The Mark of the Beast

Wild guesses have been made as to the significance and meaning of the “mark of the beast.” Not the least of the wild guesses is one offered by the infamous millennialist, Mr. Hal Lindsey. He guesses that the number 666, the number of the name of the beast (Revelation 13:17 ) is understood by making it a triad number. He means there are three individual sixes, not a composite number like six-hundred and sixty-six. He opines, “six is the number of man in Scripture and a triad or three is the number for God. Consequently, when you triple ‘six’ it is the symbol of man making himself God.” The Late Great Planet Earth, page 101.

Lindsey is wrong again. Aside from the obvious fact that he admits symbolism in the Apocalypse, he is wrong in reference to this number. It is not a triad of sixes. By the way, where does he get the insight to know that six always represents man in scripture? The Greek of the text clearly shows that John gave a whole number of six-hundred and sixty-six. The Greek is hexakosioi (six-hundred), hexakonta (sixty) and hex (six). The whole number is not made up of three sixes, but rather of six-hundred plus sixty plus six. No matter what the number symbolizes (and Lindsey and others just guess at their conclusions) Lindsey is wrong in saying the number is a triad of sixes.

If Lindsey is wrong about that -- and he certainly is -- how could anyone trust the rest of his speculations?

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