Issued by the Catholic Center for Studies and Media - Jordan. Editor-in-chief Fr. Rif'at Bader - موقع أبونا abouna.org

Published on Sunday, 11 September 2022

What is the mystery of the number 666, as mentioned in the Holy Bible's Book of Revelation?

By Munir Bayouk/ en.abouna.org :

The Holy Bible is the most invaluable book ever. It contains treasures of love, care, and sacrifice aimed at saving humanity and strewing its trodden path with divine roses of blessing emanating from the Word of God. This is the master of all books and the non-corrupted Word of God. The more one reads the Holy Bible, the more one delves into the secrets of life, as well as gets familiar with mundane life and the after-life.

 

Among the most interesting parts of the Holy Bible is the Book of Revelation. It is a divine book full of symbols and implications that need careful review and consideration as it enshrines oneself in an era of inquisitive knowledge.

 

Among the most pressing questions in this part of the Holy Bible's Revelation is the mentioned number 666. What does it mean? What does it stand for? Several people from every walk of life have tried to delve into the secrets behind this number, which resulted in different interpretations and views. Then what is the reality?

 

In Revelation 13, the book reveals Antichrist’s right–hand man, the Beast from the earth (also known as the False Prophet), will introduce a mark to bolster his one-world rule. It says, “He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except  the one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name” (Revelation 13:16–17).

 

According to (Revelation 6: 6), the mark of the Beast will offer hollow promises and incomplete relief during tribulation. It will give people access to buy and sell goods, but many will barely earn enough money to buy food. Actually, anyone worshipping the beast and receive his mark on his forehead or his hand shall be tormented with fire.

 

What happens next is that those who refuse the mark of the Beast will suffer the Anti-Christ's wrath as anyone without the mark will be martyred or killed for their faith, according to Revelation 14: 9-11.

 

The indelible mark of the Beast will identify people of the Ant-Christ's empire. Yet, another mark identifies people of Christ's Kingdom, namely God marks the believers as His own by sending the Holy Spirit to live in them and serve as a bulwark against the Beast's evil.

 

The Holy Bible's assertion that the believers will be sealed with the Holy Spirit as it states in Ephesians 1:13-14: "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the Gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory."

 

All in all, it is important to remember that no matter the believers face temptations and evil in life, they should always remember that the Lord always stand  by them and  saves them in spite of the dangers that face them as it is stated in Psalm 27:1 : The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?