The Orthodox Church and Eschatological Frenzy

The Recent Proliferation of

“Antichristology”and Its
Perilous Side-Effects

Proposals for Curing the Eschatological

Fear of Marks (Seals)
and Numbers

—o—

A Memorandum
from the Special Commission
to the Holy Synod in Resistance

October 2010
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The Orthodox Church and Eschatological Frenzy

First Treatise

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Contents

• Apolytikion and Icon of St. John the Theologian4

• Introductory Reflections5
• A Prayer of Supplication8
A. Recent Antichristology and Its Symptomatology9
■ A1. Antichristology and Antichristologists11
■ A2. The Pathology of Antichristology12
B. The Eschatology of the American Millenarians13
■ B1. Its Indiscriminate Importation [into Greece] and the Tragic Consequences15
■ B2. Steps Towards Disengagement16
C. The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”17
■ C1. The “Antichrist” Has Not Yet Been Revealed19
■ C2. “Blot Out the Marks”22
■ C3. The Procedure for Imposing the “Mark”24
■ C4. The Symbolic “Mark” and the Spiritual Procedure for Imposing It26
■ C5. The “Seal of the Lamb” and the “Mark”32
■ C6. The Number 666 Is Neutral35
■ C7. The Number 666 Is Not the Symbol of the Antichrist38
■ C8. Demystification of the Number 66640
■ C9. The Number 666 Is Not, and Does Not Function As, a “Preliminary Mark”49
■ C10. A Message of Edification, Consolation, and Hope55
■ C11. An Attempt at an “Ecclesiastical Reading” of the Apocalypse62
• Bibliographical Clarification68

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 They Sing the
Song of the Lamb
(Revelation 15:3)

On the commemoration of the Dormition of the Holy and glorious Apostle and
Evangelist, Virgin, Bosom Friend, and Beloved Disciple of the Lord,
John the Theologian
26 September

Another Apolytikion*
Third Tone. Τὴν ὡραιότητα (Awed by the beauty of thy virginity...)

Thou didst fall upon the breast

of thy Teacher, from Whom thou
didst draw the Light of Grace, becom-
ing a model for theologians, O John;
thou didst proclaim the Incarnation
of the Word, O Blessed one, and by
thy writings thou didst shed abroad
the Three-Sunned Light; and now
thou guidest unto the Light those
who cry: Rejoice, O initiate of inef-
fable mysteries.

———————
* Composed by the Holy Monastery of Sts. Cyprian and Justina, Phyle, Attica (18 December 2005).
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Introductory Reflections

1 Since 1995, the Holy Synod in Resistance

has, by way of a special commission, close-
ly followed and studied the contemporary prolif-
in nature—on the basis of scientific specifica-
tions regarding the production and operation
of bar codes. Therefore, we had good reason
eration of “Antichristology” (issues surrounding to expect that, by announcing the truth that
the “Antichrist”) and its dangerous side- effects. bar codes have absolutely no connection with
A fruit of this study is the detailed memorandum the number 666, we could provide the faith-
of some seventy pages that was approved by the ful with a feeling of relief that would, in turn,
Holy Synod in 2000, though, in anticipation of diminish the intensity of their agony.
more auspicious circumstances, it was not judged b. Nevertheless, our investigation helped us to
expedient to publish it forthwith. realize very quickly that the disquiet of the

2 In submitting this memorandum, now,

to the judgment of the conscience of the
Church, we deem it necessary to offer some in-
faithful did not pertain exclusively to the re-
lationship between bar codes (and, more
broadly, identity cards) and the number 666,
troductory thoughts, in order, but that this question was simply the cen-
• on the one hand, to clarify the reasons for ter around which there revolved a series of
the relatively long delay in presenting our find- connected problems and anxieties. If we did
ings; not deal with them as a whole, and give a
• and, on the other hand, to promote a fuller common answer to them, we knew that we
awareness of the gravity of contemporary escha- would not, in the end, be helping our flock
tological anxieties and the immediate danger that to emerge from the confusion into which it
authentic Orthodox eschatology will be altered, had fallen, or protecting it from similar situ-
should the reasons for, and mentality underlying, ations in the future.
such anxieties gain acceptance. c. Another very serious factor which delayed

3 Thus, in the first place, with regard to our our work was that, with the passage of time,
delay, we would like to make it clear that these related problems, which needed to be
the original instructions given to the special com- addressed in common, were rapidly and con-
mission were to investigate the putative connec- tinually proliferating and were, furthermore,
tion between bar codes and the number 666, becoming so bedeviled by arbitrary twists
since the new national identity cards [in Greece, and turns that new horizons for investigation
that is] then in the production process were to and scrutiny were constantly opening up in
carry bar codes. our endeavor to arrive at a fuller cognizance
a. It was, however, very easy to clarify this issue, and understanding of this truly unprecedent-
that is, the existence or non-existence of “666” ed, many-sided, and very complex ecclesias-
on bar codes—which is purely technological tical and social phenomenon.
 Introductory Reflections

4 In the second place, and as a corollary to

the foregoing, with true anguish in Christ,
and falling down prayerfully before the guiding
tense Roman Catholic propaganda, and pro-
found theological influence especially from
the Protestant West) contributed to a new at-
Grace of the Most Blessed Theotokos, we have tempt to distort Orthodox eschatology.
come face to face with the great seriousness of • During this period, attention was focussed on
contemporary eschatological frenzy and with Chapter 13 of the Apocalypse, which was like-
the soteriological dangers entailed by an uncriti- wise given a literal interpretation. The Pope
cal acceptance of all of the misinterpretations, as and Papism and Mohammed and Islam (Lat-
well as the extra-ecclesiastical factors, that such ins and Turks) were seen as the two “Beasts,”
frenzy entails. or even the Antichrist himself. Their destruc-
a. Our investigation has made it abundant- tion and the simultaneous resurrection of the
ly clear that, after two millennia of its life, Orthodox Greek Empire were again awaited
our Most Holy Orthodox Church is pass- as a thousand-year reign or interregnum. At a
ing through a period of what may be called a popular level, prominent figures in the Greek
“Third Wave of Eschatology,” which confirms nation cultivated these ideas as authentic rev-
with particular intensity the many-sided cri- elations.

5
sis facing the Body of the Church and the dis- Our study of the pathology of the contem-
tressing realization that It has lost, or is liable porary “Third Wave of Eschatology” last-
to lose, those charismatic criteria that would ed for two decades (1980-2000), and has dem-
enable it to diagnose correctly and confront onstrated its kinship, mutatis mutandis, with the
successfully the challenges of history. two preceding waves: now it is overwhelming his-
b. By way of clarification, the period of the so- torical challenges (a dizzying advance in scientif-
called “First Wave of Eschatology” covers the ic achievements and their practical applications,
first three centuries of Christianity: at that the unification of the world by way of globaliza-
time, the historical challenges (severe perse- tion at many levels, the free circulation of ideas,
cutions, the grave danger posed by the ma- the rapid expansion of non-Christian beliefs and
ny-branched heresy of Gnosticism, the laxity morals, polymorphous syncretism, a profound
and secularization of Christian morality, and secularization among Christians, the shattering
the acceptance of divergent Messianic ideas of age-old social norms, and a slavish acceptance
from Judaism) contributed to an adulteration of eschatological ideas from Protestantism) that
of Orthodox eschatology. are contributing to a renewed effort to corrupt
• During this period, Chapter 20 of the Apoc- Orthodox eschatology.
alypse was interpreted literally, and Chris- • During this period, Chapter 13 of the Apoc-
tians awaited the thousand-year reign, or in- alypse has yet again been accorded a literal in-
terregnum [of Christ], as the redemptive terpretation. Attention is now directed to the
conclusion [of history]. Eminent figures in “mark” and the “number” of the Beast, and bar
the Church unwittingly advocated Chiliasm codes and kindred automated electronic systems
(Millennialism) as a fundamental teaching are seen as inaugurating the era of the Antichrist,
of the new Faith (Sts. Papias, Justin, Irenæus, in which a moneyless economic system will pre-
Methodios, Hippolytos, Victorinus, et al.). vail. In the context of such a system, any card
c. The period of the so-called “Second Wave whatsoever will supposedly function as a “mark”
of Eschatology” covers the gloomy centu- and “number of the Beast”; the European Union
ries of the Turkish Yoke: then, too, historical will become the first “Beast,” and the super-com-
challenges (the collapse of the Christian em- puter in Brussels the second “Beast,” while the
pire, slavery, degradation, Islamization, in- Antichrist will be the President of the European

6
 Introductory Reflections

Union, etc. who, by God’s mercy, are grounded in the He-

6 It is noteworthy that the following are com- sychastic and Eucharistic ethos of the Church—
mon characteristics of all three waves of es- a fruitful opportunity to act in a therapeutic spir-
chatology: it and to deliver the faithful from eschatological
a. A misunderstanding of the true nature of anxiety through the promotion of Orthodox es-
the Apocalypse; namely, its metaphorical and chatology, which sheds peace and which is cen-
spiritual meaning. tered on the renewal and preservation of the Seal
b. An unremitting endeavor to interpret the of the Lamb, the sole precondition for participa-
Apocalypse ad litteram. tion “in the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Rev-
c. The notion that the Apocalypse constitutes elation 19:9).
a futuristic text, that is, a codified collection
of oracles or a prophetic chronology, disclos-
ing specific historical developments in the
9 These introductory thoughts already refer
to a rather broad set of issues that certainly
cannot be dealt with fully or in detail by such a
Church and in world history. concise report as this. We aim merely to provide
d. An attempt at decoding or deciphering the a preliminary pastoral approach to these matters.
symbols of the Apocalypse by means of his- a. For the time being, we will dwell on cru-
torical events in each given period. cial matters and undertake “a work of min-
e. The idea that the Apocalypse was written for istry” (Ephesians 4:12), “lest that which is
a specific epoch and pertains exclusively, and lame be put out of joint, but rather that it be
is to be identified with, the period of each healed” (Hebrews 12:13), addressing ourselves
wave. in a clear and simple manner to those faith-
f. An endeavor to interpret the Apocalypse in ful who are well-disposed.
relation to an historical center: Rome and its b. Two other pertinent works, both very com-
idolatrous Empire, Mohammed and the Ot- plex and lengthy, which constitute the oper-
toman Empire, Moscow and Gog or Magog, ational basis and the theoretical foundation
or Brussels and the European Union. of the present memorandum, will be submit-
g. The influence of non-Christian (certain pu- ted to the conscience of the Church after the
tatively Jewish) and heterodox (Protestant) publication of this introductory report.
eschatological beliefs on the interpretation of
the Apocalypse. 10 Since prayer, as the Holy Fathers have
taught us, is the path to Divine knowl-

7 It is the firm conviction of our Holy Synod edge, and insofar as it is only in “a spirit of wis-
that an unchecked process, over the course dom and revelation” (Ephesians 1:17) that matters
of many years, involving the dissemination and of our Holy Faith, and especially those pertain-
admixture of non-Orthodox eschatological be- ing to the Apocalypse, can be approached and
liefs (of popular and non-ecclesiastical prove- understood, we have composed a prayer of sup-
nance) has produced a lethal combination, which plication, so that the faithful may commence and
has had a direct and deep influence on the faith- continue their study of the Apocalypse, beseech-
ful, has led them into indescribable confusion, ing and seeking the Divine illumination of the
and is impelling them to adopt an anti-ecclesias- Comforter.
tical and antisocial ethos.
Least among Bishops in the Lord,

8 Even though the situation is deteriorating

on a daily basis, the experience of the two
previous waves of eschatology affords Ortho-
† Bishop Cyprian of Oreoi,
Acting President of the
dox Shepherds in our time—and especially those Holy Synod in Resistance

7
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A Prayer of Supplication
for the Correct Understanding
of What Is To Happen in the Last Times

O Lord, our God and Savior, Who, in Thine ineffable goodness, didst
humble Thyself and by the Œconomy of Thine Incarnation didst return that
which was lost to the bosom of Thy Father; Who didst command us that we
should be vigilant in prayer and in expectation of Thy glorious Second Coming,
wherein Thou shalt come to judge the living and the dead and to transform all
things, so that in a new Heaven and earth Thy servants may enjoy Thine unend-
ing Kingdom in the Holy Spirit: Do Thou Thyself, O Master, accept even now
the supplication of us, Thy humble and unworthy servants, enlighten our minds
and hearts, that we may correctly understand and unerringly interpret what is
to happen in the last times according to Thy good pleasure, that, by Thy Grace
that bringeth peace, there may not be schisms in Thine immaculate Bride, the
Orthodox Church, but unity and sanctification in harmony and love, and deem
us worthy of that portion of the virgins who were wise in vigilance and sobriety.
By the intercessions of Thy Most Blessed Mother and Ever-Virgin Mary, and
of all Thy Saints. Amen.

❖❖❖

❖ “For this reason, before we undertake anything, and all the more so before we theologize,
it behooves us to begin with prayer, not in order to attract Divine Power, which is present
everywhere and yet nowhere, but in order to entrust ourselves to It and be united with It
through Divine reminders and invocations” (St. Dionysios the Areopagite, On the Divine
Names, Ch. III, §1, Patrologia Græca, Vol. III, col. 680D).

❖ “May the Spirit lift the veil from our eyes, that we may thereby on the one hand understand
the wonders and behold the Mystery of Christ through the mirror of the letter, and on the
other hand see the beauty of virtue that is manifested by the Prophets and which summons us
to enhance our moral life therewith” (St. Theophylact of Ohrid, “Preface to the Exegesis of the
Holy Prophets,” Patrologia Græca, Vol. CXXVI, col. 576A).

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 A

Recent Antichristology and

Its Symptomatology
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  
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Recent Antichristology and

Its Symptomatology
■ A1. Antichristology and Antichristologists

1 For the sake of the present work, we charac-

terize as “Antichristology” that spiritual dis-
ease which assails the pious Christian and arous-
2 Those who espouse the spirit and ethos of
Antichristology, that is, Antichristologists,
live in an unhealthy spiritual atmosphere dom-
es in him an almost monomaniacal tendency to inated by eschatological beliefs that do not con-
constant preoccupation with issues pertaining to stitute the official teaching of our Church, but
the Antichrist. For example: which either distort it, are derived from non-ec-
• “The Antichrist is at the doors.... The proph- clesiastical sources, or are, as a whole, arbitrary
ecies concerning the Antichrist are being fulfilled and/or demonic fantasies.
in our days.... We must discern the signs of the • One result of the Antichristological ethos is
forerunner of the Antichrist.... It is necessary for that people discover evidence of the Antichrist
us to study informative books, booklets, and everywhere, which ultimately deflects their at-
pamphlets that deal with the modus operandi of tention from a radiant, hopeful, and charismatic
the Antichrist, so that we may be on our guard....” Christology to a gloomy, pessimistic, and demon-
ic Antichristology.
 Recent Antichristology and Its Symptomatology

■ A2. The Pathology of Antichristology

3 If we are to counteract in a therapeutic spir-

it the dreadful disease of Antichristology,
which in our days has assumed epidemic propor-
d. It is said with full assurance that this new
monetary system is being consciously pro-
moted by the State and other inter-gov-
tions, it behooves us to enumerate its principal ernmental and international organizations,
contemporary symptoms, which may be summa- which function in a conspiratorial fashion
rized as follows: as tools of the Antichrist, to the end that we
a. There is incessant talk of “identity cards of might voluntarily accept the “mark of the
the Antichrist,” which are regarded as the Beast.”
preliminary mark or token of the final “mark e. It is widely rumored that all of the products
of the Beast.” of modern technology, which either direct-
b. It is constantly stated in writing that bar ly or indirectly involve bar codes, as well as
codes are the “mark of the Beast,” either con- all automated electronic systems for reading,
taining or being identified with the number recording, processing, and recognizing data,
“666,” which is viewed as a symbol of the An- are suspect and are included in this conspira-
tichrist and is characterized as an “ill-omened torial scheme of the Antichrist to impose his
number.” ultimate “mark.”
c. It is asserted dogmatically that the Antichrist
will employ a global moneyless economic sys-
tem in order to lead us into an impasse and
compel us to deny our Faith.

12
 B

The Eschatology of
the American Millenarians
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  
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The Eschatology of
the American Millenarians
■ B1. Its Indiscriminate Importation [into Greece] and the Tragic Consequences

1 The aforementioned symptoms of Antichris-

tology have their origin in the Protestant es-
chatology of American millenarians, whose writ-
a. The Orthodox view of eschatological matters,
which is diametrically opposed to the escha-
tology of the American millenarians and the
ings on this subject have been profusely and Orthodox Antichristologists, is obfuscated
indiscriminately introduced into Greece by Or- and distorted.
thodox Antichristologists and widely disseminat- b. We have created a nightmarish atmosphere
ed among the faithful, especially at a popular lev- of fear and trembling and suspicion of every-
el.1 thing, which is completely foreign to the Or-
• It is significant that all of the books by con- thodox ethos of our Holy Faith, namely, the
temporary Greek Antichristologists, without ex- ethos of hope, freedom, victory, and resur-
ception, contain texts, views, and photographs rection.
taken from the Antichristological writings of the c. The achievements of science have been so
extreme wing of American Protestantism, de- demonized that Christians and the Gospel
spite the fact that these works, even in the U.S.A., message are falling into total disrepute, since
have been rejected by sober elements among the the impression is given that our salvation de-
Protestants as ridiculous and paranoid. pends on superstitions and unconscious, au-

2 The consequences of the unchecked intro- tomatic, and external processes.

duction and acceptance of Protestant Anti-
christological literature in our homeland are truly
tragic, since by virtue of this influence:

1 See, for example, the penetrating analysis published

by the Orthodox Theological Think Tank, Ἐκ Δυσμῶν τὸ
Φῶς; Ex Occidente Lux? – Ἡ νεοελληνικὴ Λαϊκὴ Ἐσχατολο-
γικὴ Ἰδεολογία – Δυτικὲς προκλήσεις καὶ ὀρθόδοξες ἀπο-
κλίσεις [Light from the West? Popular eschatological ide-
ology in modern Greece: Challenges from the West and
Orthodox deviations] (Thessalonike: 2000-2004).
 The Eschatology of the American Millenarians

■ B2. Steps Towards Disengagement

3 We have studied in detail the basic symp-

toms of Antichristology mentioned in the
preceding chapter (A2, §3, a-e) and have proved,
c. Not to study books about the Antichrist:
• neither those imported from America,
• nor those by contemporary Orthodox Anti-
with thorough documentation, that they are christologists.
completely antithetical to d. To increase their vigilant struggle for the pu-
• Orthodox eschatology, rification of the heart by means of humili-
• scientific truth, and ty, love, and purity in Christ, partaking regu-
• simple logic. larly of the Immaculate Mysteries and calling

4 Precisely for this reason, and in order to dis- upon the invincible aid of the Mother of
engage our flock from these unhealthy Prot- God.
estant influences, we deem it expedient to exhort e. To study not a plethora of intricate matters,
the faithful with much love, but also in a firm which are cited in the innumerable pam-
and categorical way, to do the following: phlets concerning the Antichrist and which
a. To pay absolutely no attention to these anti- cause confusion, but only the most funda-
Orthodox, unscientific, and illogical aspects mental Orthodox, scientific, and logical ide-
of Antichristology. as, which we discuss in the following chap-
b. To eliminate entirely from their hearts all ters and which make known with complete
anxieties about the Antichrist as being whol- assurance the groundlessness of recent fears
ly without foundation. concerning the Antichrist.

16
 C

The Book of Revelation and

the “Mark of the Beast”
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  
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The Book of Revelation and

the “Mark of the Beast”
■ C1. The “Antichrist” Has Not Yet Been Revealed

1 The Book of Revelation, within an atmos-

phere of dense symbolism,1 mentions the
challenge of the “mark of the Beast,”2 which the
forty-two months.11 The False Prophet, the sec-
ond Beast, will already be laboring zealously to
promote and consolidate the work and domin-
faithful will, however, confront during the peri- ion of the Antichrist.

3
od of the appearance and activity of “him who is Today, although the “mystery of iniquity”12
in a distinctive and special sense the Antichrist”3 continues to “work”; although “even now
of the “Last Days” (the first “Beast,” who emerg- are there many antichrists”;13 although—as has
es from the sea4) and of the “False Prophet,”5 always been the case—there exists the convic-
that is, the “Forerunner” and “Adjutant of the
Antichrist”6 (the second “Beast,” who emerges
from the earth7). 11 Revelation 13:5.
• The phrases which define the temporal span of three and

2 At that time, the Church will pass through

the period of eschatological affliction and
tribulation, persecuted by the “Dragon” and the
half years, that is, “forty-two months” (Revelation 11:2;
13:5), “a thousand two hundred and threescore [sixty] days”
(Revelation 11:3; 12:6), “for a time, and times, and half a
two “Beasts.”8 This will be preceded by the activ- time” (Revelation 12:14), are synonymous and constitute
classical apocalyptic and eschatological expressions, which
ity of the two Prophets and Witnesses.9 The first should not be understood literally, but formulaically and
Beast will be given worldwide dominion10 lasting symbolically.
• In Holy Scripture, the sacred number seven symbolizes
completeness and plenitude, while three and a half, as half
1 “The Apocalypse of John is the great allegory” (Elias B. of seven, suggests that the temporal span of the presence
Oikonomou, “Ἐξουσίαι εἰς τὴν «Ἀποκάλυψιν»” [Author- and activity of the Antichrist will be determined by God,
ities in the “Apocalypse”], Ἑστία, No. 176 [October 4,1995], short and restricted; that is, it will not be possible for him
p. 1). to consummate his “bestial” work against the Church (cf.
2 Revelation 13:16, 17; 16:2. Daniel 7:25; 8:14; 12:7, 8, 11, 12).
3 St. John of Damascus, Exact Exposition of the Orthodox • “The Holy City—either the New Jerusalem or the Cath-
Faith, Bk. IV, ch. 26, Patrologia Græca, Vol. XCIV, col. 1216A. olic Church—being trampled upon by the nations for for-
4 Revelation 13:1–8. ty-two months means, in my opinion, that those who are
5 Revelation 16:13; 19:20; 20:10. faithful and tested will be trampled upon and persecuted at
6 Andrew of Cæsarea, Commentary on the Apocalypse, ch. the advent of the Antichrist for three and a half years”; “for
37, Patrologia Græca, Vol. CVI, cols. 336D, 337AB, 340A. three and a half years, indicated by one thousand, two hun-
7 Revelation 13:11–18. dred and sixty days, during which the apostasy will prevail”
8 Revelation 12:1–13:18. (Andrew, Commentary on the Apocalypse, chs. 29, 33, Patr-
9 Revelation 11:1–14. ologia Græca, Vol. CVI, cols. 312A, 325A) (on Revelation 11:2
10 “I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which and 12:6).
shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon 12 II Thessalonians 2:7.
the earth” (Revelation 3:10). 13 I St. John 2:18.
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

tion that “the Antichrist shall come,”14 and, at strengthen the Christians and to protect them
the same time, that “even now already it is in the from the deception of the lawless one, and also
world,”15 nonetheless to draw away from him all those who may have
• none of the “signs”16 that foretell the “Com- been enticed by his false miracles.
ing of our Lord Jesus Christ”17 and of the “end of a.“An ancient account from Tradition32 prevails
the age”18 has yet been realized; in the Church: that Enoch will come, togeth-
• nor has “the man of sin, the son of perdi- er with Elias the Thesbite, as a forerunner of
tion, been revealed,”19 “the lawless one,”20 “the the Second Coming of Christ, when the An-
apostate false Christ”21 and “Antichrist”22 par ex- tichrist is about to appear; for it is said that
cellence, whose coming will assuredly be percep- they will come forth and testify in advance
tible “after the working of Satan with all power that the miracles that he is going to perform
and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceit are a deception and that one should not give
of unrighteousness”;23 credence to the wicked one.”33
• nor has the “other Beast,”24 that is, the b.“For since the ‘coming’ of the Antichrist will
“False Prophet,”25 appeared, who will “do great take place ‘after the working of Satan with
wonders”26 “in the sight of the [first] Beast,”27 in all power and signs and lying wonders’...and
order to “deceive them that dwell on the earth,”28 these signs have drawn people to assent and
so that they will “worship the first Beast”29 and faith [in him], for this reason the two Proph-
the “image of the Beast”30 and receive the mark ets, who say of him that he is a charlatan and
of the Beast. a deceiver, will use all manner of miracles to

3a It should especially be emphasized that draw their hearers to faith [in God].”34
during the eschatological period, when c.“For [the two Prophets] will bear witness that
the Antichrist will commence his public activity, this present individual is not the Christ, but
the faithful will not be caught by surprise, since a deceiver, a charlatan, and a destroyer, inso-
the Lord, in His love for mankind, will send His far as the Son of God, in Whom we must be-
two Prophets and Witnesses, Sts. Enoch and lieve as Savior and God, will not come yet.”35
Elias,31 to preach repentance, to inform and d.“Many teachers have understood these [two
witnesses] to be Enoch and Elias, who will
14 I St. John 2:18. receive from God a time in which to proph-
15 I St. John 4:3.
16 St. Matthew 24:3ff; St. Mark 13:4ff; St. Luke 21:7ff.
esy at the end of the age for three and a half
17 II Thessalonians 2:1. years ([each year] being reckoned as three
18 St. Matthew 24:3.
19 II Thessalonians 2:3. cient and many of the more recent commentators, they are
20 II Thessalonians 2:8. Elias and Enoch, ...but according to a more plausible inter-
21 Andrew, Commentary on the Apocalypse, ch. 33, Patrologia pretation, on the basis of verse 6, they are Elias and Moses”
Græca, Vol. CVI, col. 337B. (Panagiotes Bratsiotes, Ἡ Ἀποκάλυψις τοῦ Ἰωάννου [The
22 I St. John 2:18. Apocalypse of John], 2nd ed. [Athens: 1992], p. 180).
23 II Thessalonians 2:9–10. 32 See St. Irenæus of Lyons, Scrutiny and Refutation of
24 Revelation 13:11. Knowledge Falsely So-Called (Against Heresies), Bk. V, ch. 5,
25 Andrew, Commentary on the Apocalypse, ch. 33, Patrologia Patrologia Græca, Vol. VII(B), cols. 1134–1136; St. Hippoly-
Græca, Vol. CVI, cols. 336D, 337A. tos of Rome, Demonstration Concerning Christ and the An-
26 Cf. Revelation 13:13. tichrist, §43, Patrologia Græca, Vol. X, col. 761A; idem, On
27 Revelation 13:14. Daniel, ch. 32, Patrologia Græca, Vol. X, col. 656D.
28 Cf. Revelation 13:14. 33 The Complete Commentary of Oecumenius on the Apoca-
29 Revelation 13:12. lypse, Discourse VI, ed. H.C. Hoskier (Ann Arbor, MI: Uni-
30 Revelation 13:15. versity of Michigan, 1928), p. 128.
31 • “Concerning these two witnesses...there is much dis- 34 Ibid., pp. 129–130.
agreement among commentators.... According to the an- 35 Ibid., p. 130.

