“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.” (Revelation 13:11-18, NASB)

I’ve titled today’s devotional, “Satan tries to imitate God, but he can never be God.” Here is the truth that came to light as I read today’s passage. It says,

“And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon. And 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. And 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. And there was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast might even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 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 should 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.”

During the Great Tribulation Period, God will grant Satan authority and power to act like God in the world for a short time. In those days, he will create his own unholy trinity to mimic God and rule the world. The unholy trinity will include Satan himself, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet. Satan is described as the “great dragon” (Rev.12:9), the Antichrist as the “beast that came out of the sea” (Rev.13:1), and the False Prophet as the “beast that came up out of the earth” (Rev.13:11). Their whole unholy system will also be known as “the beast,” having “ten horns and seven heads.” We don’t know the whole story behind Satan’s rebellion against God in heaven, but we do know one thing. We know his motive. Isaiah 14:12-16 says that Satan’s desire was to ascend to the highest throne and be “like the Most High.” His motive has not changed and will not change. He wants to be like God.

Verse 18 is the famous verse that says, “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 666.” This is a renowned passage even for non-believers. There have been many interpretations, speculations, and even movies about 666, the name or number of the beast. They can confuse us even more. However, the simplest way to interpret the symbol is to look at the phrase itself, “the number of the beast” and “number of a man.” On the sixth day of creation, God created the beasts and mankind. Therefore, the number six represents both beasts and men, and they will always fall short of the number of God, which is represented by seven. The repetition of the number shows that Satan and his followers will never be like God and always fall short of His glory. Satan wants to be like God but will never be God.

In today’s reading, John saw “another beast” coming up out of the earth, indicating that it is a different being than the first one, the Antichrist. The second beast will have two horns like the Lamb but will speak like the dragon. In other words, this beast will appear as a saint and a prophet, but he will speak on behalf of Satan. Much like the prophets of God, he will perform signs and wonders and even duplicate Elijah’s miracle of bringing fire down from heaven (1 Ki.18:36-39). He will also construct an image of the first beast and will somehow bring it to life so that it will speak and kill those who do not obey Satan. He will also cause everyone on earth to receive the mark of the beast on their right hand or on their forehead so that no one can buy or sell without it.

Now, whether the mark will be the actual 666 or some other marking, we do not know for sure. What of the mark is not so important as to why. The point of receiving the mark is to show allegiance to Satan and his unholy trinity, confessing that they will now stand with him and stand opposed to God. According to Revelation 14:9-11, those who receive the mark of the beast during the Tribulation will forever forfeit their right to be saved and will come under the wrath of God and spend eternity in hell. The only way a person can be saved in those days will be to deny the mark of the beast and hold fast to their faith and testimony to the Lamb of God (Rev.12:11). It appears that you cannot simply receive Jesus in your heart and be saved in those days! You must choose to receive either the mark of the beast or the mark of God. The bottom line is that Satan tries to imitate God, but the difference will always be like night and day. The difference is that the mark and name of the beast (666) will always fall short of the mark and the name of God.

• Why do you think Satan tries so hard to imitate God?
• What do you think the number 666 represents?
• Whose mark or name do you bear on your body today—God’s or Satan’s?