ANTICHRIST—IDENTIFICATIONS
Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understand count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
—Revelation 13:18
205 Ancient Numbers Code
Many ancient languages did not have separate symbols which stand for numbers, as we do. Rather, the letters of the alphabet were used to designate numbers also. For instance, each letter of the Hebrew alphabet has a numerical value. This method of calculating a name by the use of numbers is known as “Gematria,” practiced seriously by the Jews.
The following ancient number code could be used on any alphabetical language:
A-1H-80–60V-400
B-2I-9P-70W-500
C-3J-10Q-80X-600
D-4K-20R-90Y-700
E-5L-30S-100Z-800
F-6M-40T-200
G-7N-50U-300
206 Gematria Today
Interestingly enough, a 1973 advertisement for the Victoria Institute of Mathematical Psychology, Ltd. appeared in the daily newspapers. The ad promotes the ancient science of “Gematria.” People were encouraged to send in $20 for a name analysis worked out by a computer.
207 First Attempt At 666
Irenaeus was the first person, so far as we know, who attempted to turn this number into a name. He found the 666 in Greek added up either to the name Eunthas, or to the name Teitan. But who could this be? The names are meaningless.
—Walter K. Price
208 “Any Person’s Name Can Fit”
Professor Salmon said,
Any name, with sufficient ingenuity, can be made to yield the number 666. There are three rules by the help of which, I believe, an ingenious man could find the required sum in any given name. First, if the proper name by itself will not yield it; add a title; secondly, if the sum cannot be found in Greek, try Hebrew, or even Latin; thirdly, do not be too particular about the spelling. The use of a language different from that to which the name properly belongs allows a good deal of latitude in the transliteration.
ATTEMPTED IDENTIFICATIONS WITH INDIVIDUAL PERSONS
209 Caligula As Antichrist
The emperor Caligula, whose reign began in A. D. 37, attempted to place his own image in the holy sanctuary. Because this was the very thing that Antiochus IV had done, many believed that Caligula was the Antichrist. Even though he died in A. D. 41, he was expected to revive from his death stroke, and many believed that he would live again to establish his image in the temple.
210 Nero As Antichrist
The Emperor Nero has also been branded the Antichrist. The Greek word Neron, when turned into numbers, added up to 1005, and not 666. But when the Greek word Neron Kaisar is transliterated into Hebrew it does produce the numerical equivalent of 666. The lesser number was possible in Hebrew for the Hebrew had no vowels.
In A. D. 68, when the Roman Senate condemned Nero to death for his hideous crimes, he fled to a suburban villa and there put an end to his life. Because he died almost alone and in an obscure place, rumors began to circulate that he had fled to the Parthians from which he would come at the head of a great army to revenge himself upon the Roman world. The rumors which had spread into the provinces persisted for many years into the following century.
There were two imposters who actually arose, claiming to be Nero. One gained a large following among the Parthians and the news of this coming one threw Asia Minor into great terror.
The belief that Nero would return was still in existence in the fifth century A. D., for Augustine made reference to it.
211 Antichrist As A Jew
Irenaeus (ca. A. D. 200) surmised that the Antichrist would be a Jew. He believed that the mention of Dan in Jeremiah 8:16 and the omission of the name of Dan in the list of tribes found in Revelation 7 indicated the Antichrist’s tribe. Though Irenaeus did not explain further why he believed that the Antichrist would come from the tribe of Dan, it is true that the Midrash on Genesis 49:14–17 declared that from Dan would be darkness and evil. Dan was also the first of Israel’s tribes to accept idolatry. In addition, the tribal insignia of Dan actually bore the sign of a serpent and the serpent was accepted as a sign of Antichrist. These may have been the things that influenced Irenaeus’ interpretation.
212 Middle Ages’ Antichrist Plays
During the Middle Ages, this supposed identity of the Antichrist as a Jew was to cause many anti-Semitic outbreaks. Dramas were written and produced which showed how Jewish demons would help the Antichrist to conquer the world, until the second coming of Christ would annihilate both the Jews and the Antichrist together.
When these mystery plays were enacted, armed forces were needed to protect the Jews and their quarters from the fury of the mob. Though the pope and his councils had insisted that Jews should not be killed—merely isolated and degraded until they became converted—this made little impression on mobs that had been stirred into hysterical fear by these Antichrist plays.
213 Muslims As Antichrist
During the Crusades the Muslims were identified with the spirit of Antichrist. Pope Urban even justified the Crusaders going to Palestine, saying, “It is the will of God that through the labours of the crusaders Christianity shall flourish again at Jerusalem in these last times, so that when Antichrist begins his reign there, as he shortly must, he will find enough Christians to fight!”
The victorious advance of Islam had led many to believe that out of the Muslim religion Antichrist would arise. Throughout the Middle Ages the Muslim threat, through Spain, to Europe, caused this uneasy speculation to persist.