20
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

hundred and sixty days), showing through g.“For [the two Prophets] will both come to
their vesture of sackcloth a sad countenance give advance warning to those then in exist-
and one worthy of mourning over those be- ence not to be led astray by the fraudulent
ing deluded, and leading away from the de- miracles of the Antichrist, ...for they will re-
ception of the Antichrist those then existing sort to mighty wonders, Scripture says, refut-
[on earth].”36 ing through their truth what is done in ac-
e.“God will arm these Saints with the power of cordance with error and deception”; “Oh, the
true signs and miracles in order to confute wonder of Divine goodness in establishing
falsehood and darkness by the juxtaposition truth to counteract error.”39
of truth and light and to convert those led

4
astray...and to expose the impostor, without Consequently, the dilemma of the mark of
suffering anything from him or from anyone the Beast, as the eschatological reality par
else until the conclusion of their preaching.”37 excellence, does not exist today in any way, shape,
f.“After they have attested to the need to avoid or form, since neither the two Beasts nor the two
deception, Scripture says, the Beast, that Witnesses have appeared on the stage of history.
is, the Antichrist, will slay them by Divine
permission.”38

36 Andrew, Commentary on the Apocalypse, ch. 30, Patrolo-

gia Græca, Vol. CVI, col. 312BC.
37 Ibid., cols. 312D–313A. 39 Arethas of Cæsarea, Collection of Interpretations of the
38 Ibid., col. 313B. Apocalypse, ch. 30, Patrologia Græca, Vol. CVI, col. 649A, C.

21
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

■ C2. “Blot Out the Marks”

5 However, until the advent of the “lawless

one,”1 we ought to abide in constant vigi-
lance and striving for our sanctification, that is,
his own letters in you anew.6

b. Elsewhere too St. Chrysostomos says, indi-

cating to the faithful the process by which
for unceasing communion2 with our Lord, so as
the pious Christian is transformed into a
to avert or blot out the various “marks” that the
temple:
evil spirits endeavor to imprint on our hearts by
means of sin in its sundry forms, with the intent Let us inscribe on our hearts not only that
of “extinguishing” all that Divine Grace inscribes gridiron [an iron frame on which Martyrs
“on the tablets of our hearts”3 and of “alienating were placed, with burning coals strewn
us from the life of God.”4 beneath], but also the other tortures suf-
fered by the Martyrs. And, just as those
• Our Lord has entered into a “New Cove-
who wish to beautify their houses deco-
nant” with the Israel of Grace, and His laws are
rate them on all sides with floral designs,
inscribed on the hearts of the faithful through so also let us portray the torments of the
Holy Chrism and are constantly being renewed Martyrs on the walls of our minds. Now,
and reinscribed through the new life in Christ. the former kind of decoration is unprof-
For this is My covenant which I will make itable, whereas the latter brings gain. For
with the house of Israel: after those days, this kind of decoration does not require
saith the Lord, I will surely put My laws money, expenditure, or any skill; instead of
into their mind, and write them on their all that, it is sufficient to employ eagerness
hearts; and I will be to them a God, and and a valiant and wakeful mind.... Let us
they shall be to Me a people.5 therefore depict in our souls those placed
on red-hot chairs...in order that by the va-
riety of this adornment we might make
6 Patristic Tradition unceasingly and persis-
tently speaks “in many and various ways”
about “marks” of this kind and about the con-
our house resplendent and render it a suit-
able dwelling-place for the King of Heav-
en. For if He sees such depictions in our
comitant processes of “engraving” them or “blot- minds, He will come with the Father and
ting” them “out.” make His abode in us with the Holy Spir-
a. The Divine Chrysostomos says in this regard: it, and our mind will thenceforth be a roy-
al palace, and no unseemly thought will be
[B]lot out the letters, or rather the marks,
able to enter, ...and God, the King of all,
which the Devil has imprinted on your
will reside in us without ceasing.7
soul.... Then, when we have blotted them
out, and have written those which are of c. Clement of Alexandria says also in this vein:
the Spirit, you go away and, giving your
hearts over to the works of the Devil, pro- Each of the passions is like a letter, a mark,
vide Him with the opportunity to inscribe or an impression for us. The Lord now
stamps another mark on us, and other
names and letters, faith instead of unbe-
1 II Thessalonians 2:8.
2 I St. John 1:3, 6 (communion with the Father); I Corin-
thians 1:9 (communion with the Son); II Corinthians 13:14 6 “Homily XI on St. Matthew,” §7, Patrologia Græca, Vol.
(communion with the Spirit). LVII, col. 200.
3 Cf. Proverbs 7:3; 22:20. 7 “Encomium on All the Saints Who Have Suffered Mar-
4 Cf. Ephesians 4:18. tyrdom Throughout the World,” §3, Patrologia Græca, Vol.
5 Jeremiah 38:33. L, col. 712.

22
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

lief, and so on.8 Who engraves such letters in the soul, not
on tablets of stone, as the Apostle says, but
d. St. Gregory the Theologian, describing the on the tablet of the heart, which is pure,
duties of a pastor, and in particular his ob- smooth, and shining. For the ruling fac-
ligation to put into practice the command- ulty of the soul should be in such a state
ment of “departing from evil and doing that the recollection of the Divine Scrip-
good,”9 writes that the Priest tures is impressed upon it clearly and un-
confusedly, articulated as it were by con-
must not only blot out the traces of vice spicuous letters.11
from his soul, but also inscribe better ones,

7
so as to be more eminent in virtue than he Consequently, unless we take pains to blot
is superior in dignity.10
them out carefully, then these diabolic
e. St. Gregory of Nyssa teaches us that the pure marks are sufficient to alienate us from purifying,
heart illuminating, and deifying communion with our
Lord, with the result that we very easily accept
becomes a tablet of the Divine law of those
the eschatological mark of the Beast.12
who, as the Apostle says, show the work
of the law written in their hearts, not with
ink, but with the Spirit of the living God,

8 Selections from the Prophetic Books, §24, Patrologia Græca,

Vol. IX, col. 709A. 11 Exact Exegesis of the Song of Songs, Hom. XIV, Patrologia
9 Cf. Psalm 36:27. Græca, Vol. XLIV, col. 1076AB. Cf. Romans 2:15; II Corinthi-
10 “Oration II, ‘In Defense of His Flight to Pontos,’” §14, ans 3:3.
Patrologia Græca, Vol. XXXV, col. 424A. 12 Revelation 13:16, 17; 16:2.

23
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

■ C3. The Procedure for Imposing the “Mark”

8 The eschatological mark will be received

only by those who worship the Antichrist as
God and venerate his image by way of the prop-
factors:
a. the “coming”8 and “revelation”9 of the
Antichrist;10
aganda of the False Prophet, who will “deceive b. his desire and ambition to be worshipped
them that dwell on the earth by means of those and adored as God;11
miracles which he had power to do in the sight c. the coming and activity of the False
of the Beast.”1 Prophet;12
a. The Antichrist will be he “who opposeth and d. the conscious acceptance of the Antichrist as
exalteth himself above all that is called God, God on the part of all who will up until then
or that is worshipped; so that he as God have fellowship with Satan and will wish to
sitteth in the temple of God, shewing him- continue this.13
self that he is God.”2

10
b.“And all that dwell upon the earth shall wor- God will permit the unrepentant, the
ship him [the Antichrist].... And...[the False “carnal,”14 the earthly-minded, those who
Prophet] causeth the earth and them which have their hearts darkened, and in general “them
dwell therein to worship the first Beast.”3 that perish, because they received not the love
c.“And they have no rest day nor night, who of the truth, that they might be saved,”15 to be
worship the Beast and his image.”4 dominated by a “strong delusion”;16 because of
d. The Antichrist “will be a kind of adversary of this they will believe the lie and worship the An-
God, and will abolish all the gods, and will tichrist.
order men to worship him instead of God.”5 a.“And all...shall worship him [the Antichrist],
e.“The forerunner of the apostate false Christ whose names are not written in the Book of
will accomplish all things through sorcery, in Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation
order to deceive people into thinking that of the world.”17
the Antichrist is God.”6 b.“He [the first Beast] will hold sway [only]
f.“[The Jews] will accept the impostor, who over those whose names are not written in
calls himself God; for that he will call him- the Book of Life.”18
self God the Angel teaches Daniel, saying c.“The [False Prophet] deludes those whose
thus: ‘[H]e shall not regard any gods of his hearts dwell constantly upon the earth; for
fathers.’”7 the perception [of his false signs] does not

9 The mark will be directly connected with

the following four historical and evident
deceive those who have their citizenship in
8 II Thessalonians 2:9.
9 II Thessalonians 2:3, 6, 8.
1 Revelation 13:14. 10 Revelation 13:1–8.
2 II Thessalonians 2:4. 11 See the preceding sections (2–7).
3 Revelation 13:8, 12; cf. 13:4; 14:9, 11; 20:4. 12 Revelation 13:11–18.
4 Revelation 14:11; cf. 13:15; 14:9; 16:2; 19:20; 20:4. 13 Evidence for this idea is presented in the immediately
5 St. John Chrysostomos, “Homily III on II Thessalonians,” following section (10).
§2, Patrologia Græca, Vol. LXII, col. 482. 14 See Romans 7:14; I Corinthians 3:3, etc.
6 Andrew, Commentary on the Apocalypse, ch. 37, Patrologia 15 II Thessalonians 2:10.
Græca, Vol. CVI, col. 337B. 16 II Thessalonians 2:11.
7 St. John of Damascus, Exact Exposition of the Ortho- 17 Revelation 13:8.
dox Faith, Bk. IV, ch. 26, Patrologia Græca, Vol. XCIV, col. 18 Andrew, Commentary on the Apocalypse, ch. 36, Patrolo-
1216BC; Daniel 11:37. gia Græca, Vol. CVI, col. 336AB.

24
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

Heaven.”19 ing upon the earth.... These, therefore, and

d.“But those whose faces are marked with the not now those whose citizenship is in Heav-
Divine light will not receive [him].”20 en, are enjoined to make the image; for those
e.“[Isaiah says] ‘those that dwell upon the earth made secure precisely by the prediction of
shall fall’; that is, those who have no concern the coming of the Beast are exempt from be-
for heavenly things and the glory that is yon- ing deceived.”24
der, but are attached to their earthly habita- i.“‘[T]hose that dwell upon the earth shall fall.’
tion and its swinish way of life. Wherefore, Such are those who have an unstable basis,
they have failed to be inscribed in the Book since they are not founded on the rock that
of Life.”21 is Christ. They, therefore, shall be astonished
f.“In this way he will astound [through sham even now who have not been written in the
miracles] those whose minds are not human, Book of the Living because they focus on
but earthly.”22 earthly things.”25
g.“He will astonish those people who [dwell]

11
upon the earth, for whom their habitation Consequently, since such a preëminently
is indicative of their predilection: they have eschatological climate does not prevail to-
none of the loftiness of a Godly and heavenly day, and since direct or indirect worship of the
mind, but give heed [only] to the earth and Antichrist as God is not imposed on us by means
to crawling on the earth like beasts.”23 of the relevant technology, there is no justifica-
h.“The command [to make an image to the tion for eschatological anxiety or fear of “marks.”
Beast] applies most precisely to those dwell-

19 Ibid., ch. 37, Patrologia Græca, Vol. CVI, col. 337C. Cf.
Philippians 3:19–20.
20 Ibid., col. 340B.
21 Arethas, Collection of Interpretations of the Apocalypse, ch.
36, Patrologia Græca, Vol. CVI, col. 676B; Isaiah 26:18.
22 Ibid., ch. 37, Patrologia Græca, Vol. CVI, col. 677D.
23 Arethas, Collection of Interpretations from Various Holy
Men of the Apocalypse of John the Evangelist, ch. 37, in J.A.
Cramer (ed.), Catenæ Græcorum Patrum in Novum Testa- 24 Ibid., p. 382.
mentum (Oxford: E Typographeo Academico, 1840), Vol. 25 Arethas, Collection of Interpretations of the Apocalypse, ch.
VIII, p. 381. 54, Patrologia Græca, Vol. CVI, col. 721A.

25
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

■ C4. The Symbolic “Mark” and the Spiritual Procedure for Imposing It

12 The procedure for imposing the “mark of

the Beast”1 “on the foreheads” and “on
the right hand”2 is profoundly symbolic and inti-
“hath the seal”14 or the “number of the name,”15
• belongs, in terms of dominion, to him in
whose name he is sealed or marked; that is, he
mates the special spiritual relationship that is in- comes under his control and becomes his “ser-
augurated between the Antichrist and man from vant”;
the moment the Beast is worshipped as God. • likewise, he partakes of him, is put in com-
munion with him and is united with him, is

13 This new relationship, to which the mark clothed in him, becomes one with him, is assim-
alludes, is one of ownership, and also one ilated to him, is his “friend,” and consequently
of fellowship: bears within himself (“is imprinted”) with the
• the man, that is, who accepts the false god “hallmarks” of his “lord.”
Antichrist, worshipping “the Beast and his image,
and receiving the mark of his name,”3 becomes
henceforth his property and is completely under
his control;
15
We will cite several representative pas-
sages in support of the foregoing thesis,
which constitute at the same time a brief intro-
• likewise, the man who rejects his commu- duction to the theology of the “Name” and the
nion with the living God and receives a kind of “Seal of the Lamb”:
anti-baptism through the procedure of imposing a.“Now He Which stablisheth us with you in
the mark, enters thereafter into exclusive fellow- Christ, and hath anointed us, is God, Who
ship with the “Dragon” (Satan, the Devil),4 the hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of
patron of the Antichrist. the Spirit in our hearts.”16
b.“And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God,

14 In the theological language of our ec- in Whom ye are sealed unto the day of
clesiastical Tradition, he who is “sealed” redemption.”17
or “marked,” or who is “baptized in the Name,”5 c.“Nevertheless the foundation of God stand-
or who “hath the Name written,”6 or who eth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth
“beareth,”7 “holdeth fast,”8 “nameth,”9 or “hath”10 them that are His. And, Let every one that
the “Name” or the “Mark,”11 or who receives the nameth the name of the Lord depart from
“mark”12 or the “mark of the name,”13 or who iniquity.”18
d.“Him that overcometh..., ...I will write upon
him the name of my God, and the name of
the city of my God...: and I will write upon
1 Revelation 16:2; 19:20.
2 Revelation 13:16; 14:9; 20:4. him my new name.”19
3 Revelation 14:9, 11; 20:4; 19:20.
4 Revelation 12:9; 20:2. 14 Revelation 7:2; 9:4.
5 St. Matthew 28:29. 15 Revelation 13:17.
6 Revelation 2:17; 3:12; 14:1. 16 II Corinthians 1:21–22 (He has sealed us as His own).
7 Acts 9:15. 17 Ephesians 4:30 (by Whom you are sealed and branded as
8 Revelation 2:13. His own).
9 II St. Timothy 2:19. 18 II St. Timothy 2:19. Cf. Numbers 16:5, 26; Isaiah 26:13;
10 Revelation 13:17; 14:1; 16:2. 52:11. (The Church has a seal and a title; the Lord knows
11 Revelation 16:2. His own, and it is impossible for someone else to seize
12 Revelation 13:16; 14:9. them.)
13 Revelation 14:11. 19 Revelation 3:12 (in order to be eternally His, in order for

26
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

e.“And I saw another Angel...having the ing, and to form both what we say and what
seal of the living God, and he cried with a we do in accordance with His image; for thus
loud voice...saying, Hurt not...till we have they will be royal coinage, not counterfeit,
sealed the servants of our God upon their but bearing the image of the King.”24
foreheads.”20 i.“The Spirit is called unction and is a seal...;
f.“Thus, too, the believer: he has the Name of created things are sealed and anointed by
God as his superscription through Christ and this [the Spirit] and taught about all things....
the Spirit as his image. And irrational animals The Spirit is unction and a seal, whereby
show whose each is through a seal, and it is the Word anoints and seals all things.... The
on the basis of the seal that they are claimed. seal bears the form of Christ Who seals, and
Thus, the faithful soul, which receives the seal those who are sealed partake thereof and are
of truth, bears about the marks of Christ.”21 formed in accordance therewith, as the Apos-
g.“For those who are illumined assume the fea- tle says: ‘My little children, of whom I travail
tures, the image, and the manliness of Christ, in birth again until Christ be formed in you.’
the form of the Word according to the like- Thus sealed, we fittingly become partakers of
ness being stamped upon them and begotten the Divine nature, as Peter said, and in this
in them according to genuine knowledge and way all of creation partakes of the Word in
faith, so that in each one Christ is spiritually the Spirit.”25
born. For this reason, the Church swells and j.“Paul too travails over some ‘until Christ be
travails until Christ is born and formed in us, formed in them.’ That is, until the great and
so that each of the Saints, by participating in sublime marks of His Divinity are gradually
Christ, has been born a Christ.”22 formed in their minds.”26
h.“‘Set Me as a seal upon thy heart, as a seal k.“Just as Judas, in admitting the Devil, im-
upon thine arm’: the Bridegroom exhorts pressed his wickedness on himself, so he who
it [the soul] to form every thought and ac- approaches Divine Grace is illumined by the
tion in accordance with His image.... Or rays emitted thence; and just as he who sits
the Bridegroom says this to it, ‘Set Me as a in darkness becomes dark, whereas he who
seal,’ in order to seal your thoughts and your sits in the Sun becomes sun-like and lumi-
actions.”23 nous, so he who cleaves to God receives God-
• “Therefore, the Bridegroom speaks to pious like traits.”27
souls, which Divine Scripture calls a Bride..., l.“Let us, therefore, seek first and foremost
calling the heart the contemplative part of to have the brand and seal of the Lord on
the soul and the arm the practical part.... ourselves, for at the time of the Judgment,
Our Savior therefore wants us to have Him ...when the Shepherd summons His flock, all
as a seal both when talking and when think- those who have the brand will recognize their
one’s affinity or identity with Him to be attested).
20 Revelation 7:2, 3, 4, 5, 8; 9:4. Cf. Ezekiel 9:3–6 (seal: the 24 Theodoretos of Cyrrhos, Commentary on the Song of
mark of the servants of God). Songs, Discourse IV (ch. 8:6), Patrologia Græca, Vol. LXXXI,
21 Clement of Alexandria, Excerpts from Theodotos, §86, Pa- cols. 204D-205A.
trologia Græca, Vol. IX, col. 697B. Cf. Galatians 6:17. The 25 St. Athanasios the Great, “Epistle I to Bishop Serapion of
text printed in the Patrologia Græca erroneously reads Thmuis,” §23, Patrologia Græca, Vol. XXVI, cols, 584C–585B.
“ἀπογραφὴν” for “ἐπιγραφὴν”—Trans. Galatians 4:19; II St. Peter 1:4.
22 St. Methodios, The Banquet of the Ten Virgins, or Concer- 26 St. Cyril of Alexandria, Glaphyra on Genesis, Bk. III, “On
ing Chastity, Discourse VIII, §8, Patrologia Græca, Vol. XVIII, Abraham and Isaac,” §2, Patrologia Græca, Vol. LXIX, col.
col. 149BC. 141A. Cf. Galatians 4:19.
23 Origen, On the Song of Songs (ch. 8), Patrologia Græca, 27 Theodoretos of Cyrrhos, Questions on the Octateuch, Qu.
Vol. XVII, col. 285B. LXIX, Patrologia Græca, Vol. LXXX, col. 296B.

