Continued from last...
CALCULATING HIS NAME
In Revelation 13:18, it says, “Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.” In the second century, Irenaeus, the disciple of Polycarp, who was the disciple of the apostle John, calculated three possibilities, but never committed to any of them. Remember, John wrote for his contemporaries. He did not write over their heads, leaving them with a book that was utterly useless, which only applied for us today. Only two of Irenaeus’ calculations carry any weight, and so it is those that we shall look at.
The only languages at that time (and perhaps still) whose letters were also numbers were Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. The language at the time was Greek. The book of Revelation was written in Greek. Jesus is called the alpha and omega, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. Therefore, we are to calculate his number using Greek—nothing else! God has no interest in the mystical art of gematria. The only number in Scripture we are told to figure out its meaning for is 666. Individuals throughout history have calculated Nero’s name to 666 using Hebrew, but this presents a problem since it is not using the language that the command was written with. Concerning this calculation, Philip Schaff has said, “It seems incredible that such an easy solution of the problem should have remained unknown for eighteen centuries and been reserved for the wits of half a dozen rival rationalists in Germany.”1 Many names in the ancient languages can be found with the numerical value of 666. A name with this value is only part of the solution to the problem, for whatever name is found must fit into all the other circumstances predicted in Daniel 7, 2 Thessalonians 2 and Revelation13 and 17.
The first name calculated in Greek by Irenaeus to be 666 is Titus (Τειταν), who destroyed Jerusalem in 70 A.D. This is the numerical value of Titus’ name in Greek: Τ = 300 + ε = 5 + ι = 10 + τ = 300 + α = 1 + ν = 50 = total 666. There are those individuals who say that the internal evidence of the book of Revelation supports an early date of writing, around 68 A.D., which would make Titus a perfect fulfillment of the prophecy. I would like to be persuaded by this evidence, but there is one problem with it that keeps me from accepting it. In Revelation 1:9, John says he was on the island of Patmos when he received the vision. According to Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, John was exiled there during the reign of Domitian. According to history, Domitian's reign was from 81-96 A.D. John gives us the reason for his exile: "because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus" (Rev. 1:9). Not only that, but Irenaeus vies for the date of about 95-96 A.D. for its writing. So an early date of writing is not supported by the internal or external evidence. The argument that the book of Revelation does not mention the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and must therefore have been written before 70 A.D. is a weak argument. Making assumptions does not make one's case. John was shown a specific vision and told to write it down. Why would John add something that had no relevance to what he was told to write? He wrote what the Spirit inspired him to write. Nothing more.
The second name calculated in Greek by Irenaeus to be 666 is Lateinos (Λατεινος—perhaps ancient Greek for “Latin man”), the Latin or Roman Empire. This is the numerical value in Greek: Λ = 30 + α = 1 + τ = 300 + ε = 5 + ι = 10 + ν = 50 + ο = 70 + ς = 200 = total 666. Irenaeus writes, “Then also Lateinos (ΛΑΤΕΙΝΟΣ) has the number six hundred and sixty-six; and it is a very probable [solution], this being the name of the last kingdom [of the four seen by Daniel]. For the Latins are they who at present bear rule: I will not, however, make any boast over this [coincidence].”2 “J. E. Clark shows that η Λατινη Βασιλεια, ‘the Latin Empire,’ likewise gives the number 666.”3 Is this merely coincidence? Of the two calculations, this is the most sensible, and for several reasons. Remember, brothers and sisters, the Bible needs to be its own best interpreter. In the Bible, the symbol “beast” is never a kingdom or empire apart from a man (Dan. 7:17, 23). Revelation 13:16-18 says, “he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand, or on their forehead, and he provides that no one should be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six” (emphasis supplied). The “mark” is the name of the beast and the number of the man’s name, which is also the number of the beast. In verse 17, the Greek αυτου can be translated as either “of his” or “of its.” The former would refer forward to “the number is that of a man,” while the later would refer back to “the name of the beast.” Both equate to the same thing considering the number of the beast, which is a kingdom, is the number of a man. With the above information, the pieces of the puzzle start connecting to form a clear picture.
You have the Latin Empire, the Latin Church, and Latin “Christianity.” Rome’s language, civil and ecclesiastical, has always been Latin. This is too great a “coincidence” for us to simply ignore. Throughout this blog series you are going to see some great “coincidences” that need answering.
IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS
In this section we shall examine the qualifying characteristics laid out for us in the various passages of Scripture. By the end of this section, you should be able to identify who they are speaking of. You may not understand all of the qualifying characteristics listed, unless you are extremely familiar with history, but there should be enough of them that stand out and arrest your attention.
Daniel 7
1Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, 1:847.
2Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 5.30.3, posted on <http://www.ccel.org/fathers.html>.
3Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, 1:844.
In Revelation 13:18, it says, “Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.” In the second century, Irenaeus, the disciple of Polycarp, who was the disciple of the apostle John, calculated three possibilities, but never committed to any of them. Remember, John wrote for his contemporaries. He did not write over their heads, leaving them with a book that was utterly useless, which only applied for us today. Only two of Irenaeus’ calculations carry any weight, and so it is those that we shall look at.
The only languages at that time (and perhaps still) whose letters were also numbers were Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. The language at the time was Greek. The book of Revelation was written in Greek. Jesus is called the alpha and omega, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. Therefore, we are to calculate his number using Greek—nothing else! God has no interest in the mystical art of gematria. The only number in Scripture we are told to figure out its meaning for is 666. Individuals throughout history have calculated Nero’s name to 666 using Hebrew, but this presents a problem since it is not using the language that the command was written with. Concerning this calculation, Philip Schaff has said, “It seems incredible that such an easy solution of the problem should have remained unknown for eighteen centuries and been reserved for the wits of half a dozen rival rationalists in Germany.”1 Many names in the ancient languages can be found with the numerical value of 666. A name with this value is only part of the solution to the problem, for whatever name is found must fit into all the other circumstances predicted in Daniel 7, 2 Thessalonians 2 and Revelation13 and 17.
The first name calculated in Greek by Irenaeus to be 666 is Titus (Τειταν), who destroyed Jerusalem in 70 A.D. This is the numerical value of Titus’ name in Greek: Τ = 300 + ε = 5 + ι = 10 + τ = 300 + α = 1 + ν = 50 = total 666. There are those individuals who say that the internal evidence of the book of Revelation supports an early date of writing, around 68 A.D., which would make Titus a perfect fulfillment of the prophecy. I would like to be persuaded by this evidence, but there is one problem with it that keeps me from accepting it. In Revelation 1:9, John says he was on the island of Patmos when he received the vision. According to Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, John was exiled there during the reign of Domitian. According to history, Domitian's reign was from 81-96 A.D. John gives us the reason for his exile: "because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus" (Rev. 1:9). Not only that, but Irenaeus vies for the date of about 95-96 A.D. for its writing. So an early date of writing is not supported by the internal or external evidence. The argument that the book of Revelation does not mention the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and must therefore have been written before 70 A.D. is a weak argument. Making assumptions does not make one's case. John was shown a specific vision and told to write it down. Why would John add something that had no relevance to what he was told to write? He wrote what the Spirit inspired him to write. Nothing more.
The second name calculated in Greek by Irenaeus to be 666 is Lateinos (Λατεινος—perhaps ancient Greek for “Latin man”), the Latin or Roman Empire. This is the numerical value in Greek: Λ = 30 + α = 1 + τ = 300 + ε = 5 + ι = 10 + ν = 50 + ο = 70 + ς = 200 = total 666. Irenaeus writes, “Then also Lateinos (ΛΑΤΕΙΝΟΣ) has the number six hundred and sixty-six; and it is a very probable [solution], this being the name of the last kingdom [of the four seen by Daniel]. For the Latins are they who at present bear rule: I will not, however, make any boast over this [coincidence].”2 “J. E. Clark shows that η Λατινη Βασιλεια, ‘the Latin Empire,’ likewise gives the number 666.”3 Is this merely coincidence? Of the two calculations, this is the most sensible, and for several reasons. Remember, brothers and sisters, the Bible needs to be its own best interpreter. In the Bible, the symbol “beast” is never a kingdom or empire apart from a man (Dan. 7:17, 23). Revelation 13:16-18 says, “he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand, or on their forehead, and he provides that no one should be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six” (emphasis supplied). The “mark” is the name of the beast and the number of the man’s name, which is also the number of the beast. In verse 17, the Greek αυτου can be translated as either “of his” or “of its.” The former would refer forward to “the number is that of a man,” while the later would refer back to “the name of the beast.” Both equate to the same thing considering the number of the beast, which is a kingdom, is the number of a man. With the above information, the pieces of the puzzle start connecting to form a clear picture.
