Interesting... Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six (Rev. 13:18 KJV) John states wisdom is required to solve the riddle.[2] If the literal calculation of Gematria precisely identified the name whose number is 666, there is wisdom using Gematria. However, the literal calculation of Gematria results in too many names to solve the riddle, therefore there is no wisdom in using Gematria. As John states wisdom is required, unwise Gematria is ruled out as a way to solve the riddle. What is a riddle? “A question or statement intentionally phrased so as to require ingenuity in ascertaining its answer or meaning, typically presented as a game.”-Oxford Languages John gamely invites all “that hath understanding count the number”. It follows solving the riddle depends on how the text is phrased. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666. (Rev. 13:18 NKJ) John wasn’t like modern critics, he would consider the difference in number intentional. Experts in Hebrew Scripture will immediately recognize John’s riddle is a asymmetric Janus Parallelism(Gen. 6:3; 49:26; Cant. 2:12; Ezek. 20:37; Dan. 11:35; Nah. 1:8.) Adonikam had 666 son, or perhaps counting from his father also named Adonikam, 667 sons. From the “Janus” 666 we look back and “count” (5585 ψηφίζω psephizo) “as with pebbles” 666+1=667 to “Adonikam” as the Beast’s name. From the “Janus” 666 we look forward, Adonikam had 666 sons, they are “of” him. Again the name Adonikam appears. The only “man’s name” in Scripture linked with 666 is “Adonikam“. cont's.... https://endtimenews.net/666-meaning/ Adonikam https://biblehub.com/topical/a/adonikam.htm Very interesting Kolleen, thank you. I know we are looking for Jesus Christ and not the Antichrist so we will very likely not know who he is before we depart (although there are always those that quack a bit too much like a duck that we tend to keep an eyeball on.) But I am just curious, what do you think this information means to those who will be left behind - of course it is only opinion and speculation - but do you think this indicates the Antichrist will somehow be identified as a son of Adonikam, or himself will be named Adonikam? I also have another thought as I read this - Adonaikam interestingly enough in Hebrew means “the Lord is risen” from the words Adonai - Lord and Koom - rise up. I find this fascinating because Koom speaks of resurrection. There is a passage in Mark 5:41 “Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” There’s that word again “cumi” and when you add the “I” (ee sound) to the end of a word in Hebrew it makes it singular possessive. So “Koom” is rising or resurrection in a general sense and cumi “Koom-ee” makes it MY RISING or MY RESURRECTION. I have heard wonderful teachings explaining that when Jesus raised this little girl from the dead He was using the power of His Resurrection or inviting her into His coming resurrection. So this makes me further wonder if the name Adonaikam relates to the Antichrist’s fatal head wound and his false resurrection. Maybe the 666 riddle has always been as simple as John warning the people of that day that there is only one true resurrected Messiah and beware of the false resurrection to come? Thoughts? Feedback? Or perhaps Judas Iscariot will be resurrected since he is called “son of perdition” and that is the same title the AC will have. Wasn’t Judas the “treasurer” since he was in charge of the money bags … perhaps he was a wiz kid with finances back in those days or did he just want the position so he could regularly steal from the funds? :unsure: Besides the snake and Judas did satan ever enter into any other human being to possess them? Judas is from the Tribe of Judah He thought highly of himself and made sure he sat in the honor seat next to Jesus at the Last Supper. Won’t the AC have a massive ego too? Interesting someone had to betray Jesus to fulfill prophecy and Jesus chose Judas … and Jesus said that it was better that Judas was never born. I personally see some Calvinism in this. —————- Per Biblestudy.org Judas’ surname Iscariot is believed to mean "a man of murder" or a hireling (Hitchcock's Bible Names) or "a man of Kerioth" (A Dictionary of the Holy Bible). Kerioth was a city within the inheritance of the tribe of Judah (Joshua 15:25). Judas was in charge of the group's money (John 13:29) and was a thief who regularly stole from it (John 12:6, 13:29). He was known to be a liar (John 12:3 - 6) who was also deceitful and greedy (Matthew 26:14 - 15). He was called a traitor (Luke 6:16) and was identified as a betrayer during the last Passover (John 13:21 - 26). He was willing to pretend to honor someone for his own selfish purposes (Mark 14:44 - 45, Matthew 26:49). He also maintained an elevated opinion of himself and his importance among the disciples. The Lord taught, for example, that his disciples should not choose for themselves the best seats at special gatherings lest they be humbled (Luke 14:8 - 11). As host of his last Passover, he had the right, but apparently did not exercise it, to determine who sat next to him in the most honored position. Judas, seizing the opportunity, claimed the honored seat at Passover for himself. This act of vanity, however, quickly backfired. He sat close enough to Jesus to be marked, with the "sop," as his betrayer to both John and Peter (Matthew 26:23 - 25). Jesus referred to Judas as a devil (John 6:70) and a son of perdition (John 17:12) who it would have been better if he were never born (Matthew 26:24). It is interesting to note that Christ not only knew he would be betrayed, he hand-picked the betrayer! He stated, when he selected the twelve men who would follow him, "Did I not choose you twelve, and one of you is a devil?" (John 6:71). Judas, after the controlling influence of the devil left him, came to his senses. He openly admitted that Jesus was completely innocent and did not deserve the death penalty. He additionally acknowledged he had sinned and proved that repentance by giving back the blood money. His mourning of Jesus' fate, coupled with self-hate for what he caused, led him to commit suicide. And after throwing down the pieces of silver in the temple, he went out and hanged himself (Matthew 27:5). Luke reveals that Satan, the day before the last Passover, possessed Judas for a short time (Luke 22:3 - 6, John 13:2). The devil then moved him to visit the chief priests at the temple to discuss the best time and means to arrest Christ in the quickest and quietest way possible. The next day he possessed him again, during the Passover, to finalize the betrayal by having the Lord arrested in Gethsemane (John 13:2). Why was the devil involved at all? Wasn't Judas enough of a sketchy, self-seeking character to insure he would betray someone? The simple answer is no. He was not sealed evil like Satan. While the possibility existed that, at any point, he could decide not to betray the Lord, the Tempter was 100% guaranteed to sin. The betrayal, suffering and death of Christ, in fulfillment of countless prophecies, absolutely required the active participation of the universe's first and greatest sinner. Someone had to do it Jesus knew from the beginning that someone would have to betray him to fulfill prophecy (Psalm 41:9, Zechariah 11:12). He and God the Father therefore had to select someone based on their questionable character and weaknesses (John 6:70 - 71). They also knew that their greatest enemy would have to be allowed to manipulate and bring him down, something they would not allow him to do to the other eleven disciples (Luke 22:31 - 32). Additionally, it should be noted that Jesus could have, but did not, personally warn Judas about the unique spiritual threats that would come his way. He did, however, warn Peter about being manipulated by Satan (Mark 8:33). He also warned Peter in particular, and his disciples in general, that the devil wanted to bring them down (Luke 22:31 - 32). - Fair Use - 
Many insist we use Gematria (substituting letters for numbers) to solve the riddle of 666 meaning, although they cannot point to any undisputed[1] examples of its use elsewhere in Scripture. How can we decide this issue?
the sons of Adonikam, 666 (Ezr. 2:13 NAS)
the sons of Adonikam, 667 (Neh. 7:18 NAS)
John gives three clues how 666 points to one name.
1) “Calculate the number” (666+1=667 Adonikam).
2) “Number OF a man” (666 sons are “OF” the man Adonikam)
3) “His number is 666” (Only the man named Adonikam has 666 sons):
“Therefore, “His [Adonikam] number is 666.”
the Lord is raised