27
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

own Shepherd, and the Shepherd, know- of Thine immaculate Glory, be recognized
ing those who bear His own seal, will gather through this holy sign by the Angels and
them from among all the nations. For those Archangels and all the Heavenly Host, and be
who are His hear His voice and go behind fearful to all wicked and unclean demons.”31
Him”; “and He will place everyone in two

16
divisions; and those who bear His own sign, The foregoing idea, that through being
that is, the seal of the Spirit, He will call to “sealed” or “marked” he who submits to
Himself as His very own and will set them on this procedure belongs to the one who seals or
His right hand.”28 marks him and partakes of him in whose name
m.“Learn, brethren, what is the true imprint of the act is performed, becomes more fully com-
the seal of Christ.... The illumination of the prehensible when one takes into account the the-
Spirit is truly a single seal, even though the ological significance of the word “name.”
forms of its energies are many and the signs • In our ecclesiastical Tradition, the word
of its virtues are many.... The spiritual wolf “name” is used in place of the person and his attrib-
does not dare to look upon the seal of Christ utes; that is, “name” and “person” are identical.
the Chief Shepherd whereby He seals His This means that, when we say “name,” we mean
own sheep.... All, therefore, who are without the person signified thereby and declare the nature
this seal, run hither; all who lack this sign, of the person; likewise, however, the name of the
make haste to be signed with the sign of the person (God or Satan) means his energy.
Spirit.”29
n.“I beseech Thee, therefore, O forbearing Lord
Jesus Christ..., grant me the perfect seal and
truly holy gift of Thine All-Holy Spirit in my 17 We will cite the following passages as ev-
idence of this:
a.“And ye shall be hated of all men for My
heart, by Thy power and Thy wisdom.”30
o.“Yea, O Master God Almighty, show this Name’s sake”32 (for My sake).
[Chrism], by the descent of Thy Holy and b.“And whoso shall receive one such little child
adorable Spirit, to be the vesture of incorrup- in My Name”33 (for My sake).
tion and a perfecting seal, imprinting upon c.“To manifest,”34 “to declare,”35 “to glorify,”36
those who receive Thy Divine laver Thy Di- “to love,”37 “to fear,”38 “to call upon,”39 “to
vine Name, and that of Thine Only-Begot- bless,”40 etc. the Name of God (God Him-
ten Son and Thy Holy Spirit, that they may self.)
be known in Thy sight, as friends and citi- d.“Thou hast a few names even in Sardis”41
zens, servants and handmaids, sanctified in (persons, faithful).
soul and body, delivered from all evil and e.“[T]he number of names together were about
redeemed from all sin, clad in the raiment 31 From the Prayer, “O Lord of mercy and Father of lights,”
in the “Order for the Preparation and Sanctifiction of Holy
28 St. Macarios of Egypt, “Homily XII,” §13, “Homily V,” Chrism.”
§12, Patrologia Græca, Vol. XXXIV, cols. 564D–565A, 517A. 32 St. Matthew 10:22.
29 St. Symeon the New Theologian, Catecheses, Discourse II, 33 St. Matthew 18:5.
“Concerning the Avoidance of Pestilential and Pernicious 34 St. John 17:6.
Men,” Ἔργα [Works] (Thes­sa­lo­nike: Ekdoseis “Orthodox- 35 St. John 17:26.
os Kypsele,” 1988), Vol. I, pp. 37, 32–33. 36 St. John 12:28.
• The Seal of Christ is the energy of the Holy Spirit. 37 Psalm 68:37.
30 Kallistos Angelikoudes, Chapters on Prayer, §58, Φιλο- 38 Psalm 60:6.
καλία (Athens: Ekdotikos Oikos “Aster,” 1976), Vol. IV, p. 39 Psalm 74:2.
349 (chs. 1–14 are by Kallistos Telikoudes, whereas chs. 15– 40 Psalm 144:1.
83 are by Kallistos Angelikoudes). 41 Revelation 3:4.

28
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

an hundred and twenty”42 (there were about their hearts as though it were honorable.”47
one hundred and twenty persons). d.“And to the rest of the Holy Martyrs who
f.“[K]eep [them] through Thine own Name”43 have suffered for Christ and have not re-
(keep them in communion with Thee; that ceived the mark of the spiritual Beast, the
they may bear Thine energy; that they may Devil, that is, the image of his apostasy, has
live in Thy Grace). judgment, namely the authority to judge,
been given.”48

18 From all of the foregoing it naturally fol- e.“The inscription of the ruinous name [of the
lows that the man who does not bear Antichrist] is antithetical to what is good.
the the “Seal of the Lamb,”44 that is, does not ‘On their right hand,’ so that he might cut
live the Hesychastic and Eucharistic ethos of the off the performance of good deeds. ‘On
Orthodox Church, abides in an inner condi- their forehead,’ in order that, having appro-
tion in which both vision (θεωρία) and practice priated the part which lies over the eyes, he
(πρᾶξις), that is, both his mind (νοῦς, the energy might induce darkness in the deceived, lest
of the soul) and his deeds (practical virtue), are they cleave honorably to piety as in the day.
predisposed to be fully and decisively enslaved to But those who have been signed on their fac-
the Devil through the Antichrist. es with the light of the Divine Countenance
a.“And he [the False Prophet] will strive to im- will not receive this.”49
pose upon all the mark of the pernicious f.“The worship of the Beast and the reception
name of the apostate and deceiver, ‘on their of his seal [mean] that one reckons the An-
right hand,’ in order to cut off the perfor- tichrist to be God, while devoting oneself
mance of [right and] good deeds, and ‘on submissively to him and either in word or in
their forehead,’ in order to instruct the de- deed doing and proclaiming what is pleasing
ceived to wax bold in deception and darkness. to him; for this is what the mark on the fore-
But those signed on their faces with the Di- head and the hand signifies, forehead being
vine light will not receive it.”45 understood as speech and hand as deed; the
b.“If anyone shall submit to the Antichrist, image [of the Beast] he calls the impious way
who has turned into a Beast, and pursues of life.”50
the impious way of life that typifies him, and g.“‘And they received not the mark.’ He calls
proclaims him either in deed or in word to the ‘mark’ a distinguishing characteristic, as
be God (for this may be signified by the mark it is said with regard to Christ: ‘The light of
placed on his forehead and his hand), he will Thy countenance is signed upon us, O Lord.’
partake with him [the Antichrist] in the cup For, just as in that case light on the counte-
filled with the drink of chastisement.”46 nance is understood as a hallmark of those
c.“‘Night,’ meaning the punishment of the who love God, so, in the case of the impious,
profane, which they will attain who through shamelessness is inscribed upon their fore-
their actions portray the diabolical deeds and heads, showing undisguisedly and frankly
blasphemies against Christ of the apostate what kind of people they are. And in order to
Beast, engraving his [dishonorable] name on emphasize this more, they confirm their dis-
tinguishing trait by their unseemly deeds; for
42 Acts 1:15. 47 Ibid., ch. 42, Patrologia Græca, Vol. CVI, col. 348A.
43 St. John 17;11. 48 Ibid., ch. 61, Patrologia Græca, Vol. CVI, col. 412A.
44 Cf. Revelation 7:2; 9:4. 49 Arethas, Collection of Interpretations of the Apocalypse, ch.
45 Andrew, Commentary on the Apocalypse, ch. 37, Patrologia 37, Patrologia Græca, Vol. CVI, col. 680D. Cf. Psalm 4:7—
Græca, Vol. CVI, col. 340AB. Trans.
46 Ibid., ch. 42, Patrologia Græca, Vol. CVI, col. 345C. 50 Ibid., ch. 42, Patrologia Græca, Vol. CVI, col. 689A.

29
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

the hand suggests action, just as the foot sug- b. We repeat emphatically: to inscribe, receive,
gests resolve, as it is said: ‘Let not the foot of or possess a name, a number that indicates a
pride come against me, and let not the hand name, the mark of the name, or the mark of
of the sinner move me.’ Since, therefore, the the Beast betokens an inward procedure and
former have not been caught, not signed by relationship, which means: to belong to, par-
the Evil One either through shamelessness or take of, receive, be conformed to, and assim-
through deeds, they naturally live and reign ilated to Satan.
with Christ until the end of the age.”51 c. All fear and anguish either about a “mark”
h.“The forehead indicates man’s rational facul- imposed through the use of identity cards
ty; the right hand indicates his active capaci- and other technological systems, or in gener-
ty to accomplish what is good. The sealing of al about some visible “mark” on the human
the hand and the forehead with the number body, are a trick of the Devil to deflect our
of the Beast signifies the disposition of the attention and are wholly unfounded.
forehead and the hand to think and act in • “‘And here is the mind which hath wisdom.’
the service of evil. In other words, the Beast Since the words that are being interpreted
will put pressure on men to serve him with are spiritual, one needs spiritual, not worldly
dedication, to do evil with all their being, wisdom in order to understand them.”53
with body and soul, in thought and deed.... • “From all of this it is evident that the mark of
The seal and the selling and buying should the Beast is very closely connected with ado-
not be understood literally, but symbolical- ration and worship of the Beast and with rec-
ly, spiritually.”52 ognition of the Beast as God. This mark is
not simply an external sign, but an inward

19 Consequently: acceptation and acknowledgment of the An-

a. The eschatological mark cannot be un- tichrist. Deadness of the nous is a mark of
derstood as a mechanical procedure of im- the Beast, and those whose nous is dead go
posing or receiving an outward sign, which astray and become servants of the Beast of
turns us into Antichrists automatically and the Apocalypse, whereas those whose nous
regardless of our spiritual condition. is illumined do not receive the mark of the
Beast.”54

51 Ibid., ch. 61, Patrologia Græca, Vol. CVI, col. 752B. Psalm
4:7; 35:12.
• “The hand often symbolizes deeds”; (Origen, Patrologia
Græca, Vol. XIV, col. 800D) “the hands are a symbol of ac-
tion” (St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Patrologia Græca, Vol. XXXIII, 53 Andrew, Commentary on the Apocalypse, ch. 54, Patrologia
col. 1109A). Græca, Vol. CVI, col. 380c.
52 Hieromonk Petronios Prodromites, “Ὁ ἀριθμὸς ‘666’” 54 Archimandrite [now Metropolitan] Hierotheos S. Bla-
[The number “666”], Ὀρθόδοξος Τύπος, No. 752 (Decem- chos, “Τὸ χάραγμα τοῦ θηρίου καὶ ἡ σφραγίδα τοῦ
ber 26, 1986), pp. 1, 4; Ἐκκλησιαστικὴ Ἀλήθεια, No. 437 Ἀρνίου” [The mark of the Beast and the seal of the Lamb],
(November 11, 1997), pp. 6, 7. in Ἀνατολικά, Vol. I (Lebadeia, Greece: 1989), p. 157.

30
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

—o—
“‘My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed
in you.’ Now, in what place or part of the body do you suppose he is saying that
Christ will be formed? On the face or in the breast? No, it is in our heart that He
is formed, and not corporeally, but incorporeally, and as befits God.”
(St. Symeon the New Theologian, “Discourse LVII,” in Τὰ Εὑρισκόμενα
[The extant works] [Syros: 1886], p. 300)

“He who does not experience the Kingdom of God within him will not be
capable of recognizing the Antichrist when he comes.”
(St. Ignaty Brianchaninov)

—o—

31
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

■ C5. The “Seal of the Lamb” and the “Mark”

20 The symbolic character of the “mark” is

more readily and quite naturally com-
prehensible when one becomes fully aware of the
ry and the cleansing of history, the “servants of
God” will be sealed—to indicate to Whom they
belong and of Whom they partake­—by the “oth-
historical context of the narrative in the Book of er Angel.”2 The “sheep” of the “Good Shepherd”3
Revelation, within which not only the destruc- will be sealed with the “seal of the Lamb,”4
tive work of the Beast, the Antichrist, but also whereas the “goats,”5 “whose names are not writ-
the saving work of the Lamb, Christ, is put forth. ten in the Book of Life from the foundation of
the world,”6 will be sealed by the “other Beast”7

21 Let us remind ourselves that in chap- with the “mark of the Beast.”8
ters 12–13 the Church is presented as be- a.“And I saw another Angel ascending from the
ing in the last times and experiencing the inten- rising of the sun, having the seal of the living
sity of the final tribulation and persecution. The God, and he cried with a loud voice...saying,
dramatic struggle throughout the centuries be- Hurt not...till we have sealed the servants of
tween the Kingdom of God and the opposing our God upon their foreheads.”9
forces now comes to a head: the new People of b.“And it was said unto them [the locusts] that
God, prior to their entry into the New City of they should...hurt...only such men as have
the Eschaton, are going to engage in a confronta- not the seal of God upon their foreheads.”10
tion with the forces of evil, from which they will c.“Then I looked, and lo, on Mount Sion stood
emerge triumphant. the Lamb, and with Him a hundred and for-
ty-four thousand who had His Name and His
Father’s Name written on their foreheads.”11
22 Before the showdown between the
Lamb and the Beast in the “Eschato-
logical War,”1 which will end in the final victo-
d.“This [the sealing through an Angel] will as-
suredly take place at the time of the coming
of the Antichrist, when the seal of the Life-
1 The “Eschatological War,” the great and final conflict, is giving Cross will separate the faithful, who
the well-known and much misunderstood battle of Arma- will bear the sign of Christ before the impi-
geddon (the sixth vial): “the battle of that great day of God ous without shame and with boldness, from
Almighty” (Revelation 16:14; cf. Joel 2:11; Sophonias 1:14; the unbelievers.”12
Zacharias 14:1; II St. Peter 3:12), that is, the obliteration and
decisive annihilation by the Lord of the forces of evil on
e.“They will undergo this [death] who are not
the day of the Second Coming. signed with the Divine seal on their fore-
• This war is certainly not an actual, literal war, but is—al- heads and do not shine with the illumination
beit in the phraseology of warfare, in a metaphorical and
spiritual sense—a multitude of different images depicting 1986], pp. 243–247.)
the same reality: the final judgment of God against the 2 Revelation 7:2, 3.
forces that oppose Him. 3 St. John 10:1–21.
• See Revelation 16:14–16; 14:19–20; 17:14–16; 19:11–21; 4 Cf. Revelation 7:2; 9:4.
20:7–10; Ezekiel 38–39; Zacharias 14; Joel 3. 5 St. Matthew 25:33.
• This eschatological conflict will apparently occur in many 6 Revelation 13:8; 17:8.
places: Armageddon (Revelation 16:16); Jerusalem (Revela- 7 Revelation 13:11.
tion 14:19–20; 20:9; Zacharias 14:2); Babylon (Revelation 8 Revelation 16:2; 19:20.
18:2, 9–10, 15–19, 21; 14; 16; 17); Heaven (Revelation 19:11– 9 Revelation 7:2–3.
15); the land of Israel (Ezekiel 38:8); the mountains of Israel 10 Revelation 9:3, 4.
(Ezekiel 39:2); the Valley of Josaphat (Joel 3:2). (For more 11 Revelation 14:1.
details, see N.I. Soteropoulos, Ἀντιχιλιαστικὸν Ἐγχειρίδιον 12 Andrew, Commentary on the Apocalypse, ch. 19, Patrologia
[Anti-millennialist handbook], 3rd ed. [Athens: Ho Stavros, Græca, Vol. CVI, col. 277C.

32
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

of the Life-giving Cross through the Holy the Lamb upon their foreheads—something un-
Spirit, so that it will not be the case that, as questionably symbolic—fully confirms the incor-
the Master says, their light shines before men poreal and imperceptible nature of the eschato-
unto the glory of the Divine Name.”13 logical mark.
f.“The foreheads of all these are sealed by the a.“And I saw the Holy City, new Jerusalem,
light of the Divine countenance, where- coming down from God out of Heaven.
by they appear venerable to the destroying ...[A]nd His [the Lamb’s] servants shall serve
angels.”14 Him, and they shall see His face; and His
g.“At the time of the coming of the Antichrist, Name shall be on their foreheads.”18
the seal of the Life-giving Cross will reveal b.“They will have...the Divine Name engraved
those bearing the inscription of Holy Bap- not only on their foreheads, but also on their
tism more clearly. For these are the inherit- hearts, indicating their firm, confident, and
ance of Christ.”15 immutable love for Him; for the inscription
on the forehead alludes to an adornment of

23 All of the foregoing citations empha- boldness.”19

size the indisputably symbolic and in- c.“Unless the soul has the image of the Heav-
corporeal nature of the eschatological “sign” of enly Spirit in ineffable light, Christ imprint-
the “sheep” and the “goats,” especially in view of ed on it, ...for this is the mark and sign of the
the fact that the names and the name borne on Lord imprinted on souls, being the Spirit of
his forehead by the mounted Commander Christ, ineffable light..., it is not fit for the treasures
when he sallies forth into the Eschatological War, on high and is discarded.”20
are clearly symbolic and not perceptible.
a.“...[A]nd behold a white horse; and He that
sat upon him... had a name written, that no
man knew, but He Himself...: and His Name
25 Consequently:
a. If we suppose that we find ourselves to-
day before the End and that the process of
is called The Word of God.”16 imposing the “mark” on the “goats” has be-
b.“The unknowability of the Name signifies gun, then the related process of “sealing” the
the incomprehensibility of His Essence. For “sheep” must also have commenced.
though bearing many names with respect to b. In such a case, if the “mark of the Beast” is
His Œconomies...in His Essence He is un- outward and visible, then the “seal of the
nameable and inaccessible, being known to Lamb” must likewise be outward and visible.
Himself alone, together with the Father and c. Now, do we actually see around us any pi-
the Spirit.”17 ous Christian who has “the Name of Him
[the Lamb] and the Name of His Father” in-

24 Finally, the fact that the righteous in the scribed on his forehead? Can it be that such a
New Jerusalem will bear the Name of process has even begun?

13 Ibid., ch. 26, Patrologia Græca, Vol. CVI, col. 297AB.

14 Ibid., ch. 39, Patrologia Græca, Vol. CVI, col. 341B.
15 Arethas, Collection of Interpretations of the Apocalypse, ch. 18 Revelation 21:2; 22:3–4. Cf. Revelation 3:12.
18, Patrologia Græca, Vol. CVI, col. 604C. 19 Andrew, Commentary on the Apocalypse, ch. 68, Patrolo-
16 Revelation 19:11–13. gia Græca, Vol. CVI, col. 444D.
17 Andrew, Commentary on the Apocalypse, ch. 58, Patrologia 20 St. Macarios of Egypt, “Homily XXX,” §5, Patrologia Græ-
Græca, Vol. CVI, col. 401B. ca, Vol. XXXIV, col. 724CD.

33
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

—o—
“Have you not heard the Divine Chrysostomos saying that the Devil fears
him who studies the Divine Scriptures and has inscribed the Divine law on his
heart, and that he flees far from him? Do you wish to hear His own words? Hear
them: ‘For when the Devil sees the law of God written in the soul, and the heart
become tablets whereon to write it, he [the Devil] will not approach thenceforth.
For wherever the king’s writing is, not engraved on a pillar of brass, but stamped
by the Holy Spirit on a mind that loves God and gleams with much Grace, he
[the Devil] will not be able even to look at it, but will turn his back on us from
afar. For nothing is so terrible to him and to the thoughts suggested by him as a
mind that meditates on the things of God and a soul which ever cleaves to this
fountain.’ Hence, why do you fear him who, rather, fears you?”

(St. Nicodemos the Hagiorite, Νέα Κλῖμαξ [New Ladder] [Volos: Ekdosis Soteriou
N. Schoina, 1956], p. 92; St. John Chrysostomos, “Homily III on St. John,”
§1, Patrologia Græca, Vol. LIX, col. 38)

34
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

■ C6. The Number 666 Is Neutral

26 Numbers are concepts, which are denot-

ed either through mathematical symbols
(Arabic: 1, 2, 3...), or through letters (Greek: α´, β´,
out of such considerations unwittingly digni-
fy not only that number but every number in
general, since each of them naturally possess-
γ´...). or through words (one, two, three...). es such positive attributes. For since numbers
• Numbers do not have any other meaning were created by God along with all other ex-
than that which human beings give them in or- isting things, and everything created by God
der to use them in their worldly needs (counting is good and very good, as the Creator Him-
or indicating quantities and sizes) or, secondarily, self bore witness through Moses, whatever as-
for the “symbolization” of a person or thing (Ge- pect of numbers one selects and scrutinizes
matria: the arithmetical value of the letters of a he will find good and very good, wondrous-
word corresponds to a number; every word trans- ly proportioned within itself and in relation
lates into a number). to others.”3
a.“The sixth day betokens the inner principle

27
[λόγος] of the being of existing things. The Thus, just like all numbers, without any
seventh day signifies the mode of the well- distinction whatsoever, the number 666,
being of existing things. The eighth day de- too, is neutral in and of itself: that is, it is not
notes the ineffable mystery of the eternal objectionable, does not have any essential pow-
well-being of existing things”; “for it has er, does not contain any supernatural energy, has
been said that the number six signifies practi- nothing mysterious about it, and is not Satanic.
cal philosophy.”1 • The Orthodox Church has never taught that
b.“For, transferring the name Jesus, which be- the number 666 is “dangerous” and consequently
longs to another language [Hebrew], to the that it should be treated with “caution,” since it
numeration of the Greeks, they [the hereti- is, supposedly, the “name” of the Antichrist, rep-
cal Gnostics] call it symbolic, at times as hav- resents him, stands for him, or functions as his
ing six letters, and at other times as contain- emblem or symbol.
ing ‘the Plenitude of the Ogdoad,’ that is, the • The holy expositors, when speaking about
number 888. However, His [corresponding] the “name” of the Antichrist, have never drawn
Greek name, which is ‘Soter,’ that is, Salva- to our attention the alleged danger of the num-
tor [Savior], because it does not fit in with ber 666, let alone that such a danger should arise
their contrived system, either with respect to in the course of history (and before the coming
numerical value or as regards its letters, they of the Antichrist). On the contrary: in point-
pass over in silence.... [F]or it is a word of ing out that it corresponds to many names, they
five letters, and its numerical value is 1408.”2 clearly refute the notion that 666 is the “iden-
c.“Those who hold the number seven in honor tity of the Antichrist,” as though an identifying
1 St. Maximos the Confessor, “First Century of Texts on number is univocal, that is, singular and unique
Theology and the Incarnate Œconomy of the Son of God,” for each person.
§56, Patrologia Græca, Vol. XC, col. 1104C; “Third Century
a.“For a number consisting of six or sixes,
of Various Texts on Theology, the Divine Œconomy, and
Virtue and Vice,” §53, Patrologia Græca, Vol. XC, col. 1284A. whether it is composed of units, tens, or hun-
2 St. Irenæus of Lyons, Scrutiny and Refutation of Knowl-
edge Falsely So-Called (Against Heresies), Bk. II, ch. 24, §1, 3 St. Gregory Palamas, “Homily XVII, Explaining the Mys-
Patrologia Græca, Vol. VII(A), col. 788AB. tery of the Sabbath and of the Lord’s Day, and on the Gos-
• Among the inscriptions at Pompeii (79 A.D.) the follow- pel appointed for the Sunday of Renewal,” Patrologia Græ-
ing is very typical: “I love her whose number is 545.” ca, Vol. CLI, cols. 224D–225A.

35
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

dreds, or of some other number, denotes the number 666; they have never faced any dilemma
habit which produces virtue and vice, and when it comes to resting on a seat numbered 666
which, in proportion to the multiplication of on a boat, in a train, in an airplane, or in a hall,
its composition, brings the former or the lat- etc.; they have never hesitated to make mathe-
ter disposition to fulfillment, presenting it to matical transactions that would yield the num-
those who reflect on numbers with knowl- ber 666.
edge...such that that the number might be a.“And the weight of gold that came to Solo-
blameworthy or praiseworthy, according to mon in one year was six hundred and sixty-
the passage of Scripture under scrutiny.”4 six talents of gold.”8
b.“The same number can be found to apply b.“And these are the people of the land that
to many names; for if there are many names went up, of the number of prisoners who
found possessing the same number, it will be were removed, ...and they returned to Jeru-
asked which of them the one who is to come salem and Juda, every man to his city, who
shall bear.”5 came with Zorobabel.... The children of
c.“For we find many names that correspond Adonicam, six hundred and sixty-six.”9
to this number: such as, for instance, the c.“One of the notables of the city once took
word ‘Titan,’ an ancient and notable name, ill. The Saint [Symeon, the fool for Christ]
or ‘Evanthas,’ for it too makes up the same was in the habit of going to him and play-
number; and many others could be found.”6 ing in his house. When he was on the point
d.“As though by way of a verbal exercise, it is of death, he saw himself in his sleep playing
possible, according to the Blessed Hippolytos backgammon with some black person. This
and others, to find many names, both com- was death. It was the sick man’s turn to throw,
mon and proper, which correspond to this and if he did not throw three sixes, he would
number.”7 lose. Abba Symeon appeared to him in his
sleep and said: ‘What are you doing, stupid?

