What is The Meaning of 666?

This is an expanded edited excerpt from my sermon (10/20/2013) entitled The Beast, 666, and The Lamb:

What is the mark of the Beast? What is the meaning of 666 (Rev 13:16-18)?

666 is one of the most fascinating enigmas in the book of Revelation. Countless and exhausting explanations have been given over the last 2,000 years. It is scary and mysterious. So what is it? How might the Christians in the first century have understood 666 when they first heard Revelation read to them?

666 signifies the rule, ownership and control by the Dragon. 666 symbolizes the spiritual control of heart allegiance (mark on the forehead) and behavior (mark on the right hand).

Seven expresses the idea of perfection or completeness. So six, which falls below the sacred seven, can never be seven; it can never reach perfection. It symbolizes the imperfect, that which belongs to fallen humanity and is destined to fail. It is a constant falling short (Rom 3:23). It characterizes depravity, godlessness and faithlessness, the incompleteness and counterfeit nature of the devil's kingdom and those under his rule.

Thus, 666 may be correlated with "imperfect imperfect imperfect," "incomplete incomplete incomplete," "failure failure failure."