There is one more sign in prophecy we need to take a look at.  At the end of chapter 13, where John describes to us the 10-horned beast he saw rising from the sea, he throws a weird number at us.

John wrote, “Here 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 13:18). 

For 2,000 years, Christians have wondered about the meaning of that number.  This has given rise to all kinds of speculation.  Since the Hebrew and Greek alphabets use letters for numbers, there have been many attempts to match certain names to this number.

The occult world has also made use of this mysterious number.  Constance Cumbey, an expert on the New Age movement, recently told me that some people who are involved in the New Age movement believe the number 666 brings them occult power. They believe the more times they can use this number in their documents and logos, the more power will be granted to them.

As I thought about the occult use of the number 666, I realized that Satan has gone to a great effort to hide the true meaning of this prophetic sign.  God has not placed anything in the Bible that doesn't have a good purpose for God’s people.  From God’s point of view, there is nothing mystical about the number 666.  It's just another prophetic sign God wants His people to watch for. 

John had more to say about this number.  He wrote: “And he (the False Prophet) causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand, or on their forehead, and he provides that no one should be able to buy or sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name” (Revelation 13:16-17)

In his book, Dispensational Truth, Clarence Larkin observed: “The number ‘666’ is the ‘number of man,’ and stops short of the perfect number seven.  Man was created on the sixth day.  Goliath the opposer of God’s people, a type of Satan, was 6 cubits in height, he had 6 pieces of armor, and his spearhead weighed 600 shekels.  Nebuchadnezzar’s Image, a type of the ‘Image of the Beast,’ was 60 cubits in height, 6 cubits wide, and 6 instruments of music summoned the worshippers”  (Clarence Larkin, Dispensational Truth (Philadelphia: Rev. Clarence Larkin Estate, 1920) 124-5).

Some Bible students have speculated that this “mark” will be some kind of computer chip with that number implanted under people's skin.  Without this implanted chip, no one will be able to buy or sell.  With e-commerce growing today by leaps and bounds, it’s not hard to believe this may soon be possible – if not already.

But, this is all speculation.  As I've already said, I believe Satan has gone to great effort to hide from the world the true meaning of this number found in Bible prophecy.  Yet this can also be said about all the other prophetic signs in the Bible.  Satan simply does not want us to understand any of them.

We have learned that these Bible prophecies have mainly to do with real historical facts about Israel.  I believe the number 666 is no different.  It simply will identify a very evil man who, in the last days, will do terrible violence to Israel and God’s people.  In so doing, this man will bring great destruction from God upon himself and the whole earth.