Quiz No. 666 -- The Number of the Beast

Answer: Serpent

The general belief is the first appearance by the devil in Scripture was in the form of a serpent. In a nutshell, the serpent convinced Eve, the first woman, there would be no harm if she ate forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden. After Eve tasted the forbidden fruit, Adam, her husband, did likewise. Scripture goes on to tell of God driving Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden.

Answer: Conducted a census of Israel

According to 1 Chronicles 21:1, "Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel." In other words, Satan moved David to conduct a census of the nation. Scripture goes on to tell of David numbering the people from Beersheba in the north to Dan in the south, a distance of about one hundred and fifty miles.

As notes in the NKJV Study Bible explain, there was technically nothing wrong with David conducting a census. (After all, God had requested the Isrealites to conduct a census, as per Numbers 1.)

"What was wrong with David's census was David's attitude -- his pride," the study notes state.

The study notes go on to explain 'Satan' translates as 'Adversary'.

Answer: Job

Job's life was turned upside down and inside out when he was the subject of a full-scale attack by Satan. Scripture states his seven sons and three daughters were killed when a windstorm toppled the house they were in and Job ended up in pitiful health with painful boils "from the soul of his foot to the crown of his head." On top of all this, he lost his immense wealth.

While Job asked many questions as to why he deserved such a fate, the questions did not grow into accusations against God.

The book of Job has a happy ending, with Scripture telling of his latter life being blessed immensely.

Using the NKJV, Satan's name appears eleven times in the book of Job. That's more than any other book in the Christian Bible.

Answer: Zechariah

The correct answer is Zechariah, as per Zechariah 3:1-4. The verses tell of a vision in which Joshua, the high priest, is standing before the Angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. The verses go on to tell of the LORD stating, "The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?"

Notes in the NKJV Study Bible explain the Joshua in the passage is not to be confused with the Joshua who led the Israelites into the Promised Land. The Joshua mentioned in the passage is Joshua the high priest who returned to Jerusalem with the exiles, as per Ezra 3:2.

The notes also explain the "brand plucked from the fire", refers to Judah, which delivered from the fire of Babylonian captivity.

There is no further mention of Satan in Zechariah.

Answer: Isaiah

The name Lucifer is found in only Isaiah 14:12, using the KJV and the NKJV.
Notes in the NKJV Study Bible state Lucifer means 'Day Star'. Here's how the verse reads in the NKJV: "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations!" Meanwhile, Isaiah 14:13-21 goes on to tell more about the destruction of Lucifer.

For the record, this is how Isaiah 14:12 reads in the NKJV: "How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!"

Answer: Peter

The statement "Get behind Me, Satan!" was made by Jesus while speaking to Peter, one of the original Twelve Disciples. According to Matthew 16:21-23, Jesus told His disciples that "He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things... and be killed and be raised the third day." It was at the this point Peter took Jesus aside and rebuked Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!"

Verse 23 tells of Christ's response to Peter's statement: "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."

Answer: Judas Iscariot

Scripture tells of of Satan "entering" Judas Iscariot while dining with Jesus and the eleven other disciples at the Last Supper, as per Luke 22:3 and John 13:27. Scripture goes on to tell of Judas betraying Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, leading to His arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane followed by a mock trial, brutal torture and His crucifixion. Three days later, Jesus would triumphantly rise from the dead.

Shortly after Judas betrayed Jesus, he was filled with remorse and ended up hanging himself, as per Matthew 27:3-5.

Answer: 3

Jesus was unsuccessfully tempted three times by Satan, according to Matthew 4:1-11. Scripture states Jesus was fasting for forty days when Satan approached Him in a fruitless attempt to make Him falter.

In the first temptation, Satan urged Jesus to turn stones into bread to end His hunger.

In the second temptation, the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: 'He shall give His angels charge over you,'
and, 'In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone'."

In the third temptation, the devil took Jesus up on an "exceedingly high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world" and he said to Him, "All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me."


In all three instances, Jesus rebuked Satan by quoting Scripture from the Old Testament.

Satan's unsuccessful temptation of Jesus during His fasting of forty days and forty nights can be also found in Mark 1 and Luke 3.

Answer: Roaring lion

The devil is described as a roaring lion in 1 Peter 5:8. The verse in the NKJV states, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."

Incidentally, here are some of the names of the devil in the NKJV:
-- serpent (Genesis 3:1)
-- Satan (Job 1:6)
-- Lucifer, meaning morning star (Isaiah 14:12)
-- tempter (Matthew 4:3)
-- evil one (Matthew 5:37)
-- Beelzebub (Matthew 12:24)
-- murderer and liar (John 8:34)
-- god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4)
-- prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2)
-- wicked one (Ephesians 6:16)
-- dragon (Revelation 20:2)

Answer: Revelation

The number 666 is found in Revelation 13:18. The verse in the NKJV states, "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."

Revelation 13 tells of a beast rising out of the sea and another beast rising out of the earth, with the world being deceived into following and worshiping them.

While the number 666 is often associated with the devil, it should be pointed out the number actually refers to a man who is obviously an agent of Satan.

"The beast is merely a man, not a god, as the signs might suggest," state notes in the NKJV Study Bible.

The notes go on to state the No. 6, just short of the No. 7, ("the number of completeness") is intensified as 666. In other words, 666 is the number of "the most powerful man who is not God."

"This man's identity will someday be understood in relation to the number 666," the notes state. "It is the key for identifying the Anti-Christ."