PR11: Information on the Beast and his Name

[Taken from the Prophecy Papers by Walter R. Dolen
Copyright © 1977-2003 by Walter R. Dolen and/or BeComingOne Church]

Christ came in his Father's Name
Antichrist comes in his Father's name
Beast as Superman?
Deadly Wound
How do you calculate the number of the Beast?
Things to know when Calculating the Number of the Beast
Tables on Calculating the Number
666 Web Page
More on Calculating the Number
Antichrist exists in the last 3 ½ Years

How important is a name?

pr558» Importance of God's Name. God's Name is very important. Even one of the ten commandments warns against taking his Name in vain (Ex 20:7; Deut 5:11). In the first part of the God Papers (GP1: "Great Significance of the Name") we point out from the Bible how important God considers his Name. If you haven't studied this section, you should study it, so you can better understand how important God considers his Name to be (See GP1c).

Christ came in his Father's Name

pr559» Christ's Name and Person Denied. "I have come in my Father's Name, and you do not accept me; if another comes in his own Name, you will accept him" (John 5:43).

Not only has the world not accepted the true Messiah, it has also rejected his Name. As shown in the first part of the God Papers, God's Name as revealed by God in Exodus 3:14 is the "BeComingOne" or "YHWH" or "He (who) Will-Be," or in his own words, "I will be." His Name is not the "Lord," or "I am" as commonly misrepresented in today's Bibles. Just two verses above Exodus 3:14 in Exodus 3:12 the same Hebrew word that many use to "prove" that God's Name means "I am" is translated as "I will be." This same Hebrew word appears in about 42 verses in the Bible, where it is mostly translated as "I will be" ("I will be" in GP1). I will be or He will be is God's Name, not I am.

Last Antichrist comes in his Father's Name

pr560» We know that there will have been many antichrists before the real and last Antichrist comes (1John 2:18). Christ came in his Father's Name and was rejected, but Satan will come inside a man and be identified by the number of this man's name (Rev 13:18, 11) and yet he will be accepted and followed by the world (Rev 13:8, 3). Even though the Beast's identity will be obvious (he has the number of the Beast; he is connected to the ten/seven nation league), he will be accepted and followed, and his identity as the Beast-man will be denied by his followers who will claim he is a leader doing "good" for the world. As Satan pretends to be a minister of light, "even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light" (2 Cor 11:14), so will the Beast-man appear to those without the New Mind to be "good." He looks like a "lamb," but in reality Satan the dragon speaks and acts through him (Rev 13:11). Although he is the real Antichrist and real false-prophet those of the world willingly believe his lies and are deceived (Rev 19:20; 2 Thes 2:9-12).

pr561» The number of the Beast helps to identify him. By carefully comparing scriptures of Daniel and Revelations we know that there is an individual Beast with Satan inside of him influencing his activities, and there is a system of the Beast that starts out with ten nations in some kind of league (See PR2 & PR3). It is the individual Beast that has a name that can be figured or calculated to be six hundred and sixty-six (Rev 13:18). But in order for this man to be the Beast-man he must also be the voice or leader of a group of nations that starts out with ten nations, then later the group will only have seven nations because three of them will have been destroyed (PR2 & PR3). We have identified a leader of a great nation who has the number of the Beast (see Numerical Value Chart below). He now has many of the qualities of the Beast, but not all of them (Beast Character web page). For example he is not yet a lover of military force as the Beast-man will be. He is also not yet connected to any ten nation group. But we know from prophesy that this Beast-man will be connected with the system of the Beast for a 1260 to1290 day or 3 and ½ year period (Rev 13:5; Dan 7:25; PR2 & PR3). This period has not yet started so we cannot call this man the Beast-man yet (written 11-28-1998). It may turn out to be another man, but the fact that his name equals six hundred and sixty-six in both of the Biblical languages makes it seem likely that he will become that Beast-man. We will continue to watch this.

Beast as Superhuman?

pr562» Miracles. Now some may think that the man with the number cannot be the last Antichrist because he is not superhuman. But the Beast-man will not be superhuman or actually perform real miracles:

"lying wonders... God shall send to them [who worship the Beast] strong delusion, that they should believe a lie... and deceived them that dwell on the earth by these [lying] miracles" (2 Thes 2:9, 11; Rev 13:14)

pr563» Satan cannot preform real miracles or resurrect himself from the dead, for only God has the power of resurrection from death (John 5:26; 11:25), and He will not give that power to Satan for any reason or for any period. That is why Satan deceives the world with lying wonders or miracles. Satan cannot preform real miracles.

pr564» The man we have identified with the number is not now the Beast-man (11-28-98). He will only be the Beast-man when he enters the 1290-1260 day period. But we will know this ahead of time, for God promised to show his servants ahead of time (Isa 42:9 Luke 8:17; 10:21-22; Mark 4:22-23).

