ˈan-tē-krīstos

And “the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority...” Power (n.), "ability to act or do; strength, vigor, might," especially in battle; "efficacy; control, mastery, lordship, dominion; legal power or authority; authorization; military force, an army," from Anglo-French pouair, Old French povoir, noun use of the infinitive, "to be able," earlier podir (9c.), from Vulgar Latin *potere, and Latin potis "powerful.” We know from Revelation 2:13 that Satan’s seat is at Pergamum, Turkey. Note: Pergamon Altar is today the most famous masterpiece in the Berlin Collection of Antiquities. By the middle of the fifth century, Mohammed’s followers had conquered much of Turkey including the present-day capital, Ankara. They also laid a four-year siege on Constantinople 654-658, but were unable to take the city until 1453. Constantinople named for Roman emperor Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus, whose name is derived from Latin constans (see constant (adj.)). Constant (adj.) late 14c., "steadfast, resolute," from Old French constant (14c.) or directly from Latin constantem (nominative constans) "standing firm, stable, steadfast, faithful," present participle of constare, from com- "together" (com-) + stare "to stand," from PIE root *sta- "to stand" (see stet). Stet from Latin stet "let it stand," third person singular present subjunctive of stare "to stand, stand upright, be stiff," from PIE root *sta- "to stand, set down, make or be firm," with derivatives meaning "place or thing that is standing" (cf. Sanskrit tisthati "stands;" Avestan histaiti "to stand;" Persian -stan "country," literally "where one stands;" Greek histemi "put, place, cause to stand; weigh," stasis "a standing still," statos "placed." Greek Konstantinou polis (Constantinople) means "Constantine's city," or “City of Faithful.”

The city’s name was then changed to Istanbul. Istanbul is a Turkish name of Constantinople, a corruption of the Greek phrase eis -tan (ten) polin "into the city," which is how the local Greek population referred to it. Picked up in Turkish 16c., though Turkish folk etymology traces the name to Islam -bol "plenty of Islam." Greek polis "city" has been adopted into Turkish as a place-name suffix as “bolu,” the original name would have been Islam and –bolu, literally “City of Islam,” or the transliteration from Arabic Islam, literally "submission.” So the more appropriate translation is “City of Submission.”

²And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.  Revelation 13:2

At the beginning of Revelation 17:7, we see the mystery of the woman explained. In eschatology, a “woman” represents a religion or church. This religion is the apostate religion that “rides” [eschatological root ridan "sit and be carried on"] the beast. This is referring to a theocratic system where state, religion, and law are of one body. Islamic religious law is formed directly from the Quran, Surah’s, and Hadiths. Arabic word shari'ah "the revealed law," from root shar' "revelation." Continuing, we see “the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.” In eschatology, a “head” is a kingdom, and a “horn” is its authority or the law over that kingdom.  These empires are:

1. The Egyptian Empire

2. The Assyrian Empire

3. The Babylonian Empire

4. The Medo-Persian Empire

5. The Greek Empire

After these five, the angel tells John that “¹⁰And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is.” At the time that John wrote the Book of Revelation, this was the Roman Empire. It ruled the Middle East, Northern Africa and much of Europe.

6. The Roman Empire

The angel continues to inform John that “And the other is not yet come; and when he (Mohammed) cometh, he must continue a short space. [Revelation 17:10]” This is the Pre-Islamic Ottoman Empire starting with Mohammed to the Seljuk’s who were the first Turks to inhabit Asia Minor and complete the Ottoman Empire.

7. The Pre-Islamic Ottoman Empire

The Office of the Caliph of the Ottoman Empire is the seventh head of Revelation 17:7, and was disbanded in 1918. The Armistice of Mudros formalizing Ottoman surrender was signed aboard a British warship on October 30, 1918.

8. The Post-Ottoman Islamic Empire (Revelation 17:11)

After the fall of the Ottoman Caliphate In 1918, Islam no longer had an Office of the Caliph, and the reign of Ottoman Empire came to an end in 1922. Islam “received a mortal wound, but the mortal wound is healed,” of the Post-Ottoman Islamic Empire.  The wound will be completely healed once the Office of the Caliph is reinstated under the Post-Ottoman Islamic Empire. This will also fulfill Revelation 17:11 and the “beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth.” The “the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom,” will be covered later.

