Revelation 13: Who is afraid of the number 666? Be wise! - Author: Evert Jan Hempenius

Transcription

1 Revelatin 13: Wh is afraid f the number 666? Be wise! - Authr: Evert Jan Hempenius Fr any questins abut this Scripture passage r the ntes, please cntact us thrugh the Cntact Us tab n the website. Frewrd Wh is afraid f the number 666 (Revelatin 13:18)? I m nt! It is nt the number f Satan, the devil, the serpent, the dragn. It is nt the number f the Antichrist. It is just the number f man. It is the number f a man r human, wh has gdly aspiratins. The number 666 is a s-called triangle number. This means that a triangle can be made by using fr instance 666 pebbles, just like a triangle can be made frm three, six r ten pebbles. Within the cntext f Revelatin, triangle numbers refer t the gdly realm. Revelatin 13:11-18 describes the mechanisms f persecutin when the plitical pwers and idelgies ask the predminant religin d atheism fr supprt f their agenda. This calls fr wisdm nt fr fear. The main questin is, hw t deal as Christian with a man, an Emperr, a gvernment, an idelgy with gdly aspiratins and requesting wrship and ttal bedience frm the peple f a natin. A Christian and the church must knw that Christ has vercme all pwers, and all idelgies (Revelatin 11:15). Revelatin 13:1-18 pens ur eyes t the mechanisms f past and mdern-day persecutins. The cntext, frm and structure, thelgical ntes, technical and hermeneutical ntes given in this sermn utline shw sme verlap with ther sermn utlines taken frm the bk f Revelatin. This makes it pssible t use this sermn utline either as a stand alne r as part f a series. Cntext The Bk f Revelatin is like a large painting. Yu ll have t lk at the whle t understand the details.

2 A brief utline f the Bk f Revelatin: 1 Intrductin (Rev 1:1-3) The rigin and cmmand t write this Revelatin dwn. The Bk f Revelatin (Rev 1:4-22:21) Rev 1:4-8 The pening liturgical setting. Rev 1:9-3:22 PART 1 Rev 4:1-22:11 PART 2 Rev 22:12-21 The clsing liturgical setting. PART 1: The risen and exalted Christ and his seven messages t the seven churches in the Rman Prvince Asia. PART 2: The heavenly curtrm and the judgment f Gd, ending with the descent f the new heaven and earth. PART 2: There are three main stages in this part f the Revelatin. Each stage is intrduced by a visin f the heavenly curtrm in which Gd resides as the Creatr-King and Judge f all creatin. Revelatin 3:11-18 is part f stage 3. Part 2 (Rev 4:1-22:11) Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Rev 4:1-7:17 > the first six seals. Rev 8:1-11:14 > (the seventh seal) and the first six trumpets. Rev 11:15-22:11 > (the seventh trumpet) and the seven bwls f Gd s wrath > the tw cities (the fate f Babyln and prmise f the New Jerusalem. Stage 3 (Rev 11:15-22:11) Rev 11:15-19 The Heavenly Curtrm The seventh angel sunded his trumpet, and there were lud vices in heaven, which said: The kingdm f the 1 This utline fr sermns is very brief and des nt discuss all the (many) different theries abut the structures and utlines f the Bk f Revelatin. Beale (1999) prvides a detailed utline. Fr discussin see Garrw (1997).

3 wrld has becme the kingdm f ur Lrd and f his Christ, and he will reign fr ever and ever. Rev 12:1-16:22 Rev 17:1-22:8 Rev 22:9-22:11 The bk f signs. The Fate f Babyln and the final Judgment f Gd The Descent f the New Jerusalem, a New Heaven and a New Earth Revelatin 12:1-16:22 is called The bk f signs because each f the main passages is intrduced by a (great) sign: Revelatin 12:1 A great and wndrus sign appeared in heaven: a wman clthed with the sun, with the mn under her feet and a crwn f twelve stars n her head. Revelatin 12:3 Then anther sign appeared in heaven: an enrmus red dragn with seven heads and ten hrns and seven crwns n his heads. Revelatin 15:1 I saw in heaven anther great and marvelus sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues last, because with them Gd s wrath is cmpleted. The great signs reminds us f Mses (Exd. 4:17, 30; 10:2; 11:10). 2 The bk f signs (Rev 2:1-16:22) Rev 12:1-14:20 Rev 12 > The wman and the dragn the war f the dragn against the children f the wman = the church f Christ. Rev 13:1-10 > The beast frm the sea. Rev 13:11-18 > The beast frm the earth. Rev 14:1-20 > The victry f the Lamb and his wrath. Rev 15:1-16:22 Rev 15 > The heavenly curtrm and the seven angels with the seven bwls f Gd s wrath. Rev 16 > The seven bwls f Gd s wrath are pured ut. There is much discussin abut the date f writing f the Revelatin. Sme cmmentatrs prpse a date near the reign f Emperr Ner (A.D. 68). 2 Beale, G. K. (1999, p. 708).

