666-The Number of His Name (of his kingdom)

The riddle of Revelation concerning the Antichrist is the number of his name.  Revelation states in 13:18:
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.

The number of his name is mentioned again in Revelation 15:2:

And I saw something like glass mingled with fire and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name.

I used to take the opinion of many other Bible expositors that the number of his name was calculated by taking the Antichrist’s name and totaling it up via corresponding the numbers to the letters in the Antichrist’s name in English, Hebrew or Greek.

The Greek word Beast in the Revelation is therion which means 1) an animal

2) a wild animal, wild beast, beast

3) metaph. a brutal, bestial man, savage, ferocious

Revelation 13:1 describes the Beast of Revelation:

Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea having seven heads and ten horns and on his horns ten crowns and on his heads a blasphemous name.

The beast depicted in Revelation 13:1 is the Antichrist united with his kingdom, which is established by Satan. Revelation 13:2 affirms:…The dragon gave him his power and throne and great authority.”

The verse portrays all of the beasts of Daniel as one, these are the seven heads, and it states in the description of the heads, “and on his heads a blasphemous name.” The heads represent actual persons who represent the various kingdoms in ancient history that conquered Israel.  We are told in verse three that this person (Antichrist) will suffer a deadly wound and be healed. (And I saw one of his as if it had been wounded , and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast.)

Verse  5 parallels with Daniel which also tells us that he speaks blasphemies. (And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months.) The beast which starts as a kingdom now becomes a person.

While many believe the number of the beast’s name pertains to the actual surname of the Antichrist, it might not pertain to his name at all.  The name the Scripture refers to might be the name of his Kingdom.  In the Bible the Antichrist is one with his kingdom.

In Bible Prophecy kings are often aligned with their kingdoms.  A few examples in Scripture are the King of Babylon, the King of Tyrus, and the king of Assyria.

Taking all of this into account, there is the likelihood that the number of his name will refer to the name of the Antichrist’s empire and not to his actual surname.

Thus we can speculate.  In relation to the European Union, which we know without a doubt is the final world empire spoken of by Daniel, if this verse refers to the government of the Antichrist as part of the Antichrist, the EU has already gone through one name change.  It started out as the European Community and was renamed the European Union.

There might yet be another name ahead for the EU under the authority of the Antichrist. This blasphemous name will calculate to 666. The Revelation riddle concerning the number of his name will be solved.  Thus the number of his name can apply to his government and not his actual surname.

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