What Does 666 Mean? - The mark of the beast

 The Bible says that people receive "the mark of the wild beast" because they follow it" with admiration," to the point of worshipping it.  (Revelation 13:3, 4; 16:2) They do this by giving worshipful honor to their country, its symbols, or its military might. As the Encyclopedia of Religion states:  "Nationalism has become a dominant form of religion in the modern world."

How is the mark of the beast placed on someone's right hand or forehead? (Revelation 13:16)  Regarding his commands to the nation of Israel, God said: "Bind them as a reminder on your  hand, and they should be  like a headband on your forehead." (Deuteronomy 11:18) This meant, not that the Israelites were to mark their literal hands and foreheads, but that God's words would guide all their actions and thoughts.  Likewise, rather than being something literal such as a 666 tattoo, the mark of the beast symbolically identifies  those who let the political system rule their lives.  Those with the mark of the beast place themselves in opposition to God. - REVELATION 14:9, 10; 19:19-21.

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