Today’s topic is obvious – Interruption #666 must be about 666!
Wisdom is needed here. Let the one with understanding solve the meaning of the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is 666 (Revelation 13:18, NLT).
The English Standard Version, and most other translations, start Revelation 13:18 with something like, “This calls for wisdom.”
The New Living Translation says simply, “Wisdom needed here.” Amen!
The number “666” is written about a lot. When I typed the number in Google, I had 540,000 search results. No, I didn’t take the time to read them all. But the number has come to typify the anti-Christ and all things evil.
“6” is the number of “man” in the Old Testament – so 6 threes or 666 – is the mark of extreme humanism. This number typifies how out of control our world becomes when we – humans – lose faithfulness to God and follow our own insights, passions, and beliefs.
The “666” anti-Christ, probably living now and soon to be revealed, will take control of the doubts, hopelessness, and financial bankruptcy of the end-times by proclaiming peace and initially leading the nations to prosperity.
Wisdom needed here.
Most of the earth’s population will follow the anti-Christ. Looking to him as savior, during chaos and hopelessness, the world will succumb in a way other periods of history wouldn’t.
God’s creation decides to be rescued by a man (humanism or humans without God) and by not repenting and turning to the salvation found in Jesus.
666 personified.
Other descriptive verses of the times before the anti-Christ:
What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark (Isaiah 5:20, NLT).
You will hear of wars and threats of war (Matthew 24:6).
But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, and unholy (2 Timothy 3:1-2).
Not a lot of wisdom needed here. Sounds like today, doesn’t it?
The Bible uses another number countering “6.”
It is “7.” Seven days of creation and Jesus spoke seven statements on the cross. The number “7” means perfection and completeness.
Again, wisdom is needed here. The number of salvation is “777.”
“7” days of creation polluted by the willful sin of Adam and Eve, and then sin culminating in history as “666.” But there is another solution – those with faith, restored by Jesus hanging on a cross with “7” statements.
I pray that many believe in “777.”
Interruptions will feature the Book of Revelation in 2022. Read #280, #281, #295,
#307, #316, #333, #343, #364, #380, #395, #406, #432, #433, #559, #566, and #597
at www.grantedwardsauthor.com for previous blogs on Revelation.
I’m writing 12 more blogs on Revelation in the next year.