This is one of the most fascinating and intriguing verses in all prophetic Scripture. This verse has caused more Bible teachers and students to chase their tails than any other verse. How do you calculate the number? Obviously, each letter must have a numerical value, but what value is correct for each letter?

The answer to these questions comes from an understanding of the ancient classic languages of Hebrew and Greek. As you may recall, the numbers we use today are Arabic or Roman numerals. Like Hebrew and Greek, English has no numerals of their own. In ancient times, before there were Arabic and Roman numerals, a simple decimal system was used for each letter. That is, the first ten letters were given the value of one through ten in ascending order. The next letter, however, was not an eleven, but instead, twenty. Thereafter, each letter was ten more (20, 30, 40, etc). At one hundred, the letter incremented by 100's, (200, 300, 400, etc). Both Hebrew and Greek contain 22 letters. So, the greatest value of any letter (Tav in Hebrew, Omega in Greek) was 400. The ancients simply used letters in place of numbers to indicate numerical values.

Archaeology has found, for example, where a man etched a secret message in stone by saying, AI love the girl whose name equals 545."  It is a very simple system and can easily be adapted to English as well.

When John wrote his prophecy giving the value of 666 to the name of the beast (antimessiah), the ancients had no difficulty understanding the intent. This would be a confirmation of a particular name and would help in the identification process. The key word calculate also adds to the mystery as it is more technical than the simpler word "count." The word "number" in the Greek is "arithmos."  The origins of the word "arithmetic." To sum it up (excuse the pun), this verse of Scripture emphasizes that wisdom and understanding must be employed to draw a proper conclusion. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding...

In 1982, I purchased my first personal desktop computer. It was a giant calculator. Since I was Hebrew, I also knew how the letters represented certain values. I was also a writer and aware of the origins of our English letters and language out of the ancient languages.

For example, the first Hebrew letter is an aleph, Greek is alpha, and English is just plain "A"  The English alphabet originates from Greek (alpha beta) and the Hebrew (aleph bet). I was curious as to whether the gematria (numerical values for each letter) would yield any interesting results.
With the help of a friend more adept in computer programming, we wrote a computer program that would calculate the numerical value (gematria) for English. I limited the system only to the first 22 letters as the ancients had done (Hebrew and Greek only have 22 letters). Once the program was written, I was able to type in all the names for all world figures past and present, calculating the gematria for each with computer accuracy. I had no expectation whatsoever for anyone when I started entering names. I already knew Kissinger wasn't  the antichrist.

Then it happened. I entered the name "Prince Charles of Wales".  The value displayed was 666. Have you ever heard of an experience called, "tunnel vision."  It is a real thing. My mind focused so hard that my vision contracted to an area limited to the numbers themselves. I thought I was passing out. No matter how many times I entered the name, the calculation was the same. Then it hit me. He is a Prince just as the Scripture says.

Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. DAN 9:26

The prince who is to come must be of Roman origin. It was the Romans who came and destroyed the temple and Jerusalem. The antimessiah must come from the fourth great beast described by Daniel B the Romans. Daniel later describes how the prince comes to power. He must do so while being a prince, not a king.

And in his place a despicable person will arise, on whom the honor of kingship has not been conferred, but he will come in a time of tranquility and seize the kingdom by intrigue. DAN 11:21

Prince Charles is a prince of the people who came and destroyed the temple and Jerusalem. The honor of kingship has not been conferred upon him and his name equals 666 in English (the common language of our world) using the ancient gematria method.

But that's not good enough for me, I'm Hebrew. I need to see his name in Hebrew calculated to the gematria. For that I had to go to Israel and find an authoritative source for translating his name into Hebrew. I ended up following how the Israeli press writes his name in the Hebrew newspapers. "Nasich Charles Mem Wales" is the name as pronounced in Hebrew. Refer to the chart shown here and you can compare the English and Hebrew names with the corresponding calculations. The statistical odds are astonishing. The name "Prince Charles of Wales"  in the modern accepted form of Hebrew calculates to 666 as well.

Let me remind you of a childhood story that will illustrate how astonishing this fact is. Remember, the story of Robin Hood and the archery contest?  First, an arrow is shot at a great distance striking the bulls-eye on the target. This is what the first calculation of Prince Charles to the English adaptation of the ancient gematria. Next, Robin Hood shot his arrow splitting the first arrow into the bulls-eye. This is the second calculation of Prince Charles translated into Hebrew and then calculated to the same value.

