Alberto Treiyer
holds a doctoral degree from the University of Strasbourg in France, a very prestigious university.
He was also BRI scholar. See his review of the new Andrews Bible Commentary on
Revelation. Treiyer wrote:
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Although the main
contributor to the commentary on the book of Revelation was Ranko Stefanovic,
the arguments put forward about Revelation 13:17-18 are those of its senior
editor, Angel Manuel Rodriguez.
There he
stubbornly repeats what he tried to impose without real foundation, in the
Sabbath School Quarterly of 2002 already mentioned.
Well, we have
already seen that other arguments he has taken from the liberal wing of the
church lack serious foundation.
Does he have other
options to interpret the number and the name?
Yes. An
“idealistic” interpretation, spiritualized, allegorized, which allows him to
avoid recognizing the papacy by its blasphemous “vicarivs filii dei”
title—among the several others it is known by (Rev 17:3)—which would serve to
impose its authority as the Lord of Sunday, the false Sabbath. Such a
generalized interpretation of the name as in the case of “humanity,” opens the
doors to dilute also the other descriptions of the same chapter.
Let us deal with
the arguments found in the Andrews Bible Commentary.
Argument 1. “The Greek phrase arithmos anthrópou means ‘the
number of mankind, as in Rev 21:17.’”
Answer:
This unfounded interpretation has already been answered. Anthrópos means in
Greek, literally, “man,” not humanity. What does Rev 21:17 say? “He measured
its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man,
that is, of an angel.” The Berean Literal Bible and the Young’s Literal
Translation renders “measure of man,” not human measure or of humanity.
To those who want
to translate “human measure” I ask, why doesn’t anyone translate what follows
into Rev 21:17, which is angelic instead of an angel? Instead of referring to a
generic interpretation of Rev 21:17 to also generalize the meaning of Rev
13:17-18, why doesn’t Rodriguez turn to 2 Thes 2:3, referring to the same
antichrist of Revelation 13, to translate “mankind of lawlessness”? Because
there, the reference is clearly to the antichrist, and it is not about all of
humanity. Also, in Rev 13:17-18 the reference is defined to the antichrist
represented by “the beast,” not by humanity.
Argument 2. “Seven expresses the perfection of God. Being one
short of seven, six represents how humanity falls short of divine perfection
based on the fact that human beings were created on the sixth prior to the
completion of the full week of seven days.”
Answer:
On the sixth day God also created animals. So, it is not only the day of
humanity, but also of animality. On the other hand, was Adam created imperfect?
Were animals also created imperfect? The Bible is clear. On that day God made
man “in His image and likeness,” not in the image and likeness of an
imperfection. “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there
was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day” (Gen 1:31). Imperfection came
after the sixth and seventh days. “God created man upright, but they have gone
in search of many schemes” (Eccl 7:29).
Argument 3. Although the number 666 is expressed in Greek six
hundred sixty six, “this trifold emphasis on ‘six’ identifies the satanic
triune league—the dragon, the sea beast, and the earth beast—as the counterfeit
of the Trinity of the Godhead.”
Answer:
But Rev 13:17-18 refers to the “name” or “blasphemous title” of the beast, not
a trilogy composed of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. It is the
number and name of the papacy represented by the beast.
Argument 4. The number “666 refers to the rebellious system that
opposes God and exalts itself above God by claiming His titles and
prerogatives…, a human institution that falls short for the divine character.”
It “expresses human attempts at success without God.”
Answer:
Could it be that Adam’s attempts to succeed on the sixth day failed because he
did not have God? And what about the living beings or angels (Eze 10:20), who
each have six wings before the throne of God? (Isa 6:2-3; Rev 4:8). Do they
fail in their attempt to perfectly praise God? What about the 12 tribes of
Israel and the 12 apostles who are inscribed in the foundations and twelve gates
of the city of God? (Rev 21:12). Isn’t the city of God perfect? Could it be
that the 144,000 that are sealed at the end will not reach perfection either,
also multiple numbers of 6, because the number 7 is not applied to them?
Argument 5. “Revelation 13 concludes with a call… to understand
the number of the beast…, and a declaration that special wisdom and insight are
needed to cultivate an understanding (see also 17:9).” It “requires divine
wisdom rather than intellectual cleverness and calculation.”
Answer:
We agree. Divine illumination is required to distinguish the deception of an
institution that for more than a millennium sought to take the place of God in
the midst of Christianity, as it will try to do again in the world at the end.
Only then can the meaning of the number 666 be perceived in relation to the
title of the papacy. There is more to say on this.