NUMB3RS

Majority of people strongly believe that 13 and 666 are enigmatic numbers. Many of us are puzzled by these two numbers. Why not? Take a look at this:

Accidents can happen anywhere and anytime but the one in Cebu made us all shivered. Twenty (20) Iranians and a Filipino driver were killed in a bus accident leaving 30 injured passengers last Sunday June 13 at around 10:30 am in Balamban, Cebu City. The tour bus that fell off in a deep narrow gorge has a plate number DWZ-666! On the same day in Mati, Davao Oriental another car accident killed some of the members of 1 shot band. A music band in Davao that my cousin used to belong with. She passed away due to kidney failure a year ago.

After hearing the news people recalled that 13 and 666 are threatening numbers. Numerical symbols that bring bad luck and forebodes evil. That’s why people avoid things that connect with these numbers for they give them bad premonitions. In the Philippines, number 13 is an omen.A sign that impends happiness and brings a disaster.

It was my second year of high school life when I first heard the relevance of knowing the meaning behind numbers. Biblically speaking, 666 is associated with the number of the beast. According to Mark Hitchock who wrote “The Complete Book of Bible Prophecy” in 1999 the book of revelation 13:17-18 of the New Testament provides five key clues as to the interpretation of the mark of the Beast namely:

1. The name of the beast
2. The number representing his name
3. The number of the Beast
4. The number of a man
5. The number is 666

Revelation is an apocalyptic book. The one that tells the end of time or age. People around the world differ in interpretations and opinions. Some believe the last ruler of the world will be the antichrist.Others claim that it might had been the Roman Emperor in the past or a pope in recent times. However they have one thing in common. Through a system called Gematria that assigns values to letters in alphabet they relate 666 to an antichrist. Who do they mean?- is a question that’s still unveiled and unidentified.

Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum wrote “The Footsteps of the Messiah: A Study of the Sequence of Prophetic Events” in 1982 supports that whatever the personal name of the Antichrist will be, if his name is spelled out in Hebrew characters, the numerical value of his name is 666. So this is the name that will be put on the worshipers of the Antichrist. Therefore 666 is such an unlucky number that brings misfortunes to the lives of people.

It's up to you now if you have the same belief or feeling with regards to the above mentioned ill-fated numbers.