⁷And the angel said unto me, wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.  Revelation 17:7

In Revelation 17:8 we see that the beast “shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition.” Focusing on the Greek words μέλλει ἀναβαίνειν “shall ascend,” or literally “futurity” and “ascend, go up, or mount.” Futurity (n.) c.1600, from future + -ity. future (adj.) late 14c., from Old French futur, from Latin futurus "going to be, yet to be," as a noun, "the future," irregular suppletive future participle of esse "to be," from PIE *bheue- "to be, exist, grow, come into being," and ascend (v.) late 14c., from Latin, ascendere "to climb up, mount, ascend," figuratively "to rise, reach," from ad- "to" (ad-) + scandere "to climb.”

When Muhammad was a child he was nursed by a Bedouin woman. During this time he had an experience with "two men in white raiment.” Here is W. M. Watt's translation of Ibn Ishaq's biography of Muhammad, page 36: .”..two men in white clothes came to me with a golden basin full of snow. They took me and split open my body, then they took my heart and split it open and took out from it a black clot which they flung away. Then they washed my heart and my body with that snow until they made them pure." This event deeply disturbed the Bedouins and they returned Muhammad to his mother. Here is the story told by Muhammad's wet-nurse, related in Guillaume's translation of Ibn Ishaq, page 72: "His [Muhammad's friend's] father said to me, "I am afraid that this child has had a stroke, so take him back to his family before the result appears. .....   She [Muhammad's mother] asked me what happened and gave me no peace until I told her. When she asked if I feared a demon had possessed him, I replied that I did."

Quoting from the Hadith of Bukhari, 9.111, narrated by 'Aisha: The commencement of the Divine Inspiration to Allah's Apostle was in the form of good righteous (true) dreams in his sleep. He never had a dream but that it came true like bright daylight. He used to go in seclusion (the cave of) Hira where he used to worship (Allah Alone) continuously for many (days) nights. He used to take with him the journey food for that (stay) and then come back to (his wife) Khadija to take his food like-wise again for another period to stay, till suddenly the Truth descended upon him while he was in the cave of Hira. The angel came to him in it and asked him to read. The Prophet replied, "I do not know how to read." (The Prophet added), "The angel caught me (forcefully) and pressed me so hard that I could not bear it anymore. He then released me and again asked me to read, and I replied, "I do not know how to read," whereupon he caught me again and pressed me a second time till I could not bear it anymore.  He then released me and asked me again to read, but again I replied, "I do not know how to read (or, what shall I read?)." Thereupon he caught me for the third time and pressed me and then released me and said, "Read: In the Name of your Lord, Who has created (all that exists). Has created man from a clot. Read and Your Lord is most generous... That which he knew not." (96.15)

Then Allah's Apostle returned with the Inspiration, his neck muscles twitching with terror until he entered upon Khadija and said, "Cover me! Cover me!" They covered him till his fear was over and then he said, "O Khadija, what is wrong with me?" Then he told her everything that had happened and said, 'I fear that something may happen to me." Khadija said, 'Never! But have the glad tidings, for, by Allah, Allah will never disgrace you as you keep good relations with your Kith and kin, speak the truth, help the poor and the destitute, serve your guest generously and assist the deserving, calamity-afflicted ones." But after a few days Waraqa died and the Divine Inspiration was also paused for a while and the Prophet became so sad as we have heard that he intended several times to throw himself from the tops of high mountains and every time he went up the top of a mountain in order to throw himself down, Gabriel would appear before him and say, "O Muhammad! You are indeed Allah's Apostle in truth" whereupon his heart would become quiet and he would calm down and would return home.  And whenever the period of the coming of the inspiration used to become long, he would do as before, but when he used to reach the top of a mountain, Gabriel would appear before him and say to him what he had said before. (Ibn 'Abbas said regarding the meaning of: 'He that Cleaves the daybreak (from the darkness)' (6.96) that Al-Asbah means the light of the sun during the day and the light of the moon at night).

