Rev 13:18This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666. 14:1Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads.
Let's talk about 666, and marks:
Those who had chosen to worship Caesar, there was a mark placed on their right hand or forehead, so the concept is not unfamiliar.
We also know that when the Jews prayed they wore phylacteries on their foreheads or left arm. These are leather pieces with little scrolls of paper inside them which have Bible passages on them.
Soldiers branded themselves with the name of their general to show their allegiance to him.
Slaves were sometimes (usually in a runaway, caught situation) branded with a mark of their owner.
We even see it today with persons tattooing names of their loved ones on their own body.
What we know:
Charagma is the word for the mark of the beast. It would mean that a person would get this mark only at the cost of denying Christ.
We get from the passage that it will be a literal mark on the right hand or forehead.
It is not stated what the name will be but, there have been many attempts to figure it out. Most have been chooses solely on the idea that the Greek translation would cause the name to equal 666. I.e.: Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini...etc. The idea is that in the Greek and Hebrew alphabets there is not a separation of letters and numbers. the alphabets stand for numbers. Therefore, add the letters and 666 appear on some of the names. This is truly human speculation and have no Biblical backing.
Remember, he will not appear until after the church is ruptured and there is the formation of the 10 kingdoms.
Interesting fact is that six is the number of man, and the number three is of manifestation. So, three sixes is the full manifestation of man....His last attempt at to be a God?
There is a significance to taking a mark, it could mean:
1. Ownership, whom would you want to belong to?
2. Loyalty, as in the slave or the general mentioned above.
3. Security or Safety, in pas times, a mark could mean you are related to someone of importance and to mess with you would mean to mess with that person as well. Again I ask, who would you want security from?
4. Dependence, total and complete, for food , water, shelter, money etc. Arabic culture did this to show who was responsible for whom. We today do this to a lesser degree with our pets, we put a chip under their skin to inform the person who found them where the animal lives and who is responsible for it.
There have been many many guesses to who this man of 666 may be but, I myself will not be around to see it! I pray that you will not be either! Wisdom is to turn your life over to Christ and don't sweat the numbers!
Another post soon,
Until next time,
Blessings on all!
Calabash
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