Revelation 13:16-18

¹⁶ Also he compels all [alike], both small and great, both the rich and the poor, both free and slave, to be marked with an inscription [stamped] on their right hands or on their foreheads,

• The forehead or right hand means that it is easy to see who you stand for.
• During the last 3 1/2 years before Jesus returns things will be absolutely clear. Remember how we were shown the crystal sea of glass in Revelation 4:6. Jesus told us that He would show us everything in its entirety in Revelation 1:1. 

¹⁷ So that no one will have power to buy or sell unless he bears the stamp (mark, inscription), [that is] the name of the beast or the number of his name.

• America, Wall Street, the power of the U.S. dollar, America can force the world to do whatever we want when it comes to commerce. If we don’t buy stuff, the world’s economies crash. If our dollar fails, the world’s economies fail. If nations do not go along with what America wants they suffer greatly. 
• So it is easy to see how the Western powers could force a one world system to track all activity. People are very willing to give up a lot when it comes to peace.
• I really do not believe that the anti-christ will seize power though, I believe that he will be heralded into power. 
• But to take the Mark of the Beast will not be as wide spread as people think. If it was, then most during the end time would be damned. If that were true, how is it that a number that no one can count will be saved during the end times, Revelation 7:9.
• I honestly believe that the only ones who will have the Mark of the Beast are the fallen angels. 
• Jesus tells us that He only lost one of the disciples, yet He also calls that disciple a devil.
• Jesus answered them, Did I not choose you, the Twelve? And [yet] one of you is a devil (of the evil one and a false accuser). John 6:70
• The fallen angels are on this earth, they look like us, yet they are not human. 

¹⁸ Here is [room for] discernment [a call for the wisdom of interpretation]. Let anyone who has intelligence (penetration and insight enough) calculate the number of the beast, for it is a human number [the number of a certain man]; his number is 666.

• The beasts number, the last Popes number is 666. The number 6 represents the worship of man, and is the number of man, signifying his rebellion, imperfection, works, and disobedience.
• The number six is used 273 times in the Bible, including its derivatives (e.g, sixth) and another 91 times as “threescore” or “60.” Man was created on the sixth day (Genesis 1:26, 31). See also Exodus 31:15 and Daniel 3:1.
• I am not a Greek scholar, but from most of what I have studied on this, the letters in the name of the anti-christ will add up to 666. Greek letters are given numbers: alpha is 1, beta 2, and so on. For instance Jesus’ name in Greek (iasous) adds up to 888. So whoever the anti-christ is, his name will add up to, when spelled in Greek, 666. Since the anti-christ’s name is never given to us, Jesus shows John a way for us to know who it is.
• John was not permitted to reveal what the seven thunders said. They could have been proclaiming the specifics of who the anti-christ and false prophet will be.
• I am sure that when the anti-christ is revealed, the church will clearly know who and what he is. Our Father will make sure that we do, because if we take his mark, there is no coming back. People do put a lot of effort into trying and figuring this out though, when the Bible clearly tells us that he will not be revealed until the end times.