⁸The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.  Revelation 17:7

In Revelation 17:9 we see “seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.” Who is the woman? The “seven mountains” are the seven empires: Egyptian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Grecian, Roman, and Islamic. The common factor to all these empires is that they ruled over Jerusalem/Israel. The woman is Israel. In biblical eschatology, a woman represents the God’s church or an apostate church. The Greek word κάθηται translates to rest (*as opposed to sits). In the original etymological meaning of rest, appears to be a measure of distance (cf. Old High German rasta, which in addition to "rest" meant "league of miles," Old Norse rost "league, distance after which one rests," Gothic rasta "mile, stage of a journey"), perhaps the word is from the nomadic period. Unless the original sense is "repose," thence extended secondarily to "distance between two resting places." The bible states that Israel is between two resting place – the Old and New Covenants. They, Israel will not find rest until they find their Messiah, our Lord Jesus. This is all summed up in Isaiah 30:15, “For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.”

⁹And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.  Revelation 17:9

In Revelation 17:10, we see that “there are seven kings: five are fallen,” the five that have fallen were in John’s past, and these empires are:  Egyptian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Medo-Persian. At the time of John’s vision “and one is,” this is Rome, “and the other is not yet come,” this is Islam. The key portion of this verse is “and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.” The Greek word ἔρχομαι, where used in the KJV is translated as “when he cometh.” The Greek translation is the word erchomai, literally meaning succor (n.) early 13c., from Anglo-French succors "help, aid," Old French sucurres, from Medieval Latin succursus "help, assistance," from past participle of Latin succurrere "run to help," from sub "up to" + currere "to run.” Muhammed, aided “Allah” [Satan] to recite (v.) early 15c., from Old French reciter (12c.) and directly from Latin recitare "read aloud, read out, repeat from memory, declaim," from re- “back, again" (re-) + citare "to summon.” The Greek words used for the KJV translation of “he must continue a short space” are ὀλίγον (a little while) αὐτὸν (him) δεῖ (what must happen, inevitable) μεῖναι (it remains).

¹⁰And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.  Revelation 17:10

In Revelation 17:11 we see the reference to “And the beast that was,” this appears to be referring to Revelation 17:8, regarding the beast that will “ascend out of the bottomless pit.” The key part of the passage is the “beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth.” The “beast that was” is referring to an empire, power, or system. The Greek word εἰμί, eimi meaning "was, and will be.” This implies that the eighth power “is of the seven.” What is the common factor of all seven beast powers (Egyptian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greek, Roman, and Ottoman) Empires? All seven of these beast powers ruled over the East, specifically Jerusalem. In Joel 3:2 we see that “they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land,” and in Amos 7:17 “Your land will be measured and divided up,” again in Jeremiah 13:24-26 we see "This is your lot, the portion measured to you From Me.” In Micah 2:4 we read “In that day shall one take up a parable against you, and lament with a doleful lamentation, and say, We be utterly spoiled: he hath changed the portion of my people: how hath he removed it from me! turning away he hath divided our fields.”

¹¹And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.  Revelation 17:11

²I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will put them on trial for what they did to my inheritance, my people Israel, because they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land.  Joel 3:2

¹⁷"Therefore this is what the LORD says: "'Your wife will become a prostitute in the city, and your sons and daughters will fall by the sword. Your land will be measured and divided up, and you yourself will die in a pagan country. And Israel will surely go into exile, away from their native land.'"  Amos 7:17

²⁴"Therefore I will scatter them like drifting straw To the desert wind. ²⁵"This is your lot, the portion measured to you From Me," declares the LORD, "Because you have forgotten Me And trusted in falsehood. ²⁶"So I Myself have also stripped your skirts off over your face, That your shame may be seen.… Jeremiah 13:24-26

