The number of the beast is said to be the number of a man, six hundred threescore and six. Does it mean that there will be 666 organized churches? Some say there are 660 now, and that if a person belongs to any of these, he has the number of the beast. C. V. D. First, we do not think that there are so many church organizations as this. 2. A much more plausible explanation is that this name expresses the claims and character of the beast. The popes of Rome have claimed to be the vicar of Jesus Christ, ruling in the place of Christ in the church. It is said that there has been written at some time on the tiara of the pope the expression Vicarius filii Dei. This is the papal claim, “Vicegerent of the Son of God.” In Roman numerals some of these letters have values, I equals 1, V equals 5, L equals 50, C equals 100, D equals 500, and the sum of these letters makes up the number of the name of the power which is symbolized by the beast. In that case we would have 5 plus 1 plus 100 plus 1 plus 5 plus 1 plus 50 plus 1 plus 1 plus 500 plus 1 which equals 666. In Roman notation U and V are the same letter. See the tract “Mark of the Beast and Seal of God,” Bible Students’ Library No. 130, price, two cents.