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dragon and possesses all the authority of the first beast. The False Prophet’s job is actually two-fold: to perform and perplex. “He . . . makes fire come down out of heaven to earth in the presence of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast” (Revelation 13:13-14). His goal in this is in no way to outshine or compete with the Antichrist, but rather entice the entire pagan population to worship the first beast. The False Prophet is known most for the permanent mark he places on all followers of the Antichrist, one which dooms them to eternal death. This mark, depicted by the number 666 (Revelation 13:18), carries both religious and economic ramifications. In addition to identifying people with the Antichrist, it allows them to engage in commerce.Those without such designation are forbidden to buy and sell (Rev- elation 13:17), worsening the suffering they will already be experiencing. Allow me to state at this point that one should not get caught up in trying to define exactly what the number 666 means.While many have gotten bogged down with computer chip and numerology theories, suffice to say it clearly symbol- izes evil. While 7 signifies God’s perfection/completeness, 6, man’s number, represents insufficiency and evil. Three sixes mean one for each member of the unholy trinity. Also, since those bearing this number have rejected Christ and depended on man instead, they can expect nothing but the impending second death—eternity in the lake of fire. If all this puts you in a state of angst and anxiety, fear not. God placed a death sentence on Satan and his associates through the death of His Son Jesus on the cross. Meanwhile,

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