The Beast (Revelation) The number 666 is calculated by using a form of gematria where only the letters which refer to Latin numerals are counted. In 1866, Uriah Smith was the first to propose the interpretation to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. In "The United States in the Light of Prophecy" he wrote, Adventist scholar J. N. Andrews also adopted this view. Uriah Smith maintained his interpretation in the various editions of "Thoughts on Daniel and the Revelation", which was influential in the church. Jimmy Akin of "Catholic Answers" and additional Catholic sources disagree with the above argument, claiming "Vicarius Filii Dei, although it
Book of Revelation this does not require that Revelation was written in the 60s, as there was a widespread belief in later decades that Nero would return. Revelation is an apocalyptic prophecy with an epistolary introduction addressed to seven churches in the Roman province of Asia. "Apocalypse" means the revealing of divine mysteries; John is to write down what is revealed (what he sees in his vision) and send it to the seven churches. The entire book constitutes the letter—the letters to the seven individual churches are introductions to the rest of the book, which is addressed to all seven. While the dominant