yes the bible does refer to emperor nero but you have to also realize that the bible says a spirit of anti-christ has always been here and that it has been in control of i believe 6 empires so far, think roman, nazi, ect...but the bible clearly states this will be a literal man. and if a man came claiming to be God Himself and was healing and raising people up from the dead and calling down fire from heaven believe me many would follow and believe. and if people believed this man was God and he told them the christian believers or followers of the false " Jesus " Christ were the evil ones then people would persecute us.