See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/355773728

An attempt to interpret the 666 number of the Revelation in the light of

computer science

Preprint · October 2021

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.26845.13287

CITATIONS READS

0 2,206

1 author:

Anastasios Alivanoglou

8 PUBLICATIONS   5 CITATIONS   

SEE PROFILE

Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:

An attempt to interpret the prophecies of the Revelation, in the light of new technologies / Απόπειρα ερμηνείας της Αποκάλυψης του Ιωάννου υπό το πρίσμα
των νέων τεχνολογιών View project

All content following this page was uploaded by Anastasios Alivanoglou on 13 March 2022.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

An attempt to interpret the 666 number of the Revelation in
the light of computer science
March 2022

Anastasios Laz. Alivanoglou

Computer Scientist, MSc

Abstract

This publication aims to shed light on the prophecies of Saint John's mysterious and obscure book
of Revelation, whose particular symbolism has remained enigmatic for centuries. More
specifically, an attempt is made to interpret paragraphs 17-18 of chapter 13, which refer to the
notorious number 666, the mark of the beast and the economic exclusion of those who will refuse
to accept this mark. The attempt to interpret these divinely inspired words, which is done with
great deliberation, responsibility and fear of God, is based on the scientific achievements of our
time and mainly on technologies that come from the field of computer science. In particular, there
is talk of globalization and the attempt to manipulate people by automatic technological means,
controlled mainly by a central supercomputer. A key element of this trend is the Internet of Things,
which, through the global wireless network, promotes the connection of various devices and
perhaps of people to the Internet. The article discusses the concept of IP addresses, which act as
identity for devices connected to the Internet, and describes how a specific IP address may in the
future become the 666 number of the beast. Reference is also made to the Domain Name System
(DNS), which matches the prophetic words of the Revelation, as well as to version 6 of the
Internet Protocol with the hexadecimal representation of the new IP addresses. The latter introduce
a new possible way of calculating the number 666, which, after being converted from the
hexadecimal to the decimal numbering system, becomes a “number of man”. At the end, an overall
brief interpretation of the two verses is presented, with the prophetic words being expressed in
modern technological terms of our time.

1. Introduction

Ancient Greek text Translation

17 καὶ ἵνα μή τις δύνηται ἀγοράσαι ἢ πωλῆσαι 17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he
εἰ μὴ ὁ ἔχων τὸ χάραγμα, τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ θηρίου has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or
ἢ τὸν ἀριθμὸν τοῦ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ. the number of its name.

1
 18 Ὧδε ἡ σοφία ἐστίν· ὁ ἔχων νοῦν ψηφισάτω
τὸν ἀριθμὸν τοῦ θηρίου· ἀριθμὸς γὰρ
ἀνθρώπου ἐστί· καὶ ὁ ἀριθμὸς αὐτοῦ χξς'.
18 Here is a call for wisdom. Let the one who
is clever enough calculate the number of the
beast, for it is a number of man. And this
number is 666.
(Revelation 13: 17-18)[1]

The above verse of the Revelation has for centuries been an enigmatic one, for which many Bible
researchers gave various interpretations, depending on the facts and scientific knowledge of each
time. Since many believe that we are in the last days, and since technological achievements and
scientific discoveries tend to converge with the data given by Saint John, we are at a good point in
time to make an attempt to interpret these prophetic words, based on the technological infrastructure
of today, in the light of informatics and computer science in general.

2. New technologies and globalization

Given the large scale developments regarding the issue of globalization and taking into account the
rapid advances around issues such as artificial intelligence, high performance broadband networks
and nanotechnology, there is a sense that the groundwork is being laid for decisions related to the
administration of peoples to be made automatically by a higher centralized system. Information
transmission networks, combined with the use of advanced microchips (e.g. embedded in
smartphones or credit cards that we always carry with us), are a source of data, which are stored and
processed by special software, producing various quantitative or qualitative indicators that
indirectly determine the course and lifestyle of each individual. For example, our eating or
consumption habits, the places we visit, the people we associate with, the health problems and
medicines we buy, our financial resources, etc. are recorded and monitored. They are analyzed and
can provide fairly accurate answers as to whether or not a bank should approve a loan, how to
adjust the terms of an insurance company's contract or whether a potential employee is a good
match for the position for which he/she has expressed interest (and of course many more). These
analyses are of course the mainstay of the advertising companies, which provide personalized
advertisements based on our personal preferences.