You won't have any name of another public figure in the world whose name equals 666 in English or Hebrew. Nor, can you find another name of anyone in the world whose English name equals one value, translate it then into Hebrew and calculate to the same value as before the translation. I think this one fact about Prince Charles makes him worthy of much greater observation.

Consider this also. Charles means "man" or "manly."  Revelation 13:18 says that the number 666 is that of a "man."  I could substitute the name Charles for the word "man" and it would mean the same.

Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a [Charles]; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six. REV 13:18

His Calling Card

And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names. And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority. REV 13:1-2

Symbols and symbolic language frighten most readers of Bible prophecy. Who knows what the symbols mean? From an interpretative standpoint, the fear is that anything can fit any symbol by anyone with enough effort. But for most, the real mistake works like this. If the symbol seems good; it must be about us. If it seems bad; it must be about our enemies. Mutant creatures with "ten horns and seven heads" and a "beast" made of different body parts must be bad, right? So, most folks lay a heavy value judgment on it and begin adapting it to their preconceptions.

The writer of the Revelation says he saw something. Most prophecy teachers claim that this is symbolic and want to offer their preferred meanings to the symbols. What if they are wrong and it is not symbolic at all? What if it is something actually seen and it has been there in front of us for years? What if it is something viewed as honorable in our world and just a common thing?

When you meet a prominent or important person, you will receive their card. It is called a business card. It has the correct spelling of the person's name, their position and company name, along with address, phone number, e-mail address, and fax number. This is the common way you meet a person. However, when you meet Prince Charles of Wales, his business card is full of symbols. It is called his coat-of-arms. This set of symbols is reserved strictly for him and is controlled by the college of heraldry. It is his ancient calling card.

The coat-of-arms for Prince Charles is full of history and great meaning. It is the ancient way of identifying the royal families originating from the Holy Roman Empire. Refer to the diagram showing the coat-of-arms of Prince Charles.

I don't have sufficient space to explain all the meanings in his coat-of-arms, but I do want you to take note of the "heraldic beast" and the "dragon" in it.
The beast is a composite creature depicting the past: the body is that of a leopard, the feet are from a bear, and the head (mouth) is that of a lion. The past emperors of the Roman empire were from France (leopard), Germany (bear), and England (lion). This is the definition of the Heraldic Beast from the college of heraldry and its has existed for the past 500 years. It also matches the exact description as seen by the Apostle John in the book of Revelation.

The dragon comes from the flag of Wales. Prince Charles of Wales is more than just a name. It is the title of the heir apparent B the next in line for kingship. The red dragon dates back to the ancient Romans. Britannia was the head of the western Roman Empire and the symbol of Roman antiquity was a red dragon. It is also the symbol that was seen by John to give the beast his power, throne, and great authority. The day that Prince Charles received his title as the Prince of Wales and his named officially changed to Prince Charles of Wales, he was surrounded by banners of this red dragon at a castle in Wales. This is why his coat-of-arms depicts the symbol in a supporting role. There is much more that could be said but time and space prohibit it further. Should you wish to delve more into his other symbols, I recommend the book, The Antichrist and a Cup of Tea, by Tim Cohen. Lion and Lamb Ministries offers this book. What you will discover is that every symbol in the coat-of-arms lines up with the Scripture. Is it an incredible coincidence or did John see and warn us?

Before we leave all these symbols lets address the kingdom symbolized by the ten horns and seven heads. And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names. First, let's let the Bible explain the meaning of the ten horns and seven heads.

Here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits, and they are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while. And the beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth, and is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction. And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. These have one purpose and they give their power and authority to the beast. REV 17:9-13

Just like Revelation 13:18, these prophecies require some wisdom to properly understand. First, let's clear up the obvious. The seven mountains are a reference to Rome. The kingdom of the beast (antimessiah) will originate from Rome B the ancient Holy Roman Empire. The woman is a reference to the false bride of the Messiah (the false church). Everyone is aware that the Christian (Catholic) church is headquartered in Rome. I know, I know, you are all thinking that it doesn't represent us good Christians (us protestant types). However, Protestant means protesting Catholic. So, it is the headquarters of the Christian church. It also is the parliamentary headquarters for the European Union.

