Bible Study What does the Bible say about 666?

[JohnD]

In most of my messageboard signatures I have "the Bible is it's own best commentary." And I believe this to be true and what is meant by:

2 Peter 1:20-21 (NKJV)
20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation,
21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

Deuteronomy 4:2 (NKJV)
2 “You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.

Revelation 22:18-19 (NKJV)
18 For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book;
19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

Proverbs 30:5-6 (NKJV)
5 Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.
6 Do not add to His words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.

The Lord further warns:

Mark 7:7-13 (NKJV)
7 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
8 “For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men—the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.”
9 He said to them, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.
10 “For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’
11 “But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban”—’ (that is, a gift to God),
12 “then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother,
13 “making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.”

Setting aside for now how the Church has adopted the traditions of men and set aside the Bible (and replaced its authority with the Church's or rather the traditions of men that are called Church tradition)... especially when it comes to interpreting 666 people set aside the Bible as apply everything to the number except what the scripture says.

 

[JohnD]

666 appears only 4 times in the whole Bible.

Ezra 2:13 (NKJV)
13 the people of Adonikam, six hundred and sixty-six;

1 Kings 10:14 (NKJV)
14 The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold,

2 Chronicles 9:13 (NKJV)
13 The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold,

Revelation 13:18 (NKJV)
18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.

Verses (except the two repeats in Kings and Chronicles {of which there are many duplicate passages}) there appears to be no connection to any of them except the number 666.

Remember this is a prophetic study. It is not a study about the commandments (which are obvious), nor about historic events (many of which have either a moral of the story to apply in our own lives or can contain prophetic elements too). About prophecy:

Proverbs 25:2 (NKJV)
2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.

Deuteronomy 29:29 (NKJV)
29 “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

Isaiah 28:9-13 (NKJV)
9 “Whom will he teach knowledge? And whom will he make to understand the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just drawn from the breasts?
10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little.”
11 For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people,
12 To whom He said, “This is the rest with which You may cause the weary to rest,” And, “This is the refreshing”; Yet they would not hear.
13 But the word of the Lord was to them, “Precept upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little,” That they might go and fall backward, and be broken And snared and caught.

So, let's look into these verses a little deeper.

Ezra 2:13 (NKJV)
13 the people of Adonikam, six hundred and sixty-six;

...is the numbering of a clan whose name means "risen lord."

Revelation 13:3-4 (NKJV)
3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast.
4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”

There was another census taken wherein the clan of Adonikam has an addition recorded in scripture:

Nehemiah 7:18 (NKJV)
18 the sons of Adonikam, six hundred and sixty-seven;

...to prevent the Bible student from pursuing that bloodline too far.

 

[JohnD]

Kings and Chronicles have many parallel passage and these indicate King Solomon's annual gold wage.

1 Kings 10:14 (NKJV)
14 The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold,

2 Chronicles 9:13 (NKJV)
13 The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold,

Metals in scripture carry prophetic meaning in that bronze is the metal used in sacrifice / judgment and gold in things with regard to worship or the spiritual.

Still very little jumps out at you.

 

[Kathi]

What is the mark of the beast (666)?"

Answer: The main passage in the Bible that mentions the “mark of the beast” is Revelation 13:15-18. Other references can be found in Revelation 14:9, 11, 15:2, 16:2, 19:20, and 20:4. This mark acts as a seal for the followers of Antichrist and the false prophet (the spokesperson for the Antichrist). The false prophet (the second beast) is the one who causes people to take this mark. The mark is literally placed in the hand or forehead and is not simply a card someone carries.

The recent breakthroughs in medical implant chip and RFID technologies have increased interest in the mark of the beast spoken of in Revelation chapter 13. It is possible that the technology we are seeing today represents the beginning stages of what may eventually be used as the mark of the beast. It is important to realize that a medical implant chip is not the mark of the beast. The mark of the beast will be something given only to those who worship the Antichrist. Having a medical or financial microchip inserted into your right hand or forehead is not the mark of the beast. The mark of the beast will be an end-times identification required by the Antichrist in order to buy or sell, and it will be given only to those who worship the Antichrist.

