What is the number of the beast?
The number of the beast is found in Revelation 13:18. It states, “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.” This number, 666, has intrigued both the Christian and non-Christian world, often being associated with an antichrist figure or an enemy of God. To fully grasp the significance of this number, it is essential to understand the nature of the “beast” to which this number is ascribed.
Who is the beast that has the number of the beast?
Revelation 13 describes two beasts. The first beast, depicted in Revelation 13:1-10, is a composite creature made up of a lion, bear, leopard, and a beast with ten horns. This imagery is reminiscent of the visions recorded in Daniel 7:1-8, which describes four beasts representing successive earthly kingdoms. These kingdoms’ are the ones that rule over God’s people until the end times
The Daniel 7 vision builds on the previous one found in Daniel 2. The visions of Daniel 8 through 12 add to the vision of Daniel 7. The primary concern of all of these visions was to reveal to God’s people how God would fulfil His covenant first given in Genesis 3: 15. This covenant was a promise that God would send a Messiah to crush the great adversary (Satan) and restore humanity and this world to the blessed existence we had before the fall of man.
In order to help His people track the fulfilment of the covenant, God gave His people prophetic events and timelines that would help them understand where they were in the course of the salvation story.
God also revealed the rise and fall of the empires that would most impact His people throughout history, to the end of time (Daniel 7:17-18). This was to give us confidence that He was still ultimately in control (Daniel 2:21). Consider these words in Isaiah,
“Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure”
The prophetically significant empires of Daniel are represented as metal in Daniel 2 and beasts in Daniel 7 and 8. According to these visions, the first kingdom is Babylon (Daniel 2:38); the second is Medo-Persia, with Persia becoming the more dominant part (Daniel 8:20; Daniel 11:2); the third is Greece (Daniel 8:21; Daniel 11:2-3); and the fourth is Rome, which rose through peace-keeping efforts (Daniel 8:25).
Whilst Rome is the only empire that is not named in Daniel, it is evident from the description of this power and historical records that the next empire to come to power after Greece was Rome. It became the dominant superpower in 168 B.C.
The Roman Empire, described as a “great and terrible beast” in Daniel 7:7 and as an amalgamated beast in Revelation 13, symbolizes the last of these four great kingdoms. The Bible indicates that this Roman influence would persist until the return of Jesus. Although the physical Roman Empire no longer marches the streets, its legacy continues in another form.
The Transition from Political to Religious Power
Rome initially emerged as a Pagan political power that conquered the world. Over time, it transitioned into a Christian authority, known as the Holy Roman Empire. Daniel 7:7 notes that this beast was different from its predecessors, emphasizing its transformation into a religious power.
The Roman Church, unfortunately, mirrored the corruption and wickedness of the Roman civil power. Constantine (in the early 300s A.D.) legalised Christianity and started donating large sums of money to the church. Through the next few centuries, the Roman Church progressively gained greater political power as well as religious authority. As a consequence, many who aspired to be in church leadership were motivated by greed and pride.
Eventually, by the early 500s A.D. the Roman church had gained such power and authority, it was declared the mother of all churches (the universal or Catholic church). Moreover, the most influential kings of Europe, such as Clovis, Justinian, Charlamagne and Otto capitulated to the wishes of the church and gave it authority over most of the civil (non-religious) world.
The Bible makes it clear that the last power must embody the full spirit of the antichrist. Anti does not necessarily mean against (although it can lead to it being against), rather it means to replace. So we need to look for a religious power that is going to present a version of Christ that seeks to fully replace Christ.
John tells us that the antichrist “went out from us [the Christian church], but they were not of us” (1 John 2:19). Moreover, Jesus Himself tells us, “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect” (Matthew 24:24). There is only way that it is possible to get close to deceiving the ‘elect’ of God is to present a picture of Christ that is so close to the original found in scripture that it is convincing. Thus the last power of the Daniel visions and the sea beast of Revelation 13 has to be a worldwide Christian power according to prophecy
The last power must also have worldwide political and religious influence (Revelation 13:3). If you look at the reach of the Roman Catholic church in the political and religious realms of today’s society it is quite alarming. The majority of the world’s governments were represented at the inauguration of Pope Francis. Furthermore, world leaders such as the presidents of Russia and the Ukraine, and Israel’s leaders look to the Pope to help bring about peace. The Pope presents at the UN summit, the EU parliament, and, more recently, at the G6. No other religious or political figure has this amount of pull across the governments of the world.
This reach extends to private enterprise. CEOs and other leaders of big-business, from Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates to the head of Pfizer and the World Bank all have personal meetings with the pope.
Then we turn to the religious sphere. One recent commentator said that Pope Francis is the bridge between all religions. Over the last few decades, the Roman Catholic church has achieved unity with protestant Christianity, the Orthodox religions, Islam, and eastern religions. All the major religious figureheads of the world look to the Pope as the ultimate spiritual leader of the world.
There is no doubt that the Roman Catholic church fits the description of the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation.
What is the number of the beast symbolising
Revelation 13:18 identifies the number of the beast as 666, which is also described as the number of a man. To comprehend why the number six is repeated three times, we need to explore its first use in the Bible, found in Genesis 1 and further explained in Genesis 2. On the sixth day of creation, God created the beasts and man (Genesis 1:24-31). Thus the sixth day signified the life of beast and man that originates with God.
In Genesis 2:1-3, the Bible mentions seven days, stating that God completed His work by the seventh day. This completion signifies divine perfection and rest. Conversely, the number six represents effort and labour and falls short of divine completeness.
