The concept of the “seal of the Antichrist” was formed on the basis of several texts from the Revelation of St. John the Theologian:

1. “And he (the beast from the earth, i.e. the false prophet of Antichrist) will cause everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and that No one will be able to buy or sell except he who has the mark of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom: let him count the number of the beast; for his number is 666.” 13, 16-18).

2. "And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice: whoever worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he will drink the wine of the wrath of God (...) and they will have no rest a day, neither by night they who worship the beast and his image, and who receive the mark of his name" (Rev. 14:9-1 1).

3. “And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet, who performed miracles before him, with which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image” (Rev. 19:20).

4. “And I saw thrones and those sitting on them, to whom it was given to judge, and the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their foreheads or on their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years" (Rev. 20:4).

Let us consider, according to the interpretation of the holy fathers, firstly, what the mark, name and number of the name of the beast are, and secondly, when, how and by whom the seal of the Antichrist can be accepted.

Most of the fathers understood the mark of the beast as a seal................, and the following definitions were used as similar concepts: brand (bestiae sigillo), sign, mark (notam), sign (signaculum) .

The mark of the beast can include the number of the beast (St. Victorinus, Pseudo-Hippolytus), the name of the beast (Andrew of Caesarea). Since the mark of the beast is accepted instead of the cross of the Savior (Reverend Ephraim of Syria), it can be assumed that this mark itself is a blasphemy against the cross, distorting the mark of the cross (for example, an inverted cross). The special thing about the mark of the beast is that it will be placed on the right hand and forehead. We can name three reasons for choosing these members of the body for imprinting: 1) natural (“so that this would not be difficult,” i.e., to worry that vital organs would be damaged - St. Ephraim of Syria). 2) general religious (the custom of placing signs on the hand and forehead is inherent in many religions, for example, Jews wore phylacteries with quotations from the Torah on the forehead and on the hand - Deut. 6:8; Matt. 23:5). 3) anti-Christian (Christians depicted a cross on their foreheads and hands).

Reverend Ephraim believed that a person whose right hand is sealed with the seal of the Antichrist will not be able to make the sign of the cross, and sealing the forehead with the seal of the Antichrist does not make it possible to depict the cross and the name of the Lord on the forehead. St. Ephraim does not explain why a person who has accepted the seal (mark) of the Antichrist will not be able to make the sign of the cross. In the work of Pseudo-Hippolytus “The Sermon on the End of the World...”, which most influenced eschatological ideas, it is said that a person who has accepted the seal of the Antichrist “will not have the opportunity to seal any of his members (with the sign of the cross) but will submit to the flatterer and him will serve and there will be no repentance in him: he perished both in relation to God and in relation to people" (1, p. 412).

Those who do not receive the mark of the beast will be unable to buy or sell anything, and are thus doomed to starvation. St. Ephraim of Syria writes that those who accepted the seal will starve and ask the beast for food, because... the earth will not produce harvest or fruit. Andrew of Caesarea says that the armor bearer (i.e., the forerunner) of the Antichrist “will spread the mark of the beast everywhere: both in purchase and in sale, so that those who did not accept it would be forced to die from lack of things necessary for life” (1, P. 377). In this one can see an indication that the mark of the beast will be placed not only on the hand and forehead of a person, but also on the products of his activity. Unlike all other holy fathers, Saint Hippolytus understood the mark on the hand as the burning of sacrificial incense to an idol, and the mark on the forehead as the crowning with a ritual pagan crown (1, pp. 224-225).

Some holy fathers, without refuting the traditional understanding of the mark of the beast on the right hand and forehead, gave a moral interpretation: the right hand is an active life according to the commandments of God, the forehead is knowledge of the truth of God. He who has received the mark of the beast on his right hand and forehead cannot make a purchase, i.e. ransom of the Kingdom of Heaven for earthly life. This interpretation is based on the words from the Lord’s parable: “When I buy, I will come until I come” (Luke 19:13). A similar interpretation, as a secondary one, is also contained in Archbishop Andrew of Caesarea (1, p. 377).

It is generally accepted that the name of the beast, i.e. The Antichrist is not mentioned in Revelation. Archbishop Andrew of Caesarea noted: “If there had been a need to know his name, then, as some teachers say, the seer would have revealed it, but the grace of God did not deign that this destructive name should be written in the Divine Book” (1, p. 377). Saint Irenaeus of Lyons believed that the unknown name of the Antichrist warns us against deception, because. he may come with a different name than we expect (1, p. 198). However, both of these arguments relate to attempts to determine the name of the beast based on its number. Meanwhile, the same Archbishop Andrew of Caesarea testified “that the devil, the Antichrist and the false prophet are common to each other both in actions and names, this is evident from the fact that each of them is called a beast” (1, p. 395).

The name of the angel of the abyss, i.e. the devil, is given elsewhere in Revelation: “his name in Hebrew is Abbaddon, and in Greek - Apollyon” (Rev. 9:11), i.e. Destroyer. Archbishop Andrew of Caesarea also mentions this name in his interpretation of verses 13, 16-17 (1, p. 377). The name of the Antichrist is exactly the opposite of the name of Christ: Jesus (God saves, Savior) - Abbaddon, Apollo (destruction, Destroyer). There are also references to the name of the Antichrist in the Old Testament, where it speaks of a destroying angel (Shar. 21:15), a destroying angel for destruction (Isa. 54:16).

Saint Irenaeus gives two possible types of interpretation of the number of the beast 666: 1) according to numerical symbolism 2) according to the Greek alphabet. According to numerical symbolism, the number 666 is associated:

1) with the number of six days in which the world was created - because The Antichrist must restore all the apostasy that occurred during the existence of the world (this was previously associated with the idea that the world would last 6000 years).

2) with the sixth day, on which man was created, through which sin entered the world.

3) with the six hundredth year of Noah, when sin reached such a level on earth that only a worldwide flood could destroy it.

4) with the image of Nebuchadnezzar “Which was sixty cubits high and six cubits wide; the image was a sign of the coming of the Antichrist.

Unfortunately, this type of numerical symbolism, rooted in the Holy Scriptures, was not continued by the subsequent patristic tradition. Only Archbishop Andrew of Caesarea once used this interpretation of St. Irenaeus, but in another place - Rev. 14.20. Continuing the series of interpretations of Saint Irenaeus, it can be supplemented.

5) The number 666 is used to calculate the amount of gold that King Solomon annually collected as tribute from other nations. “The gold that passed to Solomon each year weighed six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold (1 Kings 10:14. Compare: 2 Chron. 9.13). In this case, the number 666 is a symbol of earthly wealth, gold (Mammon), as well as a symbol of tribute, tax from subject peoples.

6) In the symbolic system of Revelation, the number 7 is a symbol of completeness, therefore, the number 6 is a symbol of lack, incompleteness, imperfection.

7) The number 6 determines the number of days allocated in the Old Testament to work, work for the sake of earthly life, and the 7th day - to the Lord your God (Ex. 20: 8-11). In this sense, the numbers 6 and 7 symbolize the confrontation between earthly and heavenly, human and God.

8) The number 6 symbolizes “the zealous practice of sin through the use of the creature created in six days for evil” (Archbishop Andrew of Caesarea. Interpretation of Revelation 2, p. 130).

Note: We do not discuss issues of legality and laws here. numerical symbolism, which are ultimately rooted in a symbolic worldview. Naturally, a number becomes a symbol only in a certain symbolic system. It is then that the number becomes capable of carrying meaning, which is determined by the context.

In different contexts, the same number can have different, even opposite, meanings.

So, for example, the number 6 can probably symbolize creation, creativity, why it is used as a building module (1 Kings 10:16-20; 1 Kings 6:26); can only carry a quantitative meaning (cf. eg: 666 [sons of Adonikam - 1 Ezra 2:13). Some symbols that had one meaning in the Old Testament acquired an opposite meaning in the New Testament (the Star of David, the Temple of Solomon itself). But in the context of Christian symbolism, based on Holy Scripture and Tradition, the number 666 has always been and is a symbol of the Antichrist and has been perceived as such throughout the history of Christianity.