Deadly Wound

pr565» Some say that the Antichrist (that is, Beast-man; that is, false-prophet; that is, Anti-Messiah) must be superhuman since he recovers from a deadly wound (Rev 13:3, 12). But the scripture speaks of the Beast "as if" or "like" it was wounded to death (Rev 13:3). The scripture is not speaking of a literal death of a person and then a resurrection thereafter. You may say that there are two "deadly wounds": one for the Beast-man; one for the Beast-system.

There is a "deadly wound" to the system of the Beast:

pr566» The following section is from Beast-system Paper [PR2]:

Deadly Wound. Notice that in Revelation 13:3 that a head was as wounded to death, but its deadly wound was healed. This deadly wound will happen to the seventh mountain or kingdom of Revelation 17 with its ten horns or nations. And this "deadly wound" will subdue three of the ten horns (nations) of this seventh kingdom ("mountain") which is the ten-nation Beast (Dan 7:24). Thus, the eighth mountain or kingdom is the healed Beast of Revelation 13:3. It had ten horns, but three nations ("horns") will be subdued by the mean horn (Dan 7:20, 24).

In other words, "the Beast that was [the ten-nation Beast], and is not [the ten-nation Beast], even he is the eighth, and is out of the seven, and goes to perdition" ( Rev 17:11). This Beast was [the ten-nation Beast], and is not [the beast with ten horns or nations], and yet is [the beast, but with only seven nations]. The "deadly wound" destroys the kingdom that was by subduing three nations ("kings"); the healing of this deadly wound creates a kingdom with seven nations as opposed to ten nations as before. The seven-nation Beast "is not" like the ten-nation Beast, "yet is" the same beast, but with three nations subdued.

(The above section is from Beast-system Paper [PR2])

There must also be a "deadly wound" for the Beast-man.

pr567» The fact that the "deadly wound" happens to one of the Beast's heads, and the fact that Beast-man only has one head, means the "deadly wound" refers to the system of the Beast, and that it is only a "deadly wound" to the Beast-man in the sense that part of the Beast-man's power base was destroyed or wounded as just explained above. It is after the "deadly wound" that the mouth or voice of the system of the Beast speaks for the system for 42 months (Rev 13:3-5).

Superhuman: To Summarize

pr568» Satan and his followers cannot perform real miracles. Some of the things he will do, like make fire come down from heaven (atomic bombs), are wonders and may have seemed miraculous to John in his vision, but they are the wonders that any nuclear-armed power can perform.

How to Calculate the Number of the Beast

Calculate from Hebrew or Greek or Both?

pr569» Now some say that only the Greek language of the Bible can be used to calculate the number of the Beast, since the book of Revelation was written in Greek, or, that is, appears to have been written in Greek by John. But was it? There is some evidence that at least part of the New Testament of the Bible may have been first written in Hebrew and then translated into Greek after the Hebrew nation was destroyed by the Romans. After all, were not the first leaders of the Church Jewish or Hebrew? Even Paul was a Hebrew.

pr570» In the fourth century, Jerome in his Concerning Illustrious Men wrote about the book of Matthew being first written in the Hebrew language and only later translated to Greek. (See part 1 of the God Papers for more information on this.) Although Jerome spoke specifically about the book of Matthew, the book of Revelation and other books, such as Mark, may have also been written first in Hebrew. The book of Revelation has been called "the most Hebraistic in thought and language of all the New Testament books" (Hermeneutics of the New Testament, by A. Immer, 1873, pp. 132-144; taken from p. 126 of Biblical Hermeneutics, Milton S. Terry). Because the Catholic Church has done its best to rid Christianity of anything Jewish, it is almost impossible now to know how many books in the New Testament were first written in Hebrew, or first written in Greek and then translated into Hebrew for the Jewish Christians to read. So it is thus very significant that the man with the number has the number in both languages, especially since both languages have different values for their letters, and especially since Hebrew has no numerical values for its vowels since vowels were not written. But there are those falsely saying⁽³⁾ that there are many leaders with the number 666, and thus helping to blind the world because of their lies (2Thes 2:11-12). Also the modern "rapture" myth helps to blind people. Most modern rapture believers will not recognize the Beast or acknowledge him because they mistakenly think that they will be raptured before the Beast comes. Since they are not raptured they, of course, discount anyone with the number.

