What Does 666 Mean in the Book of Revelation?
- Corey Sipe Contributing Writer
- Updated Jul 19, 2024
Most Christians are familiar with the number 666, often called the sign of the devil or the mark of the beast. But how much do we truly know about it? What does the book of Revelation tell us about 666, and how have Christians interpreted it throughout history?
Where do we see the number 666 in the Bible?
Revelation 13:18 states, “Here is wisdom: The one who has understanding must calculate the number of the beast because it is the number of a man. His number is 666.”
Some early manuscripts identify the Antichrist as 616. For example, Craig R. Koester reports in “The Number of the Beast in Revelation 13 in Light of Papyri, Graffiti and Inscriptions” that 616 appears in the fifth-century book Codex Ephraemi, ranked as one of the best textual witnesses. He points to another ancient manuscript, Oxyrhynchus papyrus 4499 (now labeled New Testament Papyrus 115), that uses the letters chi, iota, and stigma to signify 616.
However, there is debate on this. Greek bishop Irenaeus, who lived between 130 and 202 AD, wrote in Against Heresies that 616 was an “erroneous and spurious number” caused by copying errors and believed that 666 was the correct number.
What Does It Mean that 666 Is a Symbol for the Antichrist?
According to Roger Barrier’s article “What Does 666 Really Mean in Revelation,” the number “666” corresponds to the coming Antichrist. An antichrist is a person who is against Christ and is expected to be a world leader who will oppose Christ while simultaneously pretending to be Him.
The Bible has described the antichrist in several ways, including:
- “An insolent king, skilled in intrigue” (Daniel 8:23)
- “The man of lawlessness” and “the son of destruction” (2 Thessalonians 2:3)
- “The beast” (Daniel 7)
Barrier explains that assigning numbers to a name is called gematria, an ancient Greek practice. “Gematria” was also a Hebrew term borrowed from the Greek word “geometry.”
There are several examples of gematria. Bible Odyssey contributor Ian Boxoll gives one example from Greek graffiti on a wall in the Roman city of Pompeii: “I love the woman whose number is 545.” It is believed that the woman who was written about knew her name.
Barrier’s article goes on to say that another example of gematria is Matthew 1:17, stating, “So all the generations from Abraham to David were 14 generations; and from David until the exile to Babylon, 14 generations; and from the exile to Babylon until the Messiah, 14 generations.” It was probably used to connect the genealogy of Jesus, the “Son of David,” and David’s name in Hebrew (D+W+D=4+6+4 = 14). Hence why Matthew divides Jesus’ genealogy into three sets of 14 generations.
The number 666 could be tied to Neuro Caesar, the reigning emperor of Rome, who ruled from AD 54 until AD 68, when the Book of Revelation was written.
If the Greek letters for Neuro Caesar (Neuron Kaisar) are translated into Hebrew (nrwn qsr), the letter numbers add up to 666 (50+200+6+50+100+60+200 = 666).
More about the theory of 666 being tied to Caesar will be discussed later in this article.
The apostle John, who wrote Revelation, said that people can identify the Antichrist by knowing the number of his name.
While turning names into numbers is easy, it is more difficult to turn numbers into names; hence, this is the key to unlocking the Antichrist’s name.
Does the Number 6 Have a Special Meaning in Scripture?
Six hundred sixty-six may also symbolize fallenness or sinful humanity. The Bible sometimes uses numbers in ways that suggest a larger symbolic meaning. Prominent passages in the Bible like Genesis 1:31 and Revelation 13:15-18 use the number six to describe humanity being created on the sixth day, man laboring six days, and so on. The Numerology Center gives other examples, such as Israelite indentured servants working for six years before they could be released on the seventh (Exodus 21:2) or sowing the soil for six years before harvesting the seventh year.
Many of these passages describe seven as a number representing God or perfection (God resting on the seventh day, etc.). Therefore, as Michael A. Milton explains, the Bible uses 6 to represent imperfection, incompleteness, and fallen humanity.
Why Do Some Christians Interpret 666 as Emperor Nero?
Some interpret the Roman Emperor Nero to be the Antichrist since he inflicted horror on first-century Christians. After Rome burned, he blamed Christians for the fire, justifying his murder of hundreds of Christians. He declared himself as “Savior of the World” on coins and required citizens to burn incense and declare him as Lord.
In one view, 666 shows that Revelation is historical, talking about Nero as an antichrist. They point out that the term antichrist is not unique to the Book of Revelation. It can be found in verses like 1 John 2:18, 1 John 2:22, 1 John 4:3, and 2 John 1:7. The most prominent passage is 1 John 2:18, saying, “And as you have heard ‘Antichrist is coming,’ even now many antichrists have come.” The Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans explains that these passages describe teachers who arise in a community of believers but have false teachings and claim messianic status. Jesus warns about these figures in Mark 13:21-22. Therefore, Nero would be an “antichrist” for his claims about divine status and attacks on Christians, but not a future figure with cosmic significance.
