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18 Here is wisdom. He who has understanding, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is six hundred sixty-six.
it is the number of a man
From earliest times and even today, for young children calculation usually begins with use of their fingers as they learn how to count and then move on to simple math. Might this have something to do with this mark being located on the hand where calculation often starts? What about having the number of the name? Name is likely associated with the identity or disposition of the beast and its image along with their source the dragon. What else might we discover beyond even this?
Calculating not only involves hands and fingers but also takes place primarily in the left brain where logic, reason and language skills are based. This might infer one of the distortions of sin, for the first part of the Tree representing Satan's kingdom on earth is the word Knowledge. A common distortion of the enemy is that given enough time and acquired knowledge, we will be able to figure out how to save ourselves, how to extricate ourselves successfully from the problem of sin. This is embedded in most all religions so deeply that many become addicted to the pursuit of knowledge through ever higher education in hopes that if they can just develop enough intellectual prowess they will be able to figure out the right answers and can at last achieve success or even overcome the problems of evil in the world.
This line of reasoning is part of the strategy of the beast, for the dragon's tactics involve more than just intimidation. The counterfeit system relies on strong appeals to reason, logic and manipulation of facts as the right way to solve all our problems. This is embodied in the serpent's words to Eve, and through this two-pronged approach he captures the attention of people today just as he did with Eve. We imagine that knowledge combined with power can save us or even get us right with God so He will save us. Yet while knowledge is certainly important, giving it higher priority than living in humble, intimate relationship at the heart level with our Creator will prove tragic.
Given this danger, it is no surprise that the beginning of this verse alerts us to our need for heavenly wisdom before attempting to calculate the number of the beast. Wisdom is not the equivalent of knowledge, and to receive this kind of wisdom requires a humble heart willing to connect and listen with both our heart and head to the ultimate Source of Wisdom. That Source is the Spirit of Wisdom and Truth that alone comes from God.
There are other potential options to consider relating to this specific number.
According to the Genesis creation account, humans (or man generically) were created on the 6th day. This connects a number to the meaning of what it means to be human, the number 6. Additionally, there are three 6's in the three place number comprising the sum of the three Greek words used. This could introduces the number 3 combined with the meaning of the number 6. Some have suggested that this might refer to a counterfeit 3-part godhead competing against the true Godhead, also composed of 3 persons, but inferior to them like humans are inferior to the God who created them.
We know from many of our previous studies that the one behind all the violence and evil going on is the fallen angel Lucifer turned Satan. It might come as an awakening however to learn that God identifies this fallen cherub not as an angel but as a man, at least near the end his existence.
You said in your heart, "I will ascend into heaven! I will exalt my throne above the stars of God! I will sit on the mountain of assembly, in the far north! I will ascend above the heights of the clouds! I will make myself like the Most High!" Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the depths of the pit. Those who see you will stare at you. They will ponder you, saying, "Is this the man who made the earth to tremble, who shook kingdoms; who made the world like a wilderness, and overthrew its cities; who didn't release his prisoners to their home?" (Isaiah 14:13-17)
Son of man, tell the prince of Tyre, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Because your heart is lifted up, and you have said, I am a god, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet you are man, and not God, though you did set your heart as the heart of God--
Will you yet say before him who kills you, I am God? but you are man, and not God, in the hand of him who wounds you. (Ezekiel 28:2, 9)
I believe it is safe to conjecture that Satan is the 'man' who is behind all the forcing of identity and worship on all who dwell on the earth. He wants his character to be reflected in every human being, because any lingering reflection of God's true glory of selfless love is a constant source of incriminating evidence contradicting his lies that God is no different than him. Compare these verses with the following ones about other men who exhibited a spirit like that of Satan.
