A Netherlands-based Evangelical organisation has called on Christians in 21 countries to hold a 24-hour prayer vigil against Satanic forces to mark so-called Devil's Day. Some fear the date 06/06/06, which falls on Tuesday, signifies 666, the Biblical number of the Devil, and will usher in calamities and even the end of the world.
The Dutch-based organisation Ambassadors Ministries called its 24-hour prayer vigil from 6:00 pm (1600 GMT) Monday, saying it hoped some 2,000 Dutch Christians, mainly Protestants, would take part.
"We believe that the plans the enemy has for this date (June 6, 2006) will be destroyed through violent worship and praise. We are inviting the entire world to be part of this huge unity project," it says on its website www.ambasmin.org.
"The forces of evil are using this day," Mathijs Piet of the organisation told AFP.
"Through our action we want to stop them from achieving their goal."
The figure 666 is named the "number of the beast" in the closing chapter of the Bible, the "Book of Revelations", otherwise known as "The Apocalypse of John".
Chapter 13, Verse 18 of the book, with its apparent reference to the coming of the Devil, has long puzzled scholars and demonologists and fed the fantasies of conspiracy theorists and writers of ghost stories.
