What does 6 Mean in the Bible? – The Genesis Numbers

The number 6 is perhaps one of the better known numbers in the Bible, or should we say, notorious numbers, thanks to its association with the number of the beast in Revelations: 666. Many will quickly tell you that 6 means imperfection and by implication, sin; but what does the Bible have to say about the meaning of the number 6? Let’s dive in!

We now come to the last two days of Creation. These days are the ones that initially got me started down this track regarding the relation between the meaning of the number and what happened on that day of creation. To change things up, we are going to start at the other end of the Bible today.

Six is most famously attached to the mark of the beast, which we see in Revelations 13:18:
Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

I’m not about to attempt to explain in-depth what this passage in Revelations means. All I will assay to do is provide some solid proof that it is reasonable to understand this passage is not to be taken wholly literally, which then will provide one of the key verses to understanding what six means/represents.

I submit two cases for this passage to be understood in a prophetic nature (that is to say, not strictly literal in the sense that representative language is used)

1. Throughout Revelations, it makes little sense to read the beast as being a literal beast, but rather representative of a system, people, person.
2. It seems rather unlikely that the beast will proudly present him/themselves directly with a name like 666.
What does make sense is when we consider the number of the beast in light of what the number means according to Genesis.

I believe part of the key is already given in Revelations: the number of the beast is the number of man. If it stopped there, then we would have to ask far more questions, but then it gives us the number: 666. Now there are various multiples that can make up 666, but what number is readily obvious? 6. And how many 6’s? 3. Or 111. Depending which way you look at it. Before we go further, let’s quickly link this back to Genesis.

What happens on day 6? Man is created.
Gen 1:27,31  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. 

Is it a coincidence that the number of the beast (the antichrist system) is 666: a repetition of the number of the day in which man was created? It seems highly unlikely. Simple deduction would immediately draw the link between day 6, the creation of man, and the number of the beast. Thus I believe it can be safely stated with sufficient proof that the reason for seeing 6 as the number of man finds its roots in the days of Creation. This logic then by all accounts provides the foundation to look at the other days of Creation to see what they might tell us about the number associated with that day, and as we have illustrated in previous posts, each day is linked with the number in significant and deep ways.

That then is case #1 for what 6 represents.

There is one other line of reasoning that I wish to follow on with, and that is the natural progression of the numbers. So far we have followed on logically with each number. (If you click on each one, they will take you to my previous post on that specific number)

1 is self-existence.
2 is bearing witness of the one.
3 is complete in the sense of witness.
4 is absolute coverage, thus, law and judgement.
5 is the Spirit of Grace because it adds still more when 4 was already enough.

What then would six represent?
6 is quite interesting due to the fact it is made up of 2 and 3. If 2 is a witness and 3 is completion, then could 6 refer to witness of completion?
6 follows on from 5 which speaks of Grace. What happens when grace has come into play? Things are completed!
Hang on, you might say. What does completeness have to do with man? Are you not haphazardly drawing on whatever is convenient? Perhaps. I leave that to you to criticize in the comments which I would greatly welcome. First, however, hear me out. What was the last final act of creation? Man. What made Creation complete? Man.
If 6 represents completion, then could it perhaps be that it also refers to man, for in man we see the completion of Creation, as well as the apex of Creation for no other in Creation was made in the image of God?

Just as we see with previous numbers and days, that there is the immediate understanding followed with the attached meaning, so too with 6 can we see the immediate meaning is completion and the attached meaning would be that of man.

Right now my mind fails me for more examples of this in application other than the mark of the beast bar one: the Tabernacle.
If you look at the Tabernacle and understand how detailed it was in prophetic foreshadowing of the coming Messiah, it’s of particular interest to note that there were only 6 pieces of furniture (laid out in the pattern of a cross):
1. Brazen Altar
2. Brass Laver
3. Table of Shewbread
4. Golden Candlestick
5. Altar of Incense
6. Ark of the Covenant

I believe you will find each piece of furniture speaks of Christ (There’s a reason certain materials are used , including the wood, gold, brass). Was it a coincidence that there were only 6 pieces of furniture? I don’t think so. It was God not-so-subtly pointing to the future when there would be a man who would fulfil literally all that the tabernacle fulfilled in type.

Something to take home:

You are part of the human race. Attached to you is this powerful statement: ‘made in the image of God’. You are the apex of Creation and God expects you to live up to all your potential. We will see soon that there is one more number beyond 6, but for now, I think it’s important to understand you are not a disease or a curse on the planet. That is a message from the pits of Hell itself. Humanity is meant to mirror and show the image of a loving Creator. Strive to show the image of your Creator.

Notes:

– When we look at 666, if you read it as three six’s, one could understand this as being the complete man, if three means complete and 6 means man, then when you combine them, you find that 666 could be speaking of ‘man setting himself up as being complete’. There is another way of reading this in the light of Genesis numbers: 666 is 111 6’s. Where does 111 derive from? 1. What does 1 represent? Self-existence. It’s the number of God. Could it be then that 666 is literally: man setting himself up as God?

– Many class 6 as being the number of imperfection, this does not harmonize with the rest of Genesis, nor the Tabernacle layout. It appears that this understanding is drawn from the number of the beast and a lack of Bible study.