Many good expositors of Revelation differ widely as to the exact nature of the mark of the beast. Besides the implanted chip view, other speculations include an ID card, a microchip, a barcode that is tattooed into the skin, or simply a mark that identifies someone as being faithful to the Antichrist's kingdom. This last view requires the least speculation, since it does not add any more information to what the Bible gives us. In other words, any of these things are possible, but at the same time they are all speculations. We should not spend a lot of time speculating on the precise details.

The meaning of 666 is a mystery as well. Some have speculated that there was a connection to June 6, 2006—06/06/06. However, in Revelation chapter 13, the number 666 identifies a person, not a date. Revelation 13:18 tells us, “This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666.” Somehow, the number 666 will identify the Antichrist. For centuries Bible interpreters have been trying to identify certain individuals with 666. Nothing is conclusive. That is why Revelation 13:18 says the number requires wisdom. When the Antichrist is revealed (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4), it will be clear who he is and how the number 666 identifies him.

Read more: http://www.gotquestions.org/mark-beast.html#ixzz2uTEPN3nw

 

[JohnD]

One of the greatest evidences we have in that God sometimes makes concessions is in:

1 Samuel 8 (NKJV)
1 Now it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel.
2 The name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba.
3 But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.
4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah,
5 and said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.”
6 But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” So Samuel prayed to the Lord.
7 And the Lord said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.
8 “According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day—with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you also.
9 “Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them.”
10 So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who asked him for a king.
11 And he said, “This will be the behavior of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them for his own chariots and to be his horsemen, and some will run before his chariots.
12 “He will appoint captains over his thousands and captains over his fifties, will set some to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and some to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots.
13 “He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers.
14 “And he will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, and give them to his servants.
15 “He will take a tenth of your grain and your vintage, and give it to his officers and servants.
16 “And he will take your male servants, your female servants, your finest young men, and your donkeys, and put them to his work.
17 “He will take a tenth of your sheep. And you will be his servants.
18 “And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the Lord will not hear you in that day.”
19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, “No, but we will have a king over us,
20 that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.”
21 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he repeated them in the hearing of the Lord.
22 So the Lord said to Samuel, “Heed their voice, and make them a king.” And Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Every man go to his city.”

Note well the grief and evil that came from this God forewarned the people about.

Saul, David, and Solomon all fit the bill along with all the scoundrels who sat on the throne since them.

Solomon had a brilliant beginning but chased after foreign women and their foreign gods. He even built pagan temples in Israel to the gods of his foreign wives. Dan was the first tribe to go into idolatry and has since gotten essentially the backhand of scripture. Solomon was the first king to lead Israel into idolatry and would have draw direct rebuke from God who spared him and his throne until his son's generation for David's sake (1 Kings 11).

Something else to note... God made concession for the building of the first Jewish Temple. Solomon was not who God was talking about here:

2 Samuel 7:12-13 (NKJV)
12 “When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.
13 “He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

God's temple builder was supposed to be the Messiah:

Zechariah 6:12-13 (NKJV)
12 “Then speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, saying: “Behold, the Man whose name is the BRANCH! From His place He shall branch out, And He shall build the temple of the Lord;
13 Yes, He shall build the temple of the Lord. He shall bear the glory, And shall sit and rule on His throne; So He shall be a priest on His throne, And the counsel of peace shall be between them both.” ’

And like the monarchy, God made concession for the Temple. I had a heated discussion with a rabbi of note who defended the building of the Jewish Temple who had to concede there was not command to build the first temple. And I pointed out that Israel was seldom in the Lord's will for any length of time after that. The temple the Messiah is building is us by the way (1 Corinthians 3:16 and many other passages).

Solomon conscripted many pagan artisans to build the temple (though many pooh pooh the actual link, the Masonic Lodge claims Freemasonry began at the building of the Jewish Temple).

