What it Really Means

The dreaded Mark of the Beast

"This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666." Revelation 13:18

For over 1,900 years, many biblical scholars have attempted to define the infamous Mark of the Beast, otherwise known as the number 666.

Some have suggested that the number refers to a future Pope. Others have suggested that the number refers to a powerful political leader, a nation or even a computerized barcode system that will be utilized by a global government.

For those who believe that the number refers to the Antichrist, any political leader who possesses three names containing six letters in each name is immediately considered a prime candidate for the coming evil world ruler. For example, when Ronald Reagan became America's 40th President in 1981, conspiracy freaks and rapture zealots thought they had found their man. You see, Reagan's middle name--Wilson--gave him three names with six letters each.

And certainly, Reagan was the Antichrist to leftists who hated the arch-conservative president and his small government policies. But he wasn't the Antichrist, nor is Barack Obama. In fact, according to biblical prophecy, no future American president is going to become the Antichrist.

So, just what does the infamous number 666 refer to? It refers to both a powerful religious system and the world government that will be partnered with this global religious system.

How do we determine that? In 331 B.C., Greek Emperor Alexander the Great invaded ancient Persia and conquered that nation. What was significant about Alexander's conquest? It opened the door to the influence of European culture in the ancient Middle East. And it launched what became known as the Age of the Gentiles and the transfer of world power from that region to Europe. Two centuries later, the Roman Empire succeeded the Greeks and became the most powerful empire of the ancient world at that time.

In 325 A.D. the Council of Nicaea was established by Roman Emperor Constantine. What was so significant about the Council of Nicaea? It became the spiritual foundation for the Roman Catholic Church. And it came 666 years after Alexander's invasion of Persia.

Though our current calendar contains 365 days (366 every fourth or leap year) which would bring us to 335 A.D. or 666 years after Alexander's invasion, the ancient world followed a 360-day solar calendar. When we apply that calendar, we subtract 3,497 days from our modern calendar or 9.7 years which brings us to 325 A.D., exactly 666 years after Alexander invaded Persia. While that may indeed seem like a coincidence, it isn't because the coming global government that will eventually be ruled by the Antichrist will be partnered with the Roman Catholic Church.

Well, how can we prove that? Through scripture. In about 90 A.D. the apostle John was given an allegorical vision by God of the end time world government. In his vision, John saw "a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls." (Revelation 17:3-4)

Who does the woman in John's vision represent? She represents a city surrounded by seven hills. (Revelation 17:9) There are only two cities in the world that match that description; Rio de Janeiro that is located in Brazil and Rome, Italy, Rome is home to the Vatican, the world headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church. The beast represents a world government that will feature 10 nation groups led by seven powerful leaders.  When John recorded the Revelation, the Catholic Church didn't exist and wouldn't come into existence for another 230 years.

Is that a coincidence? Hardly. The number 666 refers to a global government that will be partnered with a global religion. And that religion will be Roman Catholicism. The dreaded Antichrist will become the leader of this partnership and everyone will be required to swear allegiance to him by receiving his mark. (Revelation 13:16-17) Those who refuse will be unable to buy, sell, work or own property. They will have to survive on their own. 

The dreaded mark will probably be an embedded computer chip or a skin-patch with a barcode. Though that sounds very Orwellian, the technology already exists to track people all over the world via computer chips or barcode labels.

What's coming on the prophetic horizon? The formation of a world government and a global counterfeit spiritual revival led by--you guessed it--the Roman Catholic Church. (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12) Be alert and be aware.