Finally, a man with some sense!

[the_ignored]

From here

Okay folks consider this.

Rev 13:18 The Beasts name equals 666. In the Ancient world prior to the invention of Arabic numerals, alphabets served as numbering systems. A first century spelling of Nero Ceasars name is NRWN QSR - Six hundred and Sixty Six.

There's more: Revalation 9: 14 speakes of an army being released to kill a third of mankind. They come across the Euphrates river. Historically, the Euphrates river touches Syria were the Romans kept four legions. In the writings of Josephus these four legions assaulted Jerusalem.

Again, The Blasphemus character of the Beast is how the Romans considered their emporers to be Gods. Nero considered himself to be the Greek god Apollo.

Want to knowmore.

http://preteristhomepage.com/

http://preteristarchive.com/

I recomend before devoting your life to one viewpoint on biblical prophecy investigate the others.

<~~no bonus points for guessing where the title for the thread came from...

 

[Crossbow]

Well, that business about Nero having his name equal to 666 may be news to you but it is not to me.

One of my history professors explained it to me, and the other students, in his ancient history class that I took about 17 years ago. Then he went on to explain that is was a fairly common reference for the time since direct criticism of a Roman Emperor (even a dead or discredited one) could mean real trouble.

Go figure!

 

[bangdazap]

I remember from reading War and Peace that one of the main characters (who was plotting to kill Napoleon) got Napoleons name to add up to 665 by (somehow) using hebrew letters. Disappointed that he couldn't prove that Napoleon was anti-christ this way, he discarded one letter from Napoleons to make it add up to 666 (so Napoleon was the anti-christ anyway).

What I mean to say is that you can probably add everybodies names to 666 if you fiddle enough with them: I think Adolf Hitler's name "also" adds up to that number by some method.

Another thought: if Nero or Hitler was the anti-christ, has the rapture come and gone?

 

[Gregor]

Let me ask, what is the point of your thread? Are you trying to introduce the idea of Preterism to this board? It's a failed idea.

For those of you who don't know preterism, it revolves around the failed prophesy of Jesus' return. You will all recall that 'Jesus' repeatedly predicted in the gospels that he would return to earth to establish the Kingdom of God (tm) (i) during the lifetime of the apostles, (ii) during the current generation of Israel, and (iii) 'very soon.' Similarly, Revelations and several epistles promised an imminent return of Jesus.

Faced with this failed prophesy, a tiny, minority branch of fundamentalists argue that Jesus did return (symbolically) in 70 CE. The argument is that the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE and the diaspora was the second coming. Thus, the Bible did not err, the second coming already happened, and we're living in the Kingdom of God (tm).

The failure of this theory is that first, the NT describes many events that describe the second coming (darkness, earthquakes, everyone on earth seeing Jesus when he comes, trumpets, & etc) and those did not occur in 70 CE - at least we have no evidence that they occurred. Second (and I think much more telling), the author of 2 Peter (writing after 70 CE) says 'don't be sad, followers, I know people mock us because Jesus said he would return, and he hasn't. Just keep the faith.'

Was this the point of your post, M. Ignored?

 

[Skeptical Greg]

I thought the point was, that trying to pin 666 on modern figures, was absurd...

 

[LW]

What I mean to say is that you can probably add everybodies names to 666 if you fiddle enough with them: I think Adolf Hitler's name "also" adds up to that number by some method.

There's one difference between Hitler and Nero. Hitler did not live near the time when the Revelation was written, Nero did.

There's one school of opinion that puts the date of the Revelation in late A.D. 68. That date is derived from the two sections that refer to kings:

(Revelation 13:1-3)
1 And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea.And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name.
2 The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.
3 One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast.

(Revelation 17:9-11)
9 This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits.
10 They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for a little while.
11 The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.

According to these verses, four kings have died, one mortally wounded, the sixth rules and the seventh will rule only for a short while before the eight king who is one of the first seven retakes the kingdom. Counting emperors we get: Augustus, Tiberius, Gaius, Claudius, Nero as first five and Galba as the sixth. Now, there was a popular rumor that Nero didn't really kill himself but only faked his suicide. It is possible that the "healed wound" refers to this rumour. Galba was assasinated by Otho in January 69 so if the author really meant him to be the one "who is" that would date the Revelation quite accurately.

 

[Dancing David]

In hebrew gematria
SUM=666
s(60)+v(6)+m(ending)600=666= I am

Problem is Jeseus didn't say it some other guy did!

 

[the_ignored]

I thought the point was, that trying to pin 666 on modern figures, was absurd...

Yes, that and the whole rapture thing has failed the test of time, in my opinion...since it applies to something that happened WAY in the past.