3. The Internet of Things

Considering all the above, we could conclude that a very probable scenario for the management of
people in the near future, is the integration of all in the so-called Internet of Things (IoT)[2]. The
latter is a unified platform based on the Internet, on which various devices (not exclusively
computers and mobile phones) are able to connect wirelessly or wired and automatically perform
various actions, exchanging data with cloud servers. So, for example, there are smart self-driving
vehicles, which load information from the internet and calculate the optimal route with the least
traffic, helping to avoid traffic jams and collisions. Another example is the smart refrigerators,
which have the ability, after detecting with special cameras, sensors and artificial intelligence the
goods that are missing from their interior (e.g. milk, eggs), to connect to the internet and place the
corresponding orders. There are also smart home appliances that turn on automatically, given a

2
stimulus or a remote command via a smartphone application (e.g. smart light bulbs that turn off
automatically when everyone is absent or smart coffee makers that make coffee when they detect
that their owner is approaching the house, etc). A common characteristic of all these devices is that
they have an IP address[3] (Internet Protocol Address), with which they connect to the internet and
is unique in the whole world. The IP address is actually the identity of every device on the web and
is used to exchange data packets between two communicating parties. The logic behind this
communication is, in a way, similar to the way postal service works. In the physical world, with the
help of an address, we can send a letter or a package to a recipient and he/she in turn has the right to
respond, by sending a reply to our address. By analogy, in the world of computer networks, the IP
address could be described as the digital version of the home address and consists (in version 4 of
the Internet Protocol, IPv4) of a sequence of four numbers separated by a dot. Each number is
stored in 1 byte of memory and therefore can take values from 0 to 255. Some examples of such
addresses are the following: 192.168.0.123 or 143.254.11.189. It is worth noting that in the Internet
of Things, devices can communicate with each other without human intervention or evaluate
various data and make decisions by automatically performing various actions, just like our mobile
phone does (it automatically downloads our emails, synchronizes our contacts with the server, backs
up our data, updates applications to their latest version, etc.).

4. The “mark” of the beast

After having considered all the previously stated thoughts, a question arises. Will this existing
infrastructure eventually evolve into a wider network, to which, in addition to devices, people will
also be connected? In case the answer is yes, we will be turned into “things” in the Internet of
Things platform. They will assign us a unique IP address and we will be permanently connected to
the global wireless network, sending data (e.g. our exact location, our transactions, our thoughts,
etc.) to the IP address of a central server (the beast’s supercomputer). This central IP address,
with the assistance of some advanced technological means (e.g. implantable microchip or other
method of “marking” using nanotechnology), will be somehow stored in our body (the 666 mark).
Through this infrastructure, a direct internet communication between human and computer will take
place, just as a wireless communication takes place between two connected computing devices
nowadays (e.g. between a smartphone and a server). Also, taking into account the way the devices
are connected based on the internet protocol, we assume that the “mark” will also contain our
personal IP address, which will be necessary for our connection, identification and tracking in
general. Therefore, all our daily activities (e.g. financial transactions, medical examinations,
traveling abroad, etc.) will be carried out and controlled through this centralized system. This will
gradually lead to the establishment of the internet platform as the exclusive means of fulfilling
financial transactions and consequently to the abolition of cash (cashless society), which will result
in the financial and commercial exclusion of those who will refuse to receive this “mark”. The latter
practically means that all banks, as we know them today, will be abolished and consolidated into a
centralized system, which will handle money digitally.

3
5. The Domain Name System (DNS) matches the prophetic words
But let us return to our initial concern regarding the interpretation of the verses. As you may know,
in order to access a website, we need to type in the name of an address or the IP address of the
server that hosts it. Responsible for the proper functioning of this process is the Domain Name
System (DNS)[4], which is a matching mechanism between names and IP addresses and undertakes
to redirect us to the correct page in whichever of the two ways we choose. Of course, the same goes
for connections to other types of servers, which aim to exchange data in general. The development
of this system was initially intended to make it easier for people to connect to a remote computer,
by using a name rather than an IP address, since humans can remember names more easily than
numbers. For example, when we enter the name of a web page in the address bar of a browser, it is
automatically converted by the DNS system to an IP address and forwarded to the corresponding
server. Now, pay attention to the following sentence:

“We can access a web page by using its address name or the IP address (i.e. the number)
corresponding to this name”.

Reminds you of something? Let us recall the verse of the Revelation quoted at the beginning of the
article:

“...so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the
number of its name.”

See how accurate the ancient text is on this point, almost speaking in technological terms of our
time.

Let us now look at an illustrative example. We can access the Google page by typing the address
www.google.com (name address) or by typing the IP address (i.e. the number of the name) of the
server which hosts it. That is, in the following two ways:

Address name: http://www.google.com or

IP address: http://142.250.74.228 (Note: This IP address of Google works fine in Greece. In case
it does not work in your country, please look at reference [5])

Of course, this mechanism works for connections both to web servers (i.e. computers that send web
pages at our request) and to web services that perform certain actions over the Internet (e.g.
connecting to a bank's server to perform a transaction using a debit card).

