The meaning of 666

wishcat · 06-06-2006, 05:20 PM

Since today is 6/06/06 thought this was intersting and suited the occasion

I enjoyed reading it.

EDIT: Not sure if this is the proper location for this. Feel free to move it where you see fit.

Real Meaning of '666': Not What You Think

The Biblical reference to the number "666," which just so happens to be the date June 6, 2006 (06-06-06), is not an indication of the apocalypse or Satan as popular culture contends. Instead, it's a numeric code for a feared Roman Emperor, according to Greg Snyder, an associate professor of religion at Davidson College, who teaches classes on early Christian life and literature. Among these courses is one titled "The Book of Revelation and the Apocalyptic Imagination."

Revelation 13:18 ascribes the number "666" to the beast that rises from the sea and says it is also "the number of a man." Since the second century, the number and identity of the malevolent, apocalyptic figure it supposedly identifies has been the focus of endless speculation. Low-church Protestants with an apocalyptic streak favor explanations that identify 666 with the Pope. However, Snyder insists that the best explanation comes from the ancient practice of "gematria," or number mysticism. Gematria assigns numerical significance to letters of the alphabet, e.g., a=1, b=2, c=3 and so on. This can be carried out in any phonetic language, and from the ancient world, there are examples in Greek, Latin and in Hebrew. If you transliterate the phrase "Nero Caesar" into Hebrew characters and assign numerical values those characters based on the rules of gematria, the sum turns out to be 666.

So in the Book of Revelation, the number probably refers to the nasty ruler responsible for a vicious, but short-lived, persecution of Christians in the city of Rome in the years A.D. 64 to 65. The belief that a re-animated Nero would come back from the dead is attested in other ancient literature. As such, "666" refers to something in the past, not in the future. But the number, like the ultimate villain to which it supposedly refers, has taken on a life of its own.

http://channels.netscape.com/whatsne...=20060605-1332

cyberJade · 06-06-2006, 06:33 PM

So I see....

Circle V · 06-06-2006, 06:50 PM

An evangelist on TV two days ago explained it thusly:

6 is the number of Man, as God made Man on the 6th day. 6 (and Man), as God's labor was done on the 7th day, are both imperfect.

666 is 6 three times. Now 3 is a holy number, the number of God.

Therefore, 666 is Man putting himself in the place of God.

Temptation · 06-06-2006, 08:27 PM

and to think, i thought somethin freaky might have happened today.

oh well..., i could have used a twist in my life.

bjork_freak · 06-06-2006, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Circle V

An evangelist on TV two days ago explained it thusly:

6 is the number of Man, as God made Man on the 6th day. 6 (and Man), as God's labor was done on the 7th day, are both imperfect.

666 is 6 three times. Now 3 is a holy number, the number of God.

Therefore, 666 is Man putting himself in the place of God.

I thought 7 was the number of God.

mydnyght · 06-06-2006, 08:59 PM

something i was told about it has to do with numerology; (on a personal note, my life path number is 6

, and that 6 is the number of the earth element. i agree with that which was stated above, about the three's, and so the "earth" was placed above with the number 666....but of course, we can only believe 1/2 of what we hear right, and take the rest with a grain of NaCl.

darkmartin82 · 06-07-2006, 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bjork_freak

I thought 7 was the number of God.

As I understand from the litrature lessons at school the number three is indeed devine.
Because in the bible things done be the forces of good are always said and done in three times. The "devil" is suposed never to try things thrice, So if you dream, hear or in any other way notice things three times, it has to be from god.

I'm not saying that seven isn't a devine number, it is.

Morrigan_Dubh · 06-07-2006, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bjork_freak

I thought 7 was the number of God.

Well, yeah, if the devil is six...

wishcat · 06-07-2006, 03:14 PM

It's funny how people here in San Diego were being dorks yesterday.
They were freaking out because all week it has been like 80 degrees and then 06/06/06 comes by and the weather suddenly changed to gloomy and rainy.

I heard that pregnet mothers were trying to prolong there childs birth so they wouldn't be born on 06/06/06. People are so silly.
I also heard that there was a child born on 06/06/06 at 6:06am. Hehe.

WolfMoon · 06-07-2006, 04:14 PM

At 6:06am yesterday, I was having sex with a well-hung, tall dark and handsome man.

wishcat · 06-08-2006, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WolfMoon

At 6:06am yesterday, I was having sex with a well-hung, tall dark and handsome man.

