What is the mark of the beast (666)?

There is divine wisdom wrapped up in this symbolic numeral — the only instance of its occurrence — and it requires spiritual understanding to unlock the mystery therein. No doubt its full, precise, and final solution will be apparent to the wise or godly in the near crisis when the Beast power under the craft of Satan will exhibit the highest human development in pride, impiety, and in combined religious and political opposition to God and to His Anointed, for such, in general, is the moral significance of 666. The meaning being obvious to the saints to whom it immediately concerns will call for prompt repudiation of the Beast and his claims, who will be the political minister of Satan in blasphemous opposition to God.

Six hundred and sixty-six (666) is man’s number; the unit six being impressed upon him at his creation and on his subsequent history. Man was created on the sixth day. His appointed days of labour and toil are six. The Hebrew slave was to serve six years. For six years the land was to be sown. Under the sixth Seal an appalling and universal catastrophe upon mankind ensues. As the numeral seven denotes what is perfect or complete, six being short of that signifies human imperfection and toil. But in the growing development of man’s history he goes from bad to worse, hence six combined with six increases in moral significance, till man is witnessed in open and direct opposition to God. Goliath and his brother giant were men of abnormal strength and height, and open enemies of God and of Israel. The numeral six is stamped upon both (1 Sam, 17:4-7; 1 Chron. 20:6).

In the yet further development of man in his progressive evil history the culmination is reached in the ominous signification of 666, the number of the Beast. There is an obvious connection between the first and the last of the world powers. In character they are identical, save that the last is the worst. The image of gold set up by Nebuchadnezzar for his own glorification was sixty cubits high and six cubits broad (Dan. 3). No doubt the image on the plain of Dura was meant to consolidate and unify the numerous and diversified religions of the mighty Babylonian empire. Under threats of an awful death the image of gold must be worshipped. Surely Daniel 3 points forward to the yet even deeper and truly satanic evil of Revelation 13. The one foreshadows the other. In both Scriptures the pride, self-will, and haughty independence of God by men placed above human law is the sad picture. It only remains to ask: What is the signification of this trinity of six? It is the fullest, highest development of man under direct satanic control. It is the combination of civil, religious, and political power satanically inspired. It is, so far as man can do it, the complete setting aside of God as the Supreme Ruler and a man taking His place, not in heathendom, but in Palestine itself, and in the wider range of Christendom. Beyond what is signified in this trinity of evil — 666 — man cannot go. We here reach the height of human folly, of human pride, of human arrogance, of human unbridled will. Such, we believe, is the meaning of this mystic numeral — 666. It is not a conundrum to be solved by ingenious minds, but it contains a wisdom which the spiritual in that day, as now, may understand and profit by the knowledge thereof.

We see in verse 16 that this Beast will require all Israel, whatever their status, to be coded with a mark in the right hand or on the forehead. Whether one is employed practically or intellectually, he must be marked. Experiments have already been reported in the United States which involve infusing a thin layer of liquid plastic under the skin as a backing for an invisible number only discerned by a laser scanner. In this way the number will be in the person rather than on a credit card he possesses and can lose or have stolen. When a thing like this is forced upon the population with the intention of having the people subject to the Beast's authority, or not to be allowed to buy or sell (v. 17), then believers will be called upon to fully refuse this identification with the Beast as though they were his property.

The 144,000 of Revelation 7 will have the seal of God in their foreheads: they are His property: they will not accept the mark of the beast. All who take this stand will be refused permission to buy or sell. Currency may be done away with as a medium of exchange so that the transfer of funds could be done only by electronic means. Civilization today is rapidly moving in this direction. Many will suffer for refusing the mark of the Beast and many will be put to death, for we read of these among the martyrs (Rev. 20:4).

We should be wise as to these matters even now before these things take place (v.18). One who has understanding is called upon to count the number of the Beast. What does it add up to? In Scripture, six is the number of a man — man independent of God — and as such, reduced to the level of a beast. The number six is indelibly stamped upon mankind, and though it is intensified (666) in the number of the Beast, yet it is short of seven which is the number of completeness in the Bible. Secular humanism — mankind filled with pride in his accomplishments — in its fullest development is seen in the number 666. However, in God's account such pride is merely beastly and doomed to solemn judgment.

