The Number of the Beast
Revelation 13:16-18 – 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: 17 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. 18 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.
The setting of this scripture is during the tribulation period. Revelation 13 gives a history of where the Anti-Christ came from, and concludes by stating that the Anti-Christ takes over the world, convinces people that he is God (because he is able to do great signs and wonders in the sight of the image of the beast, even to give life to the image, that it should both speak and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.)
Many people today are very distrustful of the mark of the beast, and they ought to be. Even unsaved people, and people will little religious meaning in their lives, don’t want anything to do with the mark of the beast. People don’t want to have a license plate on their car with the number 666 on it, because that number stands for the devil and all his wickedness. The number 666 is often shown in horror movies, and especially those movies about Satanic control of the world, or Satanic control of people.
I guess we could say the number 666 is the personal identification number (PIN) of Satan.
Personal identification numbers have actually been around a long time. As things progress in this evil world, numbers are identifying more and more things, and are used more and more to identify people.
The message this morning will be concerning how easily people will be fooled into being marked with the Anti-Christ number, even though at this present time, there seems to be many people who want nothing to do with the mark. What Satan will do, is to make the mark of the beast seem like a good thing, even an essential thing. Sounds simple enough, but will it be that simple? Sure it will. Satan, you see, as evil as he is, always appears as that which is good. He never appears to us in his true form, or in his true character. He always appears as an angel of light, II Corinthians 11:14. Satan is going to do the same thing with the mark of the beast. The mark will not appear as something that is evil, or harmful. It will appear as something good, something that is essential to life.
Now think with me a minute. First of all, the mark of the beast may not be the literal numbers 666. This idea may seem a little strange to you, but think. Lost people today, even very wicked people would not have a license number on their car of 666. Why? Because it represents the devil and his work, and nobody wants to be associated with the devil. Now remember that wicked people continually proclaim their goodness and the thought that they are going to go to heaven when they die. So they fool themselves.
Just to show you how Satanic things always appear as harmless things, or as Godly things, notice Revelation 13. This is the chapter that speaks of the mark of the beast, right? The information concerning the mark is given at the end of the chapter, right?. Revelation 13, beginning in verse 1, gives the progression of events that culminates in the Anti-Christ kingdom that rules the entire world during the tribulation period.
Notice the reading of Revelation 13:1,2, “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. 2 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.” The description of this beast is terrible indeed. If we saw a beast that literally looks like this animal, we would all run from it. But remember, the description of the beast is given from God’s perspective, not man’s perspective. Remember God doesn’t think like we think, Isaiah 55:8. What God sees as good, the natural man rejects, and what the natural man sees as good, that is what God rejects.
Consider God’s description of this beast.
It comes up out of the sea.
It has seven heads and upon the heads the name of blasphemy.
It has ten horns and ten crowns upon the ten horns.
The beast was like a leopard.
It has the feet of a bear.
It has the mouth of a lion.
The authority of the beast comes from the dragon (the devil himself).
What is all this about? What does it all mean? The Bible always gives us the right answers, and Revelation 17 gives good descriptions of all this.
It comes up out of the sea. Rev. 17:1, 15 declares that the sea is waters, where the Babylonian whore sits. Verse 15 states, “…The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.”
It has seven heads and upon the heads the name of blasphemy. Rev. 17:9 states, “The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.” Mountains in the Bible refer to either physical mountains, or kingdoms. Verse 10 continues with the following description, “And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. 11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.” So we see that the seven heads are physical mountains and kingdoms. All of these are past, but have a bearing on that which is future.
It has ten horns and ten crowns upon the ten horns. Revelation 17:12 tells us the ten horns are ten future kings.
The beast was like a leopard. Daniel 7:6 tells us the leopard part of the beast is the past kingdom of Greece.
It has the feet of a bear. Daniel 7:5 tells us the bear is the past kingdom of the Medes and the Persians.
It has the mouth of a lion. Daniel 7:4 tells us the lion is the past kingdom of the Babylonians.
So, when you think about the beast of Revelation 13 from man’s historical perspective, it is not a frightening wild animal at all. Revelation 13 speaks about a progression of events that culminates in the Anti-Christ kingdom. The mark of the beast, described in the later part of Revelation 13, gives the culmination of a series of events that leads to the giving and receiving of the mark of the beast. This morning, I would like to show you some of the progression of events that will make receiving the mark of the beast an acceptable thing.
