666 — The Number of the Beast
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Also known as Six Hundred Sixty-Six · Six Hundred Threescore and Six · Number of the Beast · Number of the Wild Beast · Number of His Name · 666
The interpretation of 666 changed from an identification based on the names of religious organizations to a symbolic designation of the worldwide political system. In 1882, the number was applied to Roman Catholic and Protestant religious systems by counting eighteen letters in their English names. The religious interpretation was still evident in 1913. In 1918, the number was particularly associated with the Papacy and the Latin title VICARIVS FILII DEI. In 1921, this identification was replaced by an explanation involving the religious, political, and financial elements of human rulership. In 1930 and 1940, the three elements were assigned specific numerical values: 600 for religion, 60 for commerce, and 6 for politics. This explanation was repeated in 1945, 1956, 1957, and 1962. In 1963, the emphasis shifted to the number as the name of the imperfect worldwide human political organization itself, without requiring each numerical component to represent a separate class. This understanding was repeated in 1966, 1969, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1988, and 1991. The 1991 explanation explicitly identified the wild beast bearing 666 with the world's political system. Searches of 1992–2000 publications found discussions of the number but no separately verified statement changing or restating its full symbolic identification.
- Rev. 13:16-18
- Rev. 14:9-11
- Rev. 15:2
- Rev. 20:4
- Dan. 3:1
- 1 Ki. 10:14
- 1 Chron. 20:6
Key moments
- 1882 Introduced The number 666 was applied to the Roman Catholic system, the Church of England, and Protestant religious organizations. English names containing eighteen letters, arranged as three groups of six, were regarded as fulfilling Revelation 13:18.
- 1918 Narrowed The number was especially associated with the Papacy and the Latin papal title VICARIVS FILII DEI, whose Roman numeral letters were calculated to total 666. This differed from the earlier method of counting eighteen letters in English denominational names.
- 1921 Reversal The number was no longer interpreted as identifying a particular individual or papal office. It represented the combined ecclesiastical, political, and financial elements of a violent, man-made system of rulership.
- 1930 Refined The three orders of six were expressly applied to the commercial, political, and religious powers composing Satan's visible organization. Six signified the imperfection of human rulership.
- 1940 Refined The three elements received specific numerical assignments: 600 represented the clergy, 60 represented the financial and commercial powers, and 6 represented politicians. The numbers also expressed different degrees of reprehensibility before God.
- 1963 Narrowed The explanation focused on the number as the name of the worldwide political wild beast, expressing the intensified imperfection of human political rulership. The former specific allocation of 600, 60, and 6 to three social elements was no longer central to the explanation.
Russell
Charles Taze Russell · 1877–1916
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The number 666 was applied to the Roman Catholic system, the Church of England, and Protestant religious organizations. English names containing eighteen letters, arranged as three groups of six, were regarded as fulfilling Revelation 13:18.
1 quote
After these are blended in the IMAGE, (and no one would be admitted to membership in the Evangelical Alliance, unless he be a member of some such sect), they all are collectively known as the "Protestant Churches," = 666.
The Watchtower, January 14, 1882 -
A subsequent explanation repeated and clarified the eighteen-letter calculation, identifying three groups of six in the English names associated with the beast and its image.
1 quote
Each of those names will be found to contain exactly 18 letters, or three sixes, which written numerically, form the number 666.
The Watchtower, May 1, 1882 -
The earlier religious interpretation remained in use. The number of the beast and its image was still associated with religious affiliation, public profession, and cooperation with ecclesiastical organizations. The explanation did not introduce a new numerical calculation.
1 quote
Speedily none will be allowed to buy or sell, in the spiritual marts, except those who have either the mark or the number of the Beast, or of the Image, either in the right hand of co-operation or in the forehead of public confession.
The Watchtower, November 15, 1913
Rutherford
Joseph F. Rutherford · 1917–1942
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The number was especially associated with the Papacy and the Latin papal title VICARIVS FILII DEI, whose Roman numeral letters were calculated to total 666. This differed from the earlier method of counting eighteen letters in English denominational names.
2 quotes
It is not as though it read six plus six plus six.
The Finished Mystery, 1918 On the pope’s crown in the Vatican museum is the recognized and most used title of the pope, VICARIVS FILII DEI (Vicar of the Son of God.)
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, 1918 -
The number was no longer interpreted as identifying a particular individual or papal office. It represented the combined ecclesiastical, political, and financial elements of a violent, man-made system of rulership.
1 quote
The 666, therefore, instead of referring to an individual, seems clearly to have reference to the combined elements of earth, ecclesiastical, political, and financial, with their hangers-on and supporters, constituting a rule which is determined to control at any cost, which is beastly in character, and which, therefore, is a rule by violence.
The Watchtower, January 1, 1921 -
The three orders of six were expressly applied to the commercial, political, and religious powers composing Satan's visible organization. Six signified the imperfection of human rulership.
1 quote
Six hundred sixty and six (three orders of six) represents the three ruling elements in the beastly organization, to wit, commercial, political and religious power.
Light, 1930 -
The three elements received specific numerical assignments: 600 represented the clergy, 60 represented the financial and commercial powers, and 6 represented politicians. The numbers also expressed different degrees of reprehensibility before God.
1 quote
According to the order observed in the text, six hundred represents the religious clergy, threescore, the financial giants or profiteers or commercial traffickers; while six represents the professional politicians.
