Well, those verses do contain the number and a name, Solomon. In the third instance, strangely enough, it is also contained in a list of names of families who returned from Babylon. In the books of Ezra and Nehemiah we have two very similar lists, but a few people were born in between the two numberings, so there is a little variation. So, only in Ezra 2:13 do we read, “Of Adonikam 666”.
What does this mean? Who is Adonikam? I don’t know. It’s simply a Hebrew name, but if I come across someone called Adonikam – or even, Solomon Adonikam – with apparent political ambit-ions, I’m certainly gonna give him a wide berth!
Seriously, all I know is that the scripture says that 666 is “the number of a man”, who is the beast, the Anti-Christ – and these are the only places in the scriptures where this number appears directly against a man’s name.
In Chapter 7, Daniel had a dream of four great beasts, each representing a different empire.
Daniel 7:2 Daniel said: “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. 3 Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea. 4 “The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a human being, and the mind of a human was given to it. 5 “And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ‘Get up and eat your fill of flesh!’ 6 “After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule.
In a similar way to The Revelation, Daniel’s dream describes four empires that will rule the known world. He was living in the reign of Belshazzar, king of Babylon, so the first beast represented the empire of Babylon; the second, the Medo Persian Empire; and the third the Greek Empire, which split into four separate kingdoms after the death of Alexander.
Daniel 7:7 “After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast—terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns.
The fourth beast was the coming Roman Empire, conquering in all directions, with teeth of iron, similar to the iron toes in Daniel’s statue vision.
But, just as Alexander’s Greek Empire (the leopard with four wings and four heads) divided into four kingdoms, so this empire develops ten horns – which seems to jump us forward in time to the last days, when the ten strong nations will give their authority to another ruler – the man who opposes God’s law (Torah).
Daniel 7:8 “While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a human being and a mouth that spoke boastfully.
Again we have this man, speaking boastfully, and taking over the authority of the ten rulers. We learn here that he will uproot three of the horns. Three of these rulers are overcome by force. Perhaps they are appalled by the direction in which ‘the beast’ is taking the world, and object – only to be put down forcefully?
Daniel 7:9 “As I looked, “thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. 10 A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened.
The final outcome will be the destruction of the man-beast and the end of his kingdom. Instead, the kingdom of God will take over.
Daniel 7:11 “Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire. 12 (The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time.) 13 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshipped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
The ‘son of man’ is a common description of the Jewish Messiah, and was the title Yeshua used most often to describe himself. Notice that, although he is the ‘son of man’, he is actually worshipped by people of every nation. His kingdom will continue forever!
Daniel asks Gabriel for more explanation about this fourth beast, the ten horns and the little horn.
Daniel 7:21 As I watched, this horn was waging war against the holy people and defeating them, 22 until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the holy people of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom.
The little horn, man-beast is most often defined in terms of what he is against, which is why we often refer to him as the Anti-Christ, or Anti-Messiah. He wages war against God’s people and defeats them. He exalts himself above all that is called God and is opposed to God’s law, the Torah.
Daniel 7:23 “He gave me this explanation: ‘The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. 24 The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. 25 He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws. The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time. 26 “‘But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. 27 Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be handed over to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.’
Not only will the Anti-Christ exalt himself and “speak against the Most High and oppress His people”, but he will “try to change the set times and the laws”. This is what the Roman emperor, Constantine, did in 385 CE, when he changed the Sabbath (Shabbat) to Sunday, and replaced the biblical, Jewish feasts (Passover and Hanukkah) with the pagan festivals (sun god worship) of Easter and Christmas.1
Unfortunately, over the centuries Christianity has continued to take these pagan celebrations on board and distanced themselves from the biblical feasts ordained by God in the scriptures. Most Christians are not even aware of the horrible pagan origins of the festivals we celebrate!
But, thankfully, his time is limited. He will halt the sacrifices in the “middle of the ‘seven’”, halfway through the seven year period of his reign. In this passage that time span is referred to as “a time, times and half a time” – three and a half years.
Over and over in the Book of Daniel and in the Revelation we find this three and a half year period referred to in several different ways:
“In the midst of the ‘seven’” he will cut off the sacrifice (Daniel 9:27); the holy people will be delivered into his hands for “time, times and half a time” (Daniel 7:25); the nations will trample the city for “42 months” .(Revelation 11:2); the two witnesses will prophesy for “1,260 days”, (Revelation 11:3); the woman (Israel) will be hidden in the desert for “1,260 days” .(Revelation 12:6) and also “for time, times and half a time”, (Revelation 12:14); and the beast will have authority to act for “42 months” (Revelation 13:5).
These scriptures all refer in different ways to the same period of time. Halfway through the week (seven) = 3 1/2 years = 42 months = 1,260 days (Jewish calendar,
30 day months). The prophetic scriptures are making something very clear here – that this is a very specific period of time!
Daniel has still more to say about this man. In chapter 8 he has a vision of a battle between a ram with two horns, and a goat with one single horn, which shatters the horns of the ram, knocks it to the ground and tramples it. At the height of his power, the horn is broken off and four prominent horns take its place.
The angel Gabriel tells Daniel that the ram represents the kings of Media and Persia, being defeated by the king of Greece who, at the height of his power will be cut off:
Daniel 8:22 The four horns that replaced the one that was broken off represent four kingdoms that will emerge from his nation but will not have the same power.