6. The version 6 of the Internet Protocol and the “number of man”

Another point worth noting is that the IP address of the example above, follows version 4 (IPv4) of
the protocol, from which a total of 4.3 billion (4.3 x 10 ⁹) unique addresses are generated. Of course,
these are too few to meet the global needs, which led to the creation of version 6 (IPv6)[6] of the
protocol. In this new version the addresses consist of 8 numbers and each number can take values

4
from 0 to 65535 (instead of 0 to 255 of the previous version), creating a total of 3.4 x 10³⁸ unique
addresses (340 undecillions!). An example of such an IP address in its new format is the following:

2001:0db8:003c:00174:ee01:ff00:0c42:8be2

As you will have noticed, the parts of this address are written, for efficiency and brevity, in the
hexadecimal numbering system[7] rather than the decimal system familiar to us. This new
numbering system was created by computer science and is in some ways a generalization of the
binary system extensively used in computers. The base of this system, as its name suggests, is the
number 16. This means that 16 digits are needed in order a number to be represented. So, since we
only have 10 digits (0 to 9) from the decimal system, another 6 had to be added, which were taken
from the Latin alphabet. Thus, the total digits of this system are: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, a, b, c, d,
e, f, with the letters of the alphabet having the following numerical values:

a = 10, b = 11, c = 12, d = 13, e = 14, f = 15

In our attempt to combine this information with what the Revelation says, we notice some great
similarities. The verse urges us to calculate the digits of the beast’s number (“Let the one who is
clever enough calculate the number of the beast...”), which beforehand warns us that it requires
wisdom and intelligence to perform. It then states that after performing the necessary calculations,
the number 666 is derived, which notes that is a human readable number. The coincidence here is
that the new IP addresses, which are expressed in the hexadecimal numbering system, should be
converted digit by digit by making mathematical calculations, in order to obtain the equivalent
decimal number, which can be perceived by humans (“...it is a number of man”). In general,
hexadecimal numbers could be described as machine (rather than human) numbers, since they are
mainly intended for use by computers and can only be interpreted by those skilled in computer
science and mathematics.

An example of a possible IP address, whose numeric value is 666, is the following:

[0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:29a]16 = [::29a]16 = 666

(Note: The IP address (::29a) and the IP addresses listed in the examples, were chosen at random, in order to illustrate
the logic behind converting a hexadecimal number to the decimal system. In no way are we targeting their owner, if
there is any).

The :: operator is an abbreviation and represents, at the given IP address, the sequence of zeros
preceding the number 29a. The conversion from hexadecimal to decimal system is as follows:

(29a)16 = 2*16² + 9*16¹ + a*16⁰ = 2*256 + 9*16 + 10*1 = 66610

In other words, we take each digit of the hexadecimal number (from right to left) and multiply it by
some power of 16. That is, we multiply the first digit from the right by 16 ⁰ (= 1), the second from
the right by 16¹ (= 16), the third with 16² (= 256) etc and at the end we sum them to get the final

5
number of the decimal system (the number of man). The later somehow reveals the meaning of the
ancient Greek word “ψηφισάτω” (pronounced: psēphisatō) stated by Saint John, which is an ancient
Greek verb and means: “Calculate the digits of the number”.

Of course, there are other examples of more complex IP addresses, which consist of more than one
non-zero numbers and whose sum if 666. For example:

[0:0:0:0:0:0:0:258:3c:6]16 = [::258:3c:6]16 = [::(600)10:(60)10:(6)10] => 600 + 60 + 6 = 66610

7. Conclusions
Now if we were to give a brief interpretation in summary form, based on what we have said above,
we would say the following:

Original text Brief interpretation in modern terms

17 so that no one can buy or
sell unless he has the mark,
that is, the name of the beast
or the number of its name.
17 so that no one will be able to buy or sell, unless he has the
mark (e.g. implant) with the address name or the IP address of
the beast's supercomputer. The Domain Name System will be
responsible for converting the name to an IP address, which
will contribute to the creation of the wireless connection
between human and computer. The commercial exclusion that
will result to those who refuse to receive this mark, will be due
to the abolition of cash and the establishment of the Internet
platform as the exclusive means of fulfilling financial
transactions, which will be processed and stored exclusively on
this central supercomputer.

18 Here is a call for wisdom.
Let the one who is clever
enough calculate the number
of the beast, for it is a
number of man. And this
number is 666.
18 Here is a call for wisdom. Let the one who is clever enough
and has computer science knowledge, calculate the numerical
value of the beast's IP address, by converting its digits from the
hexadecimal system of computers to the decimal system that a
human can perceive. The number that will result from this
conversion is 666.