4 Others prpse a date during the reign f emperr Dmitian (A.D ). Frm and structure Revelatin 13:11-18 is the secnd part f chapter 13 which deals with the tw beasts, the first beast cming frm the sea, the secnd beast cming frm the earth. A detailed utline: Intrductin f the visin (verse 11) Wrship f the first beast (verse 12-13) Enfrcement t wrship the first beast (verse 14-17) The call fr wisdm (verse 18) Revelatin 13:11-18 Then I saw anther beast, cming ut f the earth. He had tw hrns like a lamb, but he spke like a dragn. He exercised all the authrity f the first beast n his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants wrship the first beast, whse fatal wund had been healed. And he perfrmed great and miraculus signs, even causing fire t cme dwn frm heaven t earth in full view f men. Because f the signs he was given pwer t d n behalf f the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants f the earth. He rdered them t set up an image in hnr f the beast wh was wunded by the swrd and yet lived. He was given pwer t give breath t the image f the first beast, s that it culd speak and cause all wh refused t wrship the image t be killed. He als frced everyne, small and great, rich and pr, free and slave, t receive a mark n his right hand r n his frehead, s that n ne culd buy r sell unless he had the mark, which is the name f the beast r the number f his name. This calls fr wisdm. If anyne has insight, let him calculate the number f the beast, fr it is man s number. His number is 666. Thelgical ntes The Bk f Revelatin is Trinitarian (Gd Hly Spirit Jesus Christ; Rev 1:4-5) in character. Gd is the first and the last (Rev 1:8) Jesus Christ is the first and the last (Rev 1:17). Jesus Christ speaks t the churches (Rev 2:1-6) and the churches are summned t listen t what the Spirit (Rev 2:7) says. Nte the Trinitarian character f Rev 5:

5 Gd, Creatr residing n his thrne The Sn, the Lamb, standing in the midst The seven spirits, send by the Sn t the crners r the earth (East, West, Nrth, Suth), wh is identical with the Hly Spirit f Gd. The Bk f Revelatin is fremst a liturgical bk with prayers, dxlgies, cnfessins, prphecies, and visins. It shws the heavenly liturgy in images and this liturgy affects the histry f this wrld when the plagues f Gd strike this earth. Rev 4:11 explains why: Yu are wrthy, ur Lrd and Gd, t receive glry and hnr and pwer, fr yu created all things, and by yur will they were created and have their being. This is the pririty in the life f every human being: t glrify Gd. This liturgical bk reminds us f the liturgy in the tabernacle (especially) and the temple f the Old Testament. This explains the many references t the altars and the priestly appearances f Christ and sme f his angels. Revelatin 5 cntains three sngs f glrificatin and ne acclamatin Amen. The bk f Revelatin is als a prphetic bk abut the past, the present and the future. It sheds light n the past, the present situatin f the seven churches in Asia Minr, and the future, culminating in the prmise f the new heaven and the new earth. Frm chapter 4 nwards the judgment f Gd is the dminating theme. He will d justice (Rev 4-5; Rev 6:10; Rev 21:1-15 and ther passages). Technical, hermeneutical and histrical ntes General remark Several hermeneutical questins can be asked abut the expsitin and applicatin f the Bk f Revelatin. This sermn utline fcusses n the questin, hw can we understand the Revelatin within the cntext f the end f the first century? Reading and understanding the Bk f Revelatin requires: Prfund knwledge f the Old Testament. Especially the bks f Exdus and Numbers, Ezekiel and Daniel are imprtant fr study. These bks are related t ppressin and deliverance f the peple f Gd (Egypt and Babyln). Knwledge f the Greek-Rman wrld f the first century. Knwledge f figures f speech, because f all the metaphrs and ther figures f speech, and the meaning and use f numbers. Knwledge f the structure f Revelatin (see abve). (Elementary) knwledge f Hermeneutics.