28 Pious servants of God have never feared This black man is now going to beat you. But
the number 666; they have never de- give me your word that you will no longer
leted the page numbered 666 from the books pollute your wife’s bed, and I will throw for
of Holy Scripture or from Patristic texts; they you and he will not beat you.’ After swear-
have never refused to read Synaxaria in which ing an oath, the one who had this vision said,
the number 666 is mentioned in the Lives of the ‘he took the dice and threw them, and the re-
Saints; they have never been scandalized by nar- sult was three sixes.’ After the sick man woke
ratives in the Old Testament which employ the up, the Fool immediately went to his house
and said: ‘You did well to throw three six-
4 St. Maximos the Confessor, Responses to Thalassios Con-
es. Believe me, if you violate your oath, that
cerning Various Difficulties in Divine Scripture, XLIX, Patro- black man will suffocate you.’ After insulting
logia Græca, Vol. XC, col. 456C–457A. him and all the members of his household,
5 St. Irenæus of Lyons, Scrutiny and Refutation of Knowl- he took off at a run.”10
edge Falsely So-Called (Against Heresies), Bk. V, ch. 30, §3,
Patrologia Græca, Vol. VII(B), col. 1206A.
6 St. Hippolytos of Rome, Demonstration Concerning
Christ and the Antichrist, §50, Patrologia Græca, Vol. X, cols.
769C–772A.
29 Finally, Sacred Tradition has never char-
acterized the number 666 as supposed-
7 Andrew, Commentary on the Apocalypse, ch. 38, Patrologia 8 III Kings 10:14.
Græca, Vol. CVI, col. 340C. 9 II Esdras 2:1–2, 13 (Ezra 2:1–2, 13).
• Cf. Arethas, Collection of Interpretations of the Apocalypse, 10 Leontios of Neapolis, Life of St. Symeon the Fool for
ch. 18, Patrologia Græca, Vol. CVI, col. 681C. Christ, §57, Patrologia Græca, Vol. XCIII, cols. 1740C–1741A.

36
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

ly “unlucky.” auspicious as a result of good deeds....

• St. Nicodemos the Hagiorite, in his expla- Thus, Judas is called ‘evil-named’...on ac-
nation of the phrase “the evil-named Iscariot,”11 count of the great evil of the betrayal that
declares that he committed.12

Judas is said to be ‘of evil name,’ not be-

cause the name ‘Judas’ is evil...nor because
the name ‘Iscariot’ is wicked.... In fact, the
30 Consequently: The recent and widely-
disseminated fear of numbers regard-
ing the neutral and irreproachable number 666 is
name ‘Judas’ is auspicious; for ‘Judas’ is in- groundless and evinces a superstitious and prej-
terpreted as ‘confession,’ and confession is
udiced outlook— something inadmissible for
not only not inauspicious, but is also the
most auspicious of things auspicious....
those who have died “with Christ from the ru-
Therefore, it is not on account of his name diments of the world,”13 according to the Divine
that Judas is called ‘evil-named,’ no!... the Apostle Paul.
good name of a man gains an evil repu-
tation from wicked deeds; and conversely,
the inauspicious name of a man becomes

—o—
“Just as wax, if not heated or softened thoroughly, cannot receive the imprint
of a seal, so neither can man, unless he is tested through toils and infirmities, re-
ceive the seal of God’s virtue.”
(St. Diadochos of Photike, Ascetic Discourse, §94, Φιλοκαλία,
[Athens: Ekdotikos Oikos “Aster,” 1957], Vol. I, pp. 268–269)

—o—
“Those who really speak about the end times are those who practice hesychasm, not
relaxation. Genuine Orthodox eschatology is hesychasm.”
(Protopresbyter John S. Romanides, Patristic Theology, tr. Hieromonk Alexis [Trader]
[The Dalles, OR: Uncut Mountain Press, 2008], p. 108)

12 Ἑορτοδρόμιον [Commentary on the Great Feasts] (Ven-

ice: 1836), p. 347.
11 See the Canon of Great Thursday, Ode 8, Trop. 2. 13 Colossians 2:8, 20.

37
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

■ C7. The Number 666 Is Not the Symbol of the Antichrist

31 In general terms, whatever is used sym-

bolically to represent something else or
is considered by convention to represent or de-
ticular referent.
b. The symbol must be fixed and unchanging
in form.
fine something else is called a symbol (general- c. The symbol must function as such in a spe-
ly: a sign). cific context.
• The symbol of Christianity is the Cross. The • For example, the “+” sign will be the Chris-
symbols of Christ are the Lamb, the Fish, and tian Cross, the sign of Christ:2
the Good Shepherd. The symbol of hope is the a. only when it is associated with the Crucifix-
anchor. The symbol of peace is the dove (with an ion of our Savior;
olive branch). The symbol of addition is the “+” b. only when it is formed by two intersecting
sign. The symbol of sodium is “Na.” The symbol lines: one vertical and one horizontal;
of mass is “m.” The symbol of (royal) authority is c. only when it is connected with Christian
the rod or scepter. worship, witness, and confession.

32 A concrete symbol is capable of func-

tioning in a polysemous way, especial-
ly when it has the form of a figure, something
34 On the basis of the foregoing principles,
the neutral number 666 cannot possibly
be regarded as the symbol of the Antichrist, for
that is due to the diverse realities (religious, eth- the following fundamental reasons:
ical, ideological, scientific, physical, social, aes- a. The Orthodox Church has never stated or
thetic...) which those who use it wish to express proclaimed this or anything related to the
through this symbol: different groups of people symbolization of 666.
use the same symbol, but each one typically un- b. In the controversial passage from the Book
derstands it to have a different meaning. of Revelation,3 the Antichrist is not present-
• For example, the “+” sign constitutes the ed as bearing a visible emblem, that is, 666,
Sign of the Cross for the Christian community;1 which allegedly serves to identify him.
it is the addition sign for the mathematical com- c. In the passage in question, the number 666
munity; it is the sign of positive electric current is not rendered as a figure, that is, as three
for electricians; among traffic signs, it signifies an sixes, “666,” as the cruciform “Tav” (τ or +
intersection, etc. or Χ)4 was rendered in the vision of the Holy
Prophet Ezekiel, as a sign of protection of

33 Therefore, in order for a symbol to rep- the faithful, but as a common and ordinary
resent or define something exclusively, number, which results from a mathematical
the following three conditions at least must with- operation: the “Gematric” process of “enu-
out fail be fulfilled: meration,” “calculation,” and “computation.”
a. The symbol must pertain exclusively to a par-
2 Cf. St. Matthew 24:30.
1 The Cross has always been a sacred symbol, carried by 3 Revelation 13:18.
false deities, kings, and other official personages as an em- 4 Ezekiel 9:4, 6. Tav (Taw) is the last letter of the Hebrew
blem of life. The figure of the cross “with different variants alphabet—Trans.
was known in the ancient world, the pre-Christian world, • In this prophetic vision, the idolatrous inhabitants of Je-
and is encountered everywhere in the world” (for more rusalem are struck by six Angels, whereas the innocent and
details, see the article by Georgios Gratseas, “Σταυρός” the pious are “marked” on the forehead by another Angel.
[Cross], in Θρησκευτικὴ καὶ Ἠθικὴ Ἐγκυκλοπαιδεία, Vol. • See also the “signs” of salvation: Exodus 12:7, 13; Isaiah
XI [Athens: 1967], cols. 411–414). 44:5; Revelation 7:3–8; 9:4; 14:1.

38
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

d. The number 666 does not exist in this pas- tive connotation given to it through its transfor-
sage. In fact, in manuscripts it is rendered mation into a symbol of the Antichrist, with all
in a variety of forms: at times the Greek nu- that this entails, is not consonant with the spirit
meral, in two forms (χξϛ´ or ΧΞϚ´), and at of the Book of Revelation, which exhorts—when
times written out (“ἑξακόσια/-οι/-αι, ἑξήκο- the Beast is already treading the boards of history
ντα ἕξ”). and engaged in anti-Christian activities—simply
e. The number 666 does not have only one, and solely, “let him count”; that is, let him per-
fixed form, but many: 666 (Arabic numerals), form a purely symbolic arithmetical operation in
χξϛ´ or ΧΞϚ´ (Greek numerals), DCLXVI (Lat- order to discover the “number of the [then famil-
in numerals), ‫ םסו‬or ‫( תרסן‬Hebrew numerals), iar] name.”5
1010011010 (the binary system used in com- “Here is wisdom. He that hath understanding,
puter systems), etc. let him count the number of the beast; for it is
the number of a man: and his number is Six hun-

35 Consequently: The “mystification” of dred and sixty and six.”6

the neutral number 666 and the nega-

5 Revelation 13:17.
6 Revelation 13:18.

39
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

■ C8. Demystification of the Number 666

36 The non-explicit transmission by the

Book of Revelation of the name of the
Antichrist, with the sole exception of his arith-
should attend haphazardly to the words and
inquire into nothing more than the letters,
he will be greatly in error.”4
metical formula, has contributed to the “mys- c. Knowledge of the hermeneutical canons ac-
tification” of the number 666. The “number of cording to the method5 followed by the Fa-
the Beast” has been invested with a veil of mys- thers is required:
tery, something which has led to many misun- • “For this is the best method of inquiry”;6 “so
derstandings. also those who do not know the method of
• The verse Revelation 13:18 is “not only dif- the Divine Scriptures, and do not examine its
ficult, but impossible to understand, and it as- idioms and laws, but go over everything care-
suredly provokes the interest of the believer, lessly and in one way, will mix the gold with
since it is mysterious and speaks about the An- earth and will never discover the treasure that
tichrist, that is, it combines the incomprehensi- is laid up therein”;7 “We need great watch-
ble with the fascinating. More interpretations of fulness, or rather the Grace of God, in order
it have been proposed than of any other passage to avoid dwelling on mere words. For this is
in Scripture.”1 how the heretics are led astray, because they
neither examine the purpose of the speaker

37 For a hermeneutical approach to the nor the disposition of the hearers. Therefore,
number 666, which is at first sight cryp- if we do not add these factors and others be-
tic, the following preconditions are necessary: sides, such as times, places, and the mind of
a. Rigorous investigation and fervent prayer are the hearer, many absurdities will result.”8
required:
• “Beloved, we need much diligence, much
watchfulness, to be able to look into the
depth of the Divine Scriptures. For it is not
38 One of the fundamental rules of the Pa-
tristic method of exegesis is the histori-
cal basis, the historical milieu in which a sacred
possible to discover their meaning in a hap- text was written: “Who is the writer, when did he
hazard way, or while asleep; rather, there is write, and about what?”9
need of rigorous investigation and also of fer- 4 “Homily VIII ‘On the Incomprehensibility of God,’” §1,
vent prayer.”2 Patrologia Græca, Vol. XLVIII, col. 769.
b. Avoidance of literal interpretation is re- 5 Despite the fact that all parts of Divine Scripture were
quired: written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (a very im-
portant hermeneutical principle), the tools of the histori-
• “In the case of the Divine Scriptures, those
cal and grammatical method are indispensable; the Divine
who read the letters carelessly suppose them Chrysostomos greatly enriches and systematizes them for
to be mere letters and to have no more con- the first time, characterizing them all together as a “meth-
tent than any other letters”;3 “For if one od” (Ἀκολουθία) (for further details, see Stylianos G. Pa-
padopoulos, Ἅγιος Ἰωάννης ὁ Χρυσόστομος [St. John
1 Stergios N. Sakkos, “ΧΞϚ´ – Τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Ἀντιχρίστου” Chrysostomos] [Athens: Apostolike Diakonia tes Ekklesias
[666: The name of the Antichrist], in Ἡ ἔρευνα τῆς Γραφῆς tes Hellados, 1999], Vol. II, pp. 102ff).
[The study of Scripture] (Thessalonike: Ekdosis “He Apoly- 6 St. John Chrysostomos, “Against Those Who Left the
trosis,” 1969), p. 152. Synaxis of the Church,” §3, Patrologia Græca, Vol. LI, col. 71.
2 St. John Chrysostomos, “Homily XXI on St. John,” §1, 7 Idem, “Homily XL on St. John,” §1, Patrologia Græca, Vol.
Patrologia Græca, Vol. LIX, col. 127. LIX, col. 229.
3 Idem, “To Those Who Reproached Him for the Prolixi- 8 Ibid.
ty of His Words,” §2, Patrologia Græca, Vol. LI, col. 126. 9 Idem, “Against Those Who Left the Synaxis of the

40
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

• The historical milieu must be taken very se- nent.14

riously into account, especially with regard to the • “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour
controversial passage in question, and certainly your Lord doth come.”15
more broadly with regard to the entire Book of • “[K]nowing the time, that now it is high
Revelation, since in our view it constitutes the de- time to awake out of sleep: for now is our
cisive hermeneutical key to the “number-name.” salvation nearer than when we believed. The
a. In interpreting the Apocalypse, we should night is far spent, the day is at hand.”16
not restrict ourselves to its futurological di- • “The time henceforth is short.”17
mension alone by isolating it from its his- • “The Lord is at hand. In nothing be
torical basis. The Holy Apostle John (†101)10 anxious.”18
writes from exile,11 and certainly not in a his- • “The day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in
torical void, but about the dramatic times the night.”19
through which the contemporary Christian • “Little children, it is the last time: and as ye
communities in Western Asia Minor were have heard that Antichrist shall come, even
passing, always from an eschatological per- now are there many antichrists; whereby we
spective: in the sacred text, history and es- know that it is the last time.”20
chatology interpenetrate, and “the present” is c. It should also not be forgotten that two great
revealed “through the categories of the past
and in the perspective of the future.”12 14 In the early Church, there were primarily four factors
that contributed to the faithful being at a very high level
• “Write the things which thou hast seen, and of watchfulness and having a very profound sense that the
the things which are, and the things which End and the Judgment were at hand, that the Kingdom
shall (must) be hereafter.”13 of God was already being realized, and that their hopes
b. The Saint, in writing about his era, about were being fulfilled: (1) the eschatological predictions of
events pertaining to his generation, presents the Lord; (2) their intense experience of the presence of the
Savior, especially by way of spiritual gifts; (3) the great an-
by means of very vivid images and symbols tithesis between the morals of the new and the old world;
the increasing hostility of the Roman Empire and (4) the increasing hostility of their environment.
towards the Church and the culmination of • The very intense nature of these experiences and feelings
this warfare, the eschatological war, the victo- gave rise to what are called “enthusiastic tendencies”: life,
ry of the Lamb, the conclusion of the primor- worship, and theology moved within this perspective. The
Church prayed for the swift coming of the Lord (“Μαρὰν
dial drama and the eschatological renewal of ἀθᾶ” [Maran atha]) and was in a state of readiness to meet
all things with the coming of the Kingdom Him; morals were very strict; those who sinned gravely
of God. The early Church expected all these were excluded from the community; ecstasies, visions, and
events to occur in the near future. There pre- revelations were common.
vailed a lively and abiding impression of their • It is within this milieu of intensity and watchfulness, of
hope and expectation, of tribulation and consolation, of
proximity, of something immediately immi- the clash between the Kingdom of God (Light) and the
Kingdom of Satan (Darkness), that the Sacred Apocalypse
Church,” §3, Patrologia Græca, Vol. LI, col. 71. was “given” and “sent.” The Apocalypse begins with the in-
10 Paschal Chronicle, Patrologia Græca, Vol. XCII, col. 608B. dicative statement, “for the time is at hand” (1:3), and con-
11 Revelation 1:9: “I John, who also am your brother, and cludes with the striking affirmation of Christ, “Yea, I come
companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and pa- quickly” (22:20).
tience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, 15 St. Matthew 24:42. See also St. Matthew 25:13; St. Mark
for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.” 9:1; 13:30–37; St. Luke 12:35.
12 Basileios P. Stogiannes, “Ἀποκάλυψη καὶ Πολιτική” 16 Romans 13:11–12.
[Apocalypse and politics] in Ἑρμηνευτικὰ Μελετήματα 17 I Corinthians 7:29.
[Hermeneutical studies] (Thessalonike: Ekdoseis P. Pour- 18 Philippians 4:5–6 (RV).
nara, 1988), p. 575. 19 I Thessalonians 5;2.
13 Revelation 1:19; 4:1. 20 I St. John 2:18.

41
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

persecutions had already occurred during the This tactic, which commenced under Au-
first century: the first in 64 A.D., under Em- gustus (31 B.C.–14 A.D.), culminated under
peror Nero (reigned 54–68 A.D.), and the sec- Domitian (81–96 A.D.): with sacrilegious ar-
ond in 95–96 A.D., under Emperor Domitian rogance, he demanded of his subjects that
(reigned 81–96 A.D.), which just preceded or he be addressed by the religious terms “Lord
coincided with the writing of the Apocalypse. and God” (“Dominus et Deus”)26 and pro-
• “‘I also will keep thee from the hour of tri- moted the imperial cult by means of coercive
al’: He means the persecution of Christians procedures both in Rome and in the rest of
that took place during the reign of Emper- the Empire.
or Domitian, who became the second per- • This blasphemous tactic of deifying the civ-
secutor after Nero, as Eusebios relates in his il authority, a usurpation of God on the part
Ecclesiastical History and in his Chronological of the totalitarian state, is hinted at by the
Canons. It was during his reign, too, that the Holy Apostle Paul: the Antichrist will try to
Divine Evangelist was condemned to live on show “that he is God”;27 and by St. John the
Patmos, a small and desolate island.”21 Theologian: in order to prove his divinization,
• “‘[T]he hour of trial’: He speaks of the im- the Antichrist bore “upon his [seven] heads
minent persecution against the Christians names of blasphemy” and “there was given
by those who impiously ruled Rome at that unto him a mouth speaking great things and
time.”22 blasphemies.”28
• “‘I also will keep thee from the hour of tri- f. Of particular interest to us here is that Asia
al’: By ‘the hour of trial’ he means...the per- Minor evolved into a center of this loath-
secution under Domitian, the second after some emperor-worship: in many cities stat-
Nero, as Eusebios, the disciple of Pamphilos, ues of gold and silver were set up and shrines
recounts; at that time the Evangelist him- in honor of the Emperor were constructed.
self was condemned to [exile on] Patmos by • It is significant that in Ephesus, during the
Domitian.”23 time of St. John, there were renowned shrines
d. During the persecution by Nero, the faithful for the worship of the Emperors Claudius
underwent “sudden and successive calamities (41–54 A.D.), Nero (54–68 A.D.), and Domi-
and adversities” and a large number of the tian (81–96 A.D.).29
elect suffered martyrdom, among them the g. This very oppressive milieu in Asia Minor,
Holy Apostles Peter and Paul;24 many more on account of the imperial cult, was exac-
suffered during the persecution by Domi- erbated by the traditional worship of Greek
tian.25
e. The chief cause of friction was the enforce- 26 Octavian (31 B.C.–14 A.D.), who “in the Greek cities of
Asia Minor was worshipped as early as 29 (together with
ment of worship of the emperors as deities. the goddess ‘Rome’),” assumed the titles Augustus and Di-
21 Oikoumenios, Complete Commentary on the Apocalypse, vus after his death; Caligula (37–41 A.D.) not only blas-
Discourse II, p. 194; Eusebios, Church History, Bk. III, ch. phemed the Divine Name, but demanded that a bust of
17, Patrologia Græca, Vol. XX, cols. 249C–252a; cf. Paschal himself be set up in the Holy of Holies for worship, a stat-
Chronicle, Patrologia Græca, Vol. XCII, col. 604A. ue of himself for worship in Cæsarea, and busts of himself
22 Andrew, Commentary on the Apocalypse, ch. 8, Patrologia in the synagogues of Alexandria; Nero (54–68 A.D.) is re-
Græca, Vol. CVI, col. 248A. ferred to on coinage as “Savior of the World.”
23 Arethas, Collection of Interpretations of the Apocalypse, ch. 27 II Thessalonians 2:4.
8, Patrologia Græca, Vol. CVI, col. 557B. 28 Revelation 13:1, 5, 6; 17:3.
24 St. Clement of Rome, First Epistle to the Corinthians, chs. 29 It should not be forgotten that the “apotheosis” of the
1, 5, 6, Patrologia Græca, Vol. I, cols. 205A, 271A–221A. city of Rome belongs in the same milieu: shrines to the
25 See the testimonies of Eusebios, Dio Cassius, Suetonius, goddess Rome had already been built in Smyrna (195 B.C.)
St. Jerome, and Tertullian. and Pergamon (29 B.C.).

42
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

and oriental deities, and still more so by the gium) and laws against treason (majestas).
confrontation with Jewish communities and Christians who rejected worship of the em-
poly-heretical and syncretistic Gnosticism.30 perors were regarded as conspirators against
the Roman State. Thus, ‘atheism’ turned into

39 Therefore, keeping in view—albeit in a charge of treason.”33

brief—this historical foundation of the b. Because of this, for reasons of security,
Book of Revelation and the fact that St. John is Christians used a symbolic system, a coded
addressing the Christians of Western Asia Mi- language, so that by a number or by differ-
nor, who were being oppressed and harassed on ent symbols, images, and depictions familiar
many fronts, in order to strengthen, edify, and to them from the prophetic and apocalyptic
console them, we can now easily understand why tradition34 they might understand particu-
he writes to them in iconic, symbolic, and allu- lar persons, truths, and ideas. Thus, one mes-
sive terms about all that Christ the Lamb had re- sage is “revealed” (to the initiated addressees),
vealed to him. while at the same time it is “disguised” (for
a. As far back as the times of Nero, Christianity the uninitiated state authorities).
had been included in the list of “proscribed c. Allusive formulations in general, aside from
societies,”31 and adherence to the Christian the arithmetical expression of human names,
Faith constituted a penal offense. are not unknown in sacred texts, especially
• “The subject peoples were obligated to offer when they make mention of the brutishly an-
worship to the Emperor, thereby certifying ti-Christian Roman Empire.
their respect for the law. As long as they did • “When therefore ye see the abomination of
this, they were able to maintain their own desolation, which was spoken of through
faith. Failure to conform to this obligation Daniel the Prophet, standing in the holy
constituted a serious offense against the State place [standing where he should not] (let
and carried the death penalty.”32 him that readeth understand), then let them
• The persecutors of Christians invoked “chief-
ly laws against sacrilege (“atheism”; i.e., ne- 33 Archimandrite Basileios K. Stephanides, Ἐκκλησιαστικὴ
Ἱστορία [Church history], 6th ed. (Athens: Ekdoseis Papa-
glect of the official Roman religion, sacrile-
demetriou, 1998), pp. 131–132.
• Cf. “...whereas they speak against you as evildoers” (I
30 For further details about the contents of §38.iii-vii, see St. Peter 2:12). “From this we may conclude that the first
Protopresbyter Ioannes G. Skiadareses, Λειτουργικὲς Christians were accused of being bad citizens as not obey-
Σκηνὲς καὶ Ὕμνοι στὴν Ἀποκάλυψη τοῦ Ἰωάννη [Liturgi- ing powers, authorities, and good laws” (Panagiotes N.
cal scenes and hymns in the Apocalypse of John] (Thessa- Trembelas).
lonike: Ekdoseis P. Pournara, 1999), pp. 296–341, 418–419. 34 On the basis of this prophetic and apocalyptic tradition,
• See also Stogiannes, “Ἀποκάλυψη καὶ Πολιτική,” who of- in the Johannine vision political authority, along with all of
fers a very workmanlike picture of the historical environ- its machinery, is symbolized by “Beasts” (see Daniel 7 and
ment of the Apocalypse: he places emperor-worship, as an 8; Revelation 13–20).
official state ideology, in the context of a concerted endeav- • “I, Daniel, beheld in my vision by night, and, lo, ...there
or to promote the Emperor as the supreme religious and came up four great beasts out of the sea, differing from one
political ruler, an endeavor pursued by Domitian as a cohe- another.... These four beasts are four kingdoms that shall
sive bond for the peoples of the vast Roman Empire. Thus, rise up on the earth” (Daniel 7:2–3, 17).
political activity was invested with religious terms and po- • “In type and image [the narrative] exhibits the kingdoms
litical ideology was transformed into theology: the pseudo- that have risen up in this world as beasts destructive of
theology of the imperial cult. humanity” (St. Hippolytos of Rome, Comments on Dan-
31 Religio illicita or societates illicitæ. iel, Patrologia Græca, Vol. X, col. 680D; see also Βιβλιοθήκη
32 Georgios Galites, Ἱστορία Ἐποχῆς τῆς Καινῆς Διαθήκης Ἑλλήνων Πατέρων καὶ Ἐκκλησιαστικῶν Συγγραφέων, Vol.
[History of the New Testament era] (Thessalonike: Ekdo- VI [Athens: Ekdosis tes Apostolikes Diakonias tes Ekklesias
seis P. Pournara, 1999), pp. 193–194. tes Hellados, 1956], p. 75, ll. 2–4).

