Reference : Revelation Chapter 17 ver. 4 to 7
I am trying to understand … In addition the Roman numerology adds up to 666 which is the marking of the beast. Help me to understand. I am very confused by this. Have been a part of the Catholic Church all my life and never realized this. I am 44 years old. And I do not understand what the 7 heads of the beast represent? Please help me with this.
One thing I have learned over the years, All the practices and teachings of the Roman Catholic Church are Scriptural, now:
“Those who do not understand numerals, do not understand the Bible” (St Augustine)
Six is the number of man, created on the sixth day…also the beasts of the earth were created the sixth day Gen 1:26 (ff)] (ff) = following phrases)
Code:
When something is stated 'Once' biblically it is important, 'Twice' very important and' three' times most important.
Based on Pythagoras teachings on numerals, in their relationship as the numbers they represent 500 B.C. The Hebrews adopted these expressions as early as 350 b.c.
#three is a totality, it is why we express God in Trinity, or thrice bless, #7 number of completion.
We are 6’s (beasts), until we become 7’s (complete in Christ)
Let’s go to the Bible, the numeral 666 is first used in 1Kings 10:14
“The gold that Solomon received every year weighed six hundred and sixty-six gold talents”
www.usccb.org/nab/bible/index.shtml
Which was an astronomical number back in the Day,“Twenty thousand times ten thousand, or two hundred millions” In this wealth Solomon becomes a tyrant and it leads to his apostacy.
Six biblically is the Number of man, 66 a powerful man,
666 a most powerful man or Mankind in itself.
The mark of the beast comes from 2 Maccabees 6:6 (ff)
2 The Gentiles filled the temple with debauchery and revelry; they amused themselves with prostitutes and had intercourse with women even in the sacred court. They also brought into the temple things that were forbidden,
so that the altar was covered with abominable offerings prohibited by the laws.
A man could not keep the sabbath or celebrate the traditional feasts, nor even admit that he was a Jew.
Moreover, at the monthly celebration of the king’s birthday the Jews had, from bitter necessity, to partake of the sacrifices, and when the festival of Dionysus* was celebrated, They were compelled to march in his procession, wearing wreaths of ivy.
At the suggestion of the citizens of Ptolemais, a decree was issued ordering the neighboring Greek cities to act in the same way against the Jews: oblige them to partake of the sacrifices,
and put to death those who would not consent to adopt the customs of the Greeks. It was obvious, therefore, that disaster impended.
*Dionysus the god of the grape harvest her symbol was IVY]
Gal 6:17
From now on, let no one make troubles for me; for I bear the marks of Jesus 13 on my body.
footnote/ comment on NAB Catholic study Bible [2nd edition Oxford press]
slaves were born branded by marks (stigmata) burned into their flesh to show whom they belonged; so also devotees of pagan gods. Paul implies that instead of outdated circumcision his body bears the scars of Apostolic labors…
3 Maccabees 2:27: He (Philopater/Ptolemy IV) proposed to inflict public disgrace upon the Jewish community, and he set up a stone on the tower in the courtyard with this inscription:
28: “None of those who do not sacrifice shall enter their sanctuaries, and a
ll Jews shall be subjected to a registration involving poll tax and to the status of slaves. Those who object to this are to be taken by force and put to death;
29: t
hose who are registered are also to be branded on their bodies by fire with the ivy-leaf symbol of Dionysus, and they shall also be reduced to their former limited status.”
As far as the anti Christ being the devil born incarnate… [like the ‘Rapture’ series] well there is no biblical precedent or foundation for them, but they sell and make great wealth for those that promote them.
Satan only destroys he creates nothing. So the beast may be a world leader, or more likely mankind itself.
As far as all those letters and numerology that Protestants employ (bias and unfair) you can take any of their famous preachers and use their method to show them as the anti-christ!) They take what we have and without fully understanding try to tear it down.
God bless,
John