6 Jhn received this Revelatin frm Jesus Christ and at the same time, this Revelatin reveals the risen and exalted Christ, wh hlds the keys f (life and) death and Hades (Rev 1:17). Jhn understd the wrds he heard, the visins he saw, thugh smetimes they needed t be explained t him (Rev 1:19-20). Jhn wrte dwn what he heard and saw in this bk and sent it t the seven churches in Asia Minr, an imprtant prvince f the eastern part f the Rman Empire. In these seven messages t the churches f Asia, Jesus Christ addresses majr aspects f church life. He praises and rebukes them and gives them the prmises f the life t cme. Christians, members f these churches, understd these messages. Tw peple are mentined by name. The churches were warned fr a mvement called the Niclaitans (Rev 2:6; 2;15). These Christians were far mre familiar with the figures f speech used in the Revelatin than we are nwadays. Figures f speech are nt always easily understd by 21 st- century readers. They are smetimes explained, mre ften nt. Figures f speech allw mre than ne explanatin and applicatin. This explains in part the multitude f cmmentaries and theries. In the prcess f explaining and applying the prphecies f this bk, the interpreter shuld ask himself tw questins: T which exegetical traditin d I belng? There are a plethra f traditins, especially in the Angl-American Wrld. T mentin nly three: Amillennialism; Pstmillennialism; Premillennialism. Secndly, the interpreter shuld be aware f his wn situatin and f the lcal Christian cmmunity. What is my wn plitical-religius situatin and hw des this situatin affect my reading and understanding f the Bk f Revelatin? A shrt nte n the symblical use f numbers and the number 666 Numbers play an imprtant and symblical rle in the Bk f Revelatin. They have a numerical value but, what is mre imprtant, they have als a symblical value. The numbers which are used can be gruped as fllws: Grup Number Meaning Triangle 3 = Vertical axis: heaven, earth, and the waters numbers 3 beneath the earth. It is als the number f Gd. 3 Triangle numbers: 1, 3, 6 and 10: ; and als 666.

7 6 = = = A number f near perfectin r cmpleteness. A number f fullness. Fr a discussin, see belw. Square numbers 4 4 = 2 2 Hrizntal plane, the fur crners f the earth. This is ften reflected in the use f fur designatins fr the same nun: every tribe (1) and language (2) and peple (3) and natin (4) (Rev 5:9). And: the dragn (1), that ancient serpent (2), wh is the devil (3), r Satan (4) (Rev 20:1). 144 = This number can mean: the peple f Gd (12) will inherit the whle earth. Cubic number 1000 = The number f space and time f Gd. The hliest place was a cube (1 Kings 6:20). It is als the number f eternity. Special cases 2 7 = = = 1260 = times, time and half time (Rev 11:2-3; 12:6; 12:14; 13:5) Number f a (true) witness The number f (hly) Fullness The number f the peple f Gd This number refers t the 42 sites f rest f the Israelites during their wandering in the desert befre they entered the prmised land (Num 33). 4 Square numbers: 1, 4, 9, 16, 25:

