*Text has been amended (June 2009) following input from a reader. The “Very Old Text (Rev. 13:18) in glass display” fragment is from the supplement to the Codex Vaticanus; I had originally doubted this.
When Joe Lieberman gives credibility to the upcoming Christians United for Israel with his attendance, he won’t just be lending his reputation to conspiracy-monger John Hagee. Also on the CUFI line-up is Walid Shoebat, the self-proclaimed former Palestinian Muslim terrorist-turned Christian evangelist. Various sources have challenged Shoebat’s account of his former terrorism, with the Jerusalem Post in particular raising questions about his story that so far have not been answered.
Shoebat also fancies himself as a bit of a Biblical scholar and palaeographer, and in a video clip that I have just been made aware of he expounds his theory that the “number of the Beast” mentioned in the Book of Revelation is in fact a reference to…Allah.
The argument is that the author of Revelation was shown the Mark of the Beast in “video” form from God – obviously following Hal Lindsey’s idea that the visions in Revelation, rather than being symbolic, in fact are John’s interpretations of images from the future he couldn’t understand (“locusts” being helicopters, and so on). With the Mark of the Beast, John saw some strange squiggles, which he incorporated into the text. For centuries, readers thought these squiggles were the Greek letters for either “666” or “616”, but finally Shoebat has cracked the mystery: the squiggles are in fact Arabic, and they spell out “In the Name of Allah”!
Apparently Shoebat has been promoting this “theory” for a few years, and it appears in an obscure book by a certain Simon Altaf, entitled Islam: Peace? or Beast? (Altaf and Shoebat collaborated on an equally obscure book, entitled This is our Eden, This is our End.) Some details are here (and more at sites such as this one), including the supposed evidence, from the Codex Vaticanus:
One website adds the unpromising caption:
Very Old Text (Rev. 13:18) in glass display at Bob Jones University Library – Greenville, S.C.
One small problem however, is that the Codex Vaticanus does not include the Book of Revelation. The above is from a much later supplement, and the Greek is in a “miniscule” script which came in only centuries later. Irenaeus in the Second Century discusses the text as consisting of the number “666”, and there are no fragments of Revelation which predate this source: therefore any ancient copies we have must have been written by scribes who certainly intended to write Greek characters.
Shoebat, meanwhile, prefers to give his credulous audiences his own version of what he says he saw in the Codex Vaticanus, which allows him to elaborate further:
It’s worth comparing that with the earliest fragment of the text we have, identified in 2005 from the Oxyrhynchus Papyri:
This follows the “616” variant reading, and so does not include the Greek character which Shoebat finds the most suggestive.
[UPDATE: The Codex Sinaiticus, which Shoebat also assures his audience he has seen, spells out the number in letters:
That’s “six hundred and sixty-six”.]
One obvious question is how this strange twist on 666 fits with the wider context of the text, which speaks of a “number of a man” which will be known to he who “has understanding” (most scholars take it to be a reference to the Emperor Nero). Shoebat claims that it can’t be a numerological code, because that would be “Gematria”, which God has nothing to do with. I’ve always found it interesting that fundamentalist Christian Zionists, while appropriating all kinds of things from Judaism, have a horror of Jewish mysticism, which is seen as occultic.
UPDATE: More on Shoebat and Altaf here.
UPDATE 2: Joel Richardson digs the hole deeper.
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[…] CUFI Speaker: “666″ is “In the Name of Allah” […]
I went to the personal blog of the author of this article and saw that the image that he has posted of himself shows him sitting in a pub sipping a pint of beer. I fear that he may have been sipping a bit too much before writing this article.
The Codex Vaticanus does indeed contain the Book or Revelation, it is simply a later supplementation to the earlier manuscripts. A tiny bit of research could have produced this fact. The actual image of the portion of the Book of revelation that is part of the Codex Vaticanus is below. Scroll to the third column to the right and the top line, marked 18 (Revelation 13:18) contains the image that Walid used:
http://www.csntm.org/Manuscripts/GA%2003/GA03_150b.jpg
Images of the entire Codex may be viewed here:
http://www.csntm.org/Manuscripts/GA%2003/
Which could have been found if Mr. Bartholomew had gone here instead of sipping beer:
http://www.csntm.org/Manuscripts.aspx
Next time, you may wish to step outside of the usual Wikipedia sourcing for your articles Richard.
This 2008 comment is complete bullshit go learn more about the Greek Alphabet the image you are talking about contains minuscule this type of Greek only came in to use in the 8th or 9th century majiscule Greek was used in johns time and this is codex 1957 written in the 15th century this bull crap all has been truly well refuted by facts from official sources so either you are just innocently confused or your a absolute liar and then I would say I fu***n hate people like you and this fraudulent anti Islam ex terrorist lying piece of crap we can debate about religion all day in a peaceful way but when bull crap like this comes up the peaceful debate is dropped and there is no point of debating with you lying twisting ass wipes keep making up stuff about religions you will find peace and truth this way right unbelievable.
it is simply a later supplementation to the earlier manuscripts
…by about more than a 1000 years!
You and Shoebat appear to have confused the ancient manuscript with a C19 Italian facsimile of the Codex which has an (obviously) typeset copy of Revelation tacked on the end. I’ve now dicussed this here.