When Jesus stepped ashore, a certain man out of the city who had demons for a long time met him. He wore no clothes, and didn't live in a house, but in the tombs. (Luke 8:27)
But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira, his wife, sold a possession, and kept back part of the price, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. (Acts 5:1-2)
But there was a certain man, Simon by name, who used to practice sorcery in the city, and amazed the people of Samaria, making himself out to be some great one, to whom they all listened, from the least to the greatest, saying, "This man is that great power of God." (Acts 8:9-10)
For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsmen, whom he gathered together, with the workmen of like occupation, and said, "Sirs, you know that by this business we have our wealth. You see and hear, that not at Ephesus alone, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are no gods, that are made with hands. (Acts 19:24-26)
His number is six hundred sixty-six [the number of a man]
I believe it is important that we keep all these things in mind while seeking wisdom to discern what God may have us to find in this key symbol. There has been endless speculation about this number ever since it was written by John. I would like to offer some further possibilities that I find congruent with the two keys we use for interpreting everything we study in this book. I do not claim to present a final or ultimate interpretation of this number, but we should remain open to exploring viable options while soliciting the Spirit Jesus promised to send us when He left this earth, who was promised to guide us into greater truth and to remind us of the words Jesus spoke while He was here.
Here are a some passages that have numbers relative to this.
King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatever she asked, besides that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned, and went to her own land, she and her servants. Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred sixty-six talents of gold, besides that which the traders brought, and the traffic of the merchants, and of all the kings of the mixed people, and of the governors of the country. (1 Kings 10:13-15)
In Solomon's story, the context was soon after Solomon married an Egyptian (1 Kings 9:16, 24) who began to turn his heart away from God (1 Kings 9:17-21; 11:1-11), and also after he began relying on conscripted labor to build his house and the temple (1 Kings 9:15 NRSV, NIV or NASB). This 666 number may represent the obscene level of wealth gained by exploitation of other people.
The children of Azgad, one thousand two hundred twenty-two. The children of Adonikam, six hundred sixty-six. The children of Bigvai, two thousand fifty-six. (Ezra 2:12-14)
There is a curious narrative beginning in Ezra 2:1,13 and ending with Shemaiah a priest who may be child 666 of Adonikam (Ezra 8:13; Nehemiah 7:18; 10:8; 1 Kings 12:22-24; 1 Chronicles 15:8; Jeremiah 29:31). I can unpack this thread more in another document.
Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits, and the breadth of it six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the satraps, the deputies, and the governors, the judges, the treasurers, the counselors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. (Daniel 3:1-2)
Here is what Strong's concordance says concerning this number. 666 is made up of three Greek characters, the last being a leftover obsolete character retained as a number. From various sources I find compelling insights relevant to this subject. The implications seem to resonate strongly with the spirit and motives we see transpiring in power struggles going on all around us in the world today. Here is what Strong's has to say about this number.
chi xi stigma the 22nd, 14th and an obsolete letter (4742 as a cross [X]) of the Greek alphabet, but used here as numbers. They denote respectively 600, 60 and 6.
Here are some references in Wikipedia related to these letters and their associated words. Some of the concepts connected linked with these letters/numbers are quite compelling in light of this chapter.
Chi was the 22nd letter of the Greek alphabet in John's day and was written as X.
When used as a Greek numeral, it carried the value of 600.
Greek symbology: In Plato's Timaeus, it is explained that the two bands that form the soul of the world (Anima mundi) cross each other like the letter Χ.
The anima mundi or world soul is, according to several systems of thought, an intrinsic connection between all living beings, which relates to the world in much the same way as the soul is connected to the human body.
Plato adhered to this idea, identifying the universe as a living being:
Thus, then, in accordance with the likely account, we must declare that this Cosmos has verily come into existence as a Living Creature endowed with soul and reason ...a Living Creature, one and visible, containing within itself all the living creatures which are by nature akin to itself.— Plato, Timaeus 30b–d, translated by W.R.M. Lamb.
Plato's Timaeus describes this living cosmos as being built by the demiurge constructed as to be self-identical and intelligible to reason, according to a rational pattern expressed in mathematical principles and Pythagorean ratios describing the structure of the cosmos, and particularly the motions of the seven classical planets.