8 Persecutin It is helpful t study the circumstances and the persecutin f Christians during the first fur centuries A.D., and later, with respect f the Bk f Revelatin. Between 109 and 111, Pliny the Yunger was sent by the emperr Trajan (r ) t the prvince f Bithynia (in Anatlia) as gvernr, and their crrespndence is cnsidered a valuable histrical surce. In ne f his letters (Letter 10.96), Pliny reprts n his actins with regard t sme peple wh had been denunced as Christians, sme f them annymusly: thse that persisted in cnfessing that they were Christians he had executed r, if Rman citizens, sent t Rme; thse wh denied that they were Christians he subjected t the test f invking the gds, ffering them incense and a libatin in the presence f an image f the emperr, and cursing Christ. Sme wh admitted that they had frmerly been Christians but prved, by passing the test, that they were such n lnger declared that Christians did nt cmmit the crimes attributed t them, a declaratin cnfirmed under trture by tw slave wmen wh were called deacnesses. Pliny therefre asked the emperr whether ceasing t be a Christian was enugh t secure pardn fr having been ne, and whether punishment was merited just fr being a Christian ("the name itself") r nly fr the crimes assciated with the name. Trajan respnded that the prblem culd nly be dealt with case by case. The authrities were nt t seek Christians ut, but peple wh were denunced and fund guilty were t be punished unless, by wrshipping the Rman gds, they prved they were nt Christians (having denied Christ) and s btained pardn. Annymus denunciatins were t be ignred 5 In 250 the emperr Decius issued an edict 6, the text f which has been lst, requiring everyne in the Empire (except Jews, wh were exempted) t perfrm a sacrifice t the gds in the presence f a Rman magistrate and btain a signed and witnessed certificate, called a libellus, t this effect. The decree was part f Decius' drive t restre traditinal Rman values and there is n evidence that Christians were specifically being targeted. A number f these certificates still exist and ne discvered in Egypt (text f papyrus, figure 1 belw) reads: T thse in charge f the sacrifices f the village Theadelphia, frm Aurelia Bellias, daughter f Peteres, and her daughter Kapinis. We have always been cnstant in sacrificing t the gds, and nw t, in yur presence, in accrdance with the regulatins, I have pured libatins and sacrificed and tasted the fferings, and I ask yu t certify this fr us belw. May yu cntinue t prsper. (Secnd persn's handwriting) We, Aurelius Serenus and Aurelius Hermas, saw yu sacrificing. (Third persn's handwriting) I, Hermas, certify. The first year f the Emperr Caesar Gaius Messias Quintus Traianus Decius Pius Felix Augustus, Pauni Persecutin f Christians in the Rman Empire. (2018, August 29). Retrieved frm 6 See als: Decian persecutin. (2018, July 26). Retrieved frm 7 Persecutin f Christians in the Rman Empire. (2018, August 29). Retrieved frm

9 Expsitin Preliminary Remark and a shrt summary The whle passage is nt easy t explain. Sme details remain bscure and we nly can guess where the images refer t what their message is. Althugh nt all the details are clear, the general message is. It is abut wrshipping the Rman Emperr as a gd and Rma as a gddess. Everyne is frced t participate. Revelatin 13:18 is a strng admnitin fr Christians wh lived in the first centuries A.D t act wise and nt t fear, because they are nt dealing with gds, but with man(kind), wh wants t be wrshiped as a gd. Preceding cntext f Revelatin 13 The eternal kingship f Christ has been declared: The seventh angel sunded his trumpet, and there were lud vices in heaven, which said: The kingdm f the wrld has becme the kingdm f ur Lrd and f his Christ, and he will reign fr ever and ever (11:15). The church has been warned fr the attacks f Satan and the devil: Then I heard a lud vice in heaven say: Nw have cme the salvatin and the pwer and the kingdm f ur Gd, and the authrity f his Christ. Fr the accuser f ur brthers, wh accuses them befre ur Gd day and night, has been hurled dwn (12:10). Accuser = Satan Therefre rejice, yu heavens and yu wh dwell in them! But we t the earth and the sea, because the devil has gne dwn t yu! He is filled with fury, because he knws that his time is shrt. The devil = the dragn, the serpent, Satan (see Revelatin 12) The dragn recurs in Revelatin 13:1, 11. Dragn = Serpent and Devil = Satan. His main weapns are lies and deceit. The sea is mentined again in Revelatin 13:1: And the dragn std n the shre f the sea. And I saw a beast cming ut f the sea. He had ten hrns and seven heads, with ten crwns n his hrns, and n each head a blasphemus name. The symblical meaning f sea can refer: T the turmil and histry f this earth giving rise t pwerful natins (Dan 7:2, 3). T the Mediterranean Sea, the Mare Nstrum (Our Sea) f the Rman Empire. See als Revelatin 18:17, 19.