Let's look at the final 666 entry now:

Revelation 13:18 (NKJV)
18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.

Here is wisdom, him who has understanding (sounds like a description of Solomon)... the number of a man... 666.

Will the beast be Solomon?

There is no reason to believe all this leads to the actual man. There is strong biblical evidence that leads to another man in scripture who will be the beast raised from the dead. So what we see here about Solomon is he was the first Temple builder (and against the will of God). The beast will do likewise.

Daniel 9:27 (NKJV)
27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.”

The KJV says "the covenant" and in the rest of Daniel the covenants he refers to is the Mosaic holy covenant... but this affirmation will not be so holy but rather be a misuse of the old covenant.

Daniel 12:11 (NKJV)
11 “And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days.

1290 days from the end there will be an active Jewish Temple.

"Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast,"

Calculate the number of prophetic years (the same as the 70 week calculation of 360 day years) between the destruction of Solomon's Temple (Tisha b'Av 586 BCE) and Herod's temple (Tisha b'Av 70 CE) and you will come up with the number 665.5666666666667 (666).

One of the pagan symbols that predated the building of the first Jewish Temple was the hexagon star adopted by Solomon and used as his personal seal (signet ring) mistakenly called the Star of David but was actually the seal of solomon...

The biblical emblem of Israel is not the modern Star of David but the Seven Candle Menorah:

The beast will be a man from scripture past who comes back from the dead and is able to scientifically prove who he is (which will astonish the whole world and gain their submission). He will blaspheme Jesus and his followers as that which caused the woes of humanity the last 2000 years, and claim to be the true messiah himself and he will affirm the Mosaic Covenant (which Jesus fulfilled and superseded with the New Covenant). And at least for a time the world will follow his lead. And:

Revelation 13:16-18 (NKJV)
16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads,
17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.

will be to track down the one people on earth who will not receive the mark. Christians.

The mark does not have to be a fancy shmancy chip or barcode or anything other than a Star of David or the number 666.

 

[JohnD]

Remember, you are talking 7-10 billion people versus (IMHO) a few million true Christians willing to die rather than receive the mark. Easier to track the few who won't rather than the billions that do... and the mark has to be simple...

 

[JohnD]

2 Thessalonians 2:1-11 (NKJV)
1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you,
2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.
3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,
4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?
6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time.
7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.
8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.
9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders,
10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie,

John 17:12 (NKJV)
12 “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

 

[JohnD]

The one person in all human history that Satan actually entered into to possess:

Luke 22:3 (NKJV)
3 Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve.

John 13:26-27 (NKJV)
26 Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.” And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.
27 Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.”

And Judas' so-called remorse was the devil finally realizing Jesus on the cross was God's plan all along and he tried to stop it...

Matthew 27:3-6 (NKJV)
3 Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” And they said, “What is that to us? You see to it!”
5 Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.
6 But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of blood.”

Satan had done too good a job of corrupting the Sanhedrin (who thought they did the right things even to the dispensing of blood money).

Judas the man hanged himself no doubt the rage within was too much to bear.

Acts 1:25 (NKJV)
25 “to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.”

Isaiah 14 describes his place as in the sides of (middle of) the pit (sheol) the abyss where the fallen angels were imprisoned who left their first estate.

footnote: Abraham's Bosom has been empty since the cross of Christ (Luke 23:43 / Ephesians 4:8-10)

Revelation 20 (NKJV)
1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;
3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.
7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison
8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea.
9 They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.
10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.
13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.
14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

The Greek for "thousand" does not necessarily mean 999 years + 1, but is expressionism meaning a long period of time (like we would say a million years).

 

[reba]

Moderator suggestion ;

2.6: Please keep posts down to a respectable length and provide source and/or links for your info. We want to respect copyrighted material. Be sure at minimum to cite your source and keep all posts in compliance with Fair Use copyright law. Plus, you stand a better chance of getting your post read if it contains a link with an excerpt from source that's relative to your point.

This thread stands a good chance of being moved . Reba

 

[Gary]

Found this wandering through youtube one day.

