The Meaning of 666, The Reason for the Riddle

[Retrobyter]

1 hour ago, Daniel 11:36 said:

Revelation 9:11 tells that Abaddon is the angelic king of the abyss

And then Revelation again describes this fallen angel [Revelation 11:7; 13:1-4; 17:8-18; 19:19-20]

Believe that Satan uses this reprobate angelic for his structuring of the 7 kingdoms of the Middle East, 5 fallen and 2 more at the time of the end

Shalom, Daniel 11:36.

Sorry, bro', but that's not right! Revelation 9:11 says that Abaddown is the king of the locusts and is a messenger from the bottomless [pit]! Let's look at it in the Greek, anything else is subject to the whim of the interpreter. First, note that this is one sentence starting in verse 7!

Apokalupsis Iooannou 9:7-11
7 Kai ta homoioomata toon akridoon homoia hippois heetoimasmenois eis polemon,
kai epi tas kefalas autoon hoos stefanoi homoioi chrusoo,
kai ta prosoopa autoon hoos prosoopa anthroopoon,
8 kai eichon trichas hoos trichas gunaikoon,
kai hoi odontes autoon hoos leontoon essan,
9 kai eichon thoorakas hoos thoorakas sideerous,
kai hee fooien toon pterugoon autoon hoos fooien harmatoon hippoon pollen trechontoon eis polemon,
10 kai echousin ouras homilias skorpiois kai kentra,
kai en tais ourais autoon hee exousia autoon adikeesai tous anthroopous meenas pente,
11 echousin ep’ autoon basilea ton aggelon tees abussou, onoma autoo Hebraisti Abaddoon,
kai en tee Helleenikee onoma echo Apolluoon.
UBS Greek New Testament

7 Kai = 7 And/Also
ta = the
homoioomata = likeness
toon = of-the
akridoon = locusts
homoia = [was]-like
hippois = horses
heetoimasmenois = were-prepared
eis = into
polemon, = battle,
kai = and/also
epi = upon/above
tas = the
kefalas = heads
autoon = of-them
hoos = [were]-like
stefanoi = victors' wreaths
homoioi = like
chrusoo, = made-of-gold,
kai = and/also
ta = the
prosoopa = faces/foreheads
autoon = of-them
hoos = [were]-like
prosoopa = faces/foreheads
anthroopoon, = of-men/humans,
8 kai = 8 and/also
eichon = they-had/held
trichas = hair
hoos = like
trichas = hair
gunaikoon, = of-women,
kai = and/also
hoi = the
odontes = teeth
autoon of-them
hoos = like
leontoon = [those]-of-lions
essan, = were-like,
9 kai = 9 and/also
eichon = they-had/held
thoorakas = thoraxes/chest-plates
hoos = like
thoorakas = thoraxes/chest-plates
sideerous, = of-iron,
kai = and/also
hee = the
fooien = sound
toon = of-the
pterugoon = wings
autoon = of-them
hoos = [were]-like
fooien = sound
harmatoon = of-chariots
hippoon = of-horses
polloon = many
trechontoon = charging
eis = into
polemon, = battle,
10 kai = 10 and/also
echousin = they-had/held
ouras = tails
homilias = like
skorpiois = scorpions
kai = and/also
kentra, = stingers,
kai = and/also
en = in
tais = the
ourais = tails
autoon = of-them
hee = the
exousia = potency
autoon = of-them
adikeesai = to-injure
tous = the
anthroopous = men/human-beings
meenas = months
pente, = five,
11 echousin = 11 they-had/held
ep’ = upon/above
autoon = them
basilea = a king (acc.)
ton = the (acc.)
aggelon = messenger (acc.)
tees = of-the
abussou, = bottomless-[pit],
onoma = a-name
autoo = of-him
Hebraisti = in-Hebrew
Abaddoon, = Avaddown,/a-Perishing,
kai = and/also
en = in
tee = the
Helleenikee = Greek
onoma = a-name
echei = he-had/held
Apolluoon. = Apolluoon./a-Destroying.

While the king is the messenger of the bottomless [pit], what sort of message do you think was delivered by 5 months of pain?

Here's what I believe the locusts will look like:

[Fidei Defensor]

Ever noticed this verse, "From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him." (John 6:66). 

One theory is that each 6 represents the 6th Seal, 6th Trumpet, and 6th Bowel as the signs that prove the Antichrist has risen. 

Obviously it is a number used for buying and selling, and a computer programmer back in 60's said, "to program a computer in binary, you have to use 666." 

[WilliamL]

On 9/19/2017 at 5:10 PM, Retrobyter said:

When are you going to learn that the Greek word "aggelos" does NOT necessarily mean a SUPERNATURAL messenger? ... Nine times out of ten, the word refers to a HUMAN messenger! And, the other 10% is divided between the supernatural messenger and the inanimate messenger, like a "thorn in the flesh!"

From blueletterbible.org: " The KJV translates Strong's G32 in the following manner: angel (179x), messenger (7x)."

The Greek word is used 20 times in Matthew. Which of those 20 uses do you see as NOT being a supernatural messenger?

[Retrobyter]

5 hours ago, WilliamL said:

From blueletterbible.org: " The KJV translates Strong's G32 in the following manner: angel (179x), messenger (7x)."

The Greek word is used 20 times in Matthew. Which of those 20 uses do you see as NOT being a supernatural messenger?

Shalom, WilliamL.

Well, we can get the obvious one out of the way: Matthew 11:10, where Yochannan the Immerser is called such a "messenger."