10 The earth is again mentined in Revelatin 13:11: Then I saw anther beast, cming ut f the earth. He had tw hrns like a lamb, but he spke like a dragn. The symblical meaning f earth can refer T the inhabitants f the (Rman) wrld and especially the inhabitants f Asia Minr. The imagery f Revelatin 13:1 and 11 Beast = Plitical and religius pwer; an earthly Kingdm. See Daniel 7:1-8. Within the cntext f Revelatin, it is equated with the Rman Empire. Hrn = sign f plitical, judicial and military pwer. Head = symbl f the reigning Rman Emperr, wh adrned himself with gdly epithets (titles) = blasphemus name. Crwn = διάδημα : a type f crwn emplyed as a symbl f the highest ruling pwer in a particular area and therefre ften assciated with kingship diadem crwn. A crwn may be described as a symbl f his pwer, wrn n his head. 8 Verse 11 Then I saw anther beast, cming ut f the earth. There are tw beasts. The first beast is mentined in Revelatin 13:1. It represents the Rman Empire and the Rman Emperr. The secnd beast represents the plitical and religius pwers f Asia Minr. In Revelatin 19:20 the secnd beast is called the false prphet: But the beast was captured, and with him the false prphet wh had perfrmed the miraculus signs n his behalf. He had tw hrns like a lamb, but he spke like a dragn. The Rman Emperr was hailed as the Lrd and Saviur, just like Jesus. Lrd = κύριος : lrd, master 3. f gds, especially in the East; f deified rulers: hence, f rulers in general; f Rman Emperrs (Augustus, Claudius) etc. 9 Saviur = σωτήρ : saviur, deliverer. Title f Zeus and ther gds: Apll, Hermes. Als, 3. applied t rulers, Rman Emperrs r gvernrs. 10 Mre infrmatin is fund here Luw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996, Vl 1, p. 76). 9 Liddell, H. G., Sctt, R., Jnes, H. S., & McKenzie, R. (1996, p. 1013). 10 Liddell, H. G., Sctt, R., Jnes, H. S., & McKenzie, R. (1996, p. 1751). 11 Imperial cult f ancient Rme. (2018, August 20). Retrieved frm

11 Christ already warned fr the false prphets: Watch ut fr false prphets. They cme t yu in sheep s clthing, but inwardly they are fercius wlves. (Mt 7:15; see als Mt 24:1-51). Verse Remark. The NIV translates the fllwing verbs in the past tense, where the ESV translates the same verbs in the present tense, as they are used in Greek: exercised exercises / made makes / perfrmed perfrms (Rev 12:12, 13). deceived deceives (Rev 13:14). frced causes (Rev 13:16). Bratcher and Hattn remark: A translatr must decide here, as elsewhere, what effect the shift f tense will have n the reader. 12 In additin: The exegete must decide what the effect f the usage f the present tense wuld have had n the first hearers. There are sme ptins: 13 The present tense may be used t describe a scene in prgress, especially in narrative literature: at this present time. 14 The present tense may be used t describe an actin which, begun in the past, cntinues in the present. The emphasis is n the present time. 15 The present tense may be used t describe an event that repeatedly happens, r an actin that regularly ccurs r an nging state. 16 Taking these bservatins int accunt and the call fr wisdm (Rev 13:18), a call addressed t the first readers makes it plausible that Revelatin 13:11-18 described the present situatin f the first readers. They were suffering frm plitical and religius ppressin, causing ecnmic and scial islatin. He exercised all the authrity f the first beast n his behalf. The secnd beast is the representative f the first beast. When the first beast is identified with the reigning pwer f Rme, the secnd beast can be identified with the lcal plitical and religius pwers in Asia Minr. And made the earth and its inhabitants wrship the first beast. 12 Bratcher, R. G., & Hattn, H. (1993, p. 201). 13 See Wallace, D.B. (1996, p ). 14 Wallace, D.B. (1996, p. 518). 15 Wallace, D.B. (1996, p. 519). 16 Wallace, D.B. (1996, p. 520, 521).