Following Plato, the anima mundi became an important component in Neoplatonic cosmology, often including its close relationship to the demiurge and the seven planets.
Demiurge: In the Platonic, Neophythagorean, Middle Platonic, and Neoplatonic schools of philosophy, the demiurge is an artisan-like figure responsible for fashioning and maintaining the physical universe. The Gnostics adopted the term demiurge.
The philosophical usage and the proper noun derive from Plato's Timaeus, written c. 360 BC, where the demiurge is presented as the creator of the universe.
In the arch-dualist ideology of the various Gnostic systems, the material universe is evil, while the non-material world is good. According to some strains of Gnosticism, the demiurge is malevolent, as it is linked to the material world. In others, including the teaching of Valentinus, the demiurge is simply ignorant or misguided.
Plato, as the speaker Timaeus, refers to the Demiurge frequently in the Socratic dialogue Timaeus (28a ff.), c. 360 BC. The main character refers to the Demiurge as the entity who "fashioned and shaped" the material world. Timaeus describes the Demiurge as unreservedly benevolent, and so it desires a world as good as possible.
Dualism in cosmology or dualistic cosmology is the moral or spiritual belief that two fundamental concepts exist, which often oppose each other.
Moral dualism is the belief of the great complement of, or conflict between, the benevolent and the malevolent. It simply implies that there are two moral opposites at work....
Many myths and creation motifs with dualistic cosmologies have been described in ethnographic and anthropological literature. The motifs conceive the world as being created, organized, or influenced by two demiurges, culture heroes, or other mythological beings, who compete with each other or have a complementary function in creating, arranging or influencing the world. There is a huge diversity of such cosmologies. In some cases, such as among the Chukchi, the beings collaborate rather than compete, and they contribute to the creation in a coequal way. In many other instances the two beings are not of the same importance or power (sometimes, one of them is even characterized as gullible). Sometimes they can be contrasted as good versus evil. They may be often believed to be twins or at least brothers.
Physical cosmology is the study of the observable universe's origin, its large-scale structures and dynamics, and the ultimate fate of the universe, including the laws of science that govern these areas. It is investigated by scientists, such as astronomers and physicists, as well as philosophers, such as metaphysicians, philosophers of physics, and philosophers of space and time. Because of this shared scope with philosophy, theories in physical cosmology may include both scientific and non-scientific propositions, and may depend upon assumptions that cannot be tested. Physical cosmology is a sub-branch of astronomy that is concerned with the Universe as a whole. Modern physical cosmology is dominated by the Big Bang theory....
There are interesting and sometimes controversial issues related to this.
Chi or X is often used to abbreviate the name Christ, as in the holiday Christmas (Xmas). When fused within a single typespace with the Greek letter rho, it is called the labarum and used to represent the person of Jesus Christ.
The practice of adding up the number values of Greek letters of words, names and phrases, thus connecting the meaning connecting the meaning of words, names and phrases with others with equivalent numeric sums, is called isopsephy. A similar practice adapted for the Hebrew alphabet is referred to as gematria.
Isopsephy (isos meaning "equal" and psephos meaning "pebble") or isopsephism is the practice of adding up the number values of the letters in a word to form a single number. The total number is then used as a metaphorical bridge to other words evaluating the equal number, which satisfies isos or "equal" in the term. The early Greeks used pebbles arranged in patterns to learn arithmetic and geometry, which corresponds to psephos or "pebble" and "counting" in the term.
Isopsephy is related to gematria: the same practice using the Hebrew alphabet....A gematria of Latin script languages was also popular in Europe from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, and its legacy remains in code-breaking, numerology, and Masonic symbolism today.
Xi was the 14th letter of the Greek alphabet in John's day. In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of 60. Xi is distinct from the letter chi, which gave its form to the Latin letter X.
