The Possible Significance of 666

While the “Bible code” people take things to an extreme, there is definite significance in the way biblical authors use numbers. In fact, numbers were thought to be of great significance throughout the ancient world, even beyond the realm of mathematics. The movements of the sun, moon, and stars revealed that nature worked as a sort of clock, and the fact that these movements could be understood and predicted mathematically was seen by some as evidence that time (and the realm of mathematics in general) was divinely ordained.

In some ancient languages, such as Hebrew and Greek, numerical values were built into the letters of the language, with the result that words and names had numerical values that could be significant. Those of you who are familiar with the phrase “As above, so below,” will probably recognize this use of numerology as an attempt (at least on the part of some) to unite heaven and earth, to bring a bit of the divine down to the human level.

Probably the most famous letter-number combination in ancient literature is the Number of the Beast, found in the book of Revelation. Most commonly, this number is rendered as 666, but in the Greek text of Revelation, it is actually “600, 60, and 6.” There is significance in the way the text breaks this down, and even the early church tried to figure out the name of the coming Beast by matching these numbers to their counterpart letters in Greek. The church father Irenaeus, who lived from c. AD 130 to c. AD 202, writes about this practice in his exhaustive work Against Heresies, stating that he thought the Holy Spirit had inspired this notation in the text of Revelation so that “when this man comes we may avoid him, being aware who he is.”[1]

In scripture, the number 6 often represents incompleteness or moral corruption (falling one short of 7, a number representing completion). The Greek word for “sin” is hamartia, which literally means “to miss the mark.” This helps make sense of the apostle Paul’s remark that “All have sinned [“missed the mark”] and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). The Beast of Revelation is also called “the Man of Sin,” so it makes sense that 6 - the number of sin, of corruption, of falling short of God’s standard - would be his number. By why 600, 60, and 6? I’ll give you my understanding of this.

Another number of significance in scripture is 10, which often appears in association with divine law (ex: the 10 Commandments), divine judgment (ex: the plagues of Egypt), and things dedicated to God in one way or another (ex: the tithe). The number of the Beast - 600, 60, and 6 - is 6 multiplied by 10 twice (6x10 = 60, 60x10 = 600). In the Bible, doubling something often speaks of bringing it to completion or fullness, either for good or ill. For instance, in Isaiah 40:2, the prophet observes that Jerusalem “has received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” For another example, after Job goes through all of his various afflictions, God blesses him by doubling all of the possessions he formerly lost (Job 42:12-15).

In light of these numerical usages and representations in scripture, I suggest that multiplying 6 by 10 twice in the name of the Beast suggests that this man will represent the fullness of sin and corruption. The Beast is also called “the Son of Perdition (or Destruction),” indicating that his destiny (and that of all who follow him) is destruction, to be carried out by Christ at his second coming. In this sense, the Beast has been reserved, dedicated, or set apart to God for destruction. The numbers 6 and 10 fall well within the pattern of biblical usage here.

As for why we have essentially three repetitions of six in 600, 60, and 6, I note that it’s rather common in scripture to find things represented in groups of three. Hebrew cosmology saw the entire universe as consisting of three parts, as the apostle Paul expresses it regarding things: “In heaven, on earth, and under the earth” (Philippians 2:10). They also saw three “heavens”: the sky, the abode of the celestial lights, and the dwelling place of God’s presence. This cosmology represents a sort of union of heaven and earth, things both spiritual and physical.

By my understanding, the combination of these numbers, arranged in a grouping of three, seems to represent the Beast as the great Cosmic Rebel: embodying the unified enemies of God, both heavenly and earthly, spiritual and physical. This connects well with the text of Revelation in that we’re told that the Beast, as a man, is empowered by the Dragon, who is Satan. His kingdom is a cooperative effort between fallen entities in the spiritual realm and fallen humans on the earth.

Putting all of this together, 600, 60, and 6 represents cosmic rebellion - the unified enemies of God - both spiritual and physical, heavenly and earthly, the capstone or fullness of all corruption and everything that falls short of God’s standard, set apart to God for a “double portion” (or absolute) destruction by him at the appointed time. In Isaiah 21:21-22, we’re actually told that fallen angels will be cast down to the earth to be judged together with fallen men:

“So it will happen in that day

That the Lord will punish the host of heaven on high,

And the kings of the earth on earth

They will be gathered together like prisoners in the dungeon,

And will be confined in prison;

And after many days they will be punished.”

 

Scriptures used here are taken from the New American Standard Bible.

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[1] https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0103530.htm

Red Dwarf Stars and the Search for Life Elsewhere

 

I have to admit to experiencing a certain impatience with how the media covers science matters, particularly where the search for life elsewhere in the universe is concerned. Oftentimes, the impression is given that if liquid water can exist on a planet’s surface, it must be a good candidate for life. The truth of the matter is much more complicated.

When discussing the potential for life elsewhere in the universe, advocates like to cite statistics such as the possible number of stars in the observable universe, which scientists estimate at 50 billion trillion, and the fact that most stars appear to have planetary systems. With so many other planetary systems out there, they reason that earth-like planets must be rather common, and surely life has developed on at least a few of them.