In order to recap, this is an appropriate point to make a general assessment, regarding the new
technologies and how they affect people today. It is now a common sense that technology is deeply
penetrated our personal lives and is increasingly affecting our daily activities. The widespread use
of smartphones, combined with the emerging need to find new ways to secure our personal data,
brings us one step closer to full control of our movements by automated means. The use of
passwords, fingerprint sensors and iris scanning are the precursors to the eventual transition from
the use of biometrics to the final integration of the “mark” into our own bodies. To be noted, that the

6
use of fingerprint sensors and iris scanning agrees to some extent, with what Saint John states about
the mark on the right hand or on the forehead[8]. Of course, these achievements will only be the
beginning, because the technology will never stop evolving. There are already Neuroscience
departments in universities, working on so-called “brain-computer interface”[9]. The latter is a
process which uses technological means, capable of decoding the brain's commands and sending
them directly to a computer, in order to perform a specific task (i.e. without the mediation of means
such as a touch screen, keyboard or mouse). It is indisputable, that this raises many ethical
dilemmas, because it significantly restricts human freedom, while interfering with the core of our
existence, since it allows our innermost secrets and hidden thoughts to be revealed, abolishing even
the very precious and universal human right, the freedom of thought. All of this is mentioned in
order to give us deep concern and possibly prompt us to shape a more humane future, keeping
fundamental values unchanged and protected.

By closing this analysis, which negotiated the prophecies of the Revelation, it should be pointed out
that what has been mentioned is based on personal speculations, which stem from the research of
the technologies developed in our time and can in no way be considered as an exclusive and
absolute interpretation of the verses. Perhaps some other technology that will be emerge in the
future, will more closely match the prophetic words of Saint John, making the present interpretation
outdated. The motivation for writing this article was that in every age there have been Bible
researchers, who have expressed their views on the subject, based on the data available to them,
without causing confusion or spiritual harm to the Christians. Taking this initiative by considering
the responsibility we bear for future generations of scientists, we modestly report the results of our
research, associated with the data of our time. While, regarding to the validity of what was said,
“time and experience will reveal to sober-minded researchers”[10].

7
References

[1] The Revelation of Saint John, chapter 13:

https://biblehub.com/bsb/revelation/13.htm

[2] Internet of things:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_of_things

[3] Internet Protocol Address (IP address):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IP_address

[4] Domain Name System (DNS):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domain_Name_System

[5] You can find the IP address of a web site by typing its address name (e.g. www.google.com)
to the text field provided by the link below. It will give you the corresponding IP address
under the DATA label. Copy and paste it to your browser’s address bar to check if works:
https://toolbox.googleapps.com/apps/dig

[6] IP addresses version 6:

https://wikipedia.org/wiki/IPv6

[7] Hexadecimal numbering system:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hexadecimal

[8] Revelation, chapter 13, verse 16:

“And the second beast required all people small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to
receive a mark on their right hand or on their forehead”

[9] Brain-computer Interface:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain–computer_interface

[10] “Commentary on the Apocalypse”, by Saint Andrew of Caesarea, chapter 38, (13.18),
“About the name of the Antichrist”:
“Regarding the harmful name of the Antichrist and the exact deciphering method from which
the digits of the number are derived, as well as the rest of what has been written on this topic,
time and experience will reveal to sober-minded researchers. […] But divine grace was not
pleased the name of the destroyer to be written in a divine book.”

8
 Author:
Anastasios Laz. Alivanoglou

Thessaloniki, Greece, 18/12/2020*

[Note: The copyright of this publication belongs to Anastasios Laz. Alivanoglou and is protected
by the law. Copying part or all of the text, reproduction of the original idea (in its original or varied
form) and translation into another language is prohibited. Republishing in any way (e.g. via text,
video, audio file, etc.) requires the written permission of the author. Also, any form of
economic/commercial exploitation of the text is strictly prohibited, as well as any exploitation
aimed at personal promotion or gaining reputation by an unauthorized exploiter (e.g. public
speaking or lectures in educational institutions, which are done without mentioning the name of the
author and the title of the publication). Only the free dissemination of the link to this article is
permitted, as well as the use of the brief interpretation provided in the 7th paragraph (Warning! It
should be placed within double quotation marks and with obligatory mention of the author's name
and the title of the publication) and applies only to scientific or researching projects, carried out on
a non-profit basis, i.e. without financial benefit].

* The original file on which this publication is based:

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10223638138652303&id=1556538478

View publication stats