Revelation 13:6-10, 13-18

It used its mouth to speak against God, against God’s name, against the place where God lives, and against all those who live in heaven. It was given power to make war against God’s holy people and to defeat them. It was given power over every tribe, people, language, and nation. And all who live on earth will worship the beast—all the people since the beginning of the world whose names are not written in the Lamb’s book of life. The Lamb is the One who was killed. Anyone who has ears should listen: If you are to be a prisoner, then you will be a prisoner. If you are to be killed with the sword, then you will be killed with the sword. This means that God’s holy people must have patience and faith.

And the second beast does great miracles so that it even makes fire come down from heaven to earth while people are watching. It fools those who live on earth by the miracles it has been given the power to do. It does these miracles to serve the first beast. The second beast orders people to make an idol to honor the first beast, the one that was wounded by the deadly sword but sprang to life again. The second beast was given power to give life to the idol of the first one so that the idol could speak. And the second beast was given power to command all who will not worship the image of the beast to be killed. The second beast also forced all people, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to have a mark on their right hand or on their forehead. No one could buy or sell without this mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name. This takes wisdom. Let the one who has understanding find the meaning of the number, which is the number of a person. Its number is 666.