666: Origin and Interpretation

[hierochloe]

Can anyone shed some light (or refer me to the proper thread if it exists - search funct requires 4 characters minimum...) on the number 666? I'm familiar with the usual explanations regarding the imperfect number, the Nero reference, etc. Is there an authoritative explanation that is endorsed by the Church or is it up for discussion? What's the deal? Which explanation is the most credible?

Thx!

[Tindomiel]

I'm pretty sure that there is no official Church teaching on this subject... at least, that's what I read in a pre-Vatican II textbook, but I don't think that things have changed on that matter since then.

[phatcatholic]

the Church usually doesn't make a habit of making definitive interpretations of scripture. so, you're outta luck there. but, i can give you some popular commentaries on the subject. the number is from Rev 13:8

[b]Rev 13:8[/b] This calls for wisdom: let him who has understanding reckon the number of the beast, for it is a human number, its number is six hundred and sixty-six.

here's a thread from way back on this topic:
[url="http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/index.php?showtopic=18269"]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/index.php?showtopic=18269[/url]

more commentary:

[i][b]Jerome Biblical Commentary[/b][/i], pg. 484-485
[i]the number of the beast:[/i] The best attested number in the mss. is 666; but some ancient texts read 616. The key to this numerological message was lost very early, even before Irenaeus' time. Since then many hypotheses--some of them extravagant--have been proposed. The solution is to be found in [i]gematria[/i], for it is a question of "the number of a man," i.e., a number equivalent to the sum of the letters in a man's name. The most widely accepted theory identifies 666 with [i]Neron Caesar[/i], written [i]nrwn qsr[/i] in Hebrew (=50+200+6+50+100+60+200; see D.R. Hillers, BASOR 170 [1963] 65). The Lat form of the name (without the final [i]n[/i] of [i]nrwn[/i]) would equal 616, the alternative reading of the mss. Nero fits the context, for he was the first emperor to persecute the Christians; he embodied all the worse characteristics of the Beat, and he came to life again in Domitian. Another possible interpretation is that of the "triangular number": 666 is the sum of all numbers from 1 to 36; 36 is the sum of all numbers from 1 to 8; 8 would then be the number designating [i]Nero redivivus[/i] (17:11).


[i][b]New Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture[/b][/i], pg. 1278-1279
The number of the beast--The NEB renders, 'Here is the key; and anyone who has intelligence may work out the number of the beast. The number represents a man's name, and the numerical value of its letters is 666;. The letters of the Heb. and Gr. alphabets were also used for numbers--aleph and alpha for one, bet and beta for two etc. The system of adding the numbers symbolized by the letters of a name was called Gematria (cf. G.R. Driver, [i]The Judean Scrolls[/i], Oxford 1965, 335ff). The walls of Pompeii preserve: 'I love her whose number is 545' cf. [i]Sibylline Oracles[/i] 5, 12 (CAP 2, 397). In such a system many names can add up to any given number. Who is the man whose name is 666? Iren. knew three candidates. In later times, Leo X, Luther, Knox, Napoleon have been proposed for this dubious honour. If one starts with A = 100, B = 101 etc., then Hitler fills the requirements! But a odicum of sanity must prevail. Seven is a symbol of perfection or fulness and is well attested as such. Six falls short of this ; three times six points to complete imperfection. In the author's eyes this could well look to Nero. Taking the [i]Hebrew[/i] consonants of Nero Caesar, NRWN QSR, we have as total 666; or dropping the final N of the first word, 616, a number known to Iren. The general explanation of 'complete imperfection' with the actual application to Nero is the least unsatisfactory, but by no means certain, explanation. (for Nero Redivivus cf 17: 9-14). Using the [i]Greek[/i] alphabet, [i]Kaisar theos[/i] = 616. Taking the first letter of the [i]Greek[/i] names for the Roman emperors from Ceasar to Vespasian inclusive (Augustus = Sebastos); G only for the three Galba, Otho, Vitellius of the year A.D. 69, or the letter O = 70 representing Otho, Vitellius, Vespasian together, each of whose name begins with O in Gr., we have 666. 'Here is the key'. Perhaps we have lost it.

The manuscripts discovered in the Judean desert have shed a little light on this puzzle. Papyrus Mur 18 (DJD 11, 101, Mur 18. Wadi Murabba' at is 15 m. directly SE of Jerusalemand about 11 m. S of Qmran Cave 1) is introduced '...in the second year of Nero Caesar...' Nero Caesar is written NRWN QSR. The date of the papyrus is A.D. 55-56, the language is Aram. Substituting the current numbers for the letters we get 666. This does not prove that the beast of the Apoc is Nero. It merely shows that in the Aram. of that time Nero Caesar was spelled in that particular way, cf. D. Hillers, BASOR 170 (1963) 65; J.A. Fitzmeyer, 'The Bar Cochba Period' in [i]The Bible in Current Catholic Thought[/i] (ed. J.L. McKenzie) New York 1963, 134 n. 6.