Oooh! Lucky you.

Now that's the way to start a day off.

Emerald · 06-08-2006, 09:29 AM

From what I am lead to believe the number 3 represents the Divine by representing the Alpha and the Omega...the beginning and the end...on the way that it can be written in 3 stokes 1 is the beginning 2 the middle and 3 the end, if that makes sense...sorry I'm not explaining myself very well. As for The Devil as far as I am concerned he is an Egregore created and maintained by (for the most part) Christian belief.

WolfMoon · 06-08-2006, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wishcat

Oooh! Lucky you.

Now that's the way to start a day off.

It is!

It is indeed...

glen-397 · 03-30-2007, 07:14 PM

no 666 is the sign of the son of perdition, and may not be a number, as is a Greek word as well.

HumanePain · 03-30-2007, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Circle V

An evangelist on TV two days ago explained it thusly:

6 is the number of Man, as God made Man on the 6th day. 6 (and Man), as God's labor was done on the 7th day, are both imperfect.

666 is 6 three times. Now 3 is a holy number, the number of God.

Therefore, 666 is Man putting himself in the place of God.

That is what I heard too, so glen-397: are you calling the evangelist a liar?
You can't both be right.

Drake Dun · 03-30-2007, 11:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Morrigan_Dubh

Well, yeah, if the devil is six...

...and the devil is six, and the devil is six (and the devil is six)...

Drake

Drake Dun · 03-30-2007, 11:12 PM

By the way, this whole thread proves why gematria and numerology should always be avoided, except by the deliberately obscurantist.

Drake

Cyntrox · 03-31-2007, 03:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wishcat

However, Snyder insists that the best explanation comes from the ancient practice of "gematria," or number mysticism. Gematria assigns numerical significance to letters of the alphabet, e.g., a=1, b=2, c=3 and so on. This can be carried out in any phonetic language, and from the ancient world, there are examples in Greek, Latin and in Hebrew. If you transliterate the phrase "Nero Caesar" into Hebrew characters and assign numerical values those characters based on the rules of gematria, the sum turns out to be 666.

I've heard that you can do the same thing with George W. Bush...

Drake Dun · 03-31-2007, 04:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyntrox

I've heard that you can do the same thing with George W. Bush...

My point exactly.

Drake

Kraven de Sade · 03-31-2007, 04:53 AM

Isn't the original "number of the Beast" 616? Wouldn't that entirely nullify the whole "666 is bad" argument?

Lykaios · 03-31-2007, 06:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kraven de Sade

Isn't the original "number of the Beast" 616? Wouldn't that entirely nullify the whole "666 is bad" argument?

No, in revelations it's 666, and it IS in reference to Nero, as stated above.

Silly christians..

Kraven de Sade · 03-31-2007, 06:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lykaios

No, in revelations it's 666, and it IS in reference to Nero, as stated above.

Silly christians..

According to copies of Revelations dating back to 300 AD, the number is 616...

And who are you calling a "silly Christian?!" I'm as Christian as television is still black and white...

Lykaios · 03-31-2007, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kraven de Sade

And who are you calling a "silly Christian?!" I'm as Christian as television is still black and white...

Well, to be fair, I did say "Silly christians".. I was, for the most part, referring to Christians as a whole. I don't have a problem with them, except for when they push their beliefs on others, but I find them to be quite silly, some days. Like believing in a Satan, and all.

I apologize. Oh, and I could argue that television is black and white, but that would have no real purpose except for the sake of arguing.

Kraven de Sade · 03-31-2007, 07:07 PM

Oh, I see now. Sorry I snapped.

Rasputin · 04-01-2007, 12:58 AM

some sources indicate that 666 is the number of the antichrist, starting from nero, who started the persecution the christians
then napoleon, hitler, and any othere persons like ronald reagan branded as the antichrist.

some protestants thinked that the "word servus servorum dei" of the catholic church is equivalent to 666, others stated that 666 comes from the roman numeral DCLXVI-domitianus caesar legatos xti violenter interfecit, which means the emperor domitian violently killed the envoys of christ.
and 666 is also entitled as the unholy trinity, which composed of the devil, the antichrist, and the false prophet.