Things to know when Calculating the Number of the Beast

666. "This calls for wisdom: let anyone with understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. Its number is six hundred sixty-six." (Revelation 13:18)

Not a number of a title, nor of a computer, nor an address. Scripture says the number of the Beast is the number of a man, not a system, not money, not a computer system, not a title, not a law, not an address, not anything but the number of a male human being. The book of Revelation was speaking about calculating or adding up the numbers of a man's name.

Irenaeus. Almost 1900 years ago Irenaeus in his Against Heresies told fellow believers that the number of the Antichrist was six hundred and sixty-six, and that it was figured by knowing the value of each letter of the name, "since [Greek] numbers also are expressed by letters."

Calculate number of the name by adding the numerical values of each letter of the name. Unlike modern languages which use the Arabic numerical system (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9), languages around the time of the book of Revelation and before, either spelled out the numbers or used letters that had numerical values. Each letter in Hebrew (except vowels) or Greek has a numerical value. Latin has its Roman numeral system. So by calculating or adding up the numerical values of the letters of a person's name, you will get the number of his name.

Not three sixes in a row. The number of the Beast-man is six hundred sixty six and it is not just three 6s in a row (6+6+6=18), but six hundred sixty-six. Three sixes in a row is not the number of the Beast-man.

Not the gematria system. We are not speaking about gematria. Gematria was a part of the Jewish mysticism which dealt with mystical aspects of words' numerical value. The Truth of the Bible is not found by mysticism. People are using the word "gematria" when they should be using the phrase, "numerical value."

Use your own mind and study the following tables:

If you have Hebrew and Greek fonts, you can view the same table in html form.

Hebrew Alphabet with numerical values			English Transliteration values		Greek Alphabet with numerical values
letter sign	letter name	num.value	Hebrew	Greek	letter sign	letter name	num. value
a	aleph	1	guttural	a	a	alpha	1
b	beth	2	b (bh)	b	b	beta	2
g	gimel	3	g (gh)	g	g	gamma	3
d	daleth	4	d (dh)	d	d	delta	4
h	he	5	h	e	e	epsilon	5
w	waw	6	w	w [old usage]		digamma or stigma	6
z	zayin	7	z	z	z	zeta	7
x	cheth	8	h	e	h	eta	8
j	teth	9	t	th	q	theta	9
y	yod	10	y (j)	i (j or y)	i	iota	10
k	kaph	20	k (c)	k (c)	k	kappa	20
l	lamed	30	L	L	l	lambda	30
m	mem	40	m	m	m	mu	40
n	nun	50	n	n	n	nu	50
s	samekh	60	s	x	x	xi	60
[	ayin	70	guttural	o (short)	o	omicron	70
p	pe	80	p	p	p	pi	80
c	sadi	90	s		-	koppa	90
q	koph	100	q	r	r	rho	100
r	resh	200	r	s	s	sigma	200
f	shin	300	s (sh)	t	t	tau	300
t	taw	400	t (th)	y, u	u	upsilon	400
				ph	f	phi	500
				kh (ch)	c	chi	600
				ps	y	psi	700
				o (long)	w	omega	800
					-	sampi	900

Transliterating from English to Hebrew or Greek

Hebrew

(Remember the Hebrew language did not have any numerical value for its vowels. When writing they wrote only the consonants, not the vowels.)

William	= 6 + 30 + 30 + 40	= 106
J	= 10	= 10
Clinton	= 20 + 30 + 50 + 400 + 50	=+550
	total value	666

Greek

(Remember the "ia" in William is a diphthong and the second vowel of a diphthong is not usually pronounced in Greek, thus we do not transliterate it from English to Greek.)

Willim	= 6 + 10 + 30 + 30 + 10 + 40	= 126
J	= 10	= 10
Clinton	= 20 + 30 + 10 + 50 + 300 + 70 + 50	=+430
	total value	666

English

(Remember that the English language does not have any numerical values for its letters. English uses the Arabic numeral system: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)

William	= 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0	= 000
J	= 0	= 00
Clinton	= 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0	= +000
	total value	000

Note: When proper nouns are transliterated from Hebrew to English the "yad" or "y" [ y ] is traditionally translated as "J." For example Yehu is translated as Jehu, Yirmeyah as Jeremiah, or Yeshua as Jeshua. The same is true in transliteration in reverse. Therefore our Jesus becomes Yeshua or Yehosua, our Jeremiah becomes Yirmeyah and our Jehu becomes Yehu. When we transliterate "Jesus" into Greek we get "Iesous" or into Hebrew we get Yehosua (Jehoshua or Joshua). Therefore the "J" in English is transliterated to the "i" in Greek, and vice versa when translating the other way.

Here follows an example of a person with the number 666.

