666
The Number of the Man Antichrist

666      Literal Interpretation      Symbolic, Spiritual Interpretation

Greek Numerals: Nero, Jesus     Roman Numerals: Papacy

English and Hebrew Numerals: Internet

Original Picture: Duncan Long

666:

"Here is wisdom. Let he who has understanding calculate the number of the Beast; for his number is that of a man; and his number is 666". Rev:13:18

    Rev.13:18, the last verse of the chapter, says that the number of the Antichrist is that of a man, and his number is 666... and the verse challenge us to have wisdom to calculate the number of he Beast!.

    Through the ages people have tried to identify a person to whom this number may refer, while trying to establish what his main function is said to be.

    Slaves usually received a mark on their hand as proof of who their owner was. Kings of those times had their own personal stamp or seal for use on official documents.

    This mark of the Antichrist is to be stamped in the right hand and in the forehead of his followers, as stated in the two previous verses, and he who does not have it won't be able to sell nor buy anything, "And He (the Beast) causes all, both the small and great, rich and poor, free and slave to receive a mark in their right hand or in their foreheads. And that no one may buy or sell except he who has the mark or the name of the Beast or the number of his name." (Rev.13:16-17)

    This mark to which John refers, and the number of the name, namely 666, can be understood in two ways:
    1- Literal Interpretation: The number 666 would the numerical value of the letters of the name, so you can know who is the Antichrist.
    2- Symbolic or Spiritual Interpretation: Number 6 in the Bible is the number of imperfection, so, the Antichrist would have the triple total imperfection, in his religious, political and social dimensions, symbolizing the climax of man's failure and wickedness

     Number "7" is the number of perfection in the Bible, seven days of creation, seven days of a week, the twenty sevens of the Book of Revelation... "6" does not reach perfection, and "8" is the number of super-perfection. Number "6" is often used as the symbolic number of imperfection of humankind (two arms, two legs, one head, one body).

1- Literal Interpretation:

For centuries, this number 666 has given rise to a lot of thought and speculation.

   There are several methods which have been used to try to identify a certain person to which 666 refers. The meanings of numbers are further illustrated and established by the study of Gematria or the numeric values of words.

The Greeks and Hebrews did not have separate symbols, such as 1, 2 and 3, for numbers like we do. Instead, like the Romans, they used the letters of their alphabets.... and lately, gematria studies have been done in the modern languages: English, Spanish French...

In Greek (Greek Numerals):

   The Revelation was written inn Greek, so this is a most important language to find out about the 666:

    In Greek alpha represents 1 and beta 2 and so on up to iota, which is 10. After that kappa is 20, lambda 30 and so on up to ro, which is 100. Sigma is 200, tau 300 and so on up to omega, which is 800. These values are shown in the table below. (The number 6 was originally the letter digamma which later dropped out of use.) This means that you can take the letters of any word or name, and add them up to get a total value for the word. That value is called the gematria.

   The name Jesus (IhsouV in Greek) adds up to 888. The name of Caesar Nero in Greek is 666.

    Many of the titles of Jesus have the number 8 as a prominent feature or factor. KurioV (Lord) has the value 800. CristoV (Christ) is 1480 which has the factors 37 x 8 x 5. (888 is 37 x 8 x 3). Alhqeia (truth) is 64 or 8 x 8. Swthr (Savior) is 1408 or 8 x 8 x 22. OdoV (Way) is 344 or 8 x 43.

   On the other hand,  KosmoV (world) has the gematria 600. The kosmos is the sphere of man's works apart from God. Many of the names and titles of Satan, such as drakwn (dragon) and ofiV (serpent), have the factor 13.

Roman Numerals: The Papacy

    These are also important because the Latin language was the one spoken in the Roman Empire:

              I = 1     V = 5    X = 10    L=50     C=100    D=500    M=1000

   

    The Adventists claim the Papacy is the Antichrist using this system as computation, using some trickcs:

    They use the words VICARIUS FILII DEI, and the computation is perfect, as follows:

V.................... 5 
I..................... 1 
C.................100 
A.................... 0 
R.................... 0 
I..................... 1
U.................... 5 
S.................... 0 

F.....................0
I......................1
L................... 50
I...................... 1
I.......................1