[…] CUFI Speaker: “666″ is “In the Name of Allah” […]
[…] recap: Richardson’s associate Walid Shoebat had given a presentation in which he had claimed that the letters in Revelation 13:18 which are taken to be […]
[…] media concerning Walid Shoebat’s self-described past; I’ve recently noted his bizarre Biblical exegesis and his past association with a website that denounced Catholicism, the Charismatic movement, and […]
[…] I discussed this preposterous and ignorant exegesis at more length than it deserved here. […]
First of all, believers are not required to delve into revelation, for the keys to the seals,are given only to the holders.
But, so that you learn a little..The beast that rises out of the sea, and out of the land..are one and the same- OIL: If you calculate the number:O = 15 ..I = 9..L = 12… The sum of these is 36 ..of which the 2 composites are 18 and 18 ,and herein, is hidden the 666..and 666 which let you know that the two references,are to one.
In this, you will also understand that OIL , is indeed ‘the weapon of mass destruction’ because you now see clearly the damage it causes across the nations,and leads nations to war…compared to what people tout as ‘nuclear’ the damage is much more widespread…this is not to say that nuclear power is not dangerous, or threatens the globe or that no other perceived weapons of mass destruction exist on the earth. The point to understand here is, do not confine yourself to physical, or very literal understandings.
In knowing this small detail, you will become more aware of what not being able to buy or sell without the mark is.
Well, perhaps I should explain that a bit more, seeing that many are so confined to literal.
‘The right hand’ ..is not physically the ‘right hand’..Listen carefully.
When you say..He’s my right hand man..it means ‘of importance’ So, to the traders ..the ‘right hand’ is actually the computer they work on. In everyday life today, in modern society, is not your every action guided by computer or mobile information?? So, that is your ‘right hand’ .
So….when it is said that all receive the mark, it really just means that NO TRADE DEAL is , or can be effected without KNOWING the OIL PRICE. Every trade commodity on this planet hinges on the daily price of oil. In knowing this , you now easily understand the mark on the forehead..this is very much simpler..Again, you have no need to hunt for a physical mark. The morons of the world, and satan’s dumbest pawns, tattoo themselves etc, and cut marks of 666 into their scalps etc..and the movies and media show you all kind of fantastic illusions ( again I say..remember who the prince of the power of the air and airwaves is) The truth however, is that this serves its purpose to really redirect people’s minds and take you on mindtrips of implants etc..Satan is really witty, and does have a laugh at how simple it is , to deceive even the faithful, and scare you off track. This is how every person on the planet is affected..whether believer or unbeliever..in the free world, or those under dictatorships (this is meant by ‘slave’..and incidentally, the very ones that cry ‘slavery’ are indeed slaves, but to their own minds and they will die and be erased from the earth in that belief.) To all those I shall say..Free yourself from the crutch of blaming others for the downfall of yourselves, and take responsibility and learn to make correct judgements..or perish. For the witty : ‘Slave’ applies to anyone with the chip. ”What chip ?” you’ll say. Any man can be free, and still be a slave.
All sin, and do not think that even the appointed of God do not fall in ways – what is important is corrective action, guided by the power of the Spirit. The dramatics begin, when those appointees defy correction and begin to propogate their wrongs, among the others of God, to lead them astray : Here, marks the beginning of judgement on those.
To have the mark on the forehead, is now very much simpler for you to understand. No trader really goes to bed, or rises really without wondering what the oil price will be, and that is the foremost thought on the mind of ANY international or local commodity trader. Even if you are not in direct trade, that singular factor really affects whether you post a parcel, or what price you will get if you planted carrots, or what price you will pay if you buy onions.
So , don’t go scaring yourself by thinking you’ll get injected, or secretly chipped etc..I have to admit, people can be really silly, and really lay themselves open to delusion quite easily. When you do that..then you are swept away quite easily, over the edge of a cliff, along with many. To have the mark, can easily apply to followers of the Lord too , because really in this world, you are guided by many things that are beyond your control. To have the mark of the Lamb on your forehead, means really acknowledging Yeshuah , Son of Yahweh foremost, in mind, heart and spirit. The physical mark of the Lord, emblazoned on the sons of lightning is ‘Y’ and with this comes the sign of the Holy Spirit which is really recognisable to many..Yet, even then, the world accepts others. This is the nature of man, and the reason why Jesus Christ was torn to pieces, by his own. Can you believe that?? The Lord in humility asked for their forgiveness…saying ‘they know not what they do’
What do you think the judgement of God is, for those that have been told, and live in an age of information, and really KNOW what they do ?? Your fate is sealed by ignorance in a time when there is no excuse. Do not think that many will be producing their gate pass at St Peter , or the will be a mass migration into heaven with what you have been told is a ‘rapture’..because you will be surprised to know that the church of God, will actually experience a RUPTURE, and this means that many will actually be shed from the kingdom, instead of having their lofty ideals of being spirited away selectively by the Lord. If I tell you the Sword is among you, believe that well. Who are the 7 Swords of the Lord ? You will not know, because six remain invisible to you all, and one is cut off for a time, and 7 times that…but when the 7 are together again, you know that the Hour of the Lord, is close.
