Replies

When I was in college, I studied early Christian history and the history of the canon quite extensively, and I have to agree with much of what this author is saying. Most folks who read the Bible, particularly the New Testament, take much of it out of context of the times in which it was written (and assembled) by the early Church fathers.

The Book of Revelation was clearly written during one of the periods of Roman persecution, most likely during Nero's reign, which in fact would be in the early AD 60s. The code '666' actually refers to Nero, coming out of the Hebrew apocalyptic and mystic tradition, and it doesn't take much imagination to realize that the seven-headed beast, as well, as the scarlet-clad harlot of Babylon, is Rome (sitting on its seven hills). The book of Revelation is all about Rome's persecution of Christians as well as its domination of Judea, and St. John's vision of its downfall and the rise of a new city of Jerusalem is not at all about the end of time, if one studies the text very carefully and objectively.

“...if one studies the text very carefully and objectively.”

Your ideas don’t square with the apocalyptic passages in the Thessalonian books.

Sounds like your professors may have skewed your studies.

The Book of Revelation was clearly written during one of the periods of Roman persecution, most likely during Nero's reign, which in fact would be in the early AD 60s. The code '666' actually refers to Nero, coming out of the Hebrew apocalyptic and mystic tradition, and it doesn't take much imagination to realize that the seven-headed beast, as well, as the scarlet-clad harlot of Babylon, is Rome (sitting on its seven hills).

Can you point to any early church father who held to the position that Nero was the Anti-Christ or that the book of Revelation was written before AD90?