The number of the beast

I have no doubt that scholars far more advanced than I can answer this, but I look at the text (Revelations 13:18), and I look at the context, I look at parallel translations, and I look at word-by-word translations from the Greek, and I wonder.

"Here is wisdom. He who has understanding, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is six hundred sixty-six."

Now, "a man," in the Greek, is "anthropos." No article, no descriptor, no nothing, and a number of sources indicate that it might, with equal validity, be translated "mankind."

So if the Beast indeed has a number, and if it is indeed the same as mankind's number, are we not "The Beast"?

Entertain, please, that when we fail to love, we further the Agenda of The Beast. When we exclude from love, we further the Agenda of The Beast. When we ignore the poor, we further The Beast's agenda. When we ignore the downtrodden, we further the Agenda of the Beast.

We live in difficult times, as have all before us and as will all after us. And we prove ourselves so very inadequate.