[i][b]The Navarre Bible: Revelation[/b][/i], pg. 108
[b]18.[/b] The author of Apocalypse here uses a method (called gematria in Greek) to reveal the name of the beast in a numerical form. In both Hebrew and Latin, letters of the alphabet were also used as numbers. The figure 666 fits with the name Caesar Nero in Hebrew. Some manuscripts gave the number as 616, which fits Caesar Nero in Greek. However, Tradition does not provide an exact interpretation and various other names have in fact been suggested.


[i][b]Hard Sayings on the Bible[/b][/i], pg. 773-774
[after providing the usual answers] None of the solutions above has been found completely satisfactory. Perhaps the best observation is that 666 consistently (three times) falls short of the number of perfection, 7, and the number of Christ, 888. Rather than refer to a specific name, 666 may indicate that the person will be a parody of Christ. He will not come up to perfection, but as the prostitute of Revelation 17 mimics the faithful woman of Revelation 12 and the dragon in Revelation 12 mimics Christ in Revelation 19, so the beast mimics the incarnate Christ, being the embodiment of evil (the devil not being capable of true incarnation). Beyond this we can only observe that when such a personage appears, those who are wise in John's terms (which means first of all that they have divine insight) will recognize him and see that 666 does indeed fit.


[url="http://www.newadvent.org/bible/rev013.htm"][b][i]Douay-Rheims Bible, with Notes[/i][/b][/url]
[b]VERSE 18. Six hundred sixty-six[/b]... The numeral letters of his name shall make up this number.


[url="http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/revelation/revelation13.htm#foot8"][b][i]New American Bible, with Notes[/i][/b][/url]
[18] Each of the letters of the alphabet in Hebrew as well as in Greek has a numerical value. Many possible combinations of letters will add up to 666, and many candidates have been nominated for this infamous number. The most likely is the emperor Caesar Nero (see the note on Rev 13:3), the Greek form of whose name in Hebrew letters gives the required sum. (The Latin form of this name equals 616, which is the reading of a few manuscripts.) Nero personifies the emperors who viciously persecuted the church. It has also been observed that "6" represents imperfection, falling short of the perfect number "7," and is represented here in a triple or superlative form.


[url="http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/ANF-07/anf07-30.htm#P4745_1804063"][b]St. Victorinus of Petau, [i]On the Apocalypse of Blessed John[/i][/b][/url]
18. "His number is the name of a man, and his number is Six hundred threescore and six."] As they have it reckoned from the Greek characters, they thus find it among many to be teitan, for teitanhas this number, which the Gentiles call Sol and Phoebus; and it is reckoned in Greek thus: t three hundred, e five, i ten, t three hundred, a one, n fifty,-which taken together become six hundred and sixty-six. For as far as belongs to the Greek letters, they fill up this number and name; which name if you wish to turn into Latin, it is understood by the antiphrase Diclux, which letters are reckoned in this manner: since D figures five hundred, I one, C a hundred, L fifty, V five, X ten,-which by the reckoning up of the letters makes similarly six hundred and sixty-six, that is, what in Greek gives teitan, to wit, what in Latin is called Diclux; by which name, expressed by anti-phrases, we understand Antichrist, who, although he be cut off from the supernal light, and deprived thereof, yet transforms himself into an angel of light, daring to call himself light.63 Moreover, we find in a certain Greek codex antemoj, which letters being reckoned up, you will find to give the number as above: a one, n fifty, t three hundred, e five, m forty, o seventy, j two hundred,-which together makes six hundred and sixty-six, according to the Greeks. Moreover, there is another name in Gothic of him, which will be evident of itself, that is, genshrikoj, which in the same way you will reckon in Greek letters: g three, e five, n fifty, j two hundred, h eight, r a hundred, i ten, k twenty, o seventy, j also two hundred, which, as has been said above, make six hundred and sixty-six.


more to come later

pax christi,
phatcatholic

[chris]

I always knew it as the number of Nero. Who used to burn Christians in his garden. I think its approximate number is 660

[hierochloe]

Thanks everyone. This is exaclty what I was looking for! :

[Tindomiel]

Leave it to phatcatholic to come up with a near -page long answer! And I went around and looked for articles too. All I came up with were protestant end-times websites. He has a secret method. He must.

[phatcatholic]

muh HAHAHA!!

