From the Brit Chadashah, let’s take a look at one particular verse, where (when translated into Hebrew) the word cepher appears three times:

B’zoth ha’chokmah, mi sha’binah yachashev m’cepher ha’chayeah kee m’cepher adam hu v’m’cepher v’sam (וסם).

You might be asking yourself the question: wha-a-a-a-a-t?! (Credit: Paul Begley).  I don’t even read Hebrew!  But, let’s decipher (no pun intended) this phrase, first by looking at this last word, and the gematria thereof.  Remember, that in Hebrew, we read right to left:

By selecting the Hebrew letters which have the gematria six hundred, three score, and six, reading left to right, we have mem sofit (600), samech (60), and vav (6).  Mem sofit does not appear at the beginning of a word, but only at the end of a word, so this is the correct order. As a consequence, we have the Hebrew word cam (Strong’s 5561), together with the prefix vav (meaning and).

סַם cam (sam): from an unused root meaning to smell sweet; an aroma:— sweet (spice).

Now let’s look at this passage again, and maybe you can guess where it is from:

B’zoth (In here) ha’chokmah (the wisdom), mi (you) sha’binah (with understanding) yachashev (reckon the genealogy of) m’cepher (the number/the book) ha’chayeah (of the company) kee (but) m’cepher (the number / the book) adam (of mankind) hu (he) v’m’cepher (and the number) v’sam (and sweet) (וסם).

Chizayon (Revelation) 13:18

Here is the wisdom, you with understanding reckon the genealogy of this company; it is a book of mankind and the book has a sweet aroma. 

A couple of definitions might help up on this.  Where the Greek leads to the word calculate (as in, calculate the number), the Hebrew is a bit more expansive, as the word yachashev means to not merely calculate, but to enroll by pedigree; to number after, or number throughout the genealogy; to be reckoned; or to be reckoned by genealogies.

One large issue which looms is the word chay (חָי), which, according to Strong’s 2416, is a word which can be translated as wild beast.  However, it also means alive, life, or living thing. It also means raw, fresh, or strong.  Finally, it also means a company, a congregation, or troop. 

The Greek word which is translated as beast is the word θηριον therion, which means a dangerous animal; or a venomous, wild beast.

Let’s merge these definitions, and instead of beast, let’s use a troop like wild beasts, and deploy this throughout Chizayon just to review its meaning:

Chizayon (Revelation) 11:1-7

And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. 2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.

            3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. 4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. 5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceeds out of their mouth, and devours their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. 6 These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. 7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the troop like wild beasts that ascends out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.

Chizayon (Revelation) 13:1-10

The first troop like wild beasts:

And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a troop like wild beasts, rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon its horns ten crowns, and upon its heads the name of blasphemy. 2 And the troop like wild beasts, which I saw was like unto a leopard, and its feet were as the feet of a bear, and its mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave it his power, and his seat, and great authority. 3 And I saw one of its heads as it were wounded to death; and its deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the troop like wild beasts. 4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the troop like wild beasts: and they worshipped the troop like wild beasts, saying, Who is like unto the troop like wild beasts? Who is able to make war with it? 5 And there was given unto it a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto it to continue forty and two months. 6 And it opened its mouth in blasphemy against ELOHIYM, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. 7 And it was given unto it to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given it over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. 8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship it, whose names are not written in the cepher of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 9 If any man have an ear, let him hear. 10 He that leads into captivity shall go into captivity: he that kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

Chizayon (Revelation) 13:11-18

The second troop like wild beasts:

And I beheld another troop like wild beasts, coming up out of the earth; and it had two horns like a lamb, and it spoke as a dragon. 12 And it exercises all the power of the first beast before it, and causes the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first troop like wild beasts, whose deadly wound was healed. 13 And it does great wonders, so that it makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, 14 And deceives them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which it had power to do in the sight of the troop like wild beasts; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the troop like wild beasts, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. 15 And it had power to give life unto the image of the troop like wild beasts,, that the image of the troop like wild beasts should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the troop like wild beasts, should be killed. 16 And it causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the troop like wild beasts, or the number of his name.

18 Here is the wisdom, you with understanding reckon the genealogy of the troop like wild beasts; for it is a numbered book of mankind and the numbered book has a sweet aroma.

Chizayon (Revelation) 17:1-18

And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will show unto you the judgment of the great whore that sits upon many waters: 2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. 3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman seated upon a scarlet coloured troop like wild beasts, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: 5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of YAHUSHA: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the troop like wild beasts that carries her, which has the seven heads and ten horns. 8 The troop like wild beasts that you saw was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the troop like wild beasts, that was, and is not, and yet is. 9 And here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman is seated 10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he comes, he must continue a short space. 11 And the troop like wild beasts that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goes into perdition. 12 And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. 13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the troop like wild beasts.

14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is ADONAI of ADONIYM, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. 15 And he says unto me, The waters which you saw where the whore is seated, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. 16 And the ten horns which you saw upon the troop like wild beasts, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. 17 For ELOHIYM has put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the troop like wild beasts, until the words of YAH shall be fulfilled. 18 And the woman which you saw is that great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth.

There you see yet a new read on these very famous passages.  It is not definitive; but just a look at what these words could mean.