The Number of the Beast

Bearing a Name

Revelation 13:11-18

Revelation 13:11–18 ESV

11 Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. 13 It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, 14 and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. 16 Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. 18 This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.

This mark is the counterfeit to God’s mark on his people.

Who’s name do we bear?

Deuteronomy 6:4–9 ESV

4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Revelation 7:2-3.

Revelation 7:2–3 ESV

2 Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, 3 saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”

Here is the application of bearing God’s name.

Revelation 3:12.

Revelation 3:12 ESV

12 The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.

Revelation 22:4.

Revelation 22:4 ESV

4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.

Bearing the mark of the beast, therefore, is a counterfeit of believers bearing the name of Yahweh.

Revelation 13:18.

Revelation 13:18 ESV

18 This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.

How do we calculate this number? There are four possibilities

Gematria: A cryptograph which gives, instead of the intended word, its numerical value, or a cipher produced by the permutation of letters. The two names that are candidates are Nero and Domitian. This was often used of Jews and Christians to speak in code, to hide the name of the individual they were identifying.

Nero - calculated by using the spelling of his name written in Hebrew. However, they have to use a rare spelling to arrive at the correct calculation.

Domitian - the calculation derived from the coin circulated in his reign which read “Emperor Caesar Domitian Augustus Germanicus”.

Ancient Sudoku

I Dare You Not to Bore Me with the Bible Ancient Sudoku

There is another possibility: 666 is a magic square. From very ancient times, philosophers and mathematicians were fascinated that the numbers 1–36 could be arranged in squares so that each row and diagonal would add up to the same sum (the same principle as modern Sudoku). One magic square has four rows and two diagonals that each add up to 111. The six lines of 111 equal 666. Each magic square in ancient Jewish and Greek tradition was also associated with a celestial body. In the case p 209 of the 666 square, that body was the sun, which was associated with Zeus, the highest god in the Greek pantheon.

Zeus was often associated with Baal and the mythological north (tsaphon) of Canaanite religion. Most relevant to the Beast of Revelation is Baal’s (and Zeus’) title, “lord of heaven” (Baal-shamem). It is possible that the “abomination of desolation” in Daniel 9:27 (shiqquts-shamem) is a play on Baal-shamem, since the Old Testament writers sometimes substituted words that meant “shame” or “abomination” into proper names that formerly contained “Baal” (e.g., Mephibosheth, Ish-Bosheth). This would mean 666 is a symbol for the abominable Baal, the dark lord of the Old Testament world—satanic power in New Testament thinking.

3. Symbol of Numbers

The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary Six Hundred and Sixty-Six

6 is an imperfect number, 7 being a perfect number. Thus 666 represents the “superlative imperfection.” The Sib. Or. 1.325–28 notes that the sum of Jesus’ name Iēsous is 888. Perfection would be represented by 777 and “superlative perfection” by 888. Therefore 666 represents the ultimate evil posed by the antichrist in opposition to the ultimate good offered by Jesus Christ.

None of these are totally satisfactory in their answers. It seems, from our vantage point, none of us have wisdom and understanding.

I do think we can glean some understanding from the text. If you are a futurist, a time is coming upon the whole world in the last half of the tribulation where you will not be able to buy or sell, I.E. participate in the world’s society, without choosing to worship the unholy trinity of Revelation 13.

Thank God those who confess Jesus as Lord bear the mark of Yahweh and will not fall into that trap. However, the last three and one half years will be oppressive for believing Gentiles and Jews.