666 and the Mark Of The Beast

What are the criteria for the first antichrist beast power?

Following is a summary of the prophetic criteria for the antichrist beast power, which is the first beast of Revelation 13 and the fourth beast of Daniel 7. Select this link to see Charts.

It would be geographically a small nation (a little horn)
It would rise to be a great power after the fall of the pagan Roman Empire after 476 A.D.
It would be headquartered in the city of seven hills (Rome)
It would rule over many people, nations, and tongues (it will be universal)
It would claim authority over all kings
It would be a religious/political entity - a political city-state ruled by a priest-king
Its priest-king would make great and blasphemous claims
It would claim it had power to change the holy times and laws of God as a mark of its authority
It would be an apostate (non-scripturally based) church that makes the nations drink her cup of apostate doctrine
It would be a “mother” church, with apostate daughters coming from her
It would be a persecuting power, killing the faithful saints of Jesus Christ as heretics
It would hold uninterrupted power and authority for 1260 years following the fall of pagan Rome
It would suffer a deadly wound that would end 1260 years of dominance and persecution
It would be revived after the deadly wound, and all the world would wonder at its revival

In this “Historical” interpretation, the antichrist was clearly not merely a single individual; it was a system of apostasy and persecution that would hold control over God’s people for over twelve hundred years.

The early protestant reformers, such as John Wesley, John Huss, Martin Luther, John Calvin, as well as the translators of the King James Bible, Charles Spurgeon, Sir Isaac Newton, and many others all clearly stated that the fourth beast or “little horn” power of Daniel 7 that also correlates to the first beast of Revelation could be identified as the false system of religion, and persecuting power found within the papal system. The non-biblical (antichrist) doctrines instituted by the Roman Catholic Church had replaced many scripturally based doctrines with traditions of man. During the dark ages millions of people were tortured and killed as ‘heretics’ for not bowing down to all of the precepts of the Roman church. They all clearly saw that this church fitted precisely and fulfilled every point of the prophecies. It was a ruling “beast power” that had arisen out of the Roman Empire, had spoken great words against God, had made war on the saints and had received a deadly wound which was now healed.

The inevitable conclusion of those who studied these prophecies in the scriptures, before and during the Protestant Reformation, was that there was only one entity in the world that fitted all the above characteristics for the antichrist beast power and that was the Roman Catholic Church.

The truths that the scriptures revealed through prophecy was the reasons that the Catholic Church was so violently opposed to the scriptures being available for everyone to read for themselves. There was such a stir created during the reformation that the Fifth Lateran Council 1512-17 A.D. resorted to strictly forbidding anyone to publish any book without prior censorship, and also prohibited anyone from preaching on the subject of antichrist.

Many of the early Protestant reformers met their death, burnt at the stake for preaching that the papal system was the antichrist, and that people should follow only the doctrines taught in the Holy Scriptures and not those imposed by the Papal rule.

What was the Churches response to being identified as the Antichrist?

The Roman Catholic church, in response to the protestant recognition that they were none other than the antichrist beast power of Daniel and Revelation, schemed to produce a counter interpretation of scriptures, that would point the focus of the prophecy away from the Catholic church and onto someone else. They commissioned a Jesuit priest by the name of Francisco Ribera to write one of the counter interpretations. This interpretation was called “futurism” because it projected the timeline of the prophecy right down to the end of time, and claimed that the antichrist would be one man, a dastardly individual who would go into a rebuilt Jewish temple and claim that he was God. As there is absolutely no scriptural backup for this interpretation, Ribera simply took a section of Daniel 9’s 70 week prophecy (this is a beautiful Messianic prophecy that accurately, to the season predicted when our Saviour Jesus Christ would be baptised, when he would die and when the gospel message would start to go to the gentile nations) and threw it down to the end of time. The one week (symbolic for seven years), which in Daniel’s prophecy correlated to Jesus’ death for our sins and confirmation of the covenant with the people of God, and turned this into the coming of an antichrist at a nondescript period in time. There are absolutely no prophecies in the Bible where part of it is removed from the rest. When a prophecy says 70 weeks (using the prophetic day for a year principle) this is always a contiguous period of time, in this case 490 years. If a prophecy says 2300 days, then it relates to a contiguous period of 2300 years. Ribera turned the week where Jesus began his ministry, confirmed the covenant, died for our sins, rose again to forever put an end to the animal sacrificial system into a seven year period of tribulation (yes Revelation does speak of a terrible time of tribulation, but it does not state anywhere that it is seven years) and the coming of one person who will be the antichrist.