In the "number of the beast" (666) we find it in three successively higher powers, — evil in fullest activity, yet its feebleness ever apparent, and God's hand controlling it: it increases only responsibility and judgment. It is but "the number of a man," vainly and impiously aspiring to be as God.

The number of the beast, 666, whatever else it may have in it, would thus speak of the full development of evil in the very highest opposition to God; while also the stamp of vanity and weakness of the creature, limited and restrained by Him, would be only proportionately the more apparent.

Yet it does not follow but that there may be something for us in the number of significance spiritually. The 6 thrice repeated, while it speaks of labor and not rest, — of abortive effort after the divine 7, declares the evil in its highest to be limited and in God's hand. This number is but, after all, we are told, "the number of a man;" and what is man? He may multiply responsibility and judgment; but the Sabbath is God's rest, and sanctified to Him: without God, he can have no Sabbath. This 6, 6, 6, is the number of a man who is but a beast, and doomed.

In the number of the beast, we find it in three successively higher powers of the decimal scale, - evil in its fullest activity, yet its feebleness ever apparent, and God's hand controlling it: it increases only responsibility and judgment. Its number is "the number of its name " - stamps it as what it is, and is only the "number of a man," vainly and impiously aspiring to be as God.

In the number of the beast, we find it in three successively higher powers of the decimal scale, — evil in its fullest activity, yet its feebleness ever apparent, and God's hand controlling it: it increases only responsibility and judgment. Its number is "the number of its name" — stamps it as what it is, and is only the "number of a man," vainly and impiously aspiring to be as God.

This Jewish "beast" sets up an image or robot of the Roman beast (as mentioned above) and also institutes the mark of the beast (Rev. 13:16-17), probably seeking to honor the Roman beast. This mark, either in the right hand or forehead, may well be some computerized credit card number in a cashless society that gives this wicked leader complete control over all purchases and sales.

The number of the beast's name is 666 (Rev. 13:18). Note that six in the Bible always is the number of rebellious man, as also stated in Revelation 13:18. So, 666 is man in highest opposition against God. You might think the world needs a "7" instead, the number which always speaks of perfection or completeness. Rather, the world needs an "8"—the new-beginning number. Wonderfully, the number of the name "Jesus" is 888 in the Greek. (Note that each Greek letter has a number assigned to it.) He is the Lord from heaven, the Last Adam (1 Cor. 15:45-47).

Six then is the highest number short of seven, six sets forth that which is nearest to seven, perfection. 666 is the strongest emphasis of this. We have 600+60+6=666. Does it not signify that “the Beast,” arising out of the sea (the Mediterranean), seen in its final Head, will present to the world the Superman so largely talked about, the finest specimen of fallen human nature, but without one feature that is of God? Doubtless such a person will be a most perfect specimen physically, of brilliant intellect, powerful of will, unsurpassed in highest statesmanship allied to the highest order of military effectiveness. When all this is seen in a man, who has no regard for God and His word, these very superb qualities, which under the control of God would be magnificent, turn out to be frightful and terrible instruments for the enslavement and misery of mankind. What under the hand of God would be a wonderful instrument for blessing to the world, under the domination of Satan will be found to be the greatest instrument of rebellion against God, and therefore of destruction of men and civilization.

There will be two outstanding characters arising in the last days. They are outlined in Revelation 13. There will be the beast arising out of the sea, evidently setting forth the Roman Empire in the last days. A wonderful superman will arise, who will answer to the number 666, "it is the number of a man" (Rev. 13:18). He will be superbly endowed as a man. As a statesman he will be far-seeing, as a military leader unrivalled. These qualities under the domination of the Lord would make such a man a great blessing, but when they are found in a man who casts off all allegiance and the fear of God, they will make him the greatest curse the world has ever seen. In the symbolism of Scripture six is the highest number short of seven (divine perfection), and stands for human perfection. Six hundred threescore and six is the intensification of this. The beast will be the world's greatest egotist, and greatest curse. He will arrogate Divine honours to himself just as the last Roman Emperors did in the apostolic age. One shudders to think what a curse he will be, a man without the fear of God. We have an example of it in Adolf Hitler. Without conscience he breaks his plighted word, his propaganda is shameless lying, his urge is consuming lust of power. At last he will be driven by his own vices to his own destruction.