43
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

that are in Judæa flee unto the mountains.”35 who are judicious recipients and readers of
• “And now ye know that which restraineth, to his epistle understand without any difficulty
the end that he [the Antichrist] may be re- which person is indicated by the number 666,
vealed in his own time. For the mystery of just as they understand everything hinted at
iniquity doth already work: only there is one in the following citations, which, moreover,
that restraineth now, until he be taken out of fully clarify the contents of chapter 13 and, in
the way.”36 particular, the identity of the Antichrist:
d. Specifically with regard to the Apocalypse, it • “Here is the mind that hath wisdom. The
is absolutely clear that when the Holy Apostle seven heads are seven mountains, on which
utters the exhortation, “let him count,” he is the woman [drunk with the blood of the
in no doubt whatsoever that those among his Saints and Martyrs] sitteth [the seven hills of
contemporaries (“He that hath understand- Rome]. And they are seven kings [a schema-
ing,” “Here is the mind that hath wisdom”)37 tization of the Roman Empire].... The Beast
that thou sawest was, and is not [and shall
35 St. Matthew 24;15–16 (RV).
• “The expressive term ‘abomination’ occurs in somewhat
come], and is about to come up out of the
the same sense also in Revelation 17:4, 5 and 21:27. In the abyss, ...and he goeth into perdition [the Ro-
Old Testament, it is used specifically concerning things per- man Emperor, the archetype of anti-Chris-
taining to the worship of idols (Deuteronomy 29:17; Eze- tian bestiality; in the eschatological perspec-
kiel 7:20; III Kings 11:5; IV Kings 16:3). The phrase ‘abom- tive, the Antichrist].38
ination of desolation’ [i.e., an abomination that causes
desolation] occurs twice in Daniel (11:31; 12:11; cf. also 9:27)”
e. It is, therefore, evident that the Saint’s in-
(Panagiotes N. Trembelas, ῾Υπόμνημα εἰς τὸ κατὰ Μᾶρκον junction, “let him count,” does not, in es-
Εὐαγγέλιον [Commentary on the Gospel according to St. sence, urge one to undertake any diagnostic
Mark], 3rd ed. [Athens: “Ho Soter,” 1983], p. 247b). test whatsoever, since those who are judi-
• The parenthetical clause, “let him that readeth under- cious are certainly aware of the identity of the
stand,” is supplied by the sacred authors Matthew and
Mark: the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans armies
“Beast”; rather, the purpose of his exhortation
is imminent; vigilance is needed.... is an encouraging reminder to the faithful
36 II Thessalonians 2:6–7 (RV). in tribulation39 and peril, as though he were
• Regarding the variety of interpretations of “that which re- saying to them:
straineth,” see Andreas Theodorou, “Ἡ περὶ Ἀντιχρίστου • “Little children, we know that it is the last
ἰδέα” [The idea of Antichrist], Θεολογία, Vol. XLI (1970),
pp. 111–112, 115, 218–220; Ioannes L. Galanes, Ἡ Δευτέρα
hour.... Do not lose heart and do not sub-
Ἐπιστολὴ τοῦ Ἀπ. Παύλου πρὸς Θεσσαλονικεῖς [The Sec- mit to the ‘Beast,’ which oppresses you and
ond Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Thessalonians] (Thes- demands that you worship it as ‘Lord and
salonike: Ekdoseis P. Pournara, 1989), pp. 180ff. God....’ Do not let his false wonders amaze
37 Revelation 13:18; 17:9. you.... His ‘number’ is the ‘number of a man’
• It is indisputable, from the fact that the Book of Revela-
tion is self-interpreting only at certain points, that the seer-
and not of a god.... He is not omnipotent....
writer and his readers (the People [of God]) know the same He is not God, but only an imperfect man,
linguistic code, the same means of expression of the broad- with limited powers and mortal: ‘He was,
er apocalyptic philological kind. (See the remarks of the and shall come, and is not, and goeth into
Angelic interpreter, one of the Elders, the author himself, perdition....’ The final word in history be-
or Christ: Revelation 1:20; 5:8c; 7:14; 19:8b; 21:9.)
• “The characteristic means of expression [of the Apoca-
longs to God, and not to the forces of the
lypse] were comprehensible for that period and its people, serpent, the author of evil, no matter how
whereas ever since then and to this day they are considered much they prevail temporarily.... Little chil-
the main reason for the difficulty or impossibility of under-
standing the Apocalypse” (Evangelia Amoiridou, Ἱστορία 666], Doctoral Dissertation [Thessalonike: 1998], p. 18).
τῆς Ἑρμηνείας τοῦ «Ἀριθμοῦ τοῦ Θηρίου χξϛ´» – 666 [His- 38 Revelation 17:9, 10, 8, 11.
tory of the interpretation of the “Number of the Beast,” 39 Revelation 1:9; 2:9, 10, 22; 7:14.

44
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

dren, be of good cheer; watch and pray; the • To the eternal and new city of Jerusalem that
Lord is near and will slay the ‘Beast’ ‘with the descends from Heaven45 he juxtaposes Bab-
breath of His mouth,’ ‘and bring to nought ylon/Rome, which rules the world, but is
[the Antichrist] by the manifestation of His doomed to destruction.46
coming.”40 • To the bride, Jerusalem/the Church47 he jux-
f. This encouraging reminder, as an essential in- taposes the whore, Babylon/Rome.48
terpretation of the word “let him count,” is • To the deeply loving bond between Christ
easily understood by the attentive reader of the Bridegroom and the Church, His Bride,49
the Apocalypse, who—interpreting and view- he juxtaposes the whorish relationship be-
ing chapter 13 together with the other chap- tween the political authority50 and its sub-
ters of the sacred text—is astonished as he as- jects or Babylon/Rome and the mighty of the
certains the way in which the holy visionary earth.
of Patmos consoles and upbuilds the belea- • To the Banquet of those called to the mar-
guered Church of Western Asia Minor, and riage supper of Christ the Lamb,51 which is
also, of course, the Church of the last times; filled with joy and exultation, he juxtaposes
he systematically juxtaposes Christ the Savior the orgy52 of the worshippers of the whore
and His Truth to that which constitutes its Babylon/Rome.
direct opposite or counterfeit; thus, he rela- • To the seal of the Lamb (the adoption into
tivizes the bestial and anti-Christian Roman sonship of Christ’s elect)53 he juxtaposes the
Empire and the eschatological Antichrist:41 mark of the Beast (the sign of ownership and
• To the exalted Christ, Who alone is Lord of fellowship of Satan’s followers).54
history and lives unto the ages of ages42 he • To the Bridal Escort/Friend of Christ (the
juxtaposes as His counterfeit and antagonist Holy Spirit)55 he juxtaposes the second
the self-deified Emperor,43 who “goeth into Beast/False Prophet (the pseudo-theology of
perdition.”44 the imperial cult and ideology).56
40 Cf. I St. John 2:18; Revelation 13:18; 17:8, 11; II Thessalo- • To the unceasing and universal worship of
nians 2:8.
41 Regarding this astonishing juxtaposition, cf. Skiadareses,
Λειτουργικὲς Σκηνὲς καὶ Ὕμνοι, pp. 310–311. 1:8; 21:22, 23, 9, 2, 10).
42 Revelation 1:18. Cf. the whole of chapter 5 (the Glory of 45 Revelation 21:4, 9.
the Lamb) and abundant Christological references in the 46 Revelation 14:8; 17:1–5; 18:3, 9; 19:2.
sacred text, such as: Revelation 11:17; 16:5, etc. 47 Revelation 19:7–9; 21:2, 9.
43 See especially chapter 13. 48 Revelation 14:8; 17:1–5; 18:3, 9; 19:2.
44 Revelation 17:8, 11. 49 Revelation 19:7–9; 21:2, 9.
• The “Beast,” the self-deified Emperor, as a counterfeit of 50 Revelation 14:8; 17:2; 18:3, 9.
Christ the Lamb, usurps His authority within history. The 51 Revelation 3:20; 19:9.
“new song” to the Lamb (Revelation 5:9–10) and the “song 52 Revelation 14:8; 17:2; 18:3, 9.
of Moses and of the Lamb” (Revelation 15:3–4) function as 53 Revelation 7:2, 3, 4, 5, 8; 9:4.
diametrical opposites of the parodic songs of the follow- 54 Revelation 13:16, 17; 14:9; 16:2; 19:20; 20:4.
ers of the “Beast” and of the “great city” (Revelation 13:4; 55 Revelation 19:10; 22:6, 17.
18:18). Whereas the “Beast” (the Roman Emperor) “goeth 56 Revelation 13:11–18; 16:13; 19:20; 20:10.
into perdition” (Revelation 17:8, 11) and the “great city” • “Of these opinions [of the different commentators] the
(Babylon/Rome) “is fallen, is fallen,” and “in one hour is... most probable is that which finds in the following para-
made desolate” and “shall be found no more at all” (Revela- graph [Revelation 13:11–18] allusions to the activity of the
tion 18:2, 19, 21), conversely: Christ is the “Lamb that stan- idolatrous priesthood in general, combined with the theur-
deth on Mount Sion,” “the Alpha and the Omega,” “Who gy practiced among certain priests (the cult of Asclepios,
is and Who was and Who is to come, the Almighty,” the etc.), especially following the deification of the secular au-
“Temple” and the “Lamp” of the “Bride,” the “Holy City, thority (worship of the goddess Rome, emperor worship,
Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven” (Revelation 14:1; etc.)” (Bratsiotes, Ἡ Ἀποκάλυψις τοῦ Ἰωάννου, p. 213).

45
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

the Triune God57 and especially of Christ the • “‘The mystery of iniquity.’ He speaks of Nero
Lamb, he juxtaposes the demonic and parod- as being a type of the Antichrist. For Nero
ic worship of the God-opposing trinity (the was indeed immoral and sought to be called
Dragon and the two Beasts),58 etc. a god. He says that Nero is the ‘mystery’ be-
cause Nero did not do shamelessly the kind

40 On the basis of all the foregoing, it is of things that the Antichrist will do. But
now very easy to remove the veil of for now, he says, he is working quietly, that
“mystery” that cloaks the “number of the Beast” is, under the influence of Satan. For Satan
in such a way as to demystify the number 666, brought about through Nero whatever he
and particularly in relation to the end times. pleased.”61
a. Nero Cæsar (reigned 54–68 A.D.), repre- • “He speaks in this way of Nero, who was a
senting the self-deified Roman Empire, was type of the Antichrist. For Nero was indeed
transformed in the conscience of Christians depraved and sought to be called God. Right-
at a very early stage into an archetype of un- ly does he say ‘the mystery.’ For Nero does
godly morality, an archetype of anti-Chris- not advance openly against every god, as he
tian bestiality and blasphemy, into a symbol will, nor without shame. What he is saying
par excellence of the Antichrist: is something like this. Before the time of the
• he had gathered together in his person a mul- Antichrist comes, another has been found
titude of dignities (“seven heads”); who is not inferior to him. Therefore, what
• he had collected many crowns, as an ath- surprise is it if the Antichrist is already here?
lete, a poet, an artist, a liberator, etc. (“ten He is speaking in a veiled way about Nero.”62
crowns”); • “[He calls here] Emperor Nero ‘the mystery
• he had a brutish and savage character (“the of iniquity’ on the ground that Nero was do-
Beast from the sea”); ing secretly and in a veiled way what he [the
• he had fiercely persecuted the Christians Antichrist] will do. For he was more depraved
(“war with the saints”); and more iniquitous than the emperors who
• he had carried on warfare against God, call- preceded him, and wanted to be a god, albeit
ing himself “Savior of the world” (“he opened not openly, like the Antichrist, but in a more
his mouth in blasphemy against God”). secret and concealed manner. Nero, there-
b. It is very significant that in the conscience fore, is a type of the Antichrist and a mystical
of early Christianity Nero was considered a and shadowy image of him: the Devil ‘works’
“type” of the Antichrist. through him, carrying him this way and that,
• “‘For the mystery of iniquity doth already and the Devil will work [likewise] through
work.’ He speaks here of Nero, as if he were the Antichrist.”63
the type of the Antichrist. For he too wished c.“Nero Cæsar,” expressed in Hebrew let-
to be considered a god.”59 ters64—without the vowels, of course—and
• “Some have said that Nero was called ‘the
mystery of iniquity,’ and had become a worker Patrologia Græca, Vol. LXXXII, col. 665B.
61 Oikoumenios, Commentary on II Thessalonians, Patrolo-
of impiety.”60 gia Græca, Vol. CXIX, cols. 120D–121A.
62 St. Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on II Thessalo-
57 Revelation 4:8–11; 5:6–14. nians, Patrologia Græca, Vol. CXXIV, col. 1341C.
58 Revelation 13:4, 8, 12, 15; 14:9, 11; 16:2; 19:20; 20:4 (the 63 Euthymios Zigabenos, Ἑρμηνεία εἰς τὰς IΔʹ Ἐπιστολὰς
Satanic trinity, 16:13). τοῦ Ἀποστόλου Παύλου [Commentary on the fourteen
59 St. John Chrysostomos, “Homily IV on II Thessalonians,” epistles of the Apostle Paul], ed. Nikephoros Kalogeras
§1, Patrologia Græca, Vol. LXII, col. 485. (Athens: Typois Adelphon Perre, 1887), Vol. II, p. 201.
60 Theodoretos of Cyrrhos, Commentary on II Thessalonians, 64 In that era, it was not at all unusual for Greek words to

46
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

“counted,” yields the “number of the Beast”: the “reincarnation” of archetypes in history,
‫ = נרון קסר‬666.65 the full traits of their historical identity are
• It is worth noting that the word “θηρίον,” not repeated; rather, the antitype of a given
when “counted,” also yields the “number of prototype or archetype is repeated, in a cer-
the Beast”: ‫ = תריון‬666.66 tain way, only “in spirit and power.”
d. Every Roman emperor, such as Domitian • A characteristic example:
(reigned 81–96 A.D.) in the time of St. John— The Holy Prophet Elias the Thesbite is the
the time when the Apocalypse was writ- archetype of the Prophet and Forerunner of
ten67—was a replica of “Nero Cæsar,” that is, Christ: according to the Prophet Malachi,
a “Beast,” whose number was 666. Elias would be sent before the Messiah, “be-
• “Dometian, having displayed great cruelty fore the great and glorious Day of the Lord
towards many people, ...ended up becom- cometh.”70 The Lord assured us that “this is
ing a successor of Nero in his enmity towards, Elias,” “Elias is come already”71 in the per-
and warfare against, God.”68 son of John the Baptist, “whom Christ called
e. Consequently, every reference on the part of ‘Elias,’ not because he was Elias, but because
the beleaguered Christians to the person of he was fulfilling his ministry.”72 According to
the Roman emperor, and thus also to Domi- the prophecy of the Holy Archangel Gabri-
tian, when it was negative in nature, had to el, the Baptist would go before Christ “in the
be couched in allusive terms through “his spirit and power of Elias”:73 “He called the
number, 666.” spiritual gift spirit and the activity power.”74
b. The Antichrist that is awaited in the end

41 It is necessary, in connection with what times will bear the primary traits of Nero
we have previously said, to clarify the fol- Cæsar, that is, blasphemous self-deification
lowing two issues, in order to draw sure and fi- and anti-Christian bestiality, but he is cer-
nal conclusions: tainly not identical with him, and still less in
a. In Holy Scripture, it is common for elements name, and it will not be necessary for Chris-
of the historical past (persons, peoples, cit- tians who are contemporary with him to re-
ies, countries)69 to be taken and transformed fer to him cryptically or by way of Gematria,
into positive or negative archetypes (or types nor will they have to undertake diagnostic
of attitudes towards God and His People). At tests, since—according to the Divine Paul—
his “appearance,” his “coming,” will cause a
be written in Hebrew letters.
sensation, “after the working of Satan with
65 ‫=[ ק‬100] + ‫=[ ס‬60] + ‫=[ ר‬200] + ‫=[ נ‬50] + ‫=[ ר‬200] + ‫ו‬
all power and signs and lying wonders.”75
[=6] + ‫= נ =[ ן‬50] = 666.
• The use of coded language was imperative
66 ‫=[ ת‬400] + ‫=[ ר‬200] + ‫=[ י‬10] + ‫=[ ו‬6] + ‫= נ =[ ן‬50] = 666.
67 St. John wrote the Apocalypse “towards the end of
at that time, St. John’s time, for purely his-
Domitian’s reign” (St. Irenæus of Lyons, Scrutiny and Refu-
tation of Knowledge Falsely So-Called (Against Heresies), Bk. 70 Malachi 4:5.
V, ch. 30, §3, Patrologia Græca, Vol. VII(B), col. 1207A. 71 St. Matthew 11:14; 17:12.
68 Eusebios, Church History, Bk. III, ch. 17, Patrologia Græ- 72 St. John Chrysostomos, “Homily LVII on St. Matthew,”
ca, Vol. XX, col. 249BC. §1, Patrologia Græca, Vol. LVIII, col. 558.
69 Peoples (Gog and Magog); cities (Sodom and Gomorrha, • “He said this because he [John] had fulfilled the ministry
Babylon); a country (Egypt). For example: “[I]f the Lord of of Elias” (St. Hesychios the Presbyter, Questions and Solu-
Sabaoth had not left us a seed, we should have been as So- tions, Patrologia Græca, Vol. XCIII, col. 1396A).
dom, and we should have been made like Gomorrha” (Isa- 73 St. Luke 1:17.
iah 1:9); “[I]n the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen horri- 74 Euthymios Zigabenos, Commentary on the Gospel of St.
ble things.... They are all become to Me as Sodom, and the Luke, Patrologia Græca, Vol. CXXIX, col. 864C.
inhabitants thereof as Gomorrha” (Jeremiah 23:14). 75 II Thessalonians 2:3, 6, 8, 9.

47
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

torical necessities; that is, it was an element the first: “he was, and is not, and shall come,
of the historical environment and context of and goeth into perdition”77 (at that time it
the Apocalypse, and certainly not an intrin- was Nero; he no longer exists now; his em-
sic and essential element of its prophecy. It bodiment is present; but he, too, will perish);
belongs to “the things which are” (the era of the second: “and his number is Six hundred
Domitian) and not to “the things which shall and sixty and six”78 (he, too, is a “Nero,” a
[which must] come to pass hereafter” (the transitory man, do not be afraid).
end times).76 c. During the brief period of the universal do-
minion79 of the final “Beast”: the identity

42 Consequently: of the Antichrist and his name will be obvi-

a. The number 666, in the times of the ous and self-evident; the faithful will have no
sacred author of the Apocalypse, functioned need of cryptic numbers to refer to the An-
in a purely historical and circumstantial man- tichrist; owing to the critical times, the im-
ner: it alluded to Nero Cæsar who, as an ar- portant thing will not be arithmetical calcu-
chetype of blasphemous self-deification and lations, but
anti-Christian bestiality, was identified, not • firstly: a profound and confident conviction
by name, but “in spirit and power” with the that the domination of the “Beast” is tempo-
“Beast” of that time, that is, the God-fighting rary;
and cruel persecutor Domitian. • secondly: constant vigilance to preserve the
b. In this sense, the following two phrases in “seal of the Lamb” (communion with Christ);
the Book of Revelation apply to all of the and
“Beasts” throughout history, in whom “Nero • thirdly: martyric resistance to the “mark of
Cæsar” was in some way embodied (Hitler, his [the Beast’s] name” (fellowship with the
Lenin, Stalin, Hoxha): Devil).

—o—
“Here is the patience of the saints, they that keep the
commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.”
(Revelation 14:12)

“Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth,

and keepeth his garments.”
(Revelation 16:15)

77 Revelation 17:8.
78 Revelation 13:18.
76 Revelation 1:19; 4:1. 79 Revelation 3:10.

48
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

■ C9. The Number 666 Is Not, and Does Not Function as, a “Preliminary Mark”

43 On the basis of all the aforesaid, we are

led naturally to the conclusion that the
number 666 cannot today, prior to the coming
other hand, is patently misinterpreted or
“wrested,” since:
➙ The passage is unclear, almost “out of place”
of the Antichrist, be considered, or function as, within the entire discourse, owing evidently
a “preliminary mark,” and still less as one percep- to its translation from a Syriac original;3
tible and equivalent to the eschatological “mark,” ➙ the passage is not a commentary [on the
a position which is confirmed by the following Apocalypse], just as, indeed, the whole dis-
even stronger arguments. course more generally is not a commentary
a. There is absolutely no evidence in Holy Tra- either;
dition that would provide any basis for this ➙ the discourse is, in literary terms, a highly
utterly newfangled theory concerning the charged and dramatic text, a “devout poetic
number 666 as an allegedly perceptible, ex- meditation”—a typical phenomenon in the
ternal, and very effective “pre-eschatological literary œuvre of St. Ephraim;4
mark.” This is completely unknown to Holy ➙ the discourse unfolds within the eschato-
Scripture or the Divine Fathers. logical framework of the symbolic three and
• The only passage that can be adduced in sup- a half years of the maleficent activity of the
port of this newfangled theory concerning “Beast,” and consequently the contents of the
the putative “pre-eschatological mark” comes passage at issue are situated hermeneutically
from a homily on eschatology by St. Ephraim in the same temporal framework;
the Syrian (306–373).1 This passage, on the ➙ one way or another, the “seal” should not
one hand, does not constitute a secure ba- be understood literally, but symbolically,
sis for far-reaching conclusions2 and, on the since it denotes ownership, relationship, par-
ticipation, and communion.
1 St. Ephraim the Syrian, “Discourse on the Second Com-
ing of the Lord, on the End of the World, and on the Com-
b. If it is supposed that the number 666 would
ing of the Antichrist,” in Ὁσίου Ἐφραὶμ τοῦ Σύρου Ἔργα be applied as a perceptible and visible “pre-
[Works of St. Ephraim the Syrian], ed. Konstantinos G. eschatological mark,” then there would have
Phrantzolas, Vol. IV, 1st ed. (Thessalonike: Ekdoseis “To to exist a historical and particular “pre-Anti-
Periboli tes Panagias,” 1992), pp. 111–128. christ,” who would impose it by means of a
• The passage at issue (pp. 116–117):
“The tyrant is preparing such a means, in order that all
specific procedure, to indicate a preliminary
might bear the seal of the Beast, when he comes to de- ownership by Satan and fellowship with him.
ceive all things, in his own time, with signs, in the full- Holy Tradition, however, is completely una-
ness of time.” ware of such a “pre-Antichrist.”
2 We are, of course, familiar with a large number of Greek • If a historical “pre-Antichrist” and a “pre-
texts which are, or are presented as, translations of works
by St. Ephraim from the original Syriac, but we should at
liminary mark” did exist, there would have
least be cautious about coming to final hermeneutical con- to be, at the same time, a historical and par-
clusions when we take into consideration that the majority ticular intervention by God in order to ap-
of Greek works by St. Ephraim “are clearly spurious, while ply the Name of the Lamb “and the Name
others are adaptations (and manifold, at that), paraphras- of His Father”5 as a perceptible and external
es, compilations, and arbitrary combinations of Ephraimite
and Greek texts,” and that among “the agglomerations of 3 St. Ephraim was, inter alia, a great poet, and the bulk
varying length of genuine and spurious works of Ephraim” of his œuvre, homilies and hymns, are in poetic, rhythmic,
are reckoned “three discourses on the Second Coming” and strophic language.
(Stylianos G. Papadopoulos, Πατρολογία [Patrology], Vol. 4 See the preceding note.
II [Athens: 1990], pp. 332–333, 339). 5 Revelation 14:1; cf. 3:12; 22:4.