The fullness is sealed up until the end..but under the authority of the Lord, some knowledge will be given to the people of the Lord, but to the true believer, no knowledge more than knowing the Lord, is necessary. Some witty dude said ‘ if they were knowers, then there would be no reason to call them believers’..something to that effect, but the essence of my meaning is this: that is the height of the wit of this world, and those that seek to pierce the Lord..all such wit will perish with you.
Beware of the many that will deceive you in ‘tongues’and rattling away in Hebrew terminology etc, rendering no explanation. If you cannot understand what is said to you in English, how will you understand what is said in another language? Those that have mastered the art of religious sounding gibber – to you I shall say this..Special punishments have been prepared for you from the moment you first thought to acquire the psychological skills to weaken many. Again, this is not to say that the Holy Spirit is inactive in the world..you who receive this warning will know exactly who you are.
Knowing more than that, is unimportant,and really not allowed to the general believer, whos command it is, to worship the Lord, in simplicity and humble spirit.
Woe to those that fiddled with the scriptural content in some backroom, on a computer, to declare war and the same to all that pervert religion, to spread terror – The Lord is watching. Further woes to those in positions of power that are advised by meddlers in the divine code – All they have done is unlock the fury of the Almighty, because even now, if the Lord were not there to intercede for fools , a portion of the earth would now already be dead, in fact a day has passed where the world leaders could have been swallowed up by the earth, never to be seen again if the Almighty were in a slightly more irate mood , because the foolishness of world leaders is now rising up to the heavens. There are cures for many things, but incessant stupidity has no cure, and is an irritation to the Father. All world leaders , that are charged with leading, but do otherwise seal their own fates, and many will escape here…but have no concept that they will be destroyed fully, because they refuse to stand in awe of the Lord,and do right!
In understanding this, you will also understand that the mark is not something tangible, or applied only to persons..so, do not try to involve yourselves in literal meanings to the high cryptics of Revelation, for it occurs on too many levels for man to understand.
People that think they can ‘crack ‘the bible codings, have already doomed themselves to fates they dictated by their own actions..so, be aware in your readings of Scriptures. It is given , so that you have a general synopsis of God’s Plan , but is not there for any to delve into, or to try to meddle with.
There is no command necessary, other than for you to believe in Jesus Christ, only begotten Son of the Almighty. Revelation unfolds in the lives of billions, without any really knowing..
Bible scholars,and theologians are lead, to give the best translation into languages understandable to mankind, but none should suppose to assign ‘meaning’ , for those things are given, only at their assigned times, by the Lord.
Even the seals,and holders of the keys, are only allowed access at their pre set designation in time, and not as man defines time, for man has no concept of time, as designated by the Almighty.
You have no need to worry about chips being inserted in your heads or all such physicalities. Those that propogate such explanations to things they do not know, also fall in danger of unnecessary judgements.
The command is simple..Live your life under the authority of the Lord,and obey the basic commands in simplicity, and you have the Mark of the Lamb not only on your forehead, but written in your heart. Keep yourself from senseless debates on the unknown, and prevent the loss of your tongues.
All that you see in the world, isn’t , and neither is all that you don’t see. Because you do not see the fiery anointing of the Lord across the earth, does not mean it is nonexistent.
As you see the morons,and even believers of the world deceived by ‘aliens’ and ‘ufo’s , remember who has the power to deceive,and is the master and prince of the air,and airwaves. Years and years of preparation, have allowed the minds of those that wish for delusion, to be deluded…and in fact, God will allow that as it is written, because a huge part of the earth will be deceived because of their need to see what seems ’supernatural’…to the believer, all you need do, is remain focused on the simple command given,and this will pass over you.
You , on this earth, are made in the image of the Creator of the Universe and there is no intellect given into any physical creation, more than given to mankind..but for those that wish to imagine their inferiority to other ‘beings’- then that is what they are. Yes, even the supposedly intelligent,and learned will fall prey to deception.
Have peace in your day, and remember the simple command you are given.
The iron laws of the Almighty, are not open to ‘modernistic interpretations’ to suit dysfunctional situations. The sword, goes out to all that shall meet, discuss, twist and adjust the commands of the Lord, to suit their own purposes on the earth. These have all bowed to the deceiver, and will follow in his footsteps,and share the judgements. Yes, the Sword of the Lord, is now at the church, and all that seek to redefine its purpose. The command, is given to all, that shall have questionable behaviour , as opposed to the law. The command, is not there to be questioned, or moulded to ‘modern living’. It is stated, and given by the ‘I AM’ for all. Defiance, is treated with warning first, as warning precedes judgement. So, as no correction has come from warning, the judgement of the Lord, falls upon the church and will be in full effect, soon. A Letter was sent to that Anglican Church of Australia, containing commands,and warnings and to be sent to all denominations of the globe. Perhaps they feel they are more subject to human authorities,and choose to delete the message – The judgement is nevertheless in effect against ALL , in the church that conspire to assign their contrived meanings, to the stated law, of the Almighty.
This letter was sent on 14/7/2008.
