The entire world was the Roman empire. There was nothing but the Roman Empire. It conquered and gobbled up everything it could and what it couldn't it stamped out, just as Daniel's visions described.
But in 400AD, Gothic barbarian tribes invaded western 3rd of the empire. Their method of attack was a "scorched earth" policy (i.e. burn EVERYTHING to the ground).
I've already contended with others over the years who have attempt to use the "Rome was the entire world" claim. This is done to diminish the reality that scripture is speaking about the whole inhabited world, as if God isn't able to get that point across.
Case in Point: when the fourth angel pours out his bowl on the sun, it is given power to scorch the earth with fire, searing the inhabitants with intense heat. Is it just the area of the old Rome occupation that suffers? Does the sun only shine in the area of the old Roman occupied territory? Or does it mean that everyone on the earth where the sun shines will be exposed to this bowl of wrath? If you said the latter, then you would be correct.
In 425AD, the Vandals, known as "the tyrants of the seas", attacked and destroyed the Roman navy. All dead. All ships destroyed.
3rd trumpet - Huns (Barbarians) 451AD; "masters of the rivers"; Attila, called "the scourge of god". There were so many dead bodies piling up in rivers that it polluted the fresh waters.
4th trumpet - Heruli (Barbarians) conquered Rome's capitol 476AD; the Dark ages begin.
Little horn rises - Papal Rome. 538AD. Begins to persecute Jews
5th trumpet - Islamic Saracens attack Papal Rome, skirmishes last 150 years. I already described how their characteristics match the vision of the locust. There was even testimony that said those Islamic raiders moved in like "locust" and disappear just as fast.
6th trumpet - Ottoman Turks (Asians) invade east Pagan Roman Empire (1/3) 1062AD; they cross the Euphrates river; had 4 sultinates and 4 capitals: Sogut, Bursa, Edirne and Istanbul; Crusades begin (391yrs)
All of the above are just misapplied historical events. The seals, trumpets and bowl judgments is how the Day of the Lord is going to be fulfilled, which has not yet begun. Therefore, how can you have those past events mentioned above as being apart of the day of the Lord, when it hasn't started yet?
Mighty angel - raises hands (just like man in linen did with Daniel telling him about the timeframe of tribulation), "no more time!". GT begins. John is then told to prophesy again, and measure the worshippers. The witnesses then testify for 1260 prophetic days (literal years).
The 1260 days are not to be interpreted as years. They will be an actual 1260 days. Daniel 9:27 established a seven year time period, with the middle of the seven years marked by the setting up of the abomination and which Jesus identified as the beginning of the great tribulation. Revelation mentions that entire seven year period in reference to the 1260 days that the two witnesses will prophecy, the 42 months that the Gentiles will trample the holy city, the woman/Israel being cared for out in the wilderness for 1260 days, also mentioned as a time, times and a half a time. So, 1260 days will be 3 1/2 years based on 30 day month increments.
7th trumpet - the bowls of wrath upon the world begin to pour out.
The result of the seventh trumpet is when Satan and his angels are thrown out of heaven and cast to the earth, which is also the 3rd woe and will overlap the entire last 3 1/2 yeas. After that, the bowls will begin to be poured out, one after another, each with its own event of wrath.
After the 6th trumpet, an eagle flying through mid air announces trumpets 5, 6 and 7 as each being a woe. After the 5th trumpet is completed, it states that the first woe has past, two more woes are yet to follow. And then after the 6th trumpet is states that the second woe has past and the third woe is coming quickly. Weren't you curious when there was no mention of the 3rd woe either starting or completing like it did with trumpets 5 & 6? As I said previously, Satan and His angels being cast out of heaven and restricted to the earth is the result of the 7th trumpet and the 3rd woe.
These events do take place physically, but the visions are symbolic. Have you ever seen a four-headed leopard with wings flying around? What about a winged lion? Do you expect the Antichrist to literally have 7 heads and 10 horns? Who in the world would mistake a seven-headed monster as the true Messiah?
Within the book of Revelation there is literal and there symbolism. One of the major problems we have today is that people are not able to discern between the two. They symbolize what is meant to be literal and take literally what is meant to be symbolic.
The four head leapard with wings is symbolically representing Greece.
The lion symbolically represents Babylon
The seven headed dragon represents Satan as the orchestrator
"And the great dragon was hurled down—
that ancient serpent called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him."
"He seized the dragon, t
hat ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years
The seven heads:
"The seven heads are seven mountains, where the woman sits on them; and there are seven kings
The Ten Horns:
"And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but receive authority as kings one hour, along with the beast."
The Woman who Rides the Beast:
"the woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.”
So yes, I am familiar with what is symbolic and what is literal in the book of Revelation.
However, the seals, trumpets and bowl judgments do not read as symbolism and are therefore literal in their meanings. These events of wrath will take place literally on the whole earth and not just Rome's territory of old. The historical view does not fit with Jesus' reference to it being the the worst time in the history of the world. But their literal fulfillment does.
To apply a historical view to this vast information that God have us regarding the time of His wrath in the very last days, would be to dilute the power of His wrath.
This information about God's wrath was written for us to warn the world of God's coming wrath and the condemnation for those who continue to reject Christ. Needless to say, not many people are going to fear God if you turn them into historical events that have taken place in the past. In fact if anything it would put them at ease. Anyone who teaches this historical view is going to have to answer to God for it.
The world is currently heading for that time of wrath. But first the church must be gathered from the earth.
I'm just trying to get you to understand the truth of these matter.