'This is wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666' - Revelation 13:18.
Most people know that 666 is the number of the beast. Who or what the beast is, or why he should have a number is less certain ground.
Not many people will have heard of 888. Surprisingly 888 occurs in the Bible verse immediately following the one containing 666, quoted above. However it is hidden in the verse rather than clearly stated, as I will be explaining later.
The Scriptures are inspired by the Holy Spirit, and without the help of the Holy Spirit we can only understand them at the superficial level of the natural mind. We can understand their moral teaching and enjoy their stories and poetry, but we are in darkness as to their spiritual meaning.
Some things in Scripture are specifically described as mysteries. In various places in the New Testament we find such statements as 'He that has ears let him hear,' or 'Let him that reads understand' or 'Behold, I show you a mystery.' Revelation 13:18 (quoted above) begins with the words 'This is wisdom.' Such phrases indicate something hidden, which we must search out by prayerful study in dependence on the Holy Spirit. Our topic of 666 and 888 is in that category.
To understand Revelation 13:18, we will need to study the preceding verses. Most people would do this naturally here, as they are dramatic, and obviously part of the same topic. We will also need to study the verses following. Many people would not do this here, because they are in the next chapter, and at first sight don't appear to have any special connection. It is the verses following in chapter 14 that hold the key to understanding the number of the beast.
We will also need some knowledge of the subject of Bible numeric’s, without which it is impossible to understand the significance of 666 or 888.
Numbers in the Bible have significance. Seven, for example, is regarded as the number of spiritual perfection and of God. Thirteen is often associated with rebellion and Satan. Six is particularly the number of man and his works.
How do we know the meaning or significance of a given number?
The significance of numbers is established by their use both in Scripture and in nature. God created man on the sixth day in the Genesis account, and on the seventh day he rested from his works. He appointed 6 days for man's labor. After 600 years Noah, whose name means Rest, ceased from work and entered the ark. These and other scriptures, make 6 the number of man and of man's works apart from God. The seventh day is the Lord's Day. The Bible, especially the book of Revelation, is heavily patterned on the number 7. This indicates that 7 is the number of God.
The meanings of numbers are further illustrated and established by the study of Gematria or the numeric values of words. The Greeks and Hebrews did not have separate symbols, such as 1, 2 and 3, for numbers like we do. Instead, like the Romans, they used the letters of their alphabets. In Greek alpha represents 1 and beta 2 and so on up to iota, which is 10. After that kappa is 20, lambda 30 and so on up to ro, which is 100. Sigma is 200, tau 300 and so on up to omega, which is 800. These values are shown in the table below. (The number 6 was originally the letter digamma which later dropped out of use.) This means that you can take the letters of any word or name, and add them up to get a total value for the word. That value is called the gematria. The name Jesus (IhsouV in Greek) adds up to 888.
|
Letter |
Name |
Value |
Letter |
Name |
Value |
Letter |
Name |
Value |
|
a |
alpha |
1 |
i |
iota |
10 |
r |
ro |
100 |
|
b |
beta |
2 |
k |
kappa |
20 |
s |
sigma |
200 |
|
g |
gamma |
3 |
l |
lamda |
30 |
t |
tau |
300 |
|
d |
delta |
4 |
m |
mu |
40 |
u |
upsilon |
400 |
|
e |
epsilon |
5 |
n |
nu |
50 |
f |
phi |
500 |
|
z |
zeta |
7 |
x |
xi |
60 |
c |
chi |
600 |
|
h |
eta |
8 |
o |
omicron |
70 |
y |
psi |
700 |
|
q |
theta |
9 |
p |
pi |
80 |
w |
omega |
800 |
Many of the titles of Jesus have the number 8 as a prominent feature or factor. KurioV (Lord) has the value 800. CristoV (Christ) is 1480 which has the factors 37 x 8 x 5. (888 is 37 x 8 x 3). Alhqeia (truth) is 64 or 8 x 8. Swthr (Saviour) is 1408 or 8 x 8 x 22. OdoV (Way) is 344 or 8 x 43.
KosmoV (world) on the other hand has the gematria 600. The kosmos is the sphere of man's works apart from God. Many of the names and titles of Satan, such as drakwn (dragon) and ofiV (serpent), have the factor 13.
Over the centuries much time has been given to the study of numbers. Both men of God and students of the occult have been involved. The number 666 has excited much interest and the 153 fishes caught in the net have probably had more than 153 different explanations. An excellent book on the subject, Number in Scripture by Ethelbert Bullinger was written at the end of the 19th century. His grasp of Scripture and Hebrew and Greek was scholarly. His ideas of science are of course not up-to-date now. However the multitude of examples he produces from Scripture of consistent meanings for various numbers are very convincing, and I recommend his book to those interested in pursuing the subject further.
Bible numeric’s and gematria are certainly not everyone's cup of tea; so don't worry if you feel they aren't for you. However, I believe some knowledge of the subject is necessary for anyone who wants to understand the book of Revelation. This is especially true for those wanting to understand the meaning of 666, the number of the beast and its contrast with 888, the number of Jesus.
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