So, wrote Saint Irenaeus, the number 666 means the one “in whom all (...) apostasy, untruth, wickedness, false prophecy and deception are restored, which is why the flood of fire will come (to the earth)” (1, p. 197).

The second type of interpretation of the number of the beast, which was given by Saint Irenaeus.

It comes down to searching for the name of the Antichrist. The letters of the Greek alphabet corresponding to certain numbers are selected so that their sum makes the number 666, and they themselves are read as a name. Thus, Saint Irenaeus brought out the names: Evantas, Latin, Titan (1, p. 99), Saint Victorinus - Antemos, and in Latin - Dilux (1, p. 284), Archbishop Andrew of Caesarea - Lampetis, Benedict, evil leader , the ancient envious, truly harmful, unrighteous lamb (1, pp. 377-378). Unfortunately, it is precisely this type of interpretation that has prevailed among researchers of the Apocalypse. What this led to can be seen in the example of the interpretation of the co-religionist priest John Malyshev, who, for some reason, using the Slavic alphabet, lists more than 200 names of the Antichrist in special tables (6, pp. 33-58). The end to such interpretations should have been put by the remark of Saint Irenaeus himself that, “although the number of the name of the Antichrist is known, we cannot rashly assert anything about the name itself, because the number is applicable to many names (..). Therefore, it is truer and safer to wait for the fulfillment of the prophecy, rather than to assume and predict any names, for there may be many names containing the above-mentioned number, and yet this question will remain unresolved" (1, p. 199). One can also add that since the Apocalypse is not a book of riddles and solutions, but a symbolic book, then the method of interpreting the number 666 must proceed from the fundamentals of numerical symbolism, and any other method will be incorrect.

Thus, the concept of the “seal of the Antichrist” includes: 1. The mark of the beast 2. The name of the beast 3. The number of the beast. Acceptance of the seal of the Antichrist is equated in the Apocalypse with the worship of the Antichrist himself or his image (depiction).

Neither the Apocalypse, nor patristic interpretations, nor Orthodox theological studies contain the concept of the “preseal of the Antichrist”, which is now disseminated in eschatological expectations. It can be assumed that the concept of “pre-seal of the Antichrist” is formed in the likeness of the “forerunner of the Antichrist”. But the forerunner of the Antichrist acts according to the Apocalypse simultaneously with the Antichrist.

The concept of “pre-seal” is very close to eschatological ideas in some schools of the Old Believer schism.

All the holy fathers believed that the imposition of the seal of the Antichrist by his false prophet would occur during those 3.5 years of the reign of the Antichrist, which would immediately precede the second glorious coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Other events of this time were the construction of Solomon's Temple, the reign of the Antichrist in it, the preaching of the prophets Enoch and Elijah and their killing in Jerusalem, the preaching of the false prophet, etc.

Is it possible to unconsciously accept the seal of the Antichrist, without renouncing Christ, through any technical or medical-biological improvements? Some holy fathers do not explain this at all, others give a very definite negative answer.

“This unfortunate one knows that the cross of the Lord, if imprinted on anyone, will destroy all his power (...) For by all means he will contrive so that the name of the Lord and Savior - this most holy and pure name - is not called at all in the time of the serpent" ( Venerable Ephraim of Syria. Sermon 91 on the coming of the Lord - 1, p. 298). “If our soul is protected by such a weapon (the Only Begotten Trinity), then the serpent is trampled underfoot (...) But those who know well the holy voice of the true Shepherd will immediately recognize the deceiver, because the voice of the wicked does not in the least resemble the voice of the true Shepherd” (Reverend Ephraim of Syria - Word 92 at the coming of the Lord - 1, p. 299).

(Rep. 14:9): “If, he says, whoever worships the beast-like Antichrist and adheres to his wicked life, in word or deed proclaims him god, as indicated by the mark received on the forehead and hand, he will drink the cup of torment with him.” .

(Rev. 14:11): “By ‘night’ we should understand the torment of sinners, which will be accepted by all those who, through the devil’s deeds and blasphemy against Christ, have depicted in themselves the image of the beast and imprinted in their hearts his dishonorable name as honorable” (Archbishop Andrei Caesarea. Interpretation of Revelation. - 1, pp. 379,380).

Pseudo-Hippolytus in his “Sermon on the End of the World...” depicted the consciousness of renunciation of Christ in this way: “Such will be the (mark) and seal during the time of this hater of good. - that seal that will read: “I renounce the Creator of heaven and earth; I renounce baptism; I renounce my service (to God) and join you and believe in you" (1, p. 412).

This question is most clearly revealed by Saint Theophan, the recluse of Vyshensky, in his interpretation of 2 Sol. 2.9-13:

In the perishing. No matter how great and varied the efforts and methods of the Antichrist are to seduce and draw into his lies, he will have success only among those who are of the same spirit with him, i.e. They have fallen away from God and the Lord, they despise His commandments in their hearts, and knowing that their path leads to destruction, they do not leave it, abandoning themselves to their fate in despair. Since he himself is the son of destruction, he will only have time to attract to himself those who are perishing. And these perishing ones will perish not by God’s determination, but because they have loved a destructive way of life and disposition. God uses everything to reason and convert sinners, and when it is no longer possible to take them with anything, and it is not foreseen that it would be possible, then he betrays them into the hands of his will. And everyone in his life meets people to whom, no matter what you say, they are all their own, as if dumbfounded and petrified. During his sermon, St. The apostles met such people everywhere, and testified through the mouth of St. Paul that the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those who are being saved the power of God (1 Cor. 1:18), and that they themselves are the stink of death unto death; But for the sheep (those being saved) there is an animal stench in the stomach (2 op. 2:15). During the time of the Antichrist, his foolishness will seem like wisdom to perish, and his noxious stench will seem like a fragrance. Here, too, it will be that with cholera epidemics, which capture only those who have a predisposition to them.

Because of the love of truth, I did not accept that they could be saved. That is why they are perishing! Because they did not accept the saving truth. God sees that people are perishing, having fallen into the abyss of sin and into the destructive bonds of slavery to passions and their sower, the devil. For this purpose He sent His Only Begotten Son to pave the way for them, and to show it in faith in Him and in the grace acceptable according to faith. The Holy Apostles spread the news of this everywhere. Those who accepted were included in the destruction. Such are they during the time of the Apostles, such are they after them, and such will be the case in the last days of the Apostolic, God-enlightened eye of the mind. and gives them the inscription: perishing.

The Thessalonians had before them these people who were perishing for the sake of unbelief. The Apostle says, as it were: in this area of ​​​​those who have not accepted our saving word, he will have success, and not among you who have believed, and like you who will believe. It is worthy of note that the Apostle with his word embraces not only those who did not accept the Christian truth, no matter how much they wanted to listen to it; but even those who heard it understood what the matter was and did not accept it, and even those who accepted it with their minds, but did not love it with their hearts; embraces not only unbelievers - non-Christians, but also Christians by name, and not in heart, who are indifferent to the faith they profess and are not jealous of being obedient to its demands, becoming what they are called, indifferent to it. For he says: having not accepted the love of the truth, they have not loved the truth; they do not have it in their hearts, although they see it. They see the truth, but keep their hearts on the side opposite to the truth. Therefore, they themselves are lies, and being such, they will love lies.

The essential saving truth is that God sent his Son into the world as the Savior of the world. That is why the Holy Fathers interpret the words: love of truth did not accept, as follows: they did not accept Christ the Lord. For He is both boundless love and all-perfect truth. St. Chrysostom writes: “he calls Christ the love of truth. For Christ was both, and came for the sake of both, out of love for us and to reveal the true meaning of everything.” Theodoret and all the others are the same. But it's the same thing. For it is necessary not only to accept the Gospel, but also to be united with the Lord, or this combination consists of the proper acceptance of the Gospel truth. He alone is extracted from the mass of the perishing who cleaves to the Lord Jesus Christ, becomes one spirit with Him, is grafted into Him as into the one true living vine.

Art. 11. And for this reason God will send them action to fly, so that they do not believe lies.