It would be safer for all those leaders,and bishops to extract themselves from their acquired status, and join the queues of the sinful, who have humility before the Lord,and ask for forgiveness, than to stand in the pulpits and purport to do the Will of God,and thereby evoke the fury of the Lord. In this time, a judgement has already been laid down for all these, which will be effected throughout all the world, for all to see in time.
Again, have peace in your day if you find correction..but worry, if you are told,and do not turn from your path.
Be careful, if you propose to render your own futile judgement against the Lord, and do not confuse what people do ‘In the Name of God’ with the Lord Himself. You presume to find yourself some kind of a ‘wit’, if the letters pertaining to doctorates and phd’s etc precede or follow your given name , but its wiser to think of yourself as stripped bare, in the eyes of God , because your titles,and honors mean nothing at that level.
Do not think that because you propose to judge God, by the actions of a few, that your supposedly ‘leftist’ideals absolve you from the laws of God.
If you have a problem with men, that pervert the laws of divinity, then its fine to attack those , but be careful when you begin to call the Lord, a ‘myth’ and some kind of nonexistence because of your own lack of spiritual integrity that you might find comfortable to expound as what you deem a ‘free thinker’ because like many,all that oppose the Lord, in thought and deed , will be routed , never to rise again from the dust that they all become.
You may be wiser to make decisions in things that are tangible to you,and things that you can see, rather than expounding your opinion, on things that you cannot see, or have zero inclination to understand.
Perhaps the most mystical thing, is that atheists and free thinkers that oppose the existence of the Almighty, expound on opinions from the height of social standing,and general comforts, but even these, in situations of life threatening self adversities, find themselves looking for the same God they defy.
All your human wit,and perceived intelligence, is piddly in the eyes of the Almighty God, that knows the content of every molecule known,and unknown to mankind,and even the dust that rises up to acknowledge God, is in higher esteem than all that seek to defy the existence of the supreme Almighty.
Rev 13.18 says that it is the “number” or “multitude” of a man. How does oil fit into that?
For someone who doesn’t hold the keys you certainly “talk” a lot. You’re also quite adept at calling everyone else stupid. You’re also very nice at worshiping your intellect. Personally, I find it difficult to actually believe in a god when I’m attempting to play one. Like so many, worship of scripture has replaced trust in Yahweh. What was it you were saying about being easily deceived?
B-SHT! The Mark will be an oath. One’s own willingness to bow down and worship Satan. Those whose names are NOT written in the Lamb’s Book of Life WILL worship the beast and his image. They will be “marked” for destruction. “All your human wit,and perceived intelligence, is piddly in the eyes of the Almighty God”, perfect describes you as you seek to exalt yourself in the eyes of men that they should look to you and think you a source of Truth, Wisdom, and Light. Truth be known, you haven’t the ability to conduct yourself in daily/superficial conversation and become tongue tied and are frustrated in your attempts to convey your thoughts and hate that you come off ignorant, desperate, and dumb. Bless your heart.
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I rarely do not comment on blogs but yours I had to stop and say Great article!!
What would Jones think if he knew his name was being used to spam blogs?
[…] Posted on July 6, 2009 by Richard Bartholomew Last year I wrote a couple of blog entries refuting Walid Shoebat’s claim that the word “666″ in the Book of Revelation was actually […]
Hello Richard,
I wrote earlier concerning the 1831 reference to the 3 hand written symbols which you have amended.
I am still curious as to why you still do not accept the 3 symbols as something other than Greek.
Please view this site of Greek Numerology (up to the 3rd Century) and see if the symbols are applicable to 666.
If following your viewing of this site you still maintain that 666 applies then please explain to me as to how John would have guessed and got right 3 future Greek Symbols but not Abrabic symbols.
http://www.sizes.com/numbers/greek_numeration.htm
Eh? We don’t have anything that was written in the author’s own hand. The earliest Greek fragment gives Greek symbols – although they don’t look like Shoebat’s nonsensical presentation – while others (such as the Codex Sinaiticus) spell it out as a word. And the section added to the Codex Vaticanus more than a thousand years after it was created is neither here nor there. There is no need for John to “guess” future Greek symbols, as the context shows that he was obviously talking about a number, and that was how early Christians understood it.
It’s bizarre that conservative Evangelicals, who generally insist that Scripture should not be deconstructed in any way, are prepared to re-write part of the Bible just to fit anti-Muslim sentiments.
Hello again Richard…
Supplemental —– The ‘Ionic Script’ that the symbols are being applied to did not come into use until the 3rd or 4th century. Therefore the numbers must be applied to Johns time ( 1st Century )at which time they were using the ‘Herodianic’ Greek numerals.
Same point applies.
[…] funny to see Walid Shoebat endorse this: elsewhere, Shoebat has declared that the number “666″ in the Book of Revelation was actually the word “In the […]
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
This guy is a genius, an innovator but he seems to have forgotten the basics, even though he is an ARAB or at least claims to be one.
I wish I could ask him few questions and see what response he would give
1. What did the Jews and Chrsitians used to call God before Muhammad ??
God was called Allah in the Arabic Version of bible before Muhammad. In addition to this Abdallah (Slave/Servant of God was a very common name amongst Jews and Christians alike).
