What is the Meaning of 666? by Hank Hanegraaff

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1 What is the Meaning of 666? by Hank Hanegraaff Unlike today, transforming names into numbers (gematria) was common in ancient times. For example, in the Lives of the Twelve Caesars Roman historian Suetonius identifies Nero by a numerical designation equal to a despicable deed. He urges, Count the numerical values of the letters in Nero s name, then in murdered his own mother and you will find their sum is the same. In Greek the numerical value of the letters in Nero s name totaled 1,005, as did the numbers in the phrase murdered his own mother. This ancient numerical code reflected the widespread knowledge that Nero had killed his own mother. Of even greater interest to us, while Nero in Greek totaled 1,005, the reader of John s letter familiar with the Hebrew language could recognize that the Greek spelling of Nero Caesar changed (0r transliterated) into Hebrew equals 666. Moreover, the presence in some ancient manuscripts of a variation in which 666 is rendered 616 lends further credence to Nero as the Beast. The Hebrew transliteration of the Latin spelling of Nero Caesar totals 616, just as the Hebrew transliteration of the Greek is 666. Thus, two seemingly unrelated numbers lead you to the same doorstep that of a beast named Nero Caesar. Multitudes today assume that 666 is a number representing a modern-day beast about to be revealed. Placing the beast in the twenty-first century, however, poses insurmountable difficulties. John, the author of Revelation, told a first-century audience that with wisdom and insight they would be able to calculate the number of the beast, for it is man s number. His number is 666 (Revelation 13:18).

2 Obviously no amount of wisdom and insight would have enabled a firstcentury audience to calculate the number of a twenty-first-century beast. It would have been cruel and dangerously misleading for John to suggest to first-century Christians that they could identify the beast if, in fact, the beast was a twenty-first-century individual or institution. Twenty-first-century believers, like their first-century counterparts, can be absolutely certain that 666 is the number of Nero s name and that Nero is the beast who ravaged the bride of Christ in the first century that included three and a half years of horrific persecution. In the end, Peter and Paul themselves were persecuted and put to death at the hands of this Beast. Indeed this was the only time in human history in which the Beast could directly assail the foundation of the Christian Church of which Christ himself was the cornerstone. The Beast of Revelation 13 and 17 by Jonathan Welton Revelation 13 speaks of the Beast, which through the majority of Church history has been recognised as representing the Roman Empire of the first century. Revelation 17 speaks of another beast, which through the majority of Church history has been recognised as representing the Roman Emperor Nero. Nero was the sixth king in the Roman line of succession. They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while (Revelation 17:10).

3 The rule of the first seven Roman Emperors is as follows: Five have fallen Julius Caesar (49 44 BC) Augustus (27 BC AD 14) Tiberius (AD 14 37) Caligula (AD 37 41) Claudius (AD 41 54) One is Nero (AD 54 68) the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while. Galba (June AD 68 Jan AD 69, only a six month rulership) Revelation 13:1-4 The Roman Empire And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had seven heads.one of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast. People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it? (Revelation 13:1-4). We have seen from Revelation 17 that Nero fits the timeline as the sixth of the seven heads and that Galba is the one to come that shall only remain a little while. Rome was metaphorically wounded and faltering as an empire because of Nero. Nero was not only a psychopath who burned down one third of Rome and pinned the blame on the Christians and persecuted them brutally, but also, when Nero killed himself (in AD 68), the political climate of Rome changed dramatically.

4 One of the major changes was that Nero was officially the last of the Julio-Claudian line of emperors; thus the line ended, and it would have seemed, symbolically, as if the head of the empire had been wounded to death. Nero s sudden death caused an event that has been historically called the Year of the Four Emperors. Because of tumult caused by his suicide, three short-lived emperors followed Nero. Many thought that the Roman Empire was about to die.7 Yet, by what appeared to be a miraculous turn around, the Empire was revived under Vespasian and Titus. When they came into power, they established the Flavian dynasty of Caesars. Instead of the beast dying, it resurrected under Vespasian, and he ruled for a solid ten years. Often this subject of the beast is connected in people s minds with the infamous mark of the beast found in Revelation 13: This mark of the beast has been the cause of much fear. It is important to note that in the ancient cultures of Rome, the public market was the main source of trade and retail. For people to enter the public market, they had to pass through the main gate. It was required of all who entered the main gate to pay homage to the idol of the Emperor. Once homage was paid, ashes were placed on the hand or on the forehead of the individual, and then they were allowed to pass through the gates and buy and sell merchandise. This was taking the mark.

5 The parallels between this and the mark of the beast are stunning, and they further confirm the reality that the beast was Nero and the Roman Empire. The beast is not a coming antichrist or the man of lawlessness. The beast was Nero and the Roman Empire. It is amazing how perfectly the visions of John fit with what has taken place in the past!