This prophetic interpretation initially had no effect, as the protestant world was well aware of the truths of the scripture, and in no doubt whatsoever as to the true identity of the antichrist beast power, being the Roman Catholic Church. However over several centuries, through numerous people reading Ribera’s interpretation and it getting picked up by one person after another, and eventually getting into the footnotes of the Schofields Bible, and then Hal Lindsey popularising it with his book the “Late great planet earth” and then finally finding its way into the fictional series, which most Christians accept as fact, the “Left Behind Series”, one of Satan’s greatest triumphs has taken place. He has managed to deceive the majority of the Christian world into looking for a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem, an antichrist who will be an individual, and also a secret rapture that will whisk away all of God’s people before a seven year tribulation. (The secret rapture idea was first invented in 1830, but again much of the Christian world believe this idea, even though it directly contradicts what the scriptures teach about the loud, audible, visible second coming of our Lord). The idea of seven years of tribulation, with a rapture away of the Christian’s, but then a second chance for anyone who then realises that there really must be a God, because all the Christian’s have disappeared, in another extremely dangerous deception that Satan has managed to propagate, because some people may put off making a decision to follow the Lord, and as there will be no second chances they will miss their opportunity to be saved. The Bible makes it clear that once probation closes there will be no second chances. Just as it was when Noah went into the Ark and the door was closed, there was no more opportunity for people to change their mind. Their fates where sealed. The Bible clearly shows that the same thing will be the case before Jesus comes. Luke 17:26-30 “And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.”

The Second Beast of Revelation

The second beast is described in Revelation 13:11-17 “And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, 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. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 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.”

Following the time line of the prophecies, we know that the first beast received its deadly wound in 1798, which means that the second beast, which came out of the Earth (meaning a previously sparsely populated area) must have arisen sometime around this year. The prophecy says that the beast had two horns like a lamb, meaning that initially there was a distinct division between two types of leadership. In this case a separation between religious power and political power. Lamb like qualities implies that it had to be a Christian nation and Revelation 12 shows that it was a nation where God’s people fled to in order to escape the persecutions.

Revelation 12:14-17 “And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”

There is only one major political power in the world today that meets all of these criteria, and that is the United States of America. A nation that still calls itself “Christian” even though they have banned the displaying of the “Ten Commandments” in schools. This was the place where many of the fleeing Christians made home, to escape the persecutions in Europe. It also arose and officially became a nation at a time that would match the prophecy. It is a country that was discovered, not conquered. It was a haven for civil and religious freedom.

The prophecy in Revelation 13 goes on to say that the beast “spake as a dragon”, meaning that at some stage the nature of the beast would change, and it would begin to exercise the same powers as the first antichrist beast. This means that it will cause (enforce by law) people to worship the papal power. It will make an image to the first beast, and it will persecute and kill anyone who does not bow down to it. It will cause everyone to take a mark in their right hand (symbolic for their actions) or in their forehead (symbolic for their thoughts, or decisions) and anyone who does not take their mark will be persecuted and not be permitted to buy or sell.

This prophecy predicts that anyone who does not take the mark of the beast will be victimized or killed. Then it goes on to speak of those true followers of God, who do not take the mark of the beast, but have the Seal of God. Revelation 14:12 “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.”

It is interesting that the differentiating factor is that those who are saved will be “keeping the commandments”, and that the “Mark” of the papal system is that they changed the fourth commandment, the Sabbath to Sunday.

We don’t know what the catalyst will be that precedes this uniting of religion and state. There will be some sort of cataclysmic event, whether it be a natural disaster, a meteor a world wide economic crash, an unprecedented escalation of terrorism in the world or something similar we don’t know. What we do know is that something will transpire that will make all of the leading churches of the United States unite on some common ground, putting aside doctrinal differences, and that they will influence the government to enforce decrees to exalt Sunday sacredness in a desperate effort to create peace. They will enforce the day of worship (Sunday) instituted by the papal system, and hence will unwittingly make an image to the first beast, for the Mark of the Papacy's authority was to make up its own laws and change the Sabbath to Sunday. It seems evident then that the religio-political system, when it comes to power will enforce, upon consequence of death, the observance of worship on the counterfeit day, the day on which the pagans worshipped the sun god. It will be more than just nationwide though, as God’s people are now in all corners of the world, this means that there will be a world government, with one single religious leader at the head. Does the UN push for a New World Order, and their suggestions that the Pope should be viewed as the religious head of all churches ring any alarm bells?

When there is strife, turmoil, terrorism or economic disaster in the world, the call for unity and harmony will probably sound attractive to anyone who is not aware of the warning God has given us in His prophecies.

It has been suggested that most of the major wars in Earths history have been financed or influenced by the Jesuit order, whose prime aim is to bring the papacy into world domination.

