Is the number 666 the key to determining the end-times timeline?

[chilehed]

Is the number 666 the key to determining the end-times timeline?

No. The key is to understand that we're not supposed to bother with trying to figure it out, it's a waste of time and a distraction from the work that God calls us to do.

 

[keras]

I have not done the 2000 yearvcalculations you speak of, so I can't comment on their veracity.

Here they are, we should be ready for all that is Prophesied to happen in the end of this age.

7000 years from the Creation to the Completion of Mankind:

Genesis 1:27 Adam was created in 3972.5 BC subtracted back from 586 BCE, from:

Gen 5:3 Seth +130, Gen 5:6 Enoch +105, Gen 5:9 Kenan +90, Gen 5:12 Mahalalel +70, Gen 5:15 Jared +65, Gen 5:18 Enoch +162, Gen 5:21 Methuselah +65, Gen 5:25 Lamech +187, Gen 5:28 Noah+182, Gen 7:6 The Flood came when Noah was +600, Gen 11:10 Our year 2314.5 BC

Arpachshad +2 - born to Shem after the flood. Gen 11:12 Selah +35, Gen 11:14 Heber +30, Gen 11:16 Peleg +34, Gen 11:18 Reu +30, Gen 11:20 Serug +32, Gen 11:22 Nahor +30 , Gen 11:24 Terah +29, Gen 11:26 Abram +70, Abram was +52 when God called him and they left Ur. Our year 1970.5 BCE He lived in Haran for 23 years, then went to Canaan at age 75. Genesis 12:4 Total years so far = 2000

Gen 17:1, Abraham was 99 when the Covenant was made with God. +47 Genesis 17:1-8

Galatians 3:17 Paul states that the Law was given +430 after the Covenant. Total years elapsed until the Exodus – 2477, in our year 1493.5 BC.

1 Kings 6:1 The Temple construction starts, in the 4th year of King Solomon +480 since the Torah was given at the Exodus.. 1 Kings 11:42 Solomon 40 minus 4 = +36, 1 Kings 14:21 Rehoboam +17, 1 Kings 15:2 Abijah +3, 2 Chron 16:13 Asa +41, 1 Kings 22:42 Jehoshaphat +25, 2 Kings 8:17 Jehoram +8, 2 Kings 8:26 Ahaziah +1, 2 Kings 11:1-3 Athaliah +6, 2 Kings 12:1 Joash +40, 2 Kings 14:2 Amaziah +29, 2 Kings 15:1-2 Azariah +52, 2 Kings 15:33 Jotham +16, 2 Kings 16:2 Ahaz +16, 2 Kings 18:1-2 Hezekiah +29, 2 Kings 21:1 Manasseh +55, 2 Kings 21:19 Amon +2, 2 Kings 22:1 Josiah +31, 2 Kings 23:31 Jehoahaz +3mths, 2 Kings 23:36 Jehoiakim +11, 2 Kings 24:8 Jehoichin +3mths, 2 Kings 24:18-20 Zedekiah +11, who ruled until the Babylonian captivity in our year of 586 BC.

Total elapsed years to the first exile of Judah = 3386.5

3386.5 + 586 = 3972.5 years from 1BC to when Adam was Created.

586 BC + 613.5 years + 2 comes to 29.5/30 AD, the date of Jesus’ acknowledgment as King of Israel. Plus 2 to include the total number of elapsed years, as our calendar system counts years from their commencement.
3386.5 + 613.5 = 4000 years from Adam to Jesus.


June 2022 AD - 29.5/30 AD = 1992 years since Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on the first Palm Sunday, then was killed and resurrected.

1992 + 4000 = 5992 years, is where we are now. 5992 + 8 = 6000 years

2022 AD + 8 = 2030 AD

Exactly 2000 years for the present Church age, until Jesus Returns.

4000 since Abraham, 6000 since Adam. Next comes the 1000 year reign of King Jesus.
The final wrap up and the Great White Throne judgement of all people: 7000 years.

Revelation 22...I saw a new Heaven and a new Earth and the Holy City, made ready like a bride... A new Beginning!
Ref; logostelos.info

 

[Chris Thomas Shepherd]

Here they are, we should be ready for all that is Prophesied to happen in the end of this age.

