In Western countries, where the majority of the population is Catholic, the number 666 is regarded as the number of the devil. This year, on June 6, 2006, corresponding to the mystical number 666, what will happen? Naturally, it is expected to be something unpleasant, as anything related to the devil cannot be good. However, not everyone believes this.
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June 6, 2006, is the only day in the 21st century featuring the mystical sequence 666. Historically, people have feared this number because in the last book of the New Testament, commonly referred to as the Book of Revelation, the number 666 is considered the ominous mark of Satan. This impressive number 666 is not solely a “specialty” of Catholicism. Many other religions and cultures also regard this number as unlucky, bringing only disaster.
Avoiding Childbirth
The most concerned are expectant mothers due to give birth this month. On the website of the magazine Mother and Child, published in London, women are passionately discussing whether or not to give birth on that cursed day. Francesca Renouf mentioned that she was so worried that she had a doctor assure her that she would not give birth on June 6, 2006. Another expectant mother, Melissa Parker, shared in The Sun: “Every day, I wake up with a feeling that something bad is about to happen. Just thinking about a difficult birth or giving birth to a child with the seeds of evil on June 6, 2006, terrifies me. Even worse, the baby could be the embodiment of the devil itself.”
However, many other expectant mothers are not making a big deal out of it like Parker. Some even plan to name their children after characters from horror films. For instance, Emma Parker stated she would name her child Damien, after the son who embodies the devil in the famous movie The Omen. Another woman, Donna Magnante, chose the name Regan, a character from the film The Exorcist.
Misunderstanding the Bible
The Book of Revelation contains many passages that are vague and can be interpreted in various ways. The number 666 appears in such a passage, specifically in chapter 13, which has sparked controversy among scholars. Some scholars argue that the number is misunderstood. The true number of the devil is actually 616, not 666. However, people have historically leaned towards the sequence 666 because of its mysterious appeal.
Phillips Stevens Jr., a professor of anthropology at the University of Science and Fine Arts, commented: “Revelation is a complex and chaotic book. Scholars have found many ‘devils’ in chapter 13 and other chapters. All of them refer to Rome, Roman emperors, the worship of Roman gods, and emperor worship.”
According to Professor Stevens, similar to all forms of superstition, the so-called number of the devil is based on incorrect data. The term “devil” in the Book of Revelation refers not only to Satan but also to many different entities.
The author of the Book of Revelation is John of Patmos, commonly known as Saint John the Apostle. He wrote this book with some degree of code. Professor Stevens believes that the number 666, the mark of the devil, signifies those who are devoted to serving the Roman emperor, which is also synonymous with opposing God. It is also the number equivalent to the name Nero Caesar (the last emperor of the infamous Julio-Claudian dynasty) in Hebrew.
Entrepreneurs Seeking Fortune
While some are fearful, the entertainment industry sees June 6, 2006, as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to turn the devil into gold.
On June 6, the film studio 20th Century Fox will release The Omen. A remake of the famous 1976 horror film of the same name, director John Moore stated that the deeper meaning of The Omen is a commentary on a post-September 11, 2001, world. The opening includes documentary footage of the collapse of the Twin Towers in New York, the explosion of the Space Shuttle Columbia, the tsunami disaster in Asia at the end of 2004, and images of abused Iraqi prisoners in Abu Ghraib prison.
Coincidences with the Number 666
If we start from August 1, 1914, the day World War I broke out, a span of 666 days carries special significance. Multiplying by 666 gives us a corresponding month marked by negative events with a probability of plus or minus a few weeks. For example:
– 5 x 666: September 1923. On September 1, an earthquake measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale devastated a large area in Tokyo.
– 11 x 666: December 1941. On December 7, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, forcing the US to enter World War II.
– 17 x 666: August 1945. On August 6, the US dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima.
– 34 x 666: August 1976. This was the time when a series of humanitarian disasters erupted, such as the Ebola outbreak in Africa and the largest earthquake of the century in China (on July 28).
In the natural world, there are also notable sequences of 666, such as carbon atoms, the basic component of life, which consists of 6 protons, 6 neutrons, and 6 electrons.
Former US President Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy believed in the bad luck associated with the number 666. Their house in California was numbered 666. Upon retiring, the Reagans requested the government to change it to 668. This superstition may stem from the fact that his full name is Ronald Wilson Reagan, where each of his first, middle, and last names contains 6 letters!
