THE BEAST WITH THE NUMBER 666

Published in Pasugo, Sept 1976

“Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast; for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.”
Revelation 13:18

THE IGLESIA NI CRISTO, Church of Christ in English, always views the various criticisms of our detractors as a good opportunity to answer them, to expose their veiled motives, and to enlighten them – God willing – to win them over to the true Church built by Christ, the Church of Christ. Their vain attempt to becloud our doctrinal belief is a healthy sign that the impact of our preaching is continuously being felt by all sectors of the so-called Christian Churches.

Here in the Philippines, we have not heard from the Baptist for a very long time although we know that they are still around somehow. The Evangelical Torch Committee, Manila, Philippines, published a pamphlet entitled “Tunay Kayang Anghel si Manalo?” (Is Manalo Truly an Angel?)

How do the Baptists erroneously explain Revelation 13:18, 14 regarding a deceitful man, compared to a beast, with the number 666? We quote and translate for your convenience page 7 of their pamphlet: “The name Felix is a Roman name, Manalo on the other hand is not a Latin word but Tagalog. If we are to analyse from Tagalog-English and Latin, this will result: The word ‘Manalo’ in English is ‘Win’ – English-Tagalog Dictionary of the Department of Education, R.P., and in Latin ‘Win’ is ‘Vencedora,’ taken from the Latin book ‘La Vida Vencedora,’ in English ‘The Life That Wins,’ Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois. If every Roman name can be counted by number, let us see what the number is of the name Felix Manalo which in Latin is ‘Felix Vencedora’”

Is this teaching of the Baptists based on truth?

OUR ANSWER:

1. Never did Brother Felix Manalo use FELIX VENCEDORA as a title,
appellation, or as a name. The name FELIX VENCEDORA is a by-
product of the fertile imagination of our cynics.

2. It is not true that the word WIN (MANALO) is VENCEDORA in Latin.

3. Vencedora is a Spanish word: “Vencedora, n. conqueror, victor, foiler;
adj. Victorious (Fucilla Spanish Dictionary, Spanish-English – English-
Spanish, by Joseph G. Fucilla, p. 298, Follet Pub. Co., Chicago – New
York)

4. Manalo, “Win” is not Vencedora in Latin: “Win, v. vincere, superare,
victoriam adipisci or parere” Cassells’s New Latin Dict. Latin-English –
English-Latin, p. 879, by D. P. Simpson, Funk & Wagnalls Co. New
York)

5. Even if Arabic numbers were substituted to Roman letters having
numerical values, the name FELIX VINCERE, or FELIX SUPERARE, or
FELIX VICTORIAM will not yield the total 666. We invite our dear
readers, especially our detractors, to try counting the numerical
equivalents.

The writer of the above cited pamphlet together with all the members of the Evangelical Torch Committee are ignorant of the fact that “La Vida Vencedora” is not Latin but Spanish or if they know this, they had conspired among themselves to use the English-Tagalog Dictionary to show that MANALO in Tagalog is WIN in English, but in proving that WIN in English is allegedly VENCEDORA in Latin they did not use the Dictionary. The veiled motive is quite evident.

Is the number of the name sufficient to ascertain who is referred to as the deceitful man mentioned in Rev. 13:11, 18? “And I behold another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. …Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred three score and six.” According to the above cited verses the man with the number 666 is a beast. Why is this man called a beast; is he really a brute like a four-footed animal? Daniel 7:17 explains thus: “These great beasts, which are four, are four kings…” (KJV) The meaning of beast is king. The name of this beast, a king, has a number; the number is 666.

Our detractors, the Baptists, should have known that Brother Felix Manalo was not and has never been a king. He is not, therefore, even to considered as the man likely to possess the number 666. The Baptists must look somewhere, they must start with a king. If they do not know how to proceed in determining who is referred to in the prophecy we exhort them to read carefully this article.

Rev. 13:11 further mentions that this beast is like a lamb. Who is the lamb to whom the deceitful man, a king, had likened himself? Jesus Christ is the Lamb according to John the Baptist. (John 1:29) In what way will the beast, a king, liken himself to Christ, the Lamb of God? Christ warned His disciples to beware of ravening wolves (beasts) or false prophets who come in sheep’s clothing. (Matt. 7:15) Apostle Paul testifies that Christ is King of Kings. (I Tim. 6:14-15) It is not the clothing alone that this beast will imitate in Christ, but will also usurp Christ’s exalted positions as King of kings.

The book of Revelation further reveals in the previously cited verses that the beast has two horns. What is meant by horn? Amos 6:13 reveals: “Ye which rejoice in a thing of nought, which say, Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength?” The word horn means strength or power.

