First of all, his "interpretation" of Revelation (with Ephesus representing the "period of the Apostles", Smyrna representing the "period of persecution", etc.) is a very novel one; and in order to assert it, "Doctor" Jeremiah needs to explain away the fact that Ephesus, Smyrna, and the other Asian city-churches addressed by St. John in Revelation were very real 1st Century places; and the failures and/or virtues attributed to each of them by Christ were really issues that these 1st Century city-churches were grappling with.  This very much includes the city-church of Pergamum, where St. John says the "throne of Satan" is located.  By this, John refers to the very real altar to Zeus …a famous ancient monument, and the center of Zeus' cult outside of Greece.  The Christians of Pergamum experienced many persecutions because they refused to offer sacrifices at this gigantic altar (which was, incidentally, shaped like a "throne" …to underscore Zeus' role as "king of the gods".).  This is what St. John was referring to, Joseph – something very real.  He was not speaking symbolically about a future reign of Constantine at all.

And, speaking of the reign of Constantine, Dr. Jeremiah's historical assertions about this first Christian emperor could not be more wrong.  In fact, he is so wrong that one wonders if "Doctor" Jeremiah ever bothered to read the actual history of this period, or is just going by bigoted anti-Catholic hearsay.

For starters (and anyone familiar with the actual history will tell you this), Emperor Constantine did not force Christianity on anyone.  In fact, he encouraged religious freedom for pagans under his rule!  Here's a letter from Constantine to the bishops of Arles (in modern-day France) discussing his views on the matter:

So, Constantine didn't close the pagan temples, nor did he force the Christian Faith on any of his subjects.  In fact, it was not until the reign of Emperor Theodosius I (392-395, who ruled 55 years after Constantine's death) that all the pagan temples were closed down and public pagan worship was abolished.  Yet, this only happened after a war between Emperor Theodosius and a rival emperor named Eugenius, who promised to restore paganism as the Empire's official religion if people would help him rebel against Theodosius.  So, Theodosius really had no political choice but to punish the pagans after his victory of Eugenius.  Yet, EVEN THEN, no one was forced to convert to Christianity.  The first recorded instance of mass conversion to Christianity by force happened around 790 A.D., when the Frankish king Charlemagne forced the pagan Saxons of Germany to convert as an entire nation …and this after several decades of bloody warfare.  However, the Catholic Church (as even "Doctor" Jeremiah must admit) was surely established long before 790 A.D.

As for Constantine declaring himself "Pontifex Maximus", this is true; however Dr. Jeremiah puts an untrue spin on it.  "Pontifex Maximus" was an old pagan Roman title; and it was held by all Emperors from Augustus Caesar onward.  Under imperial Roman law, the Emperor was always

"Princeps" ("First Citizen of the Empire")

"Princeps" ("First Citizen of the Empire")

"Consul" ("Leader of the Roman Senate")

"Pontifex Maximus" ("Head of the Roman State Religion")

Now, for the first three centuries of Christianity, the state religion of the Empire was paganism and emperor worship.  And the reason that Christians were persecuted during this time is because they would not recognize or participate in the state religion, which was equivalent to treason.  For modern Americans, it would be rather like spitting on the American flag or refusing to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.  This is how the pagan Romans saw it.

Now, when Constantine embraced Christianity, the Church replaced paganism and emperor worship as the official state religion of the Empire.  Yet, according to imperial Roman law, Constantine was still Pontifex Maximus; and so, under imperial law, he was nominally the head of the Church itself.  This, of course, created a problem for the bishop of Rome (the Pope).  However, at the time, the Pope and the other bishops didn't rule in a secular sense, but were still operating according to Christian standards of authority ("He who would be the first among you must become the servant of all").  Thus, the Pope never claimed the Pontifex Maximus title because it would have been considered a proud and outlandish thing to do at the time.  He already held primacy among the bishops because of his succession from Peter; and, for the previous 300 years (in which the Church was an illegal underground society persecuted by the imperial government), the Papacy didn't need any imperial authority or approved legal office in order to exercise its Petrine ministry of leadership.  So, the Church wisely let Constantine have his imperial title.  Yet, … In the year 378, the young and pious Emperor Gratian relinquished the Pontifex Maximus title, and bestowed it on Pope Damasus I, who was then legally made head of the Empire's state religion.  This is how the Popes got the title Pontifex Maximus (or "Pontiff").  Yet, that title is merely a matter of imperial law and the Pope does not draw his authority from it, but rather from his succession from St. Peter.  This is what the Church has always maintained.

Now, as for pagan temples becoming Christian churches, this certainly did happen.  The Church also replaced pagan feast days with Christian ones.  Yet, what's so strange about that?  The OT Jews did exactly the same thing.  The Jerusalem Temple itself was designed after a typical Canaanite temple to Baal.  Also, when the OT speaks of the "horns of the altar" in the Jerusalem temple, this was a liturgical convention of the time.  The "horns" were originally the horns of Baal (a goat god); and the Jews merely took the old pagan convention and submitted it to the worship of God.  In the same way, numerous feast days on the Jewish calendar occur at the same time as ancient Canaanite harvest and pagan fertility festivals.  So, to replace the profane buildings and feast days of pagans with the holy churches and feast days of God is nothing new.

As for the pagan idols becoming Christian saints, this is simply ridiculous; and once again, reveals "Doctor" Jeremiah's poor grasp of history.  For starters, the Church didn't use statues to represent Christ and the saints until well into the Middle Ages – LONG AFTER the pagan use of statues had died out.  Before that time, Christians used icons (like those still found in Eastern Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches today), because it was clear that these were not idols …at a time when idols were still being used by pagans.

Now, with that said, the Church did replace the worship of certain pagan gods with the veneration of particular saints.  For example, the modern Catholic custom of crowning a statue of the Virgin Mary with a crown of flowers during the month of May has its origins in pagan worship, when the pagans of Germany and the Slavic lands would crown an image of their earth goddess (a.k.a., Mother Earth or Mother Nature).  This is the same goddess worshipped as Diana or Artemis by the pagan Ephesians (see: Acts 19:23-40); and her symbol was always the moon (or a half-moon).  Ah!  But, if you turn to Revelation 12:1, this "moon" (symbol of the pagan Ephesian mother goddess) is being crushed beneath the feet of the Virgin Mary (per Romans 16:20).  In this, please remember that Revelation was originally for the Ephesian church and all the (smaller) Asian city-churches in its suburbs (Revelation 2 & 3).  So, here, as early as the late 1st Century, we see how the Church has replaced the old pagan goddess with the victorious Virgin Mary – a real and human Mother of the Church who conquers the false pagan earth goddess.  And so, why shouldn't the Church take the old pagan custom of crowning the earth goddess and bestow it on our Blessed Mother as a sign that Christ has conquered paganism and that the old false faith has passed away?  This is how the Church has always approached such things …and we could multiply examples of it.  For example, I wonder of "Doctor" Jeremiah has a Christmas tree for his kids on December 25th …because that also started out as a pagan symbol for the ancient Germans, who believed a "god" dwelled in the evergreen tree …which accounted for why it stayed green in winter.  So, they would take it into their homes, decorate it, and worship it as part of their pagan winter festivals.  Yet, when the Church began to evangelize in Germany, it let the natives keep their cultural festival.  Only now, the evergreen tree would no longer represent their pagan gods, but rather the Eternal Life that we have in Christ Jesus.  And so, the Christmas tree was born.

Anyway, Joseph … Hope that helps.  Please let me know if you need more info.