In the books of Daniel and Revelation the word ‘beast’ is used to describe kingdoms or governments operating under the authority of malevolent ‘principalities and powers’ (demonic spirits) having operatives in high places and being given their power, seat and great authority by Satan,
When these spirits increase their hold over a region or people or nation they can choose to ultimately condense this power even into an individual (ultimately becoming nothing less than an evil tyrant with much of the world following after) so for example the world can end up with an evil ‘beast’ system such as Nazi Germany that brought death and destruction to millions, where one man could never have done it alone and yet that same spirit of anti-Christ was very much coalesced into a demonic personage who later had a fatal head wound and then that same beast later appeared to die,
But they do not die, they disperse and repeat or modify and and next time can come again speaking like a lamb instead of a dragon, the world is more ‘nuanced’ now than it was 70 years ago having instant global communications and subtle social media manipulators to tell us 7/24 what is correct to think, to believe and even how we should act.
All any demonic beast ever requires is a place to rise up and enough spiritually willing hosts deceiving and being deceived by them, they are territorial and often rise up again in the same place, however in the book of Zechariah we see one moving to establish its base (authority) in another location.
Any form of modern media technology from the ‘tower of babel’ internet, iPads, smart phones to HDTVs are the equivalent of what John saw in the Book of Revelation as ‘images’ that both move and speak and give power to the ‘beast.’ That great voice comes from the media manipulators.
Technology does provide this power (politicians are required to have the appearance of some vain movie star or even to tacitly support evil if they want airplay and votes or to be considered newsworthy or relevant in the corruped managed mainstream media) why must we always believe that what John saw requires for a prophetic fulfillment has to be some futuristic Star Wars 3D style imagery broadcast across the sky by the ‘prince of the power of the air’ when in reality it already is being broadcast that way today,
How many of us have ever actually seen our elected leaders, presidents, Kings, senators or members of Congress in person and yet with our current state of media technology and with the constant flow of puffed up imagery surrounding all those they choose as worthy to merit their support with Photoshopped halos around their heads being celebrated on the cover of their magazines, the voting electorate seldom perceive a problem with their lawlessness. We’re now led by charm or by offense and no one operational in that media or having a loud voice in that same space will ever be permitted to question it lest their own images be cutoff,
Broadcast sound and imagery is a very real and tangible power which did not exist on the Earth until our present day,
Antichrist is called ‘lawless’ Hitler was never considered to be lawless, everything that Hitler did had a law created to enable his demonic evil to proceed, this is not true in this day, all that is needed is to have the constant barrage of big screen TV images with sycophantic mainstream media commentary overlaid across an attractive smile to provide to a voting electorate all the authority and power they need rule unopposed no matter how despotic or how much hardship they may be forced to endure by their new masters, these evil rulers merely need to have control of their images being made outwardly favorable to become wildly popular in the media space with the net effect today becoming as we’re told in Isaiah Chapter 5, to make evil to be called good and good evil.
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Ephesians 6:12
“For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” Matthew 24:24
John uses the word ‘anti-Christ’ twice and he wrote the book of Revelation guided by the Holy Spirit and yet he never uses it there.
“Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.” 1 John 2:18
“For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.” 2 John 1:7
The spirit of anti-Christ is at work today but is being hindered and held back until as Paul wrote, the “falling away” comes and the restrainer is no longer restraining,
“Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 18:18
“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
What anti-Christ IS once it becomes fully manifested cannot be revealed until the restrainer is removed. When anti-Christ is finally revealed, I suspect because of the number of believers that we’re shown prophetically are ready to die rather than submit to its authority, that it must in some manner made to be a clear choice or at least a decision not requiring some deep discernment to be able to fully perceive it,
Satan all throughout history has always had someone ready to assume this authority in the flesh, he offered it to Jesus but it is not by Satan’s timing or likely even by his own desire that someone or something does receive it because he knows his time is almost over, it really is nothing less than a desperation move to claim legal authority over the Earth quickly and destroy any believers (both Christian and Jew) who can undermine that continued authority over the ownership of the Earth obtained via false agreement, and to then solidify whatever hold he thinks he has with this agreement, this will come to a complete separation in the flesh versus spirit for those that will follow the truth and those that willingly believe THE lie.
