And The Number Of The Beast
“The number of the beast” was not written as a figure like 666. Rather, the letters of the alphabet were written out in full.
Many interpreters consider the Roman Emperor Nero to be the antichrist of Revelation 13 because the number of his name is 666 and because he inflicted Antichrist-like horror upon the first century Christians. Some consider Nero to be a historical Antichrist and that we are not to expect a future Antichrist. Yet, for the number to have any significance for a first century AD reader, it would have to refer to a contemporary historical figure.
Other interpreters, myself included, view the Book of Revelation as being both historical and predictive of coming future events According to this view, Nero was indeed an antichrist as well as a type or picture of the coming future Antichristwhose number-name will also add up to 666.
Nero was a despicable man who murdered his own mother. Nero fiddled the night Rome burned. By blaming Christians for the fire, he justified his tortuous murdering of uncounted hundreds of those who proclaimed Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. He proclaimed his supposed divinity on coins, identifying him as the “Savior of the World.” Since Christians have only one Lord, refusing to burn incense and declare Caesar Nero as Lord was like signing your own death warrant. As an aside, since Nero ruled from A.D. 54-68 he would have been the emperor to whom Paul appealed his case as recorded in Acts 25:10-12.
You Are About To Have A Spiritual Experience
When you see angel number 666 this is a message from your guardian angel that you will soon go through a spiritual transformation.
Something recently happened in your life that has put you back on a spiritual path. You are open to the idea of letting God guide you in the right direction.
Seeing angel number 666 was a wake up call. What youve been trying to accomplish on your own has not been working as you had hoped. Now, its time to ask for help from above.
During this time of transition, you may start to see angel numbers more frequently and be more in tune with Gods presence in your life.
You will soon find out that the true meaning of 666 is actually a positive sign. From now on, it will be a reminder that even though you have made mistakes in the past, God will always be there to forgive your sins if you put your trust in Him.
The Mark Of The Beast
The Bible says that people receive the mark of the wild beast because they follow it with admiration, to the point of worshipping it. They do this by giving worshipful honor to their country, its symbols, or its military might. As The Encyclopedia of Religion states: Nationalism has become a dominant form of religion in the modern world. *
How is the mark of the beast placed on someones right hand or forehead? Regarding his commands to the nation of Israel, God said: Bind them as a reminder on your hand, and they should be like a headband on your forehead. This meant, not that the Israelites were to mark their literal hands and foreheads, but that Gods words would guide all their actions and thoughts. Likewise, rather than being something literal such as a 666 tattoo, the mark of the beast symbolically identifies those who let the political system rule their lives. Those with the mark of the beast place themselves in opposition to God.Revelation 14:9, 10 19:19-21.
^ par. 5 See also Nationalism in a Global Era, page 134, and Nationalism and the Mind: Essays on Modern Culture, page 94.
You May Like: How Many Times Bible Says Fear Not
The Image Of The Beast
Recall that in Revelation the mark of the beast is tied closely to the worship of the beasts image . Since we have a pretty good idea about the identity of the beast, is there any other historical data we could look to that would link the worship of the beasts image with the worship of Caesars image? Again, the answer is yes. From the writings of Pliny, for example, we learn how professing Christians faith were put to the test by having them worship the image of Caesar .11
The emperors image was everywhere, especially on coins. Modern folks are used to this. In my country, images of former national leaders are on our money. But Rome was slightly different. Caesars image would be on coins along with his claim to divinity. Quite literally, the emperors boast that he was in some way divine was etched on money, decrees, and the like. One scholar observes that, One could do little in commerce . . . without handling such a mark, because allusions to the emperors divinity appeared on many coins and even shipping bills and other documents.12 During this time period, involvement in local economies would have often required some sort of participation in pagan worship. For example, trade guilds often had feasts that centered around the worship of idols. If you were part of the guild, then your participation in these feasts would have been compulsorythat is, only if you wanted to be able to buy and sell.13
Additional Info On The Biblical Meaning Of 666
Three people in the Bible stand out as special adversaries of God and his people. They are Goliath the giant who fought King David, King Nebuchadnezzar of the Babylonian Empire and the End Time Antichrist. Each, in one way or another, has the mark of this special numeric.
Goliath, who fought David when he was quite young, had a height of 6 cubits, had 6 pieces of armor, and his spear’s head weighed 600 shekels of iron . Nebuchadnezzar, the great King of Babylon, set up a “golden image” in the plain of Dura. He commanded all who he ruled over to worship it or else be thrown into a furnace of fire. The idol was 60 cubits high and 6 cubits wide . The last special adversary is the Antichrist, whose name numbers to 666 .