Copy of 666 web page below:

The following taken from Gesenius' Hebrew Grammar, Edited by E. Kautzsch and A.E. Cowley, from page 26:

Following taken from the University of Chicago's A Manual of Style:

Note below Revelation 13:18 pertaining to the man with the number from the following book Interlinear Literal Translation of the Greek New Testament, by George Ricker Berry. The Greek texts either had the letters with the numerical values that added up to six hundred sixty-six See (1^st arrow below), or the Greek words for six hundred sixty-six written out long hand (see 2^nd arrow below).

More on calculating the number of calculating the number of calculating the number of calculating the number of calculating the number of calculating the number of calculating the number of calculating the number of the Beast

pr571» Let me show you how to calculate the number by first using some examples from Ethelbert W. Bullinger in his book, Numbers in Scripture, with my comments. The following numbered items are Bullinger's points with my comments after each item:

1. Six hundred and sixty six is "the number of a name" (Rev 13:17-18).

My Comment: True, six hundred sixty-six is the number of the name of the Beast. Bullinger later mistakenly speaks about 6s or three 6s. In the Greek texts it did not have three symbols each with the value of six (6+6+6=18), but it had either the letters with the numerical value that added up to six hundred sixty-six or the Greek words for six hundred sixty-six written out long hand (See previous page).

2. When the name of Antichrist is known its gematria [numerical value] will doubtless be found to be the number 666.

My Comment: Correct, if he means six hundred sixty-six and not just three consecutive 6s in a row. He misuses the word "gematria" here.

3. Many names may be found, the numerical value of whose letters amount to 666. We have a list of about forty such gematria. Most of them are ridiculous, inasmuch as instead of the gematria being confined to Hebrew and Greek (which have no Arabic [1, 2, 3, ...] or other special signs for figures), the principle is extended to names in English, French, and other modern languages, on the assumption that they would have been spelt in exactly the same way; whereas we know that names both of persons and places are not simply transliterated in various languages.* It is absurd therefore to attempt to take words from the modern European languages which use Arabic figures.

(*Take "Venice". This is the English spelling. But the French is Venise; the German is Venedig; while the Italian is Venezia.)

My Comment: Bullinger uses the word "gematria" here instead of "numerical value." But since "gematria" has to do with cultism, we do not use that term in our papers, since the Bible's truth is not found using cultish systems. What Bullinger seems to do is superficially limit the Beast-man to being either a Hebrew or a Greek while mixing up the principle of transliteration. What Revelation says is that you can calculate or add up the number of the Beast's name (Rev 13:18). The two main languages of the Bible are Hebrew and Greek. In both Hebrew and Greek, letters have numerical values (See Heb-Gk or below). It would make sense to limit the figuring of the number of the name to the Hebrew or Grecian numerical values. And it would make sense that if a person has an English name, that you would transliterate that English name to Hebrew or Greek, and then use the respective Hebrew or Greek numerical values for each transliterated name to figure or calculate the number of the name. You don't transliterate an English name into French and then use the French letters to again transliterate it into Hebrew or Greek, but you transliterate it directly from its own language into Hebrew or Greek. Otherwise it would be pointless or even deceptive. And you don't prove anything by saying that you can transliterate a city's name into many different spellings. This is irrelevant. First of all, we are looking for a name of a male person not a city's name. Second, we use the way the person spells his own name, especially if it is some kind of official name or legal name. We use the man with the number's official and legal name (as spelled by him) as a head of state. We are not going to superficially limit the Beast-man's identity to only those with Hebrew or Greek names, and we are not going to be distracted by the irrelevant fact that any name will appear with different spellings in different languages or cultures.

4. Gematria is not a means by which the name is to be discovered; but it will be a test and a proof by which the name may be identified after the person is revealed.

My Comment: We identify the Beast-man by the number of his name, by his character, and by his connection to a ten nation league.

5. But 666 was the secret symbol of the ancient pagan mysteries connected with the worship of the Devil. It is today the secret connecting link between those ancient mysteries and their modern revival in Spiritualism, Theosophy, etc.

My Comment: I don't know if this is true, but it is not important anyway since the Bible manifests to us that the number of the Beast (six hundred sixty-six) identifies the Beast, and that this Beast-man is a shadow of Satan who speaks for Satan the Dragon.

Method at Least 18 Centuries Old

pr572» The method we use to figure the number of the man with the number is at least 18 centuries old. The oldest record we have of anyone explaining the correct method of calculating the number was from Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons, and a so-called father of the Church. He wrote over 18 centuries ago. The following is from Irenaeus' Against Heresies, Book 5, chapter 30, paragraph 1:

"Such, then, being the state of the case, and this number being found in all the most approved and ancient copies(3) [of the Apocalypse], and those men who saw John face to face bearing their testimony [to it]; while reason also leads us to conclude that the number of the name of the beast, [if reckoned] according to the Greek mode of calculation by the [value of] the letters contained in it, will amount to six hundred and sixty and six;"

[St. Irenaeus biography online at the New Advent Catholic Supersite. He lived in the second century.]

