Why do some of the Fear God shirts have the Mark of the Beast (666) on them?

 

What is the Mark of the Beast?

We first learn of the Mark of the Beast in Revelation.

He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.  This calls for wisdom.  If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number.  His number is 666.
                                                                                                                        ~Revelation 13:16-18

Later in Revelation we learn of the terrible price anyone with this mark will pay.

A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand,  he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath.  He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb.  And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever.  There is no rest, day or night,  for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name."  This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God's commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.
                                                                                                               

                                                                                                                ~Revelation 14:9-12

so why is this mark on some of the shirts?

Because the mark (666) is so widely recognized as a symbol of the Devil, it becomes easy to use it as a way to represent him and his work.  Fear God shirts often contrast the saving work of the Father with the destructive work of the Devil.  For example, in the "Repent or Perish" shirt, we use 666 to denote the reason that the person is dead is because of the work of the Devil.  If the skull on that shirt did not have 666 on it, someone might think that God had done the killing.  By using the 666 we are clearly showing that this person's death was a direct result of their rebellion (the destructive work of the Devil).  

 

isn't there a better way?

Remember that Fear God shirts are not designed to let the world know you are a Christian; they are designed so you have an opportunity to share the Gospel.   We want to use symbols or sayings that are easily recognizable by unbelievers.   Far too often we as Christians require the unbeliever to come into our world instead of meeting them in theirs!  Jesus frequently ate with sinners at their houses!  He brought the Kingdom of Heaven to them!  (And the only people upset about it were the religious leaders.)

 

I still don't like 666 on a shirt!

That's O.K.!  Not all of our shirts are for everyone.   Just keep in mind that 666 is nothing more than a symbol.  Few people even realize that 666 is an English number (remember that the book of Revelation was written in Greek).  Since Revelation was written in Greek it would require a Greek numbering scheme.  What John saw in the revelation regarding the Mark of the Beast could have been many things, but it was definately not the English number 666!