Don’t Miss: Do Unto Others Bible Verse
What Is 666 A Sign Of
During the reign of the Antichrist, the people will be so deceived that they will be eager to take the mark of the beast.
It will seem to be the cool thing to do.
The whole world followed the beast in amazement and they worshiped the dragonand the beast, too. Rev. 13:3-4.
Isnt it shocking to hear that the man of evil known as the Antichrist will be worshiped?
But thats what makes him the Antichrist.
He comes instead of the true Christ. The Antichrist comes to deceive, and he will deceive many.
For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect.
How Is The Number 666 Related To Wealth
King Solomon, after assuming the throne of Israel upon his father David’s death, soon became wealthy. Although money streamed to him due to the heavy taxation of the Israelites , it was the gold that came to him through a variety of other ways that made him the richest man alive. Every year he received 666 talents of gold , a figured confirmed by the first century historian Josephus .
You May Like: Do Unto Others Bible Verse
What Is The Meaning Of 666
The link between 666 and what it means in relation to the global power found in Revelation is undeniable, even though it is only found once in the entirety of Scripture. In Revelation 13:18 it states, “Here is wisdom. Let the one who has understanding count the number of the beast for it is a man’s number, and his number is 666” .
In the end time, those who are not easily identifiable as obeying the devil’s rule over the earth will not have the power to buy goods or make a living .
There are many speculations, almost as old as the Bible text itself, regarding the meaning of 666 or to whom it is referencing. The Catholic Church states that Irenaeus , an early church “father,” wrote about whom this number might reference. He stated that the Greek word “Lateinos,” when given their corresponding Greek values and added up , equals 666. The word itself means “Latin man.”
Bullinger, in his monumental book entitled “Number in Scripture,” has another theory regarding the symbolism of 666. He states that the ancient Romans used only six letters of their alphabet in their numeric system. The letters they used were I, V, X, L, C and D .
If we add up the value assigned to all these letters we arrive at the number 666. Another theory, discussed by the IBSE, states that many scholars believed that this number referenced Nero Caesar.
Word Games With Numbers
Isopsephy, in Greek, means “equal in numeric value,” and was a popular way of playing with words in the first century. The trick was to add up the numeric value of one word and then find a second word or phrase that added up to the same number. Words that were numerically equal were thought to have a special connection.
One of the best-known first-century isopsephies was referenced by the Roman historian Seutonius. “A calculation new: Nero his mother slew.” In this case, the emperor’s name “Nero” equals 1,005, the same value of the phrase “his mother slew.” For Romans who suspected that the ruthless emperor had murdered his mother, this isopsephy was the proof.
Archaeologists have even discovered ancient Roman graffiti that substituted numbers for names, says Thomas Wayment, a classics professor at Brigham Young University.
“There’s graffiti at Smyrna and Pompeii that says, ‘I love her whose number is 1,308,'” says Wayment. “That’s pretty common. And hopefully everybody did their math correctly and could make the connections.”
Recommended Reading: Bible Verses For Refugees
What Is The Meaning Of The Number 666 In The Bible
The number 666 is considered to be very unlucky and is called the number or mark of the Beast in the Book of Revelations. We discuss the different interpretations of this number, according to the Bible, in this SpiritualRay article.
The number 666 is considered to be very unlucky and is called the number or mark of the Beast in the Book of Revelations. We discuss the different interpretations of this number, according to the Bible, in this SpiritualRay article.
Did You Know?Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia
Even the mention of the number 666 makes some people shiver what makes this number so powerful? 666 is just a natural number succeeding 665 and preceding 667, but thats not all! 666 is called the number or mark of the beast in the Bible. It is mentioned in the Book of Revelations.
Many people even avoid phone numbers or license plates with 666 in them. This number has been associated with Satan and the Antichrist as well. This number has been interpreted in many different ways. We discuss them, and what the Bible says about the number 666.
Significance of the Number 666
Number 7 is considered a spiritually complete number. 6 being one short of 7 is called the number of incompleteness or imperfection. 666 is the number of man. Man was created on the sixth day of the creation week. It symbolizes the shortcomings and failures of man.
Number 666 in the Book of Revelation
King Solomon
charagmaUsing GematriaNero CaesarNebuchadrezzarMuhammad
Angel Number Meaning And Symbolism Explained
by Ryan Hart | Updated on February 23, 2021 | Post may contain affiliate links
Want to know the true meaning of angel number 666?
For a long time I thought 666 was the number of the beast and considered a bad number. But I started doing some research about the meaning of 666 and was shocked by what I discovered.
