Revelation 13, 14 & 15

The seven headed dragon represents the seven Roman emperors. (Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Vespasian, Titus and Domitian) The ten horns were Rome's ten rulers. Why ten? After the death of Nero there was a period of 18 months in which 3 different men briefly held the seat of power. (Galba, Otho and Vitellis) They were not included in John's list of the seven heads but are thought to have been included in the list of the ten horns.

The one wounded and restored to life is thought to have been Nero. Nero was a vicious dictator known for murder, immorality and crime. He killed his own mother, kicked to death his lover while she was pregnant with their child, and basically murdered anyone who stood in his way. He enjoyed burning Christians in his garden at night as a source of light. Many believed that the current evil ruler Domitian was the reincarnation of Nero.

John tells us that the number of the beast is six hundred and sixty six. Revelation is written in code. And nowhere is the code more closely guarded than in regard to this number which stands for the arch-enemy of the church. The key was evidently lost very early for even the earliest Christian scholars did not know what the number stood for. Everyone had a theory. The Pope. John Knox. Martin Luther. Napoleon. Hitler. Maybe something to do with Nero or Domitian. No one knows. But it's interesting to note that many ancient manuscripts give the number as 616 not 666.