There are so many secret numbers in the book of Revelation, as such 666(triple six) is considered as the number of the beast. 

What is the meaning of triple six? What are the implications and biblical background for these?

Revelation 13:16-17 – Also, it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be given a brand on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell who does not have the brand, that is, the name of the beast or the number for its name.

The book of Revelation has got something special. It speaks about two things. One is the present situation. That means, the book of Revelation was written in the first century during the persecution of Roman Emperor. There was Nero, Diocletian and so many other emperors who were controlling the Roman Empire. They were persecuting Christians. So, during this persecution period, the book of Revelation as written at that time. Therefore, when St. John wrote down the book of Revelation, he had two intentions. One is a message about the present situation of the Jewish people in the first century where Christians were being persecuted. This was intended to be interpreted and given to the people of God so that they may be consoled and comforted in their moments of persecution. It explained how the persecution is taking place, the role of the emperor, the Pharisees and Sadducee and that of the Christians. 

The second intention is about the future and about the things to happen.

Revelation 1:19 – Now write what you have seen, what is, and what is to take place after this.

We need to understand the situation about who is the beast and what is the number.

Revelation 3:18 – Therefore I advise you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich, and white robes to clothe yourself and to keep the shame of your nakedness from being seen, and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.

This verse calls for wisdom to ascertain who is that person.  St. John was referring to those people in the first century and appealing to them to use their wisdom to find out out who this man was and to calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a person, 666. This person about whom St. John spoke was somebody known to all the Christians there in the first century. He does not want to mention the person but wants those people who have wisdom to find out. 

So many wicked people use this as a favourite number. Even some multinational companies use this number as a motto, use it on their cars as number plates. They may not know the meaning of 666. But they are so fond of this number because it had got some connection with the beast. In the Christian world, people expect the antichrist, the one who is against Christianity, opposite of Christ to be associated with the number 666.

The emperor who destroyed the Christians during his time was the Emperor Nero. Caesar Nero was very notorious because when Rome was burned, he was fiddled in the night. Nero became emperor when he was only seventeen years old and ruled the empire for almost fourteen years. His mother, Agrippina, was also a terrible lady. She gave poison to her husband, Claudius, who was the emperor of Rome. She killed him and managed to make her son Nero the Emperor, Later, Nero was having an affair with somebody else which Agrippina could not accept. Then suddenly Nero became angry with his mother and killed her in the water drowning her. Nero got married to the one he had an affair with and later after some years, Nero killed his wife with a kick on her belly. He was so cruel. Not only this, he produced some coins and on the coins he imprinted his face on one coin, and on it was written, “Saviour of the whole world”. Nero depicted himself as the saviour of the world – the antichrist because the saviour of the world is Jesus.

For example – abcdefg….. every letter has a number. Likewise, in Hebrew language, in Greek language, every letter has a number. So, if we write down each letter of Nero Caesar and plus it, multiply it, then we will get 666. Even today if we calculate, it is the same 666. 

Deuteronomy 6: 6 -7 – Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. 

Why was Rome burned ?

The history says Nero himself burnt the Roman Empire, especially the Roman city. He gave fire and that is why he was fiddling at night because he knew about the fire and he later spread rumours among the people that it was the Christians who gave fire to the city. Then all the people in the country started hating Christians because they believed Christians were responsible for the fire of Rome. Though, Christians are peace-loving people, they never hated anyone but always loved, even their enemies. They were hated by the people and that is why Nero publicly tortured them in the Colosseum. But people enjoyed it. People used to come and see the way Christians were eaten by the lions and beasts and people would come and watch because they all hated Christians because Nero spread the rumours. History proved that it was not the Christians who burned, it was Nero himself because he had a plan of re-adjusting, re-planning the whole Roman city. Therefore, he wanted to destroy the small hearts of the ordinary people and that is why he gave fire to the city.  He was cruel and wanted to destroy the Christians. 

Now, the futuristic dimension of triple six is that there will be either a person or a group of people or a community or may be some force will be coming to divorce the Christians with different varieties of conspiracies and try to destroy and eliminate the Christian world from this world. 

John 2:18 – 22 – Children, it is the last hour! As you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. From this we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they did not belong to us, for if they had belonged to us they would have remained[a] with us. But by going out they made it plain that none of them belongs to us. But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and all of you have knowledge. I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and you know that no lie comes from the truth. Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.

There are so many conspiracies going on in this world. Let us ask forgiveness from God for all those moments where we were enjoying being in the number six but not ready to enter into the number seven, the communion and the covenant with God. 

Transcribed by Jusfica Lobo