Why is the number 666 associated with devil?

The nefarious connotations of 666 weren't invented by some heavy metal band -- they are rooted in the Bible.

The final book of the New Testament is Revelation, and for centuries theologians have pondered its highly symbolic, prophetic language. Revelation tells of impending Armageddon, an end of all time, when a great war will be fought between good and evil, and God will triumph. In Revelation, "the beast," also called the Antichrist, personifies evil.

Revelation, Chapter 13 speaks of the beast and how to identify his followers. According to verses 16 and 17, they will have the mark or the name or number of the beast on their right hands or foreheads. Verse 18 introduces the number 666 itself: "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."

It's unclear why the specific number 666 is the number of the beast. According to Dial-the-Truth Ministries, the number 6 is the number of man because in the Bible, God created man on the sixth day. Elsewhere in the Bible (Matthew 16:23), Satan is described as being "man-centered" (as opposed to God-centered). Thus the devil's number would be a twist on man's number. This is just one theory, and the number 666 has generated plenty of debate.


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