“16And he causes all, the small and the great, the rich and the poor, and the free and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, 17and he decrees that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name. 18Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.” (Revelation 13:16-18)
Since John penned the book of Revelation the interpretations and theories about what or who the Antichrist will be (or was), have proliferated profusely. Shortly after he wrote it the early church apparently thought Nero was the Antichrist, and indeed scholars today tell us that the number 666, the mark of the Beast, translates into Nero, taking the numeric values of the Greek name translated into Hebrew. Since then we have had Diocletian, and in more recent times Mussolini, Hitler, Khrushchev, Gorbachev, President Obama, and the list goes on and on. But as we have seen above, it is not as though God failed to give us enough information, or that the information He gave us was obscure, confusing, or encoded such that we have to find the secret key to decoding it all. Clearly what Daniel wrote, and John wrote, was not simplistic such that a casual reader could know it all by reading a few passages here and there. But neither is it inaccessible to the layperson who is willing to diligently study what God has written, depending upon the Holy Spirit for enlightenment and guidance (rather than depending upon men).
There are of course many theories about what this Mark of the Beast will be, as per the following:
“John says that 666 is the number of the beast and also that it is ‘the number of a man.’ The word ‘beast’ equally totals 666. But that’s not all. To make a long explanation short, if you take Nero’s title in Greek and turn it into Hebrew, the numerical total is (dun, dun, dun) 666. [What is even more interesting is that some ancient manuscripts read 616 at this point in Revelation, and if you take Nero’s title from Latin to Hebrew, it equals (drumroll please) 616.] * John is using Nero as a symbol of Roman power in rebellion against God’s people. Nero was the first emperor to persecute Christians, and John is saying that more is on the way.”
(Michael DeFazio (michaeldefazio.wordpress.com/2010/05/10/naming-the-beast-rev-13/#more-808))
“What is the mark of the beast? It is much easier to state what the mark of the beast is than what it means. The plain sense of Scripture tells us that it comprises the numbers: six, six, six. Perhaps some of the most fanciful suggestions for prophetic interpretation revolve around the meaning of this number. Some have by mathematical computations come to the conclusion that the name of Adolph Hitler, Mussolini, and many others equaled 666. It is dangerous to make such suggestions. We only know that six is the number of a human being. It is one short of the perfect number seven, and humankind was created on the sixth day; therefore in Bible numerology it is used to refer to humankind.”
(LaHaye, Revelation Unveiled, Kindle p. 227)
“Such a mark was also used in connection with pagans and false deities in ancient times, as Bible scholar Robert Thomas explains.
The mark must be some sort of branding similar to that given soldiers, slaves, and temple devotees in John’s day. In Asia Minor, devotees of pagan religions delighted in the display of such a tattoo as an emblem of ownership by a certain god. In Egypt, Ptolemy Philopator I branded Jews, who submitted to registration, with an ivy leaf in recognition of their Dionysian worship (cf. 3 Mace. 2:29). This meaning resembles the long-time practice of carrying signs to advertise religious loyalties (cf. Isa. 44:5) and follows the habit of branding slaves with the name or special mark of their owners (cf. Gal. 6:17). Charagma (“mark”) was a [Greek] term for the images or names of emperors on Roman coins, so it fittingly could apply to the beast’s emblem put on people.
John MacArthur offers a similar note.
In the Roman Empire, this was a normal identifying symbol, or brand, that slaves and soldiers bore on their bodies. Some of the ancient mystical cults delighted in such tattoos, which identified members with a form of worship. Antichrist will have a similar requirement, one that will need to be visible on the hand or forehead.
The mark of the beast will serve to indicate that one is religiously orthodox—that is, orthodox as defined by the antichrist and the false prophet, as David Jeremiah explains. ‘The mark will allow the Antichrist’s followers to buy and sell because it identifies them as religiously orthodox—submissive followers of the Beast and worshipers of his image. Those without the mark are forbidden to buy because they are identified as traitors.’ So, though receiving the mark is essentially a spiritual decision, it will have life-and-death economic consequences.
TECHNOLOGY AND THE MARK Though I believe that modern technology will make it possible for the antichrist and false prophet to bring about a cashless society and then control all commerce on earth, we must differentiate between this technology and the mark of the beast, for the technology itself is not the mark. I make this point because some prophecy expositors in the past have claimed that the mark will be a high-tech chip inserted under the skin, a barcode on the hand or the forehead, some kind of universal product code, or some other such technology. This is not the case. The mark itself will identify allegiance to the antichrist, but that is separate and distinct from the technology that enables him to enforce his economic system.
My former prophecy mentor John F. Walvoord comments on how technology will enable such economical control, based on whether people have received the mark.
There is no doubt that with today’s technology, a world ruler, who is in total control, would have the ability to keep a continually updated census of all living persons and know day-by-day precisely which people had pledged their allegiance to him and received the mark and which had not.
