THE BEAST AND HIS NAME

(Fifth article in a series based on the book, Out of the Abyss … can the number of the beast be solved, 666?) Part II, continued from last week’s article

Not only has the sinister, ominous name of Antichrist been promulgated the world over in the past few decades, we have witnessed a recent reappearance of the very name of Nero. Although the modern-day circulation of his name is not as prominent as it was in the 1st to 5th century, with a name given to that phenomenon, “Nero Redivivus Legend,” the name of the Roman Emperor Nero is re-claiming significant attention in today’s world.

As a reminder, for several centuries after Nero died, many Christians and the non-Christian populace believed that Nero was not dead; or that if he did actually die (which he, in fact, did), he would somehow return. For the Romans this return would result in the establishment of an eternal Pax Romana … world peace and utopia. For the Christians, this return (from the Abyss) would signal the onset of the Great Tribulation and the devastating 3 ½ year reign of the beast.

As late as 422 AD, Augustine of Hippo wrote of this revival legend as popular belief. Listen to his words: “Others, again, suppose that he is not even dead, but that he was concealed that he might be supposed to have been killed, and that he now lives in concealment in the vigor of that same age which he had reached when he was believed to have perished, and will live until he is revealed in his own time and restored to his kingdom. But I wonder that men can be so audacious in their conjecture.”

Evidence of Nero’s “Reawakening”

Nero AG: The founders of a computer software business that began in 1995 with the organizational name of Ahead Software inexplicably changed the name of this company to Nero AG or Nero, Inc. in 2005. It grew from a handful of employees to a staff of 500 employees in 2009, and still growing. Product sales number in the hundreds of millions world-wide. Their products include all-in-one burning software to enable writing of audio, video, and data for CDs or DVDs. Although speculation, it’s likely the name of Nero was chosen to represent the main product of the company, i.e. new technology in the burning of CDs and DVDs. Why? Whatever else people the world over remember about Nero, most recall his main epitaph: “Nero fiddled while Rome burned.” Of course, the fiddle wasn’t even invented until hundreds of years after Nero died, but who cares about the facts!

The CEO of this company is Jurgen Kurz of Germany, who had previously served for five years in the German publishing industry. Other management staff members are from Germany, China, and North America. The head of Retail sales and licensing is Lauren Rubin, who is fluent in French, English, Italian, and Spanish.

As found on-line, the main purpose of Nero AG’s service and products is to create and manage digital media on any device, with interchangeable flow between such things as smart phones, I pads, and computers. Part of the Nero Quality Statement states: “Offer products and services which allows you to enjoy your music, photos, and videos, anytime, anywhere!”

On the website, download.cnet.com/Nero-12/3000, we read the following promo of Nero 11 & Nero 12. As follows: “Nero 11 Multimedia Suite was already a monster collection of production tools…. Nero streamlines workflow with its own built-in file management system, Kwik Media. Applications are accessed from a single interface to avoid fragmentation and reduce confusion. Windows 8 users will be glad to see that the suite integrates smoothly with the new redesigned tiled UI. Kwik Media intelligently organizes your frequently used media based on face recognition, similar to facial tagging on social networks.”

Then an excerpt from the next paragraph, “Nero wants to help you produce content for your home entertainment….” The article then continues to tell the reader about Nero 12, a more advanced version of Nero 11.

Did you pick up on how the author of this promo personalised the name of Nero? Such as, “Nero wants to help you….” Or a more spooky phrase like, “…based on face recognition similar to facial tagging….”

It wouldn’t take much imagination to visualize how Nero, himself, could and probably will use a company like this to manipulate the media. Since his last words reportedly were (paraphrasing), “The world is losing such a great artist,” he very well could use such technology to compose and transmit “content for your home entertainment.” This entertainment could be another play that he might write (he wrote and performed several plays during his reign as Emperor), or images of beheaded Christians, once he turns his attention back to the savage persecution that he initiated against Christians in the first century.

Nero (the rock group)

A British electronic music duo, then trio has risen to fame in just the past few years. Their single, Doomsday, was a big hit and is featured in the trailer for a movie, The World’s End, released just a couple of months ago. In 2011, this rock group’s production of Welcome Reality won the award for Best Album. One can only wonder why the two young men who started this band chose the name of Nero. But when was the last time a rock group named their band after a long-dead Roman Emperor … and why no other emperor except Nero?

Moreover, Nero Caesar was a self-proclaimed artist who, during the final years of his reign, was far more interested in flaunting his artistic genius (Nero’s own opinion of himself) throughout the civilized world than in running the Roman Empire. In fact, this is one of the main reasons why he fell out of favor with the Roman Senate and subsequently the Roman Generals. They didn’t like the idea of a “god-like” Roman Emperor spending all his time in Greece and making a fool of himself while spouting poetry and playing the lyre in Greek theatres.

History tells us that he desperately wanted to be popular throughout his entire empire; later in his reign he wrote and performed plays (in Greek) to promote this recognition. And what a head start when he returns from the Abyss: a multi-media company and a rock-group that already bear his name!

