Does this mean my job's evil?

[Shadrok]

A random thought crossed my mind today and I remembered a post Tapewolf made about the number 666 being 616 instead.
If it is 616 and not 666 then my job is evil (it's store number 616).

Funny thing is it doesn't feel like it.

Now the other location I worked (same job, different store) that I would have agreed on. The manager there was a... 



Just a random thought I thought worth sharing.

[superluser]

A random thought crossed my mind today and I remembered a post Tapewolf made about the number 666 being 616 instead.

I can talk about this if you'd like.  If you aren't interested in hte Oxyrhynchus papyrus and Domitian (I think), then I won't.

[Saist]

*cough* it is 666.

Keep in mind that 6 is an unlucky number for Jews, it falls just short of the perfect number... 7.

And it doesn't just fall short once, it falls short 3 times in a row. 3 being another significant to the Jews. 

That, however, does bring up the consideration that the number itself was not a specific number, but rather a cultural description of something that would be abhorrent not just once, but multiple times. Keep in mind that Paul not only described the fall out of a nuclear war almost 2000 years before scientists began work on a nuclear bomb, (and if you don't believe Paul wrote Revelations, keep in mind that the copies have been around since at least 1200-1300 AD, still over 700 years before the nuclear bomb was a reality), but he also had to describe jet fighters and other "modern" military vehicles as well. To someone of Pauls time, what else could a jet fighter be but a fire breathing wyrm?

So, in the sense that much of Revelations had to describe something that could not be comprehended, so has the subject been put forth that perhaps 666 was in the same manner, rephrased for the society that would be reading the letters.

I'll stop being creepy about this now.

[superluser]

*cough* it is 666.

It's difficult to say.  The earliest manuscript on this (from the Oxyrhynchus papyri) says 616, but a number of early mss support one or the other.

Most sources give the date for Revelation as 95-96, as this was during a particularly severe persecution of Christians by the emperor Domitian (also, that's when Irenaeus said it was written).  The number 666 seems to refer to Nero, hebraised as Neron.  Interestingly, the last letter is worth 50, so if you take that off (as in the Latin spelling), it becomes 616.  I seem to recall that one of those numbers can also refer to Domitian, but I can't find a reference, now.

I've never heard Paul given as the author of Revelation, BTW.  It's attributed to John of Patmos (who is traditionally identified as John the Evangelist).  Paul died in or before 67, and the earliest date that I've heard for Revelation is 68.

[Brunhidden]

You want evil jobs? for a week and a half i was a vacuum cleaner salesman, and was trained how to talk old people into buying just about anything

i never felt so dirty

[Valynth]

Bah, revelations is like any prediction.  It's vague enough that it can fit anything, but concrete enough to fall on your head and make you a "true believer."

Gads, I should stop reading Something Positive...

[Jigsaw Forte]

*cough* it is 666.

It's difficult to say.  The earliest manuscript on this (from the Oxyrhynchus papyri) says 616, but a number of early mss support one or the other.

Most sources give the date for Revelation as 95-96, as this was during a particularly severe persecution of Christians by the emperor Domitian (also, that's when Irenaeus said it was written).  The number 666 seems to refer to Nero, hebraised as Neron.  Interestingly, the last letter is worth 50, so if you take that off (as in the Latin spelling), it becomes 616.  I seem to recall that one of those numbers can also refer to Domitian, but I can't find a reference, now.

I've never heard Paul given as the author of Revelation, BTW.  It's attributed to John of Patmos (who is traditionally identified as John the Evangelist).  Paul died in or before 67, and the earliest date that I've heard for Revelation is 68.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Number_of_the_Beast

The problem, of course, is in how you DEFINE 6(1|6)6...

[bill]

Of course, if you're a Preterist, none of this matters. 

[Alondro]

Of course, if you're a Preterist, none of this matters. 

Revelations does have some pretty definite things to look for.

For instance, when was the last time a mountain crashed into the sea and burned up one-third of the trees and killed one-third of everything...

... You know, that sounds a lot like an asteroid impact. 

