Mountain Man,

Well, as I said before, the word name is defined to represent character. This tells you that in verse 17, the name of the beast refers to having the character of the beast and the number of his name refers to being judged as having the beast's character because they do not have God's character.

This defines the number of his name to be something other than 666. The connection to the attributes of the woman are that she is the church and the king she contains, the popes, have a character that is the character of the beast. At the end, those who support the beast have the beast's character. Those who go along with the requirements of the beast in order that they may buy and sell, and do so even though they don't necessarily agree with the beast's objectives or actions, are numbered with the beast, or in other words, they have the number of his name (meaning they are judged to have the character of the beast because of their failure to have God's character - they don't have the beast's character, but they also don't have God's character so they are judged to be with the beast anyway). Its all about judgment as to character in Revelation 13:16-17 and Revelation 14:1. The same is true for Revelation 14:11,15:2, and 17:5. In Rev. 17:5, the woman is Babylon, which clearly tells us that she is symbolized by the original Babylon, though she is here called Mystery Babylon. In the original Babylon, the city name means "gate of God", which portrays the idea that the Catholic Church claims to have control of access to God. You have to go through them to have salvation. They do claim this, you know. But that is blasphemy for it is a claim to be in the same position as Jesus.

It all boils down to an evaluation by God of a person's character.

ProdigalOne wrote;

"I guess I'm not the first to notice the similarity.

You are right, it is six hundred threescore and six. I was just looking at it as the number six being the day humans were created, and being one less than seven, just short of perfection or completeness. Why 666, why not just 6, if it is "the number of a man".
Visually, it looks like three sixes. With three systems of evil: Dragon, Beast, False Prophet, it seems as though there ought to be a connection.

Just something that occurred to me. I wondered what others thought about it."

Blessings ProdigalOne,

I had not thought of the three sixes separately either, but it does make sense. It is something I will try to keep an eye out for to see how many connections can be made.

Wendell, thank you for sharing. Character is everything. In judgment it decides our eternal destiny. To have the name and number of the beast implies compromise. Somewhere along the line fundamental truths were abandoned. Lies were believed until they seem right and true. Drunk with the wine of Babylon. Still not certain how "six hundred three score and six" fits. Sort of suspect it is not crucial to know now. When it matters most Jesus will make it clear. We can trust Him.

Mountain Man,

You are welcome.

That the number of his name and the name of the beast are references to character measurements is not generally understood by SDAs, but it fits very precisely with the ideas presented in Rev. 13:16 and 14:1 and it fits nicely with the way Ellen White indicates that character is the deciding element when these events take place. Adventists tend to look to the number of the beast, 666, and somehow or another apply that number in some roundabout way to everyone else. But the context of the word name meaning character negates doing that. The number 666 itself applies only to the beast, not to everyone else.

As for how the number 666 fits in, well, you know my thoughts on that one, so I'll not reiterate it in this post.

Yes, it is the number of the beast and everyone who has it. Having it doesn't, of course, transform them into it or into the beast - just like having the name or the mark doesn't transform them into a name or a mark. Although they assimilate the traits and characteristics symbolized by the mark, name, and number of the beast they remain themselves, that is, they do not become the beast or the man of the beast.

". . . no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name . . . Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number Six hundred threescore six."

You are taking Esaiah 2 out of context and reading into it what you want it to say by focussing on some text while ignoring what it actually says in the context. That's deceptive.

Verse 1 specifies it is a prophecy concerning Jerusalem and Judah.
Verse 2 - 5 is a vision of the futur of the Kingdom of God established on earth(Dan 2:35; Dan 7; Rev 20:5; 5:10)) :
"And it shall come to pass in the last days, [that] the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
Mountain is symbolic of a kingdom. Hills are smaller kingdom. Verse 2 says the Kingdom of God will be establish above all other kingdoms.
v. 6-9 : is a rebuke to Judah for abandoning the people of OLD Jerusalem while being interested in money, power, and their idols.
v.10-22 : is a call & prophecy to return to the "rock"(Jesus).
v. 11-17 The Lord says He will bow-humble down every man.
v.18 the Lord said He will destroy every idols.
v.19-21 When the Lord will do v.11-17 and 18, man will hide in the cleft of the Rock(Jesus).
v.20 says man will cast out their idols and money and hide in the cleft.


That's not true at all. V. 2 and the context contradics what you are saying. Read it again but this time by laying your heart idols(teachings of man or your personal interpretation) aside to really seek what the Lord is saying in Isaiah 2.