7000 years from the Creation to the Completion of Mankind:

Genesis 1:27 Adam was created in 3972.5 BC subtracted back from 586 BCE, from:

Gen 5:3 Seth +130, Gen 5:6 Enoch +105, Gen 5:9 Kenan +90, Gen 5:12 Mahalalel +70, Gen 5:15 Jared +65, Gen 5:18 Enoch +162, Gen 5:21 Methuselah +65, Gen 5:25 Lamech +187, Gen 5:28 Noah+182, Gen 7:6 The Flood came when Noah was +600, Gen 11:10 Our year 2314.5 BC

Arpachshad +2 - born to Shem after the flood. Gen 11:12 Selah +35, Gen 11:14 Heber +30, Gen 11:16 Peleg +34, Gen 11:18 Reu +30, Gen 11:20 Serug +32, Gen 11:22 Nahor +30 , Gen 11:24 Terah +29, Gen 11:26 Abram +70, Abram was +52 when God called him and they left Ur. Our year 1970.5 BCE He lived in Haran for 23 years, then went to Canaan at age 75. Genesis 12:4 Total years so far = 2000

Gen 17:1, Abraham was 99 when the Covenant was made with God. +47 Genesis 17:1-8

Galatians 3:17 Paul states that the Law was given +430 after the Covenant. Total years elapsed until the Exodus – 2477, in our year 1493.5 BC.

1 Kings 6:1 The Temple construction starts, in the 4th year of King Solomon +480 since the Torah was given at the Exodus.. 1 Kings 11:42 Solomon 40 minus 4 = +36, 1 Kings 14:21 Rehoboam +17, 1 Kings 15:2 Abijah +3, 2 Chron 16:13 Asa +41, 1 Kings 22:42 Jehoshaphat +25, 2 Kings 8:17 Jehoram +8, 2 Kings 8:26 Ahaziah +1, 2 Kings 11:1-3 Athaliah +6, 2 Kings 12:1 Joash +40, 2 Kings 14:2 Amaziah +29, 2 Kings 15:1-2 Azariah +52, 2 Kings 15:33 Jotham +16, 2 Kings 16:2 Ahaz +16, 2 Kings 18:1-2 Hezekiah +29, 2 Kings 21:1 Manasseh +55, 2 Kings 21:19 Amon +2, 2 Kings 22:1 Josiah +31, 2 Kings 23:31 Jehoahaz +3mths, 2 Kings 23:36 Jehoiakim +11, 2 Kings 24:8 Jehoichin +3mths, 2 Kings 24:18-20 Zedekiah +11, who ruled until the Babylonian captivity in our year of 586 BC.

Total elapsed years to the first exile of Judah = 3386.5

3386.5 + 586 = 3972.5 years from 1BC to when Adam was Created.

586 BC + 613.5 years + 2 comes to 29.5/30 AD, the date of Jesus’ acknowledgment as King of Israel. Plus 2 to include the total number of elapsed years, as our calendar system counts years from their commencement.
3386.5 + 613.5 = 4000 years from Adam to Jesus.


June 2022 AD - 29.5/30 AD = 1992 years since Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on the first Palm Sunday, then was killed and resurrected.

1992 + 4000 = 5992 years, is where we are now. 5992 + 8 = 6000 years

2022 AD + 8 = 2030 AD

Exactly 2000 years for the present Church age, until Jesus Returns.

4000 since Abraham, 6000 since Adam. Next comes the 1000 year reign of King Jesus.
The final wrap up and the Great White Throne judgement of all people: 7000 years.

Revelation 22...I saw a new Heaven and a new Earth and the Holy City, made ready like a bride... A new Beginning!
Ref; logostelos.info

Very interesting accounting of individual lives.
By my calculations, Jesus was crucified and died on April 3rd 33AD.

Thanks for providing your approach to the 7000 years.

 

[Chris Thomas Shepherd]

No. The key is to understand that we're not supposed to bother with trying to figure it out, it's a waste of time and a distraction from the work that God calls us to do.

I hear what you're saying, however, why would God include so much prophesy in the Bible if we were not meant to figure it out?
Maybe, God is calling me to do just that. I could write a long explanation of how God has led me to this task, but I don't think you are particularly interested in reading it. So I will leave things as they are for now.