And what do we have floating about but Apophis!  ZOMG!  The world will end in 2036!  We must call upon the alien ship behind a comet to save us!

Now if you'll all just drink this 'special' Kool-Aid I've prepared... 

[GabrielsThoughts]

I thought the second number of the beast was unintelligible and resembled a four.

[gh0st]

guys the mark of the beast isn't important the only significance it has is that in the end times it's going to be on every body as the mark of the beast. the mark of the beast signifies that you worship a certain god. the anti Christ is going to take controll of the world economy make false peace in the middle east and even go as far as claiming to be god when he is basically the supreme ruler of the earth he will say "you can't buy anything unless you have this mark"

please if you are going to contemplate know the source

[Omega]

You think that's creepy? Your store's number? For the passing year, I've run into the number 666, and not counting the encounters with number sixtysix, over seven times. (phone number, license plate of the car you drive, serial number for you assult rifle, etc.). Further more, My MP3-player seems to faivor "The number of the beast" by IronMaiden. If I weren't so damn incredulous, I might start crazy ideas.

[bill]

You think that's creepy? Your store's number? For the passing year, I've run into the number 666, and not counting the encounters with number sixtysix, over seven times. (phone number, license plate of the car you drive, serial number for you assult rifle, etc.). Further more, My MP3-player seems to faivor "The number of the beast" by IronMaiden. If I weren't so damn incredulous, I might start crazy ideas.

It's because you're about to die 

[Alondro]

*Charles plans to make false peace in the Middle East!*  Ya see, if ya nuke em all, they'll all be dead and can't fight no-more... hence, peace!   

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

.. or pieces...

[Goatmon]

Keep in mind that Paul not only described the fall out of a nuclear war almost 2000 years before scientists began work on a nuclear bomb, (and if you don't believe Paul wrote Revelations, keep in mind that the copies have been around since at least 1200-1300 AD, still over 700 years before the nuclear bomb was a reality), but he also had to describe jet fighters and other "modern" military vehicles as well. To someone of Pauls time, what else could a jet fighter be but a fire breathing wyrm?

That's extremely debatable. 

[superluser]

Keep in mind that Paul not only described the fall out of a nuclear war almost 2000 years before scientists began work on a nuclear bomb, (and if you don't believe Paul wrote Revelations, keep in mind that the copies have been around since at least 1200-1300 AD, still over 700 years before the nuclear bomb was a reality), but he also had to describe jet fighters and other "modern" military vehicles as well. To someone of Pauls time, what else could a jet fighter be but a fire breathing wyrm?

That's extremely debatable.

Yeah.  I'm wondering how that works.  What part of the jet is the seven heads and where are the ten horns and seven diadems?  I also don't see any fire breathing with that dragon, either.  Water and frogs, yes.

We have a complete Book of Revelation written far earlier than 1200.  The Codex Sinaiticus (4th C) contains it, and we've got partial mss (p47, p115 (the Oxyrhynchus papyrus)) dating from a century earlier.

[Alondro]

It's symbolic... for IRAN!  We must destroy Iran NOW before it's too late!   

[bill]

It's an allegory to global warming 

[gh0st]

you know the bible also says that that in the end times one third of the earth is going to be eradicated... it's just a thought of when the hell are we going to blow ourselves up...

[Valynth]

you know the bible also says that that in the end times one third of the earth is going to be eradicated... it's just a thought of when the hell are we going to blow ourselves up...

Actually, it's a proof against us blowing ourselves up since if we blew ourselves up, three thirds of the population would die instantly.

[Alondro]

you know the bible also says that that in the end times one third of the earth is going to be eradicated... it's just a thought of when the hell are we going to blow ourselves up...

Actually, it's a proof against us blowing ourselves up since if we blew ourselves up, three thirds of the population would die instantly.

You forget, nobody's going to nuke Africa, Australia, South America, or Indonesia.  You'd just end up making a whole lot of desert and/or poor people radioactive.   

[bill]

Premillenial dispensationalism is silly!