Going by purely naturalistic assumptions, this might seem like a persuasive argument, but the more we drill down into what we’ve learned about other stars and the planets that orbit them, the more likely it becomes that our earth is truly unique. I could outline several aspects of this issue, but for the moment I’ll concentrate on one statistic that narrows the range of habitable systems dramatically.

Stars come in a variety of categories, and are classified in several ways, including by age, size, color, and mass. For instance, our sun is a class G yellow dwarf star, of moderate luminosity (brightness) and exceptionally stable. Roughly 12.6% of stars in our part of the Milky Way galaxy are like the sun. By far the most common type of star in the universe is the red dwarf (class M). Red dwarf stars are much smaller, cooler, and dimmer than stars like our sun. The closest star to our sun is a red dwarf: Proxima Centauri, which is located about 4.2 light years away. Even though this star is so close to our solar system, because it’s so small and dim, it’s not visible to the naked eye and wasn’t discovered until 1915. Only one red dwarf star (Lacaille 8760) is actually visible from earth—barely—and even it can’t be seen without exceptionally clear, dark skies.

Given that they’re smaller and cooler than our sun, one might think red dwarf stars would be ‘kinder and gentler’ than other stars, serving as ideal hosts for life-bearing planets. Actually, the opposite is true: red dwarf stars are temperamental, and planets in orbit around them would have a difficult time sustaining life. For one thing, red dwarf stars often fluctuate wildly in brightness (a behavior known as ‘flaring’). Flare activity not only changes the amount of light planets receive from their host stars, it can also bombard them with charged particles that gradually strip away their atmospheres, making them uninhabitable. Flaring could also result in dramatic fluctuations in UV radiation that could effectively sterilize the surface of a planet orbiting close enough to receive enough warmth to sustain life.

Because red dwarf stars are so much cooler than our sun, any planets they may have must orbit closer to them in order to receive enough energy to warm them sufficiently, maintain liquid water on their surfaces, and allow plants to conduct photosynthesis. This not only subjects them to significant radiation hazards, as I already mentioned, it also increases the chances for what scientists call ‘tidal locking.’ Tidal locking is when a planet’s rotation rate matches the time of its orbit around its parent star, with the effect that the planet only ever presents one side of itself to the star (just as our moon only ever presents one side of itself to the earth).

When a planet becomes tidally locked to its parent star, one side of it continually experiences day, while the other side experiences an eternal night. As you might expect, the day side of such planets—continually bathed in sunlight—become extremely hot, while the opposite side—continually deprived of sunlight—turns into a deep freeze. The odds are very low that any sort of life could survive such temperature extremes. A planet with a thick atmosphere might be able to maintain high enough temperatures to permit bacteria or certain types of plants to survive, but on the other hand, a thick atmosphere might also produce a runaway greenhouse effect, making the planet too warm for life. Of course, this assumes that the planet is large enough to retain its atmosphere in the first place. Take Mars, for instance. Mars is approximately 10% as massive as Earth, which is why its atmosphere is much thinner than Earth’s: it simply doesn’t have enough gravity to hold on to it in competition with the eroding influence of the solar wind (charged particles streaming outward from the sun). The planet would also need a substantial magnetic field to help hold on to its atmosphere. Mars has a negligible magnetic field, which is another reason for its tenuous atmosphere.

Another problem for life in red dwarf solar systems is the fact that red light has a longer wavelength and lower energy levels than is ideal for photosynthesis in plants. Experiments have been done showing that it is possible for plants and some forms of bacteria to survive and grow in light mimicking the spectrum of a red dwarf, but flaring would be a potential problem here, as plants sensitive enough to make use of the lower energy level of red light might be overwhelmed by sudden, dramatic increases in energy output. Again, atmospheric density and composition would also play a role in how well plants were able to grow in the light of a red dwarf star.

So, yes, in a universe of 50 billion trillion stars, most of which probably have planets, one might think that life-bearing planets could be common; and this is certainly the impression many in the media like to convey when covering news of astronomical discoveries. When you consider that the vast majority of stars fall into a category that is less than ideal for life, however, those numbers look far less impressive. Red dwarf stars are, at the very least, inhospitable hosts, and any planets in orbit around them would have to meet exacting conditions in order to sustain life. I’ve touched on a few of the issues here, but there are many more. For instance: Does the planet’s soil have the right mineral content in the right proportions? Does it have plate tectonics to recycle its soil? Does it have a comparatively large moon to stabilize its axial tilt in order to give it stable seasons? Does it have enough water? What sort of gravitational influence do other planets in the system subject it to? And then there are outside influences to consider as well. For instance, how close is the system to other solar systems, to black holes, or to the energetic core of the galaxy? Conditions might be ideal within the system itself, but if it is constantly being gravitationally destabilized and blasted by radiation from outside sources, the odds against anything beyond perhaps simple bacteria existing there are remote at best.

All of these are factors that weigh heavily on the question of whether a planet is a viable prospect for life, and, to date, no other planet has been discovered that even comes close to the conditions we enjoy on our Earth. Our world is located on an ideal planet, which is itself located in an ideal position within an ideal solar system, in orbit around an ideal star, in an ideal part of an ideal galaxy in an ideal area of the universe.

