666, the number of the Beast: Counterfeit of the Law

Study:

Having you noticed the Law in Revelation 13:11-18? Well actually it is a counterfeit law or breaking of the law...

"And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and 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. Here 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." Revelation 11-18

So here are the 10 Commandments, the first four which define our relationship with God:

The Ten Commandments
"And God spake all these words, saying," Exodus 20:1
 
 
1
 
 
"I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me." Exodus 20:2,3
"And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed." Revelation 13:12
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2
 
 
 
 
 
 
"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:" Exodus 20:4
"And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live." Revelation 13:14
"Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments." Exodus 20:5,6
"And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed." Revelation 13:15
 
 
3
 
 
"Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. " Exodus 20:7
"And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and 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." Revelation 13:15
 
 
 
 
 
 
4
 
 
 
 
 
"Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But THE SEVENTH day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt NOT do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day (777), and hallowed it." Exodus 20:8-11
"And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and 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 [the name of the beast]. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number [of the name] of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six (666)." Revelation 13:16-18

Notes:

Commandment 1: Have "no other gods"! They have another god,  the beast or "the first beast"!

Commandment 2: Do "not make ... any ... image"! They "make an image"! Do "not bow down" to it. They "worship" it!

Commandment 3: "Take the name of the Lord thy God" but not in vain! They take the name of another god, for they "had ... the name of the beast"!

Commandment 4: We have already noted the connection of the number of the beast, 666, to the Sabbath, the 777 of God, created at Creation. Note the connection between the hand and work: "our work and toil of our hands" (Genesis 5:29); "the works of thy hand" (Deuteronomy 2:7). The Sabbath restricts the hand or work. A counterfeit sabbath would naturally also restrict the hand or work. It is quite natural to make "the number of the beast" and "the number of his name" the same thing as there is really nothing else they could be in the context (or anywhere else in Revelation for that matter). Lastly, by the structure of Revelation 12 & 13, (the mark of) the number of his name is the same as the mark in the right hand.

Summarizing:

  • mark in right hand => work restrictions of Sabbath, 777
  • Sabbath, 777 => 666 (counterfeit sabbath), number of the beast
  • number of the beast =(?) number of name of beast (his name)
  • (mark of) number of name of beast (his name) = mark in the right hand

Thus,

mark in right hand = (mark of) number of his name = number of beast

Very Important!!! Strictly speaking, the Number of the beast, 666, and the mark (on the hand or forehead/of the number of his name or the name of the beast) are NOT the same! The number of the beast is the Sunday Law while the mark is the effect of that Law on man... on his thinking process/character (and his actions) or just on his actions.

To be continued...

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