Before Jerusalem Fell - EntreWave

206 BEFORE JERUSALEM FELL
Still further in this same section he writes: “We will not, however,
incur the risk of pronouncing positively as to the name of Antichrist;
for if it were necessary that his name should be distinctly revealed in
this present time, it would have been announced by him who beheld
the apocalyptic vision.”
Irtmaeu-s admits hi-s own ignorance on the matta-. How can that prove
the Nero theory wrong? It simply proves what is obvious: Very early
in Revelation’s history, the key was lost. It does not follow that it
could not have indicated Nero Caesar, or that it could never be found
again.
Second, while indicating his ignorance of any assured tradition
on the matter, Irenaeus puts forward three possible solutions, out of
the man~8 that floated around in his era: “Euanthus” (which he does
not develop and which is not understandable today), “Lateinos” (which
he thinks possible, and that indicates the Roman empire), and “ Teitan”
(which he thinks “has a strong degree of probability and is an ancient
name”). These are probably “Irenaeus’s guesses (for they are obviously
no more). “5 9
Nevertheless, it is at least interesting that two of these (we know
not what Euant/uu means) are quite compatible with the Nero designation.
The name “Lateino~,” which signifies the Roman Empire,
could well involve the Empire’s head at the particular time. And if
Nero were emperor when John wrote Revelation, then it would
signifi Nero. The interchangeability of the idea of the “Beast” and
one of its “heads” in Revelation 13 is a well-known phenomenon. GO
Sometimes the Beast is generic (representing the evil kingdom and
having seven heads); sometimes it is specific (representing an evil
person as one of the heads). This phenomenon may historically
explain the early “La.teino.?’ theory, which was also held by Hippolytus
in his Treatise on Chri~t ano! Antichtit.61 “Nero” would be the
specific and “Lateinos” the generic form.
The name “Teitun,” as Irenaeus recognizes (even with a deviant
spelling), is also a name for the sun god: “Among many persons,
too, this name is accounted divine, so that even the sun is termed
58. “It is not through a want of names containing the number of that name that I say
this” (5:30:3).
59. Swete, Revelation, p. 175.
60. Charles, Revelation 1:365. See Chap. 18 below.
61. Hippolytus, Treatise on Chrz.d and Antichrist 49.