 

[Ivan Hlavanda]

Noted. I love God, and I agree with what you are saying, however, good people decades in the future are going to need help avoiding the tribulations and the evil that the Antichrist will bring upon the earth. My writings provide that ability. I wrote a book about the end-times timeline, identifying all of the tribulations listed in the 6th seal through the 7th trumpet. I am not promoting it because it is not meant for this time. It will be released when the Antichrist is coming to power. I am just excited by the things that the Holy Spirit has communicated to me.

I too wrote few pages of paper for when the rapture happens, and placed copies in 2 different languages everywhere over my room, and why things happened and what now, but that also includes the Gospel. Because unless people believe the gospel, there is no help.

 

[keras]

Very interesting accounting of individual lives.
By my calculations, Jesus was crucified and died on April 3rd 33AD.

Thanks for providing your approach to the 7000 years.

People cannot deny the addition of the exact time periods as given in the Bible.
Many other expositors of scripture, Barnabus for example, promote the 7000 year Plan of God for mankind.

Jesus commenced His Ministry in 27 AD, Proved by Luke 3:1-2, the 15th year of Tiberius.
His acclamation as King, His death and Resurrection, all happened in 30 AD

 

[chilehed]

I hear what you're saying, however, why would God include so much prophesy in the Bible if we were not meant to figure it out?

Why would anyone try given that the Bible indicates that we can't know, we won't know, it'll be a complete surprise, and if anyone says they know don't pay any attention to him?

 

[keras]

Why would anyone try given that the Bible indicates that we can't know, we won't know, it'll be a complete surprise, and if anyone says they know don't pay any attention to him?

Daniel 12:10 refutes you. A few wise leaders will know Gods plans for our future.

 

[Strong in Him]

I hear what you're saying, however, why would God include so much prophesy in the Bible if we were not meant to figure it out?

We don't need to "figure out" prophecy.
Prophets spoke God's word. In the NT whenever OT prophecy is fulfilled, we are told - "this is to fulfil what the prophets said ......", or "as it is written .....".
Jesus never told us to "work out" what 666 is - he didn't speak of it at all.
Jesus didn't tell us to do complicated sums to figure out his "timeline"; he said "no one knows the day or hour" and "the Son of Man will come when you do not expect him."

Revelation says that 666 is man's number, or the number of man. In Scripture, 7 is God's number (one of them) and stands for perfection, completion. Man's number is 6; created on the 6th day, below God, and fallen short of God's holiness and perfection. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23. Indeed the word sin apparently means, to fall short.
That man's number "of course" equals his age, is assumption.

 

[Strong in Him]

Daniel 12:10 refutes you. A few wise leaders will know Gods plans for our future.

That doesn't mean that a few people will be wise and work out the day of the Lord's coming - which he told us we cannot know.
In fact a wise person will know that we cannot know, and just get on with preaching the Gospel and serving the Lord.
"We know something that you don't/have special knowledge which others don't have," is Gnosticism - something the NT writers spoke out against.

 

[ViaCrucis]

The number represents a person's name. In languages like Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, etc they used their writing systems to also write numerical values. Same thing with Latin, just like how Latin (Roman Numerals) has I = 1 and V = 5 and X = 10. Hebrew, Greek, etc had similar systems. So in Greek A = 1, B = 2, Λ = 10, etc.

Thus words/names could have numerical value by simply adding together the characters in the word or name. So, if we take Jesus' name in Greek Ἰησοῦς (IHΣOYΣ) we can add I H Σ Ο Y and Σ together to get a value of 885.

I = 7,
H = 8,
Σ = 200,
O = 70,
Y = 400
Σ = 200,

7 + 8 + 200 + 70 + 400 + 200 = 885

So what we have in Revelation 13 is a man who is said to have a name that equals 666 (six hundred and sixty-six). In some ancient variants of the text, the name is said to equal 616 (six hundred and sixteen).

John seems to expect that his early readers could probably figure out who this is, suggesting that it was a name of a person they'd be already familiar with.

This is why many suspect that the Beast was probably Nero. If one were to write out Caesar Nero in Aramaic, you'll get either QSR NRWN or QSR NRW (I'm using Latin characters instead of Aramaic/Hebrew for simplicity's sake here). QSR NRWN adds up to 666, while QSR NRW adds up to 616. Which definitely is fascinating, as it may help explain the existence of the 616 variant in early manuscripts of the Revelation.

