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| Let's pray together: |
| Our Lord, There are hundreds of hypotheses about the nature of the mark of the Beast. But the Bible says that this subject is so important that we cannot venture to play with hypotheses! We need a clear answer coming straight from the only reliable source of truth: Your Word. Our Father, please open our hearts and spirits, that we may understand Your teaching. In Jesus Christ we pray. Amen. |
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Lesson 36 |
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666 and the Mark of the Beast |
Hebrews 5:14 |
Comments |
| But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. | If you have not yet studied the previous lesson «The Beast of Revelation», we strongly encourage you to do it before going on, otherwise it could be difficult to grasp the content of this lesson. |
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Lesson 36 |
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666 and the Mark of the Beast |
Revelation 13:1,3,10 |
Comments |
| I saw a beast rising up out of
the sea, having seven heads and ten horns. (...) I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded. (...) He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity. |
In our last lesson «The
Beast of Revelation», we saw that the little horn (in Daniel 7) and the beast (in
Revelation 13) both symbolize the same power: the Papacy. Having led thousands of people into captivity during his reign, the Pope was himself captured in 1798 by French general Berthier. This is how the beast received a deadly wound. |
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Lesson 36 |
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666 and the Mark of the Beast |
Revelation 13:3 |
Comments |
| I saw one of of his heads as if
it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. |
We also saw that the beast's deadly wound was healed. Indeed, after having lost its political power in 1798, the papacy recovered it in 1929 when Mussolini, by the Lateran Treaty, made the Pope a political ruler again. Since then, the Pope reigns over Vatican, a little country within the city of Rome. |
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Lesson 36 |
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666 and the Mark of the Beast |
Revelation 13:10,11 |
Comments |
| He who leads into captivity
shall go into captivity. (...) Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. |
The prophecy links the pope's captivity (which
happened at the end of the 18th century) with the appearance of another beast. As we have
seen in previous lessons, a beast symbolizes a kingdom, a political power. Unlike the first beast, this second beast comes up out of the earth, not the sea. Who is this beast which arose at the end of the 18th century, and why does it come up out of the earth? |
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Lesson 36 |
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666 and the Mark of the Beast |
Revelation 17:15 |
Comments |
| The waters which you saw (...) are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. | In Bible prophecy, waters symbolize people. So, the beast rising from the sea represents a power coming out of a populous place (as was the case with the papacy, which appeared in Europe). But what about the beast rising from the earth? The only important power which arose out of a sparsely-populated place, at the end of the 18th century, was the United States of America, which came out of the New World in 1776. |
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Lesson 36 |
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666 and the Mark of the Beast |
Revelation 13:11 |
Comments |
| Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. | But does the United States really fit the other
criteria of the beast coming up out of the earth? The beast displays lamb-like features, appropriately representing the Christian tradition of the United States which stands up for principles of civil and religious liberty. But the beast also speaks like a dragon: in spite of an outward gentleness, this nation remains a fearsome power, ruling the roost throughout the world. |
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Lesson 36 |
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666 and the Mark of the Beast |
Revelation 13:13 |
Comments |
| He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down fron heaven on the earth in the sight of men. | First, the United States' influence over the other
nations is significant, especially since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, and the
break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991. The «fire coming down from heaven» indicates the extraordinary power of the United States, which became, with the bombing of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, the first nuclear power of the earth. |
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Lesson 36 |
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666 and the Mark of the Beast |
Revelation 13:12 |
Comments |
| He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. | The Word of God foretells that shortly before the
return of Jesus Christ, we will see an alliance between the Papacy and the United States,
leading men to worship the Papacy. But how could this be possible? |
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Lesson 36 |
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666 and the Mark of the Beast |
