What does 666, the number of the Beast, mean?

Bible prophecy describes a powerful leader and his government or empire as the Beast. Can we know what his mysterious number, 666, means?


Answer:

The number of the Beast, 666, is associated with the mark of the Beast and the name of the Beast in Revelation 13:17. We are told to "count the number" and that it is "the number of a man" (verse 18). One early explanation is attributed to John's disciple Polycarp, who, according to his student Irenaeus, said this number is derived from adding together the numerical equivalents of the letters in the word Lateinos, the Greek word for "Roman"—this being the name of the Beast empire, its ruler and everyone in it. So the number may well denote this general distinction, though it could also be more specific.

Another explanation is that the Bible associates the number six with man; God made him on the sixth day of creation week. The number 666 is a triple repetition of the number of man and emphasizes that this beast represents a government whose base is human authority, as opposed to God's authority.

As with the mark of the Beast, God's people will reject it. They will "have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name" (Revelation 15:2). However this prophecy is fulfilled, it is clear that accepting the mark or number will involve compromising and contradicting God's commands. Having proof that one is officially associated in some way with the Beast will be necessary for one to be allowed to engage in commerce (Revelation 13:17).

Exactly how the end-time number of the Beast, 666, will be used and applied is not yet clear. But in some way it will be associated with the Beast's name and applied to his evil activities.

Please see our booklet The Book of Revelation Unveiled for more information about this beast power.

6 comments
Submitted on Oct 20, 2012, 7:28 am

John Stefanyszyn

John Stefanyszyn's picture

You are incorrect in your understanding because you are working with an incorrect literal tranlation from the greek text.

X= self / oneself
E= to support / magnify
S= to serve / in servitude to

....to serve and magnify oneself.

Christ is not describing a "numerology puzzle". Christ is describing the spiritual state of man during the rulership of this way of the last beast (world leader).

You are blinded by your worship of freedom of self-rights to. see the truth.

Christ said that we are to SERVE the WILL of the One True Creator Father and not to serve our will / our self rights.

The mark and the image of the beast is the worship of freedom of man's "rights".



Submitted on Oct 20, 2012, 8:16 am

John Stefanyszyn

John Stefanyszyn's picture

cont. Re XES:

-to know good and evil
.....to establish and justify for oneself what is "right"
.....freedom from the Will of the Creator so as to be free to do one's own will.
.....freedom of self-rights/ human rights/ freedom of all religions/gods.

XES....to serve and magnify oneself
....to serve and magnify one's rights
....to worship this image
....to receive willfully this mark on one's forehead or on one's hand.



Submitted on Nov 1, 2012, 7:49 am

Steven Britt

Steven Britt's picture

John,

Christ says very clearly in Revelation 13:18 that it is indeed a number:

"Let him who has understanding calculate the NUMBER of the beast, for it is the NUMBER of a man: His NUMBER is 666."

The NUMBER 666 is indeed formed by 3 Greek letters, chi-xi-stigma, and a cursory internet search yields a wide variety of speculative analyses like the one you've given, none of which seem to agree with each other. Even if there were some credible source ascribing the meanings that you give to each of these letters, it wouldn't matter because Christ stated plainly that it is a number.



Submitted on Dec 15, 2012, 11:30 am

John Stefanyszyn

John Stefanyszyn's picture

Steven,
It is true that the translators have interpreted the original Greek word of "arithmon" as "number", which is one of its literal meanings.

But "arithmon" has also other meanings...such as"worth", "value", "mark of a station".
An example of these meanings can be seen today when one says to someone that "they are number 1". It is clear that this is a reference to one's worth/value/station and not to a literal "number".

The Greek words "name" and "mark" also have other meanings:
"name"...onoma...=title,reputation, character
"mark"...charagma...=nature of, characteristic, quality

As you can see, all three words ( arithmon, onoma, charagma) refer to one's value, character, quality...which depend on one's belief / way of life.

Christ is not refering to a literal "number" but to the belief ,values, and character of man which he describes as being man's mark of his forehead...the mark of self-liberty as President Obama has confessed and praised recently.

John Stefanyszyn
**Personal information removed to comply with comment policy**



Submitted on Dec 18, 2012, 11:12 am

Steven Britt

Steven Britt's picture

Every other instance of this word in the New Testament is an unambiguous reference to a literal number. Furthermore, Revelation 13:17 seems to make a distinction between the mark, the name, and the number of the beast as if they are 3 distinct identifiers which can be used to represent the beast, whereas your interpretation would mean that the same thing is being stated 3 times. If all 3 of these words, "mark," "number," and "name" are all intended to mean "character," then it would make more sense to use a single Greek word that actually conveys that meaning.

Another questionable aspect of your interpretation is the meaning of the individual Greek letters. I did some searching and didn't find any legitimate sources that ascribed meaning to the individual letters. Among the illegitimate sources that I found (mysticism/witchcraft type websites with no scholarly references) had different meanings for each one than what you gave. Even if you were correct concerning the translation of "arithmos" (I'm no Greek expert, so this is possible) I still wouldn't be ready to accept your explanation based on what you've provided.



Submitted on Jan 28, 2013, 12:53 pm

andreas1n

andreas1n's picture

I believe that "666" indicates a man making himself a "god"
therefore when Christians hear of a man declaring himself to be
a god they will know who he is and what he is.



Submitted on Feb 25, 2013, 10:36 am

pololoy

pololoy's picture

There was a pope named Sixtus V who reigned in 1585 to 1590.

I am wondering if a future pope or anti-pope will take the name Sixtus VI.

Sixtus means "the sixth" or 6th.

And VI is the Latin numeral 6.

What could be other "6"?



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