Revelation 13:16-18 English Standard Version

16 Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave,[a] to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 17 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. 18 This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.[b]

Footnotes

[a] For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, 

[b] Some manuscripts 616

Doulos (Ancient Greek: δοῦλος, Greek: δούλος, Linear B: do-e-ro) is a Greek masculine noun meaning “slave”. Doulos may refer to: A slave (δοῦλος) in ancient Greece; see also Slavery in the New Testament and Slavery in antiquity. MV Doulos, a passenger ship. Doulos SIL, a Unicode font produced by the SIL International.

A literal translation of doulos would contain the translations of all languages used in the original manuscripts into a font in which readers might understand a language that is not their first language. There is a literal translation that might indicate spiritual slavery.

As for 666 vs 616 it is symbolic. The number of a man is symbolic and the symbolic figure which is being presented is the Second Beast according to the doulos translation contained in the references of the ESV.

If that sounds confusing, it might be because we tend to mix the literal with the symbolic.

To clarify that comment we need to look at those that allow a literal translation of 666 to create fear of the number to the point of exclusion of the number in its entirety. That is superstition not unlike elevators in America that do not have a 13th floor button. In Japan it is a 4.

Now as to the literal control implicated by the mark of the first beast, please take this seriously.

The second beast is seen after the forty-two month reign of the first beast. That has been seen to be the first Tribulation of the Great Tribulation period, some three and a half years. Does the prophecy have any spiritual implications, literal or otherwise?

In many translations we find the words “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” where as in Revelation 13:18 it is “the one who has understanding”. There is only One who has understanding and will speak to those who have ears to hear, and He is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth.

Do not allow fear to cloud judgment or hinder our hearing.