The Antichrist and the Mark of the Beast
Who is the Antichrist?
The number 666 is the mark of the Beast or of the Antichrist, mentioned in Revelation chapter 13. According to this chapter, his activities include blasphemy, demanding others to worship him, making war with the saints, and ruling “over all kindred, and tongues and nations.” This description clearly identifies the Beast of Revelation chapter 13 and the “Little horn” of Daniel chapter 7 and the self-willed king of Daniel 11:36-37 who “shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall magnify himself above all.”
The Bible teaches the identity of the Antichrist will not be known until after Christ takes out of the world all Christians (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) and until the Antichrist makes a seven year covenant or agreement with Israel (Daniel 9:27).
The one who will become the Antichrist may be alive and may be an adult ready for action today. However, God has not revealed him, and it would be wrong to try to point him out before those two events occur which are mentioned above.
The Mark of the Beast (666) is a mark which the Antichrist will require people to have on them if they are to buy or sell. It is to indicate they accept him. It is such a deep committal to him and such a deep turning away from the true Christ that all who receive the mark of the Beast will go to Hell (Revelation 14:9-11). Therefore, it is obvious no saved person will accept the mark of the Beast even if it costs him his life to reject it.
There is one simple but profound act, a destiny-determining and life-transforming act, which will guarantee one will never have the mark of the Beast. That act is to repent of one’s sins and accept the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior for the forgiveness of sins and for the gift of everlasting life. One then has become a member of the family of God (John 1:12-13) and shall never perish (John 10:28). If one accepts Jesus Christ as his Savior now, he will not have to go through the terrible reign of the Antichrist, but will be taken out of this world (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17), as is mentioned above.
