Numerological Wolfe

James Jordan · 20 Apr 2002, 15:17 · from urth-v0204.mbox · original

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From: James Jordan <jbjordan4 at cox.net>
Subject: Re: (urth) Numerological Wolfe
Date: Sat, 20 Apr 2002 10:17:03 -0500
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At 05:16 PM 4/19/2002, you wrote:
>I made a numerological reflection relevant to 5HC:
>
> > "666," the Number of the Beast, is "the number of a man." Kaballistical=
ly,
> > 6 is a man and 3 is God; 666 is Man making a God of himself.)
>
> > In Rev. 13 the number is six hundred, sixty, six, not three 6s. A
> > lot of people are confused on this, simply because we say "sixsixsix"
> > and the English could be read either way.
>
>Well, yeah. The Arabic numeral system simply wasn't around when John
>had his vision. Still, I misdoubt whether the standard translations
>(like KJV's "six hundred, three score and six") are any better reflections
>of the original Gk than a simple 666. I frankly find it very unlikely that
>St John in writing this down was _un_aware of the hexaplicity of the three
>components of his number.

         Not to disagree, but just to provide a bit more for anyone interes=
ted:
         The text of Rev. 13:18 is not "hex, hex, hex," (6,6,6) but=20
"hexakosioi hexekonta hex" (600,60,6). But of course you are right: Three=20
sixes is significant, since man was made on the sixth day. Goliath is 6=20
cubits and a span high, and his spearhead weight 600 shekels (1 Sam. 17).=20
Nebuchadnezzar's idol in Daniel 3 has dimensions of 60x6 cubits.=20
Numerologically, 666 is a climactic extension of this theme. Also, 666 is=20
the triangular of 36 (6x6). So, sixes abound in this number.
         What we see in all this, and climactically in 666, is man's=20
attempt make himself god by his own bootstraps. He never gets to God's gift=20
of sabbath ("7") -- God's elevation of him by grace into "little godhood,"=20
as another line of posts has been discussing. He just keeps multiplying=20
himself over and over. This is pretty much a standard thematic=20
understanding of these multiplied sixes, and of course it fits perfectly=20
with the first 5HC novella -- as you say: man deifying himself.
         I doubt if Wolfe made the connection to Solomon (though that's=20
what any synagogue-trained 1st c. Jew hearing the passage would first think=20
of), and I agree that Wolfe may have enjoyed thinking of Nero in this=20
connection, since that is a frequently encountered specific understanding=20
of 666 as a code. That would be secondary, though. The multiplication of 6s=20
never getting to 7 is the more basic thematic link.

Nutria


--=20

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