The Beast (Revelation) - Interpretations - Historicism

Historicism

Historicism is a method of interpretation in Christian eschatology which attempts to associate biblical prophecies with actual historical events and identify symbolic beings with historical persons or societies in the history of the church. This interpretation was favored by the Protestant reformers such as John Wycliff and Martin Luther, as well as other prominent figures such as Isaac Newton, identified the Papacy as the beast.

According to this interpretation, the beast and false prophet were most commonly identified with the papacy in its political and religious aspects.

The beast from the earth has also been interpreted as the Islamic prophet Muhammed, according to some medieval Christians, particularly Pope Innocent III, Saracens and Antipopes, according to other medieval Christians, particularly Joachim of Fiore and the government of the United States of America (this is the view of the Seventh-day Adventist Church). This interpretation was introduced by Adventist pioneer, John Nevins Andrews.

The identification with the papacy is a viewpoint echoed by Seventh-day Adventist writers. According to the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the "image to the beast" represents Protestant churches which will form an alliance with the Papacy, and the "mark of the beast" refers to a future universal Sunday law. Adventists have interpreted the number of the beast, 666, as corresponding to a Latin title Vicarius Filii Dei of the Pope. The number 666 is calculated by using a form of gematria where only the letters which refer to Latin numerals are counted.

V	I	C	A	R	I	V	S	F	I	L	I	I	D	E	I	TOTAL
5	1	100	0	0	1	5	0	0	1	50	1	1	500	0	1	666

In 1866, Uriah Smith was the first to propose the interpretation to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. In The United States in the Light of Prophecy he wrote,

"The pope wears upon his pontifical crown in jeweled letters, this title: "Vicarius Filii Dei," "Viceregent of the Son of God;" the numerical value of which title is just six hundred and sixty-six The most plausible supposition we have ever seen on this point is that here we find the number in question. It is the number of the beast, the papacy; it is the number of his name, for he adopts it as his distinctive title; it is the number of a man, for he who bears it is the 'man of sin'."

Adventist scholar J. N. Andrews also adopted this view. Uriah Smith maintained his interpretation in the various editions of Thoughts on Daniel and the Revelation, which was influential in the church.

Samuele Bacchiocchi, an Adventist scholar, has noted that Seventh-day Adventist teaching is moving away from historicism towards a more symbolic interpretation of the mark of the beast.

Jimmy Akin of Catholic Answers and additional Catholic sources disagree with the above argument, claiming "Vicarius Filii Dei, although it adds up to 666, is not a title of the pope".

The Historical method of interpretation has fallen out of favor with modern commentaries on Revelation, partially because it has failed to form a consensus on how the outline of the book of Revelation corresponds with history.