2. Name of a famous Jewish Rabbi was Abdallah Ibn Salam. Did it mean he worshipped antichrist?
3. Pick up an Arabic Bible/Torah today and read what it says. It says Allah instead of God. It also says Bismillah (In the name of God). Does this mean that God did not know that his Jew and Chrisitan followers will call him Allah, and wanted to confuse/deceive everyone by puttiing Allah in the Old testament as a sign of Antichrist?
4. What did the Meccans used to call God before Muhammad ?
They called God Allah. Mohammaed’s Grandfather’s name was Abdallah.
In addition to this people who used to worship moon used to call their God Allah (Moon God and the conspiracy theory that someone suggested that Islam evolved from it).
The bottom line is that Allah is an arabic word for God and was used before Muhammad and is being used even today by non-muslims for their God.
5. What is the Word for God in Hebrew? it is Elohim (For respect). If you use a singular it will be Eloh (pronounced very Similar to Allah). Infact a lot similar than the word God.
6. His Claims that the two swords signify Islam and is on flag of Saudi Arabia is not true. Please see the flag of Saudi Arabia at decide for yourself. It does not even say Bismillah on the flag. Even the bands on heads of Freedom fighters in Palestine do not say Bismillah (find for yourself)
7. If God wanted to point to Islam, why was Muhammad or Quran not mentioned or some symbol indicating Muhammad and Quran as the antichrist. Why did God use a name that his followers call him with.
8. The two sword symbol looks like a cross to me. Since this symbol was predicted in the old testament during time of Moses, could it allude to cross used for Crucifying Christ? It can mean anything
Again, more long winded nonsense. He has a name. That name was pronounced before Arabic came along. That name has never changed. The Jews erased it. Typical of a Muslim to claim ownership of the Creator even though Islam came after the fact. Quite honestly I tire so much of Muslim stupidity and propaganda it makes me sick to my stomach.
The Jews were first. Get over it. It’s called PALEO HEBREW.
Dear Brother, Stop making guess! read the words of Messiah in Matthew 11:27
” …..No one knows the SON except the Father, and no one knows the FATHER except the Son and anyone to whom the Son Decides to reveal Him.
I would like to see a Torah in Arabic! The Jews today study the Torah in Hebrew, including those in Europe and America. They only have other translations today thanks to the printing press that makes it easy to print. A handwritten Torah has always been very expensive, so if you are going to spend big money to make a copy of the Torah years ago, it is going to be in Hebrew. I would bet that 99.9% of Torahs were all in Hebrew.
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A = 1, B = 2 …..J = 10, K = 20, L = 30 …. S = 100, T = 200 .. Z = 800
President = 70 + 90 + 5 + 100 + 9 + 4 + 5 + 50 + 200 = 533
Ahmadinejad = 1 + 8 + 40 + 1 + 4 + 9 + 50 + 5 + 10 + 1 + 4 = 133
533 + 133 = 666
You have been warned!!
[…] Shoebat is not a marginal figure: he enjoys the endorsement of conservatives such as Daniel Pipes and Robert Spencer, and he regularly addresses church groups with his pseudo-exegesis of the Bible, which he claims predicts the rise of a Muslim anti-Christ. […]
Maybe the microchips there are to be implanted under peoples arms will be the equivalent of the jews having numbers on their arms in World War 2. And the Mark of the beast around the forehead and arms will be the equivalent of the nazis wearing their badge of their arms in WW2. WW3 is coming soon. History tends to repeat itself.
The way I understand it is as follows:
1. God is saying that the number of the beast is a number, that number is 666.
2. If what the other articles say is true, then Allah may be the beast, since his number (a man) is 666.
3. So then, like God asked to measure the kingdom of heaven, he asks us to calculate (or count) the number of the beast, which is basically the followers of Allah.
Just thinking out loud there. I do not have the answer, but it makes you wonder. Since many Muslims who follow Allah, wear a head band, which has the Allah symbol (666) on it (The mark of the beast).
Plus the fact that God mentions beheading and dying by the sword, which is so prevalent in Islam.
Anyway, that is my 2 cents. I still believe Allah is Satan and Muhammad is the false prophet. But that is just me.
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The original Apocalypse of John undoubtedly used three shapes, and did not write them out as full numerical words. Only those who recieved oral Tardition as well as the Manuscript’s Copies could know what the symbols resembled numerically. Irenaeus was one such man. He didn’t understand it to refer to Nero, but said that that anitchrist had not yet been revealed.
Here is how the mistake of 616 for 666 occurred – the only way it could occur:
by the time of later copies, gematrical characters were falling into disuse by many, and the obsolete charcaters used for a couple of the numerics were being confused, so some recorded the words denoting what they rightly or wrongly thought the old symbols to refer to numerically. Since the original used the three characters, and did not limit their meaning to mere numerics, Shoebat’s observation concerning some traces of the original shapes copied out is most significant. It doesn’t matter how late some of them were copied (although they are not all late anyway).
The shapes are a little mis=shapen, and the line included over the middle character to denote special character use is in the perfect place.
