God says that it is wrong to get tattooed.  Leviticus 19:28 says, "Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD."  We should never do anything that God forbids us to do, but does this mean that a person who has a "666" tattoo is eternally doomed?

Revelation 14:9-12 says, "And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,   The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:   And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.   Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus."  The Bible is very clear—whoever receives the mark of the beast, is going to spend eternity in the torment of the lake of fire.  But the question is, "Are these people who are getting '666' tattoos right now, taking the real 'mark of the beast?'"

     #1—The mark has to be in a specific PLACE.

Revelation 13:16 says, "And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads."

So these people who have "666" tattooed on their "shoulders," or "arms," or "legs," or "necks," etc.—do not fulfill the requirement of the mark of the beast.  It has to be in their "right hands," or in their "foreheads."

     #2—The mark has to be in a specific FORM.

Revelation 13:17 says, "And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name."

People will have three choices in form: his “mark,” or his “name,” or his “number.”

“MARK”

No one knows what this will look like.  The Nike corporation has the “checkmark” or “swish” symbol.   No one knows, yet, what the mark of the antichrist will be.

“NAME”

No one knows, yet, what the name of the antichrist will be.

“NUMBER”

We are given the number of the antichrist—“666.”

Revelation 13:18 says, "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"  (a "score" equals twenty, so "threescore" equals sixty).

But in all of these choices: the "mark," the "name," or the "number" of the antichrist, there will have to be ways of preventing "counterfeiting."  In other words, if a person could go have someone tattoo "666" on his hand, and then go about his merry way doing what he wanted, then the antichrist would not really have any control at all, as to what people were buying and selling.  Just like if the USA somehow took over the whole world and said, "Only American dollars are legal money to be used in buying and selling."   But if people around the world were able to counterfeit those USA dollars, then America would not really have any control over what people were buying and selling. 

These "666" numbers that people are tattooing on their bodies today are "counterfeits."  Those numbers were not tattooed on their bodies by authorization of the antichrist.  The antichrist has no control over their spending.  So these people who have been tattooed with "666" today can still get saved, because they have not taken the "real" or "authorized" mark of the beast.  They have disobeyed God by getting tattooed, and that is always foolish to disobey God, but they can be forgiven.  1 John 1:5-7 says, "This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.   If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:   But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."