Daniel’s vision continued:
Daniel 8:9 Out of one of them came another horn, which started small but grew in power to the south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land. 10 It grew until it reached the host of the heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on them. 11 It set itself up to be as great as the commander of the army of the LORD; it took away the daily sacrifice from the LORD, and his sanctuary was thrown down. 12 Because of rebellion, the LORD’s people and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground. 13 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to him, “How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled—the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, the surrender of the sanctuary and the trampling underfoot of the LORD’s people?” 14 He said to me, “It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated.”
This small horn grows out of one of the four Greek kingdoms that developed out of Alexander’s empire – specifically the northern Seleucid (or Syrian) kingdom. In 170 BCE came a Seleucid king called Antiochus IV Epiphanes – a Greek ruler who hated the Jews and went to war against Israel.
Eventually, he entered the temple and desecrated it, halting the sacrifice and slaughtering a pig, “an abomination”, upon the altar. Sacrifices were not restored until 164 BCE (exactly three and a half years after the desecration!) and the Jewish feast of Hanukkah has commemorated this restoration ever since. These events are recorded in the Book of Maccabees, in the Apochrypha.
Although this prophecy has already been fulfilled once by Antiochus, the angel Gabriel makes it clear to Daniel that there will be a future fulfilment, and this is backed up by Yeshua’s teaching on Daniel:
Daniel 8:17 As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate. “Son of man,” he said to me, “understand that the vision concerns the time of the end.”
Gabriel expands the description of the man-beast’s rule:
Daniel 8:23 “In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a fierce-looking king, a master of intrigue, will arise. 24 He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy those who are mighty, the holy people. 25 He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power. 26 “The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been given you is true, but seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future.”
The “evenings and mornings” time period given here – 2,300 days – is NOT about the length of time of the Anti-Christ’s rule, it also includes the time taken to cleanse the sanctuary, which will take a certain period of time after the Anti-Christ is wiped out. (Daniel 8:13, 14)
The rock, which represents the kingdom of God, strikes the statue on the feet of iron and clay – and the whole statue is then destroyed and the pieces swept away without leaving a trace! The world empire of the Anti-Christ will be destroyed by the coming of the Messiah’s kingdom. And these empires will never rise again!
The Mark of the Beast
1 On behalf of the beast, and as a sign of worshipping the beast, the false prophet will force everyone to receive a mark, on their forehead or right hand, without which they will not be able to buy or sell.
2 The wrath of God will be poured out upon all those who receive this mark.
3 The mark represents the name of the Anti-Christ, or the number of his name – the number being 666!
4 Playing around with numbers representing letters and words has produced many and varied results – not the most reliable! Suffice to say that this method really produces no definite result.
5 For what it’s worth, the Hebrew scriptures only record that number on three occasions – twice with the name, Solomon; and once the name, Adonikam.
6 The final ‘beast’ empire is different from all that went before and tramples the whole world underfoot – in the process throwing down three of the ten powerful nations which have given him his authority. Perhaps they realised too late, where things were heading?
7 Halfway through the seven years of his rule he will take away the sacrifice, set up the “abomination of desolation” in the Jewish temple, and “make war on” the Jews and believers in Yeshua. This period is also described as 42 months, “time, times and half a time,” or 1,260 days – all of the same duration.
8 After this, he and his empire will come to an abrupt end when the Messiah returns to set up His kingdom.
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13 The Great Tribulation
Let’s focus for a minute on this period of half a ‘seven’ – the three and a half years of the Anti-Christ’s domination of Israel and of God’s people. This period of time is mentioned a total of seven times in the books of Daniel and The Revelation – plus another mention, in Daniel 11, of a period of 1290 days (i.e. with one extra month added).
Let’s list these verses to see what can derived from them, since this period is going to be the ultimate summing up of the age, prior to the triumphant advent of the Messiah, and the beginning of his righteous reign over the whole earth.
Daniel 9:26 The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: war will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. 27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven’. In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.
The Anti-Christ will begin his reign with a covenant, an agreement that will allow the Jewish temple to be re-built in Jerusalem and sacrifices and offerings to re-commence.
He will break this covenant and begin his campaign of terror in the middle of the seven years, by putting an end to the temple sacrifices and offerings, and setting up the “abomination which causes desolation” – obviously an object which is completely forbidden to the Jews, such as an idol, or image of himself.
Daniel 7:24 The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. 25 He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time.
For three and a half years he will speak out against God and oppress the saints, and attempt to change times and laws – as he perhaps realises that these things (i.e. the Jewish feasts) may themselves be prophetic? The saints will be handed over to him for “time, times and half a time” – i.e. the same three and a half year period. We will come back to Daniel in a minute. Let’s look at what The Revelation has to say:
Revelation 11:2 But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will tramp on the holy city for 42 months.
The Anti-Christ and his army will “trample on” – occupy – Jerusalem for 42 months = three and a half years, onc
e again.
The two witnesses
Revelation 11:3 And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.
During this period of 1,260 days two prophets will begin to prophecy in Jerusalem. They will have power to stop rain, turn rivers into blood and cause plagues on earth. No-one will be able to harm them for that time, but at the end of this time they will be killed, their bodies displayed for three and a half days, and then they will be resurrected and ascend into heaven.
The woman in the desert
Revelation 12:6 The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.
Revelation 12:14 The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach.
Again, we have the same time span – 1,260 days, or “time, times and half a time” – when the woman, representing the nation of Israel, will be protected in the wilderness. She will be pursued by the dragon – Satan – who has tried for centuries, without success, to wipe out the nation of Israel.
The Whore and her Mother: 9/11, Babylon and the Return of the King Page 14