Number of the Beast
Bible
Oxyrhynchus Papyri Fragment
The Number of the Beast is described in the Book of Revelation 13:18. From the King James translation:[5]
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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. |
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In the Greek manuscripts,
the Number is rendered in Greek numerical form as “χξς”,[6] or sometimes literally as “six hundred and sixty-six”,
“ἑξακόσιοι ἑξήκοντα ἕξ”.[7][8] The oldest known record of the verse, a fragment of
an early manuscript of Revelation from the Oxyrhynchus
site, gives a different number, 616, as “χιϛ”.[1] The early Church father Irenaeus
knew several occurrences of the 616-variant but regarded them as a scribal
error, although he didn't know the meaning of the number.[9] The Zürich Bible which is based on the oldest Bible
manuscripts also mentions the number 616.
It is important to note that the website for Oxyrhynchus states
that the number is a mistake
as represented as 616 or 665 and also that 666 can not be a representation
of Nero.
Interpretations
666 as a name
One interpretation is that 666 encodes the letters of
someone’s name or title, identifying the Antichrist.
However, since the reader is free to choose the code, any name or phrase
can be matched to the number by finding an appropriate code.
There is a theory that the answer exists in the Bible
itself[citation needed].
One interpretation of this idea is that 666 identifies the Antichrist when he goes
into the temple in Jerusalem and proclaims that he is God, as recorded in
Isaiah 66:6.
Since biblical numbering was put in the Bible by man, 66:6 is man's number.
To be convincing, interpretations invoke arguments other
than mathematics to prove their point. For example, scholars who believe
that the Book of Revelation refers to historical people and events argue
that the number represents Nero.[10] This hypothesis was first presented by Friedrich Engels. The value of “Neron Caesar”,
written as “נרון קסר”, “Nrwn Qsr”, using Hebrew letters with numerical values under the usual number values
of the Hebrew alphabet when used to write numbers, is:
The problem with emperor Nero is that Nero was long dead
already in the time when the Book of Revelations was written, and the proposed
transliteration is somewhat artificially constructed. Revelations was originally
written in Greek, and Greek translitterates C with κ, not with q.
The hypothesis that 666 is a code for a Roman emperor
seems to have historical support. The emperors were noted for their oppression
of both Jews
and early Christians. Both communities were known to use numerology
and codes where living under Roman rule to avoid persecution. Accordingly,
the German protestant theologian Ethelbert Stauffer conceived a
Greek gematrical
procedure to explain the number 666.[11] Judging from the precise information that the Book
of Revelation gives about the person behind the number 666[12] Stauffer concluded that the "beast" can in general
only refer to a Roman emperor and specifically only to Domitian,
also because he had reigned during the proposed time of origin of the Apocalypse. In addition Domitian's "secret
derisive nickname" had been "The Beast" with Romans, Greek, Christians and
Jews.[13] Stauffer computed the Number of the Beast using the
short form of Domitian's five titles and names A KAI ΔOMET ΣEB ΓE,
as derived from the abbreviations on coins and inscriptions.[14]
Aleister Crowley (1875–1947) claimed that he
was the Beast prophecized in the Book of Revelation and took the name “Το μεγα
θηριον”, Greek for “The Great Beast”, which adds up to 666 by isopsephy,
the Greek form of gematria.[15][16]
The Reformed scholar, Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr., affirms
that the code identifies Nero.[17](dubious;
discuss)
The number 666 can be interpreted to relate the nature
of human being as Homo sapiens itself, not as any individual. When
the Greek word for "human being", ανθρωπος, is translitterated into
Hebrew gematric system, the resulting sum becomes 666. It is also assumed
the '6' (smallest complete number) represents human being itself, and 6 tripled
represent mind, body and soul; 7 is the number of God and 777 the Holy Trinity.
In the year 438 the Relics of
John Chrysostom were transported to Constantinople. It is said that some of the Relics held
the mark of the beast. When 666 is added to 438 the initials JCN are formed.
It has been claimed that the holder of these initials is the beast. However,
the initials JCN can also be seen, in English, as representing Jesus Christ
of Nazareth, refuting such an idea.
666 as the mark of commerce
Futurist Christian eschatology typically holds that
the Mark of the Beast is one way in which the Antichrist
will exercise power over the Earth during the period of Tribulation.
Exact interpretations of this vary widely. For example:
- Keith Krell interprets the mark as a requirement
for all commerce to mean that the mark might actually be an object with the
function of a credit card.[18]
- Steven D. Miller proposes that the mark of the beast
may refer to a social security number or card.[19]
- Terry Watkins supposes the mark to be a microchip in or barcode on
the human body.[20]
Alternatively, some who take a historical view of the
Book of Revelation identify the Mark of the Beast with the stamped image of
the emperor's head on every coin of the Roman empire – the stamp in the hand
or the mind of all, without which no-one could buy or sell.[21]
Other interpretations
- Irenaeus suggested that the number indicates that the
beast is the sum of all apostasy committed over the course of six thousand years.[22]
- Robert
Graves suggested that DCLXVI, 666 in Roman numerals, is an abbreviation for the Latin
sentence “Domitianus Caesar Legatos Xti Violenter Interfecit”, or “The Emperor
Domitian violently killed the envoys of Christ”.[23]
- In Kabbalah
(Jewish mysticism),
the number 666 may be considered mystical and holy and may represent the
physical universe.[24]
- The Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that the Beast
for which 666 stands symbolizes many governments. The Beast is said to have
"a human number" in that the governments that the beast symbolizes are all
of a human origin, they aren't made up of spirit or demon entities. The number
666 is also believed to be symbolic, standing for imperfection. The number
seven is interpreted as being a "perfect" or "complete" number from the scripture
Psalms 12:6 and that God created the universe in seven days. Just as six is
one short of seven, imperfection is short of perfection, and hence six is
interpreted as symbolizing imperfection. Six is repeated three times for emphasis,
thus getting the number 666. [25]
- 666 multiplied by three, a Biblical number, is 1998,
which can refer to the 20th century Gregorian calendar year, albeit no history-shaping
Christian event happened in that year. However, some may say that it could
be the year a certain technology was developed that would be put into future
use, or that it is a birth year of a person whose role to play is yet to come.
- 666 Interpretation
as Name, Number and Mark Altogether
Culture and psychology
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The number 666 retains a peculiar significance in the
culture and psychology
of Western societies, where some perceive it as “the Devil’s number”, even
in contexts usually remote from superstition.
The fear of the number 666 is called hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia.
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