Seventh-century Christian apocalypse promised Byzantine revenge and worldly peace

Evidence

The Apocalypse describes with relish the imminent demise of the Ishmaelites. The “King of the Greeks” (i.e., the Byzantine emperor), will arise “as a man who shakes away his wine,” and will rout the Ishmaelites in battle and submit them to servitude, destroying Arabia and Egypt. “And all the fierce anger of the king of the Greeks will run a full course with those who had denied Christ.” This is a clear warning to those who might be considering apostasy and a promise of sweet revenge for those Christians who remain true to their faith. For the Christian faithful, the Greek Christian victory will usher in “the final peace of the end of the world: there will be joy on the whole earth; men will dwell in great peace; the churches will be renewed; the cities will be rebuilt, and the priests will be set free from tax.” — John V. Tolan, Saracens, 330

Categorization

• QUESTION: The promised Byzantine victory and ‘final peace’ never came as the text descended — the detail about priests set free from tax hints at the actual grievances fueling apocalyptic hope. Worth tracing how this expectation resolved in later Christian apocalypses.