The deception will be great, Jesus said even the ‘very elect’ would be deceived if it were possible. The spirit of Antichrist is already at work in the world and it is only by the power of the Holy Spirit indwelt in believers that it remains restrained today until the time of the end and the falling away that Paul wrote of,
“For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12
How the number 666 will become manifest in the last days, and whether it is physical or something spiritual remains to be seen, some conjecture that it will be what you believe (in your mind) and then what you do (in your hand) but very likely it’s both, we can believe in something and not do it or equally do something and not believe it, but become marked either way.
We have seen many historical illusions to the number 666 for example with the magic square of the ancient Babylonian Sungod (Apollo) being that same beast over the bottomless pit that ascends in Revelation Chapter 9 and who many see as the beast requiring the number to be made manifest over the Earth for its authority. However if Apollyon (Abaddon) is also the Antichrist then how is it that Antichrist was already at work in the world even in Johns day when we’re shown that he is bound in the bottomless pit until the time of the end? It cannot be the same beast,
“And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.” Revelation 9:11
This beast rises up from the sea:
“And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.” Revelation 13:1-2 (KJV)
“And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore.” Revelation 13:1 (NASB)
Many of even the oldest commentaries note the differences of just WHO it is standing on the sand of the seashore but simply resolve it by stating that its not important if its the Apostle John or Satan the Great Red Dragon doing the standing.
What difference does it make?
And yet it is important, there is not one example of flowery unimportant symbolism being shown to us in the book of Revelation, every word, every place name and every action is there for a deeper and profoundly significant reason.
The answer is that that they BOTH are standing on the sand of the sea. I believe this is a technology statement. Computer chips are in fact made of silicon as a semiconductor. Computer CPU’s are made of sand. Where it is the power of the beast rising up along with the necessary (for believers) understanding to be able to perceive it, that is by using modern day technology: computers, television, 3D HDTV imagery, internet and global real-time mobile communications and data storage and online libraries all made possible by the invention of the Computer and now also used for empowering evil beast governments with their ‘tower of babel’ Orwellian surveillance technology, Drones with hell-fire missiles silently overhead, who can make war against that, and ultimately their future enslaving of those on the Earth who worship this same beast as “buying and selling” having its number.
Yet also to be used by believers for communicating discoveries and sharing understandings, to be able to “see” that very same beast rising up, we are in an age now when knowledge is being increased as we’re shown in Daniel:
“But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” Daniel 12:4
“And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. 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: 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. 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.” Revelation 13:15-18
Besides being mentioned in Revelation 13, there are other scriptures where the number 666 is also referenced in repeating patterns,
1) Solomon’s tribute, (Commerce)
2) Nebuchadnezzars statue (Image of worship)
3) the sons of Adonikam, (Understanding)
“Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents of gold, “ 2 Chronicles 1:14
“Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.” Daniel 3:1
“The children of Adonikam, six hundred sixty and six.” Ezra 2:13
“And of the last sons of Adonikam, whose names are these, Eliphelet, Jeiel, and Shemaiah, and with them threescore males. “ Ezra 8:13
“Then sent I for Eliezer, for Ariel, for Shemaiah, and for Elnathan, and for Jarib, and for Elnathan, and for Nathan, and for Zechariah, and for Meshullam, chief men; also for Joiarib, and for Elnathan, men of understanding.” Ezra 8:16
These are repeating patterns until it is fulfilled once and for all at the time of the end and on a much larger scale before (and as a witness to) a much larger audience,
“And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.” Ezekiel 9:4
Many are unaware that in the book of Revelation, it is God who first marks his people in their foreheads,
“And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.” Revelation 7:2-3
Satan is nothing more than a deceiver and counterfeiter.
If he can also claim the same ‘Chi Xi Stigma’ symbols on the forehead and arms with some Arabic script for his demonic locust horde rampaging about the middle east, so be it, he’ll use that too,
The ‘Mark of the Beast’ has two requirements:
1. Controling who can buy and sell.
2. Enabling worship of the beast its ‘image’ or the number of its name.
But it will come that Satan’s authority in this Earth is being acknowledged and required for those appointed to him, to live abundantly, to buy and sell in this (his) world, they will be required to acknowledge allegiance to him whether in their thoughts (actually believing the lie) or by the action of doing it (in the hand) and merely because some think they have no choice but to go along, but they do have a choice and that choice is to die and in doing so become a witness for God,
It appears to me this future ‘buying and selling’ with numbers always required some form of advanced and interconnected (internet communications) with computer data processing controls and likely a collapse or dramatic upheaval of our current economic system for it to be implemented so quickly, as we’re told that ‘he causes’ it to happen, there is clearly some form of immediate economic alignment around a global medium of exchange using numbers for all commerce,
I believe this is how demonic spirits, principalities and powers in this world operate and it is a spiritual marker that so many seemingly unrelated events work together to acknowledge the Word of God which cannot be otherwise because it is his will that it should become known to those on the Earth so that some that would not wake up before this day, will now rise and to spare those that would choose otherwise and give them hope, strength and grace in the face of Satan’s wrath upon the Earth as his time is almost finished, and this spiritual understanding is to let them overcome Satan by the blood of Jesus and by their testimony to defeat the beast because ‘they loved not their lives unto death’ and that prior to their making that choice, they may never have come to a saving knowledge of his grace or an understanding of the truth on their own.
