There are few people, if any, that aren't at least vaguely aware that the number 666 brings to mind the very essence of satanic connotations, or perhaps even Satan, himself, and to be associated or branded with such a number, is to be marked as a very bad person, indeed. The number 666 comes from Holy Scripture in which we read: "Here is wisdom. He who has understanding, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is six hundred sixty-six." (Revelation 13: 18)
Entire books, theses, articles, commentaries, movies, and documentaries of all sorts have dealt with various interpretations as to what the number 666 actually means, but it is important to note, that Revelation, itself, is highly symbolic Scripture, and anyone that takes the reading of Revelation, or dare say, a significant amount of Holy Scripture as being meant to be interpreted literally, are pretty much barking up the wrong tree, and specifically to Revelation, most definitely are doing so.
This signifies that people that like to take the most evil personages in history or even of the present time, and declare that these people are the embodiment of the number 666, clearly don't comprehend Revelation, correctly. A far more meaningful way to understand the number 666, is to first to contemplate upon the entire chapter, and then to allow the words so written to cogitate within one's mind; further, one can do some research in regards to what esteemed and inspired Biblical authorities have to say, and then through these various means, begin to formulate an opinion.
So that, a far better way of looking at the number, 666, is not that such applies to just one such beast, but rather that mankind, without its eternal soul, and when lacking the spirit of God that breathed life into mankind, is, when stripped of those very things, basically, just a beast. That is to say, those of mankind that have willfully turned their back on God, by their actions, by their decisions, and by their mindset, are themselves, in many, though not all cases, become the embodiment of the number 666.
In reality, the number 666 can be applied to any of us, and this scriptural passage is supposed to be seen as both a fair warning while also being prophetic. It does so signify, that those that live to their body, caring only of material things, and deliberately leading lives of selfishness, self-centeredness, greed, and lust, are the epitome of those that have sold their eternal and inalienable attributes of agape love, compassion, generosity, and justice for material gain, in the here and now.
Too often, mankind wants to point out the errors of others, while according their own selves, a free passage from condemnation, but it doesn't really work that way. In actuality, the sacrifice of Jesus the Christ, should be seen for what it really was; Jesus as the sacrificial lamb, of which this is meant to be an object lesson to all of us, which is when the purest amongst us, is disrespected like a common criminal, and thereupon beaten and crucified, without having done any wrong, that it would therefore behoove our fallen selves to get our lives in order, by putting forth the effort to acquire worthwhile knowledge, and then to apply ourselves diligently to the greater good. For, there are no free pathways back to God, so that, until we are able to see ourselves as well as to see all others as the embodiment of God, temporarily housed within a material form on earth, and thereby to make the sacrifice to treat our neighbors right, then all of us are in material danger of becoming that number, 666.