The Number

[Truth Files]

There are many speculations as to just what the meaning of the "number of the beast" is as described in Revelation 11:16-18

It may be that no one will be able to make this determination until the time .... Revelation's setting is one of the coming tribulation period of the Lord's wrath and judgment

What ever this identifying signature [mark] is, it will be willingly sought and worn by those who choose to follow and worship Satan via his beast in the little horn of Daniel's visions [a human king of the northern Middle East] [Daniel 7:7-8; 8:9; 11:36; Micah 5:5-6] [Revelation 14:9]

This mark will incorporate the name and the number of the beast in the little horn

The name of the beast in the little horn is given as Abaddon-Apollyon, a fallen angelic and king of the abyss angels who will do Satan's bidding on the earth during the coming tribulation period

There is also a number associated with this Satanic triad .... this infusion or layering relationship is of Satan, Abaddon-Apollyon, and the little horn [Isaiah 14:12-17; Ezekiel 28:12-19; 38:1-3; 38:17; Daniel 7:7-25; 8:9-12; 8:23-25; 9:26-27 [the other prince]; 11:37-39; Micah 5:5-6; 2Thessalonians 2:8-12; Revelation 9:1; 9:11; 11:7; 12:7-9; 12:12; 13:1-4; 17:8-14]

The counting, or symbolic evaluation of the number, may be this intertwining relationship contrived by the devil ..... 6+6+6 [6 depicting imperfection].... rather than some total value derived and converted from numerics to an alphabetical language for identifying the "name" of a person

This method of numerology has been offered in various forms with the objective of speculation on picking past and contemporary personages for the roll of the "anti-christ" .... all of the past were obviously misfires and those of today are just as off course [there will be no question about who this little horn is when he rises by his location, actions, supernatural persona, and capabilities far beyond that of ordinary humans]

[DanLW]

Continuing on with TruthFiles' thoughts, a couple important points about the beast, or antichrist, and his number.

First, as stated above, we cannot know who he is until after the rapture. If you figure out who the antichrist is, you've been left behind!

Part and parcel of the Antichrist will be that he will deceive many. As such, if you are reading this post-rapture, what do you look for? Contrary to the stereotypes many people have, the antichrist won't run around wearing a red spandex bodysuit carrying a pitchfork. The antichrist will be a highly charismatic, very likeable guy. He will be the one guy who seems to have all the answers. He will be the guy who says his desire is to lead the world into a new era of peace. Chances are, you will really want to believe in this guy and follow him. This guy will be so seemingly wonderful that he will successfully fool most of the left behind population into believing that he is god.

Now, for the number. A lot of people like to speculate what the number is, and want to warn people to stay away from things. They may think it's a barcode, or it's credit cards, or it's RFID (Radio Frequency Identification Chips) chips. While the mark may incorporate some of these technologies, it, like the beast, won't come until after the rapture.

Now, if you're reading this post-rapture, a thing to understand is that the mark of the beast is not something you come upon accidentally. It's not something you will be duped into taking. Once the actual mark comes, you will know exactly what you are doing if you choose to take it. You will be identifying yourself with this world leader (read: beast) who has set himself up as god.

So let not your heart be troubled. It's fun to try to speculate what the number is, or who it represents. But rest assured, when the time comes, it will be obvious to anybody with a halfway decent understanding of end times prophecy: A charismatic world leader will come, he will eventually (probably a few years into the tribulation) require a mark to buy or sell, and this mark will identify you with him. Do not take it.

So, while it's true that we cannot know who he is now, it's important that if we are talking to somebody who has rejected Christ, we need to be able to tell them how to identify the beast of Revelation. That way if they are left behind, they will have some knowledge that may ultimately lead them to Christ.

[GlennO]

DanLW

Well said Bro!

[Truth Files]

I see this satanically driven beast coming out of the abyss at Satan's action of release [Revelation 9:1; 9:11]

This fallen angelic king of the abyss will immediately seek his human vessel, the human little horn of Daniel's visions, at the very onset of the coming tribulation period

And I do not believe that this beast will be a peace maker .... but a conquerer from the get go who will rise, quickly confederate his following, attack and burn the "great city" [the first of the Lord's judgments [Revelation 8:2-12; 17:16-18; 18:1-21; 19:1-3]], and then position his forces to invade and occupy Israel at the middle of the 70th week decreed [Daniel 11:36-44]

