How long has freedom of worship and individual rights been guaranteed in Western civilization?
Freedom of worship and the rights of the individual have been guaranteed in Western civilization only for the last couple hundred years. Prior to that, such guarantees were largely unheard of, and believers often endured persecution and tribulation for their faith.
Les explains that the church in Smyrna suffered horrible pressure, tribulation, and poverty, yet was spiritually rich. The devil cast some into prison for their faith, testing them for ten days, which Les connects to ten distinct periods of Roman persecution. Despite this, believers did not give up, because the Lord promised to be with them and would give them a crown of life. In contrast, the modern church is opposite, as seen in the letter to Laodicea. Only in the last couple hundred years has Western civilization been able to guarantee individual rights and freedom of worship, but for the most part such guarantees have been unheard of.