6:66

"6:66"

"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"-Rev 13:18

Very few books of the bible have any chapters with as many as 66 verses in them! But there is only one book in all Scripture which has 66 verses in its sixth chapter! And, coincidentally, it happens to have been written by the same author as the book of Revelation!

Jn 6:66 "From that time many of --> his disciples <-- went back, and --> walked <-- no more with him." Surely John knew this! And even if he'd forgotten, the Holy Spirit had not! There IS only one such chapter & verse (6:66) in Holy Writ - in the Gospel of John! Well then, we'd better take a closer look at the context of this verse & discern what the Lord may mean by such numeric-exclusiveness!

And, should anyone argue that (because the chapter & verse enumeration was added much later & by other men who were not the authors) "the bible's numeric system cannot have been as inspired of the Holy Spirit as the Words they ("rightly" or wrongly) divide"; I would remind them that God has had His Hand on every OTHER aspect of Scripture; it's clarity, purity, propagation, distribution and survival (in spite of incredible odds, I might add)!

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John 6:44-71 "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of (by) God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?

Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.

These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it (or listen to it)? When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you (do you stumble over this)? What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? It is the spirit that quickeneth (gives Life); the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit (meat!), and they are life (blood!). But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

(6:66) From that time many of his disciples went back (repented of Repentance!), and walked no more with him (rejected Him!). Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve."

I know a man who believes that the "sign of the Anti-Christ (or Beast)" is the belief in the "rapture" theory! I think I see where he's coming from, and tend to agree with most of it. But I have a "hunch" that we could pick & point to any number of errors, mis-conceptions, lies, perversions or character traits that would also qualify! I heard pastor Chuck Smith comment the other day that, when we all get to the Judgment Seat of Almighty God, it won't be a "shopping list of sins" we'll be confronted with (as many believe), but merely one question: "Do you believe in the Son of God, Jesus Christ, and that His Death was for your Eternal Life? - Answer yes or no!".

I agree with Him. The Lord has been showing me that it is unbelief which is the enemy of every believer! And Jesus said that the "work" of the kingdom was to believe! So I wonder if it really doesn't matter what it is that causes one to "stumble" & "take offence" at Jesus; but that any or all unbelief qualifies as the "mark of the Beast" if we allow it to cause us to REJECT or to STOP FOLLOWING Jesus Christ!

It's for certain Satan isn't picky! 1 Peter 2:6-8 "Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of STUMBLING, and a rock of OFFENCE, even to them which stumble AT the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed." And just how do we "stumble" or "take offence" at the Word (Person AND Written)?

The drunks have a saying, "if a "kick in the butt" will get you sober, [a "rebuke"] a "pat on the back" [a "compliment"!] will get you drunk!". In a way, that same logic applies here!

A "dismissal" is as "good" as a "rejection" for the purposes of damnation! It really doesn't matter whether we're set on man's opinions as in Jn 5:44 ("Jesus") "How can ye believe, which RECEIVE HONOUR ONE OF ANOTHER, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?", (source of unbelief!); or "set aside" God's Word & PREFER THE TRADITIONS ["notions"] of men as in Mt 15:6 ("Jesus") "...Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition."; or trample over the Precious things of God by callous disregard as in I Cor 11:29 "For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, NOT DISCERNING the Lord's body."

(Most would admit they have no foggy idea what Paul meant here - and it might never occur to them to JUST ASK GOD! to reveal it to them directly!); or if we merely SHRUG OFF the "Words of Life" of our Creator [refusing to "Ask!, Seek!, Knock!"], Lord & Saviour Jesus Christ as some deep mystery, far beyond our capacity to comprehend as in Mt 5:39 ("Jesus") "But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also." or Mt 18:9 ("Jesus") "And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee:...", or Mt 5:28 ("Jesus") "But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.", or Mt 5:10 ("Jesus") "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake:..."

Do we really believe Him when He says such things as these?

Over & over again what Jesus says seems "out of reach" for us - impossible! Indeed, His "Sermon on the Mount" is the most devastating lecture ever promulgated to our species! The point is, it doesn't matter WHAT causes you to stumble at Christ. Jesus makes it clear that it will become exceedingly difficult to "stand" in the last days in Mt 24:12 ("Jesus") "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." Mt 24:24 ("Jesus") "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." [Are we Listening?]

As surly as darkness fell over all the land of Egypt except Goshen, all who Love the Lord Jesus Christ in the last days will be surrounded with deep darkness! Mt 7:14 ("Jesus") "Because strait [disciplined!] is the gate, and narrow [hard!] is the way, which leadeth unto life, and --> few <-- there be that find it." [Do we BELIEVE Him?]

Lk 13:23 ("Jesus") "Then said one unto him, Lord, are there --> few <-- that be saved? And he said unto them, 'Strive to enter in at the strait [disciplined!] gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.'" [that means FEW "make it"! - as above!]

Most folk are so "hung up" on "God is not willing that any should perish", that they will not hear Jesus telling them MOST will be lost!

Isa 6:6-10 "Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed."

Mt 13:14 ("Jesus") "And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and --> I <-- should heal them."

The "mark" is another way of saying "name", or "character", or "image"! Satan is deception, rebellion & death by choice! He chooses this evil character of his! God did not Say or Give it! Satan chooses what God has not Said, so to be what God is not! Man dies by what God has not Said, and Lives by all that God has Said! This is why Jesus said in Jn 6:28,29 ("Jesus") "Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye BELIEVE on him whom he hath sent."

No, unbelief, surely, is the "mark of the Beast", or 6:66! No man can continue "walking" with Jesus Christ except as Following the Holy Spirit; and that means death to the flesh! For this walk (and everything about it!) is SuperNatural!

Lk 9:23 ("Jesus") "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross DAILY, and follow me. [Ever notice how you just don't hear sermons on THIS topic these "daZe"?] For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?" Paul wasn't kidding when he said he "died daily"!

There are lots of "once-Saved-always-Saved" folks who simply don't believe it's possible to be a "castaway" as Jesus refers to here, or Paul in I Cor 9:27 "But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." Or that he really considered himself "chief of sinners"! In fact, the whole "notion" of the existence of "reprobate" is anathema to many Christians today, as in Jer 6:27-30 "I have set thee for a tower and a fortress among my people, that thou mayest know and try their way. They are all grievous revolters, walking with slanders: they are brass and iron; they are all corrupters. The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed of the fire; the founder melteth in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away. Reprobate (throw- away!) silver shall men call them, because the LORD hath rejected them."

Mt 21:42-44 ("Jesus") "Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the FRUITS thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder."

I think Jesus sums up 6:66 (John) quite well in His Own Words in Lk 9:26 ("Jesus") "For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels." What a SHAME, indeed! ...I Thank God I LOVE AND BELIEVE HIM!