You have the Latin Empire, the Latin Church, and Latin “Christianity.” Rome’s language, civil and ecclesiastical, has always been Latin. This is too great a “coincidence” for us to simply ignore. Throughout this blog series you are going to see some great “coincidences” that need answering.
IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS
In this section we shall examine the qualifying characteristics laid out for us in the various passages of Scripture. By the end of this section, you should be able to identify who they are speaking of. You may not understand all of the qualifying characteristics listed, unless you are extremely familiar with history, but there should be enough of them that stand out and arrest your attention.
Daniel 7
- It is a little kingdom (v.8).
- It comes up among them, among the ten nations of the divided Roman Empire (v.8).
- It comes up after them (v.24).
- It plucks up three kingdoms by their roots (v.8, 24), leaving no trace of their bloodlines behind.
- It is different from the other kingdoms (v.24), being a religious and political kingdom. Do you know of any such kingdom?
- It has a man at the head of it (v.8, 20, 24-26). What religious, political kingdom do you know that has a man at its head?
- It speaks blasphemy (v.8, 20, 25). How do the Scriptures define blasphemy? Do any of these sound familiar?
- Blasphemy is the claim to have power to forgive sins (Mark 2:7).
- Blasphemy is a man making himself to be God (John 10:33).
- Blasphemy is persecuting the church in the name of God (1 Tim. 1:12-13).
- It is a persecuting power (v.21, 25). Who do you know that has persecuted the saints of the Most High?
- It seeks to change times and laws (v.25).
- It reigns sovereignly for 1260 prophetic days (v.25).
- The apostasy must come first (v.3). You cannot be an apostate unless you once held to a claim of the true faith and have abandoned it, or you hold to a perverted form of that faith—keeping parts, omitting parts, and changing parts.
- The man of sin is revealed through apostasy (v.3). This man would come out of the midst of the apostasy, claiming either to have been a “Christian” or to be a “Christian.”
- The man of sin exalts himself against every god (v.3).
- The man of sin sits in the temple of God—the church (v.3). Who do you know of that sits in the church as its ruler?
- The man of sin proclaims himself to be God (v.3).
- The beast is given great power and authority (v.2).
- The beast received a mortal wound that would be healed (v.3).
- Those who dwell upon the Earth worship the beast because of this healing of the wound (v.4).
- The beast is given 42 prophetic months to exercise its authority (v.5).
- The beast is allowed to persecute the saints (v.6). Who do you know that has severely persecuted the saints for many centuries?
- The beast is given authority over multitudes (v.6). Who do you know that has great authority over multitudes of people?
- The kings of the Earth are involved with this illicit infidelity (v.2).
- Those who dwell upon the Earth are greatly affected by it (v.2).
- This city rests upon or is built upon the foundations of a previous kingdom or empire (v.3). What city do you know of that has this sort of foundation?
- This city’s colours are purple and scarlet, and she is rich with gold and jewels that she displays without shame (v.4). Catholic clerics wear purple and scarlet.
- Through a “cup,” this city fornicates with political powers (v.4). Whom do you know who dispenses salvation via the means of a cup?
- This city represents ancient Babylon at heart (v.5).
- This city is responsible for the deaths of the saints and martyrs (v.6). What city do you know of that has killed hundreds of thousands of Christians from the first century to present day?
- Two things may be said: the very sight of this city results in great admiration, but moreover John marveled at her because she put to death the saints and martyrs of Jesus (v.6).
- This city sits on seven hills (v.9). What city do you know of that is called “The City on Seven Hills”?
- This city holds sway over the bodies and souls of many peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages (v.15). What city do you know of that has this kind of influence?
- This city reigned over the kings of the Earth (v.18).
- This city is a source of demonic presence and powers (v.2).
- This city is responsible for the economic riches of certain individuals associated with her (v.3).
- God calls His elect children out from under this city’s abominable influence (v. 4).
- In contrast with God’s people, whose sins He has forgotten, God has remembered this city’s sins (v.5).
- This city claims to be the seat of a “Queen” (v.7). What city do you know of that has a “queen” as part of its religion?
- This city has always been a great foe against God’s people, from the day she became an empire until modern day (v. 20).
- Splendid music and craftsmanship have been a spectacle from this city, but will eventually be no more (v.22).
- This city is guilty of deceiving the nations (v.23).
- This city was found guilty of the blood of God’s children (v. 24).
To be continued...
1Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, 1:847.
2Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 5.30.3, posted on <http://www.ccel.org/fathers.html>.
3Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, 1:844.