Before muhammad, no Arab knew the name )allah which consists of four consonants )llh
What they actually knew was a three consonant word which all Arabs Christian, Jewish, or heathen used alike for GOD or for their subtitute for HIM:
)ILAH, consisting of )LH, and cognate with Hebrew
)ELOHIM and Aramaic )ALAHA
Some, without proof say these are cognate with Hebrew )EL
With the definite article prefixed, Arabic )ILAH becomes )al-)ILAH, being 5 consonants in all, with a very definite glottal break between the l of the definite article and the initial )alif of the word )ILAH. The numerical sum of the consonants of the articulated term, )al-)ILAH is 67, but around the year 600, muhammad began using the invented name )allah, whose munerical value is 66, and it is precisely the 66 portion of the three characters for 666 in the Apocalypse that resemble the new name that itself is numerically 66.
318 is a number representing JESUS, as expmained in the Epistle of Barnabas, and seen reflected in the number of Orthodox Bishops at the Council of Nicea (some of them were at odds over the question of an ordination that took place, that was linked to their arguments over the nature of origen’s apologetics, so some of them only counted the 270 on their side of the originelist controvery, who nonetheless agreed with them on the TRINITY and on Church Canons). The 18 part in Greek characters is said to initialize the NAME IESOUS, while the hundreds digit is shown to resemble the Cross, the Symbol of JESUS.
The tens and ones digits of 666 represent the name invented by a man, who wrote his own thoughts as if they were divine, and the hundreds digit looks like his jihad’s symbol. It doesn’t say the number isn’t a composite of name and mark, but speaks of both!
In Daniel, the statue erected as an idle (which the Hebrew word )elul expresses) was said to be 60 by 6 measures, and made about the year 600 BC. About 666 the quran gained mastery over a spreading arabic empire, which an ottoman empire later resembled and overshadowed about 666 years later yet.
If the original )ILAH is cognate with Hebrew )EL, then the initial )lif is vital to thr retention of the idential root in )ILAH. If lost, then one of only two necessary letters is lost, so that no root exists. But if the first two letters in )allah are taken for that root, then the second l is not in keeping with the proposed root, and makes the root )ll, like the Hebrew word for idle. If the first two letters remain the definite article, then what follows is only lah, and means nothing, or for her!
Before muhammad, names like (abdulah were using the form )ILAH, not )allah. Arabic and Aramaic Christians and Jews have never used )allah, but only Aramaic )ALAHA, having only a single L, or Arabic )ILAH, or the articulated )al-)ILAH.
No Semitic language uses a geminate L in any of the proposed )EL cognates. Even if in Arabic an exception were made, a geminate is never written using two L characters, but only by pointing a single character as geminate. Two L characters means two separate occurrences of L with a distainct break between them, yet is not equal to a glottal stop between them.
Arabic is supposed to be very precise with the average word – why would it be sloppier with an alleged divine name? And saying that )allah cannot be made plural or feminine is an arbitrary decision muhammad himself made, and neither an eternal law nor ancient convention.
To place a second L draws out an already existent root for emptiness, from which words for nothing and idle derive.
Daniel speaks of a little horn that is differentiated from a man, yet having a man’s point of view, smaller than a man, being a book against which the BOOKS of Judgement are opened, which is given a mouth (recitation) full of boastful blasphemy against GOD and HIS Saints, and the Aramic word used there for horn is qeren.
The numbers of years given, the over 1200 and the over 1300 hundred are to be added one after the other. The first ends with the taking of the Temple Mount by islam, the second is the nearly 1400 years of islam to it’s end in the near future.
The word about having “SOPHIA” (WISDOM) addressed to those in Churches that would one day be overwhelmed by the forming Turkish state, refers to the Church in their midst called Hagia Sophia, in which there remains an Icon high up in the air of Mary with her MAN-CHILD, where the sun comes in the windows and clothes her, high above the crescent moons of islam. The Congregation were forced into the wilderness, and the place is desolate, the Masses having ended there, in a museum or dessert state. Two witnesses are seen presenting the Church and the City. With that Woman being driven out, the charem was set up in the same city, the mother of whores, to which women of all nations were brought to be molested by the sultan (the satan) who ruled also over Pergamum.
The ottomans, as the arabs abmoinated and desolated the Church of St. Mary in Jerusalem, did so to the Lady there.
Just before this desolation, the last Christian emperor ro make a temporary dent in the sultan’s expansion was Michael. The antichrist had to overcome the Saints in war to get the dominion.
Hi, can You refer me bibliography? I truly believe your explanation,which seems to back up Shoebat’s theory,but he does not have the back up you have.
Please, if you can suggest me books to read about this issue.
This is so much baloney, it is sickening. Some manuscripts have the numbers and some have the words, 666, six hundred sixty and six. So NO ONE knows which came first. More likely as not, the words came first and scribes decided to shorten it to save space. Why would they decided to lengthen it?
Some of my keyboard keys are worn down, so I made some bad typos.