It is highly likely that ‘chip implants, scan technology, and biometrics will be used as tools to enforce his policy that one cannot buy or sell without the mark.’
Notice that this mark will be on people, not in them (like some kind of microchip). It will be on the right hand or forehead and will be visible to the eye (perhaps like a tattoo), not hidden beneath the skin. It will be universally rejected by believers in God but universally accepted by those who choose against God.”
(Ron Rhodes, Unmasking the Antichrist, Kindle p. 173)
With respect to the Historicist Michael DeFazio’s interpretation It becomes almost comical when we go through all the ways the number 666 has been interpreted. According to DeFazio the “mark of the beast” would have been referring to Nero himself. According to John’s prophecy that would mean that Nero was the Antichrist – but DeFazio himself tells us that Nero committed suicide before this Antichrist emerges, hence it would have had to be Domitian.
With respect to Dr. Rhodes explanation, the key word there translated “on” is the Greek preposition “ek”, which has many possible translations into English, on or upon being the most common, but is also translated “in” (Mark 9;37-39, Luke 1:47), as well as at, to, against, by, with, according to, before, about, over, after, and the list goes on. An argument based on this translation of this Greek preposition is at best very weak.
The text does allow that it could be the name of the Beast, or it could be the number of his name, whatever that would mean. But the history of using numerical values of Greek or Hebrew names has led to what have proven to be numerous mistaken interpretations. Or, perhaps there will be a visible tattoo on the hand and forehead with a name and/or number, even possibly a literal number, 666.
The likelihood, however, is that the Antichrist will not be so transparent as to actually use either his name, or the actual number 666, because it would be too obvious that he would be fulfilling scripture about that prophesied Antichrist, or the 8th Beast of Revelation. Besides that, John says it will take a wise person with understanding to calculate the number of the beast – which seems to indicate it will not be so obvious to everyone, but will take some insightful interpretation.
The number 666 has real significance in today’s world, even relating directly to how the Antichrist could enforce this economic control in the modern world, as we already have a global system of identification and inventory with the almost ubiquitous bar codes, all of which have the number 666 embedded in them. Otherwise, no one has a clue as to what would be the significance of the number, other than that 6 is the number of man, but why 3 sixes?
It is also not inconceivable that it could be a visible tattoo, as Dr. Rhodes argues. Such a tattoo could be a barcode which would of course feature three sixes, which could then be read with a scanner. However, if it is a visible tattoo on the right hand and forehead this would still become quite obvious to virtually everyone that it is the prophesied Mark of the Beast, which surely would be met with a great deal of resistance among the people globally. Furthermore, it probably wouldn’t matter much whether those who do not take the mark could buy or sell as their refusal to accept that visible mark would make them so obvious that their fate would just quickly be to be killed, as in beheaded, for which Moslems are well known today.
On the other hand, a chip under the skin would be a much less obvious fulfillment of the prophecy in Revelation, and those not accepting it would be affected by the economic kind of persecution associated with this prophecy about the mark. It is certainly not clear from what we are actually told in Revelation 13 that it has to be a visible mark, contrary to the claims of several cited above – such is just their interpretation.
The fact is that the mark of the beast is not the only seal on the foreheads during that time, as we see several references to those who will not be followers of the beast but will be protected by God, also having the seal of the living God on their foreheads – such as the 144,000 of Revelation 7:2-8 and possibly others of 9:4. That “seal” is not interpreted as a visible mark however, in part because it is not referred to as a “mark” in scripture at all. Some will interpret this mark of the beast to be of the same nature as that seal of God on the foreheads of His “bondservants”, not only not visible but not even physical, giving it a spiritual meaning. A Jamie Walden would have us believe it is just a spiritual condition on the part of the individual, interpreting the numbers as just being the number of man, and repeated 3 times to represent “sin, lawlessness and rebellion …the fullness of your self-expression” (from a sermon on YouTube “The Coming Mark”). While much of what Mr. Walden says may well be true of those who take this mark of the beast, it certainly isn’t all that is meant by it in that context, as such would apply to all unbelievers in any age, certainly not unique nor related to the absolute reign of the Antichrist. Such spiritualized interpretations of many prophecies such as this throughout the book of Revelation, render it virtually meaningless with respect to objectively discernable or recognizable characteristics of that whole end time period, beyond very speculative, generic, spiritual platitudes left up to the individual interpreter’s preferences and presuppositions.
Some of the reasons why there is so much diversity of interpretations, and a lot of confusion, are the same reasons that the same is true about virtually everything else of significance revealed to us in scripture. First, men approach a passage, and for that matter often the whole book, or even the whole Bible, with presuppositions (such as their method of interpretation for starters, spiritualized or allegorical or literal, etc.) and preferences. In the case of Revelation, and all the end time prophecy there are schools of Theology, and Eschatology in particular, such as Covenant and Reformed Theology vs. Dispensationalism, Historicists, Preterists and Partial Preterists vs. Futurists, the latter being divided between Pre, Mid and Post Tribulation Rapturists and Pre-Wrath Rapturists. Rather than being able to see what a passage is actually saying it has to be interpreted to align with such presuppositions and preferences.
