Revelation 13:1-10, 15-18
"1. The dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw the beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. 2. The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but it had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his authority. 3. One of the heads of the beast seemed to have a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast. 4. People worshipped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshipped the beast and asked, 'Who is like the beast? Who can wage against war?' 5. The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for 42 months. 6. It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. 7. It was given power to wage war against God's holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation. 8. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast-- all whose names have not been written in the Lamb's book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world. 9. Whoever has ears, let them hear. 10. 'If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity they will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword they will be killed. This calls for the patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God's people.'" "15. The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image be killed. 16. It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or foreheads, 17. so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beats or the number of its name. 18 That number is 666
