The Meaning of the 666
Nugget 6
In the book of Revelation, there is an enigmatic reference to the number of the name of the beast. It is said to be 666.
This strange clue has spawned much wild speculation. And yet, the answer to the riddle is in the end surprisingly simple.
First, we must understand that the first beast of Revelation is equivalent to Daniel’s little horn, and that both were historically fulfilled by the Roman Catholic Church’s Papal power, which reigned over Europe and most of the civilized world from AD 538 to 1798 (1260 years). For a fuller treatment of the scriptural and historical basis behind this claim, you may read Chapter 5 of my book, God’s Final Battle, which is titled The Women Riding the Beast.
Therefore, in seeking for an explanation of the 666, we must be able to tie it to the Papal power structure.
Now, biblically, the number 666 only appears one other place. And this is in reference to the amount of gold king Solomon brought in every year (recorded in both 1 Kings 10:14 and 2 Chronicles 9:13).
So, because of this connection, we see that from the start the number 666 is biblically linked to opulence and wealth and to having more than you need. Given its link to the papacy, this is interesting.
Now, there is a danger in gematria and in trying to use numbers alone as primary evidence for some conclusion or other. And with the 666 many people fall into a tendency to do just this by randomly tying people or things whose letters (in one way or another) add up to 666 to the prophecy. This is often unwarranted. And this fascination seems to have especially grown in our own age of the internet as we can search out obscure numerical connections and jump to wild conclusions when in reality the “connections” are little more than coincidence. For one example, just look at the number of people on X from 2020 to 2024 predicting that Trump was going to return as President on this particular day or that particular day and using time stamps from Truth Social posts or who knows what other nonsense to make a seemingly plausible argument. And yet it was all based on the natural coincidences associated with numbers and it never amounted to anything in reality because Trump never publicly re-assumed power until after the 2024 election. Since 2024, of course, the fascination with numbers has not waned, there are now just a myriad of other popular events which folks commonly attempt to predict using numerical coincidences. At its core, this can appear to be little more than a pseudo-scientific means of divination.
Obviously, I do not condone any of the above, nor do I wish to be associated with it. That is not the type of 666 post I intend to write. This is not about grabbing some meaningless numerical coincidences and leaping to far-reaching conclusions. Instead, I think we must begin with primary evidence and proceed logically from there. In this case, we must first understand that the first beast of Revelation is the Papacy (see the post linked above), and then from there we can proceed to looking for the meaning of the 666 itself. We have to know the general starting point before we can hope to find the specific location.
Michael Scheifler sums up the situation well in his article on 666.
The number alone cannot identify the beast since numerous names can add up to 666. However, inasmuch as the beast has already been identified, the number 666 must have a relationship to this power.
— Michael Scheifler
Michael and I both agree on the starting point. The beast from the sea of Revelation 13 (the first beast of Revelation) is fulfilled in the Papacy. Now, there may potentially also be other historical fulfillments (multiple fulfillments of symbolic prophecies are certainly possible), but if that is indeed true of this beast, then I can only say that the Papacy appears to be the primary fulfillment. (An example of another potential fulfillment would be the first century fulfillment hypothesized by James B. Jordan. In my view, Jordan’s theory is a remote possibility, but it does not match the specifics nearly as well as the Papacy and so could only feasibly be a secondary fulfillment.) I do find, however, that looking for multiple fulfillments of every symbol in the Apocalypse tends to dilute the prophecy’s power. Therefore, I think it prudent to identify the primary fulfillment and to content ourselves with that.
Before we go further, here are the key verses from Revelation 13.
Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.
— Revelation 13:16-18
Now, it is important to note that these verses appear after the second beast has arisen from the land (Revelation 13:11). However, because the focus shifts back to the first beast in verses 12 through 15, it is logical to assume that the references to “the beast” in verses 16-18 point to the first beast. I would recommend reading verses 11 through 18 to thoroughly convince yourself of this basic point.
Notice how verse 17 alludes to the number of the beast’s name. And then verse 18 says that the number is 666. So, logically then, the number of the beast’s name is 666. However, based on the Greek word translated “name,” we must also allow for titles to equal 666 as well.
It might be argued by some that 666 must be applied to one man’s name, and that this will then help identify him as the antichrist. I would offer the following verse to show that 666 need not apply solely to a man’s name:
Rev 19:16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
The same Greek word translated as name (onoma: G3686) that appears in Revelation 13:17-18 is also used in chapter 19:16, so clearly the word can also apply to a title, and not just one man’s name. Now, we are told that it takes a certain understanding and wisdom to discern just how this number is actually applied. Based on the fact that 666 can apply to a title, below are several words and phrases that have been put forth over the centuries as probable solutions to the enigma of 666.
— Michael Scheifler
So, 666 could point to either a name or a title.
Vicarius Filii Dei is a Latin phrase that translates to “Vicar of the Son of God.” This title is loosely equivalent to saying, “in the place of the Son of God,” because a Vicar is by definition a substitute or someone who takes the place of someone else. So, it is in short a blasphemous title given to the Pope of Rome during the Medieval period. And, incidentally, it is also equivalent to the meaning of the name Antichrist.
The numeric value of this title, Vicarius Filii Dei, in Latin is 666. So, the title adds up to precisely 666. What are the odds?
What’s more there is strong historical evidence showing both that this title was used as early as 1054 and that it continued to be used frequently down until the time of Pope Paul VI in the 1960s and 1970s. In fact, Pope Paul VI used the phrase twice in official Papal decrees.
This seems to be the most probable meaning and historical fulfillment of Revelation 13. Simply put, I believe the name of the beast is Vicarius Filii Dei, which is 666.