Social Security Number
When I was a small boy, somewhere between 12 and 15 years old, I remember a discussion with my granddad about his social security number. He had just received his social security check in the mail, and I asked him where the money was from and why he got it, and that sort of thing. He told me the money came from the government, that he was retired and this was what the government was doing for people who were old and couldn’t work anymore.
He told me very little about his social security number. He wouldn’t even show me the card, but told me it was a secret number and that nobody knew his number but himself and the government.
That was my introduction to social security.
Things have changed a lot since my granddad received a “secret” social security number.
I got my social security number when I started to work. Money was withheld from my paycheck for federal income tax, state income tax, and FICA. I didn’t like money being withheld from my check but there was nothing I could do about it. It was the law of the land, so I grumbled about it, like everybody else, paid my taxes and went on my way.
Years later, (about 1986) while pastoring in the state of Louisiana, I took out a hospitalization policy, and the number of the policy was my social security number. That number wasn’t secret anymore, but was being used as a personal identification number.
Later, when I moved to Missouri, my social security number became my drivers license number. I changed that because it is just too dangerous to have my social security number so readily available. In Missouri, the Department of Transportation made all my drivers license information available to the general public. People could easily steal my identification, get my drivers license number, my social security number, get credit cards in my name, and generally wreck my life.
When my grandchildren were born, the parents had to make application for a social security number before they left the hospital, or soon after. The IRS requires a person to have a social security number before they can be used as a dependant. Therefore, before my children could claim their children as dependents on their 1040, the children had to have a social security number.
Things have really changed since my granddad got his “secret” social security number.
Copied from the Washington Post
In Palm Beach, Florida, a New Jersey surgeon, who wishes to remain anonymous, has embedded tiny computer chips under his skin that can automatically transmit personal information to a scanner.
The chip is slightly smaller than a Tic Tac mint, has a miniature antenna that emits signals containing about two paragraphs worth of data. The signal can contain a name, telephone number and other information. Or it can send out a code that, when linked to a database, can call up records. The scanner can read it through clothes from up to four feet away, company officials at Applied Digital said.
What are the embedded computer chips supposed to be used for? For identification. Wow!
Who do they want to identify? Correction officials said the chips could be used to better identify prisoners and parolees. Company officials said airlines, nuclear power plants and other sensitive facilities may want to use the chips for employees. Company officials also hoped to sell the device to patients with pacemakers, artificial hips and other implanted devices. The idea is that the chip will provide prompt and accurate medical information in an emergency. Some parents may want to consider embedding chips in young children or elderly relatives who may be unable to say their names, addresses or telephone numbers.
Pretty futuristic, right? And pretty scary, also.
But back to our topic of the number of the beast and to people receiving a mark in their foreheads or in their right hand.
There has got to be some motivation for people during the tribulation period to receive the mark of the beast. Satan knows how to get people to do what he wants them to do. Satan will provide sufficient motivation to sin, and Satan will provide sufficient motivation for folks to receive the mark of the beast.
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. Not getting killed would be good motivation for some folks.
Rev. 13:17 has another motivational factor. 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.
Well, those are pretty good motivators, aren’t they?
Some additional comments on embedded computer chips
Will this new computer embedded chip make a difference? Only to the manufacturer of the chip, who wants everybody to use the chip so he can save his failing business. Frankly, his business ought to fail. But people like technology, even if it is worthless, and potentially dangerous.
I have questions about the whole idea of an implanted chip.
1. What will prevent crooks from illegally getting information about me, embedding that information in a chip of their own, removing their embedded computer chip and then implanting the chip with my information on it, in their bodies? I am sure some doctor will accept payment for the procedure, even if it is illegal. Crooks still make counterfeit money, don’t they? Making counterfeit money is still illegal, isn’t it?
2. I know a computer chip similar to the “human” chip has been implanted in animals, but animals aren’t crooks. Animals aren’t trying to get something for nothing. There are no “crook” pets trying to steal the identity of another pet. There are no “crook” pets who can manufacture a false computer chip, implant it in themselves and therefore pass themselves off as a pet they are not.
3. By the way, isn’t it the owners of the animals that have had the computer chips implanted in their pets? When I am required to have an embedded computer chip, isn’t that saying that I am owned by somebody? Do I not live in America? Am I not free? Don’t I have the right to say I will not be “bugged”?