The reference to seven past kings (five have fallen, one is, and the other not yet come who remains a short while) is a historic description of the Holy Roman Empire. There have been seven Charles' as Emperors of the Holy Roman Empire. World Book Encyclopedia and other reference documents summarize the history of the Holy Roman Empire by these seven kings. This is a historical fact. But what makes this prophecy such a puzzle is its reference to the beast being "also an eighth, and is one of the seven."  The answer is simple and right before us. They all have the name Charles B Prince Charles will be the eighth when he rules over the ancient Holy Roman Empire (the modern European Union). How is he one of the seven? He is a direct descendant of the Charles VI through the Hapsburg line.

So we have seven ancient kings that depict the ancient Holy Roman Empire, what are the ten kings that rule with the beast for one hour?

The modern European Union was formed in 1993 and is made up of fifteen European nations. It has a parliament in Rome. It has a Judiciary. It has an Executive called the European Council of Ministers (ECM) with fifteen rulers. It has formed its own currency and dollar. It has its own flag.

The new Euro Dollar has transformed Europe in a host of ways. They have gone way beyond the original idea of a common market. The EU is well on its way to becoming an economic powerhouse. However, not everyone of the fifteen EU nations have signed up for this Euro Dollar. Some are not economically strong enough to join the club and some want to hold onto their own money. For example, the United Kingdom doesn't want to give up their pound sterling. Therefore, a controversy is brewing within the ECM (council of ministers). This executive function is to serve like our Federal Reserve (controlling the money). The EU does not want rulers from other European countries having a say about the Euro Dollar if they aren't signed up for it. So, the ECM is preparing to shrink in number accordingly (possibly ten or eleven). If this is the set of ten kings spoken of in the prophecy, then it will be ten not eleven.

Now this is the really interesting part. Each of these ministers in the ECM get to have the power to rule for six months each on a rotating basis. Each minister takes his turn serving as President. However, this power sharing routine is not working. With only six months, there isn't enough time to really carry out any long term plans. The common complaint of retiring Presidents is that more time should be given to the person in this office. The suggestion has been made that one person be given the power to rule more on the order of the U.S. President (a four-year term of office). I'll discuss more of this when we look at the prophecies of how the antimessiah comes to power.

Interesting Coincidences and Prophetic Themes

The basic contrast between a Christ and antichrist or a Messiah and an antimessiah is like good and evil. Evil never presents itself as black vs. white or as death vs. life. Evil always attempts to imitate good and offers itself as an alternative. The results are in sharp contrast, but deception has its initial appeal. The same is said for the antimessiah.

Messiah Yeshua was born in a humble setting with a destiny to be the King. Prince Charles was born in a royal setting with a destiny to be a king. Yeshua's dominant parent was his mother Mary with a cousin called Elizabeth. Prince Charles' dominant parent is his mother Elizabeth with a cousin called Mary. Yeshua's mother, Mary, has testified to us in Scripture that Yeshua was born to be the Savior, thus He was called Yeshua (which means Salvation). Queen Elizabeth when referring to Charles has been quoted as saying, "He is the chosen one, the one destined to rule."

The Bible is full of controversies between the plans and purposes of God versus the plans and purposes of others. The controversies of Ishmael and Isaac or of Jacob and Esau are but a few that could be mentioned. Ishmael was Abraham's first born, but he was not the son of promise. Esau was first born; but he despised his birthright and Jacob was the prophesied one. The antimessiah is to come with similar controversy and it centers on who has the right to rule. Who is the true son of David?  For it was David who was promised that his throne would never lack for leadership. Given the history of the world and everyone's migration upon the globe, even Jews lack the genealogical evidence to prove their ancestry. For anyone to prove their lineage back to King David would be surely contested; unless, you're Prince Charles. His genealogical chart has been maintained throughout the centuries and he can trace his birth back that far. Therefore, Prince Charles can and does claim to be the "son of David."  This is a major precondition for laying claim to be the messiah.

Many prophecy students view the image of the antimessiah as a great charismatic figure who sweeps the world off its feet with power, offering himself first as a hero, then turning to evil. These are the vain imaginations of men. The Scripture presents the antimessiah as the person with no power who usurps and influences others. Those with power give it to him. To quote Prince Charles directly, he says, AI have no power of my own, but I have influence. And you will have to see what I do with it."

The prophet Daniel offers this intriguing element about the antimessiah.