12 the inhabitants is used f thse wh are nt Gd s peple. 17 Emperr wrship did ccur in the Eastern part f the Rman Empire. whse fatal wund had been healed This is a reference t the frmer descriptin f the first beast (Rev 13:3, 4): One f the heads f the beast seemed t have had a fatal wund, but the fatal wund had been healed. The whle wrld was astnished and fllwed the beast. Men wrshiped the dragn because he had given authrity t the beast, and they als wrshiped the beast and asked, Wh is like the beast? Wh can make war against him? Fatal wund. He wuld have died if he didn t recver. But he was healed (unexpectedly). Wrship is the dminating theme in Revelatin 13. And he perfrmed great and miraculus signs, even causing fire t cme dwn frm heaven t earth in full view f men. (See als: Mt 24:24; 2 Thess 2:9.) It is interesting t nte that Pliny the Elder in his Natural Histry referred t causing fire cme dwn frm heaven : It is related in ur Annals, that by certain sacred rites and imprecatins, thunder-strms may be cmpelled r invked. There is an ld reprt in Etruria, that thunder was invked when the city f Vlsinium had its territry laid waste by a mnster named Vlta. Thunder was als invked by King Prsenna. And L. Pis, a very respectable authr, states in the first bk f his Annals, that this had been frequently dne befre his time by Numa, and that Tullus Hstilius, imitating him, but nt having prperly perfrmed the ceremnies, was struck with the lightning 18 Verse Because f the signs he was given pwer t d n behalf f the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants f the earth. The signs are meant t impress the peple. He deceived the inhabitants f the earth. See als Revelatin 19:20). And the great dragn was thrwn dwn, that ancient serpent, wh is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver f the whle wrld he was thrwn dwn t the earth, and his angels were thrwn dwn with him (Rev 12:9; 20:3). He was given pwer. By whm? Is it a divine passive meaning Gd gave the secnd beast the pwer? It is better t translate Gd allwed the secnd beast t have the pwer. The beast is respnsible fr abusing this pwer by deceiving the inhabitants. Still, Gd is in cntrl! 17 Bratcher, R. G., & Hattn, H. (1993, p. 202). 18 Pliny the Elder, The Natural Histry. Jhn Bstck, M.D., F.R.S., H.T. Riley, Esq., B.A., Ed. (n.d.). Retrieved frm

13 He rdered them t set up an image in hnr. The inhabitants f the earth are impressed by the signs. They are ready t set up an image. The histry f Nebuchadnezzar and his glden image is a telling illustratin (Dan 3). The beast wh was wunded by the swrd and yet lived. We cannt with certainty identify ne f the Rman Emperrs matching this descriptin. He was given pwer t give breath t the image f the first beast, s that it culd speak. Wh did give him this pwer? It is better t translate He was allwed The beast is respnsible. Gd is in cntrl! It is still an image, an image that was erected, an image that culdn t walk, nr mve! And cause all wh refused t wrship the image t be killed. Cause. The image didn t rder by its vice t kill all thse wh refused wrship. This might indicate that the speaking f the image was nly meant t impress the peple. It is the secnd beast that causes the killing. Beale qutes Price: Price has cncluded that the establishment f the prvincial cult f Dmitian at Ephesus, with its clssal statue, is what lies behind the depictin in Revelatin 13 f believers being put t death fr nt wrshiping the image f the beast. Thugh sunding verly cnfident, Price appears justified in saying that n ther interpretatin [f Revelatin 13] which fits the knwn gegraphical and tempral cntexts is as suitable as this, especially since this event at Ephesus invlved the participatin f the whle prvince, as attested by the series f dedicatins by numerus cities. Price reasns that such large-scale invlvement by the entire prvince led t unusually strng pressure n Christians t cnfrm. 19 Against this backgrund, it is understandable that ppular pressure n and animsity against Christians wuld cme at times f such public festivals when the Christians refused t participate in these crprate expressins f idlatrus religi-plitical lyalty. 20 And all wh refused. The meaning f all is determined by the cntext, the literary and the histrical cntext. Beale remarks: Certainly nt all believers fund themselves in this situatin, just as it must be assumed that many Jews refused t wrship Nebuchadnezzar s image, yet nly the three yuths f Daniel 3 were actually called t accunt and thrwn int the furnace fr the ffense. Nt all f the Rman prvincial cuncils wuld have necessarily enfrced this punishment n all thse wh disbeyed, which is supprted by Revelatin 2 3, where Jhn des nt expect all the churches t underg such harsh measures. Surely much 19 Beale, G. K. (1999, p. 712), Price, S. (2009, p. 197, 198). 20 Beale, G. K. (1999, p. 713).