Why would one get either QSR NRWN or QSR NRW? Because Nero in Greek is "Neron" but Latin it is "Nero", so if one begins with Greek we get a final -n, but Latin doesn't. If you begin with Greek you get NRWN in Aramaic, if you begin in Latin you get NRW in Aramaic, that final -n (the letter נ "Nun") has a numerical value of 50. 616 + 50 = 666.

This all sounds more complicated than it actually is. The point is really just that names having numerical value was common knowledge in the ancient world, because we're actually the weird ones who use separate symbols for writing words and writing numbers.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Chris Thomas Shepherd]

The number represents a person's name. In languages like Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, etc they used their writing systems to also write numerical values. Same thing with Latin, just like how Latin (Roman Numerals) has I = 1 and V = 5 and X = 10. Hebrew, Greek, etc had similar systems. So in Greek A = 1, B = 2, Λ = 10, etc.

Thus words/names could have numerical value by simply adding together the characters in the word or name. So, if we take Jesus' name in Greek Ἰησοῦς (IHΣOYΣ) we can add I H Σ Ο Y and Σ together to get a value of 885.

I = 7,
H = 8,
Σ = 200,
O = 70,
Y = 400
Σ = 200,

7 + 8 + 200 + 70 + 400 + 200 = 885

So what we have in Revelation 13 is a man who is said to have a name that equals 666 (six hundred and sixty-six). In some ancient variants of the text, the name is said to equal 616 (six hundred and sixteen).

John seems to expect that his early readers could probably figure out who this is, suggesting that it was a name of a person they'd be already familiar with.

This is why many suspect that the Beast was probably Nero. If one were to write out Caesar Nero in Aramaic, you'll get either QSR NRWN or QSR NRW (I'm using Latin characters instead of Aramaic/Hebrew for simplicity's sake here). QSR NRWN adds up to 666, while QSR NRW adds up to 616. Which definitely is fascinating, as it may help explain the existence of the 616 variant in early manuscripts of the Revelation.

Why would one get either QSR NRWN or QSR NRW? Because Nero in Greek is "Neron" but Latin it is "Nero", so if one begins with Greek we get a final -n, but Latin doesn't. If you begin with Greek you get NRWN in Aramaic, if you begin in Latin you get NRW in Aramaic, that final -n (the letter נ "Nun") has a numerical value of 50. 616 + 50 = 666.

This all sounds more complicated than it actually is. The point is really just that names having numerical value was common knowledge in the ancient world, because we're actually the weird ones who use separate symbols for writing words and writing numbers.

-CryptoLutheran

I have heard this argument many times before, however few, if any, of the tribulations in Revelation occurred during Nero's reign. How do you account for this?
Thanks and God bless you

 

[ViaCrucis]

I have heard this argument many times before, however few, if any, of the tribulations in Revelation occurred during Nero's reign. How do you account for this?
Thanks and God bless you

It is my position that the Revelation was written decades after Nero's death, under the reign of Domitian (as per the witness of early Christian writers such as Irenaeus and Eusebius). I think the key point here is that the Beast suffers a fatal wound to the head but then comes back to life. After Nero's death, there was widespread rumor, speculation, etc that Nero would return or somehow be revived, what became known as the Nero Redivivus legend. The Revelation is addressing this, at least in an implicit way, from a Christian perspective. The persecution under Nero was horrific, during Nero's reign Christians were rounded up and killed as a spectacle, apparently Nero even would take Christians, crucify them, cover them in tar and oil and set their bodies on fire to light up his imperial gardens at night. It was under Nero that many of the Apostles lost their lives, most notably both Peter and Paul suffered their martyr's death at the hands of Nero.

The point the Revelation is driving home is that the war against the Church which began under Nero was revived; Nero was "revived" during Domitian's reign. As we read in the opening chapters and the letters to the seven churches contained therein of the persecutions and sufferings of the churches (with the exception of Laodicea which because if its prosperous ease was not suffering, and thus leading them to complacency, becoming "lukewarm" even as their brothers and sisters elsewhere were struggling in tribulation).