This is a terrible moral punishment from God! Afterwards, it’s not like he deliberately sends what they don’t want, but lets through to them what they want and seek. The evil spirit of flattery and lies is constantly trying to take possession of everyone, darken everyone and drag them into lies; but God does not allow him, when among those who do not follow the truth there are still those who give hope of conversion, who have not yet completely given themselves over to false paths, who sometimes still think to give up the lies and take the side of the truth - he does not allow him, so that they do not suffer violence from him inside, for it can shake even the strong, and not only these weak ones.

When, finally, they completely give up and give in to the destructive path they have chosen, they unite with him and commit to him with their hearts, and stop even thinking about leaving him behind; then God will take His hand, restraining the evil spirit of flattery, and it, let through, will rush at them, pass into their heart and there will begin to exert the effect of flattery, to attract to lies - and will attract. They will accept the lie with all their hearts, and then they will discover it on the outside, apparently joining the Antichrist. But this will only bring out what is hidden inside. St. Chrysostom writes: “Why, you say, will God allow all this to happen? Do not be afraid, beloved, but listen to what (the Apostle) says: (the Antichrist) will prevail only over those who are perishing, who, even if he did not come, did not believe would".

Theodoret adds: “This: God will send them the action of flying, the Apostle said instead - he will allow flattery to appear, so that they will be lovers of wickedness. For God will not send this flattery, but will destroy it with the word of His mouth.” Ecumenius: he will send, - do not accept so that God sends, but this is how the Apostle usually expresses permission from God." Theophylact: "after, - instead he will allow him to come. Look, first they rejected the truth; and then God abandoned them, and lies took possession of them."

Art. 12. Let all those who did not believe the truth, but take pleasure in unrighteousness, receive judgment.

May they accept judgment and righteously undergo condemnation. God willing, their evil moral and religious system will be revealed, and they will be ripe for judgment. Lies are self-incriminating; and the following lies expose themselves. They will be unrequited at the trial because they believed an obviously destructive lie and did not believe the obviously saving truth. - All those who did not believe the truth, but were pleased with unrighteousness. From the Greek - all these, unbelievers, etc., who did not accept the Gospel truth in their hearts with living faith, and did not establish their lives, their feelings and dispositions according to its demands, but on the contrary lay with their hearts - favored all untruths, and to wrong wisdom and wrong morals, they found pleasure in remaining and wallowing in these wrongs.

Their most obvious denunciation will be that they believe in the Antichrist. St. Chrysostom writes: “the mouths of those condemned to destruction will be stopped. How? They would not believe in Christ, even if the Antichrist did not come; but he will come for the purpose of exposing them. So that they then They did not say that since Christ (apparently a man) called himself God, it was for this very reason that we did not believe in Him; because we heard that there is one God, from whom are all things, and as a result we did not believe: this is theirs; the pretext (for justification) will be taken away from them by the Antichrist, for when he comes, and, despite the fact that he does not command anything righteous, but only lawlessness, they will believe in him, solely for the sake of his false miracles, then their lips will be stopped. For if you do not believe in Christ, then much less should you believe in the Antichrist. The first said that He was sent by the Father, but this latter (will say) something completely different. accept him (John 5:43). But we, they will say, saw many great miracles; therefore we should have believed in Him. In addition, much was predicted about the Antichrist: that he is a lawless one, that he is the son of perdition, that his coming (with pomp) will be according to the work of Satan; whereas, on the contrary, about Christ - that He is the Savior and will bring countless benefits" - Theodorit, Ecumenius and Theophylact have the same speech" (5, pp. 330-335).

So, accepting the seal of the Antichrist is associated with the rejection of Christ, with such a sinful life, which in itself, regardless of accepting the seal of the Antichrist, leads to death. The violent technical or medical-biological imposition of the seal of the Antichrist on a believer in Christ and living according to His commandments, especially if he is not aware of this, cannot separate him from Christ.

Throughout its history, when the Church lived in various state systems (imperial-pagan, Orthodox appanage princely and autocratic, liberal-democratic, totalitarian-communist, occupation), it was subject to civil regulations related to military service, census and tax collection , even if these institutions were indicated by pagan religious symbols and inscriptions.

The martyrs refused to participate in the civil-religious festivities of the Roman Empire when this was connected with their personal direct participation in the religious cult, in the sacrifice.

The events carried out by the tax authorities do not contain a religious cult.

If tax documents contain anti-Christian symbols, then the Church can testify to what St. John the Theologian testified: the spirit of Antichrist is already present in the world and this is the spirit of error (1 John 4: 3), can ask state power to withdraw or replace this symbolism for the sake of the Spirit of Truth and peace in society.

But the negative response of the state authorities to the request of the Church cannot be a reason for the independent unblessed withdrawal of believers from civil obedience, since this inevitably leads to a split within the Church.

Number of the beast- the mysterious number “Six hundred sixty-six”, mentioned in John the Theologian ().

[The Beast] “... will cause everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one will be able to buy or sell except the one who has this mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name" ().

In history, the literal interpretation of the number of the beast consisted of selecting the letters that make up the human name, the sum of the numerical designations of which is 666. This is possible in those languages ​​where numbers are designated by letters of the alphabet. For example, the name Nero: N – 50; E –6; R – 500; O – 60; N – 50.

In the Old Testament, the number “666” appears three times:

1. "The sons of Adonikam are six hundred and sixty-six" ()
2. “The gold that came to Solomon every year weighed six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold” ()
3. “The weight in gold that came to Solomon in one year [was] six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold” ().

When trying to interpret the “number of the beast,” a mistake is often made: the number is decomposed into decimal places and presented as three digits 6, with which it is identified. However, at the time the Apocalypse was written, there was no decimal positional number system. In antiquity there were no numbers, and the function of numbers was also performed by the letters of the alphabet, as in the Church Slavonic language. The original Greek notation consists of three words "six hundred", "sixty" and "six" and does not allow for the decomposition described.
In Hebrew, if these are the classic three sixes, that is, six, six, six, then their spelling is ן ן ן (vav, vav, vav). But if it is six hundred and sixty-six, then the spelling of the number corresponds to ו ס ם (mem sofit (written at the end of words) = 600, samekh = 60 and vav = 6).
There is also a four-letter spelling option according to the scheme: תרסן tav -resh-samekh-vav (400-200-60-6).

The word "antichrist" means instead of Christ. The prefix “anti” means “instead of” rather than “against.” In the Church there is both Antidor and the holiday of Antipascha. Antichrist will come instead of Christ. Christ, or the Messiah, was promised in the Old Testament by God to His people. This Man is not just a messenger of the Almighty, He is the Son of God, God who took on human nature. The Messiah will become the King of his people and exalt them above all other nations of the world. The fundamental difference between Christianity and Judaism is the disagreement on the subject of who this Messiah is and what kind of people this is.

Christians consider Jesus to be the Messiah, and the people - all those who believe in Him, and His Kingdom will have no end in the future eternal life, and Jews believe that the Messiah has not yet come, and the people are only Jews and their “Messiah” will reign on earth (according to The Revelation of John the Theologian is only 3.5 years old).

The Christian understanding of the Antichrist can be expressed in one quote: “I have come in the name of My Father, and you do not receive Me; But if another comes in his own name, you will receive him.” (John 5:43). The Antichrist in the tradition of the Christian Church is a man who will be called by the Jews their king and god. “... The man of sin, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above everything that is called God or that is holy, so that he sits in the temple of God as God, showing himself to be God.” (2 Thess. 2; 3,4). Note that the temple here refers to the Jewish temple in Jerusalem, and not any of the modern Christian churches. The latter simply did not exist at the time of writing these lines (53 AD), and besides, the Jews do not recognize any other temple.

Now let's try to say the same thing, but in a very mundane way. Antichrist is the leader of the Jewish nation, their monarch, about whom the Jews will say that he is a god and a miracle worker. The Jews, together with their leader, will try to organize a world state - a kingdom in which the Jews will have power over other nations.