Revelation 13:14 |
Comments |
| And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. | Very soon, the worldwide influence of the United
States will also be felt at the religious level, by the creation of an image to the first
beast, that is, a system reminiscent of the Papacy. Therefore, we can expect the United States of America to create an alliance between Church and State. This alliance will produce a religio-political power, in the image of the Papacy. |
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Lesson 36 |
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666 and the Mark of the Beast |
Revelation 13:15 |
Comments |
| He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. | Of course, alliances between political and religious
powers inevitably lead to intolerance and persecution. That persecution will soon begin due to an alliance between the United States of America and the Papacy. We will see in a moment how this will happen. |
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Lesson 36 |
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666 and the Mark of the Beast |
Revelation 13:16,17 |
Comments |
| And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark. | Once set up, the religio-political American
government, with the papacy's approval, will cause men to receive a mark: the mark of the
beast, which is the subject of our lesson. But before identifying this mark, let's take a moment to solve an enigma which has mystified many students of Bible prophecy: the meaning of 666. |
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Lesson 36 |
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666 and the Mark of the Beast |
Revelation 13:18 |
Comments |
| Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: his number is 666. |
The Bible doesn't tell us to seek the inscription
«666», but rather to calculate in order to get to 666. In the apostle John's time, there was a well-known game named «Gematria», in which one calculated the number of a name by adding up the numerical value of the letters of this name, according to the Roman numeral system: V=5, X=10, C=100, etc. Now, the Pope's official name is «VICARIUS FILII DEI», meaning «Vicar of the Son of God». |
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Lesson 36 |
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666 and the Mark of the Beast |
| The number of the name «VICARIUS FILII DEI» indeed adds up to 666: |
| V = 5 F = 0
D = 500 Please note that the
Romans I = 1 I = 1 E = 0 wrote the «U» as a «V». C = 100 L = 50 I = 1 Therefore, «VICARIUS» was A = 0 I = 1 --- written «VICARIVS», which R = 0 I = 1 501 explains why the «U» in the I = 1 -- word «VICARIUS» is worth 5. U = 5 53 S = 0 --- Total: 112 + 53 + 501 = 666 112 The number of his name.» (Revelation 13:17) |
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Lesson 36 |
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666 and the Mark of the Beast |
Revelation 13:18 |
Comments |
| Here is wisdom. | Let's remember that, the number 666 alone would not be
enough to identify the papacy as the beast of Revelation. This is simply an additional clue, completing all the other identifying marks which we have already studied. |
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Lesson 36 |
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666 and the Mark of the Beast |
Revelation 14:9,10 |
Comments |
| If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. | Now, let's return to the mark of the beast. According to these verses, it is crucial to know the nature of the mark of the beast, for the punishment of those receiving it will be eternal destruction. |
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Lesson 36 |
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666 and the Mark of the Beast |
Revelation 7:1-3 |
Comments |
| After these things I saw four
angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth,
that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, «Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.» |
The mark of the beast is in direct opposition to the
seal of God, because both must be put on men's foreheads. By understanding the seal of God, we will discover the nature of the mark of the beast. |
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Lesson 36 |
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666 and the Mark of the Beast |
Ezekiel 9:4 |
Comments |
| And the Lord said to him, «Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.» |
According to the Bible, the mark of God is put on the
foreheads of those who refuse to take part in abominations, in practices going against the
will of God. But the Word of God is even more precise... |
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Lesson 36 |
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666 and the Mark of the Beast |
Deuteronomy 6:6,8 |
Comments |
| And these words which I command
you today shall be in your heart. (...) You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. |
After giving the Ten Commandments to Moses, God
clearly indicated that these commandments must be a mark on the hand and the forehead,
thus meaning that we must keep them in mind (mark on forehead), and put them into practice
(mark on hand). But the beast too wants to put its mark on our hands and foreheads: so the mark of the beast is opposed to the commandments of God. |
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Lesson 36 |
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666 and the Mark of the Beast |
Exodus 13:9 |
Comments |