Eusebius, in his History writes that after Nero's death, there wasn't much persecution. For example Vespasian and Titus took no quarrel against the Church, but that this changed when Domitian came to power. It was under Domitian that the cult of Caesar worship really began, with temples set up specifically dedicated to the worship of Vespasian and Titus, most prominently the Temple of Vespasian and Titus in the Roman Forum. Domitian was really the first to proclaim himself "lord and god" in official imperial documents. Things only intensified after Domitian's death and Trajan succeeded him, under Trajan is when Ignatius of Antioch was arrested and taken to Rome to face his martyr's death in the arena, during his imprisoned trip to Rome he wrote his seven letters. In the exchanges between Pliny and Trajan is when we see Pliny the Younger asking Trajan what to do with the Christians, saying that whenever one was found they were brought before the magistrate and told to recant, and if they did not recant they were put to death: Trajan affirmed this and said this is what should happen.

Persecution began with Nero, then subsided for a time, only to begin anew under Domitian, then Trajan, and it continued in different ways and forms, with differing levels of severity throughout the next two centuries. Then under Decius we see the use of the libellus, a certificate of loyalty, stating that one had made sacrifice to the gods and a token sacrifice to Caesar; which became the Decian Persecution as Christians refused to make sacrifice to the pagan gods or to offer worship to Caesar or his image. Things reached a boiling point after Decius when Diocletian became emperor, and there was truly open war against the saints of God. We read that the survivors of the persecution who met at Nicea for the Council were missing arms, legs, their tongue, ears, eyes--the marks of their suffering for Christ and His Gospel.

We absolutely do see massive amounts of tribulation, horrific tribulation, at the hands of Roman tyrants. And not just in Rome, even after the Edict of Toleration, persecution remained outside of the Roman Empire, among the Parthians. The Persian Church continued to suffer, as did the Church in many places to the East. It must be remembered that Church was widespread from very early on, making it as far as Western China by the 5th-7th centuries. And Christians there likewise suffered persecution. The Christian population in Central Asia would eventually dwindle as the Mongol successor states converted to Islam, even though originally the Khans afforded Christians religious tolerance.

And while the Church did become the official religion of the Roman Empire under Theodosius, and when the Germanic tribes converted to Christianity and their kingdoms were established in Western Europe, Christians no longer needed to face official persecution, it's not as though persecution outside of Europe ended. As the above illustrates. We can, for example, see the persecution of Christians in Japan which began under the Tokugawa Shogunate, which forced Japanese Christians underground for several centuries until Japan adopted a constitution which allowed religious freedom. Then in the 20th century we've seen despotic regimes take aim at Christians, or all religious people in general, with Christian minorities under the cross hairs. Such as under the Soviet Union and the Maoist regime in China. With the rise of far-right Islamic governments in the middle east, Christians again came under fire under Muslim governments. It is somewhat ironic that though Saddam Hussein was a wicked tyrant, Christians weren't specifically targeted, but with the Iraq War and the rise of extremist groups in Iraq millions of Christians either had to flee as refugees or else were put to death. And that's just within the last twenty years.

The Church has always faced tribulation at the hands of worldly powers. And it isn't until Christ returns, and all powers and principalities are made subject to Him, when Christ comes to judge the nations, to judge the living and the dead, that finally this world by the renewing of all things will be a place where justice and peace reside.

The Beast, Nero, or Domitian, or Diocletian, or whatever form of violence and power in whatever age and generation it shows up in, will always war against the Church. The Church will always be an alien people, a family of immigrants in a hostile and fallen world; bearing the cross and Gospel of Jesus Christ and the message of His love and peace in a world that put Him to death, and which (as our Lord Himself said) if it hated Him, it will hate His Church as well.

But that's why the chief message of the Revelation isn't tribulation, it isn't antichrists and beasts and babylons. It's the Revelation of Jesus Christ, of the Christ who stands in the midst of the lampstands--in the midst of His Church--holding the keys to death and hades, as the Risen Lord who has defeated sin, death, hell, and the devil. He is the Lamb of God who sits upon the Throne, at the right hand of God the Father, and all the powers of hell and all the schemes of man are rendered nothing compared to the hope that we have in Jesus Christ. For Christ is risen, and Christ now reigns, and Christ will come again. And "the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" (Revelation 11:15)

For the Lord God Almighty reigns. Hallelujah!

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Jipsah]

VI can be 51 if each letter is taken independently rather than as an entire number. Again, 666 is a riddle and takes wisdom to interpret.

Apparently the Revelator expected the folks to whom he was writing (the 7 churches) would know to whom 666 or 616 referred.