Revelation 17:12 took place in 1948 when the Arab nations rose up against Israel in the “Six Day” war. These ten nations were Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Morocco, Sudan, and Pakistan. The passage further states that they “have received no kingdom as yet;” but we know from scripture that at the end of days that Islam will overtake Jerusalem after the two witnesses are killed. Abduallrahman Kelani, a Muslim author of The Last Apocalypse, describes the many battles of the Mahdi. Hadith narrated by Nuaim Ibn Hammad's Kitab Al-Fitan, “They will defeat supporters of the Sufyani (and proceed further) until he (Shuayb bin Salih) arrives in Jerusalem (where) he will lay the foundation for the Mahdi's (future) dominion.” These ten principalities shall “receive power as kings one hour with the beast [Islamic Mahdi, or Biblical Antichrist].” Hour (n.) mid-13c., from Old French hore "one-twelfth of a day,” using the “day for a year principle” 360/12 = 30 prophetic years. The Armistice of Mudros formalizing Ottoman surrender was signed on October 30, 1918. The reference to “one hour with the beast,” appears to reference the thirty years from 1918, bringing the prophetic date to 1948. Those thirty years have been the bloodiest years of war, then all of the previous wars combined.

¹²And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.  Revelation 17:12

The al-Mahdi will receive a pledge of allegiance as a caliph for Muslims. He will lead Muslims in many battles of jihad. His reign will be a caliphate that follows the guidance of the Prophet. Many battles will ensue between Muslims and the disbelievers during the Mahdi’s reign… The Last Apocalypse

In Revelation 17:13 we see at the beginning of the passage “These have one mind,” which has a very telling prophetic message. In Psalm 83:5 we read “For they have conspired together with one mind; Against You (Israel).” Who has one mind”? We see further in the verse “Edom (present-day Jordan) and the Ishmaelites (present-day Muslim’s), Moab (present-day Jordan) and the Hagrites (present-day Muslim’s),” and both conspire against Israel. The Ishmaelites, as a people, migrated to the area of eastern Jordan and into Saudi Arabia:

¹⁷These were the years of the life of Ishmael: one hundred and thirty-seven years; and he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people. (They dwelt from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt as you go toward Assyria.) He died in the presence of all his brethren. Genesis 25:17-18

Earlier English names for the faith include Mahometry (late 15c.), Muhammadism (1610s), Islamism (1747), and Ismaelism (c.1600), which in part is from Ishmaelite, a name formerly given (especially by Jews) to Arabs, as descendants of Ishmael (q.v.), and in part from Arabic Ismailiy, name of the Shiite sect that after 765 C.E. followed the Imamship through descendants of Ismail (Arabic for Ishmael). The Ishmaelites disappeared from history after the time of David's reign. Most assume that they absorbed into the surrounding people, and represent many of the Arabs that live in Israel's neighboring countries. The Hagrites were Ishmaelites who took the matron name:

In Genesis 25:12-18, it is recorded the descendants, "generations," of Ishmael, "whom Hagar the Egyptian Sarah's handmaid, bare unto Abraham." Two, and possibly three, of these tribes, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah (Genesis 25:15), appear to be identical with the three tribes whom the Reubenites and the other Israelite tribes east of the Jordan conquered and dispossessed (1 Chronicles 5). The correspondence of names in Genesis and 1 Chronicles, there leaves little doubt that "Hagrite" is a generic term roughly synonymous with "Ishmaelite," designating the irregular and shifting line of desert tribes stretching along the East and South of Israel. Those "East of Gilead," "Jetur, Naphish, and Nodah," were overcome by Reuben, "The Hagrites were delivered into their hand, and all that were with them. .... And they took away their cattle ... they dwelt in their stead until the captivity" (1 Chronicles 5:20-22).

The Bible shows us that the Hagrites migrated east of Israel and lived in eastern Jordan (Gilead was in northwest Jordan), we see this in 1 Chronicles 5:10  “Now in the days of Saul they made war with the Hagrites, who fell by their hand; and they dwelt in their tents throughout the entire area east of Gilead.”

¹³These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. 

     Revelation 17:13

⁴They have said, "Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation, That the name of Israel be remembered no more." ⁵For they have conspired together with one mind; Against You they make a covenant: ⁶The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagrites…        Psalm 83:5 

The number of his name

In Revelation 13:16, we see “And he causeth all” to “receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads.” The word “mark,” χάραγμα, xáragma ("brand-mark") was originally any impression on a coin or a seal, used by an engraver on a die (stamp, branding iron). The word xáragma later became "the identification-marker" (like with an owner's unique "brand-mark"). I believe that Revelation 13:16, is speaking of the earthly bondage to money. Mammon (n.) "The personification of wealth," mid-14c., from Late Latin mammona, from Greek mamonas, from Aramaic mamona, mamon "riches, gain;" left untranslated in Greek New Testament (e.g. Matthew 6:24, and Luke 16:9-13) retained in the Vulgate, and regarded mistakenly by medieval Christians as the name of a demon. In Matthew 6:24, we see “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” How do we define wealth? Wealth (n.) mid-13c., "happiness," also "prosperity in abundance of possessions or riches," from Middle English wele "well-being.”

