This business of "666" being the number of the beast is wrong!

[Clintmax]

Scholars, translating the original text of the New Testament got the number wrong. It's actually 616 and refers to the Roman Emperor Caligula.

From ReligionNewsBlog:

"A newly discovered fragment of the oldest surviving copy of the New Testament indicates that, as far as the Antichrist goes, theologians, scholars, heavy metal groups, and television evangelists have got the wrong number. Instead of 666, it's actually the far less ominous 616.
See Also
Daniel B. Wallace, Ph.D. - Executive Director of The Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts - responds to another article on this subject

The new fragment from the Book of Revelation, written in ancient Greek and dating from the late third century, is part of a hoard of previously unintelligible manuscripts discovered in historic dumps outside Oxyrhynchus in Egypt. Now a team of expert classicists, using new photographic techniques, are finally deciphering the original writing."

-snip-

http://www.religionnewsblog.com/11133/Revelation--666-is-not-the-number-of-the-beast

[TheFriendlyAnarchist]

1. I know, but 666 just sounds so much cooler

:headbang: :evilgrin: :headbang: :evilgrin:


Edit* Spelling

[In_The_Wind]

2. Dang!

[tjwmason]

3. The point of 666 comes from numerology as well.

7 is the number of spiritual perfection, with 6 thus being earthly imperfection. Then three-fold repitition (3 being the number of Divine perfection and of the Trinity) for completeness.

I'm far from convinced, the Roman persecution of Christians only really got going under Nero - later than Caligula. Also Caligula would have been long dead by the time that St. John got around to writing Revelation.

[B3Nut]

4. Many believe that "666" and the variant "616" are

references to Nero. The preterist schools of thought promote this idea, as do some historicists. I thought their arguments were quite plausible, much more satisfactory than the dispensationalist "left-behind" tripe most American evangelicals are held in the sway of these days, IMHO.

Todd in Beerbratistan

[tjwmason]

5. Have you read War and Peace?

I ask because there's a long passage in there when one of the characters (it's a long time but I think it was Prince Andrei) plays around to find out how some variant on Napoleon's name (he being in the middle of invading Russia at the time) could add up to 666.

With a little effort one can make just about anybody add up to 666. I'm always wary of such backwards reasoning.

But you're right - they're still more plausable than dispensationalism.

[noonwitch]

8. I tend to agree with the Nero scholars, but I like to push the RWR theory

Ronald-6 letters
Wilson-6 letters
Reagan-6 letters

Of course, he's dead. However, the first beast, which bears the number, is just a figurehead. The real beast is the dragon, which gives it's power to the 666 beast for a time.

If Reagan was the first beast, than Bush/his family and their empire is the second beast.

Or the 666 beast was referring to Nero and the dragon refers literally to Satan.

[khashka]

9. Damn! That's what I was gonna post!

Beat me to it, noonwitch.

Khash.

[DixieBlue]

6. I just saw something on one of those history

channels that talked about how 666 could be referring to Nero.

I love the history channels.

[bedazzled]

7. my mom is "666ing" all over the place!

ooooh, it's bad luck to go out, why did this happen, blah blah blah

i told her, why didn't you act this way on 6/6/66? wasn't the devil dancing around then?

my husband laughed at me when i said we'll be burning witches again soon.