Now, let's look at the background of some of the others:

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?
28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
...

36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.
37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
41 The Son of man shall send forth HIS angels, and they shall gather out of HIS kingdom all things that offend (sin), and them which do iniquity;
42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of THEIR FATHER. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
KJV

This may take a while to explain, but these "angels" are men.

First, you need to be as convinced as I am that this parable doesn't occur in reality until the Millennium. The key factors are the Kingdom of the Messiah (the Son of man) and the Kingdom of the Father and the resurrection text that Paul gave us in 1 Corinthians 15:20-28:

1 Corinthians 15:20-28
20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
23 But every man in his own order: (0) Christ the firstfruits; (1) afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
24 (2) Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith, all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
KJV

The three main resurrections (numbered 0,1, and 2 above) are the resurrection of the Messiah Himself (the firstfruits or the wave offering of the four species), the resurrection of the people who belong to the Messiah (which will occur when He returns and begins His Kingdom "at His coming"), and the resurrection at "the end" of the Millennium (when He hands over the Kingdom to His Father). The kingdom of the Messiah will be growing throughout the Millennium. Therefore the Empire that the Messiah builds during His first 1000 years will become the Empire of His Father at the end of the Millennium. (This is what the parable of the grain of mustard seed and the parable of the leaven in three measures of dough are all about.) The Messiah's Kingdom will begin very small and with little influence. However, throughout the Millennium, His Kingdom will gain in size and prominence as the King of Judah becomes the King of Israel and then the King of kings as He subdues His enemies.

These "angels" then who are the "reapers" in this parable, are the Emperor's messengers who collect all who offend (offenders) and all who commit iniquity (law breakers or Torah disobeyers) and remove them from the Kingdom of the Messiah.

[WilliamL]

On 9/26/2017 at 9:11 PM, Retrobyter said:

40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world/age/aion.

The end of this age is when Jesus comes for his Church; it is not the end of the Millennium, as you say above.

[Retrobyter]

22 hours ago, WilliamL said:

The end of this age is when Jesus comes for his Church; it is not the end of the Millennium, as you say above.

Shalom, WilliamL.

Nope. Where is your proof for that? My proof is to be found in 2 Peter 3:3-13 harmonized with 1 Corinthians 15:20-28 and Revelation 20:1-22:5. While the seond coming will be the end of the times of the Gentiles and the end of the blindness of the Jews and the tribulation they've suffered for that blindness, it is NOT the end of the AGE! 

Kefa ("Cephas" = Peter), tells us that there are THREE ages separated by the disasters of the global Flood and the global Fire:

2 Peter 3:3-13
3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. [This is the philosophy of uniformitarianism so prevalent in the theory of Evolution.]
5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God [first age] the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: [the global Flood of Noach's day]
7 But [second age] the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against [just prior to] the day of judgment and perdition [sentencing] of ungodly men. [the Great White Throne Judgment]
8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. [the global Fire of the future]
11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for [third age] new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever (Greek: kai nun kai eis heemeran aioonos = "and/also now and/also into [the]-day of-[the]-age"). Amen.
KJV

Now, fit this into Revelation 20:1-21:5:

Revelation 20:1-21:5
20:1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. [the Millennium]
7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. [the global Fire]
10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
21:1 And I saw a [third age] new heaven and a new earth: for [first and second ages] the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
KJV

So, when you add all this information to 1 Corinthians 15:20-28,...

1 Corinthians 15:20-28
20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
23 But every man in his own order: [wave offering of Resurrection] Christ the firstfruits; afterward [first general Resurrection] they that are Christ's at his coming.
24 Then [second general Resurrection] cometh the end [of the second age], when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith, all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all. [third age]
KJV

...you learn the reason for the Millennium: "he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet."

And, this fits with the parable of the tares:

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven [the kingdom from the sky] is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?
28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
...
36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.
37 He answered and said unto them,
He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
38 The field is the world;
the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but
the tares are the children of the wicked one;
39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil;
the harvest is the end of the world (Greek: sunteleia aioonos = "[the]-entire completion of-[the]-age"); and
the reapers are the angels.
40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world (Greek: en tee sunteleia tou aioonos = "in the entire-completion of-the age").
41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
KJV

All one has to do is substitute the elements of the parable with what they represent:

The kingdom of heaven [the kingdom from the sky] is likened unto the Son of man which sowed good seed in his world:
25 But while men slept, the devil came and sowed children of the wicked one among the children of the kingdom, and went his way.
26 But when the children of the kingdom was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the children of the wicked one also.
27 So the servants of the Son of man came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow children of the kingdom in thy world? from whence then hath it children of the wicked one?
28 He said unto them, The devil hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the children of the wicked one, ye root up also the children of the kingdom with them.
30 Let both grow together until the entire completion of the age: and in the time of the entire completion of the age I will say to the angels, Gather ye together first the children of the wicked one, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the children of the kingdom into my barn.

I know this is hard for one who is ingrained in a particular philosophy to accept this, but that's the way it is.

[Daniel 11:36]

Nope. Where is your proof for that?

 

First: "I will keep the from the hour [time] of trial that is coming upon the whole world"

Then He will bring His tribulation period [Revelation 6;12-17] [Revelation 8 through 19]

 Those who become believers during the tribulation period are a different matter and these will either be resurrected if killed at the end of the tribulation period, or will enter and populate His millennial kingdom as mortals

The tribulation period will last for 7 years .... and then His millennial kingdom upon the earth for the next 1000 years