The Mark of the Beast-What the 666 Means

Concerning the Beast of the Revelation-"Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six."-Revelation 13:18

King Solomon received 666 talents of gold in one year (1 Kings 10:14).

The Apostle John in writing about the beast provided a key to interpret the code. That is, the most wise man in history was said to be Solomon. If the revenue Solomon received as King of Israel goes to someone not Jewish-Nero Caesar, Revelation 13:18 is a solid hint. That individual was the Roman Emperor Nero. In the Jewish language of the day numbers had an alphabetic equivelent that spelled Nero. John was writing about the present and near future largely in writing the Revelation. Pre-millenialists tend to disinterpret Daniel's 70 weeks and thereafter go run amok in understanding the Revelation.

Plainly the sort of clever identification of a Roman ruler who would have put to death John if he simply wrote that Nero was a dirtbag taking Jewish and Christian coin and is an unsaved worldly beast,-he really was evil and satanic. He was known for putting on anumal skins and with claws tearing up bound prisoners. I think it was written at an earlier rather than a later time in John's life. In my opinion it would be easier to write clever coded messages in one's 40s or 50s rather than in one 90's.