Heres what I learned:
Seeing 666 could be a private message from your guardian angel.
Angels are sent by God to guard us in all ways and to deliver messages . One way they might communicate with you is through Angel Numbers, or repeated number sequences.
Now that we know what angel numbers are, lets find out what seeing 666 symbolizes.
Ready to get started?
Read Also: Where In The Bible Does It Talk About Cremation
Where Is 666 In The Bible
Revelation 13:16-18 sounds as if it could be the script for one of those remarkable films about secret codes or fantastic beasts.
It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666 .
‘666’ Was A Coded Message
Wayment and most other biblical scholars have no doubt that the author of Revelation intended 666 to be an isopsephy solved by his first-century readers.
“The author says, this is the number of a man, which is a classic isopsephy formula,” says Wayment, who recently co-wrote an article on Revelation 13:18 and early Christian isopsephies. “Christians would have known right away, this is a coded message.”
Revelation is famously cryptic and was meant to be that way, even to its original audience. Wayment says that in apocalyptic writings, an angel or other heavenly messenger often reveals their meaning through coded speech.
“As a reader, you’re seeing something through the eyes of the visionary and he’s telling you, ‘you need to make sense of this,'” says Wayment. “That’s part of your experience and participation in the vision.”
According to most scholars, 666 was yet another coded reference to Nero, a “beastly” emperor who brutally persecuted early Christians in the Roman Empire.
Read Also: What Does The Bible Say About Mixing Races In Marriage
What Is The Significance Of 666
We have taken a look at the previous Antichrists that act as prototypes for the Antichrist of Revelation.
From them, we get a picture of what the Antichrist will be like.
But there is another aspect that becomes clear when we lookinto the character of the Antichrist.
For the Antichrist, its not enough to just live life by his own standards. For him, he must deprive all of humanity their rights.
He will not only resist God. He will try to destroy God and anything that represents the true God.
This is where he shows his true colors after appearing as a man of peace in his first three-and-a-half years.
One of the Antichrists mentioned above is Antiochus Epiphanies. He tried to wipe out the Jewish religion and replace it with the World Religion of the day.
He didnt just want to give his false religion equal time.
No, his intention was to wipe out the true religion with the religion of man.
The Jewish people rose up against him and restored the temple after he had desecrated it by sacrificing a pig.
He set up an idol in the holy place and turned it into a place of pagan worship called the abomination of desolation.
Antiochus Epiphanes required all the Jews to worship his false god of Zeus and take part in repulsive, nauseating pagan religious rituals.
After a while, his armies were defeated by the Maccabees andthe temple was rededicated during the ceremony known as Hanukkah.
Letter To The Churches
First, we must remember that Revelation is a first-century letter to seven churches in Asia Minor . Letters in antiquity are much like modern letterssituational, personal, and contextual. To understand a letter between two people , you really need to know a thing or two about what necessitated the sending of the letter in the first place. In other words, you need context. In order to rightly interpret the letter of Revelation, we need to investigate these churches historical situation.
Many evangelicals tend to skip over this step and jump straight to application. This is a grave mistake. If we completely detach our modern-day applications from a texts original, historical context, we risk misapplying the textsometimes in embarrassing ways. Revelation 13:17 is one such text. In order to interpret it rightly, we need to know its context. We need some historical data from the letters time period in order to gain clarity into its meaning. Is there any such data that might shed some light on this passage? As it turns out, there is.
Don’t Miss: Should I Read The Bible In Chronological Order
Where Does 666 Come From
The association of 666 with evil originates from a passage in the Book of Revelations in the New Testament of the Bible. As it reads in the King James Version :
Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
The idea of the number of a man or beast may refer to the practice of gematria in Jewish numerology, where every letter of the Hebrew alphabet corresponds to a number , and words and names correspond to the sums of these numbers.
This is the moth baphomet RT to win 666 years of good luck
SAX DADDY
Using gematria, scholars have variously decoded 666 to learn the biblical beasts name. A leading theory deciphers 666 as Nron Qsr or Nro Qsr, taken as the Greek and Latin, respectively, for Nero Caesar. The beastly 666, then, may refer to Neros persecution of early Christians, though this theory has historical problems. Another similarly problematic theory identifies 666 as Muhammed, the founding Islamic prophet viewed as a false prophet in medieval Christianity.
Regardless of whether it refers to any historical entity, 666 came to stand for the personification of evil over the centuries, thanks to the apocalyptic visions of the Book of Revelations. Some avoid the number out of fear of its evil associations, but others playfully revel in it.