Revelation 13:18, “Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count [‘psēphizō‘ – reckon] the number [‘arithmos‘ – multitude] of the beast: for it is the number [‘arithmos‘ – multitude] of a man; and his number [‘arithmos‘ – multitude] is ‘χξς‘ …”

Exegetically and hermeneutically, the “number” (arithmos) of the Beast does not necessitate the use of mathematics or gammatria to “reckon” what it is, as many prophecy teachers have often assumed. The reason for this is simple. The word “arithmos” is used a total of 18 times in the New Testament, and aside from Revelation 5:11 when John is referring to the number of angels around the throne of God, every other time “arithmos” is used it is always referring to a group of people. This therefore suggests that the understanding intended by John is…