| It shall be as a sign to you on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the Lord's law may be in your mouth. | Knowing that the mark of the beast is opposed to the law of God, let's try to discover the exact nature of this opposition. |
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Lesson 36 |
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666 and the Mark of the Beast |
Esther 8:8 |
Comments |
| A letter which is written in the king's name and sealed with the king's signet ring no one can revoke. | To be official, a legal document must bear the seal of
the legislator. The three components of a seal are: (1) the name of the legislator; (2) the title of the legislator; (3) the territory covered by his legislation. Now, what is the seal of God's law? Where can we find it? |
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Lesson 36 |
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666 and the Mark of the Beast |
Exodus 20:10,11 |
Comments |
| The seventh day is the Sabbath
of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work. (...) For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. |
Among the Ten Commandments, the fourth one, requiring
the observance of the seventh day as day of rest, bears the three components of a seal: (1) the name of the legislator: «the Lord»; (2) His title: Creator, «the Lord made»; (3) the territory covered by His legislation: «heavens, earth, sea, etc.» |
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Lesson 36 |
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666 and the Mark of the Beast |
Romans 4:11 |
Comments |
| [Abraham] received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had. | According to the Word of God, a seal can also be a
sign. Is the fourth commandment - the seal of God's law - also a sign? |
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Lesson 36 |
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666 and the Mark of the Beast |
Exodus 31:13,17 |
Comments |
| Surely My Sabbaths you shall
keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know
that I am the Lord who sanctifies you. (...) It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever. |
Yes indeed, the Sabbath is a sign between God and His people. |
Ezekiel 20:12,20 |
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| I also gave them My Sabbaths, to
be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies
them. (...) Hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God. |
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Lesson 36 |
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666 and the Mark of the Beast |
| Let's note the similarity between God's fourth commandment and warning: |
| The fourth commandment of God
| The warning of God =======================================+=============================== EXODUS 20:10,11 | REVELATION 14:7 ---------------------------------------+------------------------------- The seventh day is the Sabbath of the | Fear God, and give glory to Lord your God. In it you shall do no | Him, for the hour of His judg- work (...). For in six days the Lord | ment has come; and worship Him made the heavens and the earth, the | who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them. | sea and springs of water. |
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Lesson 36 |
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666 and the Mark of the Beast |
Revelation 14:9,10,12 |
Comments |
| If anyone worships the beast and
his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also
drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of
His indignation. (...) Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. |
God's final warning clearly confirms our conclusion: it is by keeping the commandments of God, including the fourth commandment regarding the Sabbath, that we will avoid receiving the mark of the beast. |
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Lesson 36 |
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666 and the Mark of the Beast |
Daniel 7:25 |
Comments |
| [He] shall intend to change times and law. | We had seen that the little horn, symbolizing the
Papacy, would seek to change «times and law». Indeed, by formally designating Sunday as the new day of rest, in replacement of the Sabbath, the papacy tampered with the only commandment which affects time: the fourth commandment, the seal of God's law. Therefore the mark of the beast will be the observance of Sunday as the day of rest, instead of the Sabbath of God's fourth commandment. |
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Lesson 36 |
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666 and the Mark of the Beast |
| The papacy admits that Sunday is the mark of its authority: |
| «We have in the authoritative voice of the Church the
voice of Christ Himself. The Church is above the Bible; and this transference of Sabbath
observance from Saturday to Sunday is proof positive of that fact. Deny the authority of
the Church and you have no adequate or reasonable explanation or justification for the
substitution of Sunday for Saturday in the Third - Protestant Fourth - Commandment of
God.» («Catholic Record», September 1, 1923.) «Of course the Catholic Church claims that the change [from Sabbath to Sunday] was her act (...). And the act is a mark of her ecclesiastical power and authority in religious matters.» (Reply of Chancelor C.F. Thomas to a letter dated October 28, 1894, and addressed to Cardinal Gibbons.) |
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Lesson 36 |
