666, Part 2

I see in light of so many false teachers distorting the gospel in light of moral values and absolutes that are being washed down the sewer. The good news is the mission of the body of Christ is not a puzzle. It hasn't changed. Go and make disciples baptize them identify them publicly through water. Teach them to observe all of humanity. Jesus Christ said and then he said, and by the way, I am with you always, even, and this prophecies in the Bible regarding the end times are real and will happen when you think of the end time prophecies. The number 666 is important, but what is it me, and what does it stand for, how will it be used in the great tribulation working to see what God's word says today. This is wisdom for the heart with Stephen Devi.

Stephen is the pastor of colonial Baptist Church in Cary, North Carolina today is wrapping up a series on the end times called Antichrist and the many faces of your Stephen friends if there was ever a day when the world is prime for somebody to deceive it into believing a lie if there was ever a generation ready to embrace something some kind of anchor B. A new world religion of global economy. It is, it's our generation today Ellis Farner study in chapter 13 we see the false priest preacher performing signs and wonders as verses 12 and 13 of your with us the next few verses reveal and setting up a statue and giving it life. Miraculously, thus further deceiving people the world will now flock to Jerusalem to worship the image as the Jews scatter and run for their lives. Now the world is primed and ready for the next step of global deception, let me break it down into three parts of your taking that's number number one. Three aspects year of these this last conquering, so to speak, of the world. One is the global physical surrender to the antichrist global physical surrender. Look at verse 16 we left off our last study, and he causes all small and the great the rich and the poor, the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead. You've heard of the mark of the beast, averaging this is the origin of the terminology. It's true, it will happen, and I want you to notice. First off, there's a lot of things we can see about you and those first off, the global sweep of this decree, John. In verse 16 refers to the small and the great that's every social category.

The Untouchables in India to the royal family in England is hit every John adds the rich and the poor. This is every economic category on the planet.

This is the poorest of the poor.

This is that the poor person. This is from from that kind of poverty all way to to the billionaire on Wall Street are choosing the former billionaire on on Wall Street and the price isn't character rich or poor.

Well, bread or disowning what you worship John Addison last phrase the free men and slaves. This is every cultural category C every social category.

Every economic category and every cultural category. Basically what he saying is everybody. This is a long way to basically say there's no loophole. Nobody gets at everybody's going to be given this decree. Every human being except those who believe in Christ after the rapture are again receive this mark on their body.

You might notice that verse again that that this is given to them either on their right hand or their forehead. Knowing the Bible. The ending of the antichrist is mimicking the Bible the right hand is the symbol of strength and the four head is the most conspicuous part of the body for some of its it's even more conspicuous than than others. Now, in Revelation 7 we read about God marking the four head of his 144,000 evangelists remember they were from the tribes of Israel were marked in the they wouldn't. They couldn't die, you guys could kill.

So now that this copycat is our his servants just as God marked his and you put a mark on their forehead is given option is right hand representing their authority or strength or therefore now the word mark Parag was immediately understood by John's audience, not so much by a salami/permit until he was happy in the Roman Empire. Slaves were given a correct sometimes a stigma we get that word that we use that to this day they were branded prove that they were the property of that particular state like that carried all the way through still being done in many countries today with Donna in her own country until the slaves were emancipated branded to show they belong to the estate.

Horrible practice.

Soldiers would often voluntarily brand themselves with the name of their general is a statement of loyalty is a statement that we are willing to die for this man in this man's call. There are several other illustrations will just give you one more in the world of commercial enterprise. Every contract of commercial enterprise was stamped with the name of the Emperor and the current date this.

This indicated this declared that that commercial activity upheld the name and the authority of the Emperor. So John's readers guide immediately. The Christ is placing his mark on his slaves. They are his property. Furthermore, his slaves are marked with his name to declare that they are willing to give their lives for him their loyal to him and then even further. Still there they're saying the listener. Nothing is going to happen.

Commercially our whole lives, our hopes or dreams are bound up to uphold the name of our Emperor Nella. Some think that this future marketing piece is a chip placed under the skin. You go back to your text and you notice the Bible uses very clear terminology translated well in your Bible to inform us that this mark will be on upon the right hand or for its clearly intended to be visible it's it's intended to be seen obvious. Now let me on this.

Lest anybody thinks that everybody on the planet is is forced into doing this. The decree is there, certainly. And if you don't you know it's bad news, but I want to know the Greek language presents a very different picture here of those who receive it. It's not like there's a gun to their head and they don't get it there dead the language indicates that there they will have it, they will likely give up that right hand or the format please give me the name of my language here. This is going to be a great day for the world is the call of theirs there no sovereign Emperor Corso bear his name. The press forward to receive it at their places of worship the enemy through the bear the mark of their Emperor like a soldier wears his medals of honor there they can barely get your professional athlete even done a little. He wears their jersey with great pride this is that the pride of a patriot who carries the flag of his country and what the rest of the world and now I follow him belong to him. I called his name, everything about my life.