Others believe that Revelation is both historical and predictive of the future. In this viewpoint, Nero is an antichrist but also a type—someone the Bible mentions whose life or role makes them a symbolic forewarning of someone who will later appear. For example, David is a type of Christ (a savior king who forewarns of the coming great savior king). Therefore, 666 can represent Nero, an antichrist, and also be a forewarning of an Antichrist who will come at the end of all things.
This raises an important question: if there is a future Antichrist, who is he?
What Might it Mean that 666 is the Number of the Future Antichrist?
Other scholars, particularly in the dispensationalist tradition, believe that 666 is strictly about the end times only and the coming of the Antichrist, a powerful and evil figure rising against God before the final judgment takes place.
The Antichrist will require people to put a mark on themselves, but Christians must avoid doing so. Many will be tempted to take the mark to choose the world rather than God. This is because Revelation 6:6 says that this mark will be needed to buy and sell goods, but many will barely have enough money to buy food during the end times.
While those who take the mark of the Beast will not enter heaven, the Bible promises in Revelation 14:9-11 that those without the mark will be killed or starved and that Christians will be killed for their faith.
Ultimately, everything associated with 666 will be defeated. After the Antichrist’s death, God will establish his heavenly kingdom, with streets paved with gold (Revelation 21:21).
To learn more about the future view, check out “15 Things You Need to Know About the Antichrist and His Rise to Power.”
What Are Other Common Theories about 666?
Other historical theories refer to genealogical arithmetic, which is the number of people who are part of your ancestry within a specific number of generations. Specifically, one theory refers to Adonikam, one of the families mentioned in the Bible that returned from exile. According to Ezra 2:13, Adonikam’s descendants totaled 666. The word Adonikam means “a lord rising up” or “risen.”
Another theory is that 666 is the number of years from the beast’s rise and fall. In this view, the beat is the Antichrist, not a separate prophetic figure. Revelation 11:7 describes the beast controlling economic, political, and religious structures that would control people. For more on this view and larger details about the discussion on whether the several beasts in Revelation are connected (to each other and the Antichrist), see Roger Barrier’s article “Who are the Beasts in Revelation 13?”
Yet another interpretation shows 666 to be a symbol of evil and opposition to God, serving as a warning to those rejecting God and following a path of sin.
One theory states that the number is not about him since John never mentioned Nero. These scholars point to ways that the number is connected with Babylon and Nimrod. The Bible only mentions Nimrod briefly—in Genesis 10:8-12, 1 Chronicles 1:10, and Micah 5:5-6. He is described as the son of Cush and great-grandson of Noah. Alyssa Roat explains in “7 Facts You Didn’t Know About Nimrod in the Bible” that he is depicted as a mighty warrior and rebel against the Lord. Various traditions connect him with building the Tower of Babel, which was never completed but was the foundation of the later kingdom of Babylon (modern-day Iraq). So, Nimrod and Babylon represent rebellion against God, as seen in passages like Revelation 18.
Finally, 666 could refer to the physical world having three dimensions (length, width, and height), but each offers two possible directions (forward-backward, right-left, up-down) with a total of 6 dimensions. In this view, as seven represents divine perfection and a holy world, six represents fallen physical matter tainted by sin. Grace Communion International writer Paul Kroll argues that the physical world is connected to the Beast, which will come out of the earth to perform many miracles and fool people. Adventist.org argues that Revelation 22 describes the physical world being destroyed and recreated, a New Earth that is restored to perfection.
What Can We Learn from 666’s Meaning?
Which of the multiple views people take on 666 will determine a lot about why they think it matters.
In one view, it matters because Christians must remember the number of the Beast that will tell us when the Antichrist has arrived. We must be vigilant about the Antichrist and how to identify him.
In another view, it matters because even if there isn’t a future Antichrist to worry about, the Bible warns about multiple antichrists who will always be around.
Readers should study Revelation to understand 666, regardless of their view. Each view affirms that sin has consequences and that we must watch out for evil figures threatening the church. Each view also challenges us to consider the importance of the physical world—whether God will recreate it or refine it.
In the end, we remember that regardless of what 666 represents and what future threat it may show, God will be victorious in the end. Jesus tells us in Revelation 22:13, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.”
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This article is part of our larger End Times Resource Library. Learn more about the rapture, the anti-christ, bible prophecy and the tribulation with articles that explain Biblical truths. You do not need to fear or worry about the future!
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