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06.06.06: Light for the Day - "666?"
-- Revelation 13:11-18
11 Then I saw another beast, coming out of the
earth.
He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon.
12 He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf,
and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast,
whose fatal wound had been healed.
13 And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing
fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men.
14 Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of
the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth.
He ordered them to make an image in honor of the
first beast
who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.
15 He was given power to give breath to the image of the first
beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to
worship the image to be killed.
16 He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor,
free and slave, to receive a mark on
the right hand or on
the forehead,
17 so that no one could buy or sell unless they had the mark,
which is the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 This calls for wisdom: let anyone who has understanding
calculate the number of the beast,
FOR IT IS MAN'S NUMBER. HIS NUMBER
IS 666.
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Notes:
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1 - Rev.13:18 -- ... His Number is 666.
His number is SIX hundred threescore and SIX. It is almost
impossible to list the number of suggestions for 666;
they range all the way from Nero in ancient Rome to persons
in this day. Probably the most that can be gleaned is that since
SEVEN is the biblical number of completion,
SIX, which falls short of it, is man’s failure at its worst.
Man’s worship of man is, indeed, spiritual insanity to the
highest degree.
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2 - 666
The number is found only in Revelation 13:11–18.
Revelation is the most difficult book of the Bible to interpret,
and people disagree violently about its visions and symbols.
The “beast” refers (probably) to an evil ruler or government
persecuting the faithful, but whether past or future no one knows.
People have enjoyed trying to connect 666 with some famous
person’s name, and for centuries probably every notable person
was accused by someone of being “the beast.” In the Bible SIX
usually represents incompleteness (as opposed to the “good”
number, SEVEN).
So 666 may mean … Truth to tell, No one knows.
-- Lang, J. S.
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4 - Rev.13:18 The number of the beast is 666.
SIX is the number of man. The fact that it is one less than SEVEN
may suggest that man has fallen short of the glory or perfection
of God. The three SIXes are a Trinity of Evil.
One of the biggest questions raised in connection with chapter 13
is whether the first or second beast is the Antichrist. Basically,
the argument for the first being the Antichrist is that he insists
on being worshiped as God.
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5 - Rev. 13:18 - 666
After the preceding description of the tyranny of the beast,
an explanatory comment designed to impart wisdom and
understanding to the reader is given. The number
(the “name”
in v. 17) of the beast is 666; it is also described as
the number of a man. The beast is merely a man, not a god,
as the signs might suggest. The number 6, just short of 7
(the number of completeness), is intensified as 666 --
the number of the most powerful man who is not God.
This man’s identity will someday be understood in relation to
the number 666. + It is a key for identifying the
Antichrist. +
-- Nelson
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6 - Commentary on Revelation 13:11-18
6.1 - "another beast"
(v. 11) --
This is the final false prophet (called such in 16:13; 19:20; 20:10)
who promotes Antichrist’s power and convinces the world to
worship him as God. This companion beast will be the chief,
most persuasive proponent of satanic religion (see 16:13; 19:20;
20:10). Antichrist will be primarily a political and military leader,
but the false prophet will be a religious leader. Politics and
religion will unite in a worldwide religion of worshiping the
Antichrist (see 17:1–9, 15–17).
6.2 - "out of the earth"
(v. 11) --
This is likely another reference to the abyss that lies below the
earth. The false prophet will be sent forth and controlled by a
powerful demon from below. The earth imagery, in contrast to
that of the foreboding, mysterious sea in verse 1, may imply that
the false prophet is subtler and more winsome than the Antichrist.
6.3 - "two horns like a lamb"
(v. 11) --
This describes the relative weakness of the false prophet
compared to Antichrist, who has ten horns (12:3, 13:1).
A lamb has only two small bumps on its head, very inferior to
the ten-horned beast.
6.4 - "like a lamb"
(v. 11) --
The lamb imagery may also imply that the false prophet will be a
false Christ masquerading as the true Lamb. Unlike Antichrist,
the false prophet will come not as a killing, destroying animal,
but as one who appears gentle and deceptively attractive.
spoke like a dragon (v. 11) -- The false prophet will be Satan’s
mouthpiece and thus his message will be like the dragon, Satan --
the source of all false religion. exercises all the authority of the
first beast (v. 12) -- The false prophet exercises the same kind of
satanic power as Antichrist because he is empowered by the
same source. He, too, will have worldwide influence and
reputation as a miracle worker and speaker.
6.5 - "causes … to worship"
(v. 12) --
“He causes” is used eight times of him. He wields influence to
establish a false world religion headed by Antichrist and to
entice people to accept that system. whose deadly wound was
healed (v. 12) -- See v. 3; 17:8. This likely refers to the carefully
crafted deception of a false resurrection after a false murder to
inspire allegiance from the world.
6.6. - "great signs"
(v. 13) --
The same phrase is used of Jesus’ miracles (John 6:2), which
indicates the false prophet performs signs that counterfeit Christ’s.
