Revelation 13: 16 – 18 says: “He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.”
It is very critical in this season for us to understand the book of Revelation. Many Pastors and individuals are afraid to read this book but it is RELEVANT!!! Signs, seasons and symbols are critical in the Book of Revelation. The mark of the beast is not only a mere matter of a chip being placed in your forehead. It is a system that both corporations and merchants impose. They will join with political leaders and they will impose laws and decrees which are anti-Christ – meaning against Christ and the Word of God! Once you refuse they will try to starve you of food and funding (grants, food stamps etc) and they will lay sanctions on organizations or nations that will not agree!
The anti-Christ will come through the economic system and the beast represent an incarnation of political and social evils.
The number 6 symbolizes carnal flesh image, represents the carnal nature and the number of man. That means a world leader will rise that will be empowered by Satan and Daniel 11: 37 says: “He shall regard neither the God of his fathers nor the desire of women, nor regard any god; for he shall exalt himself above them all.”.
The right hand represents ‘allegiance, power, honor’. To whom will we have allegiance in the end-time? To whom will we give honor? Every single person will have to decide! Many are doing it already for money and power.
According to Daniel 11: 37, the anti-Christ will have no desire for God, women or the Church! Money and power are the only things he will worship. The anti-Christ will change definitions and make new decrees! He will glorify sin and call it something else.
Revelation 13: 7 lets us know that believers globally will be persecuted and beheaded and be forced to accept unclean lifestyles and false religions.
Revelation 13: 4 – 5 reminds us that men will worship the anti-Christ to get power. He will be an orator – powerful speaker, but he will ridicule and blaspheme Jesus and the Bible!
Each time you see the word ‘Beast’ in the Bible, it symbolize animal characteristics in behavior. The anti-Christ will have Satan’s help and will have demons and fallen angels to carry out his bidding! Many leaders will sell their souls for power and money and to be rich! You are going to see a lot of organizations coming out of the woodworks supporting spiritual fornication and adultery! They have to do it to establish their dominance in the marketplace.
The book of Revelation Speaks about Babylon; and Babylon is a system without God! Babylon is coming from the spirit of Nimrod. Study Revelation 18 and you will see his rebellion against God.
Revelation 8: 3 – 4 says: “For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury.” And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.”
Any believer or individual who calls him/herself a Christian, who supports or is a part of the Babylonian System in any way, God is calling them to come out; otherwise they will be receiving the same judgement as those who engage in the Babylonian System.
Each believer has to look within him/herself and seriously ask the question – “To whom am I pledging allegiance?”
Recognize that believers can get caught in the Babylonian system if they rebel against the Lord! There is no way in the world anybody can serve 2 masters!
As we continue to read the book of Revelations, let it be known that Jesus is not coming back as a Savior, He is coming back as a Judge!
I John 2: 18 reminds us: “Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.”