D...................500
E......................0
I.......................1

TOTAL =       666 

   But the Pope is never called "Vicarius Filii Dei", but the "Vicar of Christ", and this doesn't fit!, only accounts for 205... Papacy computation is only 100... In Italian Papado is 500... Pope is 0... Papa is 0... Vatican is 106... Rome is 1000...
    ... but they keep manufacturing new words that fit: So, in Latin: "Dux Cleri" (Captain of the clergy"), Ludovicus (Vicar of the court)... in Greek: "I Protera" (first of two), "Lateinos" (The Latin speaking man), "He Latin Basilea" (The Latin Kindom), "Italia Ekklesia" (Italian Church), "Apostates"... in Hebrew: "Romith" (Roman Kingdom), "Romiti" (Roman Man)...
    Most of these words have nothing to do with the Papacy... but they don't care, because for the Adventists every Christian who celebrates the Day of the Lord on Sunday carries the mark of the Antichrist, so all 2000 million Christians are of the Antichrist for them!... all of them except the 6 million of Adventists!.
    To carry on this theory, the 42 months or 1260 days of the reign of the Antichrist, in Rev.12:6 and 13:5, they convert them into 1200 years, a year per day!... and even so, all the Christians should have already been destroyed by Christ long time ago!... but the Adventists keep on creating new theories.
    Going back to the Roman Catholic Church: It is absolutely not the Antichrist!. It is an awful slander... just as when the Pharisees called Jesus Beelzebud, Satan: If the Church must suffer like Christ, and if Christ was called Beelzebub, the true Church must expect a similar reproach; thus, the Papal-Antichrist theory becomes an argument in favor of the Roman Church.
    Of course there have been many bad popes and bishops... just like in the first Seminary of Christianity: Jesus in person chose, formed, and taught day by day 12 disciples for 3 years. Of these 12, one became Jude, other, Peter, denied under oath to even know Jesus, and the other abandoned Jesus on the Cross... all except John... and, however, 11 of the 12 became eventually evangelizers and Great Saints...
    ... In the Catholic Church, is got to happen like in the first Seminary, the one directed By Jesus in person: Every 12 Popes and 12 Bishops one should be a Jude, another one a Peter, the others will abandoned Jesus inmost important occasions... but most of them, 11 out of 12 will become Great Saints!... an this the history of the Roma Catholic Church, full of weak and bad Popes and Bishops, but who eventually became great Saints, 11 out 12!,praise the Lord!..
    ... Even today, in the third millennium, the Roman Catholic Church run 5,478 Hospitals with 4,500 million people treated, 14,806 Dispensaries, 793 Leprosariums, 27,281 Homes for the aged homeless and handicapped, 7,102 Orphanages, 9,293 Nurseries, 97,823 Special Centers for Social Services, 8,216 Matrimonial Advice Centers... and practically "billions" attended in their "homes", for sickness, aged, children, emotional problems, marriages, drugs, alcohol... is this a job of the Antichrist or of the Christ?...
    ... The Roman Catholic Church in 1992 run 52,828 kindergartens with an attendance of 5 million students, 80,612 Elementary and Primary Schools with 25 million students, 31,711 Secondary Schools with 13 million students, and 2 million students in its 6,400 Colleges and Universities... preaching the Gospel of Jesus in every classroom, every day of the year... is it the job of the Antichrist or of the Christ?...
    ... There are over 3,000 "canonized Saints"... they resurrected 400 persons: St. Patrick: 39, one of them, 3 years after her death; St. Vincent Ferrer 28, St. Francis Xavier 10... The Bible records 3 resurrections by Jesus, and a total of 8 resurrections in the whole bible... indeed, the words of Jesus are true, "whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these" (Jn.14:12)... all of these recorded in the "process of canonization", by, probably, the most strict Tribunal on earth.... At least 100 Saints had their bodies "incorrupt", when they were unburied in the process of canonization: St. Teresa of Avila, St. Vincent of Paul, St. Bernadette of Lourdes, St. Francis Xavier, St. Catherine Laboure in Paris... are this people Antichrists?... and what about St.Francis of Assisi, and Mother Therese of Calcutta, and Father Pio and Maximiliam Kolbe of our days?... I know, the Pharisees of today they will call them the Antichrists, as they called Jesus Satan in his days!...
    ... And what about the one million women and 500,000 men, alive today, who made vows of poverty, chastity and obedience to dedicate themselves full time for life to preach the Gospel of Jesus with their words, and most specially with their lives?... surely, 11 out 12 become a Jude or a Peter, and  they are week and human like the 12 Apostles, but most of them, 11 out of 12 become Great Saints!, praise the Lord!.

English Language:

   There have been hundreds of gematria studies. Here are some examples:

1-

      In the Hebrew alphabet -- Hebrew, by the way, is the language of God -- ``W'' ( pronounced ``vov'') is the sixth letter of the Hebrew alphabet and, in the Hebraic number system, has traditionally stood for the number 6, so WWW = 666

2- ASCII conversion ASCII Symbol Table - with HTML codes   ASCII made simple

Conversion according the American Standard Code for Information Interchange.

Addition of the numeral values of the characters determines the result.

 

3- Alphabetic conversion

This conversion assumes that a=1, b=2, c=3... z=26

Addition of each character of the string determines the result.

 

4- Alphabetic plus 100 conversion

Same as alphabetic conversion, only 100 is added to each character value.

 

5- Alphabetic times 6 conversion.

Each alphabetic character value is increased by 6. So a=6, b=12, c=18...z=156

Addition determines the result.

 

6- Alphabetic times 6 reversed conversion

With this method a reversed alphabet is used. This means z=6, y=12, x=18...a=156

Again addition determines the result.