The Watchtower, April 1, 1940
Knorr
Nathan H. Knorr · 1942–1977
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The number continued to represent the combined religious, commercial, and political elements of Satan's visible organization, characterized by imperfection.
1 quote
Thus by the number 666 is designated an unholy triple combination of imperfection, resulting in an abomination in the sight of God.
Consolation, February 14, 1945 -
The three-element interpretation was reaffirmed, and the identification of 666 with the Roman Catholic pope was explicitly rejected. False religion, commerce, and politics continued to comprise the three symbolic elements.
2 quotes
Questions From Readers ● Revelation 13:18 (NW) states: “Here is where wisdom comes in: Let the one that has intelligence calculate the number of the wild beast, for it is a man’s number; and its number is six hundred and sixty-six.” What is meant by this number?—E. J., United States. The suggestion that this number refers to the pope of the Roman Catholic Hierarchy is not Scriptural.
The Watchtower, August 1, 1956 Now the number 666, three orders of six together, names or represents these three elements of Satan’s beastly visible organization.
The Watchtower, August 1, 1956 -
The numerical interpretation involving religion, commercialism, and politics was explicitly repeated. The threefold structure remained the basis of the explanation.
1 quote
The wild beast and its image is Satan’s modern brute-force system of rulership, and the number of its name (666, or 600 + 60 + 6) symbolizes the threefold basis of that system, namely, false religion, commercialism and politics.—Rev. 13:16-18, NW.
The Watchtower, February 1, 1957 -
The exact correspondence of 600 with false religion, 60 with commerce, and 6 with worldly politics was repeated. The higher numbers were associated with greater reprehensibility.
1 quote
These three would well be pictured by the imperfect number 666; false religion by 600, greedy commerce by 60 and worldly politics by 6, the larger the number the greater the degree of reprehensibility connected with it.
The Watchtower, December 1, 1962 -
The explanation focused on the number as the name of the worldwide political wild beast, expressing the intensified imperfection of human political rulership. The former specific allocation of 600, 60, and 6 to three social elements was no longer central to the explanation.
1 quote
So this numerical name of the wild beast simply spells human imperfection and shortcomings, multiplied to the third or final degree.
Babylon the Great Has Fallen! God's Kingdom Rules!, 1963 -
The number continued to identify the deficiency and imperfection of the human political organization, with three orders of six emphasizing that inadequacy.
1 quote
God uses six to the third (emphatic) degree in the wild beast's name (6 + 60 + 600) , emphasizing powerfully the inadequacy, imperfection and deficiency of the human political organization and how foolish it is to put any hope and trust in it for man's everlasting welfare.
The Watchtower, June 1, 1966 -
The number was described as a designation of the Devil's worldwide political organization. Its numerical form symbolized the emphatic imperfection and inadequacy of human government.
1 quote
Human history since the days of the mighty hunter Nimrod, the founder of ancient Babylon, shows that this number of human imperfection and of inadequacy stamps the Devil's visible, worldwide political organization as symbolized by the wild beast.
Then Is Finished the Mystery of God, 1969 -
The number 666 remained the identifying number of the worldwide political wild beast that would ultimately be destroyed at Har-Magedon.
1 quote
We shall come off victorious completely only when that political "wild beast" with the reproachful number 666 lies destroyed on the battlefield of Har-Magedon.
The Watchtower, November 1, 1973 -
The political wild beast was again identified as bearing 666, while the United Nations was distinguished from it as its political image.
1 quote
They have not been lured nor pressured into worshiping the political "wild beast" bearing the number 666, nor its political "image," the United Nations, the successor to the League of Nations.
The Watchtower, December 1, 1974 -
The political interpretation was repeated, with 600 plus 60 plus 6 illustrating the intensified inadequacy of human rulership.
1 quote
Hence, 600 plus 60 plus 6 denotes human imperfection and deficiency in an intensified way, particularly in human rulership of the earth.
The Watchtower, December 15, 1976
Franz
Frederick W. Franz · 1977–1992
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The number 666 was identified as the symbolic name of the worldwide human political system. The triple six emphasized its severe failure to meet God's standard of perfection, while political, religious, and commercial interests continued to support that system. Another publication in the same year connected the dimensions of Nebuchadnezzar's golden image with the number of Satan's wild beast.
2 quotes
Just as six fails to measure up to seven, so 666—six to the third degree—is a fitting name for the world's gigantic political system that fails so miserably to measure up to God's standard of perfection.
Revelation—Its Grand Climax At Hand!, 1988 The image was 60 cubits high and 6 cubits wide, calling to our minds the number 666 that is the mark of Satan's "wild beast" mentioned at Revelation 13: 18.
The Watchtower, December 1, 1988 -
The political interpretation was explicitly reaffirmed. The number 666 was said to apply to the symbolic wild beast representing the world's political system, not to individual accidents or personal misfortunes.
1 quote
Actually, Revelation 13:18 applies the number 666 to a symbolic wild beast representing the world’s political system and does not associate it with accidents or similar personal incidents.
Awake!, August 8, 1991
Governing Body
1992–
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The political interpretation continued: the beast represented human governments under Satan’s influence, and 666 expressed intensified human imperfection. It was not reassigned to a particular individual or modern technological object.
1 quote
This beast, created and empowered by Satan, has the number 666, denoting heightened imperfection.
The Watchtower, February 15, 2009, pp. 3–5, Highlights From the Book of Revelation—II, “Lessons for Us”, Revelation 13:1–4, 18
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