What I find significantly relevant is the potential meaning of the last character in this set of 3 characters, the letter stigma. Though obsolete in the Greek alphabet, it survived as the numeral 6. Yet as a word (Strong's 4742) it meant to "stick", i.e. prick; a mark incised or punched (for recognition of ownership), i.e. (figuratively) scar of service – a mark. (Strong's)
Greek numerals are a system of representing numbers using letters of the Greek alphabet.
The earliest alphabet-related system of numerals used with the Greek letters was a set of the acrophonic Attic numerals, operating much like Roman numerals... The acrophonic system was replaced by a new alphabetic system, sometimes called the Ionic numeral system, from the 4th century BC. Each unit (1, 2, …, 9) was assigned a separate letter, each tens (10, 20, …, 90) a separate letter, and each hundreds (100, 200, …, 900) a separate letter. This requires 27 letters, so the 24-letter Greek alphabet was extended by using three obsolete letters: fau, [Sigma (letter)|sigma]...for 6, koppa for 90, and sampi for 900.
The name, stigma (στίγμα), is originally a common Greek noun meaning "a mark, dot, puncture", or generally "a sign"... The numeral symbol, originally quite unrelated to the στ ligature, developed from the letter Ϝ, which stood for the sound /w/ in early pre-classical forms of the Greek alphabet. This symbol became obsolete as a letter during the classical era but remained part of the Greek alphabet-based system of numerals, where its value of 6 corresponded to its original place in the alphabet.
Following are excerpts from what I found to be a relevant article on the history of this word Stigma.
The word “stigma” derives directly from two almost identical words in both Latin and Greek... Although the word in Latin and Greek seems less versatile than its English cousin and cognate “stick,” both words can refer to poking, puncturing and (especially) branding.
...Stigmas are actual brands, scars in an archaic use of the word, or similar, imagined or metaphorical marks, in a contemporary use of the word.
“Stigmata” in English, carries with it a very specific, religious association to the physical wounds suffered by Jesus at the crucifixion...
The word stigma may be applied in allegorical or metaphorical ways, to experiences or conditions that are not seen as physical marks but are intuited or surmised. For example, a “social stigma” is not always readily observable, one must instead be alerted to, or made aware of, its existence.
Originally, in the 17th Century references quoted in the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), a stigma seems to have been, specifically the mark left by branding a person with a hot iron. Branding with a hot iron was a fairly common punishment in the 17th Century; and one who bore the “stigma” or scar from that hot iron, was said to have been “stigmatized”. The word could also be used to refer to tattoos or the practice of tattooing; but this use seems to have been rare.
There are other interesting examples given in the OED entry, too: one man was branded with an “S” and an “L” one letter on either cheek, for “seditious” and “libeler”; a couple was branded, each on the forehead with the letter “A” for “adultery”; and in a third, even more curious case, a man was branded on his forehead with “a letter of his own name,” the crime in that case was not mentioned. There are 19th century references, that seem to make even more sweeping, general associations: “Doomed to be, like the seed of Cain, a stigmatized race” (956). It is interesting to me, at least, that the crimes of sedition and libel—saying unflattering or outrageous things about someone or some institution carried with it the same penalty as adultery.
To the medieval mind, God brings men and women together in marriage; but marriage was a formal contract among the nobles and upper classes—so an affair, having sex with someone else’s wife, was a sin against God and property laws; the woman’s crime was a crime against God, man (her husband) and the State. The word “husband” means “keeper” and refers not to love, but to ownership. It is interesting to me, too, that by the 17th Century in all the Romance languages there is a version of the word “stigmatized” with specific reference to the practice of branding as a punishment for various crimes. We might be tempted to conclude that wherever the Roman Catholic Church had enough influence to mete out punishments like branding, the practice was common and the effects on the population were widespread.