We occupy the best-known real estate in the observable universe, and I believe that this is no accident.

Proxima Centauri: the closest star to our sun, and an artist's impression of a planet orbiting a red dwarf star.

  

The Last Words of Jesus

 

Most people who know they’re going away for a very long time, or that they’re going to die, don’t waste their time on trivial things. They call in friends and family, they try to settle quarrels with estranged friends and relatives, and they talk about the things they consider most important.

John chapters 13-17 record the Last Supper and Jesus’ ‘high priestly prayer’ for his disciples prior to his betrayal and execution. Although the cross was not the end for him, these events marked the beginning of his departure from his disciples. Their relationship would never be the same again, and they were going to have to get used to no longer having him around. Jesus was never one to waste words, but here he emphasizes and re-emphasizes certain things in such a way that we should view them as supremely important.

First, he exemplifies humility, selfless love, and service in washing his disciples’ feet - even the feet of his betrayer, Judas - and commands them to follow his example in their treatment of one another. He returns to this theme later, urging his disciples to “love one another,” and even tells them that that this type of selfless love will be the distinguishing characteristic of his disciples in the future. Not the doctrines they hold to, or even the content of their preaching, but their treatment of one another:

 

“By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” - John 13:35

This stands in sharp contrast to what Jesus tells his disciples about the last days in Matthew 24:

 

“Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.” - Matthew 24:9-12

Here, Jesus tells his disciples that, as the pressures against Christians mount in the days before his return, many of them will turn on one another and even betray one another to death. For this reason, he commands them to remain devoted to one another, and even says that their steadfast love for one another will confirm them as his true disciples in the eyes of all around them.

Christians need one another. If we act in selfless love, we have the ability to help, encourage, and strengthen one another. For some in the last days, the presence of other Christians will probably be the primary factor in sustaining their faith in the midst of tribulation.

As the author of Hebrews writes:

 

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” - Hebrews 10:23-25

This is more than an admonition to “go to church.” It’s a directive to engage in genuine, edifying fellowship. It has to do with surrounding oneself with a network of believing support.

The second thing Jesus emphasized was the abiding presence of God and the promise of being with Jesus in the kingdom. The author of Hebrews tells us that it was “for the joy that was set before him” that Jesus endured the cross. In other words, he went through the horrors that he did because he knew that something better awaited him on the other side: the redemption of his bride, his return to the Father, and, ultimately, the promise of the kingdom. In a similar way, Jesus tells his disciples to remember that, even though he is leaving them, he will eventually return and take them to be with him.

Thus, no matter what awaits them, the disciples have something to look forward to, something worth believing for. Jesus also emphasizes his unity with the Father in all of this so that his disciples will understand that his word to them has the Father's own authority behind it—it’s the true and faithful promise of God.

 

“...and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.” - John 14:24

In the meantime, Jesus tells them that, even though he is physically leaving them, the presence of God will still remain with them in the Holy Spirit. They will not be left alone. In fact, the Spirit will teach them and testify to them about the things of Christ. This will be vital for the disciples, as Jesus has already warned them of deception in the last days (Matthew 24:4, 23-27). Indeed, Jesus refers to the Spirit as “the spirit of truth” (John 14:17).

The third thing Jesus emphasizes is the necessity of “abiding” in him by practicing his teachings. He compares the disciples to branches that must remain attached to the vine in order to have life and bring forth fruit. He promises that those who abide in him will “abide in my love” and “bring forth much fruit.” After this, he once again reminds them to love one another. The emphasis on unity here underscores the fact that believers are a community, a “body” through which Christ carries out his works in the world. There are certainly individual aspects to the Christian life, but the business of bringing forth “much fruit” will come from united communities of believers, growing together in their connection to the vine and supporting one another.

Fourth, Jesus emphasizes that the world will hate his disciples for the same reason they hated Christ: his word convicted them of their sin. He warns them of this persecution in advance in order to prepare them to face it:

 

“These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling. They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God. These things they will do because they have not known the Father or Me. But these things I have spoken to you, so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you of them.” - John 16:1-4

The word translated “stumbling” here is the Greek word skandalizo, which means to trip over an impediment, the way you might trip over a rock and fall. Jesus warns his disciples here so that they can mentally prepare themselves to face what is coming, grounded in his truth, led by the Spirit, and standing in unity.

 

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer; for I have overcome the world.” - John 16:33

Jesus then prays to the Father in John 17, underscoring these things he has taught his disciples, and entrusting them to the Father's care. He does not ask that the Father take them out of the world, but rather that he sustain them while in it:

 

“I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” - John 17:15

As we look forward to the coming of the Lord and reflect on what he said the last days would be like, we need to meditate on these ‘last words’ or ‘parting words’ in John 13-17. Our strength to overcome in the face of deception and persecution will depend on our standing in the unity of love, fixed on the promises of God in Christ, led by the Spirit of Truth, and continually deriving life from the vine that is Christ as we practice his teachings and bring forth their fruit.

 

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” - John 3:20-22