[…] Shoebat, as I have written about on numerous occasions, has three shticks: (1) going on about his supposed past as Jew-hating Palestinian terrorist and Islamic extremist (one would have thought this had been milked to death by now); (2) using his past to pose as an expert on all things Muslim (such as his Obama conspiracy-mongering here); and (3) using his Arabic background to promote a bizarre re-interpretation of the Book of Revelation which purports to prove that the Bible predicts a Muslim Anti-Christ (a subject I looked at here). […]
[…] prophecy, and he teaches that Obama is a secret Muslim and that the Bible has prophesised a Muslim anti-Christ. Boykin, like Shoebat, believes that the US is in a spiritual war against Islam with an […]
[…] on 21 November. The event is being organised by Walid Shoebat – who goes around churches preaching that the Bible predicts a “Muslim anti-Christ” and that Obama is a Muslim – and […]
[…] Top Posts Archbishop Duncan Williams Marries US BusinesswomanSearchlight Names EDL Leader "Tommy Robinson" as Stephen Yaxley-LennonDead Sea Scrolls Cyber-Bully Gets Six MonthsSome Notes on Forsaken Book Promoted by Nadine Dorries MPCUFI Speaker: "666" is "In the Name of Allah" […]
[…] Top Posts BBC Documentary on Welsh Defence LeagueArchbishop Duncan Williams Marries US BusinesswomanA Religious War in West Africa?David Bahati and "The Family" in UgandaCUFI Speaker: "666" is "In the Name of Allah" […]
[…] in extremism in a madrassa in Indonesia, and – in presentations to churches – that the Bible predicts the rise of a Muslim Anti-Christ. Boykin similarly mixes uncompromising antipathy to Islam with […]
[…] working for Islamic terrorists, and alongside his “terror expert” gravy-train he also visits churches to explain that the Bible predicts a Muslim […]
[…] proper names. This larger point is ignored by Richardson, who wants us to believe (following Walid Shoebat) that “666″ was a mis-transcription of the Arabic for “In the Name of […]
[…] counting his second job visiting churches to warn of the coming Islamic Anti-Christ, based on a bizarre pseudo-analysis of the Book of Revelation: as I write these words, Shoebat is at the First Baptist Church in […]
If you want to actually do a decent study on this topic try here:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/14323078/The-Islamic-666-Revisited
It doesn’t use insults, just reason.
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[…] “Last Days” expositions; as well as expounding on Islam and terrorism, Shoebat also teaches that Muslims will soon come under the direct control of the Anti-Christ as we approach the Second […]
[…] “nukes” would “take care” of the Muslim world. He also teaches that the Bible predicts the coming of a Muslim […]
[…] Shoebat, as has been documented, detests his Palestinian heritage, and he wishes that “nukes” would “take care” of the Muslim world; this may just be showmanship, or it may reflect a deep hatred he apparently has for his late father. His own Christianity is actually “a firey, anti-Palestinian brand of the faith” which sees the conflict purely in terms of gothically depraved Muslims who hate Jews. Shoebat has even re-written the Bible to support his beliefs: the Book of Revelation’s “666″, he explains to church groups, is actually a misreading of the Arabic script for “In the Name of Allah” (an absurd distortion I debunk here). […]
[…] on terrorism…[who] teaches that Obama is a secret Muslim and that the Bible has prophesised a Muslim anti-Christ,” is only the tip of an anti-Muslim iceberg being funded by taxpayers. Author and journalist […]
[…] on terrorism…[who] teaches that Obama is a secret Muslim and that the Bible has prophesised a Muslim anti-Christ,” is only the tip of an anti-Muslim iceberg being funded by taxpayers. Author and journalist […]
[…] Richard Bartholemew: […]
[…] himself even thinner, Shoebat also visits churches to explain how his Muslim background gives him special insight into how the Bible predicts the coming of a Muslim […]
First, it is important to understand how and why the number 666 even acquired significance in some cultures although it has absolutely no significance in Islamic theology.
The most prominent and direct origin of the significance for the number 666 is the one in the New Testament, which proclaims that the mark of the devil is the number 666: “Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.” (Revelation 13:18, King James Version)
Los Angeles Times writer Michael Muskal notes the following:
It is in the New Testament that 666 makes its appearance as the sign of evil, the Beast, the Devil, the Antichrist who marks the forehead or right hand of all as a sign of his supremacy. Because Greek and Hebrew letters are associated with numbers, the letters of the name of Evil spell out the numbers 666. Some argue the sign is really 616, but 666, with its outsized numerological mysteries, seems to be the favorite interpretation.
Even among Christians and people of other faiths, there is disagreement as to the significance of 666 as being the number of the devil. But this brief background helps to give readers a better idea of why the number 666 even came to be important.
Second, with regards to Islam, the number 666, or any other number for that matter, has no significance whatsoever. In fact, Muslims have been warned from assigning significance or meaning to signs, symbols, and icons of any kind.
The religion itself demands absolute conviction and commitment to monotheism, that is, the unity and the oneness of Allah (God), and to the Qur’an and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as the authentic, unadulterated sources of Islamic teachings.
Muslims do believe there is a being known as Shaytan (Satan), who is an avowed enemy of mankind and whose sole purpose is to lead mankind astray, away from Allah, and tempt us to do evil.
However, in Islamic teachings, there is neither a form nor a shape, nor a sign nor a number, nor an icon nor an idol associated with Satan. Further, Muslims are prohibited from engaging in any form of fortune-telling, divining, visiting soothsayers, or holding superstitious beliefs.
