The number 666 is the mark of the beast, as referenced within the Book of Revelation. In apocalyptic end times, the mark of the beast is taken by those that value personal safety over fidelity to Christ. The mark of the beast is the mark of mankind. It is the other of the divine plan of salvation.
666 within the Bible
The number 666 is also known as the “Number of the Beast” within the Bible, specifically within the Book of Revelation, the ultimate book of the New Testament. It is related to an apocalyptic vision of a beast that symbolizes evil and opposition to God. The passage that mentions 666 is Revelation 13:18 (NIV):
“This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the variety of the beast, for it’s the variety of a person, and his number is 666.”
The exact meaning and interpretation of 666 have been the topic of much discussion and debate amongst scholars, theologians, and readers of the Bible. Here are some common interpretations:
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Numerology: Numbers often carried symbolic meanings in biblical and ancient Jewish numerology. The number 7 is usually related to completeness and perfection within the Bible. Therefore, 666, being one wanting 7, may symbolize imperfection, incompleteness, or fallen humanity. Some interpret it as an emblem of ultimate human riot against God.
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Nero: Some scholars and historians have suggested that 666 might reference the Roman Emperor Nero. When the Book of Revelation was written, Christians faced persecution under Nero’s reign, and the number might have been used as a code to represent Nero without directly naming him. The numerical value of certain letters within the Greek alphabet could possibly be added as much as equal 666, and this was used as a solution to encode the reference.
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Symbol of Ultimate Evil: In a broader sense, 666 is usually seen as an emblem of evil, wickedness, and opposition to God. It serves as a warning about the results of rejecting God and following a path of sin and riot.
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End-Times Prophecy: Some interpret the reference to 666 as an indication of the tip times and the approaching of the Antichrist. It is related to the eschatological belief that a strong and evil figure will arise to steer a riot against God before the ultimate judgment.
Where Is 666 within the Bible?
Revelation 13:16-18 sounds as if it could possibly be the script for one in every of those remarkable movies about secret codes or implausible beasts.
“It also forced all people, great and small, wealthy and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, in order that they may not buy or sell unless they’d the mark, which is the name of the beast or the variety of its name. This calls for wisdom. Let the one that has insight calculate the variety of the beast, for it’s the variety of a person. That number is 666” (Revelation 13:16-18).
The Mark of the Beast
The mark of the beast is “666.” The symbolism here can’t be missed. The number seven could be very necessary, as we’d have read through the book of Revelation. In fact, the number seven in Hebrew and the word for the Lord’s day of the Sabbath is identical word: Shabbat. God rested on the seventh day; due to this fact, the seventh day is the name for the Sabbath.
Throughout the book of Revelation, the number seven is related to completeness, perfection, and a Sabbath rest. It is, due to this fact the variety of God or the divine number.
When Jesus introduces a mark that’s all the time six and never seven, he introduces the mark of man. It doesn’t matter how again and again the six is multiplied; it could never be seven. It can never be complete. It can never be divine. The mark of the beast is the mark of mankind. It is the other of the divine plan of salvation. It is salvation by works. It is man-centered. It is God-denying. Thus, we’d say that the mark of the beast, “666,” means “never God, never God, never God.”
There will come a time as evil continues to multiply, and beauty by the way in which also multiplies, that you just and I or our descendants might be faced with the alternative of bowing to the one who seeks to switch God.
But in one other sense, those times are already happening today, which is all the time necessary in apocalyptic literature. You and I take the mark of the beast every time we deny God and sell out our faith to follow a lesser being, replacing God and his gifts of everlasting life through our Lord Jesus Christ with poor imitations that may never be equal to the divine gift of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ our Lord. Better to decide on “all the time Christ, only Christ, endlessly Christ.”
How to Understand 666
“The mark of the beast” or “666” is one in every of those enigmatic matters that persist through every generation of the Christian church. What does it mean? There been quite a lot of responses starting from dismissal to bazaar. Applying the context, genre, and interpretive key leads us to the reply to the query.
1. Biblical Context. The context of this passage (Revelation 13) could be very clear. The mark of the beast is taken by those that value personal safety over fidelity to Christ. These are poor, weak believers (and unbelievers) who yield to the seducingly sinful powers of the apocalyptic beast.
This beast is unquestionably not heinously mutated just like the Creature from the Black Lagoon, physically distorted by its own sin. Rather, it’s the mutated, sin-saturated beastly power of presidency, hypocritical religious conspiracy, or one other ruling authority (this beast is “a second beast”).
These beasts have existed because the starting of time. The beasts were actually harassing the saints in John’s day. Apocalyptic literature draws on the incontrovertible fact that the events proceed until the tip of time, escalating of their significance and of their worldwide reach. Sin abounds. But thank God, “where sin abounded, grace abounded way more” (Romans 5:20b NKJV).
2. Apocalyptic Literature. 666, the mark of the beast, is a component of apocalyptic literature. As I said previously, “It is significant to find out the genre since it helps us interpret, understand, and apply any portion of God’s word.”
Apocalyptic literature like Revelation (and the Old Testament book of Daniel) is marked by hyperbole, symbolism, concern about events of world proportions, invisible cosmic battles which are being fought in very visible on a regular basis life, and visions illustrated through implausible imagery. The believer is urged to faithfulness, knowing that while evil forces look like winning, God is sovereign. Remain faithful.
In his commentary on Revelation, More than Conquerors, the late Dutch Reformed commentator, Dr. William Hendrickson, described the book of Revelation as taking a look at a movie moving at double speed. All of the creatures, individuals, and events move so quickly before us. We can barely make them out. But we all know there’s a drama unfolding before us: the drama of the ages.
3. Interpretive Key. The visions in Revelation include key passages that provide a hermeneutic or interpretive principle for reading the fabric. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ told the apostle John about seven lampstands.
“As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches” (Revelation 1:20 NASB).
Here is the interpretive key for reading the remaining of the book of Revelation. And what’s that rule? It is that this: I’ll provide implausible imagery to explain real situations in history and spiritual truths.
There is usually debate over whether the symbolism is historical or spiritual. I think that we must always come down on the side of claiming to each, “Yes!” A discerning reader can recognize that there are occasions when the symbolism is a few universal spiritual matter, and there are other times when it seems to discuss with a particular historical event. It also applies to each the past, present, and future:
“Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things that are, and the things which shall be hereafter” (Revelation 1:19 KJV).
Why Does the Number 666 Matter Today?
As we approach End Times, it is important that we have now an understanding of how the Beast operates and what is going to come, by way of his mark. By knowing the number 666 and its associations with the Beast we will remain vigilant. So when the Beast demands that individuals put the mark on themselves, we avoid doing so.
Many so-called Christians will take the mark of the Beast, barring themselves from the great reward of heaven. Accepting the mark shows faithlessness and selecting the world’s fleeting safety fairly than the Father’s loving embrace. Many of us might be tempted to tackle the mark, because the Beast will bar those that haven’t got it from food and other basic needs. Trust within the Lord and avoid the mark. The everlasting award is much greater and much an excessive amount of to risk.
Photo Credit: Getty/SiberianPhotographer
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