VICARIUS FILII DEI 666, The Number of the Beast in Greek, Latin and Hebrew
Rev 13:16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
Rev 13:17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
Rev 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is
Six hundred threescore and six.
Note that according to verse 17, there are three different characteristics that distinguish the beast:
- his mark (of authority)
- his name
- the number of his name (666).
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.
GREEK
The numeric equivalents of Greek letters can also be found in the Encyclopedia Britannica under "Languages of the World", Table 8.
The ancient Greek word for "the Latin speaking man" is
LATEINOS
L = 30 lambda
A = 1 alpha
T = 300 tau
E = 5 epsilon
I = 10 iota
N = 50 nu
O = 70 omicron
S = 200 sigma
------------
666
NOTE: Latin is the official language of the Roman Catholic Church. Church Documents are usually published first in Latin, and then translated from the Latin into other languages. The association of "Lateinos" with 666 was first suggested by Irenæus (ca. 130-202 A.D.) who proposed in his
Against Heresies that it might be the name of the fourth kingdom in Daniel 7:7.
Then also Lateinos has the number six hundred and sixty-six; and it is a very probable [solution], this being the name of the last kingdom [of the four seen by Daniel]. For the Latins are they who at present bear rule: I will not, however, make any boast over this [coincidence].
Source:
Against Heresies, by Irenæus, Book 5, chapter 30, paragraph 3.
St. Irenaeus biography online at the New Advent Catholic web site.
The ancient Greek for
"The Latin Kingdom" is
HE LATINE BASILEIA BASILEIA is Strong's # G932 The ancient Greek for
"Italian Church" is
ITALIKA EKKLESIA EKKLESIA is Strong's # G1577 And in ancient Greek
the word
APOSTATES And in ancient Greek
the word for "tradition"
PARADOSIS
Strong's # G3862
H = 0 (transliterated)
E = 8 eta
L = 30 lambda
A = 1 alpha
T = 300 tau
I = 10 iota
N = 50 nu
E = 8 eta
B = 2 beta
A = 1 alpha
S = 200 sigma
I = 10 iota
L = 30 lambda
E = 5 epsilon
I = 10 iota
A = 1 alpha
666
I = 10 iota
T = 300 tau
A = 1 alpha
L = 30 lambda
I = 10 iota
K = 20 kappa
A = 1 alpha
E = 5 epsilon
K = 20 kappa
K = 20 kappa
L = 30 lambda
E = 8 eta
S = 200 sigma
I = 10 iota
A = 1 alpha
666
A = 1 alpha
P = 80 pi
O = 70 omicron
ST = 6 stigma*
A = 1 alpha
T = 300 tau
E = 8 eta
S = 200 sigma
666
* Stigma is a now obsolete Greek character, but it appears in the New Testament in Rev 13:18 to give the value 666 (chi xi stigma - See Strong's Concordance, # G5516).
P = 80 pi
A = 1 alpha
R = 100 rho
A = 1 alpha
D = 4 delta
O = 70 omicron
S = 200 sigma
I = 10 iota
S = 200 sigma
666
LATIN
NUMERAL NAME VALUE
I
unus 1
V
quinque 5
X
decem 10
L
quinquaginta 50
C
centum 100
D
quingenti 500
M
mille 1000
VICARIUS FILII DEI
THE LITERAL MEANING: VICARIUS - substituting for, or in place of
FILII - means son
DEI - means GOD
V = 5
I = 1
C = 100
A = no value
R = no value
I = 1
U/V = 5
S = no value
..............
112
F = no value
I = 1
L = 50
I = 1
I = 1
--------
53
D = 500
E = no value
I = 1
--------
501
-------
112 + 53 + 501 = 666
................
DUX CLERI
translated means Captain of the Clergy
LUDOVICUS
translated means Vicar of the Court
D = 500
U = 5
X = 10
C = 100
L = 50
E = no value
R = no value
I = 1
----------------
666
L = 50
U = 5
D = 500
O = no value
V = 5
I = 1
C = 100
U = 5
S = no value
----------------
666
....................
HEBREW
The numeric equivalents of Hebrew letters can be found in the Encyclopedia Britannica under "Languages of the World", Table 50.
