Revelation 13:18

John indicated that it would take wisdom (Gr. sophia) to figure out the number of the beast (cf. Revelation 17:9). This wisdom is the understanding and skill necessary to solve the problem (cf. Daniel 9:22; Daniel 12:10). By identifying the beast’s number believers in the Tribulation will be able to recognize him for who he is. Calculating or counting (Gr. psephisato) is the key to the puzzle.

The number 666 has, of course, been the subject of much study by interpreters.

"Most students work from the fact that in the ancient world (where men lacked our convenient Arabic numerals) it was usual to employ letters to denote numbers. In Greek the first nine letters of the alphabet were used for the units, the next for the tens, and so on. The problem then is to find a name which gives a total of 666 when the numbers signified by its letters are added together." [Note: Morris, pp. 173-74. Cf. Smith, A Revelation . . ., pp. 206-7.]

Some people identified Nero and Hitler as the beast by this method, called gematria. [Note: See Barclay, The Revelation . . ., 2:131-33, for how they did it.]

"The sheer disagreement and confusion created through the years by the gematria method should have long ago warned the church that it was on the wrong track." [Note: Johnson, p. 534.]

On the other hand, this disagreement and confusion may be due in part to the fact that the meaning of this number may not be evident until the Antichrist appears. [Note: Thomas, Revelation 8-22, pp. 182-85.]

"As to the man whom the number ’Six hundred and sixty and six’ represents, God will give full ’understanding’ when it is needed, in those three and half [sic] years of horror and danger." [Note: Newell, p. 205.]

Another approach takes the numbers 666 as Scripture uses them symbolically elsewhere. [Note: Walvoord, The Revelation . . ., p. 210; Ladd, p. 187.] The number seven frequently occurs in Scripture. The Israelites understood seven to represent a completed work of God (e.g., the seven days of creation, etc.). The number three often stands for the fullness of something (e.g., the Trinity, etc.). Consequently 777 would indicate something authenticated as divine. However "666" would appear as a deficient counterfeit to a believer who knows the significance of these numbers. This is especially true since the number six often connects with human rather than divine activities in Scripture (e.g., man works six days a week, etc.). Revelation 13:18 says 666 is the number of "man." The article "a" is absent in the Greek text, and though the reader may supply it legitimately here, it seems best not to do so.

I think that neither the identity of the Antichrist nor the number of his name will be evident until he appears and fulfills prophecy. Then wise believers will be able to calculate his number as well as identify his person. Until then both aspects of Antichrist’s identity will remain a mystery. [Note: See Stephen J. Nichols, "Prophecy Makes Strange Bedfellows: On the History of Identifying the Antichrist," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 44:1 (March 2001):75-85.]

"I would suggest that we not waste our time trying to identify a person by this number. Instead, we need to present Jesus Christ that we might reduce the population of those who have to go through the Great Tribulation Period and who will therefore know what the number of the Beast is." [Note: McGee, 5:1005. Cf. Philippians 3:10.]

The dragon and the two beasts mentioned in chapters 12 and 13 are a counterfeit of the divine Trinity. [Note: See Vern Poythress, "Counterfeiting in the Book of Revelation as a Perspective on Non-Christian Culture," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 40:3 (September 1997):411-18.] The dragon seeks worship that belongs only to God. The first beast seeks to rule the world, which is Jesus Christ’s prerogative. The second beast glorifies the first beast, which is a counterfeit of the Holy Spirit’s ministry of glorifying Christ. [Note: See Pentecost, Thy Kingdom . . ., pp. 302-9, for further helpful discussion of the beast and the false prophet.]

Chapters 12 and 13 paint a picture of the Great Tribulation in which there is finally one government, one religion, and one economic system for the whole world. This will be a time of great persecution and martyrdom for believers. Rather than getting better and better, as postmillennialists believe, the world will get worse before Jesus Christ’s second coming. As we see world events shaping up for this scenario, we should allow them to motivate us to redeem the time before the Rapture or death terminates our ministries here. On the other hand, we should also rejoice that our Savior’s second coming is drawing near (Matthew 6:10).