14 persecutin was due t lcal enthusiasm fr the imperial cult, which was prbably nt felt thrughut the whle f Asia Minr. 21 He als frced everyne,, t receive a mark n his right hand r n his frehead Mark. The mark is clearly figurative f the ways in which the state keeps check n whether peple submit t cmpulsry idl wrship. Pssibly, as in the later persecutins under Dicletian and Decius, certificates were issued t thse lyal t the emperr and participating in the required ritual f the imperial religin. the mark alludes t the state s plitical and ecnmic stamp f apprval, given nly t thse wh g alng with its religius demands. 22 The Revelatin warns severely against anyne wh received this mark: A third angel fllwed them and said in a lud vice: If anyne wrships the beast and his image and receives his mark n the frehead r n the hand, he, t, will drink f the wine f Gd s fury, which has been pured full strength int the cup f his wrath (Rev 14:9, 10; 16:2). There is n rest day r night fr thse wh wrship the beast and his image, r fr anyne wh receives the mark f his name (Rev 14:11) There is als the prmise: And I saw the suls f thse wh had been beheaded because f their testimny fr Jesus and because f the wrd f Gd. They had nt wrshiped the beast r his image and had nt received his mark n their freheads r their hands. They came t life and reigned with Christ a thusand years (Rev 20:4). The mark is the ppsite f the seal f Gd put n the freheads f the servants f Gd (Rev 7:3). S that n ne culd buy r sell unless he had the mark, which is the name f the beast r the number f his name. The effect f the mark is twfld. Christians were scially and ecnmically marginalized. Verse 18 This calls fr wisdm. This is the secnd call f three, fund within Revelatin 13-14: If anyne is t g int captivity, int captivity he will g. If anyne is t be killed with the swrd, with the swrd he will be killed. This calls fr patient endurance and faithfulness n the part f the saints (Rev 13:10). This calls fr wisdm. If anyne has insight, let him calculate the number f the beast, fr it is man s number. His number is 666 (Rev 13:18). This calls fr patient endurance n the part f the saints wh bey Gd s cmmandments and remain faithful t Jesus (Rev 14:12). 21 Beale, G. K. (1999, p. 714). 22 Beale, G. K. (1999, p. 715).

15 Cmpare: This calls fr a mind with wisdm. The seven heads are seven hills n which the wman sits (Rev 19:9). If anyne has insight, let him calculate the number f the beast, fr it is man s number. His number is 666. Insight r understanding. Beast refers t the first beast. Calculate = ψηφίζω : 1. t add up digits and calculate a ttal, cunt (up), calculate, reckn (literally with pebbles ) (Lk 14:28). 2. t prbe a number fr its meaning, interpret, figure ut. 23 Bth meanings, t add up digits and t prbe a number fr its meaning are needed. The ttal has been given. When we add up the digits 1 t 36, the ttal will be 666, a triangle number. In sme languages, including Hebrew and Greek, numbers were represented by letters, and each letter had a numerical value. The number f a name wuld be the sum ttal f the numerical value f the letters f that name. 24 The number might refer t Emperr Ner but nly when the Hebrew letters are used. The ttal is given (666) and an indefinite reference t man. Fr it is man s number. It is the number f humankind is als a triangle number. (See fr an explanatin abve). Triangle numbers are meant t refer t the gdly realm. The first beast wre blasphemus names, like gd, lrd, and saviur. It is abut a man wh wants t be like gd, t be Gd himself. It is the rt f all sins that man wants t be like gd. 23 Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., Bauer, W., & Gingrich, F. W. (2000, p. 1028). 24 Bratcher, R. G., & Hattn, H. (1993, p. 204). 25 If ἀνθρώπου is generic, then the sense is, It is [the] number f humankind. It is significant that this cnstructin fits Apllnius Cann (i.e., bth the head nun and the genitive are anarthrus), suggesting that if ne f these nuns is definite, the ther is, t. Grammatically, thse wh cntend that the sense is it is [ the] number f a man have the burden f prf n them (fr they treat the head nun, ἀριθμός, as definite and the genitive, ἀνθρώπου, as indefinite the rarest f all pssibilities). In the light f Jhannine usage, we might als add Rev 16:18, where the Seer clearly uses the anarthrus ἀνθρώπος in a generic sense, meaning humankind. The implicatins f this grammatical pssibility, exegetically speaking, are simply that the number 666 is the number that represents humankind. Of curse, an individual is in view, but his number may be the number representing all f humankind. Thus the Seer might be suggesting here that the antichrist, wh is the best representative f humanity withut Christ (and the best cunterfeit f a perfect man that his master, that ld serpent, culd muster), is still less than perfectin (which wuld have been represented by the number seven). (Wallace, D.B., 1996, p. 254)