What we can conclude, with confidence, is that stigmas are imposed on people by other people; and the intent of those who stigmatize others is to cause harm. “Branding” with a red-hot iron may no longer be practiced as a punishment, but the emotional scars caused by social stigmas, are real and convincing reminders of the power of words. The emotional content of certain words is seared into us as if it could leave a scar visible to everyone; and this is true whether we use these words in reference to ourselves, or others use them to label or “brand’ us.
This is a lot of information to digest. What useful insights and clues might we distill out of all this?
In the case of Solomon, the number is closely linked with amassing opulent wealth, trading, trafficking and power through hierarchy. It is no accident these same things are listed in God's description of what transpired in the initial fall of Lucifer in heaven. In addition, this was during the time when Solomon was plunging himself into a life of excessive sex with hundreds of women and becoming deeply involved in idolatry as a result of their seductive influence over him.
In our desire to correctly discern why this number is given here, we need heavenly direction to avoid being seduced and deceived by isopsephy which appeals to dependence on fleshly versions of wisdom.
The first numeral of 666 in the Greek conveys strong overtones of very ancient pagan philosophies resonates strongly with much of what is seen today. Coordinated moves by powerful people today seek to consolidate the world into uniformity and plan to control the masses using arguments and logic identical to those developed long ago. This is no surprise given the same supernatural forces intend to assert their power over the entire world under the guise of saving the planet, viewed as our mother and now offended by our exploitation of her natural resources.
Today there is a growing convergence of various philosophies conspiring together to consolidate power and wealth, to eliminate individuality and freedom and set up a New World Order for the purpose of saving the planet. Gnosticism, so-called science, the philosophy of evolution, open attacks against morality, the family model and resurgence of feudalistic power, all conspire to enforce the principles of Satan and eliminate the image of God in mankind using an imposed artificial identity.
The last digit of this number links back to the idea of a forced mark, even with branding with a hot iron to identify ownership. We examined some of these ideas in previous studies on the mark; now we find them being reinforced in connection to the last digit in this number. Ironically, the stigma assigned initially would seem to be against those opposing reception of the mark, while those going along with it would presumably be free from stigmatization. Yet again this exposes the nature of deception itself, twisting things to appear different than how heaven views things from a higher perspective.
What does seem clear in the use of stigmatization is the heavy enforcement of the reward/punishment system to achieve control over all the world. Compelled worship and forced compliance to the agenda of those grasping for power, is becoming clearly the trend of the world today. And this, despite the objections of many who not long ago insisted it is impossible to happen in our advanced modern era.
We can be certain that this prophecy given to John will in the end be proven to be unfailingly accurate and will finish its course all the way to the end. What we must focus on now is to be properly aligned with the Spirit of truth and love so we will not be captivated by the seductive enticements of the enemy who seeks to steal, kill and destroy our most precious inheritance in Christ.
This is the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things which must happen soon, which he sent and made known by his angel to his servant, John. (Revelation 1:1)
I want to go back to review the concluding paragraph of the article quoted above to point out something vitally important we must not miss in our study here.
What we can conclude, with confidence, is that stigmas are imposed on people by other people; and the intent of those who stigmatize others is to cause harm. “Branding” with a red-hot iron may no longer be practiced as a punishment, but the emotional scars caused by social stigmas, are real and convincing reminders of the power of words. The emotional content of certain words is seared into us as if it could leave a scar visible to everyone; and this is true whether we use these words in reference to ourselves, or others use them to label or “brand’ us.
Here are a few insights I believe are central to understanding the nature and effect of this mark. What is important to note are the patterns involved more than the specific details.
What comes before receiving the mark is worship of the image and its beast origin.
Worship means receiving our identity from someone and authorizing them to model to us how to act like ourselves. Thus worship means absorbing the identity of the leader of one of the two supernatural sources vying for our attention.
Stigmas are imposed on people; worship of the beast and its image will be imposed on people.
This stigma mark is a reflection of the character of the false god being worshipped. Thus it initially may not appear to be a stigma because nearly everyone else reflects the same disposition. But from heaven's point of view it is a stigma on God's reputation.
