In the 1980s, Boston had a Christian radio station, WEZE, which featured a talk show hosted by Jennine Graf. I remember a young man called in and claimed Ronald Reagan was the Antichrist. Jennine, somewhat stunned, asked why. “Ronald Wilson Reagan,” said the caller. “Count the letters in each name. That’s 6-6-6.”

For over two decades, I heard numerous interpretations of the Book of Revelation, some of them bizarre like that. Many people seemed eager to decipher the book’s symbolism, such as 666, the mark of the Beast, and the identity of the Antichrist. I observed, but didn’t fixate on, any of the diverse theories. [Read More]