ROMIITH
means the Roman Kingdom
R = 200 resh
O = 6 waw (vav)
M = 40 mem
I = 10 yod
I = 10 yod
TH = 400 taw
--------------
666
ROMITI
means the Roman Man
R = 200 resh
O = 6 waw (vav)
M = 40 mem
I = 10 yod
T = 400 taw
I = 10 yod
----------
666
Note:
- Lateinos, Ecclesia Italika, and Romith are cited as possible solutions by Johannes Gerhard (1582-1637), a Lutheran, in his Adnotationes in Apocalypsin, page 110.
- Romith, Vicarius Filii Dei, Dux Cleri, Ordinarius Ovilis Christi Pastor, and Dic Lux are cited by the rector of Berlin, Andreas Helwig [or Helwich] (1572-1643) in his Antichristus Romanus, in proprio suo nomine, numerum illum Apocalypticum (DCLXVI) continente proditus, published in 1612 in Wittenberg.
- Dux Cleri is cited by Walter Brute (or Britte), a fourteenth century follower of Wycliff, in his Registrum, page 356.
- Ludovicus was proposed by James Bicheno (d. 1831), a British minister and author, applying it at the time to the French King Louis XIV, as the two-horned beast from the earth.
- He Latine Basileia and Lateinos are cited by Alexander Campbell (1788-1866), founder of the Disciples of Christ, in A Debate on the Roman Catholic Religion of 1837.
See
The PROPHETIC FAITH OF OUR FATHERS, The Historical Development of Prophetic Interpretation, by Le Roy Edwin Froom, Volumes II and IV, published by the Review and Herald Publishing Association, Washington D.C., Copyright 1948.
This relationship of 666 in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew is only one relatively small, yet important indicator that the Papacy is the Antichrist and the beast from the sea of Revelation 13. This association by itself proves little, as 666 can fit other people using the same methods. All the other biblical characteristics of the Antichrist must be considered and met as well, then this association becomes significant.
An objection has been raised that the method of gematria used above to calculate the Roman numeral value of phrases is incorrect. The word VICARIUS it is argued, must be calculated with letters grouped as follows: VI=6 C=100 A=0 R=0 IU= 4 S=0, for a value of only 110, instead of 112. This is patently incorrect. The value of each individual letter is to be added to yield a total value. It is totally irrelevant to the calculation if adjacent letters can be combined in groups to give a value. This assertion that letters must be grouped is nothing but sheer nonsense.
666 and CÆSAR NERO
Some will suggest that the book of Revelation was written only for those living at the time, and that 666 most probably applies to Cæsar Nero, who ruled Rome from 54 to 68 A.D., rather than someone from latter centuries. This point of view, which suggests Revelation had an immediate application to the first century, rather than being prophetic, is known as
preterism, and is commonly held by the Catholic Church. So, just how is Nero linked to 666?
The preterist takes a relatively uncommon form of Nero's name, Nero Cæsar or Cæsar Nero, and adds an "n", resulting in Neron Cæsar. Next the Latin is transliterated into Aramaic, resulting in
nrwn qsr, which when using the numeric equivalent of the letters, then adds up to 666 as follows:
Nun = 50
Resh = 200
Waw = 6
Nun = 50
Qoph = 100
Samech = 60
Resh = 200
...................
666
An example of this spelling has apparently been recently discovered in one of the Dead Sea scrolls. If you use the same process, but without the added "n" the result is 616. Interestingly, some early manuscripts have 616 rather than 666, but even scholars such as Irenæus [A.D. 120-202] attribute the 616 to only a copyist error (
Against Heresies: Book V Chapter XXX.), "this number [666] being found in all the most approved and ancient copies" [of the Apocalypse] and asserts that "men who saw John face to face bearing their testimony" [to it - 666].
There is a problem though with the above calculation. According to the rules of Jewish numerology, known as
gematria, when the letter Nun appears a second time in a word, it is known as a "Final", and takes the value of 700.* So to be precise, NRWN QSR actually adds up to 1316 and not 666.
*Source: Behind Numerology, by Shirley Blackwell Lawrence, copyright 1989, published by Newcastle Publishing Co., Inc., North Hollywood, California, ISBN 0-87877-145-X, page 41.
So the preterist calculation which attributes 666 to Nero, however, is nothing more than a rather desperate attempt to find some likely candidate for the Antichrist other than the Papacy. (
source: to the above is from Biblelight by Michael Scheifer)
................
For me personally the popes of the Catholic church's adding up to 666 in three different languages is more than coincidence that in my personal view cannot be ignored because the probability that this can take place in three different languages by chance is
extremely low
Take Care.
