Numerology aside, there is an interesting way to interpret the phrase “the number of the beast... it is the number of a man” (Revelation 13:18). If we consider prophetic riddles as using wordplay or phonetic clues, then "name of a man" might hint at a surname containing "Man"—like Axmann.
If we break it down:
Chi (Χ, χ) might be interpreted as an "A" sound (though traditionally "Ch"). It is a ch sound like the ch in Scottish pronunciation of loch. So simple A , Ah, or Germsn prouniciation of Ach is possible.
Xi (Ξ, ξ) resembles "X."
Stigma (ϛ) represents 6 but was historically used as a ligature for "st" or a serpent-like mark. It has no sound.
So, phonetics could give us "A X", and "name of a man" might hint at "Man," leading to "Axmann."
This is unconventional but aligns with the idea that prophecy might use riddles rather than strict numerical values. However, without direct numerical confirmation (like gematria), it remains a creative interpretation rather than a definitive one.
Isaiah 44:28 and 45:1 explicitly name Cyrus as the ruler who would allow the Israelites to return from exile and rebuild Jerusalem. Many scholars debate whether this was a prophecy written in advance or a later addition after Cyrus rose to power, but if one accepts the prophetic nature of the text, then it certainly demonstrates the idea of foretelling a future leader by name.
Axmann is the name of the man designated by the Fuhrer to perpetuate his ideology after his death. He died in 1997 but after he had passed on the baton of the ideology to a new generation. If this prophecy is indeed alluding to his name, it might be it alludes more generally to what his name represents, a persistence in lieu of future revival of that infamous ideology.
If this is correct, then the prophecy wouldn’t be about Axmann himself as the Beast but rather about the endurance of the ideology he carried forward—suggesting that even after WWII, the spirit of that movement did not die but instead lay dormant, awaiting revival.
This aligns with broader interpretations of the Beast not just as a person but as a system or ideology that revives some time in history. Given that Revelation often speaks of a wounded beast returning (Rev. 13:3), this could metaphorically parallel the ideological persistence.