And he [antimessiah] will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the desire of women, nor will he show regard for any other god; for he will magnify himself above them all. DAN 11:37

Prince Charles in recent years has caused some concern for his decision to change one of his titles. The title in question is "Defender of the Faith."  He has changed it to say, ADefender of Faiths."  His rationale is that he wants all of his subjects to identify with him, not just the Christians. This is a major departure from the past. The King of Great Britain is in the position of being head of the church (in opposition to the Pope). Prince Charles apparently does not regard the god of his fathers.

The next phrase of the prophecy says, "no regard... for the desire of women." When Charles married Lady Diana, many prophecy teachers dismissed Charles as the antimessiah candidate on this alone. They need to examine this prophecy a bit more. It is Diana that uniquely qualifies Charles for this prophecy.

There are two ways to regard the prophecy "no desire for women." One is from the homosexual standpoint. The Biblical expression "no desire for women" generally means there is instead a desire for men. Prince Charles, just prior to marrying Lady Diana, was fending off hints and suggestions that he was homosexual. These rumors persisted even after his marriage. However, Stephen Barry, the eleven-year personal valet for Prince Charles wrote a book entitled In His Royal Service that quelled these rumors. Stephen Barry asserted, as his personal valet, he could verify that Prince Charles was all man and that these rumors were simply that B rumors. He, himself, offered his own personal witness that Prince Charles was heterosexual and that he had assisted in some arranged meetings with other ladies. Everyone pretty much accepted Stephen's testimony until he died of AIDS three years after leaving Prince Charles employment. It was obvious that Stephen Barry was, himself, homosexual.

But it is the secondary meaning of "no regard... for the desire of women" that brings Diana into the picture more clearly. A more modern translation would read, "He will have no regard for the most desirable among women." The word "desire" is an adjective of women, not a verb for the antimessiah. "No regard" is the verb for the antimessiah.

This brings us to the special role of Diana in Charles life. Without any doubt, the world regarded Princess Diana as one of the most desirable women in the world. This is the woman that Prince Charles said publicly, AI have no desire for her."  Additionally, you may recall that Diana is the ancient name of a goddess worshiped by the Romans. There are a number of mythological symbols and stories and that meld into this entire scenario. Prince Charles' marriage and relationship with Diana did not disqualify him in this prophecy; it uniquely qualified him.

How the Antimessiah Comes to Power

How the antimessiah comes to power and is given the authority to rule for 42 months are some of the most specific prophecies of him. Let's examine what the prophet Zechariah says as he compares the antimessiah to the evil shepherd.

Thus says the Lord my God, "Pasture the flock doomed to slaughter. Those who buy them slay them and go unpunished, and each of those who sell them says, >Blessed be the Lord, for I have become rich!' And their own shepherds have no pity on them. For I shall no longer have pity on the inhabitants of the land," declares the Lord; "but behold, I shall cause the men to fall, each into another's power and into the power of his king; and they will strike the land, and I shall not deliver them from their power." ZEC 11:4-6

The first step of the antimessiah coming to power is us losing control of our own national sovereignty. This prophecy says that we lose control of our own selves and then we are given over into the power of our own ruler. Our own ruler will then give his power (control of us) to the antimessiah. With each succeeding step of globalization, emergency government powers, and internal security requirements, our personal freedoms are inching their way toward capitulation. With the recent September 11 attack, congress has enacted legislation that has increased the power of government and decreased the privacy of people. I understand the reasons and agree with what has to be done. I also understand that this is the same process described by the prophets.

So I pastured the flock doomed to slaughter, hence the afflicted of the flock. And I took for myself two staffs: the one I called Favor, and the other I called Union; so I pastured the flock. Then I annihilated the three shepherds in one month, for my soul was impatient with them, and their soul also was weary of me. Then I said, AI will not pasture you. What is to die, let it die, and what is to be annihilated, let it be annihilated; and let those who are left eat one another's flesh."  And I took my staff, Favor, and cut it in pieces, to break my covenant which I had made with all the peoples. So it was broken on that day, and thus the afflicted of the flock who were watching me realized that it was the word of the Lord. Then I cut my second staff, Union, in pieces, to break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. ZEC 11:7-11,14

The antimessiah comes to power under two staffs called Union and Favor. The actual rise to power is in the midst of ten kings by uprooting three of them. According to the prophecy, the antimessiah will be impatient with the three and they will be weary of him. The remaining seven will give their power to him.

This description is not of a powerful handsome leader who sweeps everyone off their feet. It is better described as the political intrigue of our day. The present European Union is simply referred to as the Union. Those nations who have agreed upon the Euro Dollar are said to have received Favor. The power that the antimessiah will be given and wield is economic B the very aim and purpose of the European Union.