We see in Luke 16:9-13, “And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings. ¹⁰“He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much, and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much. ¹¹“Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you? ¹²“And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? ¹³“No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” Jesus response to worldly wealth (sin) is found in Revelation 3:17-19, “Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, ¹⁸I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. ¹⁹'Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore, be zealous and repent.…” The Laodikeiᾳ, or Laodicean, "lukewarm in the Christian religion," 1560s, from Laodicea, Syrian city (modern Latakia) whose early Christians were chastised in the Bible for indifference to their religion [Revelation 3:14-16]. The city is said to be named for the 3c B.C.E. Syrian queen Laodice, the wife of Antiochus II. What Jesus is trying to define for us here is that through abundance “wealth” you because of your sinful disposition will start trusting in that wealth, and not Jesus alone.

In Revelation 13:17, we see “And he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name.” We see in Ezekiel 9:6, “Slaughter the old men, the young men and women, the mothers and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary." So, they began with the old men who were in front of the temple.” The mark described in Ezekiel 9:6 is God’s mark, and the mark described in Revelation 13:17 is the beast’s mark. In Ezekiel 9:4, “The LORD said to him, "Go through the midst of the city, even though the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst." So, going back to Revelation 13:17, you will need to take the mark to buy or to sell. This appears to be speaking of the Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service was passed, 7 April 1933, which restricted employment in the civil service to "Aryans." This meant that Jews could not serve as teachers, professors, judges, or other government positions. Jewish government workers, including teachers in public schools and universities, were fired. Doctors followed closely behind. Jews were barred from claiming any rights as war-veterans (35,000 German Jews died in the First World War). In 1935, the Nazis passed the Nuremberg Laws, stripping all Jews of their German citizenship, regardless of where they were born. A Jewish quota of 1% was introduced for the number of Jews allowed to attend universities. In the amendment published on April 11 of Part 3 of the law, which stated that all non-Aryans were to be retired from the civil service, clarification was given: "A person is to be considered non-Aryan if he is descended from non-Aryan, and especially from Jewish parents or grandparents. It is sufficient if one parent or grandparent is non-Aryan. This is to be assumed in particular where one parent or grandparent was of the Jewish religion. After the Invasion of Poland in 1939, the Nazis forced Jews into ghettos and completely banned them from public life. But even this was not enough for the Nazis and by 1940, they had turned to genocide, resulting in The Holocaust.

The beast, in this case, is any peoples, culture, nation, or religion that subjugates, and eventually brings the subjugated people into captivity (internment). We see in Revelation 13:10, “He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.” The word beast in the Greek is thérion "wild animal," diminutive of ther (genitive theros) "wild animal," from PIE root *ghwer- "wild" (see fierce). Fierce (adj.) mid-13c., "proud, noble, bold," from Old French fers, nominative form of fer, fier "strong, overwhelming, violent, fierce, wild; proud, mighty, great, impressive.” People that act contrary to Jesus teachings.

The Oxyrhynchus Papyrus P¹¹⁵, (P.Oxy. 4499), is the oldest identified fragment of the Book of Revelation. This papyrus fragment ascribes the number of the Beast as (chi, iota, stigma (ΧΙϚ) - 616), rather than 666. In Bruce Metzger's book, Manuscripts of the Greek Bible, p.36-37, he lists all the Nomina Sacra text from the Old and New Testament except one – the number of his name.

