666

The Roman Emperor Nero, Napoleon, Hitler, and even various American presidents have been linked to the infamous number 666. One of the more interesting guesses is Ronald Wilson Reagan, whose names each had six letters.

But in order to find out the real meaning of this verse, and hence, “the number of the beast,” we must study it in context. “The number of the beast” is simply one more in the Bible’s long list of the first beast’s identifiers. Do all these other names throughout history—emperors, dictators, heads of state—have a mark or a deadly wound that healed? Are they religious powers that demand worship? Did they persecute God’s people for 1,260 years? If not, then they can all be eliminated. This number is associated with the first beast alone, and that is none other than the Roman Catholic Church.

The beast’s number is also “the number of a man.” In Daniel’s description of the same power, the little horn is also portrayed by human features: “And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man” (Daniel 7:8). At the head of the papacy is a man, the pope. Yesterday’s verse discloses that the beast’s number is also “the number of his name” (Revelation 13:17).

Interestingly enough, the Roman language represents both letters and numbers in that some of the Roman alphabet make up the Roman numerals. Let’s look at one of the pope’s titles Vicarius Filii Dei, which means Vicar (or Substitute) of the Son of God. When you “calculate,” or add up, the Roman numerals of that title, you get 666.

What was made on the sixth day? God created man (Genesis 1:26–31). When Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar “made an image of gold” (Daniel 3:1) in defiance of God and enforced worship of it, what was the size of the image? Its “height was sixty cubits and its width six cubits.”

The number six represents man. Babylon’s image represents idolatry. The papacy’s number 666 represents the ultimate idolization of man over God. The pope’s title Vicarious Filii Dei says it all: It propagates the belief that a man, the pope, takes the place of God on earth.

My King and Lord, keep me from ever elevating any man—whether president, pope, or even myself—to Your throne.

For Further Study: Job 25:6; Colossians 2:8; 2 Thessalonians 2:4

Key Bible Texts

And another company turned the way to Beth-horon: and another company turned to the way of the border that looketh to the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness. (1 Samuel 13:18 KJV)