6/13/2023

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE READING:

“It [the second beast] also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666.” (Revelation 13.16-17, 18b)

TODAY’S REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

There is a lot of time and energy and brain power spent on determining the identity of the man, 666. And while there is a sense of urgent request for those of wisdom to calculate, decypher, the information given and thus be able to recognize “who” it is, there is no doubt as to “what” is happening. Mighty ones of God, we are being given the information which directs our thoughts for living in this or any day. What we are told is that there will be one “man” who will have command of a multitude of people across all categories of the social spectrum. Those who “think” they are in control and have permission to exercise it will be like puppets on a string. No one, save those who hold fast in faith to living for God as did Christ, will be exempt from the exercise of this “man.” So, when possible options of identity are offered, we have this simple rubric to work from: everyone except those who are willing to lay down their lives for another in order that God be served will bear the mark which is a man’s name or a number meaning that name. At some point, it will not really matter what the name is because we already know the number- 666. No one thinks for a minute that it will be a mystery. It will be blatant and obvious. It will not be God, or God or for God. That number, for the sake of our understanding, falls short of the glory of God. For the sake of argument, for the sake of our understanding, let me propose a number which attains to the height, depth, breadth, width, volume and magnitude of God. That number would be 777.

We know that “seven” is a vital number represents the full span of God’s righteous endeavor in creating the heavens and the earth. Paul speaks of “seven” heavens. I would think there are “seven” elements (earth, water, wind, fire, time, matter, space) which shape life into living. God is the master of all “seven.” We already heard the discussion between Peter and Jesus about the sufficient measure of effort to be given to “forgiveness.” Peter asks if “seven” times is enough. By translation Jesus responds with “seventy times seven” or “seventy-seven times seven.” That’s right, 777. It is not written in stone, mind you, but I am just putting forth this image so that you can get a handle on the danger of 666. 666 falls short. It does not meet the expectation of righteousness, holiness and goodness. It has limited power which by human standards seems to be unlimited. Strange, is it not, that so many people believe God’s power is limited simply because He does not cater to their every whim. God sees things perfectly as they are, as they are meant to be and as they could be…for better or worse. The enemy, 666, sees only things as the enemy desires them to be “all for one and all for me who is that one.” Consider again the story of creation as we read it in Genesis, chapter 1. Three distinct events happen on the “sixth day.” They are: the calling of living creatures from the ground (as opposed to those created previously from the air and water); the creation of humankind- male and female, in the image of God (combine with chapter 2 and see that these living creatures were created from the earth and became inspired to live by the breath of God…the Holy Spirit which we know by the symbol of “fire); and, the commissioning of these lives to live in harmony feeding from what God had created before them. This was the sum total of God’s intention for creation up to that point. Let’s say it as the three sixes, or 666. But, it was not the sum total of God’s creation from that point forward. What comes on the seventh day, we know it by the name and practice of Sabbath, is the focus of all creation on the Creator. Up to this point, all attention to detail has been from God to creation itself. Everything happened under the watchful eye, commanded word and sovereign plan of God. It was God who declared the work of each day finished with the word “It is good, it is finished, it is done.” On the sixth day, God added that “It was good and very good.” Everything was made ready for the celebration and the beginning of they cycle of life which ended and thus began on the seventh day. Interesting enough that the very words of Jesus on the cross on the “sixth” day were “It is finished, it is done” and breathing His last would have signified His confirmation that it was “good and very good.” What was good? Well, the same intent as with which He entered into the Jordan River to be baptized: for all righteousness. Anointed to bring the good news of life (Jubilee- the Sabbath of sabbaths), Jesus began the thrust of His ministry submitting to the baptism for the forgiveness of sins. He who was without sin did not cast the first stone upon the waters of life. No, He stepped into those waters just like everyone else who desired a forgiven life so that we might see the pattern which had been lost due to man’s inhumanity to man. On the cross, the penalty for such inhumanity was paid in full so that we might step into those waters of life and find our “rest.” Our rest comes in the Sabbath so that on the first day, we get to the business at hand which has been given to us. We are reborn, restored, revived and repurposed. We are better than before because we are renewed by the breath of God who is the master of time, matter and space. All the elements come together in Him. This will not be the truth for the Enemy of God and God’s people. He will always find himself a day late, a dollar short and a step away. What he desires is to keep you a day late, a dollar short and a step away from the greatness which was always yours if you would but believe in Yahweh Elohim. The truth is obvious to the wise, welcomed by the simple and an anethema to the enemy.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY:

You are our God and we shall be Your people in spirit and in truth. Continue to dwell among us. Let the revelation by Your Holy Spirit inspire us to greater service in a more refined identity. We do not live as ourselves for ourselves. Rather, we live in Christ as He lives in us. We declare it with all the elders and angels in Heaven, saying “Holy, holy, holy is He who was and is and is to come.” In Jesus’ name we live, serve and pray. AMEN.