666

Text: Rev 13:11 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.
12 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.
13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
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.
15 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.
16 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:
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.
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.
Intro: 666 - Even the sound is sinister. Count the number; calculate the number. In my lifetime, men have calculated the letters in the names of Hitler, Mussolini and Il Duce; Pope Pius, Kissinger, George Bush and countless others.
The number is associated in the Bible with the mark of the Beast. This has been declared to be, by some; Sunday Worship; Union Membership; Social Security; NRA (National Recovery Act); Bar Codes; Credit Cards; etc.
The number 666 has, in recent years, been connected to or adopted by gangs, Rock groups, and Satanism. Books have been written and Television Evangelists have terrified many with 666 - the mark of the beast.

I. The truth is; those who have been sealed by the Holy Spirit in Salvation
(Eph 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,) are safely secure in Christ, in God, (Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.) and cannot be threatened by Satan’s emissaries or by the Devil himself!
1. We are under Christ’s dominion
Col 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
2. We have a greater power in us!
I John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

II Those who accept the mark; (number, name, seal) of the beast are forever doomed. But those who claim the number etc. now, are only ignorant impostors, in a state of rebellion against God.
Rev 16:2 And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.
Rev 16:21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

III The time period is during the last half of the 7 year tribulation, which is preceded by:
1. The rapture or resurrection; ALL the saved at that time are gone.
2. A period of false world peace, brought about by a mighty world leader.
3. A time of extreme blasphemy against God.
Rev 13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
Rev 13:4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
Rev 13:6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
IV. Some will recognize what is happening and refuse to go along.
Rev 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
Rev 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
But will die because of it
Rev 13:15 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.

V The two beasts of Rev. 13 -
1. Out of the sea (i e mass of humanity)
13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
a) A world empire arising out of the demand for a power to save them from themselves.

The ethnic violence of (Mat 24 :7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.) is today endangering all men. Governments are falling; society is in a turmoil and men are longing for peace. The power of the people has toppled governments and will soon demand a unifying force!

2. Out of the earth - ( a man)
a) Two horns like a lamb, but speaks as a dragon ( a false messiah - imitating the Lamb of God, but speaking the things of Satan. ) As Christ spoke of His Father, so the antichrist will speak of his father, Satan.
Rev 13:11 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.
b) He institutes a State religion with himself as head - imitates Christ and His kingdom.
He has full power of the empire. He IS the empire (Louis XIV-”I am France”; repeated by De Gaulle)
12 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.
c) Works deceptive miracles in imitation of Christ to convince men.
Appeals to man’s desire for icons and idols by making an image of the beast.
13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
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.
d) Brings a head back to life in mockery of The Resurrection and revives the persecution of the dark ages against all who refuse to follow.
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
15 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.
e) In imitation of Christ, he seals his followers:
16 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:
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.

V The number of this beast
1.We are not told what the mark (brand) will be, but it will be universally recognized.
2. We are not told his name; if it were told, men would adopt it in a spirit of rebellion!
3. We are told his number 6 6 6 - all we can say for sure at this time is that man’s number is 6 and this shows the ultimate man in body, mind, and spirit and all evil, controlled by Satan.
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.
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VII Those who die in rejection of antichrist will triumph
Rev 15:2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

VIII Those who accept the mark, will receive the wrath of God
Rev 16:1 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.
2 And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.

IX The final end of the beast and those who accept him
Rev 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.

X A Way of escape - Accept Christ now and never have to worry about the antichrist.
Rom 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Rom 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.