However, beyond that there are many problems with respect to rules of interpretation known as Hermeneutics and Exegesis, not to mention rules of logic. One of the most important and most often violated of those rules is also one of the most obvious – CONTEXT. Every word, every phrase, sentence, passage, has a context which has everything to do with their intended meaning. In the case of what we find in this book of Revelation, and the passage and words and phrase in question, “the mark of the beast”, this is most significant. However, this is also what is most often ignored, or almost disregarded. Taking anything out of context gives rise to a wide range of interpretations, limited only by the imagination of the interpreter – and this 666 passage is a case in point.
Taken out of context of all that we are told in the rest of Revelation 13, this mark of the beast or the number 666 could mean virtually anything any clever person makes it out to be. But objectively it depends a great deal on what that beast, or for that matter this whole “Tribulation Period” is, or how that is to be interpreted. But for that one must keep this chapter in the context of the rest of the whole book of Revelation. But all of what we see in Revelation, especially all the symbolism, must be kept in the context of what is also revealed about the end times in all the other prophetic passages on the subject, especially the books of Daniel and Ezekiel. Without the accurate understanding and interpretation of those other passages, Revelation, and especially the parts about the beasts, and the Antichrist, are wide open to speculative and even fanciful theories. But then there is also the context of known history, and even current developments and events. Many, and probably most, past and current interpretations and would-be explanations of prophecy in Revelation are not consistent with such contexts, as most of those doing the interpreting do not actually go to the time and effort to actually inform themselves about them.
What we understand as the beast which is going to require men to take his mark, has to be informed by what all (not just some) of what John tells us about this beast in Revelation, but not only Revelation (which by itself is virtually indecipherable), but also Daniel at least. The same is true of most of what we see in the New Testament about the coming Tribulation Period, before or at the return of Christ. Any attempt to interpret or explain the “mark of the beast” of Revelation 13 (or 14:11) that isn’t kept in the context of the rest of what is revealed in scripture about this whole subject, has no chance of being an accurate version of what God is communicating to us in His word. But the reality is that very few men go to the trouble, or invest the time and considerable effort, to get to know what that context is and what it means, other than getting it second hand from other men. They try to come up with interpretations of a given text, taking it out of the essential context of what is revealed in scripture, and what can be known from factual history. They often try to make it look like they are keeping it in context and letting scripture interpret scripture by citing other passages. This, more often than not, involves what is known as “cherry picking”, taking them out of context, and misinterpreting or misapplying them as well. One cannot get an accurate understanding by only considering some of the other relevant passages (usually picking just some that seem to support their presuppositions or theoretical interpretations) leaving out or ignoring those other pieces of information which would change their preferred understanding.
So, what is being proposed here as an interpretation of this 666 “mark of the beast” is an application with respect to a rather imminent fulfillment of these prophecies of Daniel and John in Revelation, about the Antichrist. It involves a resurgence of a Mesopotamian Empire consisting of a coalition 10 Islamic middle Eastern nations, as the ten-horned Beast (and the ten toes of Daniel’s statue). From that cauldron one charismatic leader will emerge, probably of Syrian origin. He will come to power on the global scene, possibly by promising global peace by purging the world of extremists (including Islamic terrorists). He will be a Moslem, but present himself to the non-Moslem world as a peaceful moderate, tolerant of other religions, possibly even a New Ager. He will be backed with the weapon of oil economically, and probably weapons of mass destruction militarily, possibly even including nuclear weapons. But he will come promising peace for Israel (possibly even recognizing her statehood and right to exist), and he will gain dominance over the rest of the world, first peacefully, politically and economically. However, having gained his position of dominance and power he will defeat his remaining enemies who resist him militarily, and will invade Israel. His invasion of Israel will involve desecrating the Temple, setting up an image of himself in the temple to be worshipped by all, and declaring himself to be God. He will impose a computerized and internet-based system as a worldwide economy, which will require everyone to accept an ID number, probably a bar code (every barcode features the numbers 666 in the code). It will probably be burned into a chip injected under the skin of the right hand, and the forehead (Rev. 13:16-18). This will involve their submission to his sovereignty over them, as the God of this world. Those who resist will be executed (Rev. 13:15 – probably beheaded per Rev. 20:4) as extremists, enemies of global peace. He will ultimately be resisted by the Islamic faithful, but will annihilate them and destroy their capital, the rebuilt city of Babylon (Rev. 17:16-18). (from: The Mysteries of Revelation Demystified, pp 128-129).
This interpretation and scenario is explained in detail with the relevant scripture on the subject in the book, The Beast, The Antichrist, and The Harlot Babylon Revisited, by this author, J. Mike Byrd, available on Amazon.
end times revisited 