Finally, it is important to note that without exception, beliefs and ideologies that are man-made are prone to error, as they are entirely products of human imagination.
Therefore, the number 666 or any other such sign or symbol to which human beings have attributed significance or meaning, have little utility, if any, other than to lend a false sense of control and security to those who would believe in them.
For Muslims, comfort, solace, security, and peace all emanate from Allah — from faith in Allah (God) and from trust in Allah alone to be the best disposer of human affairs, as He is the loving Creator of us all. No numbers game, algorithm or formula, no matter how imaginative, can substitute for the power of God and God alone. And God knows best.
true Christianity is based upon Christ, the God of the Vedic scriptures and upon the proven denial of the teachings of Moses.
Moses taught: Do this and thy shalt live.
The 5th book of Moses tells us:
Cursed everyone who does not honor this book by upholding EVERYTHING in it.
Deuteronomy 27:26.
This means are cursed by the Jewish God.
Revelation says this, litteral greek::
(check it upon http://www.biblos.com) and google the words “666 codex vaticanus”)
revelation 13:17-18
English biblical verse:
17 so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.
18 This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.[a] That number is 666.
Greek translation:
17 so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the badge of servitude, which is the name of the beast or the multitudes of its name.
18 This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight reckon the multitudes of the beast, for it is the multitude of a man.[a] That multitude comes in name of Allah.
Greek words added:
17 so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark ( Charagma ) , which is the name of the beast or the number ( arithmon ) of its name.
18 This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate (psēphisatō) the number of the beast, for it is the number (arithmon ) of a man.[a] That number (arithmon ) is 666, the symbols which mean:
in name of allah.
The only book I can refer is the Holy Scriptures, I would love love to be a servant glorifying my master knowing that who my master is.
Anybody can email me at mrfadiman@gmail.com
[…] Shoebat is young, and he clearly has some passion for research. Alas, his only role model is the crank theorising of his father and his father’s friends. Share […]
[…] Fitzgerald’s e-book appears at some point to have come to the attention of Joseph Farah, whose birther news website WND links the Christian Right to wider “Tea Party” conservativism and conspiracy-mongering. Farah showcases all manner of bizarre apocalyptic prophecy-mongers (including one author who warns of UFOs heading to the Vatican to install a “serpent savior”), but although he’s given a platform to the aged Hal Lindsey to continue expound on his 1970s anti-Soviet “Revived Roman Emperor” anti-Christ theory, Farah is much more interested in an alternative eschatology which fits better with current global conflicts and with the anti-Islam views of his target readership: this is the claim that the Bible predicts a Muslim anti-Christ, as predicted by the likes of Joel Richardson (“Glenn Beck’s End-Times Prophet“) and Walid Shoebat. […]
Peace be upon you Mr. Richard Bartholomew,
Thank you for your valuable articles that exposed the lying bigots and charlatans, Walid Shoebat and Simon Altaf. Your work is greatly appreciated.
I wanted to bring to everyone’s attention that Islam’s Prophecies about the ONE-EYED Zionist system and machine that will rule the earth with mighty power of evil are being fulfilled before our very eyes everyday. You can read about Islam’s ample Prophecies about the End of Times and the dajjal (anti-Christ) at:
http://www.answering-christianity.com/convert_christians.htm
http://www.answering-christianity.com/911_is_the_biggest_lie.htm
In there, I also refuted Walid Shoebat’s “prophecies”, which are no more than fabricated lies against the Muslims. I even pointed out his ludicrous misinterpretation of the texts in great details on my blog, which is linked in the article, as well.
And last and not least, Islam is the ORIGINAL FAITH of GOD Almighty to mankind. The Believers had always been called Muslims (Salamays, Mushlams, Mushlems, Mushlimana), and Islam had always been the Original Faith. This is also where you get your Hebrew word SHALOM. It’s actually Salam. For ample more proofs from Hebrew sources and from the Bible Itself, please visit:
http://www.answering-christianity.com/ac.htm
Take care,
Osama Abdallah
[…] builds on Shoebat’s earlier claim that “666″ is actually a misreading of the Arabic “in the name of Allah”, […]
Numeracy, at least) required to play this I could see
it being a major hit with the kindergarten set.
The One true God is a reflection of the unique concept that Islam associates with God. To a Muslim, Allah is the Almighty, Creator and Sustainer of the universe, Who is similar to nothing and nothing is comparable to Him.
“God is the Creator of everything. He is the guardian over everything. Unto Him belong the keys of the heavens and the earth.” (39:62, 63)
[…] to acknowledge Richard Bartholomew and his post on a similar topic which was of great help to me: http://barthsnotes.com/2008/06/30/cufi-speaker-666-is-in-the-name-of-allah-2/ Brad Scott claimed that the Greek letter “Xi” looked like “in the name of […]
[…] to acknowledge Richard Bartholomew and his post on a similar topic which was of great help to me: http://barthsnotes.com/2008/06/30/cufi-speaker-666-is-in-the-name-of-allah-2/ Brad Scott claimed that the Greek letter “Xi” looked like “in the name of […]
666 mankind algorithm…