[phatcatholic]

more commentary:

--[url="http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/1998/9812chap.asp"][b]The Beast in Revelation[/b][/url]

--[url="http://www.apocalyptic-theories.com/theories/bede/bedeii13.html"][b]The Venerable Bede, [i]Explanation of the Apocalypse[/i][/b][/url][list]number. This number among the Greeks, is said to be found in the name of Titan, that is, "a giant," in this manner, - T three hundred, E five, I ten, T three hundred, A one, N fifty. And it is thought that Antichrist will usurp this name, as if he excelled al in power, boasting also that he is the one of whom it was written, "He rejoiced as a giant to run his course. His going forth is from the highest heaven." And Primasius also mentions another name, which contains the same number, - A one, N fifty, T three hundred, E five, M forty, O seventy, two hundred, which signifies, "contrary to honour." Besides there is the word, - A one, P one hundred, N fifty, O seventy, Y four hundred, M forty, E five, that is, "I deny." By these, both the character of the person and the asperity of the work of Antichrist are indicated. But how so great a coveter of praise should be willing to be denoted by such a mark, requires a lengthened exposition. Otherwise: who is ignorant, that the number six, in accordance with which the world was created, signifies the perfection of work? And this, whether simple, or multiplied by ten, or a hundred, demonstrates the fruit of the same perfection to be sixty-fold, or a hundred-fold. The weight of gold also which was brought to Solomon every year was six hundred and sixty-six thousand talents. The seducer, therefore, will presume to exact for himself the offering which is rightfully due and paid to the true king.
[/list]--[url="http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0516.htm"][b]Hippolytus, [i]On Christ and Antichrist[/i][/b][/url][list]48. But as it is incumbent on us to discuss this matter of the beast more exactly, and in particular the question how the Holy Spirit has also mystically indicated his name by means of a number, we shall proceed to state more clearly what bears upon him. John then speaks thus: "And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns, like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exercised all the power of the first beast before him; and he made the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he did great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast, saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast which had the wound by a sword and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he caused all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand or in their forehead; and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast; for if is the number of a man, and his number is six hundred threescore and six."

49. By the beast, then, coming up out of the earth, he means the kingdom of Antichrist; and by the two horns he means him and the false prophet after him. And in speaking of "the horns being like a lamb," he means that he will make himself like the Son of God, and set himself forward as king. And the terms, "he spake like a dragon," mean that he is a deceiver, and not truthful. And the words, "he exercised all the power of the first beast before him, and caused the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed," signify that, after the manner of the law of Augustus, by whom the empire of Rome was established, he too will rule and govern, sanctioning everything by it, and taking greater glory to himself.

For this is the fourth beast, whose head was wounded and healed again, in its being broken up or even dishonoured, and partitioned into four crowns; and he then (Antichrist) shall with knavish skill heal it, as it were, and restore it. For this is what is meant by the prophet when he says, "He will give life unto the image, and the image of the beast will speak." For he will act with vigour again, and prove strong by reason of the laws established by him; and he will cause all those who will not worship the image of the beast to be put to death. Here the faith and the patience of the saints will appear, for he says: "And he will cause all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand or in their forehead; that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, the name of the beast, or the number of his name." For, being full of guile, and exalting himself against the servants of God, with the wish to afflict them and persecute them out of the world, because they give not glory to him, he will order incense-pans to be set up by all everywhere, that no man among the saints may be able to buy or sell without first sacrificing; for this is what is meant by the mark received upon the right hand. And the word--"in their forehead"--indicates that all are crowned, and put on a crown of fire, and not of life, but of death. For in ibis wise, too, did Antiochus Epiphanes the king of Syria, the descendant of Alexander of Macedon, devise measures against the Jews. He, too, in the exaltation of his heart, issued a decree in those times, that "all should set up shrines before their doors, and sacrifice, and that they should march in procession to the honour of Dionysus, waving chaplets of ivy;" and that those who refused obedience should be put to death by strangulation and torture. But he also met his due recompense at the hand of the Lord, the righteous Judge and all-searching God; for he died eaten up of worms. And if one desires to inquire into that more accurately, he will find it recorded in the books of the Maccabees.

50. But now we shall speak of what is before us. For such measures will he, too, devise, seeking to afflict the saints in every way. For the prophet and apostle says: "Here is wisdom, Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast; for it is the number of a man, and his number is six hundred threescore and six." With respect to his name, it is not in our power to explain it exactly, as the blessed John understood it and was instructed about it, but only to give a conjectural account of it; for when he appears, the blessed one will show us what we seek to know. Yet as far as our doubtful apprehension of the matter goes, we may speak. Many names indeed we find, the letters of which are the equivalent of this number: such as, for instance, the word Titan, an ancient and notable name; or Evanthas, for it too makes up the same number; and many others which might be found. But, as we have already said, the wound of the first beast was healed, and he (the second beast) was to make the image speak, that is to say, he should be powerful; and it is manifest to all that those who at present still hold the power are Latins. If, then, we take the name as the name of a single man, it becomes Latins. Wherefore we ought neither to give it out as if this were certainly his name, nor again ignore the fact that he may not be otherwise designated. But having the mystery of God in our heart, we ought in fear to keep faithfully what has been told us by the blessed prophets, in order that when those things come to pass, we may be prepared for them, and not deceived. For when the times advance, he too, of whom these thing are said, will be manifested.
[/list]

[Tindomiel]

Nooooooo! It's too much!



But it's cool reading, so yeah. Thanks.

[phatcatholic]