Vol.8 No.6

Q. What does the number 666 stand for? I’ve heard that Antichrist will use this number on computer chip implants to control citizens of the New World Order.

A. First, let us quote the only passage in the Bible that uses the term 666:

"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. 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." (Revelation 13:17, 18).

The Bible describes 666 as the number of “the beast.” Several beasts are mentioned in Revelation 13: the beast, the dragon, and the lamblike beast. From context, the number 666 is associated with the first beast.

So who is this first beast? Excellent clues to its identity are scattered all through Revelation 13. Let’s list some of them:

1. It rose up out of the sea, or from out of a nation of people. (Compare verse 1 with Revelation 17:15.)
2. It had seven heads and ten crowned horns (verse 1).
3. It was a blasphemous beast (verses 1, 5, 6).
4. It did not possess power of itself. It was given its power by the dragon, or the devil. (Compare verse 2 with Revelation 12:9.)
5. One of its seven heads received a deadly wound that miraculously healed (verse 3).
6. It received world-wide spiritual adoration (verses 3, 4, 8).
7. It persecuted God’s people for a time period of 42 prophetic months.

The Protestant reformers—men like Luther, Wycliffe, Calvin, Zwingli and Knox—studied this prophecy independently and came to the same conclusions. This beast described papal Rome.

Do the clues fit?

In Bible prophecy, beasts represent kingdoms or nations (see Daniel 7:17). Throughout history, papal Rome functioned as a religio-political power with armies and a system of taxation. Today, Vatican City—headquarters of the Roman Catholic church and home of the pope—is considered an independent nation which receives diplomats and ambassadors from many nations, including the U.S.

The Bible predicted that papal Rome would rise out of a populous place. Historically, papal Rome arose out of well-populated pagan Rome. Three of the ten tribes of pagan Rome were destroyed by papal armies. Their territories were incorporated into the remaining seven tribes—leaving seven heads with ten crowned horns.

The Bible defines blasphemy as claiming the power and authority of God. The papacy grants priests the power to forgive sins and to release souls from purgatory. The pope claims divine authority to change and establish doctrine as he sees fit.

The prophecy describes the papacy receiving a deadly wound. In 1798, the pope was captured and exiled by Napoleon’s general, Berthier. The papacy was at an all time low in political power and many predicted its demise. But just as the Bible predicted, the deadly wound was healed. Over time, the papacy rebounded and is again considered a major global player.

During the Dark Ages, the pope was largely an unchallenged religious despot who deposed kings, excommunicated whole nations, and persecuted heretics. The then known world was subject to his dominion and dogma for 42 prophetic months (3 1/2 prophetic years; 1260 prophetic days). This period corresponds with the 1260 years the papacy was in power: 538-1798. (A prophetic day=a literal year in Bible prophecy. See Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:6.)

One of the pope’s titles is Vicar of the Son of God, or in Latin, the official language of the Catholic church, Vicarius Filii Dei. The letters of this title have the numerical value 666:

The Bible predicts that the papacy will once more seek to control the religious conscience of the world and will deny dissenters their economic rights. Giving Rome the authority to tell you what is truth instead of basing your understanding of truth on God’s Word will lead you to receive the mark or number of the beast.

Vol.12 No.2

Q. In the book of Revelation, John prophesies that the world will be forced to worship the Beast. Who is this Beast, and what are his image and his mark? 

A. Scripture clearly depicts this Beast as an enemy of God. Through an understanding of prophetic symbols, we may identify him. Examining Revelation 13:1-10, we find that this Beast:

1. Rises from the sea.
2. Has seven heads with ten crowned horns.
3. Receives a deadly wound that eventually heals.
4. Speaks blasphemous words against God.
5. Rules cruelly for 42 prophetic months or 1260 years.

An important principle of Bible study is to allow the Bible to interpret itself, especially prophetic symbols explained in other Scripture passages. For instance, this Beast, or power, is seen rising from the sea, symbolizing peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues, or a densely populated region. Revelation 17:15. Animals or beasts are symbols for kingdoms or political powers. Daniel 7:17.

John’s ten-horned Beast is mentioned by Daniel as the last kingdom in a succession of world empires.Daniel 7:19-27. By deduction, the last beast would have to be the Roman Empire; for in Daniel 8:21-25, Greece precedes the last world power, and we know from history that Rome conquered Greece.

Now we have a problem. Both Daniel and John saw the Beast ruling until Christ’s Second Coming. But the Roman Empire is long gone! Who, then, is this ten-horned Beast?

Actually, a remnant of the old Roman Empire does exist today—the Emperor Constantine’s child, the Roman Catholic Church. Vatican City is recognized internationally as a sovereign state. Ruled by the reigning pope, its embassies and ambassadors represent her political claims around the world.

What do the seven heads represent? Seven barbaric tribes were the progenitors of Western Europe. Their ancient kings gave the papacy its political strength.

At one time, there were ten, but three were destroyed by the papacy for refusing to obey her mandates. Daniel 7:8.

The papacy ruled Western Europe as both a religious and political power from 538 to 1798 a.d., a period of 1260 years. During these Dark Ages the popes of Rome claimed to “hold upon the earth the place of God almighty.”¹ Their blasphemous claims included the power to forgive sins, which the Bible teaches only God can do. Mark 2:7. The modern papacy, so readily admired by the world, still claims this power. John Paul II reprimanded Catholics for accepting the “widespread idea that one can obtain forgiveness directly from God,” and exhorted them to confess more often to their priests.²

In 1798, the political power of the papacy was broken when Napoleon’s army captured and exiled the pope. From this humbling blow 200 years ago, the papacy has made an astonishing comeback. Great nations of the world now send ambassadors to the Vatican, and their leaders seek audiences with the Pope. This was the Beast’s deadly wound that was healed. Revelation 13:3. John Paul II believes that the world needs papal leadership to ensure international peace.

To aid the papacy’s global agenda comes the lamb-like beast (nation) of Revelation 13:11, the United States of America. (See “Allies Against Terror,” in this issue.) The Bible even explains how these two beasts will cooperate.

The Roman Catholic Church claims to have changed God’s Holy Sabbath from the seventh to the first day of the week. In her own words: “Of course the Catholic church claims that the change was her act … and the act is a mark of her ecclesiastical power and authority in religious matters.”³

The Bible prophesies that one day the United States will use her political and economic might to enforce Sunday worship, the Beast’s mark of authority, upon the whole world. Revelation 13:11-17. When it does, it will be copying the political strategy of the medieval papacy—using civil power to enforce worship—thus forming an image to the Beast.

Most likely, it will be fear of an impending crisis that will cause secular nations to unite in religious cooperation. And no doubt this fear will lead them to persecute those who refuse to disobey God’s Sabbath command: “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God ….” Exodus 20:8-10.

References

1. Pope Leo XIII, “Encyclical Letter” of June 20, 1894.
2. Los Angeles Times, December 12, 1984, p. 11.
3. The Catholic Mirror, September 23, 1893.