What does 666 in the book of Revelation really mean?

by JH 22 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • JH
    JH

    Revelation 13:18 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. (666)

    So, does anybody have understanding here?

  • ozziepost
    ozziepost

    Those who follow a similar line of thinking to the WTS would teach that, since each digit falls short of the number for perfection i.e. 7, then it must be a symbol of the trinity of evil and imperfection.

    Others try to "decode" the numbers.

    What does it really mean? Well, it has to be looked at as a whole. It's an apocalyptic book and, in my understanding, not to be taken literally. Even so, the "falling short of perfecrtion" seems reasonable.

    Cheers, Ozzie

  • VeniceIT
    VeniceIT

    I remember reading somewhere that '666' referred to Nero. Not sure where I read that and, feel free to research amongst yourselves.

    I typed Nero & 666 in google and got a few links.

    http://users.iafrica.com/l/ll/lloyd/7-EndTimeIssues/666.htm http://website.lineone.net/~zyra/666.htm

    Ven

  • imallgrowedup
    imallgrowedup

    JH -

    Here is a link to another thread which essentially asks the same question. There's some interesting stuff in it!

    growedup

    http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/61156/926015/post.ashx#926015

  • Ginosko
    Ginosko

    Hi,

    I donĀ“t have any idea about the meaning of the 666 number, but I found interesting that if you sum the numbers from 1 to 36 you'll find that the total is 666, and also that you can put the 36 first numbers in a square of 6 by 6.

    So you can get a square of 6 by 6 with the first 36 numbers that sum a total of 666.

    It's less important but also interesting that the 6 first digits un Romans Numbers represent the 666.

    DCLXVI = 666

  • Noumenon
    Noumenon

    The image in Daniel 3 was 66 cubits high and 6 cubits wide, so it has something to do with worshipping and idolizing a political image. Incidentally, it was after receiving the vision of the huge image (Daniel 2) that Nebuchadnezzar received built his sacriligious image for everyone to worship, which also helps us understand what 666 means in Revelation, ie, basically it symbolises satanic controlled human political systems in their entirety that is worshipped (just as all the Babylonians worshipped Nebuchadnezzar's image) and revered by mankind, as opposed to God's designated King. Check the context of Revelation 13 also, which is talking about a political wild beast and how everyone is compelled at some future time to worships it's image and get marked by it.

    e-watchman.com also discussed this and gives and excellent interpretation, but I don't know where amongst on his site it is or I would insert the link for you.

  • City Fan
    City Fan

    My view is that Babylon the Great was Rome. Rev 17:18 says 'The woman (Babylon) you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth' and Rev 17:9 says 'the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated'. It seems obvious to me that the great city on seven mountains at the time was Rome.

    The beast was Emperor Nero. The seven heads of the beast were 'seven kings' (Rev 17:9) 'of whom five have fallen, one is living, and the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain only a little while.' (Rev 17:10). The first five Caesars were Julius Caesar, Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula and Claudius. Then came the sixth, Nero, 'one is living' and after Nero's suicide came Galba who only ruled for a few months ('only a little while').

    Rev 13:14 says 'the beast ... had been wounded by the sword and yet lived;'. When Revelation was written the Emperor Domitian ruled Rome. Nero had killed himself with a sword but Domitian was viewed as a re-incarnation of Nero and was the first Emperor to deify himself, giving himself the title 'Lord and God'.

    In Rome Gematria puzzles were used to represent letters as numbers. If you look at a reference to Rev 13:18 then you see that some manuscripts read '616'. 666 was Nero Caesar spelled in Hebrew and 616 was Nero Caesar spelled in Latin.

  • Abaddon
    Abaddon

    I'm sure there is some internal meaning within the Bible as regards what it means, but what does it mean in the external reality?;

    Well, 666 means 1010011010 or 1232 or 29A

  • Beans
    Beans

    http://www.quotes.jehovahswitnesses.com/666.htm

    Charles Taze Russell
    1234561 2345 6123456 = 666]

  • Elsewhere
    Elsewhere

    I was under the impression that the name of the then current roman emperor used only letters that were valid roman numerals. When you looked at his name as a number it was Six Hundred and Sixty Six.

    Basically they were talking about the roman emperor.

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