Revelation 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.”
2 Peter 1:20 “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.”
I will be forthright with my readers, this article is not a revelation of the name of the beast. The main idea is common subjects, verses that can be related and a demonstration that God has has provided Bible-believers with protection even if we do not know the name of the beast (yet). Do not skip over the scripture provided in this article or you will get lost.
If one were to attempt to count the number of the beast, per 2 Peter 1:20–Gemmatria is ruled out. Their secret number decoding system is not found in scripture. Numbers are important, but not a numerical system separate from scripture. A private interpretation is an interpretation apart from the word of God. Granted people can utilize scripture & misinterpret prophecy, but again the misinterpretation relies on a factor apart from the Bible. I do not know what to count in the Bible, but the number of the beast is in the Bible. Perhaps the name of the beast will not be revealed to believers until the beast is revealed:
2 Thessalonians 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;”
There are like terms and events to end times, but that does not necessarily represent the name of the beast. It does not rule the names out, nor does it confirm it. The only other instance the phrase son of perdition is mentioned in the word of God is in reference to Judas Iscariot:
John 17:12 “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.”
I will state I do not if the verse refers only to Judas or the entrance of Satan in the flesh:
Luke 22:3 “Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.”
John 13:37 “And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.”
Also I do not know how the number six hundred three score & six relates to Judas. The only chapter & verse 6:66 I could locate in the Bible does mention in different terms a falling away–just like 2 Thessalonians 2:3 (provided earlier):
John 6:66 “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.”
There is another six hundred three score and six found in the Bible and I speak of exact words (because there is a six hundred sixty and six written (Ezra 2:13), but may be written in that manner to avoid confusion):
1 Kings 10:14 “Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents of gold,”
I often wondered if that meant the beast was Solomon. His heart was turned away from God by outlandish women (1 Kings 11:4, Neh 13:26). I do not know if his name is an important relational factor, but the the gold or money certainly is:
John 12:4 “Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him, 5 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? 6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.”
1 Timothy 6:10 “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”
Revelation 13:17 “And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.”
Thus, I do not know the name, but we know the mark of the beast is related to buying & selling. From this point in the article I will transition to the claim that the mark of the beast can be a physical visible mark. How could men identify whether one could buy or sell based on an allegorical mark? Did God give us a protective warning concerning a visible, fleshly mark?
Leviticus 19:28 “Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.”
God wants his people to be separate to be Holy. Often as the full interpretation of Lev 19:28 many will include the prior statement (which is true) and point out He did not want the Israelites to adopt any of the practices of the surrounding population that currently inhabited the promised land (also true). However, I read the Old Testament in the light of the New Testament. If God’s people are not to print any marks upon them–that can be protective warning to NT believers against a possibly visible, fleshly mark of the beast.
Regardless of when the rapture occurs (pre, mid or post), nothing in the Bible rules out that their will be groups of people that call themselves Christians during or after that time. A professed Christian separated from the Bible is like a baseball player without a uniform, bat or glove. There might be people who call themselves Christians around at that time who promote accepting the mark of the beast via deception. But if we stick with the Bible–God would not tell us Lev 19:28 and then turn around and promote a visible print mark on the flesh.
Revelation 17:11 “And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.”
The antichrist is a substitute for Christ Jesus, the real one. Think of the event where Pilate offered to release Barabbas (a notable prisoner, political revolutionary, thief & murderer–John 18:40 Mark 15:7 Matt 27:16) or Jesus Christ. The jews were given a choice & called for Barabbas to be released–a substitute. Take note that the bottomless pit is like a prison & requires a key to be opened (Rev 9:1-2), and the beast ascends out of the bottomless pit (Rev 17:8).
I do not ignore that in Rev 17:15 the many waters where the whore sits are peoples, multitudes, nations & tongues. However, have you ever considered that the beast rises up out of the sea & ascends out of the bottomless pit? The bottomless pit can be related to a sea or the deep:
Genesis 7:11 “In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.”
Luke 8:30 “And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him. 31 And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep.”
This not a claim that sea represents a densely populated area and the earth represents a sparsely populated area are wrong. Kingdoms & individual kings are involved in the prophecy. Note that after the bottomless pit is opened in Rev 9 that chimeras flood out of it & there is king over them; the beast itself is a chimera (Rev 13:1-2):
Revelation 9:11 “And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.”
I do not claim to know the entire interpretation, but I do know many verses are related. Often Bible believers reach a point where they force an interpretation of the beast or mark of the beast. This does not mean they are unbelievers–we are men and we error. I have seen many teachers promote the mark of the beast is directly related to breaking the 4th Commandment & only the 4th Commandment. I have couple issues with that interpretation:
James 2:10 “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.”
