The practice of calculating numeric values from Greek letters is called isopsephy (from isos = equal, psephos = pebble/counting stone). Just as Hebrew letters carry numeric values, so do the 24 letters of the Greek alphabet — and the New Testament is written in Greek.
The Greek Numeric System
Greek uses a similar positional system to Hebrew:
- Alpha (Α) = 1 through Theta (Θ) = 9
- Iota (Ι) = 10 through Koppa (Ϙ) = 90
- Rho (Ρ) = 100 through Sampi (Ϡ) = 900
Three archaic letters (Digamma/Stigma = 6, Koppa = 90, Sampi = 900) complete the system to cover 1-999.
The Name of Jesus: 888
The most famous isopsephy calculation in the New Testament: Ἰησοῦς (Iesous — Jesus):
- Ι (Iota) = 10
- η (Eta) = 8
- σ (Sigma) = 200
- ο (Omicron) = 70
- υ (Upsilon) = 400
- ς (Sigma final) = 200
Total: 888
The significance: 888 is 8 × 111, or three eights. Eight is the number of new beginnings and resurrection. Jesus' very name, in its numeric form, declares: "I am the threefold (divine) new beginning. I am resurrection amplified to its fullest expression."
Compare with 666 (the beast): 666 is man's number tripled. 888 is the new-beginning number tripled. Christ's number exceeds the beast's by exactly 222 (2 × 111) — the number of witness doubled.
Other Significant Greek Values
- Christos (Χριστός) = 1,480 = 8 × 185
- Lord (Κύριος) = 800 = 8 × 100
- The pattern: Christ-related titles consistently factor into multiples of 8
The Witness of Two Languages
When Hebrew gematria and Greek isopsephy independently produce coherent, theologically significant patterns, the probability of coincidence drops to near zero. Two languages, written centuries apart, by dozens of authors — yet the numbers align. This is the fingerprint of a single, supernatural Author working through human hands.