Finally, in Genesis 2:16-17, we are told on the day that man was created (the sixth day) God gave humanity a law that required true faith (trust) to keep. It was a simple law that allowed Adam and Eve to freely eat from all trees except the tree of knowledge of good and evil. It required implicit trust in God’s provision and rulership. The number six in this instance points to the role of God’s law and faith in the maintenance of our relationship with God and eachother.
It was on these three fronts that Satan chose to deceive humanity. Thus to help us understand what is the number of the beast (666) we need to understand the threefold message of Satan.
What is the number of the beast as the threefold message of Satan
In Genesis 3:1-5, Satan, in the form of a serpent, challenged these premises, instilling in humanity the notion that only through human intellect, power, and effort could they achieve completeness and perfection. Satan’s threefold message to Eve can be summarized as follows:
- Distrust in God as Creator or source of life: Satan implied that God could not be trusted, suggesting that eating the forbidden fruit would not lead to death but to enlightenment and power. Essentially it was implied the life is intrinsic to the beast and man. This challenged God’s authority and reliability as the Creator.
- Belief that God’s work is not completed by Him: Satan insinuated that true completeness required humans to take matters into their own hands by eating the forbidden fruit. He implied that God had withheld something that would make them reach their full potential.
- Rejection of God’s Law: Satan argued that humans could achieve eternal life and godliness by disobeying God’s law, suggesting self-reliance and self-determination over faith or trust and obedience.
This reliance on human work and intellect to sustain life, to reach completion or perfection through our own efforts and rejection of God’s law is symbolized by the number 666. It represents a threefold emphasis on human labor and effort. This is the spirit of Satan handed down through the generations from Adam and Eve, via Cain, and to us to this day. It can be best summed up the Occult leader Aleister Crowley who said, “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.”
What is the number of the beast in today’s context
The spirit of relying on human intellect, power, and effort, as symbolized by the number 666, pervades modern society. Revelation 13:3 states, “And all the world marveled and followed the beast,” indicating widespread admiration and adherence to its ethos. Revelation 18:3 further describes the global influence of this spirit, noting that all nations have partaken in its corruption.
However is there something more specific to look for in today’s context? What is the number of the beast that we need to understand for our day?
As previously stated, the prophesies were given to help us understand how God would deliver on His covenant or promise and how far along we were in the completion of that promise. Thus the transformation of the Roman beast from a Pagan government to a Papal (pseudo-Christian government ruled by the Pope) had a significant impact on God’s people and the salvation story. The number of the beast reflects the ethos of this beast.
According to prophecy, the last beast will speak words against the most-high (Daniel 7:25) – which is the God of the Bible – and it seeks to change times and laws (something only God can do). It lifts himself up against Christ (Daniel 8: 11, 25). In particular, it attacks the sacrifice of Christ, and the ongoing priesthood of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary (Daniel 8:11; 11: 31; Hebrews 8:1-6; Revelation 11:1-3). Finally, it uses the powers of this earth to gain and maintain its life and power (Revelation 13: 14-15; 17:2,12).
These three points of attack align themselves with the threefold message of Satan.
- Rejection of God’s law: The Roman Catholic church has reinterpreted the Ten Commandments of God. In their book of teaching, the Catholic catechism, they allow veneration of the saints (in direct opposition to the second commandment) and they replace the seventh-day Sabbath with worship on the first day of the week.
- Belief that God’s work is not completed by Him: The attack on the daily in Daniel 8 is a reference to the daily work of the priest in the Old Testament sanctuary of the Israelites. This included the daily sacrifice as well as the daily ministration in the holy place of the sanctuary. All of this was supposed to be a type of Christ – His sacrifice, His priesthood, and His ministration in the heavenly sanctuary (Hebrews 8: 1-6). The Roman Catholic church has instituted a different sacrifice in the transubstantiation of Christ in the Eucharist (the wafer is the actual body of Christ and thus He is sacrificed daily by the human priest). Moreover, they have instituted their own system of priests, saints and Mariology which act as a mediators between God and man instead of Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5).
- Distrust in God as Creator or source of life: This has perhaps been a lot more subtle in the past, however, the Roman Catholic church, particularly in its encyclical of Laudato Si has promulgated this idea that we need to use our power, skills and knowledge to save ourselves and the planet. This is perhaps due to the very fact that the power of the Roman Catholic church has not been gained through its alignment with God, but rather the powers of this earth.
Conclusion on what is the number of the beast
The number of the beast is not about numerals emblazoned on our forehead or hand. It is about a belief system that actuates our life. The number of the beast, 666, represents the spirit of human intellect, power, and effort in defiance of divine authority and completeness. It is a symbol of humanity’s attempt to achieve perfection through self-reliance, contrasting sharply with obedience, rest and trust in God.
Will we trust God as our Creator and source of life? Will we trust Christ to complete the work of salvation? Do we accept all of God’s law and seek to obey it with faith and trust? If we do, then we will have right to the Tree of Life (Revelation 22:14).
If we accept the beast’s (and ultimately Satan’s) message, then we will receive the mark or sign of the beast. The imprint of the beast’s character and beliefs will be on our mind (forehead) and through our actions (hand).
Understanding the number of the beast involves recognizing the historical and spiritual implications of relying on human efforts over divine guidance. It serves as a warning against the pervasive spirit of self-reliance and an invitation to trust in God’s completed work and rest in His provision. As believers, we are called to reject the restless striving of 666 and embrace the perfect rest and trust found in God’s divine plan.
