Father Mike Schmitz

Also, it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them.

And authority was given it over every tribe and people and tongue and nation.

And all who dwell on earth will worship it.

Everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world and the book of life of the lamb that was slain.

If anyone has an ear, let him hear.

If anyone is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes.

If anyone slays with the sword, with the sword he must be slain.

Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.

the beast from the earth.

Then I saw another beast which rose out of the earth.

It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon.

It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence who makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast whose mortal wound was healed.

It works great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in the sight of men.

And by the signs which it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast, it deceives those who dwell on the earth, bidding them make an image for the beast which was wounded by the sword and yet lived.

And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast so that the image of the beast should even speak and to cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain.

Also, it causes all both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave to be marked on the right hand or the forehead.

so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name.

This calls for wisdom.

Let him who has understanding reckon the number of the beast, for it is a human number.

Its number is 666.