The Number 666
In contrast to the Number 777, the treble
sixes - 666 - represent Satan, the perfection of imperfection: the
unholy and immature one: the one who will always fall short of
Yahweh's moral stature just as the number 6 will always fall short of
the number 7. Perhaps that is why Satan seeks to abolish every sacred
seventh portion of time in the calendar of the Almighty.
Over the centuries there have been numerous attempts to explain the
number 666, and though some of explanations are plausible, not one, in
our opinion, has that 'total ring of truth' about it. We hesitate to
publish on this particular point mainly because we do not want to risk
weakening the clear message of our booklet
Understand the Revelation by
introducing an explanation of the number 666 about which we ourselves are not
absolutely sure. The entire message of the booklet - which is a call
to obedience - could be so easily set aside by readers who would focus on
that one area of uncertainty.
Nevertheless, because so many have written to SBS about this matter
I will list a few popular theories about the number 666 and the various
titles of the Antichrist commentators have used in the past. Perhaps the
most popular Protestant opinion is as follows:
ROMULUS was the first king of Rome and it was after him that the
city of Rome and later the Roman Empire was named. The Greek name for
Romulus was LATEINOS. This name in Hebrew is ROMITH. In Greek the name Lateinos works out as follows:
L A T E I N O S
| 30 1 300 5 10 50 70 200
|
Total | 666
|
In Hebrew the name Romith also adds up to 666, but, as yet, I do not
have the breakdown of how this is done.
The opinion about Romulus is fairly weighty, especially in view of the
claim that in two languages the name (Romulus or Romith) equals 666: but
the argument still lacks that 'conclusive something' which is difficult to
define.
On pages 269 - 270 in the book THE TWO BABYLONS Alexander Hislop writes:
- "The name Lateinos has been generally accepted by Protestant writers
as having many elements of probability to recommend it. But yet there has
been always found a certain deficiency, and it has been felt that something
was wanting to put it beyond all possibility of doubt. Now, looking at the
subject from the Babylonian point of view, we shall find both the name and
the number of the beast brought home to us in such a way as leaves nothing to
be desired on the point of evidence. Osiris, or Nimrod, whom the Pope
represents, was called by many different titles, and therefore, as Wilkinson
remarks, he was much in the same position as his wife, who was called
Myrionymus, the goddess with 'ten thousand names.' Among these innumerable
names, how shall we ascertain the name at which the Spirit of God points in
the enigmatical language that speaks of the name of the beast, and the
number of his name? If we know the Apocalyptic name of the system, that will
lead us to the head of the system. The name of the system is 'Mystery'
(Rev.17.5). Here, then, we have the key that at once unlocks the enigma.
We have now only to inquire what was the name by which Nimrod was known
as the god of the Chaldean Mysteries. That name was SATURN. Saturn and
Mystery are both Chaldean words, and they are correlative terms. As 'mystery'
signifies the Hidden system, so Saturn signifies the Hidden god. To those
who were initiated the god was revealed; to all else he was hidden. Now the
name Saturn in Chaldee is pronounced Satur; but, as every Chaldee scholar
knows, consists only of four letters, thus - STUR.
This name Stur contains exactly the Apocalyptic number 666:
S T U R
| = 60 = 400 = 6 = 200
|
| 666
|
If the Pope is, as we have seen, the legitimate representative of Saturn,
the number of the Pope, as head of the Mystery of Iniquity, is just 666.
But still further it turns out, as shown above, that the original name of
Rome itself was Saturnia, ' the city of Saturn'... Thus, then, it is
evident that, in popular opinion, the original Lateinos had occupied the
very same position as Saturn did in the mysteries, who was equally
worshipped as the 'offspring of the Sun' Moreover it is evident that the
Romans knew the name Lateinos signified the Hidden One ... that is Saturn
the God of Mystery" (page 270)
Going even further in the direction that the numerical values contained in
the titles of Rome's civil and religious leaders add up to 666, we find that
the Pope bears in his triple crown the words VICARIUS FILII DEI. This
title also adds up to 666:
V I C A R I U S
| = 5 = 1 = 100 = 0 = 0 = 1 = 5 = 0
| F I L I I
| = 0 = 1 = 50 = 1 = 1
| D E I
| = 500 = 0 = 1
|
Totals | 112 | + | 53 | + | 501 | = 666
|
If you read the SBS paper entitled
Who/What Is The Antichrist?
you will see that we do not believe that the Pope is the Beast of
Revelation 13. He doesn't fit all the scriptural clues concerning the Beast.