The final part of the prophecy is obviously still yet to be fulfilled, and it is the part that we need to ensure we fully understand, so that we do not unknowingly take the mark, and be doomed to eternal destruction.

Those that stay true to the Bible based teachings and keep the Ten Commandments have the following promise to look forward to. Revelation 20:4 “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”

What is 666 and the mark of the beast?

We have established that the mark of the first antichrist beast power is its blatant disregard for authority of God and claim that they have the authority to override scripture, which they prove by the fact that they changed the fourth commandment Sabbath day of God to Sunday by their own authority. In other words, the Roman Catholic Church’s act of changing the Sabbath to Sunday is the “mark of the beast.”

A Bible published in the 1800’s had the following footnote, which depicts what Christians at that time understood that the ‘Mark’ was all about reads as follows: “Ver. 16. A mark. Submission to the rites and ceremonies of the papal communion. In their right hand. By active obedience to the papal power. Or in their foreheads. By outward profession of its doctrines and infallible authority” (The New Testament: With Commentaries, References, Harmony of the Gospels and the Helps Needed to Understand and Teach the Text. 1895. New York and St. Louis. N.D. Thompson Pub. Co., p. 530).

Isn’t the mark of the beast 666?

	V=5		F=0		D=500
	I=1		I=1		E=0
	C=100		L=50		I=1
	A=0		I=1
	R=0		I=1
	I=1
	U=5
	S=0
	___		__		___
Total	112	+	53	+	501	= 666

Does God have a mark?

We need to remember that there is more that one mark spoken of in Revelation. As well as the mark of the beast, God’s people will also receive a mark or seal. Revelation 9:4 “And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.”

Everyone will get something that will signify whether they worship the Creator of Heaven and Earth or if they worship the deceiving Antichrist Beast power. Everyone on the planet will be marked; either they will have the Seal of God or the Mark of the Beast. It is obvious then that what we are dealing with is not a computer chip placed under the skin, or a credit card or one of the other numerous popular interpretations. The fact that everyone gets a mark blows holes in these theories – because God’s people are given the seal of God by the angels Revelation 7:3 “Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.”

It is quite possible that to prevent the people who don’t take the mark of the beast from buying or selling that there will be something that is only given to people who accept the mark of the beast that will allow them to carry on their normal activities. On the other hand it may be that anyone who does not bow down to the false system of worship will have all of their bank accounts frozen. This is happening even today with suspected terrorists – without a judge, jury or trial their assets are being frozen.

What is the seal of God?

There are numerous scriptures that mention the seal of God. Here are just a few:

John 3:33 “He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.”

2 Timothy 2:19 “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”

Isaiah 8:16 “Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.”

1 Corinthians 9:2 “If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.”

Ephesians 1:13 “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,”

Revelation 7:2 “And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,”

Revelation 7:3 “Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.”

Revelation 9:4 “And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.”

What is a literal seal and what is it used for? A royal seal contains three things, the persons name, their title or claim to authority, and lastly, the region of their rule. Elizabeth II, Queen of Britain, Wales and Scotland for example. What is the purpose of a Royal seal? The Bible tells us clearly:

Daniel 6:15-17 “Then these men assembled unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, That no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed. Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee. And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel.”

This shows that the seal of the King is a statement that his decree is not to be changed. Also a seal and a sign are synonymous, as demonstrated in Romans 4:11 “And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:”

The seal of God is in His law, so clearly this is a symbolic seal, not a literal one. The fourth commandment states Exodus 20:10-11 “But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” This shows that God (name) is the Creator (title) of Heaven and Earth (realm).

Is it any wonder that this commandment was the focus of the enemy, and that he wanted it changed?

The fourth commandment (seventh day Sabbath), which the Roman Catholic Church has endeavoured to set aside, is the only precept of the Ten Commandments that points to God as the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth, and hence distinguishes Him from all of the false gods. The Sabbath was instituted at creation to commemorate his creative work and direct the minds of men to the only true and living God. It was instituted as a day of rest and a day to worship our creator.

The one thing that Satan wants and does NOT deserve, the thing that belongs only to the Creator, is worship. Isaiah 14:12-14 “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.” Is it any wonder then that the aim of Satan’s attacks is on the one commandment that perpetuates the truth of God’s creative power, His beautiful Sabbath day. This commandment also of course points to our redeemer, Jesus Christ. John 1:1-3 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”

This is why there is a distinction made between those who worship the beast and receive his mark, and those who keep the Ten Commandments and receive the seal of God. Revelation 12:17 “And the dragon was wroth with the woman (church), and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”

The seal/sign of the fourth commandment is further clarified in the following verses. Exodus 31:13 “Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you.” And Exodus 31:16-17 “Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.”