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666 and the Mark of the Beast |
| Keeping Sunday as the day of rest is accepting the papacy's authority: |
| «Sundaykeeping (...) not only does not rest on the
Bible, but also is in flagrant contradiction with the letter of the Bible that prescribes
the rest of the Sabbath or Saturday. It was the Catholic Church which (...) transferred
this rest to the Sunday (...) Thus the observance of Sunday by the Protestants is an
homage they pay, in spite of themselves, to the authority of the Church.» (Monsignor Louis Segur, «Plain Talk About Protestantism of Today, 1868, p. 213.) «Protestants do not realize that by observing Sunday, they accept the authority of the spokesperson of the Church, the Pope.» («Our Sunday Visitor», 5 February 1950.) |
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Lesson 36 |
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666 and the Mark of the Beast |
Deuteronomy 4:2 |
Comments |
| You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take anything from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you. | The Word of God is clear: the Ten
Commandments, including the fourth one, must not be changed. We must keep them exactly as dictated by God. |
Luke 16:17 |
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| [Jesus said,] «It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.» |
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Lesson 36 |
Screen 31 |
666 and the Mark of the Beast |
Ezekiel 22:26 |
Comments |
| Her priests have violated My law
and profaned My holy things; they have not distinguished between the holy and unholy, nor
have they made known the difference between the unclean and the clean. And they have hidden their eyes from My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. |
The papacy was not the first to attack the seventh-day
Sabbath. Throughout history, there have been all kinds of religious leaders influencing people to disobey the commandments of God and to profane the Sabbath. |
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Lesson 36 |
Screen 32 |
666 and the Mark of the Beast |
Mark 7:7-9 |
Comments |
| [Jesus said,] «In vain they
worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the
commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men (...).» And He said to them, «All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.» |
Each one of us must choose between the tradition of men and the commandment of God: between Sunday, the mark of the authority of the beast, and the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, the mark of the authority of God, which He instituted at the very beginning of the history of mankind. |
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Lesson 36 |
Screen 33 |
666 and the Mark of the Beast |
Acts 5:29 |
Comments |
| We ought to obey God rather than men. | God and the beast struggle one against the
other in order to obtain our worship. It is impossible for us to remain neutral in this battle: if we do not take a stand for God, we will automatically be numbered with the worshippers of the beast. |
Matthew 12:30 |
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| [Jesus said,] «He who is not with Me is against Me.» |
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Lesson 36 |
Screen 34 |
666 and the Mark of the Beast |
Revelation 13:17 |
Comments |
| (...) that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark. | At present, nobody has the mark of the beast. However, after an alliance is made between the papacy and the United States of America led by the Christian Religious Right Wing, Sundaykeeping will soon become mandatory for everybody. The mark of the beast will then be placed on all those who, for fear of reprisals, will reject the Sabbath to observe Sunday. |
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Lesson 36 |
Screen 35 |
666 and the Mark of the Beast |
Revelation 13:8 |
Comments |
| And all who dwell on the earth will worship [the beast], whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. | By refusing to worship the beast and to receive its
mark, we will take a stand for God. Our foreheads will thus be marked with the seal of God, and our name will remain written in the Book of Life. |
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Lesson 36 |
Screen 36 |
666 and the Mark of the Beast |
Revelation 3:5 |
Comments |
| He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. | Let's put our trust in Jesus Christ. If we desire it, He will give us the strength we need to remain faithful to Him, especially when we have to choose between worshiping the beast and keeping its day of rest, Sunday, or worshiping God and keeping His day of rest, the seventh day, the Sabbath. |
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Lesson 36 |
Screen 37 |
666 and the Mark of the Beast |
| Let's pray together: |
| Our Father, Although nobody has yet received the mark of the beast, we can see the danger appearing on the horizon. Soon, the observance of Sunday will be imposed on everybody, and those refusing to honor it will experience difficult times. Please help us to prepare ourselves for that day, and, from now on, to keep Your holy day of rest, the seventh-day Sabbath. Through Your grace and the power of Your Spirit, we know that we can remain faithful to You in all circumstances, in order that our names may not be blotted out from Your Book of Life. In Jesus Christ we pray. Amen. |
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666 and the
Mark of the Beast