The choice is stark and clear, take the mark and you are choosing Satan and rejecting Christ, there is no third option and it is very dangerous if Christian ministers are now somehow suggesting otherwise. I think too that it must in some manner be obvious for the punishment to be meted out so severe and immediate to those that do take it,
“And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.” Revelation 14:9-11
Something which I found very interesting many years back while watching a program on television and it was about the first modern computer ENIAC built in 1947, it was the 50th anniversary in 1997.
As the reporter walked around the display with the camera following along close behind, he was commenting on the 18,000 vacuum tubes and the overall size being as large as a room and so on, at the same moment he was also talking to an historian off camera and gesturing at it saying finally ‘so this was the first Computer’ and the historian immediately spoke up and corrected him and said ‘no this actually wasn’t the computer, and in fact the man operating it was called the computer’ I was taken aback and sat up straight in my chair. I did not know that.
In the Greek, ‘to calculate, to count’ the number of the beast, to compute: ψηφίζω psēphizō
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.” Revelation 13:15-18
The law of first mention in the Bible is where what we call something, whether we change the name long after or not, this is what God will call it. So the word ‘Computer’ was originally meant for man, and whatever it may become later, it is “the number of a man.”
In English:
Computer = 666
Jesus Messiah = 888
In Greek:
Jesus = ihsous i=10 + h=8 + s=200 + o=70 + u=400 + s=200 = 888
For the number and date alignments below, the 666 begins with the desolation timeline on the 9th of AV August 16, 587 BC and is 665.555 years to 9th of AV 70 AD (its missing exactly 160 days to be 666 x 360 days) then the 555 pattern between the 70 years and 40 years is exactly 555.555 days or 200,000 days exactly between the 25,200 days (70 years) and the 14,400 days (40 years) below. The “.555″ is 200 days over, while the 665.555 is 160 days less, which is interesting. The remainder of all the time between the 70, 40 and 10 is exactly 2520 years to the day and completes on September 17, 2016 or exactly one year (360 days) after September 23, 2015 Yom Kippur. AND, this same day is exactly 18,000 days (50 years Jubilee) after June 7th, 1967, the very day of the restoration of Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria,
From Israel’s Babylonian captivity, which I believe began on July 23, 606 BC, it is precisely 646 years to the exact day (232,560 days) to Wednesday, April 9th, 32 AD, the very day on which I believe Jesus was crucified, leaving 7200 days or 20 years (accountability) x 360 days exactly (short) to be again 666 years from the captivity timeline, and separate from the temple desolation timeline,
This timing appears in the pattern on Wednesday, April 9th, 32 AD, and it was at 3 PM or 21 hours into the day (the day is counted from sundown or 6 PM the night before) it was in the middle of a seven day week, a 3.5 exactly. Like the middle of a seven year period exactly, that’s why the 666 structure coming at the end repeats this pattern and breaks the covenant in the middle of the week or seven years (2520 days) or after 1260 days and then the ‘Great’ tribulation begins for another 1260 days completing Daniels 70th week,
July 23, 606 BC |———–232,560 days———|Wednesday April 9th, 32 AD (Crucifixion)
The fulfillment of the Temple becoming flesh and being rejected is all within the 666 time frame and expires exactly 14,000 days after April 13th, 32 AD see above on August 10, 70 AD also on the 9th of AV.
| 6 6 6 |
| |555| |
|70| |40| |10| = 120 years —–> August 14, 2015 (temple timeline, the end comes like a flood, 120 years)
The 666 pattern looks like this: 606 BC captivity, where the punitive measures begin with the framework, 720,000 days (2000 years) outside the 666
July 23, 606 BC|—–| 666 |——2000 years————————| September 26, 2022
April 13th, 32 AD |—————-2000 years———| 7000 days| September 26, 2022
March 14th, 445 BC |————–900,888 days——————–| September 26, 2022