Number of the Beast Testamentum Graece, note 616 as a variant. The Number of the Beast is described in Revelation 13:15–18. Several translations have been interpreted for the meaning of the phrase "Here is Wisdom, Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast" where the peculiar Greek word ("psephisato") is used. Possible translations include "to count", "to reckon" and also "to vote" or "to decide". In the "Textus Receptus", derived from Byzantine text-type manuscripts, the number 666 is represented by the Greek numerals , with the Greek ligature stigma () representing the number 6: In the "Novum Testamentum Graece", the number
The Beast (Revelation) beast. The Historicist interpretation has fallen out of favor with modern commentaries on Revelation, partially because it has failed to form a consensus on how the outline of the book of Revelation corresponds with history. Idealism, also known as the allegorical or symbolic approach, is an interpretation of the book of Revelation that sees the imagery of the book as non-literal symbols. This is a common viewpoint of modern Christian scholars such as Gregory Beale in his "New International Greek Testament Commentary" on the Book of Revelation. Some Idealist interpretations identify none of the book's symbols with particular historical events