Irenaeus wasn't speaking about a street address, or a number of a law, or the number of letters in some person's name. He said you calculated the value of the name by adding up the value of each letter in the name. And the amount you must come to is six hundred and sixty-six, not 18 (6 + 6 + 6).

Evidence of Alphabetic-Number Systems goes Back to BC

Hebrew's system can be traced back to at least 2^nd Century BC

pr573» Gesenius, in his Hebrew Grammar, in § 5k, tells us that there is evidence that the consonants were used as numerical signs back to the second century BC, because this usage was found on Maccabean coins and consonants were also commonly employed for marking the numbers of chapters and verses in editions of the Bible. Also you will find evidence of Hebrew letters having numerical value in such books as, History of Mathematics, by D.E. Smith (pp. 53).

Greek's system can be traced back to about the 8^th century BC

pr574» You can find some historical evidence for the Greek alphabet being used as numbers in such books as, History of Mathematics, by D.E. Smith (pp. 49-53), and in The Exact Sciences in Antiquity, by O. Neugebauer (pp. 9-11), and A Manual of Style, 12^th Edition, by University of Chicago Press (pp. 232-233). According to Dr. Neugebauer, "Considerations of this type [the method Neugebauer wrote about] allow us to date the origin of the Greek alphabetic number system to about the 8^th century B.C."

No English system exists

The English language does not have numerical values for its letters. You don't find it in English dictionaries, you don't find it in English grammars, you don't find it taught in public schools, but you will find it on the Internet and among those who have some religious or occult need to have it so, thus they have made it up out of thin air.

pr575» To summarize: We calculate the number of the Beast's name by transliteration. That is, we take the man's name as spelled in his own country, transliterate it to Hebrew or Greek, and then calculate the numerical value of the name. We calculate the number of the man with the number using the numerical values for each letter.

Antichrist exists in the last 3 ½ Years

Not Seven Years

pr576» Concerning the seventieth week of Daniel's prophecy, there are about as many interpretations as there are theologians. Some say the Beast will make an agreement for seven years and at the end of the of period the Beast will be destroyed. But the scripture does not speak of making a new agreement, but of strengthening a covenant or agreement. (Of course the Beast-man may make a seven year agreement, but this does not fulfill scripture, since the scripture was speaking about confirming a covenant.) Some have the Beast ruling for seven years, but the scripture speaks of only 42 months or 3 ½ years (Rev 13:5). The fact remains that the Antichrist rules as the Beast in the last 3 ½ years. The Beast could well rule as something else besides the Beast-man before the 3 ½ year period, but the Bible is only telling us about the Beast-man in his 3 ½ year rulership as the Beast.

"Dan 9:26 After the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing, and the troops of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. 27 He shall strengthen a covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall make sacrifice and offering cease; and in their place shall be an abomination that desolates, until the decreed end is poured out upon the desolator" (Dan 9:26-27).

pr577» To many today the last Antichrist will make a seven year agreement in the end of time, just before Christ returns. Others believe these seven years pertain to the Messiah. Such books as the The Millennium Bible by William E. Biederwolf show the various interpretations of Daniel 9:24-27 over the years (see below). As Biederwolf's book showed, in the past some attributed the seven years to the last Antichrist; others attributed the seven years to Christ. In the Prophecy Papers we explain our position on the seven year period mentioned in Daniel 9:24-27. This scripture refers to the Messiah and the Anti-Messiah. We attribute these verses to both the Messiah and the last Anti-Messiah for reasons also mentioned in the God Papers.

pr578» As shown in the Prophecy Papers in the last 3 ½ years the Beast will rule and the two witnesses will teach. The Messiah was to confirm the covenant for seven years but he was cut off in the middle of the seven years, after the first 3 ½ years. The two witnesses will finish this confirmation of the covenant during the last 3 ½ years of the seven year period. The Beast-man may make an agreement at the start of the last 3 ½ year period. But after the 3 ½ year period, the Beast-man will be cut off and the real Messiah will return to take power. Thus the Beast will rule for only 3 ½ years (42 months, Rev 13:5) not seven years. This 3 ½ year period is the period the two witnesses will teach (Rev 11:2). The last 3 ½ years is the 1290/1260 day period mentioned in the book of Daniel and the book of Revelation (PR2).

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