 

[agua.]

Found this wandering through youtube one day.

Wow interesting.

 

[JohnD]

Moderator suggestion ;
2.6: Please keep posts down to a respectable length and provide source and/or links for your info. We want to respect copyrighted material. Be sure at minimum to cite your source and keep all posts in compliance with Fair Use copyright law. Plus, you stand a better chance of getting your post read if it contains a link with an excerpt from source that's relative to your point.

This thread stands a good chance of being moved . Reba

I have taught this for years. The Holy Spirit and the Bible passages I cite are the sources and I do cite them.

Please do not move this. It is a Bible study. Bible texts are the source. Quoting the texts is what makes the posts longer (btw).

 

[JohnD]

Found this wandering through youtube one day.

~~~~ video ~~~~

I refer you and Agua back to post number 1 in this thread.

 

[hhh]

...Never man spake like this man.
Jn. 7:46
...If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his hand,

The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God,

which is poured out without mixture

into the cup of his indignation;

and he shall be tormented

with fire and brimstone

in the prescence of the holy angels,

and in the prescence of the lamb;

And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever

and ever;

and they have no rest

day nor night

who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
Re.14:9-11

 

[for_his_glory]

Rev 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

We can surely see that the number of the beast is a man and his number is 666, which is a number less than God. This man will be used of Satan to carry out his promise of sitting on the throne in Jerusalem. If we read before this verse we can also see no one can buy or sell without this mark. I truly believe this is speaking of the New World Order, that even now Satan is using those to establish it, that we as true Christians sealed by the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption (Ephesians 1:13,14) will be persecuted to death if we do not bow down to this worldly order. I truly do not believe the mark is a chip or anything else of an outward appearance. I believe it is the thoughts of our mind (head) and the actions of our hands. Those who only give lip service to the Lord, but yet to have Christ in their heart are those who will fall away and be deceived by this Order as in the Bible speaking of a great falling away first before Christ returns.

2Thessalonians 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2Thessalonians 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

 

[Gary]

Rev 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

We can surely see that the number of the beast is a man and his number is 666, which is a number less than God. This man will be used of Satan to carry out his promise of sitting on the throne in Jerusalem. If we read before this verse we can also see no one can buy or sell without this mark. I truly believe this is speaking of the New World Order, that even now Satan is using those to establish it, that we as true Christians sealed by the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption (Ephesians 1:13,14) will be persecuted to death if we do not bow down to this worldly order. I truly do not believe the mark is a chip or anything else of an outward appearance. I believe it is the thoughts of our mind (head) and the actions of our hands. Those who only give lip service to the Lord, but yet to have Christ in their heart are those who will fall away and be deceived by this Order as in the Bible speaking of a great falling away first before Christ returns.

2Thessalonians 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2Thessalonians 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

I truly do not believe the mark is a chip or anything else of an outward appearance. I believe it is the thoughts of our mind (head) and the actions of our hands.

I believe that also. Beliefs and works. A spiritual mark.

And I believe this is when it's given:

2 Thessalonians 2
11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie,

 

[Kathi]

I believe it is a physical mark on the body because that is what the Bible says.If you take the Bible literally.

 

[TOG]

The Bible says that nobody will be able to buy or sell without the mark. It's pretty easy to understand that if the mark is an RFID chip or some other physical mark, but how could that be accomplished if the mark is our beliefs? Will there be a mind reading machine at the checkout of every store?

The TOG​

 

[Gary]

The Bible says that nobody will be able to buy or sell without the mark. It's pretty easy to understand that if the mark is an RFID chip or some other physical mark, but how could that be accomplished if the mark is our beliefs? Will there be a mind reading machine at the checkout of every store?

The TOG​

Christians are being murdered everyday. How are they identified as christian? How does the enemy know who to kill?
.

 

[for_his_glory]

I believe it is a physical mark on the body because that is what the Bible says.If you take the Bible literally.

Kathi we are also marked by our actions and thoughts as in how others perceive us.