Another indication that "the number of Man/a man" in Revelation 13 is meant in a generic sense is that
all of the other 19 times that the word Anthropos and its variants are used in the book of Revelation, it refers to men or to a generic man. Here are quotes of all 20 times that the word is used:
https://www.biblestudytools.com/nas/pas ... 3;re+21:17
Some examples:
Revelation 4:7: "And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face
as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle."
The man and the beast in the verse are not specific ones in real life, but rather the beasts are like a generic man or beast.
Revelation 13:18 "Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of
Man / a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six."
Even if one chooses "a man" as the best interpretation, "a man" can still mean "a man" in a generic sense.
Further, if one does not limit "the beast" in the verse to one specific man alone, such as Nero, but rather opens it up to a class of men who are Anti-Christs like Hadrian (per the Nero redux theory) or Domitian, then "a man" could also be meant as a category of men or a generic man who symbolizes numerous anti-Christs.
Revelation 16:8: "And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since
man (Anthropos) was upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great."
This is the verse that Wallace draws attention to. It is not talking about the time when a specific man was on earth, but the time when mankind or man in general was on earth.
Revelation 21:17 (KJV): "And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to
the measure of a man, that is, of the angel."
I think that this verse is especially related to Revelation 13. Whereas Revelation 13 refers to the number of the beast and equates it with the number "of a man", this in Revelation 21 verse talks about the measure "of a man" that is also the measure of an angel.
The four cubits are measured according to a generic man's measurement of cubits that is the same as the angel's, or the 144 cubits are according to the measurement of a man that is also the measure of the angel.
I frequently see this translated as if it refers to a man in the generic sense. For instance, the NAS version puts it: "And he measured its wall, seventy-two yards, according to
human measurements, which are also angelic measurements."
But my take is that since 144 is such a giant size, if you say that 144 cubits were the special measure of a particular, specific man, you would be taking it in a spiritual sense rather than a literal one, and you would be referring to the idea that Christ the God-Man has a corporate body, like how His "body" would include the 144,000 righteous Israelites mentioned earlier. So even if this case the specific man (Christ) would still be a collective or inclusive man.
Just as numerous anti-Christs might share the number name of 666, numerous Christians could share in some of Christ's attributes.
Anyway, 144 cubits, as a physical measure, would also be "according to the measure of a man" in general, because men in general have the same physical measurements.