These are the verses where we get the idea that 666 is the number of the beast. This is where it originates and it speaks about all of humanity having to put a number on their forehead because the beast makes them. The number of the Beast is established here as 666. Now people avoid 666 similar to how people avoid the number 13. But throughout history people have given the identity of the beast to various people. Nero was seen as the potential beast in this Scripture. But then as time marched others saw the Beast as other political figures. Hitler was seen as the Beast. Gorbachev was seen as the beast since he had that birthmark on his forehead. So people said that he must have been the beast since he was hiding the number that must have been on his forehead. Others saw even here at home our president as the beast. Some saw Ronald Wilson Reagan as the Beast since his name is a combination of 6 letters in each name.
The beast is not any of the above. The beast is God’s enemy and we simply do not know when or how the beast is coming. But isn’t it interesting how over history we tend to attribute the most negative of superlatives to those whom we may or may not want to think as being on the same page as we are.