[The Fallacy of Imminent Eschatology] 6. 666, a Symbol of Evil in Roman Times
[The Fallacy of Imminent Eschatology] 6. 666, a Symbol of Evil in Roman Times
What it claims
This Catholic newspaper article explains that 666 is a number pointing to the Roman emperor Nero.Father Min Byung-seop of the Daejeon Diocese wrote it as installment 6 of his 1992 series 'The Fallacy of Imminent Eschatology.' The piece was republished on the Catholic Times website in 2017.It notes that Revelation 13:18 calls 666 'the number of a man's name.' It explains that Hebrew, Greek, and Roman letters also functioned as numerals, making it possible to calculate a name as a number.It states Revelation was written during a period of persecution, when Christians were forced to worship the Roman emperor as a god.It writes that scholars broadly agree the interpretation points to Nero, who was rumored to be due to return from the dead.
How it connects
It explains 666 not as modern symbol-matching but as a first-century numeric calculation that pointed to the Roman emperor Nero.