16 When we lk back at the first encunter with the serpent and dragn in Genesis 3, we read: The serpent said t the wman. Fr Gd knws that when yu eat f it yur eyes will be pened, and yu will be like Gd, knwing gd and evil (Gen 3:5). Read als 2 Thessalnians 2:3, 4: Let n ne deceive yu in any way. Fr that day will nt cme, unless the rebellin cmes first, and the man f lawlessness is revealed, the sn f destructin, wh ppses and exalts himself against every s-called gd r bject f wrship, s that he takes his seat in the temple f Gd, prclaiming himself t be Gd. Applicatin Befre It is necessary t have a clse lk at the sciety. What is the predminant religin? What is the predminant idelgy? What is the main plitical pwer? What is their stance against Christianity? Des the church suffer because f ppressin, persecutin, scial and ecnmic measures? Is there freedm t prclaim the Gspel and t evangelize? Revelatin 13:11-18 Praise Christ because he has received all authrity in heaven and n earth (Rev 11:15; Mt:28:18). Christians need the wisdm t cpe with ppressin and persecutin, tgether with endurance, faithfulness. Jesus said: And d nt fear thse wh kill the bdy but cannt kill the sul. Rather fear him wh can destry bth sul and bdy in hell (Mt 10:28). And: Here is a call fr the endurance f the saints, thse wh keep the cmmandments f Gd and their faith in Jesus. And I heard a vice frm heaven saying, Write this: Blessed are the dead wh die in the Lrd frm nw n. Blessed indeed, says the Spirit, that they may rest frm their labrs, fr their deeds fllw them! (Rev 14:12, 13). Tday the mark (f the beast) can be anything used by a gvernment t suppress any kind r frm f religin, especially Christianity. This can be the membership f a predminant plitical party r adhering t a state religin. Members receive all kinds f privileges. Nn-members will be marginalized, ppressed, scially and ecnmically, persecuted, and imprisned. The number 666 is applicable t every situatin in which a state, a gvernment f a persn acclaims gdly stature and wrship. It is the number f mankind striving fr gdly status.

17 Bibligraphy Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., & Bauer, W. (2000). A Greek-English lexicn f the New Testament and ther early Christian literature (3rd ed.). Chicag: University f Chicag Press. Bauckham, R. (1993). The climax f prphecy studies n the bk f Revelatin. Edinburgh: T & T Clark. Beale, G. (1999). The bk f Revelatin: A cmmentary n the Greek text. Grand Rapids: W.B. Eerdmans Pub. Bratcher, R. G., & Hattn, H. (1993). A handbk n the Revelatin t Jhn. New Yrk: United Bible Scieties. Garrw, A. (1997). Revelatin. Lndn: Rutledge. Hemer, C. (2001). The letters t the seven churches f Asia in their lcal setting. Grand Rapids: W.B. Eerdmans Pub. Lausberg, H. (1998). Handbk f Literary Rhetric. A Fundatin fr Literary Study. (Ed. D. F. Ortn and R. D. Andersn). Leiden: Brill. Liddell, H. G., Sctt, R., Jnes, H. S., & McKenzie, R. (1996). A Greek-English lexicn. Oxfrd: Clarendn Press. Luw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicn f the New Testament: based n semantic dmains (electrnic ed. f the 2nd editin.). New Yrk: United Bible Scieties. Osbrne, G. (2002). Revelatin. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Academic. Price, S. R. (2009). Rituals and pwer: The Rman imperial cult in Asia Minr. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Wallace, D. B. (1996). Greek grammar beynd the basics: An exegetical syntax f the New Testament with scripture, subject, and Greek wrd indexes. Grand Rapids: Zndervan. Walvrd, J. (1966). The Revelatin f Jesus Christ: A cmmentary. Chicag: Mdy Press.

18 Figure 1A libellus frm the Decian Persecutin, A.D See Persecutin.