SOME INFO ON 666 - THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST

Apocalyptic Revelation of John:

v13:17 - And than no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the
         name of the beast, or the number of his name.
v13:18 - 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.

  Although the mark was invisible [Magnetic or Electronic?], John conceived of
it as being the name of the beast or the number of his name. This is an
introduction to one of the most celebrated and controversial symbols in
Revelation, the number six hundred and sixty-six, as it is given in most texts
including the third century Chester Beatty Papyrus. However, a variant number,
616, found in the fifth century Codex C (Ephraemi), was known to Irenaeus, who
wrote toward the end of the second century. The verse in which it is found,
but one of a total of more than four hundred in Revelation, has been given far
more attention in popular thinking than it deserves. [I think not!] Indeed,
for many people Revelation is chiefly thought of as the book containing this
mysterious [SPOOKY would be more like it!] number. Unfortunately, John
intended it to be something of an enigma; as he says, it calls for wisdom, and
only he who has understanding can discover its significance.
  In contrast to our modern usage, neither the Hebrews nor the Greeks had
special numerical symbols [BTW: Ours are just Persian sideways plus the
Hind00 Zer0!]; instead, they used the letters of the alphabet as numbers.
Accordingly, following the clue of 17b, the number of its name, 666, has
generally been considerd a cipher which can be resolved into letters spelling
a name. An example of this is seen in the Sibylline Oracles 1:324ff, where
by equating letters and number, "iesous" (Jesus) equals 888 as follows:
iota(10) + eta(8) + sigma(200) + omicron(70) + upsilon(400) + sigma(200) = 888.
  It is thought that the ciper 666 was formed in an identical manner. But
what name lies behind it? According to John it is a human number (RSV) or
the number of a man (KJV), which may mean that the hidden name is personal
and historical. This, however, is not certain, since in apocalypticism human
beings often symbolize angels, just as animals symbolize human beings. But on
the assumption that the name is personal, since the number is that of the
beast symbolizing the imperial line, it should be the name or title of an
emperor. This rules out suggestions like lateinos (the Roman Empire) and
teitan (Titan) in Greek, or the Hebrew equivalent of Primitive Chaos (Tiamet;
a proposal of Gunkel). The search being narrowed to an emperor, the notorious
gaios kaisar (Gaius Caesar) has been proposed. The letters of his name do add
up to 616, the variant noted by Irenaeus, but this fails to account for the
much better attested 666.
  The connection of the beast with Nero redivivus has led others to find the
solution in his name. This may be done by transliterating the Greek neron
kaisar (Neron Caesar) into Hebrew letters and giving them their numerical
equivalents in the following manner: resh(200) + samekh(60) + qoph(100) +
nun(50) + vav(6) + resh(200) + nun(50). [rsqnwrn???] These sums, when added up,
total 666. Furthermore, if the proper name is written without the final "n",
according to the Latin form, the sum is 616, the variant reading already noted.
  If this identification is correct, it fits very well into the practically
certain belief that the beast is closely related to the satanic Nero, returned
to life. [Seems everyone was getting ressurected back in them days!] It quite
fittingly bears his name, just as the scarlet woman in 17:3-5 quite properly
has the name Babylon (symbolizing Rome) on her forward. Furthermore, as Nero
redivivus, the Antichrist is compared and contrasted with Christ; thus the
number 666 may be compared and contrasted with his number, 888.
  Lohmeyer in his commentary proposes a wholly different solution (Die
Offenbarung des Johannes [Tubingen: J.C.B.Mohr, 1926; "Handbuch zum Neuen
Testament"], pp. 115-15). He states that according to Pythagorean numerology,
666 is a so-called triangular number, being the sum of the numbers from 1 to
36 inclusive; further, 36 is itself the sum of the numbers from 1 to 8.
Accordingly, 666 is resolved into 8, a number which has special significance
in 17:11, "As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but belongs
to the seven, and it goes to perdition." Accordingly, so Lohmeyer observes,
the number 8 designates the fearful, demonic Antichrist whose end is at hand.
The number 666, then, is a human number which is a cipher for the demonic
number 8. Thus by coincidence Lohmeyer arrives at pratically the same
conclusion: the number is that of the Antichrist who in 17:11 is also Nero
redivivus.
  With the appearance of these two beasts in ch.13, the leading characters of
the apocalyptic drama have now come on the stage, save for the scarlet woman,
the bride of Christ, and Gog and Magog, [Oh, is that all?], who make their
entrance later. On the one side [Here comes Persian Dualism, are ya ready?],
the evil side, are Satan, the beasts representing the demonic Roman emperors
and the Antichrist, the angels of Satan, the pagans [Natch] who are generally
grouped as enemies and persecutors of the Christians [Very funny!], as well
as Jews and apostate Christians, who are also on Satan's side. [Quite a
lineup!] On the other, the good side, are God, Christ, the archangels and
angels, the two heavenly witnesses, the four living creatures, the twenty-four
elders, and the faithful Christians, especially the martyrs. {Fun Fact:
Webster'sII: martyr [ME < OE < LLat. < Gk. murtus, witness.]; So, everytime
you see the word witness in an English translation of the Greek scriptures,
replace it with martyr to get the true sense of the original meaning} The
forces of Satan and God are in battle array; the two sides of evil and good
are about evenly balanced; [It promises to be a fair fight - NOT!] and the
cosmic war is reaching its dramatic and inevitable conclusion. The struggle
will be a desperate one to determine whether righteousness or evil is to rule.
Through it all, however, the reader is made conscious of the author's belief
that God is more powerful than Satan, indeed, that he is all-powerful; and he
is assured that despite temporary [TEMPORARY!!!] evidences to the contrary,
God will overcome Satan and bring his evil reign to an end. [Yeah but at what
cost? How many dead? How many faithful Christians martyred? And which network
will carry it live? And just where is the better third of the Holy Trinity -
the Holy Spirit? And how about the Virgin Mary? Shouldn't she be pitted
against Babylon the mother of all whores and abominations of the earth? Talk
about a cat fight!]