The supporters of embedded chips will declare, “Nobody is requiring anybody to have an embedded computer chip. There will only be voluntary compliance.”
Hmm... Let’s go back to my granddad’s social security number. It was a secret number when he got it, right? At least that is what he told me. Others did confirm his story. Now that “secret” number is required. A baby must have a social security number. Hmm… That secret number is no longer secret. It is displayed on many official documents as a personal identification number. Right? Do you have an insurance policy that is emblazoned with your “secret” social security number?
So the embedded computer chip that starts out voluntary will soon be compulsory. But why would the government require embedded computer chips?
Isn’t the intent of the owners of the animals to “protect” their pets? Isn’t that also the continued favored line of liberal government bureaucrats who know what we need better than we know what we need?
So here we go again. ad nauseum.
So what do we need?
Instead of requiring innocent people to do something to protect themselves, why not get the crooks? If government bureaucrats really wanted to protect their citizens, they would put more effort into identifying crooks instead of identifying the innocent. But bureaucrats think passing laws will fix every problem. These simplistic, one-dimensional bureaucrats don’t understand that crooks are crooks because they break laws. Passing another law won’t stop crooks. Enforcing the laws already on the books will stop crooks.
Below is the article taken from the St. Louis Post Dispatch
Human ID Chip Now Being Tested Aims To Provide Medical Information 1 2
Washington Post
PALM BEACH, FLA. - A New Jersey surgeon has embedded under his skin tiny computer chips that can automatically transmit personal information to a scanner. His employer hopes the technology will someday be widely used as a Way to identify people.
One bioethicist calls the procedure the stuff of science fiction.
The chip, developed by Applied Digital Solutions of Palm Beach, is similar to that implanted in more than a million dogs, cats and other pets in recent years to track and identify them.
The new chip, slightly smaller than a Tic Tac mint, has a miniature antenna that emits signals containing about two paragraphs’ worth of data when scanned by a handheld reader.
The device must undergo clinical trials and be approved by the Food and Drug Administration before it can be marketed, first to patients with other implanted medical devices, such as pacemakers.
The surgeon said he implanted the devices in his hip and one arm in September. He requested anonymity because he worries about the attention his initiative will draw. He said he decided to test the chip himself after seeing rescuers at the World Trade Center disaster site write their names and Social Security numbers on their arms so they could be identified in case they were injured or killed.
Applied Digital has high hopes for the technology, in part because it is struggling financially and recently fell behind on loans from one of its major creditors. Its stock, which trades on the Nasdaq Stock Market, was as high as $3 in the past year. Last week it was below 40 cents.
Company officials said they hoped to sell the device to patients with pacemakers, artificial hips and other implanted devices. The idea is that the chip will provide prompt and accurate medical information in an emergency, they said.
The signal can contain a name, telephone number and other information. Or it can send out a code that, when linked to a database, can call up records. The scanner can read it through clothes from up to four feet away, company officials said.
Applied Digital executives said its new product also could serve as a tamperproof form of identification. Corrections authorities have expressed interest in using the chips to better identify prisoners and parolees, officials said.
Airlines, nuclear power plants and other sensitive facilities may want to use the chips for employees, they said. Some parents may consider embedding chips in young children or elderly relatives who may be unable to say their names, addresses or telephone numbers.
“It depends on the spirit of the marketplace and the demand,” said Keith Bolton, the company’s vice president and chief technology officer, adding that use of the chip should be voluntary unless the law allows otherwise. “We’re ready to begin.”
Some medical and technology specialists said the device raises new questions about the nexus of humans and computer technology. And it could pose ethical or privacy dilemmas if implanted against someone’s wishes, or if it exposes personal information to prying eyes.
Thomas Murray, president of the Hastings Center, a bioethics research institute in New York, said the chip “evokes images of science fiction,”
“We need to consider carefully the broader implications,” Murray said. “Alongside the possible benefits, it has the potential to be misused by forces who do not have your interests at heart.”
Although the system has been in development for a couple of years, company officials said they were uneasy about implanting the chips in people until recently, fearing a backlash from civil libertarians and others.
1 St. Louis Post Dispatch, Sunday, December 23, 2001, Page A10
2 For my comments see My number - then and now.doc