Source: Richard Bauckham, The Climax of Prophecy: Studies on the Book of Revelation (London; New York: T&T Clark: A Continuum Imprint, 1993), 384–452.
11. Cracking an Ancient Code.mp4
This podcast delves into the identification of the beast in Revelation with Emperor Nero, focusing on the significance of the number 666 and its connection to the legend of Nero's return. The podcast argues that Revelation employs ancient numerical practices like gematria and isopsephism to link Nero's name (in Hebrew) to the number 666 and even the word "beast," effectively demonstrating their identity. Furthermore, the text highlights how John, the author of Revelation, adapts different forms of the Nero legend and apocalyptic traditions, particularly regarding the beast's "death," "resurrection," and "parousia," to create a christological parody that contrasts the beast's apparent power and ultimate destruction with Christ's true authority and victory. It concludes that John historicized these traditions to reflect the Roman Empire's opposition to God and his people, as exemplified by Nero and the imperial cult.
For centuries, the number 666 has been a source of fascination and fear. Most people who have heard of it know it as the "Number of the Beast" from the Book of Revelation—a cryptic code pointing to a diabolical figure known as the Antichrist. The most common solution to this ancient riddle is that it refers to the cruel and self-indulgent Roman Emperor Nero.
While that historical connection is correct, it's only the first step into a far deeper mystery. Recent scholarship reveals that the number is not just a simple code. It is part of an intricate and astonishing symbolic system, weaving together mathematics, popular legends, and a profound theological critique of power. This system, hidden in plain sight for nearly two millennia, is more mind-bending than any conspiracy theory.
Here are five secrets about 666, drawn from the academic study of Revelation 13, that will change how you see the most infamous number in history.
The ancient world had a practice called gematria, where letters of the alphabet also served as numbers. This allowed any name or word to have a numerical value. Most scholars agree that "666" is the product of gematria. When you write "Nero Caesar" in Hebrew letters (נרוך קסר), the numerical values of those letters add up to 666.
But the author of Revelation, John, was doing something far more sophisticated than just hiding a name. He was using a related practice known as isopsephism, which aimed to prove that two different concepts were fundamentally linked because their names shared the same numerical value. John gives us a huge clue, stating, "let him who has intelligence calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man."
Here is the stunning reveal: the Greek word for "beast" (θηρίον), when transliterated into Hebrew letters (תריון), also adds up to 666.
John wasn’t just creating a riddle. He was presenting his readers with a mathematical proof. By showing that the numerical value of "Nero Caesar" was identical to the numerical value of "beast," he was demonstrating that Nero’s very name proved he was the Beast—an embodiment of the evil power prophesied in the Book of Daniel.