v17:10 - And there are seven kings; five are fallen, and one is, and the other
         is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
v17:11 - And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of
         the seven, and goeth into perdition.

  These two verses are among the most obscure in Revelation, though the general
sense is quite clear. The seven heads, which were seven hills in the preceding
verse, now shift in meaning and represent Roman emperors. Furthermore, one of
them is related to Nero, who died and yet lived [resurrected]. All this is in
conformity with the general sense of 13:1-4. The difficulty centers in
discovering just which seven emperors are meant, and the precise relationship
of Nero redivivus to the group.
  The discussion may be helped if it is prefaced with a consideration of
symbolism of a similar character. The earliest examples of this type are to be
found in Daniel, which John has used as a main source for his own book.
  One of the exemplars for the beast in Revelation is the four-headed leopard
of Dan7:6. It is obvious that this animal signifies the kingdom of Persia, and
later the four heads are said to stand for four Kings (Dan11:2) One head is
probably Cyrus, the fourth Xerxes, but it is impossible to identify the other
two with any certainty at all. Another model for the beast of Revelation is
the fourth one in Daniel with its ten horns, with an additional little horn
growing out where three others, plucked out by the roots, had been. (Dan7:7-8)
The beast itself is the Greco-Syrian kingdom, one of the divisions of
Alexander's empire following his death. The little horn is undoubtedly
Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the persecutor of the Jews, who was the special concern
of the author. The ten horns are said to represent ten kings (Dan7:24), but
again, no one can determine just which ten are meant. Prior to Antiochus
there were but six kings in the Seleucid line, of if Alexander is included,
but seven. This leaves either four or three to be accounted for to make up the
ten. It is possible, therefore, that in Daniel the numbers four and ten are
used symbolically to represent the kings of Persia and the kings of Syria
respectively, and not historically with reference to four or ten specific
kings.
  Another illustration, important because it is practically contemporary with
Revelation, is provided by the eagle vision in IIEsdras11-12. "Ezra" saw a
strange eagle rising from the sea with three heads and twelve large wings,
with eight smaller wings growing out of the larger ones. The eagle has power
for a while, but with the coming of a conquering lion it is destroyed. Ezra is
puzzled and disturbed by this sight, but God interprets it for him. However,
the divine explanation is almost as mystifying as the vision was, although in
general the meaning is clear. The eagle is the Roman Empire, the oppressor of
the Jews. The three heads are three emperors, one the current ruler, Domitian,
the others his brother Titus and his father Vespasian. The lion is the
Messiah, who soon is to bring about the destruction of the empire and its
evil emperor. The twelve large wings are twelve imperial predecessors of these
three from the Flavian house. If two wings are counted to an emperor and only
the Julian line is considered, this solution is reached; but it seems quite
arbitrary to omit Galba, Otho, and Vitellius. On the other hand, if one wing
is assigned to an emperor, there very obscure pretenders must be added to make
up a total of twelve, and this too is arbitrary. Apparently twelve is to be
taken as a symbolic number to indicate those emperors preceding the Flavian
line, without any attempt at a more specific indentification. As for the eight
smaller wings which are dependent upon the others, these are clearly lesser
rulers or governors, but any further attempts to identify them are sheer
guesswork. The author, actually, is not interested in these or in the twelve
larger wings - his main concern is with the Flavian line, whose last
representative was the infamous Domitian.
  With this background in mind it may be easier to examine the interpretation
of the beast with seven heads and ten horns. The beast, as we have seen before
represents the empire and the imperial line, and is also a symbol of the
Antichrist. But now the seven heads are said by the angel to be seven kings,
no doubt seven Roman emperors. Five of those have died; one, the sixth, is
now ruling; the seventh has not yet come, and when he does, he will remain