Every commercial activity is to honor him here give me the mark. Can you imagine what they don't realize is that they been deceived, the Dragon through the antichrist and his minister of propaganda has done nothing less than turned the world into a global concentration camp and now all of the inmates are number in less than 36 months.

Most of will be dead. Now obviously Satan wants people to bear the name of this false Messiah to be all excited about anything to get worship, but he really has something else behind that that is after is that they have something hates to flush out the remaining believers so we can kill. This is his.

This is the motive.

This is the main issue behind what seems to be the main issue so this is not only going to involve a global physical surrender to the antichrist but the second aspect is this is a global economic stranglehold by the Christ lever 17. The text tells us, 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 really talk in a minute about what it means the number of his name, but for now, notice the antichrist is shut down any financial activity by those who are not proud citizens of the New World order loyal of the Emperor really fitting into the scene of your oil, patriot, you have no right to benefit from it all and it's so sees*you can buy anything with his buying food, buying medicine or putting gas into your car, your stock, you have nowhere to hide. Now housing and pull this off. We don't know in every generation probably had to struggle through this. Expositors got up and explained the text thing for us is not as much of a stretch as it was for preachers.

I heard even 30 and 40 years ago. In times past. One author said the idea of a mark that would individually identify everybody in the world for governmental control seemed far-fetched, fantasy, possible only in science fiction, but no one today. However, questions the possibility of such an identification process. Is anybody here doubt that he could happen all possible that everyone receives the mark would be given some of the latest technology that is already been in the market for some time that identifies them and not only that it tracks several offers of research pointed out the latest personal identification systems one caught my eye. It talked about the first human test of a small microchip Vegas back in 2002, the size of a grain of rice implanted underneath the skin that tracks these people. BusinessWeek online referred to the development of digital Angel technology that is interesting is called digital Angel. At any rate, it represents the first-ever combination of advanced sensors, Web-enabled wireless telecommunications link to global positioning systems by using advanced sensor capabilities. Digital Angel is able to monitor ambient temperature and physical movement for those who have a chip in there giving these Alzheimer's patients are putting on Cal has wonderful benefits of protection and safety. It saves so from theft. So it is wonderful benefits but is going to integrate biosensors and biosensors. Whatever they are, wireless communications and GPS technology will be able to read your heart rate your temperature, your blood pressure, pulse and blood chemistry because this technology is network with the Internet and GPS systems. Your information can be sent instantly to your doctor from wherever you are on the planet Alyssa listen.

These chips are not the mark of the beast okay if it comes out tomorrow and you want to put on your your your dog so that the strays at this immediate given your dog to the accuracy may belong to them already.

I don't know your bird definitely going to put it in there, things lost, but track it and decide whether go-getter because you haven't succumbed you having given over to the snotty little the mark of the beast is not your so security numbers on some national ID number or any other number. The mark of the beast is his number is his name and there will come a time when people will decide will they take his name is sometimes eager to begin the chip maybe have been tricked and I'm going to the process, not all.

And remember, by the way this is going to be inaugurated after were where in heaven, and even for those who accepted Christ living through the tribulation is not to be some sleight-of-hand where the next thing you know they got some kind of tattoo or something to chip and they really didn't want to belong to Christ that is to be conscious decision and these people the world with great joy will take his name one more comment about this tracking system that perhaps the Christ might use flush people out who don't go along with the system or have received his name in some way there now. Developing radiofrequency identification tags going on or in almost everything made retailers are not using these it helps against theft, shoplifting fact I was reading this past week about grocery carts are being designed. It will automatically scan items you put in there to put in your your gallon of milk and scan the price you put in your your your your box of chocolate covered doughnuts and it'll it'll honk at you until you take them out. Just my nightmare so I'm afraid will do toes at all may come a day when you just swipe your card across your grocery cart going out your car and be wonderful technology can it's not the mark of the beast is only technology that will allow. I believe the beast to track everybody and do what we here see shutting down economy any kind of purchasing for those who do not have his name RFID systems radiofrequency dedication systems is interesting. Now they designed Inc. carries the ability electronically to read or it has embedded in the ink. The tracking system which has even further applications so that he had his name, perhaps that name could have embedded in all that was necessary to track you and is very Inc. well what will all this technology do one day will in the New World order. It will enable one man to virtually control commerce put a stranglehold on commerce and only those John 13 verse 17 says only those who have given their loyalty and allegiance to him will be able to buy or sell. So we have a global physical surrender to the Christ we have a global economic stranglehold these days by the Christ one more. We have global spiritual supremacy of the antichrist. Verse 18 verse 18 reads 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 660 6666 just the sound it makes you think of the devil.

666. It even hisses like the serpent in the Bible. Numbers can be both figurative and literal.

At the same time we think of the number three that way. It's a number that represents our triune God. The number seven is a number in the Scriptures represents perfection. Perhaps completeness. The number one represents unity. I read a text earlier were one body is one Lord represent unique singularity and unit number six represents man ever told here it represents is the number of the man. Man was created on the sixth day, the triple designation of the number six.

I think does have figurative meaning it figuratively indicates the antichrist attempt at mimicking the triune God 666. He is the tri-human false God.

