Revelation 13:16-18
Bible verses · Also called: Revelation 13:16–18, Mark of the beast, Six hundred threescore and six, 666, Here is wisdom
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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.
Scripture quotation from the King James Version (KJV). Read this chapter
In this passage the beast that rises out of the earth causes all people to receive a mark in their right hand or in their foreheads, so that no one may buy or sell without the mark, and its number is given as six hundred threescore and six (666). The identity of the "mark of the beast" and of "666" has prompted countless speculations, and the passage becomes the subject of renewed controversy whenever a new technology appears.
Context
Chapter 13 of Revelation presents the first beast, which rises out of the sea (13:1-10), and the second beast, which rises out of the earth (13:11-18). The first beast combines the features of the four beasts of Daniel 7; it blasphemes God and is given power to make war with the saints and to overcome them. The second beast performs miracles and causes people to worship the image of the first beast. The mark and the number in verses 16-18 are signs identifying those who belong to this system of false worship. In contrast, Revelation 14:1 presents the 144,000, who have the name of the Lamb and of his Father written in their foreheads.
Interpretations
- Preterist reading (Roman emperor): A widely known interpretation holds that the numerical values of the Hebrew letters spelling "Nero Caesar" add up to 666. Some manuscripts read 616 instead of 666, and the fact that a Latin-style spelling of the name yields 616 is cited as supporting evidence for this interpretation. On this view, the mark reflects the society of the time, in which emperor worship and commerce were intertwined.
- Historicist reading: Many of the Reformers and the Puritans associated the Antichrist with the papacy, and the original text of the Westminster Confession of Faith contains a passage calling the pope the Antichrist. Few denominations hold this interpretation today.
- Futurist reading: Dispensationalism understands the passage as referring to an actual Antichrist and an actual mark that will appear at the end of the age.
- Symbolic reading: If seven is the number of completeness, six is a number that falls short of it, and 666 represents the imperfection of a human system that imitates God. On this view, the mark on the forehead and hand is a sign of belonging and allegiance that stands in contrast to God's sealing of his servants.
Controversies and Issues
With the appearance of barcodes, credit cards, computerized resident registration systems, implantable microchips, and COVID-19 vaccines, claims spread that each was the mark of the beast. Major denominations and theologians have criticized such claims as groundless and as causing believers needless fear. They explain that the mark of the beast is not an object received unknowingly but is tied to a conscious choice to worship the beast instead of God.
Related Passages
- Revelation 14:9-11
- Revelation 7:3
- Daniel 7:1-8
- 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
See also 6
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