Question:
I see the numbers 666 quite frequently in the newspapers and magazines without a clear meaning. Does the Hebrew for 666, the number of the beast, spell the feminine form of man?
Answer:
The 13th chapter of Revelation describes in figurative language the Roman power that ruled the church with an iron hand during the Middle Ages, holding full control over all secular and religious thought. No dissent was allowed, and opponents were often condemned to cruel deaths. Your question comes from a summary statement at the end of the chapter: ” Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.”
This is the only verse in Scripture where the number appears, and it has been the subject of much controversy. Because it is “the number of a man,” it would seem possible that it refers to the same system of darkness that controlled religious doctrine at the time. Very likely it has much more meaning than can easily be discovered. Some modern day religious teachers and evangelists have applied an almost superstitious meaning to the number, and related it to the use of credit cards, UDC codes, bar codes, etc., as though these were indications of the power of darkness. All such conclusions are only human, and have no Biblical basis.