The Sabbath of course did not relate only to the Jews, it was instituted at the time of creation. The true Church of God is called Abraham’s seed or Spiritual Israel. Galatians 3:29 “And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

Jesus told us that He was “Lord of the Sabbath” and also reminded us that the commandments were perpetual. Matthew 5:17-19 “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

The Criteria for the Mark of the Beast

In summary, the mark of the beast will have the following attributes:

The Mark of the Beast not obvious, it is deceptive. Revelation 19:20 “And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.”
The mark will be received on the forehead, which represents the mind or decisions, or on the hand, which represents the actions Revelation 14:9 “And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,”
The three angels reveal a comprehensive message from God before the second coming of Jesus Christ to all the world to help people understand the mark (Revelation 14:6-16).
Those who worship Jesus Christ as the Creator will not get the mark Revelation 14:7 “Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.”
Those who keep all of the Ten Commandments will not get the mark Revelation 14:12 “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.”
The mark comes from the beast, which represents the Roman Catholic Church.
The warning against the mark will be given with a loud voice, thus it must be clear and easy to understand Revelation 14:9 “And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,”
The mark involves a specific sin against God Himself, for those who receive it will drink the wine of His wrath Revelation 14:10 “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 presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:”
The mark has something to do with the changing of God’s law Daniel 7:25 “And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.”
666 is not the mark of the beast, but it is the number of a man (the representative of the beast power). 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.”

Taking note of the Biblical criteria for the antichrist, and the mark of the beast, it seems apparent that the idea of computer chips, tattoos, credit cards or bar codes are all merely fables. The real marks, whether it be the mark of the beast or the seal from God are of a far more spiritual nature. They relate directly to our love and obedience (or lack of) to our Creator, the one and only true God and for His son Jesus Christ, the co-creator who took on human flesh and died so that the separation between God and man that was initialised by the sins of Adam and Eve could forever be repaired. That through the redeeming blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, we could repent and have our sins forgiven, and once again come into a restored (marriage) relationship with our creators. The things that decide which mark we get are our decisions, faith and thoughts (in the forehead) and our actions (in the hand) and who we choose to worship.

We find in Daniel chapter 3 that King Nebuchadnezzar made a gold image with dimensions that were equal to 666 that he commanded all to worship. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego would not disobey God’s commandment and refused to obey the king. Since these faithful three refused, the king threw them into a blazing furnace that was heated seven times hotter than usual. The King in amazement said, “Why do I see four men walking around in the fire? They are not tied up, and they show no sign of being hurt and the fourth is like that of the Son of God. Praise the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! They disobeyed my command and risked their lives rather than bow down and worship any god except their own. There is no other god who can rescue like this.” As a result, the king promoted these faithful three to higher positions in Babylon. This is an excellent example of obedience to God and one He has given us, which is a parallel of the Mark of the Beast issue in Revelation 13 and 14 that demonstrates how we need to respond in end times, that is we should obey God rather than man and not worship the Beast. So do we worship God on the day specified by the Papal beast power and get the mark of the beast or on the day God commanded and receive the seal of God? Do you desire the “praise of men” more than the praise of God? Or do you have the FAITH and COURAGE to obey God’s Commandments, even if you were to lose some of your friends or even your job?

Select 666 and the mark of the beast for an excellent summary with very enlightening comparison tables. See also who is the antichrist.

Please Note: God has worked miracles guiding almost every major topic to the first page of Google but because of the massive impact this ministry is now having, the Satanic attacks have this family in dreadful pain without a wife and mother that we love and miss so dearly and insufficient income. This is also due to an undiagnosed illness that had me bed ridden for months with a 25KG weight loss and has currently lasted 18 months. This ministry has over 120 domain names with a total yearly count of nearly 1,000,000 visits and costs are now thousands of dollars per annum. We desperately require prayer and funds to survive to keep this family together and ministry afloat. Any assistance is greatly appreciated to keep this ministry spreading truth to the world. Thank you for your prayers and support. Total amount donated this Month: $00.00.

Watch Excellent Prophecy Seminars Online

If you have a reasonably fast internet connection and would like to watch an online Prophecy Seminar that reveals who the little horn of Daniel 7 and the Beast of Revelation 13 is that changed the Sabbath to Sunday, you will find Revelation Reveals the Antichrist very enlightening. You may want to start about 17.5 minutes in to bypass singing items etc. You can also watch Histories Greatest Hoax on the truth about the Sabbath and ideally should be watched first. There is also an episode covering 666 and the mark of the beast. To watch more from this and other Prophecy Seminars you will find the menus here. Be prepared to discover many mind blowing, lost Bible truths.

666 Mark Of The Beast