Number of the Beast (numerology) Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
The Mark of the Beast is mentioned in the Book of Revelation of the Christian Bible.
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2 Theological interpretations 3 Mathematics 4 Culture and psychology 5 Other speculations 6 Joke 7 See also 8 External links |
Revelation 13:17 states:
The original Greek does not literally render the phrase as six-six-six (three Greek words for six in a row) but six hundred and sixty-six. The phrase as used in the King James Version of the Bible is "six hundred threescore and six".
Versions of Christian eschatology which hold that that these prophecies refer to future events, typically hold that the Mark of the Beast is one way in which the antichrist will exercise power over the earth, during the period known as the Tribulation in the book of Revelation. Opinions as to what form it will take are varied. The literal interpretation is that it will be the number 666 imprinted on the skin, but conspiracy theorists imagine all sorts of devious possibilities tied in with recent technological developments. The notion that the mark is required for all commerce implies that the mark might actually be a special credit card... or that we might have to have our fingerprints scanned into a worldwide database in order to be recognized in business. Or the mark might be some kind of smart chip implanted into the body.
The number 666, which supposedly represents the name of the Antichrist, is another source of controversy. There are various theories about the meaning of this verse, and there have been many attempts to show that a person is the Antichrist by relating his name to the number 666.
One interpretation is simply that 666 represents humankind in general because of the special significance that the number has in the Bible. Six is known as an "imperfect number" because it is one short of seven, the "perfect number" (seven days in the week, seven tongues of flame, seven spiritual gifts...). So three (the number of the Trinity) sixes is seen as extremely imperfect. Therefore, 666 represents imperfect man, while 777 represents God.
One of the most obvious yet overlooked explainations of the number is that it points directly to the 6th book by the Apostle Paul, in the collection of the 66 books in the canon. Revelations refers to a small book that tastes good in the mouth but eventually makes one ill. Philipians would seem to fit the bill being one of the most quoted books of the bible, yet its doctrine, that he has "not attained" but is "pressing on to the upward call of God in Christ" is catagorically opposed to the teaching of Jesus that he gives rest. Though some Christian Appologists try to explain the contradiction, it is logically impossible to be both pressing and resting at the same time. This view gives new importance to the account in Acts when Philip was miraculously transported to the chariot and then again miraculously transported out of the chariot. This also coincides with the the speculations, according to some sources, that Thomas Jeferson, Albert Schweitzer, A. Victor Garaffa's pauline conspiracy and others, that the Apostle Paul, the author of Philipians, is the antichrist.
For example, scholars who believe the Book of Revelation refers to real people and events argue that the number represents the value of Nero or Neron Caesar (נרון קסר, Nrwn Qsr*) in Hebrew letters, which also have numerical values (note that Hebrew is written from right to left):
References from the Bible
The next verse tells us that the Number of the Beast is 666. In Revelation 14:9-12, the third angel warns of wrath and retribution to all those who bear this mark on their heads or hands.Theological interpretations
Another interpretation is that 666 is actually some kind of code based on the letters of someone's name. This sparks great public interest since it seems to provide some way to identify the antichrist. Numerologists like to devise clever ways of assigning numbers to letters so that the letters of a name will add up to this symbolic number. Probably the best-known scheme has A=100, B=101, and so on. With this code, the name "HITLER" adds up to 666. While these ideas are intriguing, they usually require many odd preconditions (you have to start with 100, you cannot include the first name) and work in a few languages only (in Spanish, for example, "HITLER" adds up to 668.) See also Vicarius Filii Dei. r S q n w r n
666 = 200 + 60 + 100 + 50 + 6 + 200 + 50Some early texts of the Book of Revelation use 616 instead, which would represent the alternative Hebrew spelling נרו קסר, Nrw Qsr:
r S q w r n
616 = 200 + 60 + 100 + 6 + 200 + 50
- *Note: Hebrew נרון קסר, Nrwn Qsr = Greek Νερων Καισαρ, Nerôn Kaisar, though קסר, qSr, should strictly speaking be כסר, kSr.
In an alternate style of greek notation for numerals, 6 + 60 + 600 can be expressed as digamma koppa kappa which when superposed into a monogram, form the graffito form of the labrys very common on roman walls of the time, which is interesting considering what some characterise as misogynist tendencies in the book.
The first problem is that the book of Revelation may not have been written to be interpreted literally but symbolically. In this sense, then, the "Mark of the Beast" is no more a literal mark on a person's hand or forehead than the "beast from the sea" in 13:1 and the "beast from the earth" in 13.11 can be considered actual, bodily creatures. For many interpreters, it stands to reason that when a section of text is to be interpreted symbolically, then the reader must not suddenly decide to read a section in a literal sense. If the "beasts" are symbols of what was or what is to come, then it is also logical that the mark of the beast is itself symbolic and not a literal mark on a person's hand or forehead.