Any nations that oppose his ambition to rule the earth will be upended [Daniel 11: 40; 41; 44; Revelation 13:1-4] .... his appearance and rising will be in the northern Middle East and his opposition will come from the south, far east, far north, and from the "great city" that he and his followers hate [of western origin] .... this great city will be the first to fall just after the sealing of the 144000 Israelites [Revelation 7:1-8; 14:1-8]

This unbridled warfare of his conquering will span the first 1260 days of the tribulation period and then he will be allowed to continue .... ruling over the next 42 months [second 1260 days] [Revelation 11:2; 13:5]

Today's church [of both those asleep and living at the time] will be with the Lord through all of this and is seen dwelling in the heavenly state of immortality just before, during, and to engage in the battle of Armageddon at the end of it [Revelation 4:4; 5:1-10; 7:9-17; 11:1; 12:12; 13:6; 17:14; 19:1-9; 19:14; Joel 2:2-11]

Only those who enter the tribulation and desire to follow the beast will take his identifying signature [mark] .... most who become believers during the period will be martyred for their faith [Revelation 6:9-11; 14:12-13; 15:2-3] and many others will be considered infidels who will not submit .... these will be killed in angelic and human warfare and also hunted down by the beast and his followers [Revelation 6:8; 9:18; 13:11-15]

The only ones guaranteed protection during the tribulation are the 144000 sealed Israelites, the Lord's two prophets, and the believing remnant part of Israel that will flee from the beast when he and his followers invade Israel [Revelation 7:1-8; Zechariah 14:4-5; Matthew 24:15-16; Revelation 11:3-6; 12:6; 12:14]

All other humans will be subject to the wiles of the period .... billions will be killed in unbelief and lost forever ..... and the followers of the beast will be killed [Ezekiel 39:1-20; Revelation 14:9-11; 14:14-20; 16:1-16; 19:11-21]

[SonSeeker]

I agree with everything you've said, Truth Files, except for

And I do not believe that this beast will be a peace maker .

I thought I had read that in the beginning that's how he gains power. That the world will be in turmoil, and he will come along with these bright ideas for peace and prosperity.

I'm sure someone more learned than I will chime in soon to set me straight.

[GlennO]

John -

Pg 1091 in the short/fat book.

[SonSeeker]

I'm sure someone more learned than I will chime in soon to set me straight.

Yep, it didn't take long to get me straightened out.

The short/fat book is Believer's Bible Commentary. I should know better than to shoot my mouth off without prior investigation.

God's Got It!, and sometimes so does Glenn!

[Hannah]

There are many speculations as to just what the meaning of the "number of the beast" is as described in Revelation 11:16-18

It may be that no one will be able to make this determination until the time .... Revelation's setting is one of the coming tribulation period of the Lord's wrath and judgment

What ever this identifying signature [mark] is, it will be willingly sought and worn by those who choose to follow and worship Satan via his beast in the little horn of Daniel's visions [a human king of the northern Middle East] [Daniel 7:7-8; 8:9; 11:36; Micah 5:5-6] [Revelation 14:9]

This mark will incorporate the name and the number of the beast in the little horn

The name of the beast in the little horn is given as Abaddon-Apollyon, a fallen angelic and king of the abyss angels who will do Satan's bidding on the earth during the coming tribulation period

There is also a number associated with this Satanic triad .... this infusion or layering relationship is of Satan, Abaddon-Apollyon, and the little horn [Isaiah 14:12-17; Ezekiel 28:12-19; 38:1-3; 38:17; Daniel 7:7-25; 8:9-12; 8:23-25; 9:26-27 [the other prince]; 11:37-39; Micah 5:5-6; 2Thessalonians 2:8-12; Revelation 9:1; 9:11; 11:7; 12:7-9; 12:12; 13:1-4; 17:8-14]

The counting, or symbolic evaluation of the number, may be this intertwining relationship contrived by the devil ..... 6+6+6 [6 depicting imperfection].... rather than some total value derived and converted from numerics to an alphabetical language for identifying the "name" of a person

This method of numerology has been offered in various forms with the objective of speculation on picking past and contemporary personages for the roll of the "anti-christ" .... all of the past were obviously misfires and those of today are just as off course [there will be no question about who this little horn is when he rises by his location, actions, supernatural persona, and capabilities far beyond that of ordinary humans]

I do not follow numerology or astrology or any other kind of speculative human *ology.

I simply prefer follow and believe in God's Prophectic Word. (Personal Opinion so it doesn't require any kind of lecture on the subject thank you)

Meanwhile DanLW made a brilliant point. If you end up finding out who the Anti-Christ is you have missed the boat. I prefer to go up in the Rapture than to stick around & satisfy my curiosity.