only a little while. Also, and somewhat less cryptically, the beast itself
that was and is not is said to be an eighth, i.e., he is an eighth emperor,
who at the same time is one of the seven; [SPOOKY!] moreover, he is to go
to perdition. This explanation is most confusing, although the second part,
vs.11, presents fewer difficulties than vs.10. The beast is said to be an
eighth emperor who also was one of the seven, a rather definite
identification of the beast with the emperor Nero, who had died and yet was
expected to return to life (see on 13:3 and 18). Furthermore, this Neronic
beast, which previously has been related to the Antichrist, is going to
destruction, a prediction that has been made before. However, there seems to
be a discrepancy, for if this eighth is also the seventh of vs.10 who is yet
to come, it would mean that the Antichrist, who according to ch.13 has
already appeared, actually is not to come until sometime in the future, after
the ruling emperor has died, and then is to have a brief reign. This is not
in harmony with the repeated assurances of the author that the end is to come
very soon, for apparently the rule of the sixth or present ruler is indefinite
in length.
  Also, who are the five emperors who have died? The answer depends upon a
number [number?] of variables. First, should the computation begin with Julius
Caesar or with Augustus? Second, should Galba, Otto, and Vitellius be omitted
from consideration by reason of the brevity of their reigns, or should they
be counted among the five who had fallen? Depending upon the formula used,
the sixth, or current, ruler, could be Nero, Galba, or Vespasian. Nero should
be excluded as the ruling emperor, for it is impossible to see how the Nero
redivivus belief could have originated prior to his death. The reign of Galba,
it is thought, was too brief and uneventful to cause him to merit
consideration. But by begining with Augustus, and eliminating Galba, Otho, and
Vitellius from consideration, Vespasian becomes the sixth emperor.
  Consequently, it has been proposed that this passage was originally a Jewish
oracle written soon after AD 70, and was directed against Vespasian, who
initiated the siege against Jerusalem. His probable successor, the seventh,
would be his son Titus, who completed the siege and was blamed for the
destruction of the temple. According to the view, the eighth and last would
be the infamous Nero returned to life, whose brief reign would terminate with
his destruction and with the end of this age. According to this theory, John
incorporated this Vespasianic oracle into his work, bringing it up to date
by considering Domitian as the sixth and ruling emperor; with the
anticipation the he would soon be replaced by the Neronic Antichrist. A
variation of this theory would be to suppose that Domitian not only was the
sixth emperor, but that he also was the reincarnation of the seventh, the
revived Nero. [Of course! Why didn't I think of this! I'm so stupid!] This
gains some support when it is realized that Domitian was considered another
Neor by some of his subjects. (cf. Juvenal Satires IV.37,38; Martial
Epigrams XI.33).
  Another solution - proposed now, it is believed, for the first time - is
based upon the observation that only those dead rulers who have been
apotheosized by the senate were worshiped. Consequently, it is possible that
the first five heads of the beast that is worshiped are the first five rulers
to be so honored - Caesar, Augustus, Claudius, Vespasian, and Titus. If this
is true, Domitian, who demanded worship while living, would be the sixth and
ruling emperor, while the seventh and last, the Neronic Antichrist, who at
the same time might be considered as reincarnated in the person of Domitian,
was still to come.
  But it is possible that none of these interesting conjectures is correct. In
Daniel the four heads and the ten horns were used symbolically, not
historically, and the same is true of the twelve eagle wings in II Esdras.
Accordingly, it is conceivable that the beast had seven heads because of
John's partiality for this number, or because in his sources there was a
beast with seven heads, just as there was one with ten horns. One of the heads
represents the present ruler, another the Antichrist who is to come; as for
the other five, they may represent the imperial predecessors as a group, and
not five specific individuals. Indeed, it has been suggested that John would
probably have been unable to name the rulers of the century or more preceding
the date of Revelation.