The second problem is that, in the verse that immediately follows - 14:1 - there is a description of the 144,000 who had the name of Jesus and the name of the Father written on their foreheads. Most mainstream Christian interpreters see the 144,000 as a non-literal number of people who represent all of God's people - the church. Yet to many interpreters it seems strange to view the mark of the beast as a literal mark, since it logically means that the 144,000 in 14:1 would have a literal mark of Jesus and the Father upon their foreheads also. Many interpreters view both marks as being symbolic of a person's commitment to either God or the Devil.
The third problem is that, if the verse is to be understood in a literalistic sense, then the mark can only be effectual if it is placed upon the right hand or the forehead. If the mark is placed, for example, upon the left hand or the shoulder, then it is no longer considered the mark of the beast.
The fourth problem is that, if the mark could be considered a microchip implant, then it no longer functions as a "mark" since it is invisible. The Greek word charagma (mark) denotes a stamp or an impression upon the skin - ie something that is visible to the naked eye and whose function depends upon this visibility. Within the Christian community there are many who argue that the word charagma is based on the word charax, which is said to mean stick into, or, sharpen to a point or palisade (fence); they could also say that charasso on which charax is derived also means sharpen to a point. This would support their notion that a microchip is "stuck into" a person's skin. Such an argument, however, does not appear to be backed up by New Testament scholars. Ulrich Witkins, a contributor to the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (vol 9, page 416), writes the following about charagma:
Like all numbers, 666 has many mathematical properties, some more interesting than others.
See Six hundred sixty-six for more.
The number 666 retains a peculiar significance in the culture and psychology of Western societies. Just as many people try to avoid the "unlucky" number 13 (sometimes going to the extent of having a floor "12A" in multi-story buildings, or even to skip the 13th floor entirely so that a 20 storey building will possess a 21st floor), so people find ways to avoid the "Devil's number", even in contexts that would seem on first sight to be far removed from superstition.
For example, when the giant CPU manufacturer Intel introduced the 666 MHz Pentium III in 1999, they chose to market it as the Pentium III 667 on the pretext that, since the actual clock speed was 666.666 MHz, 667 was the more accurate approximation—conveniently ignoring their own usual rounding practice: as examples, consider the earlier 66.666 MHz 486-66, the 466.666 MHz Celeron 466, or the later 866.666 MHz Pentium III 866.
In another instance, U.S. Highway 666 was renumbered in 2003 after controversy over the supposed reference to the Biblical beast. See [1].
Former U.S. president Ronald Wilson Reagan had six letters in his first, middle, and last name.
In ancient Dacia, 666 was the number of those who returned to the right faith.
The first Apple Computer, the Apple I was sold for $666.66.
Stanley Kubrick (director of ) died 666 days before January 1 2001.
0.666 is approximately two-thirds of one whole, one short of all three thirds. Because three is the number of the trinity, it may be that the number is meant to represent being in communion with God only in the mind and spirit (but not the body). The Catholic church believes that Satan generally attacks the body; a theme recurring throughout the latter chapters of Revelation.
A widespread conspiracy theory concerns the EAN or UPC bar codes, instituted in 1974, and found on most consumer products. The "control codes" in the left, middle, and right of the code appear on initial inspection to represent the number "6". Because of this, all EAN/UPC codes (so the theory goes) contain the number 666. One interpretation of the Book of Revelation indicates that the Number of the Beast is required for all business transactions — a role that the EAN/UPC code certainly fits. Also interesting are the facts, that the inventor of the UPC code, George J. Laurer, has six letters in his first, middle, and last name [1], and that, as of 2004, exactly 666 prefixes (out of possible 1000) are assigned in the EAN-13 namespace [1]. (Unfortunately, the control codes only appear to represent the number six if one is unaware that both the black bars and the spaces in between them are used to encode information.)
The sixth letter of the Hebrew alphabet is "waw" (or "vav"). This is closest
approximation of the English letter "w". Thus the ubiquitous acronym "www"
could be the Number of the Beast.
Also, the number 6 in Roman numerals is represented as VI. 666= VIVIVI which
has been suggested that visions from the past, mistook it from WWW.
Most recently, the development of RFIDs could eventually necessitate consumers to implant RFID-based credit or debit devices to purchase goods and services. RFIDs are already replacing UPCs in some products, and the use of RFIDs as a human tracking and identification instrument has begun.
It is often quipped that 665, 667 and 668 are the Neighbour of the Beast; there are at least two filk songs on this topic.
This is an Article on Number of the Beast (numerology). Page Contains Information, Facts Details or Explanation Guide About Number of the Beast (numerology) Problems with various literal and conspiratorial approaches
(it) is an engraved, etched, branded or inscribed "mark" or "sign". Closest to (its) original sense.. is the earliest example in Soph. Phil., 267, where (it) denotes the bite of a snake. Elsewhere the term means "inscription"... or anything written..., and especially the impressed or branded "stamp" eg a brand to mark camels.Mathematics
Culture and psychology
Other speculations
Joke
See also
External links
"6.66, One Hundredth of the Number of the Beast" is the name of the only song by the fictional Australian rock band Salmonhater. Adam Spencer and Wil Andersen, hosts of the Triple J breakfast show (radio), invented the band as a joke one morning. A fan of the show soon composed this song for the pretend band, and a video clip was also made later.