River World

This is the title of a science-fiction movie released in 2004, staring Brad Johnson, who was also one of the main characters in the Left Behind movie. The main plot of this film involves people who are brought back to life on a new planet, but with the same age-old struggle of good versus evil. In both movies Brad plays a good guy, but exceptionally intriguing is the identity of the antagonist … the bad guy. In Left Behind, the arch-enemy is the Antichrist given the name of Nicolae Carpathia, from the novel written by Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye. In River World, the adversary who seeks to dominate all those “reborn” in this new world is none other than Nero … played by Jonathan Cake!

Network for Education & Research in Oregon (NERO)

That’s right! This organization goes by the name of Nero. It began as a research project in Oregon by an Engineering Graduate School that wanted to develop high speed internet for education and research. Again, one can only speculate if the founders deliberately chose the name of Nero, and then used the acronym to come up with the organization name. Or, conversely, if they chose the name of Network for Education & Research in Oregon; when shortened, it just happens to spell Nero. If they had omitted Oregon to the organizational name, then the acronym Nero wouldn’t fit. Thus, it would appear that they purposely wanted the abbreviated version of their group to bear the name of Nero. Either way, it’s yet another instance of this evil man’s name rising to prominence in just the last three decades.

Nero Larp

Yes, you read that correctly! Let me quote the introductory statement of this organization as found on their website: “Welcome to NERO LARP! We are the premier Live Action Role Playing (LARP) organization in North America—since 1986. In Live Action Role-playing, you become the character of your fantasies, and, acting out the action, solve the mystery’s and defeat adversaries with wit, intelligence, and/or sword & sorcery. At NERO events, you will use skills that your character has earned….”

The newest Nero Larp Chapter was opened in August, 2013 in California, called NERO Cali. Their Rule Book is in the 9th edition of print.

Astonishing! I have no idea what’s involved in LARP fraternities or what kind of games they play. Perhaps someone reading this article knows more about these role-playing events. Obviously, my interest pertains to yet another group that uses the name of Nero. I’m sure that someone involved in these LARP clubs would ask me what planet I live on, because I know virtually nothing about the 50 plus NERO LARP chapters in the United States, Canada, and South Africa. And, I’m sure I’d get in trouble if I changed the acronym of LARP to Laughing at Role Players. Because it sounds like Larpers play some pretty serious games.

Once again, however, we have a fairly large establishment dedicated in some fashion to the arts, to the new age (sorcery), to acting out fantasies (I would hope all their rules limit what they can do or say), and to defeating all adversaries with either the sword or sorcery. And, again I ask the question: Why is this enterprise called Nero?

SUMMARY

Draw your own conclusion, but the correlation between the modern-day resurgence of and fascination with the end-times, especially the Antichrist, and a long-gone Roman Emperor seems a bit more than just coincidence. Why Nero? Why not one of the other Roman Emperors like Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Vespasian, Titus, or Domitian? Why not name a rock band after Genghis Khan, with a hit song called, We khan rock you! Or a corporation named after Napoleon? Or a software company after Hitler (didn’t he sadistically have millions of Jews gassed, then burned in the crematoriums)? My point being … all of these world rulers were Godless tyrants and all exhibited the “spirit” of Antichrist. Although Nero focused his brutality on Christians, these dictators (and more) engaged in ruthless oppression of their enemies and innocent people; yet no other past tyrannical ruler has been venerated in the manner of Nero and his name.

Decide for yourself. But know this: Nero matches every single Biblical prophecy pertaining to the ruler, king, prince, man of lawlessness, beast, and Antichrist, as documented in Out of the Abyss … can the number of the beast be solved, 666? He was killed by the sovereign providence of Jesus Christ as the Apostle Paul predicted some 16 years before the death of Nero. Historically, he fits with one of the five fallen kings of Revelation 17. For hundreds of years after his death, there was great expectancy among the Roman populace that he would return as an eternal ruler. For the Christians, Nero would return from the abyss, as the beast of Revelation. The final moments of his death and wounds from the sword that killed him correlate flawlessly with the description of the evil shepherd as found in Zachariah Chapter 11.

He matches perfectly with the ruler of Daniel Chapter 9, “whose armies would destroy Jerusalem and the Temple.” It was none other than Nero who personally appointed Vespasian and Titus to crush the rebellion in Israel that tragically culminated with complete destruction of the Jewish Temple and world-wide dispersion of the Jews which lasted until the 20th century.

Things to Ponder
– No modern-day organization would bear the name of Hitler, because his ambition of world conquest and diabolical plot of genocide (Jews) is too fresh in our memory. Not so, with Nero: Although he was just as brutal (if not more) than Hitler, for some mysterious reason his very name has been glamorized in our generation. Could it be the longer passage of time has dulled our sensitivity, since he and his Roman Empire wreaked havoc on the Christians? Or some other reason?
– Other than Nero, do you know of any other past ruler, particularly evil rulers, whose name has resurfaced to the extent that several organizations including a rock group bear that name?
– Do you see any connection between the reappearance of Nero’s name in this generation and the main premise/conclusion presented in my book, Out of the Abyss: That Nero matches all of the Biblical passages on the Antichrist and that he is the beast who will reappear from the Abyss?