In an article by Prof. Daniel B. Wallace (Review of prof. Peter M. Head, “Some Recently Published NT Papyri from Oxyrhynchus: An Overview and Preliminary Assessment,” Tyndale Bulletin 51.1) “This early support in Greek, Latin and Syriac indicates a geographical diversity behind this reading. P115 (3rd and 4th century) is now apparently our earliest witness to the AC text of the Apocalypse. This MS includes twenty-six fragments of Revelation, covering portions of chapters 2 through 15. Not only is it an early witness to the AC text (the most important textual strand for the Apocalypse), but it also is the earliest witness to the reading “616” at Rev 13:18.” Wallace again, participating in a presentation at Heights Baptist Church in Liberty, TX. (2013), stated that Oxyrhynchus Papyrus P115, “is a meaningful variant, and a viable variant,” but would take hundreds of hours of research, and even then “we cannot know.” It would take an earlier second-century codex to be found, to prove one way or another.

Although, Irenaeus in the 2nd century identified the number in Vetus Latina to be 616, wrote about it, and conveyed perceived scribal inaccuracies with the text. While he identified the number 616, he did not embrace it and left it out. Several centuries later, when revising the interpretation of Vetus Latina, Jerome decided that 616 wasn’t a scribal error or a variant, and left it in.

The Greek number 616 — chi, iota, stigma (hexakosiai deka hex) is found in the third line of the fragment shown in Figure 1. The variant 616 is found in critical publications of the Greek text, such as the Nestle-Aland editions of Novum Testamentum Graece and other manuscripts, such as Papyrus 115 and Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus (C; Paris, one of the four great uncial codices), reads the number of the beast as 616. Why does it matter what the number is? As we will see it matters greatly. In Revelation 13:18, “Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six, or six hundred and sixteen. I believe that six hundred and sixteen is the correct number, and I will try and prove my thesis.

In Revelation 20:2, “He seized the dragon, the old serpent, which is the devil and Satan…” We know from this verse that the “old serpent” is the devil and Satan. Greek etymology of the word diabolos, in Jewish and Christian use, "Devil, Satan" (scriptural loan-translation of Hebrew Satan), in general use "accuser, slanderer," from diaballein "to slander, attack," literally "to throw through," from dia- "across, through" + ballein "to throw.” We know from Ephesians 6:11, (“Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil”), that the Devil is the focus of this verse.  Then in Ephesians 6:12 we see from Strong’s that the Greek word, kosmokrátōr (from Strong’s (2889) kósmos, "world" and (2902) kratéō, "to rule") – properly, world-ruler, referring to Satan (demons) influencing the lives of worldly people (used only in Eph 6:12 (“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”)).

First, I don’t believe that the meaning can be found by calculating the number of the beast by using Gematria. Gematria is a Kabbalistic method of interpreting the Hebrew Scriptures by computing the numerical value of words, based on those of their constituent letters. Gematria is extremely subjective, and I don’t think Jesus was a Kabbalist. In fact, I think he would have frowned on its usage. Let’s look at another way of interpreting the number of the beast.

The Greek word êχις (echis) (genitive ἔχεως or ἔχιος) m, sometimes f, third declension, literally means “serpent, snake, adder, viper.” Root “êχις” an adder, viper., συκοφάντης καὶ ἔχις τὴν φύσιν, later Greek ekhidna "snake, viper," from ekhis "snake," from PIE *angwhi- "snake, eel" (cf. Norwegian igle, Old High German egala, German Egel "leech," Latin anguis "serpent, snake").

Ophio- before vowels ophi-, a word-forming element meaning "a snake, serpent," from Greek ophio-, combination form of ophis "serpent, a snake," from PIE *ogwhi-. Traditionally derived from a Proto-Indo-European *h₁égʰi- with cognates including Sanskrit अहि (áhi), Avestan (aži), Arabic (الحارية) and Old Armenian իժ (iž). However, the letter chi (χ) is expected to derive from a palatal consonant (ǵ) and so these terms are now generally connected with ὄφις (ophis), leaving the origins of ἔχις a mystery. But, we learned from Bruce Metzger's book, Manuscripts of the Greek Bible, p.36-37, that one way to use the abbreviated technique of Nomina Sacra is “that draw the reader’s attention.” The abbreviated technique would call the scribe to choose the first two or three characters, and the last to abbreviate the word. This would fulfill that technique when using the Greek word, εχιδνοειδής, meaning “the serpent's mark.”

