Revelation 13:3

At the close of chapter 12, Satan had turned from trying to destroy the church and to the persecution of its individual members. Roman persecution was intense under Nero and went dormant for a time after his death. It was then revived and intensified under Domitian. It may be this is a picture of those events. Some suggest Jesus' death, resurrection and ascension to this throne stunned Rome until the church had time to gain strength. Coffman suggests the death of the Roman Empire came in 476 A. D. and it was revived and worshiped by the world in the form of the Roman Catholic church. There are almost as many theories as there are commentators. Suffice it to say, Satan's allies look all the more invisible because they can live through a death stroke.