He is the tri-human man. He claims to be God but is just a goat. He would like to be 777 triple perfection, but he is only 666 is simply a man failing three times over some suggested that all the number means just figurative. I believe it's also a literal designation.

The way John talks about having insight in order to calculate the number he sang added up. So I think there's a literal designation. Here, the total sum of his name is 666.

Let me explain. This is what many evangelical Bible scholars believe to be the one clear example of gimmickry in the Bible.

The Greek word Gilman trio geometry. It gives us our transliterated word what my favorite subject was my favorite subject but you're right, it's geometry.

The practice of gimmickry attracts all the way back to John and centuries before the Hebrew letters Greek letters letters were all given numerical value and by using certain letters than you could also represent a certain numerical figure. By the way, this is one of the reasons people thought Hitler was the antichrist.

H had a numerical value. I has numerical value T has a numerical value lease in the English language it all totaled up to 666 when you added up to numerical attributes of those letters you got the sum of 666.

The trouble is here in this text were not told what language to calculate the Hebrew is a Latin is a Greek German, Italian, is a French told which language it is even still further confusing is affected. You can have all sorts of combinations of letters to get to the sum of 666. Let me illustrate it for you.

This way if we give a numerical value.

Certainly… Do this is as an illustration, if any equals 1B equals 2C equals make sure your waiter. This is exciting. I know this is thrilling free to come to church to get that D equals in and so forth. Okay now we want to get to the sum total using letters of six.

We could use to A's and one D and we have six wicked, however, use 1C1B, and Ia, and get six. We could also use to seize remind me my report card.

Growing up, and we get six all the combinations just to get to a single six. Imagine how many combinations you had to get to 666 given trailers discovered by archaeologists in Pompeii. Interestingly enough, one man had written on the wall. I love her.

His number is 545 was in her phone number. Basically what he was saying is her letters add up to that, he both concealed her identity to those who didn't know her and revealed her identity to those who did sort of what you have happening here is the challenge. Since many different letters can equals 666 it's impossible to figure the name out in advance.

It's a puzzle it's a puzzle from our creative God and some of you wanting to be able to sleep tonight because there's a puzzle in the Bible you can figure out it will be figured out in the tribulation, which means you don't want to figure it out right. You don't want to be part of the group that figures it out. It was insight so don't try to guess in outcome across all sorts of gases Henry Kissinger added up to 666 Soto John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson. So did Ronald Reagan like they came across one author who said that Bill Gates, the third is numerical values. Those letters equals 666, and so does Windows 95 and you're probably thinking that explains it. I knew the devil was in my computer.

Not only is your imagination on the puzzle.

It's going to get confirmation of those who are living through it, but this one is indeed the false Messiah. That's one puzzle. We will be around so what is the church doing the meantime while we like the Thessalonians weight for the upward call of Christ will, in light of our deceived world. In light of so many false teachers distorting the gospel in light of moral values and absolutes that are being washed down the sewer. The good news is the mission of the body of Christ is not a puzzle. It hasn't changed in the same since its inception of the first century would go and make disciples bring along followers of Christ, the true Messiah, baptize them identify them publicly through water. Teach them to observe all of humanity, Jesus Christ, and then he said, and by the way, I am with you always, even to the end of this age, the upward call. Here's our mission.

I think best spoken by one search and rescue team in Colorado. They put it this way and I quote, millions of people visit the mountains of Larimer County, Colorado. Every year a few will become lost stranded, injured, some will die. Our objective is to find and rescue these lost or injured people before it's too late. We are dedicated to saving lives in it be great if the church had.

That is its motto, not we don't know what the word save means anymore. Here's what it means be saved from the wrath saved by the Savior who can deliver you from sin. Judge save you unto himself forever and we are to be reveling in the glory and grace of God is revealed that truth to us. Open her eyes and we today worship him great Savior as we study a topic like on the end times the big picture idea is that in the end God always wins. It's important that we be on the winning side of the grand plan that God is unfolding in history. Aren't you grateful for the salvation God offered through Jesus Christ. This is wisdom for the hard with Stephen Devi.

The lesson you heard today is called 666 and it's the final lesson in Stephen's series entitled antichrist and the many faces of evil. Since we've reached the end of this series, I want to remind you of a resource that we have for each of our teaching series we've taken the entire series and put it together as a set of CDs that you can add to your collection of biblical resources. Give us a call today. Our number is 86 648 Bible will be in the office today until 4:30 PM Eastern time and that number once again is 86 648 Bible or 866-482-4253. Another great way for you to interact with our ministry or learn more about us is through our website. You'll find us online@wisdomonline.org. In fact, if you ever need to miss a broadcast or step away early post each days broadcast on that website and that way you can keep caught up with the teaching you hear on wisdom for the heart. That website once again is wisdom online.org a couple who listen to our lessons down in Riviera Florida recently wrote to say this, my wife and I have been enjoying the daily devotions in the heart-to-heart magazine and were excited to join your ministry family to be able to continue receiving this resource will the magazine. They referred to is heart-to-heart and it's a resource we send as a gift to all of our wisdom partners. If you don't receive it.

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