"Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the Beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six (666)" Revelation 13:18

In the Book of Revelation an Angel of God is revealing more of the Mystery of the End Times to the Apostle John while he is captive on the Isle of Patmos.  Here we learn of Satan's master plan of introducing a False Messiah (the First Beast, the Antichrist), a False Prophet (the Second Beast) and finally an idol to a False God (Satan).

In the first verse of Chapter 13, the Apostle John sees a vision of Satan standing on a seashore,  possibly that of the Mediterranean Sea.  The First Beast is the person classically known as the Antichrist and he wears the crowns of his unholy father:

"AND the Dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a Beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names." Revelation 13:1

    In the Book of Daniel we get further clarification from an Angel of God regarding a vision of four beasts that had come to Daniel the Prophet.  The fourth kingdom was Ancient Rome from the time of Christ.  In the last days, the First Beast, who is the Antichrist, who is the Little Horn (Daniel 7:8) arises out of the Old Roman Empire:

"and the meaning of the ten horns that were on its head and the other horn which came up, and before which three of them fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth uttering great boasts and which was larger in appearance than its associates. I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the Saints and overpowering them until the Ancient of Days came and Judgment was passed in favor of the Saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the Saints took possession of the Kingdom. Thus he said: "The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the Earth, which will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole Earth and tread it down and crush it.  "As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings." (Daniel 7:20-24)

  Here, the First Beast receives the power necessary for his worldly conquest.   However, he seems to suffer a fatal wound but is miraculously resurrected, astonishing the world, and convincing them he is a messiah.  And this False Messiah commands worship for himself and Satan and apparently becomes invincible:

"And the Beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the Dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority.    I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole Earth was amazed and followed after the Beast; they worshiped the Dragon because he gave his authority to the Beast; and they worshiped the Beast,
saying, 'Who is like the Beast, and who is able to wage war with him?' (Revelation 13:2-4)

    At the mid-point of the 7-year Tribulation Period, (360-day years) after his miraculous resurrection, the Antichrist begins to speak great things against God and His True Messiah, Jesus Christ.  He declares war on God's Saints during this 1,260-day period (a.k.a. the Great Tribulation), specifically Jews and Gentiles who convert or have converted to Christianity.  The rest of the unbelieving and lost world becomes subject to the First Beast:

"There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him. And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in Heaven. It was also given to him to make war with the Saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him. All who dwell on the Earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the Book of Life of the Lamb Who has been slain." (13:5-8)

  Here, God is saying through His Angel, if any are willing to learn, it's time to choose which side you're on:

"If anyone has an ear, let him hear.   If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the Saints." (Revelation 13:9-10)

    A Second Beast now arises, this one from the Earth, and he possesses the same power as the First Beast.  As proof of his authority, he performs amazing signs, even calling down fire from the sky:

" Then I saw another Beast coming up out of the Earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a Dragon. He exercises all the authority of the First Beast in his presence. And he makes the Earth and those who dwell in it to worship the First Beast, whose fatal wound was healed. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of Heaven to the Earth in the presence of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the Earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the Beast, telling those who dwell on the Earth to make an image to the Beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life." (Revelation 13:11-14)

  Time for more ungodly magic as the Second Beast gives "life" to an image of the First Beast, made by the people of the Earth in verse 14.  Anyone who doesn't worship this ungodly image is immediately put to death !

"And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the Beast, so that the image of the Beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the Beast to be killed." (Revelation 13:15)

   Famous or unknown, wealthy or poor, imprisoned or free, any who wish to engage in commerce during the Antichrist's reign must come under the authority of the Second Beast via the image.   It will be virtually impossible to earn wages, buy food, sell or trade anything for food without the First Beast's mark or the number of his name on the forehead or right hand.  Scripture states the number of his name plainly so none will miss it: 666.   When the time comes for this prophecy to be fulfilled, the meaning of this name will be completely plain to the wise.

   The Second Beast will give "life" to an image of the First Beast in the East wing of a third temple to Almighty God (soon to be rebuilt).  The first temple to God was destroyed by the Babylonians  in 586 B.C. at the fall of Jerusalem.  The second temple to God was destroyed by the Roman armies of Titus Vespasian at the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.    A third Jewish temple will also likely be destroyed, but first it will be blasphemed by the 'abomination that causes desolation' (i.e., the image) spoken of by Jesus (Matthew 24:15-16) and Daniel (Daniel 9:27). 

In the city of New Jerusalem, which descends out of the sky after the 1000 year Millennial Reign of Christ following the   Battle of Armageddon, God and His people dwell securely for all eternity with no need for an Earthly temple (Revelation 21:22-23)

"And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either 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 the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six (666)." (Revelation 13:16-18)

    In Revelation chapter 16, the kings of the Earth are gathered, in the Valley of Megiddo, for the Battle of Armageddon. The kings of the Earth are beguiled by demonic wonders, performed by demonic spirits which proceed from the mouths of the Dragon, the Beast and the False Prophet.

"And I saw coming out of the mouth of the Dragon and out of the mouth of the Beast and out of the mouth of the False Prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs; for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the Great Day of God, the Almighty."                             (Revelation 16:13-14)

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