6-6-06
I can remember hearing lots of sermons as a youngster about "666," being the mark of the beast, how Christians needed to be diligent in their walk with Jesus because that relationship would be the only thing them keeping from accepting the devil's mark before the coming Rapture. If you didn't accept the mark you would die.
People have long been leery of the number -- this story says Ronald and Nancy Reagan reportedly had their address changed from 666 to 668 because of their uneasiness. It's rattled others.
Now, the Rapture Index says it's time to "Fasten your seatbelts."
Comments (9)
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I wish I was the sort that didn't mind putting bumper stickers on my car. I'd love to get the one that says "If you can read this, you weren't raptured." {;-)
Seriously, though. There have been 19 days you could write out as 6-6-06 since the start of the Common Era. Anyone who gets spooked by numbers should just get a grip and find something else to pay attention to as this one meanders past just like all the rest.
Posted on May 31, 2006 8:47 PM
A true Christian would not be worrying about the "Last Day" and/or rapture. Rather, a true Christian would be working to get others "on board!"
Shalom
Posted on May 31, 2006 10:17 PM
Then there's the whole issue of whether the original texts said the number of the beast was 666 ... or 616.
Hmm. 616 is the area code for the Grand Rapids, Michigan, area.
665, 666 and 667 do not appear to be in use.
664 is the area code for the tropical island of Montserrat.
Montserrat. Michigan. Montserrat. Or Michigan. Hmmm. (weighs one in each hand; compares)
I'm going with 616 as the number of the beast.
Posted on June 1, 2006 11:12 AM
Biblical scholars have convincingly shown the "666" reading is a mistranslation/misreading of original texts. Dr. Barnes Tatum of Greensboro College assures me the actual number is similar, but not exactly "666". I have forgotten now what it is. Frankly, it smacks of that other nonsense, numerology.
Posted on June 3, 2006 9:56 AM
What's the "Rapture Index" mean by connecting the "failure to pass the US Patriot Act" (which, as I recall did, in fact, get renewed by Congress!) with "the Number of the Beast"???
Very cool novel by Robert Heinlein, by the way.
Posted on June 3, 2006 10:01 AM
Again, we are in agreement as to the silliness of the antichrist/ rapture speculation, even though not in theological matters generally.
This whole issue is really a prime example of pop theology; the tendency of people to jump on an exiting and captivating idea from Scripture, without doing serious exegesis. Unlike the Bereans of Acts 17, who “searched the scriptures daily whether these things were so,” the rapture crowd seem all to willing to follow their entrenched leaders over the precipice of erroneous interpretation in this area – although they may be correct in other matters.
As I said in another entry, the dispensationalists have done a great disservice to the Faith by foisting their “rapture” position on both the Church and the general culture. It is simply born of pseudo exegesis and mass popularization. Once a false tack is taken in this area of scripture, it seems there is no end to the speculation and fantasy. The realistic interpretation, fully surveying the context and nature of the language, is both sensible and enlightening.
Actually, the number 666 (the best and long-held deduction using the Greek/Hebrew letter-number system) is a designation for Nero, as the surrounding facts and temporal sequence fits him well. This is fully in keeping with the cryptic, but decipherable, language used in Revelation for events and personages leading up to the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D. by Titus. Nero is the logical choice here.
Regardless of one’s final exegetical decision, it does NOT have to do with some futuristic “antichrist” if one follows the correct pre-A.D. 70 date for Revelation’s writing. And the term, “antichrist,” is not even found in Rev. Thus, all attempts to foist the designation of a modern-day figure is sheer nonsense; and sloppy exegesis and misleading teaching. This is most regrettable, and IS slowly being set straight within the eschatological community. But alas, royalties from the Left Behind fluff may be hard to resist by opportunists.
Posted on June 3, 2006 10:21 AM
Here's a Reuter's story about such numbers games:
Posted on June 4, 2006 2:06 PM
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060604/ap_on_sc/666;_ylt=AhH42dd7M0DQLLFIf.mxU9us0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3MzV0MTdmBHNlYwM3NTM-
Sorry, my anchor tags don't ever work out!
Posted on June 4, 2006 2:06 PM
Freddy, Thanks for the loooooong address. It was very interesting but contained nothing new or exegetically germaine. The links were better. Thanks. Here is a site that deals with the rapture issue from a Reformed, postmillennial stance. I don't agree with all the positions on this particular site, but much of it.
http://www.americanvision.org/mediaarchive.asp.
Also see David Chilton, Kenneth L. Gentry and postmillennial eschatology
Posted on June 5, 2006 8:00 AM