By Lane Rogers

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666

'The number of the Beast.....is 666'

This riddle from Revelation has exercised and taxed the human imagination over the centuries. Revelation identifies the Beast quite clearly as a loathsome 'human being.'

In both Greek and Hebrew the letters of the alphabet did double duty as numerals. The number of Jesus is 888 in Greek (IHSOYS) (the values), (I=10, H=8, S=200, O=70, Y=400, S=200). 666 parodies this. Probably the best solution is that it conceals 'Neron Kaisar' (the emperor Nero) transliterated into Hebrew: this does not tell us whether it refers to Nero or to Domition (who was called 'a bald Nero'). The context of the use of these terms will determine which person the reference is about.

2= to make strong

3= a symbol of the Divine

4= The world

5= a perfect round number

10=complete

7= perfect union between earth and heaven

12= all organized religion

3 ½=not complete

1,260=not complete

42 months= not complete

6=one short of perfect or to miss the mark, or sin