The other day I was diving into a rabbit hole of ancient civilizations that led me to ponder the similarities between Nephilim and the Titans of Greek mythology. Both are half-divine and half-human and both are presented as giants. They also seem to originate from the same part of the Ancient Near East. That’s a topic for another time. However, I was looking at the entry for Titans in the Dictionary of Deities and Demons. This is an incredible resource for anyone interested in supernatural beings both biblical and not. Anyway, the entry in DDD mentioned how Saint Irenaeus in his fifth book of Against Heresies states his belief that the number of the beast corresponds to the Greek word TEITAN. I found this fascinating and as such decide to investigate some more.
The number of the beast is mentioned in Revelation 13:18,
18 This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.
The number is usually interpreted using the process of gematria which is a sort of code that assigns numerical value to letters. The most common interpretation of the number of the beast is that it means Emperor Nero. The transliteration of Nero Caesar in Hebrew adds up to 666 when using geomatria. Nero was the first emperor to persecute Christians and as such many see that he fits this description.
This is a preterist view of Revelation 13. Preterism is an eschatological view that believes that prophecies in the Bible have already been fulfilled in the past. Preterists can be either partial or full preterits depending on whether they interpret all or just some prophecies as having happened in the past.
Irenaeus believed that there were a few other possibilities that he found very convincing. First, let’s note that Irenaeus starts this discussion with this statement in Against Heresies 5.30.3,
“It is then safer and less perilous to await the event of the prophecy,* than to make aims and auguries about the name.”
S. Irenaeus Bishop of Lyons. 1872. Five Books of S. Irenaeus against Heresies. Translated by John Keble. A Library of Fathers of the Holy Catholic Church. Oxford; London; Cambridge: James Parker and Co.; Rivingtons.
He clearly states that it is better to simply wait for prophecies to be fulfilled than to hold too strongly to any one interpretation. I agree strongly with this sentiment. Revelation is a very difficult text to interpret, so I think the best approach to any eschatological view is an open-mind.
Irenaeus then goes on to suggest three possible interpretations of the number, ΕΥΑΝΘΑΣ, ΛΑΤΕΙΝΟΣ, and TEITAN. Irenaeus then elaborates on the word TEITAN stating,
“Yea, and TEITAN also, if you write the first syllable by the two Greek vowels E and J, is most worthy of credit of all the names which we have.“
S. Irenaeus Bishop of Lyons. 1872. Five Books of S. Irenaeus against Heresies. Translated by John Keble. A Library of Fathers of the Holy Catholic Church. Oxford; London; Cambridge: James Parker and Co.; Rivingtons.
The word matches the geomatria of 666, and none of the existing kings or idols of the Greeks or barbarians have this name. However, he continues to state that the word is a divine word and that some in his time refer to the Sun as Titan. The word also carries with it a connotation of punishment and revenge, as well as being an ancient and tyrannical name. He concludes by saying that these many qualities make TEITAN a probable interpretation for the number of the beast. He then concludes the section with this statement,
“We, you see, do not venture anything as concerning the name of Antichrist, in the way of positive affirmation. For if it were meet that at this time his name should be expressly proclaimed, it would have been spoken by him who also saw the Apocalypse.”
S. Irenaeus Bishop of Lyons. 1872. Five Books of S. Irenaeus against Heresies. Translated by John Keble. A Library of Fathers of the Holy Catholic Church. Oxford; London; Cambridge: James Parker and Co.; Rivingtons.
Irenaeus therefore believed that the name of the beast was not revealed to John or else it would have been communicated in his writing. This mystery remained even to him.
This view of the number of the beast was new to me and certainly very interesting given my understanding of Titans and their connection to the Nephilim of Genesis 6. If this interpretation is correct, then could the beast be connected to the Nephilim or another semi-divine being? Honestly, I have no idea. As Irenaeus started by showing, these interpretations can often be fruitless and sometimes it’s best to simply wait for the reveal. I agree with him. It is important to be aware of Revelation and all that says, so that we may be prepared for the end times. However, I think there is a danger in holding too much confidence in any one view or interpretation because truly none of us know, and these views have been contested and debated for all of church history. Certainly, this is one interesting view, and one that is well worth investigating.
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