We have, therefore, set aside this calculation. Various other individual's
names have in recent times have totalled 666: but the methods used leave
much room for doubt. For example, if you gave the letter A the value of 100,
B=101, C=102, D=103 and so on, then HITLER would equal 666:
H I T L E R
| = 107 = 108 = 119 = 111 = 104 = 117
|
Total | 666
|
In our view this is forcing the issue, for there is no good reason for
starting the English alphabet at 100. Besides, Hitler is dead. What of our
interpretation of the number 666? I'd love to be able to say with absolute
assurance that this or that name meets all the requirements and adds up to
666, but I cannot because of the reason mentioned earlier; they all lack
that total ring of truth about them. And so we keep up the search till our
own minds are 100 per cent satisfied. To achieve this objective we have
even examined the renowned computer codes ASCII and EBCDIC; in which each
upper and lower case letter of the alphabet has a numeric value as they do
in Hebrew and Greek languages. But so far we've found nothing to get excited
about.
We are looking for an explanation that will be absolutely foolproof,
something that will be unassailable no matter from which angle one views
it; a computation which will be recognised and accepted without a qualm
by every seeker of truth; an answer that will be easily verified by the
international reader without the need to be an expert in Hebrew, Greek
or Chaldee. Nothing short of this will satisfy us. The Beast, as
explained in our booklet entitled Understand the Revelation, is a supernatural
Being who is scheduled to be released from the Abyss at the
5th Trumpet (the
1st Woe). No doubt when he makes his appearance he may adopt one or more of
those ancient titles which are mentioned at points 1, 2 and 3: but that is
left to be seen.
One certainty is that when the Beast arrives on the world stage he will
attempt to abolish the Sabbath commandment in Yahweh's law and replace it
with his Mark. This act will make plain his real identity; though it will
not be so easily recognised by believers who would rather not keep the
Sabbath commandment. Just as the number 7 and the triple seven (777)
represent absolute perfection and sacred rest: the number 6 and the triple
six (666) represents the absolute imperfection and total, unending turmoil with
no rest. The number 666 will then symbolise the unsanctified sabbaths of
Satan which the Antichrist will try to foist on the peoples of the world.
Writing on this subject in his book NUMBERS IN SCRIPTURE author E.
Bullinger has this to say:
- "If six is the number of secular or human perfection, then 66 is
a more emphatic expression of the same fact, and 666 is the concentrated
expression of it; 666 is therefore the trinity of human perfection; the
perfection of imperfection; the culmination of human pride in independence
of God and opposition to His Christ." (page 282)
On pages 284 - 286 Bullinger adds these interesting points:
- "It is remarkable that the Romans did not use all the letters of
their alphabet as did the Hebrews and Greeks. They used only six letters,
D, C, L, X, V and I. And it is still more remarkable, and perhaps
significant, that the sum of these amounts to 666:-
D C L X V I
| = 500 = 100 = 50 = 10 = 5 = 1
|
Total | 666
|
"The number 666 has another remarkable property. It is further marked
as the concentration and essence of 6 by being the sum of all the numbers
which make up the square of six. The square of six is 36 (6 multiplied by
6 = 36); and the sum the numbers 1 to 36 = 666. i.e.
1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8+9+10 ... etc up to +33+34+35+36 = 666." (page 286)
Just as 6 is the number of imperfection, and the triple six (666) the
pinnacle of Satanic imperfection, 7 is the number of perfection and the
triple seven 777 the summit of Yahweh's
perfection: the absolute perfection of holiness, power, love, generosity and
all those faultless qualities which belong to the Holy One of Israel; qualities which are discussed elsewhere at this site.
Author: David B Loughran
1995
Stewarton Bible School, Stewarton, Scotland
http://stewartonbibleschool.org/prophecy/no666.html