the east, they will probably think of the eastern half of the Roman Empire, ruled over from Constantinople. This is known as the Byzantine Empire, and a very important Empire it is too.