214 Pope As Antichrist
Many, before the Reformation, had branded the pope as Antichrist. For example, as far back as A. D. 991, Arnulf, bishop of Orleans, had said, “What, in your eyes reverend fathers, is that Pontiff, seated on a throne, and clad in purple and gold? If he hath not charity, and be puffed up with his learning only, he is Antichrist sitting in the temple of God, and demeaning himself as a god; he is like unto a statue in the temple, like a dumb idol, and to ask of him a reply, is to appeal to a figure of stone.”
St. Bernard in the twelfth century called Pope Leo, the Antichrist. In the thirteenth century, Frederick II, ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, accused Pope Gregory IX of being Antichrist.
The view that the pope was the Antichrist was first cultivated by the Franciscans themselves, who had remained true to the original ideals of poverty. From them the idea spread to the pre Reformation sects. Wycliffe and John Huss were both convinced that the pope was the Antichrist.
215 Pope As Antichrist (Continued)
Never in the history of the Christian church, as during the period of the Reformation, were so many responsible scholars, preachers, linguists, theologians, expositors, and spiritual statesmen convinced that the Antichrist was alive and living in Rome.
Among those who believed the papal office and/or the pope himself was Antichrist were:
Martin Luther, leader of the Protestant Reformation;
Philip Melanchthon, German Reformer
John Calvin, French Reformer in Geneva
Huldreich Zwingli, Swiss Reformer
Nicholas Ridley, English Reformer
Hugh Latimer, English Protestant martyr
William Tyndale, English Reformer and Bible translator
Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury
John Foxe, English martyrologist
John Knox, Scottish Reformer
216 Reformation As Antichrist
Of course, the Roman Catholic Church counter-attacked by branding the Reformers and their movement as Antichrist. However, it is interesting that they resorted to another weapon of counterattack. They revived the old theory that the Antichrist would be a Jew. If this were sustained it would relieve the Pope of any Antichrist guilt. However, this revival of the theory which associated the Jew with Antichrist also gave anti-Semitic overtones to the Inquisition.
217 Hitler As Antichrist
During the late 1930’s and early 1940’s many pamphlets appeared identifying Adolph Hitler as the Antichrist. From a tract entitled “The Beast, the False Prophet, and Hitler,” published in 1941, we find this serious suggestion:
“Hitler himself is spelled out in the puzzle given in Rev. 16:18. This puzzle, when worked out, will indicate a certain man. We have only three numerals, 666, but through them we must find the man’s name. So we must numeralize the alphabet. To do this we will let 100 stand for “A”. It must be three figures to stand for the three digits 666.
A-100H-1070–114 V-121H-107
B-1011–108P-115 W-122I-108
C-102J-109Q-116 X-123T-119
D-103K-110R-117 Y-124L-111
E-104L-111S-118Z-125 E-104
F-105 M-112T-119R-117
G-106N-113 U-120Hitler is 666666
218 Napoleon As Antichrist
On the opening page of Tolstoy’s famous novel War and Peace, there is an interesting reference to this belief that Napoleon is the Antichrist. Later on in the novel, the central character of the story, Pierre (Count Bezukhov), finds the name L’Empereus Napoleon to have the numerical equivalent 666 (including the “e” of “Le”). This he does by equating a, b, c with 1, 2, 3. T is 100 u, is 110, v is 120 and z is 160. Moreover, by the same process, since Pierre’s own name has the numerical equivalent of 666, he believes that he is destined to put an end to the emperor’s reign and thus plans later to kill him.
OTHER INTERESTING ASSOCIATIONS WITH NUMBERS FOLLOW
219 Charles IV And Number Four
The German Emperor Charles IV lived up to the numerical in his name. He ate 4 meals daily, inhabited 4 palaces of 4 rooms each. Each room had 4 doors, 4 tables and 4 chandeliers. His crown had 4 branches, his dress 4 colors. He spoke 4 languages, was married 4 times. The imperial coach was drawn by 4 horses. His meals consisted of 4 courses with 4 kinds of wine. He divided his empire into 4 parts and his army into 4 corps. He created 4 dukes, 4 margraves, 4 generals and 4 captains. He resided in 4 capitals, presided over by 4 grand marshals. There were 4 doctors at his bedside when he died at 4 minutes past 4 in 1378—after saying good-by 4 times.
—Robert Ripley
220 50 Years With Same Plate Number
From Chicago comes the news that Charles H. Sobel, once he finds a good number, likes to keep it. It was back in 1913 that Sobel purchased his first car for $450.00, and requested a license number under ten thousand for the car. He was given the number eight thousand. Fifty years later—and twenty-four cars later—he still received plate number eight thousand. The same tag!
221 An Interesting Pyramid
It may be hard to believe, but it is true that
1 x 9 + 2 = 11
12 x 9 + 3 = 111
123 x 9 + 4 = 1111
1234 x 9 + 5 = 11111
12345 x 9 + 6 = 111111
123456 x 9 + 7 = 1111111
1234567 x 9 + 8 = 11111111
12345678 x 9 + 9 = 111111111
123456789 x 9 + 10 = 1111111111