49
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

“pre-seal” of His servants “on their foreheads.”6 assured us that:

Holy Scripture is, likewise, wholly unaware ➙ “‘Even now have there arisen many anti-
of this, and we do not, at least in our con- christs’: He is speaking of Cerinthos and
temporary historical milieu, detect any such those like him [Gnostics], ...the many an-
thing. tichrists who pave the way for the one”;
• It is very significant that our Lord, when “‘These things have I written unto you con-
speaking of all that will precede the final cerning them that would lead you astray’:
Apostasy and concluding His words, “behold, That is, on account of the heresies that had
I have foretold you all things,”7 not only did come forth [and deluged them]”; “‘[A]nd
not include in “all things” even one single ref- even now already is it [the Antichrist] in
erence to any perceptible and visible “prelim- the world’: He says that the Antichrist is al-
inary mark” or to any “pre-Antichrist,” but ready in the world, not bodily, but through
on the contrary directs the attention of His the false prophets, false teachers, and heretics
Disciples to the “many” precursors of the An- who pave the way for his coming.”15
tichrist who “shall come in My Name” and ➙ “‘Even now have there arisen many anti-
“shall deceive many,”8 that is, will not “im- christs’: For the Antichrist, he says, will come
pose a preliminary mark” on them. at the end of the world; but behold, he has
• Besides, St. John the Theologian, too, who is already appeared in the world; for heresies,
preëminently qualified to provide us with re- which are his friends and sisters, have pre-
liable information about eschatological signs, ceded him. Each of them, both the heretics
while drawing it very emphatically to our and the son of perdition, likewise blaspheme
attention that “it is the last hour” and that against Christ”; “‘These things have I written
“there have arisen many antichrists,”9 and unto you concerning them that would lead
while enumerating for us the distinguish- you astray’: I have gone through all of these
ing characteristics of the perennial Antichrist, thoughts on account of the heresies that have
that is, the precursors of the Antichrist,10 come forth”; “‘[A]nd even now already is it
does not mention at all, or even hint at, any [the Antichrist] in the world’: For heresies
“preliminary mark” as a visible tool of the have preceded him. The Manichæans and the
“Deceiver”11 and “Liar”12 par excellence or his Paulicians who have now recently appeared
precursory “seducers”13 and “liars.”14 pave the way for him by proclaiming him to
• Holy Tradition has never spoken about an be God.”16
historical and particular “pre-eschatological ➙ “Many antichrists have appeared, all of
mark”; it has never brandished the fear of a whom are forerunners and harbingers of the
“preliminary mark,” and still less one identi- one who in and of himself and properly is,
fied with the number 666; it has never pre- and is called, the Antichrist.... According to
pared us for an historical and particular “pre- Metrophanes, St. John calls antichrists Simon
Antichrist.” On the contrary, it has always and those in his circle, Menander, Satorni-
lus, Basilides, Carpocrates, Cerinthos, and
6 Revelation 7:3; 9:4; 14:1. Nicholas, the impious heresiarchs.... He saw
7 St. Mark 13:23.
8 St. Mark 13:6.
that the aforementioned heresiarchs took on
9 I St. John 2:18. the personality of him who is the Antichrist
10 I St. John 2:22; 4:3; II St. John 7.
11 II St. John 7. 15 Oikoumenios, Commentary on I St. John, Patrologia Græ-
12 I St. John 2:22. ca, Vol. CXIX, cols. 641B, 645B, 661D.
13 I St. John 2:26. 16 Euthymios Zigabenos, Ἑρμηνεία εἰς τὰς IΔʹ Ἐπιστολὰς
14 I St. John 2:22. τοῦ Ἀποστόλου Παύλου,Vol. II, pp. 605, 607, 620.

50
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

per se, and while in appearance they were not against our mind [νοῦς] through these they
considered the Antichrist, yet they held and compel it to consent to sin. Once the mind
championed all of the loathsome doctrines of has been overcome, they induce it to sin in
the Antichrist.”17 the intellect [διάνοια]. When this has been
➙ “How is it that the Antichrist is now in the accomplished, they lead it captive into car-
world? Theophylact, Metrophanes, and Oik- rying out the sin. After this, then, those who
oumenios reply that he is in the world now, have devastated the soul through thoughts
not he himself bodily, but through the pre- withdraw with them. There remains in the
cursors of his coming, who are the afore- soul only the idol of sin, about which the
said false prophets, false apostles, and here- Lord says: ‘When therefore ye see the abom-
tics. He will come near the last time before ination of desolation...standing in the holy
the end of the world, as the Blessed Paul says. place (let him that readeth understand).’ For
He appears even now, stalking through the the mind of man is a holy place and temple
world by means of the deception and activ- of God, in which the demons, having laid
ity of Satan, which works in the sons of dis- waste the soul through passionate thoughts,
obedience; for the same Satan who is going set up the idol of sin.”21
to work through the actual Antichrist in or- • “For the law of the flesh differs in no way
der to lead the world astray even now effects from the Antichrist, always striving against
various blasphemous heresies in the person of the spirit and opposing its Divine law, until
heretics in order to deceive the inattentive.”18 the present life becomes dear and pleasant to
c. Patristic Tradition acknowledges one and those who have been overcome by it.”22
only one preliminary mark as a perenni- • “Although the ‘man of sin,’ the ‘son of iniq-
al sign of the Antichrist: the “mystery of in- uity,’ by which I mean the Antichrist, has not
iquity” that has always been at work and its yet come, the Theologian beloved of Christ
cognate marks of polymorphous sin and er- says, ‘Even now, beloved, there is the An-
ror, which we receive by our own free choice tichrist.’... The great Paul teaches us quite
from wicked and unclean spirits in our hearts clearly that the Antichrist is among us, even
and which lead us gradually to become an- though he has not yet come, saying, ‘His
tichrists and bring us into full and decisive mystery doth already work in us.’”23
eschatological fellowship with the Satanic • “This statement of the Theologian, that the
trinity: the Dragon, the Beast, and the False Antichrist ‘even now already is...in the world,’
Prophet.19 is identical to what St. Paul says about the
• “[B]lot out the letters, or rather the marks, Antichrist: ‘[T]he mystery of iniquity doth
which the Devil has imprinted on your already work.’ ...The mystery of the coming
soul.”20 of the Antichrist was at work in those here-
• “From the passions that lie hidden in the soul tics of old, who appeared in the times of the
the demons take the opportunity to arouse Holy Apostles, and is at work even now in to-
passionate thoughts in us. Thereafter, warring
21 St. Maximos the Confessor, “Second Century of Texts
17 St. Nicodemos the Hagiorite, Ἑρμηνεία εἰς τὰς Ἑπτὰ on Love,” §31, Patrologia Græca, Vol. XC, col. 993C; St. Mat-
Καθολικὰς Ἐπιστολάς [Commentary on the Seven Cath- thew 24:15.
olic Epistles], 3rd ed. (Thessalonike: Ekdoseis “Orthodoxos 22 Idem, Concerning Various Difficult Passages of Sts. Diony-
Kypsele, 1986), pp. 495, 496. sios and Gregory, to Thomas the Sanctified [Ambigua], Patro-
18 Ibid., p. 563; cf. Ephesians 2:2. logia Græca, Vol. XCI, col. 1132C.
19 Revelation 16:13. 23 St. Gregory Palamas, “Homily XI, ‘On the Precious and
20 St. John Chrysostomos, “Homily XI on St. Matthew,” §7, Life-Giving Cross,” Patrologia Græca, Vol. CLI, col. 125C. Cf.
Patrologia Græca, Vol. LVII, col. 200. II Thessalonians 2:3; I St. John 2:18; II Thessalonians 2:7.

51
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

day’s heretics, the atheists, the mortalists, the we are anointed, so that we might become
materialists, the mechanists, and the various Kings, ruling over the passions; Priests, offer-
others who espouse many different kinds of ing our own bodies in sacrifice”; “and to offer
impiety.”24 ourselves as a living sacrifice well-pleasing to
d. Likewise, our Ecclesiastical Tradition ac- God”; “and Prophets, being taught the great
knowledges one and only one preliminary mysteries”; hence, “we have now not one dig-
seal as a perennial sign of Christ: the imper- nity, but the three dignities preëminently.”29
ceptible, invisible Seal of Christ the Lamb, • “God has made all Christians Prophets,
through which we are vouchsafed the salvific Kings, and Priests, though not in the special
blessing of having communion with the Fa- sense in which we speak of Prophecy, King-
ther, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and there- ship, and Priesthood, for in this sense only
by becoming Priests, Prophets, and Kings. those who receive the Anointing and the
• “The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and Grace of Prophecy, Kingship, and Priest-
the love of God, and the communion of the hood are Prophets, Kings, and Priests; but in
Holy Spirit, be with you all.”25 the sense in which Prophecy, Kingship, and
• “God is faithful, by Whom ye were called Priesthood are more commonly and general-
unto the communion of His Son, Jesus ly understood. For thus is it written in the
Christ our Lord.”26 Apocalypse: ‘[A]nd He made us to be a King-
• “[A]nd our communion is with the Father, dom, to be Priests unto His God and Father;
and with His Son Jesus Christ.”27 and again: ‘and [Thou] madest them to be
• “Now He that establisheth us with you in unto our God Kings and Priests, and they
Christ, and hath anointed us, is God, Who shall reign upon earth.’”30
hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of • “‘The light of Thy countenance is signed
the Spirit in our hearts.”28 upon us, O Lord’: a sign, he says, of the
• “Consider how he very clearly signifies the light of Thy countenance has come to us and
Holy Trinity: for it is the Father Who con- been imprinted on us, and this light of Thy
firms us in Christ,” that is, “He Who does countenance has been engraved in such a
not allow us to be shaken from the faith way that one who knows how to see the sign
which is in Christ,” “He Who has anointed of the light of God that has been signed on
us through the Holy Spirit,” “Who has sealed us might immediately understand that this
us by Divine Baptism; for this is a seal of the has come about for us.... Those who partic-
new People”; “the Father anoints and seals ipate thus in the light and can say in reali-
through the Holy Spirit. For these, the unc- ty, ‘The light of Thy countenance is signed
tion and the seal, are a pledge of the Com- upon us, O Lord’—since it [this light] is a
forter”; “‘and given the earnest of the Spir- 29 St. John Chrysostomos, “Homily III on II Corinthians,”
it,’ that is, the gifts of the Spirit”; “and now §4, Patrologia Græca, Vol. LXI, col. 411; Oikoumenios, Com-
mentary on II Corinthians, Patrologia Græca, Vol. CXVIII, col.
24 St. Nicodemos, Ἑρμηνεία εἰς τὰς Ἑπτὰ Καθολικὰς Ἐπι- 932CD; Euthymios Zigabenos, Ἑρμηνεία εἰς τὰς IΔʹ Ἐπι-
στολάς, p. 263. Mortalism is the doctrine that the soul per- στολὰς τοῦ Ἀποστόλου Παύλου,Vol. II, p. 382.
ishes with the body at death; mechanism is a philosophy 30 St. Nicodemos, Αἱ ΙΔ Ἐπιστολαὶ τοῦ θείου καὶ ἐνδόξου
which rejects Divine governance and posits that the uni- Ἀποστόλου Παύλου Ἑρμηνευθεῖσαι μὲν ἑλληνιστὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ
verse operates mechanically and by wholly natural process- Μακαρίου Θεοφυλάκτου Ἀρχιεπισκόπου Βουλγαρίας [The
es—Trans. Fourteen Epistles of the Holy and Glorious Apostle Paul,
25 II Corinthians 13:14. Interpreted by Blessed Theophylact, Archbishop of Bulgar-
26 I Corinthians 1:9. ia], 3rd ed. (Thessalonike: Ekdoseis “Orthodoxos Kypsele,
27 I St. John 1:3. 1990), Vol. II, pp. 36–37ς n. 26.
28 II Corinthians 1:21–22. • Revelation 1:6; 5:10; cf. Revelation 20:6; I St. Peter 2:5, 9.

52
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

cause of those who need such remedies suf- • “‘The light of Thy countenance is signed
fering nothing in the time of torment—have upon us, O Lord’: ...The succor of Thy prov-
the light of which they partake.... Now, what idential care has been signed upon me; for
is the sign given by God to the devout, or this is how ‘light’ should be understood, as
what is the sign given on the foreheads of the dispelling the darkness of despondency, and
zealots for the truth, who sigh over the trans- as being engraved, it has made me familiar
gressions committed among the people, if to those afar off. Some say that this verse is
not the communion of Divinity that comes prophetic of Christians, upon whom Christ,
to those who have a sound understanding Who is the Light of the Father, has been
thereof?”31 signed, that is, placed as a mark, since they
• “‘The light of Thy countenance is signed are called Christians. The Prophet joins him-
upon us, O Lord’: He [David] did not say, self to them on account of their kinship and
‘hath appeared’; he did not say, ‘hath shone’; affinity in the virtues.”34
rather, he said, ‘is signed,’ indicating that just • “Learn, brethren, what is the true imprint of
as what is signed on the forehead is manifest the seal of Christ.... The illumination of the
to all, and it is not possible for anyone not Spirit is truly a single seal.... All, therefore,
to notice it, neither can one be unaware of who are without this seal, run hither; all who
a face replete and resplendent with light and lack this sign, make haste to be signed with
emitting rays; so also, he says, neither can the sign of the Spirit.”35
one fail to be aware of Thy providence. For,

44
just as light that is signed, that is, imprinted Consequently:
and engraved, on a face is plain to all; so also a. It is futile to search, prior to the “ap-
is the providence of Thy love for mankind. pearance” and “coming”36 of the Antichrist,
For by ‘light,’ here, he means help, solicitude, for a special and particular external “prelim-
assistance, and providence.”32 inary mark,” which would, supposedly, be
• “‘The light of Thy countenance is signed perceptible and visible and identical to the
upon us, O Lord’: In more abstruse and mys- number 666.
tical terms, the Son is [understood to be] b. The “mark” is, and is identical throughout
the countenance of God the Father, and the history with, the “mystery of iniquity,”37 that
light is the Spirit sent forth from Him to us, is, with the corrosive activity of the wick-
through Whom we are sealed, refashioned in ed and unclean spirits, by means of which a
the original image.... Now, what is the coun- man’s heart is enslaved to sin and alienated
tenance of God the Father, the light of which from Christ the Lamb.
is signed upon us? The Son of God, His exact c. This activity of the Devil that prepares the
image, and because of this He says, ‘He who
hath seen Me hath seen My Father.’ He has
been signed upon us, showing us to be con- 34 Euthymios Zigabenos, Commentary on the Psalter, Patro-
formed to Himself, and engraving the illu- logia Græca, Vol. CXXVIII, cols. 96D–97A.
mination through His own Spirit as a Divine • Noteworthy, here, is the way in which the “mark” (the
seal of Christ) transcends time: the Holy Prophet aligned
image on those who believe in Him.”33 himself with the Christians, since the Grace of Christ, the
31 Origen, Commentary on the Psalms, Patrologia Græca, Vol. Light of the Father, had been “pre-signed/engraved” in his
XII, cols. 1164CD, 1165AB, 1165C. Psalm 4:7. heart.
32 St. John Chrysostomos, “Exposition of Psalm 4,” §9, Pa- 35 St. Symeon the New Theologian, Catecheses, Discourse II,
trologia Græca, Vol. LV, col. 54. Ἔργα, Vol. I, pp. 37, 32–33.
33 St. Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on the Psalms, Patro- 36 II Thessalonians 2:3, 6, 8, 9.
logia Græca, Vol. LXIX, col. 740BC. St. John 14:9. 37 II Thessalonians 2:7.

53
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

way for the Antichrist38 has always been go- d. Satan, who labors methodically to make
ing on (see the Beginning: the primordi- men antichrists, has no need of perceptible
al drama of Paradise39/the serpent, or Satan: and visible signs in order to achieve domi-
“[T]hrough envy of the Devil came death nation—“[H]e quietly introduces worship of
into the world”40); and will come to a head himself ”43—so as to “[find] them instruct-
(see the End: the eschatological cleansing of ed beforehand in his ways, and [to] recognize
history41/the Beast, or Satan: “And the Dev- himself as already formed in them.”44 Thus,
il...was cast into the lake of fire and brim- “when he comes after these things, finding
stone...for ever and ever”42). them made ready and mankind led astray
and without God’s help, it will be easy for
him to achieve his desire.”45

—o—
“But it is not so among the Saints, or rather not even among us sinners, who vehe-
mently despise it [the scheming of the demons]. For even if our life is unbearable, yet,
because by God’s Grace we cleave with much assiduity to the doctrines of the truth, we
are above the scheming of the demons.”
(St. John Chrysostomos, “Homily LXX on St. Matthew,” §4,
Patrologia Græca, Vol. LVIII, col. 691)

38 Revelation 12:9; 20:2: “The great Dragon..., that ancient

Serpent, he that is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver
of the world.”
39 Genesis 3. 43 A sentence from one of the Catenæ on the New Testa-
40 Wisdom of Solomon 2:24. ment.
41 The eschatological war: Revelation 16:14–16; 14:19–20; 44 St. Athanasios the Great, History of the Arians, §78, Pa-
17:14–16; 19:11–21; 20:7–10; Ezekiel 38–39; Zacharias 14; trologia Græca, Vol. XXV, col. 789A.
Joel 3. 45 A sentence from one of the Catenæ on the New Testa-
42 Revelation 20:10. ment.

54
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

■ C10. A Message of Edification, Consolation, and Hope

45 The Book of Revelation, when ap-

proached hermeneutically by means 46
Pious Christians are not influenced by
various newfangled theories concerning
of the presuppositions of Christocentric and “marks” and “preliminary marks,” nor are they in
Church-centered Orthodox spirituality, can be the grip of any “fear of numbers,” since, living as
understood as a unique and astounding mes- they do the Hesychastic and Eucharistic ethos of
sage of edification and consolation, based on the Church, they preserve and constantly renew
hope and blessed expectation of our Bridegroom the Baptismal “Seal of Grace,” which functions
Christ Who is to come. In no case whatsoever is preternaturally as their “seal, safeguard, and illu-
it to be understood as a text characterized by es- mination.”
chatological anxiety, fear of the “Beast,” and fear a.“Now, indeed, we receive the firstfruits of the
of his “mark,” since its “good tidings” are preëmi- Holy Spirit through Baptism, and this regen-
nently Theocentric and Christological, and not eration becomes the beginning of another life
centered on the Devil and the Antichrist. for us, its seal, safeguard, and illumination.”5
• The attention of the pious reader of the b.“May we preserve indwelling in our soul the
Apocalypse is not drawn primarily to chapter 13, Communion of the Holy Spirit and the Seal
but to chapters 4 and 5, which constitute literal- of Holy Chrism, which we received when we
ly “the theological center of the book,”1 and es- were baptized and became the Lord’s anoint-
pecially the “New Song,”2 which is sung by “the ed. For if we guard this through the obser-
four living creatures and the twenty-four elders” vance of the life-giving commandments, it
and which forms “the Christological center par will protect us in return from all harm of vis-
excellence”3 of the sacred text: ible and invisible enemies. And just as the
sheep that are sealed are not easily ensnared
Worthy art Thou / to take the book, /
and to open the seals thereof, /
by perceptible wolves, so also if we Chris-
for Thou wast slain, / and didst purchase tians, the sheep of Christ the Chief Shep-
unto God with Thy blood / herd, preserve safe and whole in our soul the
men of every tribe and tongue, / Seal of Grace that we received through Holy
and people and nation, / Chrism at our Baptism, we will not be en-
and madest them to be unto our God / snared by those noetic wolves, the demons—
a Kingdom and Priests; / as St. Gregory the Theologian says, ‘a sheep
and they shall reign upon earth.4 that is sealed is not easily ensnared’6—but
1 Chapters 4 and 5 “constitute the most fundamental sec- will be encompassed by the almighty right
tion of the work, which is justifiably characterized as the hand of the Most High and protected by the
theological center of the book. This section is the start- Holy Angels.”7
ing point and the end point not only for the major themes
that form its backbone, but also for noteworthy small de-
c.“If you wish to defeat the Devil, you can do so
tails which undergird the Apocalypse as a whole” (Skiada- with this Blood [of our Master Jesus Christ].
reses, Λειτουργικὲς Σκηνὲς καὶ Ὕμνοι, p. 104).
2 Revelation 5:9–10. tiracial, and multilingual Community, which belongs, as
3 Skiadareses, Λειτουργικὲς Σκηνὲς καὶ Ὕμνοι, p. 154. Bride, exclusively to the Bridegroom Christ and certainly
4 Revelation 5:9–10. not to the Beast (the self-deified Emperor—the Antichrist).
• The Christological and ecclesiological nature of the song is 5 St. John of Damascus, Exact Exposition of the Orthodox
very clear: Christ the Lamb is the Creator of the New Peo- Faith, Bk. IV, ch. 9, Patrologia Græca, Vol. XCIV, col. 1121C.
ple and Nation, that is, His Church; the New Israel—the 6 “Oration XL, ‘On Holy Baptism,’” §15, Patrologia Græca,
Priestly and Royal People—is the heir of God’s Covenant; Vol. XXXVI, col. 377B.
the People of the New Covenant form a multiethnic, mul- 7 St. Nicodemos, Ἑορτοδρόμιον, pp. 177–178.

