666

If you want a message, friends, that will send chills down your back, then perhaps this is it. Open your Bibles to the 13th chapter of the book of Revelation. As we look with great interest at what the Word of God says about the coming Antichrist, whose number is 666, we'll take up our text, beginning in verse 16.

And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free in bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads, and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Let me pause here, friends, to say we live in a day where this is more possible than previous generations, and this can be seen by two events. When I was a little boy in the 1950s, typically you only saw sailors with tattoos now.

Who would have dreamed back then? Now we live in a tattooed society. You are in a minority if you don't have a tattoo. I live in a beach community where you see more skin than you want to, and you see tattooed bodies walking all over the place.

Could the mark of the beast refer to a tattoo? Secondly, we live in a day of advanced IT technology more developed than any previous generation. Is it possible for a computer chip to be placed in a man's forehead or hand? Is that medically and technically possible today? It makes you wonder, doesn't it, about the times in which we live. Now, let's read the last verse of chapter 13.

Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast, for it is the number of man, and his number is six hundred three score and six. I will stop there.

Six six six is his number, and that's the title of my message today, friends. Our text says to count the number. Well, let's do an interesting exercise.

Let's count the number. How much is six plus six? Twelve. How much is twelve plus six? Eighteen.

What year is it? 2018. What is today's date? The 18th. What verse are we in? Verse 18.

Verse 18 gives us the number of Antichrist, which is six six six. How many times does the numeral six go into the number 18? The answer is three. What is three times six six six? One thousand nine hundred and ninety eight, or 1998.

What if this points to the year 1998 as the year of the birth of the Antichrist? That would make him 20 and alive today. The United States Census Bureau defines a millennial as someone born from 1982 to 2000. So being born in 1998 would make the Antichrist a millennial.

What's the prolonged period on earth during the end times that is prior to the final judgment called the millennium millennial millennium? It gets you thinking, doesn't it? Now, this, of course, was just an exercise, like I said earlier, and it's not a prediction of anything on my part, but it's very interesting, isn't it? Friends, let's ask ourselves a question. If it were true that the Antichrist was really born in 1998 and he is a young millennial among the population of this present earth and Satan was preparing him by a sudden international event of paramount significance to be thrust onto the world stage within the next 10 years or so, if you believe that, how would your life be lived? Let me put it this way. If you knew that Antichrist was already here among us, meaning that these are indeed the very last days of the end times, then how would you live your life differently? Would eternity take on a new significance to you? Would you be deeply concerned for your unsaved family members? Would you be more interested in evangelism and getting the gospel out there while there was still time? Would you read your Bible more? Would you pray more? Would you be a more fervent witness for Christ to a dying world? How would it change you? Well, some or all of those things might occur in your life, is that not true? Now, let me ask you this.

As I see you're very interested in this subject matter, now let me ask you this, friends. What is keeping you from living like that now? Why aren't we more on fire for Christ and the gospel right now? This world is nothing but a sinking ship. It's a big Titanic.

It's already leaning to the side as it takes on water. What are you doing with your life in regard to eternity? There will come a day when 666 will be revealed. There will come a better day when 666 meets 777, the Lord Jesus Christ.

What in the world are you doing with your life in the meantime? Let us pray.