Note the sequence. Compelled worship comes first, then the mark is introduced.
The intent of this mark is to cause harm.
The dragon, beast and image do not reflect the loving care of our heavenly Father. Their agenda is purely selfish, yet deceptive and manipulative, claiming they are working for the common good of all while in truth they are exploiting the masses for their own lust for power, control, wealth and self-exaltation. They steal, kill and destroy in their scramble for power and pride.
A stigma/mark is a permanent stamp of identity much like branding cattle for the purpose of marking them with a permanent brand of their owner.
But the Spirit says expressly that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons, through the hypocrisy of men who speak lies, branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron. (1 Timothy 4:1-2)
Seducing spirits and doctrines involve worship of the counterfeit god of this world whose power lies in fear and seductive deceptions. When lies are accepted and lying spirits are allowed to manipulate our thinking, the sensitive conscience is cauterized and incapacitated so it can no longer respond to the sweet Spirit of love. Such ones lose capacity to repent. This is the deliberate intent of harm by this mark.
Words are the primary means of branding and searing the mark into our psyche. They are far more effective than simply an outward scar or tattoo.
The war highlighted in chapter 12 is concentrated with words of slander against God, not physical altercations. This war is a direct attack on the reputation of God, the One we were created to reflect. By usurping God's reflectors to reflect Satan's lies about God's character, the character and condition of all who worship the beast version of God and who receive the identity mark of that kind of god, displaces the true identity of humans both by creation and redemption where the identity of Christ in every human being was reassigned to be in Christ who is our true representative.
Believing lies about God and rejecting a love of the truth will prove deadly in the end. When one rejects the truth about their new identity in Christ, they cling to Satan's lies about God and themselves as God's reflectors until those lies become permanent attributes defining their settled mindset and shaping their character into the likeness of the beast.
All who receive this mark imagine they will benefit from it. But when the light of truth about the nature of God's selfless love exposes their true condition and character, their reaction is continuous torment when they come into the light of heaven's perspective. They feel the intensity of stigma resulting from their false reflection of God's character in contrast with the true reflection of the presence of the Lamb and the angels.
Contrast this with those who refuse to worship the beast or its image and refuse to receive the mark, even when faced with death as the punishment for non-compliance.
They worship the Creator God (Revelation 14:6-7), choosing to reflect His attributes and be transformed into His likeness (Genesis 1:26; 2 Corinthians 3:17-18).
The image of God, His glory of selfless love, is reflected in their disposition and is sealed into their hearts by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13).
This seal never involves force, coercion or violation of their free will (John 8:32,36; Galatians 5:1; 2 Corinthians 3:17). They choose freedom in Christ over bondage to fear (Hebrews 2:14-15) no matter what threats are brought to intimidate them (Revelation 12:11).
This seal of love (Song of Solomon 8:6) never plans harm, just as the Source of love (1 John 1:5) only plans for good and never for evil (Jeremiah 29:11). True love is willing to receive harm rather than cause harm to others (Matthew 5:39), the liberating truth most explicitly revealed in the life, teachings and death of Jesus (Luke 23:34), God's Christ. He both taught (Matthew 5:44-45) and demonstrated unconditional love and forgiveness (Luke 23:33-34), not predicated on receiving payment, appeasement or even repentance (Romans 5:6-10), but because God is love (1 John 4:8, 16) and in Him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5).
The seal of God is the imprint of God's character of love in the mind and heart (1 John 4:16; Revelation 7:3). This character is supported through the conscience (Romans 2:15; 1 Timothy 1:18-19) as the interactive access channel to God's heart by all who allow Him to dwell in them.
Love for God and for others, even enemies, becomes the defining characteristic and identity of all who have the seal of God in their forehead. This is made even more striking in contrast as the true nature of the effect of sin becomes fully developed in the lives of all who take on the likeness of the beast. Even a very small light becomes readily noticeable when in the context of intense darkness.