55
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

As it is written in the Apocalypse: ‘And they and I know Mine,’ but introduces Himself
[the Saints] overcame him [the Dragon] be- as knowing His own sheep first, and then af-
cause of the blood of the Lamb.’... If you de- terwards He says that He will be known by
sire to enjoy the aforementioned Divine char- them”; “We did not know Him first, but
isms—that your soul be enlivened, that your He knew us first.... It is not we who initiat-
heart be made resplendent, that your mind ed this state of things, but the Only-Begot-
be illumined, and that you receive purifica- ten God from God; for we did not lay hold
tion of your pardonable sins—and yet oth- of the Godhead that is beyond [our] nature,
er ineffable and incomprehensible gifts, ap- but He Himself, Who is by nature God, took
proach the Immaculate Mysteries frequently on Him the seed of Abraham and became
and commune. However, be careful to com- man, in order that, being made like unto His
mune with due preparation: that is, through brethren in all respects, save sin, He might
Confession, through fasting as much as pos- receive into kinship him who of himself did
sible, through abstinence, through prayer, not have this [privilege], that is, man.”11
through attentiveness, with contrition of d.“‘I know My sheep, and am known of
heart, and with a clear conscience...; for ac- Mine. As the Father knoweth Me, even so
cording to the preparation that you make know I the Father’: This means: ‘I shall be
you will be given the Grace that comes from united with My sheep, and My sheep shall
Communion. There are two things, there- be united with Me, according to the man-
fore, that you should do: you should com- ner in which the Father is united with Me,
mune frequently and commune worthily, to and again I also am united with the Father’”;
the best of your ability.”8 “for I think that in these words He means by
‘knowledge’ [γνῶσις] not simply intellectu-

47 Orthodox Christians who care about al knowledge [εἴδησις], but rather under-
preserving the “Seal of Grace” do not stands it in the sense of unity [οἰκειότης], ei-
ever forget that they are “sheep sealed” by our ther by kinship and nature, or as it were by
Chief Shepherd, Christ, Who is the “Good Shep- participation in Grace and honor.... And that
herd”: “He first loved us,” He “knoweth” His the Divine Scripture, too, understands unity
sheep, and “calleth” them “by name”; He is con- [οἰκειότης] as knowledge [γνῶσις], we shall
cerned about the safety of His “property,” “seals” perceive from what follows. For Christ some-
it, and “sacrifices Himself ” for it. where says concerning those who were in no
a.“I am the Good Shepherd, and know My way united with Him: ‘Verily, I say unto you,
sheep, and am known of Mine...: and I lay I never knew you’.... As though He says: ‘I
down My life for the sheep”; “the sheep hear do not know you to have been lovers of vir-
His voice, and He calleth His own sheep by tue, or to have honored My word, or to
name, and leadeth them out. ...[A]nd the have joined yourselves to Me through good
sheep follow Him, for they know His voice” deeds.”12
and “they know not the voice of strangers.”9 e.“Notice that He first knows us and then we
b.“We love Him, because He first loved us”; Him, and that it is not possible to know God
“[a]nd we have known and believed the love in any other way than if we are known by
that God hath for us.”10
c.“For He did not say, ‘My sheep know Me 11 St. Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on the Gospel of St.
John, Bk. VI, Patrologia Græca, Vol. LXXIII, col. 1048BCD.
8 Ibid., p. 17. Revelation 12:11. 12 Ibid., col. 1045A, 1044CD. In this context, γνῶσις de-
9 St. John 10:3, 4, 5, 14, 15. notes spiritual knowledge as opposed to merely intellectual
10 I St. John 4:19, 16. knowledge (εἴδησις)—Trans.

56
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

Him. For He was first united with us in the your pasturage.’”17

flesh, when He became man; thereafter we j.“‘The Lord knoweth them that are His’: Those
were united with Him, having received the who are His own, even though they are un-
gift of deification by Grace.”13 known to men.”18
f.“For this, too, is a hallmark of the shepherd, k.“‘For He is our God, and we are the people of
that he shows extreme concern for each sheep. His pasture, and the sheep of His hand’: His
For he would not call them by name if he did people, as of a King, His sheep, as of a Shep-
not know each one precisely, out of his ex- herd; and ‘the people of His pasture,’ as nour-
treme concern for each one.”14 ished and provided for by Him, ‘the sheep of
g.“[He] so loves [us] that the hairs of our head His hand,’ as guided and led by Him.”19
are numbered, as He says in the Gospels: not

48
that God numbers hairs, but in order to indi- The faithful, as “sealed sheep,” have full
cate His precise knowledge of and great prov- confidence in Christ, our Master and
idence for us.”15 Shepherd Who loves mankind and Who will al-
h.“But if you would fortify yourself beforehand ways and constantly, but especially during the
with the Seal, and secure yourself for the fu- period of eschatological tribulation, mark them
ture with the finest and firmest of resources, with the “Sign of Grace” as “being His,” will pro-
being signed both in body and in soul with tect them from every machination of the Dragon,
the Chrism and the Spirit, as Israel was of and will lead them far away from the catastrophe,
old with that blood that protected the first- as He did the righteous Lot.
born by night, what then will happen to you, a.“And [the Lord] said to him [the Angel], Go
and what has been accomplished for you? through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a
Listen to Proverbs: ‘For if thou sittest, thou mark on the foreheads of the men that groan
shalt be unafraid; and if thou sleepest, thou and that grieve for all the iniquities that are
shalt slumber sweetly.’ And listen to David done in the midst of it. And He said to the
giving you the glad tidings: ‘Thou shalt not first [the other Angels] in my hearing, Go af-
be afraid for the terror by night...nor for the ter him into the city, and smite, and let not
mishap and demon of noonday.’ This, even your eyes spare, and have no mercy.”20
while you live, will be greatly conducive to b.“The Lord knoweth how to deliver the god-
your security; for a sheep that is sealed is not ly out of temptation, and to keep the un-
easily ensnared, whereas one which is un- righteous under punishment unto the day of
marked is easy prey for thieves.”16 judgment.”21
i.“Therefore, when [Sts. Symeon and John] c.“This [the salvation of Lot from the catastro-
had formed their plan [to leave the monas-
tery and go out into the desert], as soon as 17 Leontios of Neapolis, Life of St. Symeon the Fool for
night fell, the Abbot saw in his sleep some- Christ, §15, Patrologia Græca, Vol. XCIII, cols. 1689.
one opening the door of the monastery and 18 Euthymios Zigebenos, Ἑρμηνεία εἰς τὰς IΔʹ Ἐπιστολὰς
saying: ‘Go forth, sealed sheep of Christ, into τοῦ Ἀποστόλου Παύλου,Vol. II, p. 284. II St. Timothy 2:19;
cf. Numbers 16:5.
13 St. Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on St. John, Pa- • The Lord “knows” fully and completely His own, as hav-
trologia Græca, Vol. CXXIV, col. 72D. ing been deified by Grace, and takes an especial interest in
14 Euthymios Zigebenos, Commentary on St. John, Patrolo- them, whereas He “does not know” those who are not unit-
gia Græca, Vol. CXXIX, col. 1321D. ed with Him through the life in Christ.
15 Idem, Ἑρμηνεία εἰς τὰς IΔʹ Ἐπιστολὰς τοῦ Ἀποστόλου 19 Idem, Commentary on the Psalter, Patrologia Græca, Vol.
Παύλου,Vol. II, p. 626. CXXVIII, col. 965D. Psalm 94:7.
16 “Oration XL, ‘On Holy Baptism,’” §15, Patrologia Græca, 20 Ezekiel 9:4–5.
Vol. XXXVI, col. 377B. 21 II St. Peter 2:9.

57
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

phe of Sodom] is a vivid example, which all g.“‘Come out of her, My people’: The voice
who live in cities, villages, monasteries, or bids those whom the Lord knows as His
other places ought to remember and keep own to come forth. To come forth, so that
always before their eyes. For if they observe the righteous may not perish with the impi-
righteousness and the commandments of ous. For just as in the case of Lot God en-
God and do not acquiesce in the evils and joined him, ‘Save thine own life by all means,’
transgressions committed in those cities, vil- [going] forthwith as far as the mountain, re-
lages, or monasteries, but in fact grieve and maining nowhere on the ground, so too
sigh over them, they will assuredly be de- here.”26
livered, because of this grief and these sighs, h.“This [as in Lot’s case] is what the Apocalypse
from the wrath that God is going to send on is now teaching us also; for, since it is not
those cities, villages, or monasteries, just as possible for there not to be any servants of
He delivered Lot from the wrath that He sent Christ in such a great and populous city as
on Sodom. This is what God wanted to reveal Rome, He says to them: ‘Come out of her,
through the Prophet Ezekiel when He was My people...’; for to partake of the sins is also
intending to destroy the city of Jerusalem.”22 to share in the plagues; for the plagues come
d.“And I heard another voice from Heaven, about on account of them [the sins].”27
saying, Come out of her [Babylon the great;

49
i.e., Rome], My people, that ye be not par- The “blessed” readers and hearers of the
takers of her sins, and that ye receive not of Apocalypse have a profound awareness
her plagues.”23 that the sacred text reveals and manifests to them
e.“‘I also will keep thee from the hour of temp- the true dimension of the “eschatological future,”
tation, which shall come upon all the world’: of which one can have a foretaste only through
He is speaking of the universal offensive of the soteriological experience of the “present,” the
the Antichrist against the faithful at the end historical “now”:
of the age, from which He promises to de- • at every moment “the time is at hand”;28
liver those who are zealous for Him, for they • now “it is the last hour”;29
will be snatched away beforehand through • “Now is the judgment [of this world]”:30 it is
their departure from hence, lest they be tried imperative that we be those “who keep the things
beyond what they are able to bear.”24 that are written therein [the Apocalypse],”31
f.“‘Come out [of her], My people’: That which those who “keep” and “do the commandments
was said to Lot in Sodom, ‘Save thine own of God”;32
life by all means,’ and in Isaiah, ‘Depart ye, • “today”33 what matters is our personal trans-
depart, go out from thence, and touch not
26 Arethas, Collection of Interpretations of the Apocalypse, ch.
the unclean thing,’ this he says here, too; for 55, Patrologia Græca, Vol. CVI, col. 725D. Revelation 18:4;
one should avoid dwelling with those who Genesis 19:17.
anger God.”25 27 Oikoumenios, Complete Commentary on the Apocalypse,
Discourse IX, p. 194.
22 St. Nicodemos, Ἑρμηνεία εἰς τὰς Ἑπτὰ Καθολικὰς Ἐπι- 28 Revelation 1:3.
στολάς, p. 386. 29 I St. John 2:18.
23 Revelation 18:4. 30 Cf. St. John 12:31.
24 Andrew, Commentary on the Apocalypse, ch. 8, Patrologia 31 Revelation 1:3.
Græca, Vol. CVI, col. 248A. Cf. Arethas, Collection of Inter- 32 Revelation 12:17; 22:14.
pretations of the Apocalypse, ch. 8, Patrologia Græca, Vol. CVI, 33 Hebrews 3:13, 15.
col. 557C. Revelation 3:10. • “‘Today,’ he [St. Paul] says, ‘is always, as long as the world
25 Ibid., ch. 55, Patrologia Græca, Vol. CVI, col. 388B. Reve- lasts” (St. John Chrysostomos, “Homily VI on Hebrews,”
lation 18:4; Genesis 19:17; Isaiah 52:11. §1, Patrologia Græca, Vol. LXIII, col. 55).

58
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

formation in the Holy Spirit, being in Christ and shall be on their foreheads.’ Those who be-
with Christ; come, he says, the throne of God through the
• “now is salvation nearer to us [than when Master resting among them, these will be in-
we first believed]”;34 we have need of the “Seal habitants of that city and will see Him face to
of Grace,” the “Seal of the Lamb,” the vision of face.... They will have...the Divine Name en-
the Face of God and the blessing of His Name, as graved not only on their foreheads, but also
communion, protection, and security, and also on their hearts, indicating their firm, confi-
as a precondition for participation in His eter- dent, and immutable love for Him; for the
nal Glory.35 inscription on the forehead alludes to an
a.“Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear adornment of boldness.”41
the words of this prophecy, and keep those g.“‘And the throne of God and of the Lamb
things which are written therein: for the time shall be therein.’ He who has prepared him-
is at hand.”36 self by God-pleasing virtues to be a Divine
b.“Blessed are they that do His command- chariot, running unhesitatingly to the rest
ments, that they may have right to the Tree of God and the Lamb through the Divine
of Life.”37 precepts of the Old and New Covenants and
c.“And the Lord spake..., Thus ye shall bless the possessing a share in the Divine foundation,
children of Israel.... And they [the priests] will be an inhabitant of the city of the Jeru-
shall put My Name upon the children of Is- salem on high and will see God face to face,
rael, and I the Lord will bless them.”38 not through indistinct images, but just as He
d.“He blesses those who read and hear through was beheld by the Holy Apostles on the holy
deeds. The present time is near at hand and mountain, as the great Dionysios says.”42
is appointed for all for the purpose of work;

50
as the Lord says, ‘Work while it is day,’ and it Orthodox Christians, as a “holy
is possible to obtain the blessing.”39 nation,”43 a “peculiar people, zealous of
e.“The Apostle [Paul], writing to the Philippi- good works,”44 are “partakers of Christ,”45 Who
ans, calls the saints those ‘who are,’ because fulfills history, since He is “He Who is and Who
they are in Christ and are in union with God was and Who is to come,” “the Alpha and the
and in His remembrance.”40 Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and
f.“‘And they shall see His face; and His Name the last.”46
34 Romans 13:11. • Being “partakers of Christ,” the faithful be-
35 Cf. Revelation 22:4. come “uncreated” according to Grace, and con-
36 Revelation 1:3.
sequently participate here and now in eschato-
37 Revelation 22:14.
• “Tree of Life”: “Through the tree eternal life is indicated logical reality.
periphrastically, Christ being both of these” (Andrew, Com- • Being “fellow-members of Christ’s Body,”47
mentary on the Apocalypse, ch. 3, Patrologia Græca, Vol. CVI,
col. 233C). 41 Andrew, Commentary on the Apocalypse, ch. 68, Patrolo-
38 Numbers 6:22, 23, 27. gia Græca, Vol. CVI, col. 444CD. Revelation 22:4.
• The God-given form of the priestly blessing in the Old 42 Arethas, Collection of Interpretations of the Apocalypse, ch.
Testament is as follows: “The Lord bless thee and keep thee; 68, Patrologia Græca, Vol. CVI, col. 780BC. Cf. I Corinthians
the Lord make His face to shine upon thee, and have mer- 13:12. St. Dionysios the Areopagite, On the Divine Names,
cy upon thee; the Lord lift up His countenance upon thee, ch. I, §4, Patrologia Græca, Vol. III, col. 592C.
and give thee peace” (Numbers 6:24–26). 43 I St. Peter 2:9.
39 Andrew, Commentary on the Apocalypse, ch. 1, Patrologia 44 St. Titus 2:14.
Græca, Vol. CVI, col. 221B. 45 Hebrews 3:14.
40 Oikoumenios, Complete Commentary on the Apocalypse, 46 Relevation 1:4, 8; 2:8; 4:8; 11:17; 21:6; 22:13 (RV).
Discourse IX, p. 186. Philippians 1:1. 47 Cf. Ephesians 3:6.

59
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

the faithful believe that “greater is He that is in Who renders those who have a beginning
us [the living and active Christ], than he that is and end by nature unoriginate and unend-
in the world [Satan, the prince thereof ],”48 and ing by Grace,’ since the Great Paul, no long-
“stronger.”49 er living the temporal life, ‘but the Divine
• Being “joint-heirs with Christ,”50 the faith- and everlasting life of the indwelling Logos,’
ful “look for”—awaiting with ineffable joy—“the became unoriginate and unending by Grace.
blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the Therefore, Paul was created only as long as he
great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.”51 lived the life that came about by God’s com-
a.“‘We partake of Him,’ he [St. Paul] means; mand from non-being; but when he did not
we have become one, we and He. If He in- live this life, but that which accrues by the
deed is the Head and we are the Body, we indwelling of God, he became uncreated by
are fellow-heirs and fellow-members of His Grace.”53
Body; we are one Body, of His flesh, it says, c.“‘Greater is He that is in us,’ that is, God the
and of His bones.”52 Father, through the Son and the Comforter.”54
b.“The divinizing Grace, deification itself, is d.“By ‘blessed hope’ he means the glorious ap-
uncreated.... Clearly, therefore, this Grace pearing of Christ. He called ‘hope’ His sec-
is uncreated, and so clearly that its result, ond descent and Advent, as hoped for and
I mean each of those that are Divinely en- expected by us, calling it blessed as most
dowed with Grace and deified, is unoriginate, desirable and longed-for by those worthy
everlasting, unending, which is the same as thereof.”55
to say that it is called uncreated in and of it-

51
self. For again, according to the Divine Max- Consequently: Given that the Apocalypse
imos, ‘the inner principle [λόγος] of eternal on the one hand reminds us emphatical-
well-being comes by Grace to those who are ly that the power of Satan is already ontological-
worthy, bringing with it God, Who by na- ly and eschatologically defeated, and on the oth-
ture transcends every beginning and end and er hand reveals and communicates to us the final
triumph of Christ the Lamb and His Kingdom,
48 I St. John 4:4.
• firstly, the Apocalypse should be approached
• Satan is “the prince of this world” (St. John 12:31; 14:30);
he is “the god of this world” (II Corinthians 4:4) and “the and understood as a message of edification, con-
ruler of the darkness of this world” (cf. Ephesians 6:12). solation, and hope in Christ;
• Many of the Holy Fathers, in order to avoid giving a han- • secondly, the Apocalypse should be disen-
dle to those of the heretics who believed that the creator cumbered of approaches which forget or over-
of the world was different from God, interpreted “the god
look the “present” of the Church (the “now,” the
of this world” in II Corinthians 4:4 as the true God. Not-
withstanding, the interpretation of St. Cyril of Alexandria, “today”) and present it exclusively as a cryptic fu-
which is accepted by St. Maximos the Confessor and St. turistic text or as a collection of oracles in the
Nicodemos the Hagiorite, is more correct. St. Cyril “says form of an assemblage of pessimistic information
that the god of this world is the one supposed by unbeliev- or disclosures about specific historical develop-
ers to be God, namely, Satan.... The Devil blinded their
ments.
thoughts” (Oikoumenios, Patrologia Græca, Vol. CXVIII, col.
960C; St. Nicodemos, Ἑρμηνεία εἰς τὰς IΔʹ Ἐπιστολὰς τοῦ 53 St. Gregory Palamas, “Third Epistle to Akindynos,” §16,
Ἀποστόλου Παύλου,Vol. II, p. 71). in Συγ­γράμ­ματα, Vol. I, ed. Panagiotes K. Chrestou (Thes-
49 Cf. St. Matthew 12:29; St. Mark 3:27; St. Luke 11:22. salonike: 1962), pp. 307, ll.18, 308, ll. 11–12, 26–29.
50 Romans 8:17; Ephesians 3:6. • St. Maximos the Confessor, Ambigua, Patrologia Græca,
51 St. Titus 2:13 (RV). Vol. XCI, col. 1144BC.
52 St. John Chrysostomos, “Homily VI on Hebrews,” §2, 54 Euthymios Zigabenos, Ἑρμηνεία εἰς τὰς IΔʹ Ἐπιστολὰς
Patrologia Græca, Vol. LXIII, col. 56. Ephesians 3:6; Romans τοῦ Ἀποστόλου Παύλου,Vol. II, p. 620. I St. John 4:4.
12:5; Ephesians 5:30. 55 Ibid., pp. 323–324. St. Titus 2:13.

60
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

• The Apocalypse is not one-sidedly futuristic, come, but also of things present.... It is the
since it reveals the history of the Divine Œcono- function of prophecy to speak not only of
my (past, present, and future), which we come to the future, but also of the past, as we learn es-
know experientially “today” in the Church, par- pecially from Moses.... For just as it belongs
ticipating thus here and now in the all-gladsome to prophecy to speak of things that have not
eschatological “marriage supper of the Lamb.”56 yet happened and are still unclear, so it has
a. If we are to avoid an exclusively futuristic equal grace to reveal things that have hap-
approach to the sacred text, we should nev- pened, but have been concealed by time, and
er forget the distinctiveness of prophetic and to bring them into the midst. It is also the
apocalyptic time, which encompasses past, function of prophecy to speak of things pres-
present, and future: ent, when something happens, but is hidden,
• “Write the things which thou hast seen, and as in the case of Ananias and Sapphira. For
the things which are, and the things which in that instance the event was neither past
shall be hereafter.”57 nor future, but present, albeit unclear. Peter,
• “For he does not speak to us only about therefore, having uncovered these things by
things present, but also about things past and prophecy, brings them into the midst.”59
things to come.... In saying ‘the things which b. Moreover, precisely by reason of this distinc-
are,’ he indicates both things past and things tive feature of “prophetic time” intertwines
present; in saying ‘the things which shall “things that have happened” and “things that
be,’ he indicates things to come. For some will happen”:
of the things seen by the Saint in the vision • “You have been expounding to us not future
had already come to pass, which, although events, but things that have happened.... For
they had received an end, had nonetheless the oracle that said to the Evangelist, ‘Come
not passed into non-existence; this is why he up hither, and I will show thee the things
said about them, ‘the things which are’; oth- which must come to pass hereafter,’ did not
ers were present, and others were to happen, negate the fact that he had seen something
as the discourse will show as it proceeds.”58 of what had come about previously, but to-
• “For such were the Prophets: they traverse gether with those also indicated things that
all times—past, present, and future.... For would come to pass.”60
prophecy is not only the telling of things to

“And I saw a new Heaven and a new earth...and I saw the Holy City, New Jerusa-
lem, coming down from God out of Heaven.... And I heard a great voice out of Heav-
en saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them,
and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and God shall wipe
away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor
crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away....
And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.”
(Revelation 21:1, 2, 3–4, 5)

59 St. John Chrysostomos: “Exposition of Psalm 43,” §1,

Patrologia Græca, Vol. LV, col. 167; “Homily V on I St. Tim-
othy,” §1, Patrologia Græca, Vol. Lxii, col. 526; Synopsis of
56 Revelation 19:7, 9. the Old and New Testaments, Patrologia Græca, Vol. Lvi, col.
57 Revelation 1:19. 317;
58 Oikoumenios, Complete Commentary on the Apocalypse, 60 Oikoumenios, Complete Commentary on the Apocalypse,
Discourse I, pp. 29, 45. Discourse v, pp. 102–103. Revelation 4:1 (RV).

61
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

■ C11. An Attempt at an “Ecclesiastical Reading” of the Apocalypse

52 This work of ours is an attempt at an

“ecclesiastical reading” of the Apocalypse,
and specifically of the issues pertaining to chap-
c. is situated in the ecclesiastical environment
of Orthodox Christology, ecclesiology, and
soteriology, which, being perennial, is uni-
ter 13. Such a reading becomes feasible only when fied and unchanging.
the sacred text is not viewed in isolation, but

53
a. is situated in the historical environment that Our hermeneutical endeavor has stead-
contributed to the formation of the means fastly aimed to put forth what would be
of expression employed by the sacred author, well-pleasing to our Lord, what would be conso-
which were comprehensible at that time, but nant with Holy Scripture and the Divine Fathers,
which can be understood today only to the and also what might be regarded as a “comple-
extent to which we are familiar with the reli- tion of what is lacking.”
gious, social, political and other assumptions a.“We beseech you not to ask in any way for
of his era;1 what is pleasing for you to hear from us, but
b. is situated in its apocalyptic environment what is well-pleasing to the Lord, consonant
(200 B.C.–100 A.D.), in which terms, con- with the Scriptures, and not contrary to the
cepts, symbols, and images constitute, as a Fathers.”3
unified whole, the forms of expression char- b. No additions to Holy Tradition are permit-
acteristic of apocalyptic literature;2 ted,
1 With regard to the historical environment, we had in “except for a certain development, re-
view primarily the following general works: Savvas Ch. sulting from progress, that one might ob-
Agourides, Ἱστορία τῶν χρόνων τῆς Καινῆς Διαθήκης serve in what is said, which is certainly not
[History of New Testament times] (Thessalonike: Ekdoseis
a change from worse to better, but a comple-
P. Pournara, 1980); Georgios Galites, Ἱστορία ἐποχῆς τῆς
Καινῆς Διαθήκης [History of the New Testament era], 7th tion of what is lacking in terms of addition-
ed. (Thessalonike: Ekdoseis P. Pournara, 1999); Johannes al knowledge.”4
Weiss, Ὁ Ἀρχέγονος Χριστιανισμός: Ἡ Ἱστορία τῆς πε-
ριόδου 30–150 μ.Χ. (Athens: Ekdoseis “Artos Zoes,” 1993) ων” [The language and theology of the Apocryphal Apoc-
(for an English version of this work, originally published in alypses], in Ἱστορία τῶν χρόνων τῆς Καινῆς Διαθήκης, pp.
1917 under the title Das Urchristentum, see Earliest Christi- 374–386; Evangelia Amoiridou, “Ἀποκαλυπτικὴ Γραμ-
anity: A History of the Period A.D. 30–150, ed. Frederick C. ματεία – Ἀπὸ τὴν Προφητεία στὴν Ἀποκάλυψη – Ἡ
Grant [New York: Harper, 1959]—Trans.). Ἀποκάλυψη τοῦ Ἰωάννου” [Apocalyptic literature—From
• The following specialized works were especially valuable: prophecy to apocalypse—The Apocalypse of John], in
Basileios P. Stogiannes, “Ἀποκάλυψη καὶ Πολιτική” [Apoc- Ἱστορία τῆς Ἑρμηνείας τοῦ «Ἀριθμοῦ τοῦ Θηρίου χξϛ´» –
alypse and politics] in Ἑρμηνευτικὰ Μελετήματα [Herme- 666, pp. 15–26; Panagiotes K. Chrestou, “Ἀποκαλύψεις”
neutical studies] (Thessalonike: Ekdoseis P. Pournara, 1988), [Apocalypses], in Ἑλληνικὴ Πατρολογία [Greek Patrology],
pp. 562–591; Protopresbyter Ioannes G. Skiadareses, “Τὸ Vol. I (Thessalonike: Patriarchikon Hidryma Paterikon Me-
κλίμα τοῦ Ὕμνου [τοῦ Ἀγγέλου τῶν ῾Υδάτων – Ἀποκ. ιϚ´ leton, 1976), pp. 132–135.
5–6] καὶ γενικότερα ὅλης τῆς Ἀποκάλυψης” [The mood • It should be noted that “what is called ‘Apocalyptic litera-
of the hymn (of the Angel of the waters, Revelation 16:5–6) ture’ employs popular picture language, which is connect-
and in general of the entire Apocalypse], in Λειτουργικὲς ed or identical with what is known as allegory. The Apoca-
Σκηνὲς καὶ Ὕμνοι, pp. 296–341. lypse of John is the great allegory” (Oikonomou, “Ἐξουσίαι
2 With regard to the apocalyptic environment, we had in εἰς τὴν «Ἀποκάλυψιν»,” p. 1).
view primarily the following works: Savvas Ch. Agourides, 3 St. Basil the Great, “Homily XXIV, ‘Against the Sabel-
Τὰ Ἀπόκρυφα τῆς Παλαιᾶς Διαθήκης, Κείμενα–Εἰσαγω- lians, Arios, and the Anomœans,’” §4, Patrologia Græca,
γαὶ–Σχόλια [The Old Testament Apocrypha: Texts, intro- Vol. XXXI, col. 609A.
ductions, and notes], 2 vols. (Athens: 1973, 1985); idem, 4 Idem, “Epistle CCXIII,” §5, Patrologia Græca, Vol. XXXII,
“Φιλο­λογία καὶ Θεολογία τῶν Ἀποκρύφων Ἀποκαλύψε- col. 829B.