Let us now summarize the various clues given by the book of Revelation in order to easily pinpoint who the fulfillment of the prophecy is:

1. His clothing is likened to that of Christ’s;

2. He usurped the exalted position of Christ as the King of Kings;

3. He has a crown to signify his position as king;

4. He possesses two kinds of power;

5. His name or title bears the number 666.

Let us now collate the various evidences to prove and expose who actually is the deceitful man whose name bears the number 666:

1. “The Clothing of the Priest Saying Mass…The priest vested for mass is likened to that of Jesus Christ…” (Siya Ang Inyong Pakinggan – “Hear Ye Him” page 195, by Enrique Demond, S.V.D.)

2. Clerical Privileges…This privilege was based on the consideration that those who in the highest sense, take the place of the King of Kings.” (Modern World, page 162, by Francis Betten & Alfred Kauffman)

3. “Q. Who is the Holy Pope or Supreme Pontiff?

“A. The Bishop of Rome, VICAR of JESUS
CHRIST…Father and shepherd of Christians.

“Q. What is that which is placed on the head of the Pope,
called tiara?

“A. Three crowns of silver or gold attached to a high
headgear and the three crowns are placed one on top of
the other in layers of equal distance.” (Translated from
Pilipino: from a book entitled Compendio Historico de la
Religion (Historical Compendium of Religion), edited by
D. Josef Pinton in Spanish and translated in Pilipino by D.
Antonio Florentino Puansen, page 589)

4. “The Popes were not only devoted spiritual Fathers, but firm and valiant civil Governors…” (Faith of Our Fathers, p. 113, by James Cardinal Gibbons)

“To sum up in a few brief sentences the titles of Catholic Priest:

“He is a king…” (Ibid. page 320)

5. “On the pope’s crown in the Vatican museum is the recognized and most used title of the pope. VICARIVS FILII DEI (VICAR OF THE SON OF GOD). The word VICARIVS is on the top of the threefold crown. The word FILII on the second circlet; and the words are made from dark, shining precious jewels. The word DEI is on the under part of the threefold crown and is made of 100 diamonds.” (Studies in the Scriptures, p. 215 by Pastor Charles T. Russell).

Regarding the title of the pope, VICARIVS FILII DEI, it is inevitable to use our wisdom for the Holy Scriptures clearly advise us to do so: “Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast; for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.” Rev. 13:18, KJV) Verse 17 of the same chapter clarifies that it is the number of the name of the beast, the deceitful man.

Mr. Webster defines WISDOM: “…the power of judging rightly and following the soundest course of action, based on knowledge, experience, understanding…” (Webster’s New World Dictionary of the American Language,p. 1678)

The recognized and most used title of the pope of the Roman Catholic Church is VICARIVS FILII DEI. Using our knowledge of Roman numerals with their corresponding equivalent in arabic numbers, here is what we will obtain:

* “V. 1. the twenty-second letter of the English alphabet: from
the Latin V… formerly used interchangeably in
English with U both as a vowel and as a consonant.”
(Webster’s New World Dictionary of the American
Language, p. 1606)

V = 5	F	D = 500
I = 1	I = 1	E
C = 100	L = 50	I = 1
A	I = 1	_____
R	I = 1	501
I = 1	_____
V = 5	53
S
_____
112

VICARIVS	112
FILII	53
DEI	501
	_____
Total	666

The clothing of the pope (a priest of the highest order in the Catholic hierarchy) is likened to that of our Lord Jesus Christ; the Catholic book Modern World admits that one of the clerical privileges of the pope is that he “takes the place of the King of Kings”; he has a crown, called the tiara, to signify that he is a king; he possesses two kinds of power, civil and religious (he is the chief of state of the Vatican and head of the Roman Catholic Church); and lastly, as computed above with wisdom, the pope’s title or name bears the number 666. The sound and inevitable conclusion is that the pope of the Roman Catholic Church is the beast with the number 666. This is not an imagination of the Minister of the Church of Christ for no one can dispute the fact that we gave you the clues direct form the Bible and the equivalent evidences in fulfillment of the prophecy. Unlike the Baptists who resort to sophistry in order to mislead people in understanding who factually is referred to as the beast with the number 666.

What mark was given by the beast to all those whom he had deceived? “And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads.” (Rev. 13:16, KJV)

Are there people who have mark or sign on their right hand or on their forehead? “The sign of the Cross is made by tracing three small crosses with the thumb of the right hand, first on the forehead…The sign of the Holy Cross is the mark of the Catholic…” (Translated from Pilipino, Siya ang Inyong Pakinggan – Ang Aral Na Katoliko (Hear Ye Him – The Catholic Teaching), page 11).

How true indeed is the prophecy and its fulfillment in the pope of Rome! All Catholics, from all walks of life have the mark, the sign of the cross.

Does the sign of the cross or the mark on their right hand and forehead signify salvation? “And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand.

“The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

“And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.” (Rev. 14:9-11, KJV)

Who, therefore, is the beast, the deceitful man, with the number 666? The Pope of the Roman Catholic Church!

Who is “Felix Vencedora”? There is no such person in the Iglesia ni Cristo. Then who is he? I leave that to the fertile imagination of the Baptists.