666

The number 666 is the mathematical signifier of the [[Antichrist]], serving as the final designation for the man of sin who appears before the second coming of Christ.

It is defined scripturally as the number of a man, representing the sum total of the letters constituting his specific name. This designation is said to encompass the entire history of human apostasy across six millennia of creation.

### Gematria and Numerical Value

The identification of the Antichrist through the number 666 is based on the ancient system of gematria, in which letters of the alphabet correspond to specific numerical values.

In the Greek numerical system, each letter represents a component of the whole number: the letter chi represents 600, xi represents 60, and sigma represents six.

The number 666 is the mathematical sum of the letters in the name of the Antichrist, though divine providence has ensured the exact name remains hidden until the time of its final fulfilment. This hiddenness is intended to prevent sterile curiosity and instead provoke a state of spiritual watchfulness.

The numerical value itself possesses significant mathematical properties that reinforce its symbolic meaning. The number six is considered mathematically powerful as the sum of the first three integers: one, two, and three.

666 is the sum of all integers from 1 to 36, where 36 is the product of six multiplied by itself. It is also identified as a magic square of six by six, where every row and column adds up to the number 111. These properties suggest a system of extreme coherence and human perfection of work that remains decoupled from divine rest.

### The Symbolism of the Number Six

The number six is fundamentally associated with the creation of man on the sixth day and the subsequent days of human labour. While the number seven represents the completeness of the full cycle including divine rest, the number six represents a system that is theoretically worked out but lacks the finality of God.

In its negative connotation, 666 is not a dark or ominous symbol in a traditional aesthetic sense but is rather a symbol of the pride of light and the pride of human achievement.

The Antichrist is a luminous figure who offers a perfect system of global control, appealing to the fallen reason and the deification of human capacity.

This system accounts for everything within the material realm while excluding the Sabbath, the Jubilee, and the margins of reality that should remain uncounted and free for God. It is a system of total calculation that treats human existence as a marketable commodity.

### Old Testament Prototypes

The number 666 appears in the Old Testament in contexts that foreshadow the economic and idolatrous nature of the final Antichrist. [[King Solomon]] is recorded as receiving 666 talents of gold in a single year, an event connected to international trade and the amassing of worldly wealth. This suggests a relationship between the number and the world of exchange and financial accounting.

Another significant prototype is the golden statue built by [[King Nebuchadnezzar]] in the story of the Prophet [[Daniel]]. This statue measured 60 cubits in height and six cubits in breadth, and all subjects were commanded to worship it under threat of death by fire. This historical event serves as a typology for the image of the beast in the Book of [[Revelation]], where a secondary beast breathes life into an image of the first and demands universal worship. These precedents establish 666 as a sign of the forced union of political power, economic control, and false religious adoration.

### Economic and Global Applications

In the final days of history, the number of the name of the Antichrist will function as a mechanism for total economic exclusion. The scripture specifies that no individual may buy or sell unless they possess the mark, the name of the beast, or the number of his name. This mark is a seal of authority that indicates the individual is the property of the Antichrist and the devil.

### Spiritual Vigilance and Fulfillment

The correct interpretation of 666 requires divine illumination and spiritual wisdom rather than mere intellectual analysis. The church fathers, including [[Saint Irenaeus]] of Lyons and [[Saint Hippolytus]] of Rome, emphasise that it is safer to await the fulfilment of the prophecy than to attempt to decode the name prematurely through human logic.

Premature attempts to identify the Antichrist often stem from a sick curiosity that distracts from the one thing needful: personal repentance.

The primary defense against the deception of the number is a state of spiritual sobriety known as nipsis. A heart clouded by passions becomes spiritually intoxicated and unable to discern the signs of the times. The vigilant Christian will recognise the Antichrist immediately, not through a mathematical formula but through an experiential knowledge of Christ that makes the deception of the beast apparent.

This watchfulness involves keeping the spiritual garments of baptism pure and maintaining a constant memory of God, ensuring that the soul is never left empty for the seven worse spirits to inhabit.