62
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

54 In our hermeneutical endeavor, certain

opinions are likely to appear “contrary
to the Fathers,” but this is assuredly not the case,
cept whichever of them he chooses.”7
• “This number [666] signifies many other
names both proper and common, but it [es-
for the following three main reasons: pecially] signifies these.... Therefore, since
a. The holy expositors of the past did not have many names have been found, anyone who
the sense that they were interpreting the en- wishes may apply the name that is most suit-
tirety of the Sacred Texts, but each added able to the accursed one.”8
“more” to the hermeneutical edifice, that is, • “Babylon the great”9 is either “the confusion
more than that which “another” had offered. of [this] world and the turmoil of the pres-
• “Our best theologian is not he who has dis- ent life”; or “the earthly kingdom in gener-
covered the whole [of what God is]—since al, as though [existing] in a single body”; or
that which is chained [i.e., the human mind, “the capital city until the coming of the Anti-
which is chained, as it were, to the body] is christ”; or “that which bears the dominion of
not capable of comprehending the whole— the worldly kingdom until the end of time”;
but he who has apprehended more than an- or “that which rules in the time of the Per-
other and gathered in himself more of the sians, or the old Rome [regaining its ancient
image or adumbration of the Truth, or what- power], or the new [Rome, the seven kings
ever we are to call it.”5 and kingdoms having thus come to pass10].”11
b. The holy expositors were distinguished for
7 Arethas, Collection of Interpretations, ch. 33, in Cramer,
their hermeneutical moderation, offering Catenæ Græcorum Patrum in Novum Testamentum, Vol. VIII,
the reader the freedom to “test” and choose p. 351.
the interpretation that he preferred: “Let the • This section is missing from Migne’s edition of Arethas
reader be the judge.”6 (Patrologia Græca, Vol. CVI, col. 660B).
• “For it is the mark of an audacious and obsti- • In his attempt to interpret the issues pertaining to the
“Woman” in chapter 12, Arethas in essence finds fault with
nate mind to impose knowledge conclusively Andrew, since he forthrightly rejects the interpretation of
upon what is presented and to insist nescient- the “Woman” as the Theotokos, which Oikoumenios ad-
ly that this is what [the text] means; but to vocates. Although he prefers the perspective of Oikoumen-
make known to others uncontentiously what ios, Arethas leaves it to the reader to choose whichever in-
one has been vouchsafed to receive in pro- terpretation he desires.
8 Oikoumenios, Complete Commentary on the Apocalypse,
portion to his purification is the mark of a Discourse viii, pp. 157–158. According to Oikoumenios,
reasonable and moderate man; for, in setting the number 666 especially signifies “Lampetis, Benediktos,
forth what we have learned from our prede- and Teitan”—Trans.
cessors concerning the matters at hand, we 9 Revelation 17:5.
leave to the judgment [of the reader] to ac- 10 Revelation 17:10.
• The potential equation (!) of the “seventh kingdom” (the
seventh “head” of the Antichrist) with New Rome, that is,
• St. Basil is defending himself to Eustathios of Sebasteia, Christian Constantinople, is indicative of the latitude of
who accused him of heretical blasphemy against God. The his hermeneutical approach and of the freedom implicit in
Saint had previously likened this “development” to the de- the phrase “let him [the reader] be the judge.”
velopment of a seed: “Just as the seed, when it grows, starts 11 Andrew of Cæsarea, Commentary on the Apocalypse, Pa-
small and becomes larger, and yet remains the same in it- trologia Græca, Vol. CVI, cols. 345A, 372D, 376A, 377bcd,
self, not changing in kind, though becoming perfected in 380c, 381Abd, 396A, 392d.
growth” (ibid., §3, cols. 825C–828A). • Arethas’ view: “And what is Babylon? Nothing other than
5 St. Gregory the Theologian, “Oration XXX (“Fourth this perishable world, in which nothing is free from the
Theological Oration”),” §17, Patrologia Græca,Vol. XXXVI, sway of the adversary and good is mingled with evil....
col. 125BC. Hence, the prophecies are to be understood without a
6 Andrew of Cæsarea, Commentary on the Apocalypse, ch. shadow of doubt as being not about Babylon, old Rome,
10, Patrologia Græca, Vol. CVI, col. 253D. new Rome, or any other city, but about this entire per-

63
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

c. The holy expositors do not state dogmatically • St. Irenæus,17 Andrew,18 and Arethas19 iden-
that they are offering a decisive and final in- tify the first Beast20 in chapter 13 of the Apoc-
terpretation, but at times put forward a vari- alypse with the Antichrist;
ety of explanations, “offering them as a train- • Hippolytos21 regards the then Roman Em-
ing for mental agility.”12 pire as the first Beast (identifying it with
• For example, the two Prophets and Witness- the fourth Beast of Daniel22) and the “fu-
es will be active for “a thousand two hundred
and threescore days”;13 that is, either “for the Beast, but en passant, and not specifically as commen-
so many days” (literally); or “meaning some tators on the Apocalypse.
• In the West, the first commentator on the Apocalypse was
mystical number” (figuratively); or “[mean- St. Victorinus (†304), who put forth incorrect views. Both
ing] that which will assuredly be the case” he himself and Sts. Irenæus (†202), Hippolytos (†236), and
(certainty of fulfillment).14 Methodios (†250? 258? 311?)—to confine ourselves to the
most basic sources of contemporary Antichristology—ac-
cepted Chiliasm (Millenarianism or Millennialism), misin-

55 In our hermeneutical endeavor it has not

been possible—for one reason or anoth-
er—for us to be completely bound by the pre-
terpreting chapter 20 of the Apocalypse.
• The opinion of St. Photios the Great is noteworthy: “In
how many of our other blessed and Holy Fathers is it pos-
existing hermeneutical tradition concerning the sible to find such [incorrect teachings]! Pray consider...the
great Methodios of Patara, who shone forth among Hi-
Apocalypse, since on the one hand, “many of
eromartyrs...; Irenæus, the Hierarch of God, who received
[their] specific interpretations are far-fetched and supervision of things sacred in Lyon; and Hippolytos, his
outmoded,”15 while, on the other hand, its ex- disciple and Martyr among Hierarchs—men admirable in
ponents—who are, in any case, not among the many respects, though at times they fail to restrain some
outstanding representatives of Patristic exegesis— of their statements from diverging from exactitude, ...not
all of whose views do we accept, to be sure”; “Many and
provide us, though only in general terms, with
various writings and epistles of the Divine Irenæus are in
the following complicated picture: circulation, although in certain of them exactitude of the
a. Lack of unanimity truth in accordance with Church teachings is adulterated
Among the holy expositors16 with spurious notions, a fact which must be pointed out”;
“[Hippolytos] says certain other things that fall short of the
ishable world” (Collection of Interpretations, in Cramer, truth” (Discourse Concerning the Mystagogy of the Holy Spir-
Catenæ Græcorum Patrum in Novum Testamentum, Vol. VIII, it, §75, Patrologia Græca, Vol. CII, cols. 356B, 357A; cf. “Epis-
pp. 390, 441; cf. Patrologia Græca, Vol. CVI, cols. 688b [text tle XXIV, ‘To the Metropolitan of Aquileia,’” §21, Patrologia
missing], 713d, 729c). Græca, Vol. CII, cols. 813C–816A; Myriobiblos (Bibliotheke),
12 Andrew of Cæsarea, Commentary on the Apocalypse, “Pro- chs. CXX, CXXi, Patrologia Græca, Vol. CIiI, cols. 401C, 404A).
logue,” Patrologia Græca, Vol. CVI, col. 220A. 17 St. Irenæus of Lyons, Scrutiny and Refutation of Knowl-
13 Revelation 11:3. edge Falsely So-Called (Against Heresies), Bk. v, ch. 28, §2,
14 Oikoumenios, Complete Commentary on the Apocalypse, Patrologia Græca, Vol. VII(b), cols. 1198–1199.
Discourse vi, p. 128. 18 Commentary on the Apocalypse, ch. 37, Patrologia Græca,
15 Ioannes Panagopoulos, “«Τί τὸ Πνεῦμα λέγει»: Ἡ Πατε- Vol. CVI, col. 336D.
ρικὴ κατα­νόηση τοῦ Βιβλίου τῆς Ἀποκάλυψης” [“What 19 Collection of Interpretations of the Apocalypse, ch. 36, Pa-
the Spirit is saying”: The Patristic understanding of the trologia Græca, Vol. CVI, col. 672A.
Book of Revelation], Σύναξη, No. 56 (October–December • Arethas’ treatment of this issue is marked by great confu-
1995), p. 56. sion and unclarity, and the fuller form of the text in Cram-
16 We restrict ourselves solely to those mentioned in what er does nothing to improve the situation.
follows, because contemporary Antichristologists refer al- 20 Revelation 13:1–10.
most exclusively to them alone, and also because it is feasi- 21 Demonstration Concerning Christ and the Antichrist, §§25,
ble and straightforward to cite their works in our bibliogra- 28, 49, Patrologia Græca, Vol. X, cols. 748A, 749A, 768Ab; see
phy. also Βιβλιοθήκη Ἑλλή­νων Πατέρων καὶ Ἐκκλησιαστικῶν
• Let it be noted, especially in connection with the points Συγγραφέων, Vol. VI, p. 205, ll. 15–18, p. 206, ll. 15–20, p.
discussed in §56, that Sts. Irenæus and Hippolytos ex- 213, ll. 27–29, 38.
pressed opinions about the Antichrist and the “mark” of 22 Daniel 7:7.

64
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

ture kingdom of the Antichrist” as the sec- allegorical,32 and at times he identifies it with
ond Beast,23 “and by the two horns [St. John the Antichrist.33
means] him and the False Prophet after him”; • Andrew regards the “mark”34 at times as spir-
• and finally, Oikoumenios24 identifies the sec- itual and non-perceptible35 and at times as
ond Beast with the Antichrist, while he re- corporeal and perceptible.36
gards the first Beast as being after Satan in or- • Arethas also regards the “mark” at times as
der and as superior to the rest of the demons perceptible37 and at times simultaneously as
and the Antichrist. perceptible and non-perceptible.38
b. Patently erroneous interpretations

56
• Oikoumenios distinguishes the Dragon/Sa- This phenomenon of hermeneutical dis-
tan from the Devil and opines that the Drag- order, which we have discussed in an en-
on/Satan is the father of the Devil: tirely tentative fashion and which raises a deep-
“Satan, the author of evil, will be cast into er set of problems for the attentive reader, does
the lake of fire, that is, Gehenna, along with not surprise or scandalize us, since Holy Tradi-
the Devil and the Antichrist”; “[Christ— tion has sufficiently taught us that the Divine
trans.]...calls the rebellious Dragon the fa- Fathers and ecclesiastical writers in certain in-
ther of the Devil, who is now presented to us stances express views that are not only herme-
in the vision.”25 neutically aberrant but also dogmatically unor-
c. Hermeneutical inconsistency26 thodox, but which have not received acceptance
• Andrew regards the “image of the Beast”27 from the Church. This certainly does not beto-
at times as an actual idol,28 at times as ken any diminution of their prestige: they remain
allegorical,29 and at times as identical to the as Fathers and teachers in the conscience of the
mark of the Beast.30 Church, and whatever incorrect views they might
• Arethas also regards the “image of the Beast” have held are not adopted.
at times as an actual idol31 and at times as • St. Photios the Great of Constantinople
dealt theologically with this issue in a complete-
23 Revelation 13:11–16. ly clear, full, and convincing way. By way of illus-
24 Complete Commentary on the Apocalypse, Discourses vii,
tration we will cite a very striking selection of his
XI, pp. 149, 226.
• Oikoumenios’ view of the Beasts (Satan, the Antichrist, opinions:
and the False Prophet) is extremely confused, since he does
But the offspring of the Church, not for-
not employ a unified hermeneutical approach to the Beasts
in his comments thereon in chapters 13 and following.
getful of sacred teaching, ...know to cov-
25 Complete Commentary on the Apocalypse, Discourses xi, er up their father’s ignominy.... How much
vii, pp. 226, 150. could one say in defense of those blessed
26 We characterize as hermeneutical inconsistency that men? How many circumstances, indeed,
strategy according to which, whenever a particular topic is compelled many of them to misstate some
under discussion, a new interpretation of the same is given, things, to say other things by way of œcon-
without any explanations. This strategy is not identical to
the principle of polysemy, in which alternative hermeneu- 32 Ibid., ch. 42, Patrologia Græca, Vol. CVI, col. 689A.
tical solutions are put forward in order for us to select the 33 Ibid., chs. 62, 46, Patrologia Græca, Vol. CVI, cols. 752C,
one that is most appropriate. 704c.
27 Revelation 13:14–15. 34 Revelation 13:16, 17.
28 Commentary on the Apocalypse, ch. 37, Patrologia Græca, 35 Commentary on the Apocalypse, chs. 3o, 42, 61, Patrologia
Vol. CVI, col. 340a. Græca, Vol. CVI, cols. 313Cd, 345c, 348a, 412a.
29 Ibid., ch. 40, Patrologia Græca, Vol. CVI, col. 345c. 36 Ibid., ch. 37, Patrologia Græca, Vol. CVI, col. 340ad.
30 Ibid., ch. 61, Patrologia Græca, Vol. CVI, col. 412A. 37 Collection of Interpretations of the Apocalypse, chs. 37, 38,
31 Collection of Interpretations of the Apocalypse, ch. 37, Pa- 61, Patrologia Græca, Vol. CVI, cols. 680cd, 681a, 752ab.
trologia Græca, Vol. CVI, col. 680b. 38 Ibid., ch. 42, Patrologia Græca, Vol. CVI, col. 689a.

65
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

omy, others in the face of attacks by unbe- unease over the Antichrist to come; it is in-
lievers, and yet others out of ignorance, it cessantly preoccupied with the detailed enu-
being human to err. For one was contend- meration of eschatological “signs”; it endeav-
ing against heretics; another was conde- ors to ascertain the correspondence between
scending to the weakness of his audience;
the contents of prophecies and the contem-
each one, accomplishing a different goal
porary historical developments in any given
and bowing to the demand of the occasion
to make considerable compromises in ex- era; it bases itself on literal exegesis and dis-
actitude for a greater purpose, both spoke regards the symbolic, allegorical, and allusive
and did things which it is not permissible character of prophetic and apocalyptic dis-
for us to say or do.... If they spoke incor- course; it has no interest in a fruitful and cre-
rectly or, for some reason now unknown ative approach to Patristic theology or in a
to us, deviated from the straight path, and dynamic assimilation of Tradition; its prima-
if the matter was not brought to their at- ry concern is moralism; it leads to a pietistic
tention and no one urged them to apprise ethos, unhealthy introversion, alienation, un-
themselves of the truth, no less do we en- remitting neurotic suspicions, a pessimistic
roll them in the ranks of the Fathers than
view of history, and, finally, to a Manichæan
if they had not said such, on account of
rejection of the world as a whole.
the radiance of their lives, the respect due
to their virtue, and their otherwise irre- • Active eschatology is vital and liturgical; its
proachable piety; but we will not follow two poles are Hesychastic and Eucharistic ex-
the doctrines whereby they went astray.... perience; its focus is mysteriological realism;
If they were in any way negligent of the it provides the assurance that the believer is
truth and were misled into saying things “of one Body and one Blood with Christ,”40
contrary to the common teaching of the that Christ is mysteriologically and eucha-
Church, we do not follow them in these ristically present in the Church; the present
respects; but in no way whatsoever do we and the Eschaton meet in the Theandric Per-
abridge the honor and glory due to them son of our Savior; every historical moment
as Fathers.... The day would fail me to enu-
is the “last hour”; the last things are present;
merate the men whom we dignify with the
the present is interpreted in the light of the
honor due to Fathers; yet we do not emu-
late them in those matters in which they last things and is evaluated on the basis of
what is to come; the presence of Christ in the
erred from the truth.39
historical “now” is, in and of itself, an event
that involves judgment, since it demands a
57 In our hermeneutical endeavor we have
made eclectic use of those opinions of
the holy expositors which possess indisputable
“crucial choice”; the struggle with the Anti-
christ is a present reality; a “watchful attitude”
internal unity, with a view to incorporating these and a refusal to accept the Mark are a con-
into a distinct theological perspective, placing a sistent frame of mind; the constant renewal
firm emphasis upon the following basic truths:
40 St. Cyril of Jerusalem, “Catechesis XXII (Fourth Mysta-
a. Orthodox eschatology is not a passive futur- gogical Catechesis),” §3, Patrologia Græca, Vol. XXXIII, col.
ology, that is, a passive apocalypticism, but 1100A:
an active and dynamic eschatology, which • “Wherefore with all assurance let us partake as of the Body
constitutes the Orthodox theology of history. and Blood of Christ...that you, by partaking of the Body
• Passive futurology is distinguished by its and Blood of Christ, may become one in Body and Blood
with Him. For thus do we become Christ-bearers, since
morbid eschatological angst and its constant His Body and Blood are imparted to our members; thus it
39 “Epistles,” Bk. I.24, §§17–22, Patrologia Græca, Vol. CII, is that, according to the Blessed Peter, we become partak-
cols. 812AB, 813AB, 816A. ers of the Divine nature.”

66
 The Book of Revelation and the “Mark of the Beast”

of the Seal of the Lamb is a daily experience; as a repetition of Christ’s triumph; just as
our response to the call of the Bridegroom, Christ was victorious after His Sufferings,
“Abide in Me, and I in you,”41 is unceasing; so too the Church will triumph after its
the “New Creation”42 is lived here and now, persecutions and sufferings.48
as an “earnest of the Spirit,”43 with our par-
ticipation in the “Supper of the Kingdom” as
its crowning expression.44
58 Consequently: Our hermeneutical en-
deavor, its deficiencies notwithstanding,
is a work supported by copious documentation.
b. The Church, the holy Root and the good Ol-
However, it does not lay claim to “infallibility,”
ive Tree,45 is the People of God, the New Is-
nor does it promote itself as “dogma,” but puts
rael, which has been redeemed by the Blood
itself at the disposal of our Most Holy Orthodox
of Christ the Lamb and continues to experi-
Church for appraisal and perhaps for pastoral use,
ence exodus and tribulation as it journeys to-
in the conviction that
wards the New City46 of the Eschaton, in or-
der to participate in the “marriage supper of [w]e are not making what we say a mat-
the Lamb.”47 ter of dogma, lest we give any occasion to
c. The Church, in its martyric exodus, is em- those who would slander us; but we con-
boldened by the hope-filled and optimistic fess that we are merely exercising our in-
message of the Sacred Apocalypse, which tellect by means of the ideas set forth and
not setting forth any exegetical teaching in
through a multitude of visions, symbol- what follows.49
ic portrayals, parables, and hymns depicts
the magnificent triumph of the Church

—o—
“Therefore, with regard to” recent Antichristology, “this is sufficient, as
I think, albeit in few words, to provide a basis for the more learned to for-
mulate a more ample refutation” of eschatological error.
(Cf. St. Athanasios the Great, Second Oration Against the Arians,
ch. 72, Patrologia Græca, Vol. XXVI, col. 301A)

41 St. John 15:4.

42 Cf. II Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15.
43 Ii Corinthians 1:22; 5:5; Ephesians 1:13–14.
44 Cf. St. Luke 14:16, 17.
45 Romans 11:16, 24. 48 Chrestou, Ἑλληνικὴ Πατρολογία, Vol. I, p. 134.
46 Cf. Revelation 21–22. 49 St. Gregory of Nyssa, Apologetic Explication of the Hexae-
47 Revelation 19:9. meron, Patrologia Græca, Vol. XLIV, col. 68C.

67
  

Bibliographical Clarification

• For our present hermeneutical work, especially for the third chapter, “The Book of Revelation and
the ‘Mark of the Beast’” (§§C1–C10), we have had in front of us the commentaries of the holy exposi-
tors Oikoumenios, Andrew of Cæsarea, and Arethas of Cæsarea, on the basis of the following editions:

a. Oikoumenios
• H.C. Hoskier, The Complete Commentary of Oecumenius on the Apocalypse. Ann Arbor, MI: Univer-
sity of Michigan, 1928.
—Not a completely satisfactory edition.
• Marc de Groote, Oecumenii Commentarius in Apocalypsin. Leuven: In Aedibus Peeters, 1999.
—A critical text and a monument of industry.

b. Andrew of Cæsarea
• Migne, Patrologia Græca, Vol. CVI, cols. 207–458.
—A problematic text.
• Josef Schmid, Der Apokalypse-Kommentar des Andreas von Kaisereia. Munich: Karl Zink Verlag,
1956.
— A critical text and a monument of industry.

c. Arethas of Cæsarea
• Migne, Patrologia Græca, Vol. CVI, cols. 487–786.
—A problematic text.
• J.A. Cramer, Catenæ Græcorum Patrum in Novum Testamentum. Oxford: E Typographeo Academi-
co, 1840. Vol. VIII, pp. 171–496.
—The best edition, through not a critical one.

✠
The end,
and to God
be glory and thanksgiving!
2
November 21, 2000 (Old Style)
† Entrance of the Theotokos

“Enjoying thy gifts, O All-Pure one, we chant a hymn of

thanksgiving, knowing thee to be the Mother of God.”
(Small Paraklesis to the Theotokos, Ode 4, Troparion 3)

  