The second point I raise is that in Rev 13:17 that people cannot buy or sell at all if they do not have the mark of the beast. There is no contextual mention of the days of the week or prohibiting buying or selling on a different day. We can witness that society is moving towards all exchanges involving an embedded microchip, digital tattoo or a device in the skin. It is already being promoted. When that day comes will those who promote the 4th Commandment interpretation tell people that it is okay to accept that physical, visual method of buying or selling? I am not taking that chance & recommend no one else does either. Again I caution, an incorrect interpretation does not mean a person is not a Christian. A zeal to study end times can come from belief–we just may not understand it at the time. We believers can get over-zealous. We error, but there is no error in the Bible.
We need to look out for the false prophet as well. The false prophet causes people to worship the beast who had a deadly wound & healed. He performs miracles and causes people to worship the beast that came up out of the sea. He is a false substitute for a real prophet like Elijah or John the Baptist:
Matthew 11:12 “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.”
There are two points of fact comparing & contrasting the false prophet to the John the Baptist & Elijah. First is that he performs a miracle that sounds similar to what occurred when Elijah had the showdown with the priests of Ba’al.
Revelation 13:13 “And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,”
1 Kings 18:38 “Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.”
The second point is that the false prophet performs miracles when John the Baptist did not:
Revelation 13:14 “And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.”
John 10:41 “And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man were true.”
I spoke of the false prophet, but there were & are many false prophets. Let’s relate the concept:
1 John 4:1 “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.”
The spirits & false prophets are linked together. If they do not confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh that de facto includes everything He did when He physically walked the Earth. For instance if the false prophet does not confess the bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus–I conclude that is related to the warning in 1 John 4:1-3. If one refers to Jesus only as a great mortal teacher or political figure–they are speaking of another Jesus.
1 Corinthians 15:14 “And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.”
Everything is in vain if Christ be not risen. So a message such as, “It does not matter what you believe about Christ–just love your neighbor”–is vain, empty, meaningless! That is building a building without its chief corner stone (Eph 2:20; 1 Peter 2:6). This is important to mention concerning false prophets because there are many who attempt to substitute Bible Christianity with governmental socialism.
Many unbelieving socialists promote a “Jesus” that is an abstract concept or allegory. They may subscribe to the myth that the Bible is akin to Plato’s noble lie (the term is a contradiction in itself). Most things are allegedly interpreted via psychology and the likes. For instance “peace amidst the storm”–folks, the Lord Jesus calmed the storm (Mark 4:39). It was a real storm and I submit the main focus is not about our inner peace. Do not confuse allegory with a fable. Do not blow by the fact that the Lord Jesus calmed the storm. Do not ignore that the disciples were afraid during the storm, but feared even more after the Lord Jesus calmed the storm. Here is interesting scripture with scripture:
Jonah 1:15 So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging. 16 Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows.
Mark 4:41 “And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
The Lord can give us peace (storm or no storm), but is that always the priority concerning Mark 4:35-41 or is about fearing God and the identity of the Lord Jesus Christ? The Bible is not a fable and should not be reduced to a supplement for precepts in secular psychology. Scripture is of all importance, especially concerning the antichrist & false prophet. Remember there will be miracles, but is the truth in miracle performer’s message?
Remember the concept of a substitute or another Jesus, another spirit, another gospel:
2 Corinthians 11:4 “For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.”
Notice later in the same chapter:
2 Corinthians 11:13 “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”
The ultimate question in reference to the mark of the beast may concern how much a person is willing to sacrifice to a government or its leader? The mark is related to money and if the government transitions to an embedded or tattooed digital device to control all buying & selling; this device is total sacrifice of human freedom. The device can monitor all transactions, personal movements, listen to all conversations & future devices could include vision. This is an attempt by the government to be omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent and individuals willfully submit. Such an attempt is even against the US government’s own laws (4th Amendment among other things). Only God has true omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence. So it may be a situation where one can choose buying or selling (a mark related to currency) or God and consequently, freedom.
Luke 20:25 “And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar’s, and unto God the things which be God’s.”
We have traveled through much scripture and many concepts; here are my current conclusions concerning thoughts on the mark of the beast:
- We should not rely on interpretations apart from scripture.
- The beast may be named in scripture–but we may have to wait to understand.
- Even Bible believers can force incorrect interpretations–we must have humility.
- The number of the beast is related to currency in the Old Testament.
- Do not rule out that the mark of the beast is a visible mark.
- Enough scripture is provided for a believers’ protection beforehand.
- A claim that Jesus Christ is not come in the flesh includes all His 1st Advent works.
- It is not about miracles, it is about the truth (false prophet vs John the Baptist)
- Worldly influences on scriptural interpretation
- The antichrist may be akin to a counterfeit Christ, deceit vs open opposition.
- No matter what happens–stick with the Bible.
I am always open for comment and correction via scripture.
THE EXILE OBSERVER 