The Antichrist will be an ordinary, earthly person who will prove with all his might that he is God descended to Earth. By the power of the devil he will perform many miracles. How can one become “omnipotent” or imitate it without God’s help? We are now more interested in the technical aspects. How to imitate Divine qualities? We are especially interested in all-pervasiveness and omniscience. The Antichrist needs a mandatory, but unobtrusive, earthly way to imitate all this. Mandatory, because these conditions are necessary for his power to be real and not illusory. Unobtrusive, voluntary, passed off as something else - so that the people do not guess about the true purpose. “The Mark of the Antichrist” is the means that allows one to “know everything”, universally a mild means of control.

“And he will cause everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one will be able to buy or sell except the one who has it.” the mark or name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. He who has intelligence, count the number of the beast, for it is a human number; his number is six hundred and sixty-six” (Rev. 13:16-18).

What signs of the “mark of the Antichrist” can be identified from these lines? 1) Universality 2) Possibility of application to the human body (on the right hand or on the forehead). 3) Mandatory use when buying and selling. 4) Name replacement. 5) The number 666 is directly related to the mark. These signs do not cause controversy. Let us also note that in the text of Revelation itself there is no word “seal”, there is “mark”.

The phrase “the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name,” is, from the point of view of many, not entirely accurately translated from the original Greek. There, in the original, a conjunction is used, which can mean both “and” and “or” depending on the context. This is also evidenced by the fact that verse 16 speaks only about the mark and that it is obligatory, and in verse 17 "the mark or name of the beast, or the number of his name" - these conjunctions “or” lead to a formal-literal contradiction.

It should be noted that the number 666 appears in Scripture not in Revelation, but in the Old Testament.

“The weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold. Moreover, the ambassadors and merchants brought, and all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the region brought gold and silver Solomon" (2 Chronicles 9:13,14). If you think about this passage, it describes nothing more than the income of King Solomon, or rather, mandatory, guaranteed tax. “And King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in wealth...he ruled over all the kings...” (2 Chron. 9:22-26). Thus, number 666, as a measure of the tax of the most powerful of the Jewish kings, is a symbol of the dominance and power of Jews over other peoples. The fact that the mark of the Antichrist is associated with the number 666 indicates his connection with the Jews and with the tax system, which is supposedly state-owned for now, but which they are creating for their future “messiah.”

In addition, with a “down-to-earth” analysis, another important point becomes obvious - what will happen next: the Antichrist or the number of the beast? To summarize what was said earlier, The number of the beast is a means of total control. It is obvious that a system of total control can exist without the Antichrist. She can support any tyrant. And here The Antichrist cannot exist without a system of total control; more precisely, he cannot reign. Comparing these two statements, we conclude that A SYSTEM OF TOTAL CONTROL MUST BE INTRODUCED BEFORE THE REIGN OF THE ANTICHRIST.

In conclusion, we will quote one of the recognized authorities of Ecumenical Orthodoxy, Elder Paisius the Svyatogorets, now glorified among the venerables (based on the book “Elder Paisius the Svyatogorets, of blessed memory. WORDS. Volume II. Spiritual Awakening.” // M. Publishing House “Holy Mountain”, p. 188): “With this system, the Antichrist wants to subjugate the whole world. People - be they red, black or white - being outside this system will not be able to work and will become social outcasts. Thus , the Antichrist will be imposed through a system that controls the world economy, and only those who accept the seal-inscription with the number 666 will be able to join into trade relations."

Candidates of Technical Sciences I. Bashkirov, V. Akhromeev, A. Ipatov in their technical examinations they confirmed that in the process of decoding a barcode in the EAN - 13/UPC system, the computer unambiguously deciphers three pairs of elongated lines as the numbers “666”. These are the computer sixes of the second set. They are called “security parallels”. Less often, it happens that sixes and other sets are used, but this does not change the “security code”, the number 666.

Back in 1997, the fathers of the Mount Athos monastery Grigoriat, who had previously specialized in computer science, came to the same conclusion, and with the blessing of Archimandrite George thoroughly investigated this issue. The conclusions of Athonite scientists are not limited to this. They also showed that the number 666 (in the form of three control characters) was not entered into the barcode by chance. The use of just such symbols is unjustified and unprofitable, since: 1) the middle control symbol is not needed; 2) there is no need for the extreme control symbols to be the same with each other and with the middle control symbol, this creates unnecessary complications; 3) there is no need to highlight all three control symbols with longer lines. Therefore, the final conclusion of Afonite scientists is that the developers of the main types of barcode intentionally 666 was introduced as a certain symbolic number - the number of the Antichrist.

Therefore, the Holy Kinot of Holy Mount Athos, “as the spiritual vanguard of the Church and as the custodian of the Holy Tradition of the Orthodox people, is forced to announce its strong concern about the obvious danger of the introduced system of universal electronic accounting with all ... negative consequences for the God-given freedom of the human person and its salvation in Christ "(Appeal dated February 24, 1997). The Statement of the Extraordinary Special Assembly of the Holy Mountain of August 20, 1997 states: “We declare once again that our fundamental duty - the profession of faith - obliges us to renounce the acceptance of any type of electronic ID card with a single code registration number (666), since this violates personal freedom and Christian conscience.”

The idea about the non-random nature of the number 666 in electronic cards is confirmed in the message Holy Synod of the Greek Church dated 04/07/1997. This is a document that arose as a result of enormous testing work involving specialists in the fields of economics, mathematics and computer technology. Every word in this document, for obvious reasons, is verified and weighed. This appeal of the Holy Synod of the Greek Orthodox Church was adopted on the eve of a meeting of the Parliament of the Hellenic Republic, at which Greece’s entry into the Schengen group was to be ratified. Here is the text with abbreviations:

“The Holy Synod considers it timely to appeal to the government and political figures of our country with the following recommendations:

1) do not accept the number 666 as the code number of state electronic systems for personal protection. It should become a tradition that whenever there is a change of government, official statements are made in confirmation of this decision, if possible, by all government officials.

2) appeal to the leadership of the countries of the European Union, which, although they have declared themselves (at least some) “democratic” states, are, however, Christian countries with a Christian culture, to officially raise the issue of replacing the number 666 in the central electronic system of the Union with any other code number. With such progress in electronics, is such a replacement really impossible?

3) under no circumstances should we allow the number 666 to be included in the new passport system of our country...”

However, events showed that the Government ignored the request of the leadership of the Orthodox Church, and already in the Message of February 9, 1998, the Holy Synod of the Greek Church, confirming its previous conclusions, bitterly announces:

"St. The Synod of the Greek Orthodox Church insists on its previous statements and demands an immediate revision of Law No. 2472/97.

1. This Agreement is directly related to the process of issuing new electronic passports and the use in them of the number 666, which is the number of the Antichrist, according to the text of the Apocalypse, and not some random number, as they claim. The Holy Synod, in its previous Message dated April 7, 1997, pointed out the mystical meaning of the number 666 and asked “not to accept it as a code number for state computer systems for human protection,” and also “not to use the number 666 as a code number in the new Greek passports..." As life has shown, this request of the Church was not heard.

2. If, nevertheless, it turns out that the new passports will use the ominous and unacceptable number 666 as a code, The Holy Synod will consider this as a violation of the freedom of conscience of the Orthodox and will recommend that they refuse to obtain new passports.”

The question may arise: how justified is such a decisive rejection of the new IDs by Orthodox Greeks? After all, the Apocalypse says that a “seal” with the number 666 will be placed on the right hand or on the forehead (Rev. 13:16-18).

For some reason, almost everyone first of all pays attention to the words “... on the right hand or forehead,” and not to the words “neither buy nor sell.” So it turns out that we are expecting a “seal” as the completion of the work of submission to the kingdom of the Antichrist (or as a “mark”, “sign” or “symbol” of this submission) and do not see the essence. We do not see that at present the personal number (SNILS/TIN) already today performs the function of an apocalyptic outline, i.e. makes it possible to buy and sell without it today impossible do business, open a bank account, receive a salary and pension. Nowhere in the Apocalypse is there the word “seal”, but there is “the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name” (Rev. 13:17).