  [8] Eta         (E),

[6] Chi        (X) 

[1] Iota        (I) 

  [6] Stigma   (Ϛ) 

Eta (n.) 7^th letter of the Greek alphabet. In the East Ionic dialect, however, the sound (h) disappeared by the sixth century BC, and the letter was re-used initially to represent a development of a long vowel (aː), which later merged in East Ionic with (ɛː) instead. In 403 BC, Athens took over the Ionian spelling system and with it the vocalic use of H (even though it still also had the (h) sound itself at that time). This later became the standard orthography in all of Greece. I include the Eta (ɛː), to show that it is used as a diacritical symbol, and doesn’t add or detract from the word ἔχις.

Chi (n.) 22nd letter of the Greek alphabet, representing a -kh- sound (see ch). The letter is shaped like an X, and so the Greek letter name was used figuratively to signify such a shape or arrangement (e.g. khiasma "two things placed crosswise;" khiastos "arranged diagonally; marked with an X;" khiazein "to mark with an 'X', to write the letter 'X' "). Some dialects used chi to represent the -ks- sound properly belonging to xi; Latin picked this up and the sound value of chi in Latin-derived alphabets is now that of English X. [Late Greek khῑ, from earlier khei].

Iota/Jot (n.) from Latin jota, variant spelling of Greek iota "the letter -i-," the smallest letter in the alphabet, hence the least part of anything. In Strong’s 2503 iṓta ("jot" or "yōd” in the KJV) – "yōd, the smallest Hebrew (Aramaic) letter" (Souter). By analogy, the Hebrew letter yōd refers to the Greek letter, iōta (the smallest letter in the Greek alphabet).

In Matthew 25:41-46 the word “iota” is used when Jesus proclaimed, “Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.”

Stigma (n.) Xáragma (charagma) Strong’s 5480 – properly, an engraving (etching); (figuratively) a mark providing undeniable identification, like a symbol giving irrefutable connection between parties. χάραγμα, χαράσσω any mark engraven or imprinted, χ. ἐχίδνης the serpent's mark, (i. e. its bite, Soph.); τὸ χ. τοῦ θηρίου the mark of the beast, New Testament.; χ. τέχνης carved work, New Testament.; τὸ χ. τοῦ νομίσματος the impress on the coin, Plut.: absolute an inscription, Anth. xa/ragma (n.) "Mark made on skin by burning with a hot iron," from Latin stigma (plural stigmata), from Greek stigma (genitive stigmatos) "mark, puncture," especially one made by a pointed instrument, from root of stizein "to mark, tattoo," from PIE *st(e)ig- (see stick (v.)). Figurative meaning "a mark of disgrace.”

Any mark engraved, imprinted, or branded, χ. εχιδνοειδής, or ἐχίδνης the serpent's mark, i. e. its bite, sting, S.Ph. 267; “ἐν ἰσχίοις μὲν ἵπποι πυρὸς χάραγμ᾽ ἔχουσιν” Anacreont.26 B 2; “ἔχειν τὸ χ. τοῦ θηρίου” Apoc.16.2, cf. 13.16; χ. χειρός, i.e. writing, AP9.401 (Pall.); χαράγματα παμβασιλῆος, of an imperial missive, Epic. in BKT5(1).115: abs., inscription, AP7.220 (Agath.), cf. PLond.5.1688.8 (iv A. D.); stamped document, Sammelb.5275.11 (i A. D.); brand on a camel, PGrenf.2.50（a).5 (ii A. D.); “χ. τέχνης” carved work, Act.Ap.17.29; τὸ χ. τοῦ νομίσματος the impress on the coin, Plu.Lys.16, cf. Ages.15, Jul.Mis.355d (pl.), etc.

While researching the dialect of all language variables of the word serpent I came across the Hebrew word אוֺב, ob: a bottle (made from animal skin), and necromancy (n.) from Greek nekromanteia, from nekros "dead body" + manteia "divination, oracle," from manteuesthai "to prophesy," from mantis "prophet.” Couldn’t help but think of Mohammed.

¹⁶And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: ¹⁷And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. ¹⁸Here 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 [ten] and six.