 

By doing computations with these different systems these names and things add up to be 666: kissinger, van den broek, lustiger...  hitler, deutschland, himmler...  new york, us of america, santa claus, kennedy, al gore... Holy Bible, SS number, witchcraft, lustful, monetary, live, son of sin, mark of beast, evil, bullet... internet, billgates+3 (the III), computer, terminal, binairy, windows78, teletext, calculation...

Bill Gates:

    The real name of Bill Gates is William Henry Gates III. Nowadays he is known as Bill Gates (III), where "III" means the order of third (3rd.). By converting the letters of his current name to the ASCII-values and adding his (III), you get : 66+73+76+76+71+65+84+69+83+3 = 666.

 

Here is the US OF AMERICA, by the method 5: Jim Byard's view:

U = 126.. S = 114....... O = 90.. F = 36.... A = 6.. M = 78.. E = 30.. R = 108.. I = 54.. C = 18.. A = 6 -----Total: 666

Computers

With the same method 5: When we assign A=6,B=12,C=18 ... Z=156, then adding up the numbers of COMPUTER will be 18+90+78+96+126+120+30+108 = 666.

    For one reason or another all these religious and political celebrities and institutions have been considered the Antichrist by someone: Papacy, Luther, Pope John Paul II, Pat Robertson, Mormons, Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Sun Myung Moon, Freemasonry, Illuminati... Arafat, Ayatollah Khomeini, Saddam Hussein, Kennedy, Gorvachev, Clinton, Al Gore, Bill Gates, David Rockefeller, Kissinger, Mussolini, Hitler, Nero, Reagan, Saddam Hussein, Willy Brandt, Caligula, King Juan Carlos of Spain, Emperor Frederick II of Germany, King George II of England, Emperor Justinian, Nikita Khrushchev, Napoleon Bonaparte, Czar Peter the Great, Josef Stalin, Kaiser Wilhelm, Boris Yeltsin, Trilateral Commission, the Bilderberg...
    ... And another point: In every generation someone has said: "The Antichrist is already on earth alive, today!"... but it never came to be!...   so, it is better to follow the advice of Jesus:

"At that time if anyone says to you, `Look, here is the Christ!' or, `There he is!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time." (Matt.24:24-25)

2- Symbolic or Spiritual Interpretation:

    Number 6 in the Bible is the number of imperfection, so, the Antichrist would have the triple total imperfection, in his religious, political and social dimensions, symbolizing the climax of man's failure and wickedness

    Number "6" is often used as the symbolic number of imperfection of humankind (two arms, two legs, one head, one body). "7" is the number of perfection in the Bible, seven days of creation, seven days of a week, "6" does not reach perfection, it is imperfect, and "8" is the number of super-perfection.

    The number of the Beast and of World is 666, and the number of Jesus, and the Lord, and the Lamb is 888, as shown above.

    Rev.13:16-18 has given rise to a lot of thought and speculation. Many people no doubt have been worried or frightened by what they have heard and been taught. What is the nature of this mark? People have suggested that credit cards will be replaced by electronic marking of the hand or forehead. Your bank balance could be electronically written on your hand, and updated whenever you bought or sold! See The Mark of the Beast

    666 mark of the Beast/laser tattoo barcode on your right hand or forehead/ revelations 13/probably your social security number or global id number/ the Beast world government/ submission to SATAN/ eternal damnation if you take the mark

*******

*******

        This literal view of Revelation 13:18 clashes with the next verse: Rev.14:1. And here is the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. We must interpret consecutive verses consistently. If the mark of the beast is made electronically on people's foreheads then the name of Jesus must be written electronically on the foreheads of the 144,000. I have never heard anyone suggest that that is what is going to happen:
    "Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads" (Rev.14:1)

    Can a physical mark somehow inscribed on our bodies really make us pleasing or displeasing to God? I don't think so. It is what goes on inside the forehead that really matters. Inside you can have one of two different kinds of mind. You can have the mind of the beast, or animal, to use the normal modern English word; or you can have the mind of Christ. Both minds are mentioned in scripture.

    An animal (a beast) can have no idea of God. Spiritual and moral values are of no meaning to it. The number six represents man without God. The number six six six means man man man, a system that is totally mancentred and mandominated. Everything is based on man's thoughts and plans and schemes. There is no room for God in it.

    There are on earth two kinds of people: We may call them the 666 people, or people of the Beast or the World, and the 888 people, or people of the Lamb.
    - The 666 people live their lives without God, wholly according to adamic fallen human nature. In doing this, willingly or unwillingly, they are in Satan's grip.
    - The 888 people are a total contrast. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They are wholly led by the Spirit and have entered the fullness of sonship. They have been redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb, and fear to nothing and to nobody, because Jesus in their hearts is more powerful than 1000 Antichrists, and fills them with the love, peace, and joy that only God can give, and nothing can take away, praise the Lord! (Rom.8:35-39).

See Robert_Beecham: 666 and 888