What is the purpose of this mark? Just to “mark” and desecrate people through the number 666? Not only. From the words of the Holy Scriptures, the Holy Fathers, as well as from life itself, it is clear that such socio-economic conditions will be created under which, without a mark-number, “no one will be able to buy or sell” (Rev. 13:17). AND HERE THE MAIN TASK OF THE FAITHFUL SERVANTS OF THE ANTICHRIST IS THE CREATION OF A SYSTEM OF PURCHASE AND SALE WITHOUT USING CASH AND TRANSFER OF ALL ACCOUNTS OF THE POPULATION THROUGH BANKING AND OTHER CARDS LINKED TO A PERSON’S NUMERICAL NAME!(In many Western countries such a system has already been built; in Sweden, for example, 97% of payments are made by bank transfer).

In other words, we are talking, in principle, about the presence of an electronic name of a person, regardless of what the material carrier of this name will be: a certificate of registration with the tax department, a passport, a microchip, a hand, a forehead... Without this identification of people (without assigning them a lifelong numbers) the system of purchase and sale created by the antichrist will not be able to function. Already today, the individual number has signs of a “mark”, is the “name of the beast” (i.e., a numerical name given to a person by the system of the Antichrist), or “the number of his name” (i.e., a numerical name), but has not yet been applied to owner's body. It must not be forgotten that at the time of writing “Revelation” and even in the 19th century, nothing even close to the concepts and terms “identification number”, “computer”, “electronic system”, “automation” was in the language. John the Theologian, even if he wanted to, could not describe these properties of the mark of the Antichrist more accurately. Therefore, the phrase “seal of the Antichrist” is an outdated concept.

Abbot of one of the Greek monasteries Archimandrite Nektarios (Mulatsioti) addressed a request to a well-known computer systems specialist in Athens during discussions about Greece’s entry into Schengen Thomas Psaros. Here are excerpts from the scientist’s response in a letter dated April 7, 1997: “Dear Fr. Nectary! In connection with your request for technical justification for using the number 666 in barcode systems or smart cards (“thinking cards”), I report the following. In order to correctly and accurately use a barcode, hidden double code bars are used to separate information, which by chance indicate the number 6. To avoid copying the information contained in the barcode using photographic equipment, in the latest developments it is placed on magnetic tape... Problems associated with card theft, are finally resolved in other ways - for example, let's mention technical terms F (forehead) and H (hand) - with this method, the card can only be used by those who have the number printed on their hand or forehead.”

Let us present a general conclusion (summary) based on the results of a technical examination carried out during the trial in the city of Priozersk on the claim of Orthodox citizens for recognition of the right to be registered with the tax authority without using an INN (expert - Candidate of Technical Sciences A.P. Ipatov, 02/13/2002). “TIN in the accounting system is the name of a person given to him by the system, is a number, can be applied to the forehead or on the right hand of a person, has a line form, when read, the key sequence six hundred sixty six is ​​used.” It is easy to notice that there is complete agreement between the explanation of the words of Revelation presented here and the conclusion of a specialist (who has a practical “mind”).

The mark or name of the beast, or the number of its name in this case is one and the same - it expresses a sign of submission and loyal feelings towards the system of the coming beast.

Although the Antichrist has not yet reigned, those who accept the “number of his name” already today recognize the power in the world and over themselves of the system of the coming “beast” (the system of the Antichrist).

Therefore, if we listen to the words of the Holy Scriptures and be guided by them in life, then we need to move away from any personal number assigned for life, with which we will have to identify ourselves along with our name when purchasing, selling and other contacts with government agencies. Today, such numbers are offered to us under the name of TIN or “personal” code of “social card number,” but the “universal” or “universal” identifier, in particular for receiving “government services,” has become for residents of Russia“Social Number of Individual Personal Account” in the system mandatory pension insurance recorded on a green plastic card; (To the delight of sodomites, it provides for a change of gender of the owner - please note). S N I L S now they also assign it to babies right in maternity hospitals, slyly explaining that a child can now receive “state services” from birth, and for this he needs to receive a lifelong and posthumous number - SNILS how convenient! And many gullible parents, not paying attention, agree - what to do, we have to live somehow...

11-digit SNILS is international and universal for all citizensira, recognized in any country. Humanthinks that he still has a name and for those around him he is still Nikolai or Tatyana, but SNILS- his second digital name, for a soulless computer system, becomes the main and main one.

Whether this number will be stamped in a document in any technical way (as it is now), or “imprinted” in the form of a bar code on the body, or “enclosed” under the skin in a chip, or attached to a person in some other way - this is a matter of technology and stages enslavement of humanity. In all these soul-destroying stages for the servants of the prince of this world The main thing is to assign each person a lifelong number. Today, while the global system is actively being formed, it is issued on paper or a plastic card. And with the established system, a personal number - a universal identifier - will be placed directly on a person’s body (and right in the maternity hospital). So there is an opportunity to resist this Antichrist system only now, just as in the Gospel Christ told us: “When these things begin to come true,... lift up your heads” (Luke 21:28) from worldly worries to Heavenly things.

It is necessary to understand that every individual human number (SNILS, INN, medical policy number, social card or UEC), which will provide the opportunity for purchase and sale in the newly established socio-economic system, is the beginning and basis of the disastrous mark - the so-called “seal of the Antichrist” .

How in the church rite of the Sacrament of Baptism, not one, but three questions are asked to test the free rational will of the person being baptized “Have you denied Satan…” and “Are you united with Christ?” and three more "Did ecu harmonize with Christ" , so the devil - this monkey of God - is trying to imitate the Creator and force people to renounce Christ three times and recognize him as God: the first renunciation is the acceptance of an identification number, the second - a plastic card, the third - final - the acceptance of a laser tattoo or microchip.

The renunciation of the Apostle Peter was only external; in his soul he believed that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, but it was a renunciation. So some tell us that there must be a clear renunciation of Christ, but the Lord will say: “Hypocrites! You know how to recognize the face of the earth and the sky, how come you don’t recognize this time?” (Luke 12; 56). We must confess our faith in the face of a world that has fallen away from God, just as the apostle teaches: “With the heart they believe for righteousness, and with their lips they confess for salvation” (Rom. 10:10).

Identification is automated, but not automatic, since a person must purposefully and consciously interact with the system, i.e. voluntarily accept the system of the Antichrist. In the application forms for registration or assignment of SNILS, social card number, or replacement of the TIN with an allegedly alternative form of registration according to the series and number of the passport (which is a trick, since it does not fundamentally change the essence) there is the word “please”, i.e. the rational will of a person is tested, and he asks to assign him the number of the beast, which he signs at the end of the form. This is the first renunciation of Christ.

In the posthumous prophecies of St. Nile the Myrrh-Streaming, the spiritual meaning of the mark is revealed. The following will be written on the seal: “I am yours.” - “Yes, you are mine.” - “I go by will, not by force.” - “And I accept you by your will, and not by force.” These four sayings or inscriptions will be depicted in the middle of that damned seal (Posthumous broadcasts of St. Nile the Myrrh-streaming Athos, - Ed. Cell of the Annunciation of Elder Parthenius on Athos, 1912, pp. 84-85). And just as Isaiah’s prophecy (Isaiah 7:14) about the name of the Messiah Immanuel (God is with us) had to be understood not literally, but spiritually, so it is necessary to understand these sayings on the seal of the Antichrist. The word “depicted” suggests that the renunciation will be written not literally, but symbolically.

The person receiving the identification number has already accepted the number of the beast, and thereby has renounced Christ, but as long as this number of the beast has not yet been inscribed on the hand or forehead with indelible technology, he still has repentance. This is the only difference between accepting a personal code and the so-called “seal” - the depth of the fall and the degree of renunciation of Christ.

Holy Dormition Pochaev Lavra. 2011

From DSNMP. As stated above, in Russia, without having a personal code SNILS, a person can no longer officially work (that is, sell his labor power) and, therefore, finds himself thrown to the margins of life, among the outcasts and doomed to a miserable existence. Our compatriots, people, as a rule, of advanced age, refused to accept the “new” passports of the Russian Federation, from which the nationality column was removed, but a “personal code” and blasphemous signs appeared, and other documents containing digital names (medical policies, social cards, UEC, etc.), are truly Confessors of the last times. Not many people have such courage!

