Huh? But it is just a number, i myself do not believe in that typical superstitious. In taiwan, 6 is considered a lucky number.
Saying something like that is pretty inconsiderate because every culture differs in every country. Dont get me wrong, it is okay to have an opinion if lets say you considered 6 as a cursed number, but try not to be too blatant about it
The true number of the beast is 616. We're perfectly fine. Maybe...
Why 616 though? What is the significance? Or is it one of those just because Christian mythology things?The number of the Devil is 616.
The old texts that mentioned the number of the Devil had been mistranslated, it was discovered over a decade ago.
666 is the pop culture number I guess.
Preach.
Why 616 though? What is the significance? Or is it one of those just because Christian mythology things?
It is a reference to the Bible. In the Book of Revelation (13:11-18), it says:Huh? But it is just a number, i myself do not believe in that typical superstitious. In taiwan, 6 is considered a lucky number.
Saying something like that is pretty inconsiderate because every culture differs in every country. Dont get me wrong, it is okay to have an opinion if lets say you considered 6 as a cursed number, but try not to be too blatant about it
Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or 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 it is the number of a man: His number is 666.
The beast which rose out of the earth with two horns (power) like a lamb (Christ, gentle and giving), and which spoke like a dragon (Satan, whose speech is seductive), is worldly religion. Its minister of propaganda, so to speak, mimics John the Baptist and the Holy Spirit: a false prophet (see 16:13; 19:20; 20:10; Daniel 7:8) calling all to worship the first beast (false divinity). This monster completes the unholy triumvirate: dragon (Satan, false god), beast from the sea (worldly authority and power, false incarnation), and beast from the earth (worldly religion, false prophet): a blasphemous parody of the Holy Trinity.
With a parody of Pentecost, this monstrous cult leader is able to make fire come down from heaven on the earth by means of deception and sorcery (see Matthew 24:24; Acts 13:6–12; Didache 16:3–4)—luring people into making an image to the beast (v. 14; the goddess of Rome or the emperor). Statues were often "brought to life" by sorcery. Irenaeus, Clement, Justin, and Eusebius note that the sorcerer Simon Magus (Acts 8:9–24) used illusion and occult practices to make idols seem alive. This beast is able to enforce the sentence of death on those who will not worship him (see Nebuchadnezzar's statue in Daniel 3).
A parody of God's seal of 7:3, even alluding to the Hebrew phylactery of Deuteronomy 6:8—where God's Law is kept on the forehead and the left hand—and to chrismation (but not the same word as "sealed"). The mark is gained by worshiping the beast (v. 17); it signifies the beast is the owner of those who wear it—their protector and the one to whom they owe their livelihoods. This mark is not necessarily a visible and physical mark on the person, but it is required to do business. There is then an economic bias against those who do not bear the beast's mark (the faithful who will not render demonic worship to the state).
The letters of the alphabet were used as numbers in ancient times (Roman numerals). Thus, the numerical value of names could easily be calculated. "The name of the beast" (v. 17) is the numerical equivalent of the letters of the name of a man (some texts read "616" instead of the well-known 666). John may be purposefully enigmatic, using a secret code to protect against a charge of sedition. This is a predictably misunderstood passage, for the text itself says it requires wisdom and understanding. In the Bible, the number six stands for falling short, incompleteness, imperfection; seven, for perfection, fullness, completion; eight, for eschatological perfection, a superabundance of fullness (see 2 Enoch 33:1). The sixth day, Friday, is the day of preparation; the seventh, the Sabbath, Saturday, a picture of the rest to come; the eighth day, Sunday, the day of the Resurrection, the final establishment of God's Kingdom. The numerical equivalent of "Jesus" in Greek is 888. The numerical equivalent of "Nero Caesar" transliterated from Greek into Hebrew is 666, meaning the epitome of created inadequacy. The numerical equivalent of "Nero Caesar" transliterated from Latin into Hebrew is 616. If John were referring to Domitian, whom some considered to be Nero reincarnated, it would be safer to refer not to the present persecutor but to the one long gone. Some believe that "666" is a symbol rather than a cryptogram, falling short of perfection in each of its digits: failure upon failure upon failure, an evil trinity which always falls short of the Holy Trinity ("777"). Many have attempted to identify "666," but writing only one hundred years after John, St. Irenaeus had no idea to whom John was referring!
It is a reference to the Bible. In the Book of Revelation (13:11-18), it says:
For an explanation of the text, here are the notes of the Orthodox Study Bible:
"Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon":
"He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men":
"He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads":
"His number is 666":
Welcome year zeroooooooOOOOOO!!!!!
Here's my half-remembered theological explanation:Why 616 though? What is the significance? Or is it one of those just because Christian mythology things?