      Revelation 13:16-18

⁴¹Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: ⁴²For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: ⁴³I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. ⁴⁴Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? ⁴⁵Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. ⁴⁶And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.  Matthew 25:41-46

hundred and forty-four thousand

In Revelation 7:5-8, we see the tribes that are sealed, absent the tribe of Dan, and the tribe of Judah has been added. Jacob's twelve sons (in order of birth), Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin, become the ancestors of twelve tribes, with the exception of Joseph, whose two sons Mannasseh and Ephraim become tribal eponyms. The following is the etymological translations in order of birthright:

Reuben (Hebrew: רְאוּבֵן‎, Standard Rəʾuven, Tiberian Rəʾûḇēn; “He has seen my misery”)

Simeon (Hebrew: שִׁמְעוֹן orˈsɪmiən, Modern Shim'on, Tiberian Šim‘ōn; “God has heard”)

Levi (Hebrew: לֵּוִי‎; Standard Levy, Tiberian Lēwî; "He pledged")

Judah (Hebrew: יְהוּדָה, Modern Yehuda, Tiberian Yəhûḏā; "praise")

Dan (Hebrew: דָּן, Standard Dan, Tiberian Dān; "judgment" or "He judged") Removed

Naphtali (Hebrew: נַפְתָּלִי, Modern Naftali, Tiberian Nap̄tālî; "my struggle")

Gad (Hebrew: גָּד, Modern Gad, Tiberian Gāḏ; "divided out")  

Asher (Hebrew: אָשֵׁר, Modern Asher, Tiberian ʼĀšēr; “blessings “)

Issachar (Hebrew: יִשָּׂשכָר, Modern Yissakhar, Tiberian Yiśśāḵār; "recompense")

Zebulun (Hebrew: זְבֻלוּן, Standard Hebrew Zevulun; “gift from God”)

Joseph (Hebrew: יוֹסֵף ‎, Standard Yosef, Tiberian Yôsēp̄; "May Yahweh give")

Benjamin (Hebrew בנימין, Standard Binyaamem; "Son of His right hand”)

Ephraim (Hebrew: אֶפְרָיִם, Modern Efrayim Tiberian ʾEp̄ráyim; "the land of His affliction")

Manasseh (Hebrew: מְנַשֶּׁה, Modern Menaše, Tiberian Mənaššé; “desires to forget “)

⁵Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. ⁶Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand. ⁷Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand. ⁸Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.  Revelation 7:5-8

In Revelation 14:1, we see the “Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him a hundred forty and four thousand.” The 144,000 are those Jews that believe the Two Witnesses testimony and follow them. The “Father's name written in their foreheads” is our beloved Lord of lords, Jesus. According to old and New Testaments, Mount Zion (Hebrew: הַר צִיוֹן, Har Tsiyyon; Arabic: جبل صهيون‎, Jabel Sahyoun) is a hill in Jerusalem just outside the walls of the Old City. Mount Zion has been historically associated with the Temple Mount. Mount Hermon was also called Mount Sion (Arabic: جبل حرمون, جبل الشيخ‎, Jabal al-Shaykh, "Mountain of the Chief,” "Jabal Haramun"; Hebrew: הר חרמון‎, Har Hermon, "Mount Hermon"), but was overcome by the fallen angel’s, thus it is probably a prophetic precursor to what will come of Mount Sion in Jerusalem.

¹And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him a hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.  Revelation 14:1

In Revelation 14:2, 3, we see “And they sung as it were a new song before the throne.” The new song is from the “Song of Moses” (Exodus 15:1-21). We see in Exodus 15:13 “Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation.” The new song is that the 144,000 will be drawn to Jerusalem, and the Lord will guide them back in His strength to Mount Sion. This will happen shortly after the Two Witnesses die and resurrected, and the 144,000 are scattered to the mountains of Judea. Just as in the Exodus out of Egypt, Jesus will protect His redeemed, and then at the second coming they will be translated.

²And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: ³And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.  Revelation 14:2, 3

¹Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.  Exodus 15:1

Revelation 14 happens prior to Revelation 7. Revelation chapters 1 through 10 is one timeline, and Revelation chapters 12 through 20 is another timeline. Both these timelines run in parallel with Revelation chapter 11 being the central thesis and tying both timelines together. We see in Acts 1:7-9 the proclamation to the apostles that they are the first witnesses.

⁷He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; ⁸but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." ⁹And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight... Acts 1:7-9