As for the “renunciation of Christ,” we would say this: “the acceptance and use of a personal code is another step that brings the reign of the Antichrist closer, another compromise, a small bow to him.” And accepting the mark of the Antichrist, as is known from Revelation, is the last and most terrible sin described in the New Testament. And the fate of those who accepted it is eternal (that is, endless) torment in fire and brimstone, along with unrepentant sinners. (Rev. 14:9-11).

The Orthodox need to recognize the evil pre-Antichrist time and all the satanic acts of the world's forces of evil, and notify their neighbors who are able to understand and accommodate about this; resist, resist coercion to use digital name codes, demand from the authorities to provide the opportunity to fully live without godless identifiers. You can’t be indifferent or lukewarm today. However, everyone makes their own choice. May the Lord give us the help of wise shepherds, reason and strength of strength to withstand this final battle, and not be afraid of the upcoming trials!

There are many prophecies about the last great mission of Russia, that it will become powerful and invincible before the second glorious coming of Christ the Savior to earth. By many signs, we are living on the threshold of these times - never before in the history of mankind have there been such coincidences with the events described in the Revelation of St. Apostle John the Theologian. But through the prayers of God’s holy saints and, perhaps, our balanced, verified, spiritually competent actions, the Lord can postpone the dates of His coming for the sake of the repentance of the remaining people.

Movement "Resistance to the New World Order".Current news, important and useful publications.Always on our websiteDSNMP.RU

P.S. A small increase in work. Sometimes the question is asked: “Why, from a TECHNICAL point of view, is it necessary to have a laser (or other) mark on the forehead or implant a microchip in the hand?” And so that at the transition stage, when electronic money (there will be no more cash), stolen from cards(which is happening on a huge scale now in the world and in Russia as well), and not only money, but also other information (about property, income, etc.) disappear or are changed by attackers, cardholders calmed down. When using a card (inserting it into a reading device - ATM, validator, etc.) when making purchases or other actions, you must confirm whether it is the person to whom the card belongs who is using it. To confirm this and reconciliation takes place – simultaneously from the card, and with a mark on the forehead, or with a microchip. If everything matches, a new person, a friend of the Antichrist, leaves happy with his purchases...

Over time (at the end of the transitional stage - in different countries not at the same time - for example, the Monk Paisius the Svyatogorets passed into eternity in the early 90s, and in Greece at that time electronic documents were already being introduced into everything, as the saint warned about) the need for cards disappears. The person himself becomes a walking smart card. Russian officials even came up with a cynical name for it: “biological object,” which, according to the plans of the grobolizers, should become a numbered slave of an “electronic concentration camp.”

This is briefly explained by a computer systems specialist. Thomas Psaros in response to a request Archimandrite Nektarios (Mulatsioti) – see above in this article .

A slightly updated printable version is located here:

According to the “Revelation” of the holy apostle and evangelist John the Theologian, the prophetic book of Holy Scripture, one of the decisive signs of the last times, the advent of the kingdom of Antichrist, is the “seal of the beast.”
“And he (the false prophet) will cause all, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads; and that no one will be able to buy or sell except he who has the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. He who has understanding, count the number of the beast, for this is the number of a man, the number is 666” (Ap. 13: 16-18).
The modern church consciousness, the church people of God, who by definition are the guardians of faith and piety in the era of the secret apostasy of the highest church hierarchy, unmistakably recognizes the seal of the Antichrist, the mark of the beast in the personal code or identification number that is entered for tax and other financial transactions in all countries of the world .
The personal code of every person, judging by numerous reports in the press, either directly or during the execution of financial transactions, includes the number 666, that is, the code of the main computer located in Brussels, which from its creators received the name “The Beast”.
As is clear from the very essence of the matter, accepting a personal digital code will mean renouncing a person’s own name.
According to the teachings of the Holy Church, the energy of his soul mysteriously resides in a person’s name, just as the energy of the Divine resides in the name of God. A person’s good name connects him with God, the energy of the human soul with the energy of the Divine. A person’s good name necessarily includes one of the names of God. For example, Ivan, or, according to the church, John - the grace of God.
The good or holy name given at Baptism contains a power of grace acting on the soul of its owner through the names of God or the namesake saints, the heavenly patrons of the Christian. In the same way, an ungood or evil name contains a lexical constant, a phoneme, or an outline that connects the soul with the energy of the demon that protects it. Hannibal is the mercy of Baal.
A person who does not bear a holy name is not inscribed in the “book of life” (Ap. 13:8); after death, his soul, along with his name, goes to destruction. This is a dogma of the Church, which gives Christian names to its children in Holy Baptism. As Wisdom says: “The name of sinners will be consumed unkindly. If you ask about the name, then it remains more than thousands of great treasures of gold” (Sir. 31, 13).
According to the Revelation of St. Apostle John the Theologian, to provide effective resistance to the Antichrist, only those who will have Christian, i.e. holy names, which are recorded in the “book of life”, i.e. in the Orthodox calendar, and which are remembered in the Sacraments, will be able to refuse him worship Church. “And it was given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority was given to him over every tribe and people and tongue and nation. And all who live on earth will worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb, who was slain from the foundation of the world” (Apoc. 13:7-8). To be written in the book of life of the Lamb, slain from the creation of the world, does not mean participation in the sacraments of the Holy Church, performed over the names of the saints!?
Which saints will the Antichrist defeat? Saints in name only, who despised the Sacraments of the Church, who will receive his mark and find themselves blotted out from the book.
When accepting an identification number, the name given at Baptism is replaced with a digital code. For any operations with this code number, the number 666 is mathematically added to it as the digital code of the main operator, its seal.
Without adding the number 666 to the personal code, no operation will be considered valid. And the digital connection of a personal number with the number 666 will mean the communication of a person’s name code with the number or name of the beast, i.e., the energy of the human soul with the soul of the Antichrist, as happens when the name of a demon is lexically combined with the human name dedicated to him.
Just as in the sacrament of Baptism the name of the person being baptized is united to Christ, and as in the sacrament of Wedding the bride and groom are united in marriage through the names, so in the same way, when accepting a personal code, a person’s soul will be united with the name of the Antichrist through a substitute code.
Being used when committing legal acts subject to state duty, including acts of civil status, a personal code inevitably acquires the status of a person’s official name, while the holy name retains the meaning of a literary pseudonym or a thieves’ nickname.
Having renounced the holy name through the adoption of a digital code, imprinted with the number of the beast, a person, although he retains the opportunity to use his name in everyday life, among relatives and friends, however, such use of the holy name, which has become illegal, now does not sanctify, but defiles the person.
Just as calling domestic animals, a dog or a cat, by holy names is considered blasphemy, in the same way a profane, i.e., renounced name, instead of a blessing, brings the wrath of God upon its owner.
In ancient Hebrew, Greek and Slavic, the three main languages ​​of the Holy Scriptures, an alphanumeric alphabet is used to write names, in which each letter corresponds to a specific digit or round number. Any number made up of letters of the alphanumeric alphabet can be read as a word or a name. Conversely, any word or name can be represented by its corresponding number or series of numbers. Thus, any number used as an individual number will be a complex alphabetic abbreviation, which in phonetic transcription gives one or another phrase and, in accordance with the known or unknown laws of psycholinguistics, becomes a factor capable of interacting with the second human signaling system, and more broadly , is the bearer of some of those magical-mystical energy-informational properties that are inherent in an ordinary word or human name.
The number of the name of the beast, inscribed using the alphanumeric alphabet in phonetic transcription, sounds in Greek as “hiksies”, in Church Slavonic, “herksizelo”. This lexeme will be an obligatory component of a complex phrase formed by the phonetic transcription of an alphabetic abbreviation of a digital code, which is a computer analogue or replacement of a person’s name.
In the sacred language of the Bible, the number 666 has a correspondence in the name of Hiram, the prince of Tire, who annually delivered 666 talents of gold to King Solomon (3 Ts. 10, 19). The prophet Ezekiel calls the devil by the name of the prince of Tire. Holy Scripture also mentions another Hiram, “his mother was from the daughters of Dan, and his father was a Tyrian husband” (2 Chron. 2:14), the builder of the temple of Solomon, the main character of Masonic legends and the genetic prototype of the Antichrist.
According to the teachings of the Holy Church, the name of God, invoked in prayer, not only has a beneficial effect on the human soul, but also has the power of exorcism and driving away demons.
“The name of Jesus has such power over demons that it produces the indicated effect even when it is called upon by vicious people. Jesus teaches us this when he says: “Many will say to Me on that day, “Didn’t they cast out demons in Your name?” Didn’t they do miracles in Your name? (Matt. 7, 22) "(Origen, Against Celsus, p. 31).
The names of the holy martyrs and other holy saints and servants of God in Christ Jesus also have the exorcism and driving power against the devil contained in the Divine names.
Combined, according to the divinely established laws of communication of verbal and physical nature, with the names of saints, the incantatory power of the name of God is a reliable protection of the human soul from the cunning and malice of demons, and does not allow the use of his holy name to harm a person by manipulating his consciousness.
A computer name, number code or alphanumeric abbreviation, devoid of the spell power inherent in the Divine name and combined with a number or the name of the beast, deprives the human soul of grace-filled help and opens it to the destructive influence of demonic power.
The key or secret action of ancient idolatry, to the execution of which the first Christians preferred painful death at the hands of persecutors, along with external ritual forms of worship, raising of hands, burning incense, etc., was the invocation of the name of the revered idol and the adoption by the worshiper of the cult name dedicated to the idol.
Both in ancient times and now, when renouncing Christ and moving to any other religion or sect, the main condition is the renunciation of the holy name and the adoption of a new one.
From hagiographical stories it is known that many saints entered temples to ridicule idols, paying them all visible signs of feigned worship except for accepting a cult name. And, on the contrary, the same fatherly legends say that even a feigned or conditional renunciation of the Christian name and of Christ deprives a person of Divine grace.
A disciple of a certain elder, while on the road, met a Jew who drew him into a dispute about Christ and, supposedly for the sake of logical consistency of reasoning, suggested that the inexperienced monk momentarily take the point of view that Christ is not the Son of God, and he himself is not a Christian. “Well, okay, let’s say,” the monk agreed after much persuasion, and after listening to the Jew, he again confessed Christ as God. It was revealed to his elder that the moment his disciple said “let’s say,” the grace of God departed from him.
No external forced captivity or inscription anywhere of any signs or names, even if the devil himself in all his vile guise were allowed to appear before a person, can harm his soul, except for voluntary renunciation of Christ, including through renunciation of the holy name given at Baptism.
On the cowardly and fearful renouncers of the name of the Christian St. The seer utters a formidable prophecy: “Whoever worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on his forehead and on his hand, he will drink the wine of the wrath of God, whole wine prepared in the cup of His wrath, and will be tormented with fire and brimstone before the saints of God and before the Lamb, and the smoke of their torment will ascend forever and ever, and they who worship the beast and his image and who receive the mark of his name will have no rest day or night” (Apoc. 14:9-11).
The patristic teaching on mental warfare uses the concept of captivity, which denotes a sudden and rapid attack of destructive thoughts that powerfully engulf the soul at the guidance of demons, using as an operational base for the attack some passionate pledge, i.e., a passionate thought or desire rooted in soul of a sinner.
Truly, such a final unrepentant pledge, bringing all kinds of disasters to the soul, will be the acceptance of the seal of the Antichrist through the assignment of his code name to a person.
But in the use by the beast of the mark of his name as a guarantee for the captivity of fearful and timid souls, a predetermined possibility of victory over him opens up on the part of those who will not accept his nasty seal. “Whoever has an ear, let him hear. He who leads into captivity will himself go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must himself be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and faith of the saints” (Apoc. 13:9-11), warns St. Apostle John the Theologian.
The announcement by the Antichrist of his name and the method of using it to establish universal worship of himself as God will inevitably cause equal spiritual opposition from those who did not willingly accept the sinful pledge, or the bad mark of his name. These opponents of the “name of the opposite”, by enduring to the end all the persecutions brought against them for refusing to accept the bad seal, will defeat him.
“And I saw,” says St. The seer, like a sea of ​​glass mixed with fire, and those who conquered the beast and his image and the mark of his name and the number of his name stand on this sea of ​​glass, holding the harps of God, and they sing the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb, saying : Great and wonderful are Your works, Lord God Almighty, righteous and true are Your ways, King of saints. Who will not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? for You alone are holy” (Apoc. 15:2-4).
It is also clear that the sovereign ruler of Russia who himself will not accept the mark of the beast and will lead his loyal subjects to escape from the all-destructive captivity of Antichrist will be the last Russian Tsar.
Nikolay Kozlov

