HERE IS WISDOM

Revelation 13:18 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.

Introduction

To understand the book of Revelation, it is going to take wisdom given by the Holy Spirit. Fortunately, God has given us the Spirit of truth and the Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth. The Holy Spirit is the one who inspired the writing of the Bible. He, therefore, knows the proper meaning of each and every passage. It is our responsibility to submit to His direction for correct comprehension of His holy word. He will never lead us to violate the rules of grammar, history, context, and common sense. Most people of our day make the book of Revelation to sound like a science fiction novel. To accurately interpret this book requires a solid understanding of the rest of the Bible. For its explanation can be found here, not in newspaper exegesis.

There is a lot of intellectual dishonesty when it comes to the book of Revelation. I trust that most of this is done out of a lack of understanding rather than willfully. In our day, there have been books published that have adequately expounded the true meaning of the book of Revelation. The other side, that is Pre-millennialists, have failed to refute these books. It is not good enough for any individual to say a book is wrong. They must prove it wrong. They think that they can get away with it. This is almost an open admission that they cannot disprove these books but neither are they willing to accept it as truth. Right now, those who believe that most of the prophecy of Revelation has been fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 by the Roman armies under the general Titus, are definitely in the minority. However, this will begin to disappear in the future, as more predictions fail regarding the Rapture and the truth about the Second Coming of Christ begins to be accepted.

If our view of Scripture is incorrect and requires revising, we should be honest enough to do so and not disregard information that is embarrassing to the presently held analysis. This can be dangerous because aw with all of our beliefs, they have consequences. We as Christians, filled with the Holy Spirit, have the Spirit of truth in our hearts. We should be willing to accept truth, no matter where it comes from, if it is in fact truth. All truth is God's truth. Our beliefs should reflect the reality of the Bible. To admit that an original belief was incorrect does not harm the gospel, but admits that we are human and therefore, not infallible. We will be led into all truth provided that we are teachable. Being unteachable admits that we cannot receive new light that is we know it all. Sometimes, we need to challenge ourselves by rethinking through difficult issues that we have accepted without any independent thought on our part.

Exegesis of the Scripture

Wisdom usually means the right use of knowledge. As it is used in this Scripture, it is the intelligence used in discovering the meaning of the number six hundred threescore and six. It should be apparent to us that the writer of the book of Revelation wants us to use wisdom and figure out who this man is that his name adds up to this mysterious number.

To use this wisdom properly, it is going to take a faculty of the mind known as the understanding. This is the part of the mind whereby we perceive and understand and are therefore, able to judge and determine the criteria set out before us. This is the intellectual faculty of the mind. The author wants us to use our mind to figure out who this shadowy figure is.

We are to count the number of the beast and it is the number of a man. Therefore, whatever this number adds up to, it will be the name of a particular man. To count is to explain by computing a number, which values are also letters and they will reveal the identity of the one that is called the beast. This computation is important in knowing if the beast is either to be revealed in the future or lived in the past.

Modern Christians also call the beast the Antichrist. This is not correct because the only time the term Antichrist appears in the Scriptures is in the Epistles of John. To use it in reference to the book of Revelation is inappropriate. This beast has a kingdom and power over multitudes of peoples. At the writing of the book of Revelation, approximately 66 to 68 A.D., this would mean the Roman Empire and at that time the Caesar was Nero. A study of the reign of Nero will reveal that if there was a character who represented a beast, he was it. For further study of this evil reign, one should refer to the works of the Roman historian, Tacitus.

We have now come to that mystical number six hundred threescore and six. This number appears in the Old Testament in to two places at 1 Kings 10:14 and 2 Chronicles 9:13. So we can see that this number was not something totally out of the ordinary to someone that had read and understood the Old Testament. Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament defines this number as "a mystical number the meaning which is clear when it is written in Hebrew letters i.e. Nero Caesar." There it is plain for the whole world to see. John who wrote the book of Revelation was a Hebrew and this is how the umber of this man is to be calculated by using Hebrew symbols. The beast of the book of Revelation was Nero.

Conclusion

Here is conclusive proof from the exegesis that the beast or Antichrist is none other than Nero. A study of the life of Nero will reveal that he truly is the beast. Only he and the Roman Empire adequately describe the events found in the prophecy of Revelation. As with all prophecies, there must be fulfillment for them to be true prophecies. Nero is the beast.

This means that most of the events described in the book of Revelation revolve around the first century and not future events. The happenings of the first century, especially the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem in A.D. 70, adequately fit the descriptions found in this prophecy. Nothing else has come or will ever come close. This is one way to be able to discern truth. Does it fit? If not then, it cannot be the truth.

Rome and Jerusalem are key figures in the book of Revelation. The only place that could fulfill the Babylon of Revelation is Jerusalem. This where the blood of the prophets and saints was found. The Lord Jesus Christ said that no prophet could die outside of Jerusalem. His discourse in Matthew 23 also says the same. The Babylon (Jerusalem) of Revelation was destroyed by the Roman armies under the general Titus in A.D. 70 as Christ Jesus said behold, your house is left to you desolate.

While there is much speculation who the beast of Revelation is, he was a historical figure that has already passed from the scene. This is a significant point. If the Antichrist has already come and gone, then a future tribulation where this Antichrist will rise up will simply not take place. Why? This is because he has come and gone. What does this mean for Christianity? There is nothing to stop us from fulfilling the Great Commission in teaching all nations God's commandments.

While the church world waits for the revealing of the Antichrist, he has already been discovered. They are waiting for a past tense event. This should encourage us not to be pessimistic about future, but optimistic. We have a very bright future because we know that we are fighting a defeated foe in the devil. God's truth continues to march on saving and sanctifying. No longer should we look to escape, but rather to transform our society by spreading of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our view of the future determines what we will do in the present. There are bright days ahead of us. Praise His holy name.