666 - Number of the Beast
In the book of Revelation the number six hundred threescore and six identifies the beast as the supreme embodiment of human rebellion and incompleteness set against the purposes of God. Six stands one short of seven the scriptural sign of divine perfection and when tripled it intensifies this shortfall into the ultimate counterfeit of the holy Trinity thereby revealing the Antichrist's false claim to sovereignty. Within the larger story of redemption this mark exposes the final conflict in which evil imitates yet utterly fails to replace the authority of the Lamb.
Meaning: Imperfection, man's number tripled, the Antichrist
Key Occurrences
- Mark of the Beast (Rev 13:18)
- Solomon's gold - 666 talents (1 Ki 10:14)
- Goliath's height - 6 cubits (1 Sam 17:4)
Key Passages
Number of the Beast
Revelation 13:18
18ere 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.
Did You Know?
The number 666 is famously called 'the number of the beast' in Revelation 13.
It is a human number, falling short of the divine perfection represented by seven.
Many interpreters see it as a symbol of ultimate human rebellion against God.