The Book of Revelation (written in the late 1st century) challenges readers to "calculate the number of the beast".

In biblical studies, the "Mark of the Beast" (666) is widely interpreted by scholars as an ancient code referring to the Roman Emperor Nero. Early Christians used gematria—a system of assigning numerical values to letters—where the Hebrew spelling of "Nero Caesar" adds up to 666.
(Some ancient Greek manuscripts of Revelation use the number 616 instead of 666. Scholars note that if you spell "Nero Caesar" without the final "n" in Aramaic, the total is exactly 616.)

Nero was the first Roman emperor to heavily persecute Christians (and early church fathers), identified him as the Beast.
Historically, to participate in the Roman economy and trade in the agora (marketplace), citizens were required to publicly pledge allegiance to the emperor.
Refusing to do so and not possessing the requisite certificate of loyalty meant exclusion from daily trade.


Essentially every modern Christian believes we are waiting for the anti-Christ and tribulation to come upon us any day now.
The mainstream accepts for 2,000 years Christians have thought, Jesus’s return would be right around the corner despite…
Him never actually coming.

The reason Christians believe this, is because we are living in the age of deception, what the Bible calls the ‘short season’.
It’s not because Christians are stupid and deceived by some old book, but rather because that very old book predicted these things to come as they have.

The Book of Revelations is one of prophecy and because of that, great confusion. People assume that because the Book was about the future for the Apostle John (the writer), that it also must be our future. This is an absolutely insane assumption that virtually every Bible Teacher bases their beliefs upon.

There is a lot that goes on in Revelations, starting with Jesus’s warnings to 7 specific churches in Asia Minor (present day Turkey). Followed by heavenly visions, prophesized judgement, and secret meanings. Until Armageddon occurs, and Jesus binds satan for 1,000 years. In this time, Jesus’s saints will inherit and rule on earth which many call the ‘Millennial Kingdom’. That’s for another discussion but the point is after 1,000 years, satan is released from this binding to once again deceive the nations. Let us read:
“When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, and will come out to deceive the nations which are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” (Revelation 20:7–10)

The goal is not simply to deceive the nations, but to prepare them to go to war with Jesus’s saints.

There is tons of historical evidence the prophetic destructive events of Revelations have already occurred.
Seeing how Jesus never sinned, predicted his own resurrection, and the destruction of the Jewish Temple in 70 AD.

“But whenever they persecute you in one city, flee to the next; for truly I say to you, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes.” — Matthew 10:23

Then He tells them some of them will still be alive when He comes into His Kingdom:
“Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.” — Matthew 16:28
“There are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God when it has come with power.” — Mark 9:1
“But I say to you truthfully, there are some of those standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.” — Luke 9:27

Once again He says to the disciples ‘this generation’ will not pass away before these events take place:
“Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.” — Matthew 24:34
“Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.” — Mark 13:30
“Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all things take place.” — Luke 21:32

In John 21:23, it’s recorded that Jesus said John the Apostle would not die if Jesus wanted him to remain till His return. The crazy thing about this is that some people believe John is still roaming the earth 2,000 years later. That’s not a reasonable take, but they would rather believe that then set their pride down and accept He was was speaking to the disciples and not to us.

Here The Apostle Paul is saying you know the time, and that it is already the hour for us to awake (Luke 12:35), and that salvation is closer than when they first believed. That the night is now gone, and the day is near. This isn’t the clearest, but it’s still showing He believed and was teaching it would soon be upon them.
“Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we first believed.
The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let’s rid ourselves of the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.” — Romans 13:11–12

Here Paul is telling them that the time has been lessened and they must be awake and aware. Some interpret this as meaning our time in general is short on earth, but bringing the wives into the context, that would make no sense. And two other verses from Paul with similar language:
“But this I say, brothers, the time has been shortened, so that from now on those who have wives should be as though they had none;” — 1 Corinthians 7:29
“Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” — 1 Corinthians 10:11
“We who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” — 1 Thessalonians 4:15–17

Just so no one can make the argument that those were referring to something else other than the prophesied events of Revelations.
The following are only from the Book itself and still show the urgent message accompanied with all the imagery and promises Jesus made:
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place;
and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John,” — Revelations 1:1
“Blessed is the one who reads, and those who hear the words of the prophecy and keep the things which are written in it; for the time is near.” — Revelations 1:3
“Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him.” — Revelations 1:7
“And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show His bond-servants the things which must soon take place.” — Revelation 22:6

Conclusion
This may seem confusing, in fact if it is not I’d be quite surprised. But the important part is that we take our Lord Jesus Christ at His Word and trust in Him,
not our own understanding. Because our understanding will always be flawed to some degree in comparison to the Living God!
What this article has proven is that modern Christianity is incompatible with scripture and the teachings of Jesus Christ. It doesn’t matter if you are Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox or whatever. These divisions have been put in place as a system of deception. To keep Jesus’s church divided and arguing
rather than looking up and realizing what is happening around them.

(zdroj)