What It Means to be Filled with the Holy Spirit # 29

"If Anyone Has an Ear, Let Him Hear" (continued)

"Here Is Wisdom" (continued)

The number of the name of the wild beast? 666? What a lot of speculation this has caused in Christendom. For centuries Christians, and even the world, has tried to make this number fit the name of a man such as Nero, or Hitler, or Mussolini, etc.; or they have tried to make it fit the name of a Pope or some other world or religious leader, who leads a religious-worldly system of some kind. Endlessly, down through the ages, attempts have been made to make the number 666 fit the name of a man. However, the Word of God tells us it is the number of the name of the wild beast. And what is the name? In Revelation thirteen, where we find this wild beast being described in the intense, symbolic language of the Holy Spirit, we are told the "name" or "names" of this wild beast: "And I saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy [and on the heads of it names of blasphemy]" (Revelation 13:1). So according  to the Word of God, the "name" or the "names" of the wild beast, of that which is antichrist, is "blasphemy." And the number of the name is 666. Let us repeat again that the name of the beast, the name of the antichrist, is "blasphemy." And the most satanic, profane, unholy, unsacred blasphemy is satan's attempt to counterfeit, to imitate the True Lamb of God, and ALL that He Accomplished.

Throughout the ages and generations satan has been antichrist, against Christ, and here in Revelation 13, the Holy Spirit revels the blasphemous culmination of satan's antichrist activities as that ancient serpent, called the devil, and satan, brings forth his unholy counterfeit of the True Lamb of God. satan even attempts to duplicate the death, and the Resurrection of the Lamb of God. Revelation 13:3, reveals that this wild beast is wounded in one of his heads. Keep in mind that there is only One Head in God's Kingdom, Christ Jesus our Lord - He is Head of the Church, and He is Head of all principality and power (Ephesians 1:22; Col. 2:10).

So in satan's attempt to counterfeit the True Lamb of God, the wild beast is wounded in one of his seven heads and his deadly wound was healed. Notice, the wild beast was healed, he was not resurrected, satan does not have resurrection power. "And his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered [was amazed and followed] after the beast." - This is satan's attempt to bring forth a source of life other than Christ, WHO IS LIFE. Thus we can be sure that one of the blasphemous names of the beast is the counterfeit of resurrection life, and of resurrection power.

~T. Austin-Sparks~

(continued with # 30)