Satan, who has done supernatural works in the past (for example,
Exodus 7:11), must use his strategy of false miracles to convince
the world that Antichrist is more powerful than God’s true
witnesses (chap. 11), including Jesus Christ.
6.7 - "fire come down from heaven"
(v. 13)
--
The context indicates that the false prophet continually does
counterfeit pyrotechnic signs in order to convince men of his
power, and also in imitation of the two witnesses (11:5).
6.8 - "make an image"
(v. 14) --
This refers to replication of Antichrist that is related to the throne
he will erect during the abomination of desolation, halfway into
the Tribulation period. This will happen in the Jerusalem temple
when Antichrist abolishes the former false world religion and
seeks to have people worship him alone as God. The false
prophet and Antichrist will again deceive the world with a clever
imitation of Christ, who will later return and reign from the true
throne in Jerusalem.
6.9 - "speak"
(v. 15) --
The false prophet will give the image of Antichrist the appearance
of life, and the image will seem to utter words—contrary to what is
normally true of idols (see Psalm 135:15, 16; Hab. 2:19).
6.10 - "cause … to be killed"
(v. 15) --
His gentleness is a lie, since he is a killer (7:9–17). Some Gentiles
will be spared to populate the kingdom (Matt. 25:31–40) and
faithful believers will be protected (12:17).
6.11 - "a mark"
(v. 16) --
In the Roman Empire, this was a normal identifying symbol,
or brand, that slaves and soldiers bore on their bodies.
Some of the ancient mystical cults delighted in such tattoos,
which identified members with a form of worship. Antichrist will
have a similar requirement, one that will need to be visible on
the hand or forehead.
6.12 - "buy or sell"
(v. 17) --
Antichrist’s mark will allow people to engage in daily commerce,
including the purchase of food and other necessities.
Without the identifying mark, individuals will be cut off from
the necessities of life.
6.13 - "number of his name"
(v. 17) --
The beast (Antichrist) will have a name inherent in a numbering
system. It is not clear from the text exactly what this name and
number system will be or what its significance will be.
6.14 - Why does the number "666"
(v.18) get so much attention?
Numbers are important in Scripture in two ways:
1) they speak to God’s exactness; and
2) they represent certain recurring ideas.
The number 666 is mentioned in Revelation 13:18.
The significance of the number itself is not emphasized,
so speculation about the meaning must be cautious and limited.
The number represents the essential number of a man.
The number 6 falls one short of God’s perfect number, 7, and
thus points to human imperfection. Antichrist, the most
powerful human the world will ever know, will still be a man -- a 6.
The ultimate in human and demonic power is a 6, not perfect,
as God is. The threefold repetition of the number is intended to
emphasize man’s identity. He is emphatically imperfect,
not almost perfect. When Antichrist is finally revealed, there will
be some way to identify him with this basic number, or his name
may have the numerical equivalent of 666. In many languages,
including Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, letters from the alphabet
were used to represent numbers.
Beyond these basic observations, the text reveals very little
about the meaning of 666. It is unwise, therefore, to speculate
beyond what God’s Word gives us.
-- MacArthur
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7- L.A.B. - 666
The meaning of this number has been discussed more than
that of any other part of the book of Revelation. The three
SIXes
have been said to represent many things, including the number
of a man or the unholy trinity of Satan, the first beast, and the
false prophet (16:13). If the number SEVEN is considered to be
the perfect number in the Bible, and if three SEVENs represent
complete perfection, then the number 666 falls completely
short of perfection. The first readers of this book probably
applied the number to the emperor Nero, who symbolized all
the evils of the Roman Empire. (The Greek letters of Nero’s
name represent numbers that total 666.) Whatever specific
application the number is given, the number symbolizes the
worldwide dominion and complete evil of this unholy trinity
designed to undo Christ’s work and overthrow him.
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8 -
His Mark is 666
In Greek (as in Hebrew and in Latin) the letters of the alphabet
serve likewise as signs for the figures. Alpha signifies one;
beta, two, etc. For any name it is, therefore, possible to add
together the numerical value of each letter and to arrive at a
total which forms 'the number of a man.' The name of the
Antichrist will be give the total of 666. Men have sought to apply
this method which reference to all the persons in history who
have seemed to be the antichrist. ... In our opinion the proof that
these interpretations are still premature is that they are all
contradictory. We are convinced that when the last and great
antichrist appears, the true believers of the entire world will
recognize him. The Holy Spirit will give to them enough light
to calculate unanimously the number of his name.
-- Rene Pache
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9 -
His Name Numbers 666
Probably the simplest explanation here is the best, that the triple
SIX is the number of a man, each digit falling short of the perfect
number SEVEN. SIX in the Scripture is man's number. He was to
work Six days and rest the Seventh. The image of
Nebuchadnezzar was Sixty cubits high and Six cubits broad.
Whatever may be the deeper meaning of the number, it implies
that this title, referring to the first beast, Satan's masterpiece,
limits him to man's level, which is far short of the deity of
Jesus Christ.
-- John Walvoord
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