We can read about Christians’ expectation of a sign of the end of the wicked world in the letter of the Apostle Paul, who wrote: “We beseech you, brethren... not to be in a hurry to be shaken in your mind and be troubled either by the spirit, or by the word, or by the message, as if sent by us, as if the day of Christ was already coming.”(2 Thess. 2:1,2). Later, from the scrolls of the Apostle John, they began to learn that a certain beast was about to appear number 666. Since then, humanity has from time to time begun to put forward various [not always adequate] versions of the mystery of the number of the beast.

For example, in Rus', the expectation of the beast-Antichrist in 1666 was so serious that many at that time did not plow or sow, abandoning other activities usual for that time. Further, mass self-immolations began among Orthodox Old Believers in order not to be marked with a stigma number of the beast 666. This was due to the coming of Peter the 1st to the kingdom, who issued a decree on a population census to collect double tax from these believers.

Nowadays, there are still a huge number of conceivable and inconceivable guesses about number of the beast. However, the purpose of this article is precisely the constructive study of Scripture in order to understand what is associated with number 666; and also what events will take place during the last days of the wicked world.

Worship of the beast with the number 666

"... small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, will receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one will be able to buy or sell except the one who has this mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. He who has intelligence, count it. number of the beast, for this is a human number; his number six hundred sixty six" (Rev. 13:16-18).

In order for us to understand what is being said here, let's first look at the context.

The Apostle John wrote:

"And I saw another beast coming out of the earth; he had two horns like a lamb, and spoke like a dragon... And he performed great signs, so that fire was brought down from heaven to earth before people... And it was given to him to put spirit into the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would speak and act in such a way that We will kill everyone who does not worship the image of the beast" (Rev. 13:11,13,15).

Verse 11, which refers to the beast having “two horns like a lamb,” means:

1. false Christs
2. false prophets*.

[* see Antichrist – 1 John 2:18,19. Matthew 7:15,22; 24:24. Rev. 19:20. Apostates from the holy covenant - Daniel 11:30-32. Daniel 8:23,24. 2 Pet.2:1,2.].

And the most striking prophetic image of this is shown in the book of Daniel:

"King Nebuchadnezzar made a golden image, the height of sixty cubits, six cubits wide, he placed it in the field of Deir, in the region of Babylon. Then the herald loudly exclaimed: It is announced to you, peoples, tribes and tongues: whoever does not fall and worship will be immediately thrown into a fiery furnace. Therefore, when all the nations heard the sound of the trumpet, the flute, the harp, the harp, the harp, and all kinds of musical instruments, then all peoples, nations, and languages ​​fell, and worshiped the golden image, which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up" (Dan. 3:1,4, 6,7).

Rev. 13:15 says: "so that we may kill everyone who does not worship the image of the beast". It was for not worshiping the image, 60 cubits high, 6 cubits wide and 6 cubits long, that it was decided to throw Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego into a fiery furnace. And this was a prophetic action, pointing to the event of the last days of the wicked world: “Some of the wise will suffer, to test them, to purify them, and to make them white for the time of the end; for there is still time before the time.”(Dan.11:35,36,37.)