As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings. DAN 7:24

Prince Charles is not an elected official as the rulers of the European Union; he is a monarch. Therefore, as the prophecy says, he is different from them. Maybe you are wondering if Prince Charles has any interest in leading Europe? He does. He tried to influence the original definition of the ECM in its formation in 1992. He argued that the monarchy was the most stable form of government, but Europe was into democracy and they turned him down. But the prophecy says they will consider his offer when they become a group of ten kings.

And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. REV 17:12

There are two competing models for the definition of world globalism. One is the UN model and the other European. The UN wants one great big community of everyone helping everyone. The European model divides the world into three parts: developed nations, developing nations, and undeveloped nations. The European model contends that there are not enough resources in the world for all nations to be developed and, therefore, part of the world needs to be sacrificed to meet the need of the other part. The European model also contends that there is not enough food to go around and the world population should be significantly reduced. There are six billion people right now; they think two billion would be a better number. The language of Zechariah suggests that the antimessiah will be the guy who leads the world while a large number of people die from starvation and lack of resources. Prince Charles is a globalist. He is the leading proponent of the European model.

Present rumblings out of Europe with the advent of the Euro Dollar and its currency is calling for a new definition for the European Council of Ministers and the authority that its President should have. Speculation is running that the new definition and powers should be accomplished as early as 2002 or more likely 2003. March or April of 2003 would be a fascinating time for the ten ruler committee to formulate and implement these ideas. Seven rulers, each with six months to rule, could give their power to one man. Seven times six equals forty-two months to rule. The prophecy is very specific that we will know that he has the full forty-two months on the day he begins to rule.

How the Antimessiah will be Assassinated

Several years ago, when I began to speak publicly about Prince Charles and the prophecies of the antimessiah, I was confronted by some who just couldn't see it that way. They didn't understand the number thing or get it about the coat-of-arms. In fact, of all the complaints I have ever heard directed against me or the ministry, it has stemmed from this subject.

Some critics just can't imagine, mild mannered, meek, geeky Prince Charles having the necessary fiber to be a world leader let alone the feared and mighty antimessiah. I rarely get to discuss this objection face to face. When I do, I remind them that Hitler was a corporal in WWI and his wimpy style didn't stop him from leading the world in WWII which killed 50 million people including six million Jews. Yeshua refers to the antimessiah as the son of perdition (destruction) because he will kill more people than anyone in the world has ever come close to killing.

One of my critics on this subject was a pastor of a large church. Several of his folks had heard my information on this topic and had enthusiastically shared it with him. He was unimpressed, and in an effort to discredit me offered the following, trying to say no one will know who the antimessiah is. "If I knew who the antichrist was in the world. I'd do God a big favor and get a gun. I'd go and shoot him in the head," so the pastor said before the chuckles of the church. The really ironic thing is someone is prophesied to do what he said.

The prophecy says that the antimessiah will be assassinated prior to him coming to power.

And I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast; REV 13:

And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. REV 13:12

And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life. REV 13:14

Revelation speaks of the antimessiah as having had a fatal head wound. The antimessiah's counterpart (the false prophet) is to assist in reviving the antimessiah. Political assassination is something this generation is well aware of. From the Kennedy's to Martin Luther King, to Sadat and Rabin, we are very aware of how assassination news travels and is regarded. Can you imagine an assassination that results in a resurrection? This is what the prophecy says about the antimessiah. Whether this produces additional public support or not is debatable, but the prophecy relates to it each time the false prophet promotes the beast. But, it won't be a complete healing... The prophet Zechariah says there will be some residual effects from the wound. Apparently, he will be blind in his right eye and his right arm will not work either.

Woe to the worthless shepherd who leaves the flock! A sword will be on his arm and on his right eye! His arm will be totally withered, and his right eye will be blind. ZEC 11:17

In conclusion, I have been asked many times if Prince Charles knows who he is. That is, if he is the antimessiah, does he know that he is. My answer is Yes. I believe that the antimessiah is patiently waiting for his time just as the Messiah waited for His. I believe he is trusting in the promise that was given by his father.

I will give you all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore if you worship before me, it shall all be yours.
LUK 4:7

Am I afraid of what Prince Charles might do with me identifying him? Nope. I’m small potatoes in this world. I’m just the “him” who did the calculation. “Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast...”