The Apostle Peter also wrote:

“Beloved! Do not shy away from the fiery temptation sent to you to test you as a strange adventure. For it is time for judgment to begin at the house of God; but if it [begins] first with us, what will be the end of those who disobey the Gospel of God?” (1 Pet. 4:12,17).

What does it mean “a mark will be placed on their right hand or on their forehead”? (Rev. 13:16)

At the end of the 20th - beginning of the 21st century, there are many theories about the implantation of electronic chips in the hand and head. Undoubtedly, modern technology will be of great service to the last ruler of the devil. But it is important to pay attention to the language of God's holy and pure Word.

This is what Scripture says to Israel: “These words that I command you... you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as a blindfold over your eyes.”(Deut. 6:6,8; 11:18.).

• "Tie on hand"- meant that the law of the Most High must be accompanied by the fulfillment of the commandments, action in the Name of God Yahweh (compare: Isaiah.45:1; 63:12. Zech.3:1.).
• "Blindfold over the eyes"- meant that they should have God in their mind, guided by the understanding of the commandment (Prov. 2: 3-11.).

Therefore, it was customary among the Pharisees of Christ’s time to wear repositories (or phylacteries) with the commandments of the Most High on their foreheads and hands (Matt. 23:5.).

What conclusion can be drawn from the above example?

Pointing to the divinity of the beast with ten horns, false prophets (Rev. 13:11-15.) will seduce many nations, subtly forcing them to accept laws and conditions, promoting the global dictatorship of this new empire (2 Pet. 2: 1,2. Rev. 13: 14.16.). AND:

• Those who receive the mark on the right hand, will mean ruling proxies (Ezra 7:25,26.), who will act on behalf of this empire - the beast (Dan. 11:39.).
• Those receiving the sign on the forehead [forehead] indicate those who will be guided by the ideas and policies of the beast, and will be marked as his slaves (compare: Ezek.9:4. Rev.7:3; 9:4.).

What does it mean to "neither buy nor sell" from Revelation 13:17

“And that no one may buy or sell except he who has the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name” (Rev. 13:17).

If before the coming of the Lord Christ the worship of the true God was at the state level, and had to be supported in every possible way by the king of Israel, then with the advent of the new King and High Priest this situation changed.

The Kingdom of Heaven was not an earthly Kingdom. This means that those who have been called to the Heavenly Kingdom should not have close relations with any other king other than Christ.

Therefore it was said to His disciples: “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”(John 15:19).

Here is what the prophet Daniel wrote about this:

“At the end of their kingdom, when the apostates have fulfilled the measure of their iniquities, a king will arise insolent and skilled in deceit; and his power will be strengthened, although not by his own strength, and he will cause amazing devastation ... and destroy ... the people of the saints” (Dan. 8 :23,24.).

Having secured the support of apostates from the holy covenant (2 Peter 2:1-3.), i.e. false Christs and false prophets, who will prove with signs and wonders the godlikeness of the “beast empire” (Rev. 13:11-15), this last emperor from the devil will achieve extraordinary power. In fact, this state should become a more powerful and advanced empire than Rome once was (see Rev. 17:8.).

• Just like Emperor Nero, he will be very effective in opposing the true followers of Christ.
• Because of this persecution, “the love of many will grow cold” Matt.24:12.).
• Divisions will begin among Christians [the prototype of which was Judas - Psalm 54:13-15.], and other people close to each other (Luke 12:51-53.).

For example, those who in the first century opposed the accepted worship were excommunicated from the synagogue (John 16:2; 9:22.). However, this was only a glimpse of what we can expect at the sign of Christ's coming (Matt. 24:3.).

The last times of the wicked world will begin with what is written about in Rev. 12:7-9,12. When the devil is “thrown down to earth,” he will have greater control over humanity than ever before. And if he [the devil] did not achieve the worship of Christ, promising Him all the kingdoms of the world (Luke 4:5-7.), then at the end of time there will be one of the people who, having worshiped, will receive this power (Dan.8:24. Rev.13:2.).

Those who refuse to have a close relationship with this emperor of the devil [taking the “mark of the beast”] will find themselves outcasts from society. They won't be able to "neither sell nor buy" in the sense that they will be persecuted in every possible way. For example, dismissal from work, taking away property (Abd. 11-13,21.). In the end, their relatives will abandon them (Micah.2:8,9; 7:5-10. Matt.10:34-36.). Left without a means of subsistence, the followers of Christ will begin to need clothing, food and shelter.

And the words of the Apostle Paul will become more urgent than ever:

“Do not forget the love of hospitality, for through it some, unknowingly, showed hospitality to angels. Remember the prisoners, as if you were in bonds with them, and those who suffer, as you yourself are in the body” (Heb. 13:2,3).

It is on this basis that the Lord will judge the figurative “sheep” and “goats” – Matt.25:31-45.

666 Human number

"...for this human number; his number six hundred sixty six" (Rev. 13:18).

Talking about number of the beast 666, first let’s find out what it means '"human number".

If we compare Rev. 13:2 and Dan. 7:4-7., we see that the beast from the book of Revelation has all four elements of the beasts from the prophecy of Daniel.

But only the passage from Daniel 7:4 gives us a clue:

"The first was like a lion... and he was lifted up from the ground, and stood on his feet like a man, and the heart of man was given to him".

So what does " human number"?

You should pay attention to the explanation of the prophet Daniel himself about the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar and his descendant Belshazzar:

"But when his [Nebuchadnezzar's] heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened to the point of insolence, he was overthrown from his royal throne and deprived of his glory, and was excommunicated from the sons of men, and his heart became like that of an animal... And you, his son Belshazzar, did not humble your heart, although you knew all this, but you exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven...” (Dan.5:20-23. Also Jer.50:29.).

Man was created "in the image and likeness of God" to have dominion over the beasts of the earth (Gen.1:26. Psalm.8:5-9.). And expression "man, human" from Daniel 7:4. means: pride, arrogance, resistance against everything. This confirms Daniel's prophecy about the last emperor - the beast with number 666:

“And that king will do according to his own will, and will be exalted and exalted above every god, and will speak blasphemous things about the God of gods, and will prosper until the wrath is accomplished: for what is foreordained will be fulfilled” (Dan. 11:36) .

And now about the number. We bring to your attention passages of Scripture that in one way or another relate to the topic of the number of the beast:

1. The attack of Pharaoh and his 600 chariots on Israel - Ex.14:7,8.
2. Philistine Goliath[from Gath], 6 cubits tall, resisted Israel and was defeated by David - 1 Samuel 17:4,7.
3. Philistine from Gath, having 6 fingers and toes, smitten by David's nephew - 2 Samuel 21:20,21.
4. The image, which all nations were supposed to worship, was 60 cubits high, 6 cubits wide, [probably 6 cubits long] – Dan.3:1,7.
5. The rich man and his five brothers = 6 damn sons the devil - Luke 16:27,28.

Morality:

We have already mentioned the story from the book of Daniel about the worship of an image 60 cubits high and 6 cubits wide (Dan. 3: 1, 7.). And especially for those who live to see the events described in the book of Revelation, chapters 11 and 13, it is important to remember the qualities of perseverance that the Jews showed: Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego (Dan. 3: 16-20.).

Their passing through the fiery furnace was a prophetic act, pointing to an important principle. The world must be cleansed not only through water [as during the flood], but also through fire (2 Pet. 3:6,7,10-14.).

Likewise, the servants of God (Num. 31:21-23.) must go through purification:

1. Spirit - the image of which water was (Luke 3:16. John 7:37-39.).
2. Fire - as a form of testing for spiritual cleansing (Zech. 13:9. Dan. 11:35. 1 Pet. 4: 12,13,17.).

It's a matter of worship beast number 666 will be a catalyst [cause] for the purification of true Christians. At that time, it will be especially important to remember the parable of the poor widow and the unjust judge from Luke 18:1-8., which asks the question: “I tell you that he will give them protection soon. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth”?..

So: “Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him with firm faith... But the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, Himself, after you suffered a little while, may he perfect you, may he establish you, may he strengthen you, may he make you steadfast" (1 Pet. 5:8-10). Amen.

S.Iakovlev (Bokhan).