The largest, most subscribed YouTube channel in the world is operated by “MrBeast” (real name Jimmy Donaldson). The title MrBeast came out of a random name selector for a game Jimmy once played. The full name was “MrBeast6000.” 

This random name is interesting from a biblical vantage point. In Revelation there is a beast and it gives out a mark with the number 6 written out three times.

Reading further into that part of Revelation, we find that 6 represents mankind. There is a good reason to deduce that the beast represents humanity living a life without God. Just short of what 7 represents (Christ and his perfection), mankind on his own looks to his own fleshly existence to find identity and meaning. Three “6”s put together unveil a man-centered trinity. In other words, man as his own god. 

In some ways, the largest YouTube channel in the world named after MrBeast6000 embodies this concept. His channel shows him experiencing some of the most destitute situations to the most luxurious and expensive experiences available. His channel is also filled with lots of acts of charity, but without any mention of a spiritual component. In some ways, this speaks to the religious side of the “beast” that is all about good deeds but without the truth of Christ at the center.

Now, for those who know the heart of Elisha’s Riddle, we are always looking deeper into things. We are unraveling the “riddle” of Christ in all things. And so I want to share some remarkable Glory hidden like a riddle right within this YouTube channel, particularly through a recent episode called “7 Days Stranded In A Cave.”

I would encourage you to actually take the 18 minutes needed to watch this. It’s quite entertaining and it will make the point more powerful…

….but if you didn’t watch it, I’ll give a rundown of the important points.

MrBeast spends six grueling days underground in darkness before ascending on the seventh day back into the light. The first two days are about setting up camp in this underground cave. The third day is a failed attempt at finding the most beautiful part of the trip. 

Deep within this cave is an area filled with glow worms embedded in caverns that produce an otherworldly light in the rocks. Seeing this is the highlight of the whole experience for MrBeast, but it means traveling a long way through tight spaces and underground water to get there. Thus, when they attempt to do this on the third day, they are so focused on filming themselves, they end up not having enough time to make it (before the water starts rising in the pathway, which would drown them). 

So they have to retreat and Day 4 is spent just recuperating from the exhaustion of the previous day. But finally, Day 5 arrives and a breakthrough occurs. They spend less time with the cameras and more time focusing on their destination to the heart of the cave. Literal light breaks through as they make their way into the magical experience of seeing glow worms in the dark of the cave. Resting on a rock, MrBeast says it’s like staring at the stars of our galaxy.

Thankfully, the trip back to base camp is easier as they can go with the current of the underground water (everything before this was against the current). On Day 6 all they care about is eating and sitting by the fire as they await the finale of Day 7. 

During this time waiting time, a deep lesson is learned in their reflection on all that transpired. MrBeast says this was one of the most difficult experiences of his life, which is saying a lot because he has done some incredibly strenuous and mentally painful things over the years; hence the reason he has the most popular YouTube channel in the world. As far as viewership goes, he is certainly on his way to becoming the most viewed and watched entertainer in human history. Of all his crazy videos, he says this was his most difficult experience ever.

However, as he reflects back on the difficulties of being in this dark cave for six days, he begins to remember all the amazing times he had with his friends along the way. Indeed, Jimmy Donaldson’s best friends always join him on these adventures and this is probably a big reason for the channel’s success. This element of friendship is crucial. It’s why Lord of the Rings is not so much about great battles and magical beings but the characters Frodo and Sam, two friends who help each other along the way.

Without using any spiritual terminology, MrBeast realizes how blessed he’s been in the midst of the struggle. It’s all because of the relationships and memories he’s gained along the way. 

A Day to the Lord is Like…

So why am I even spending so much time with this? Well, there is truly a beautiful treasure hidden in this dark cave. This video has well over one-hundred million views at the time of writing. People think they are watching a fun survival video, but hidden before them is the mystery of humanity itself.

To go back to the beginning point, I believe “MrBeast6000” spending seven days in a cave speaks of the seven “days” of mankind’s history. 

But don’t forget this one thing, dear friends: To the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like a day.

(2 Peter 3:8)

Some of the church fathers believed that the story of humanity will take 7 “Days” from God’s perspective … or seven thousand years from ours. Without getting into the debates over the age of the earth, we know that recorded history began around the same time the Bible dates Adam’s creation. Something significant happened about 6000 years ago with the emergence of writing and other technologies. 

One of the classic dates for Adam’s creation is 4004 B.C. Interestingly enough, every thousand years after this, something very significant happened in the biblical timeline. Each thousand years was like a new day dawning. 

It was on the beginning of Day 5, around 4 B.C. (literally four full “days” after Adam’s creation), that the Second Adam emerged. Light dawned! In the midst of the darkness, we saw a great light. 

Now hopefully you’re catching the connections I’m making. On the 5th day, MrBeast and the boys finally saw the light…while still surrounded by darkness. 

Let’s back up and consider the rest of the story. After two days of getting acclimated, MrBeast makes a grueling and failed attempt at reaching the light… What happened on the “third day” of humanity’s time on planet earth? It was around Day 3 that Abraham appeared and the nation of Israel was born. During this “day,” the promise of Light was given to the Israelites (just like Jimmy and his friends were told by their guide in the video–a Holy Spirit figure–that there was light ahead). But God’s people failed to reach this Light. Within that third day, Moses came forth and brought the law. The people attempted to find the Light but by the path of their own law-keeping. Their pursuit drastically failed. 

In other words, people were too focused on themselves and their own efforts just like Jimmy was too focused on the cameras (“self”) on the third day and failed to reach the light. (He was also going against the “current” and had to strive and strain to make it … another picture of living by the law.)

Day 4 in God’s timetable was a day of waiting for the true Light to come. It was the era of kings and prophets and further promises of the Messiah’s coming. On Day 5, Jesus appeared in the midst of our darkness. On Day 5 in the cave, MrBeast and his friends saw the light. They laid their backs against rock and looked up at star-like beauty hidden in the cavern. In the same way, mankind (our beastly nature) was laid to rest on the rock of Christ’s death and we were given a vision and hope of new, heavenly life. 

From there, MrBeast could easily make his way back to camp; however, this was still in the midst of the darkness of the cave. This time he went with the current of the water and when he found camp, all they could do was sit by the fire and enjoy food. All of this encompassed the end of the 5th day and most of the 6th.

In the same way, the past 2000 years have been Days 5 and 6. During this time, there’s been a shift from striving under the law to going with the “current” of the Spirit. We are still in the midst of darkness–still awaiting a glorious resurrection out of the cave of human history–however, we are learning to flow with God’s Spirit and be warmed by his fire. We are also called to simply eat the communion meal with our friends!

Revelation for Today

The generations alive today (from the Great Generation, to the Boomers, to the Alpha Generation) are literally approaching the dawn of the 7th day. Some believe this means Christ will return very soon. Others feel we are moving into a thousand year period of increasing glory on the earth. All of it is still a mystery. Nonetheless, it is MrBeast’s lesson from the 5th and 6th days that I really want to come back to. 

It was then that Jimmy reflected back and discovered the true beauty of his cave experience. He found that it was all about friendship. In other words, it was about love…and communion. This is the meaning of this entire dark period on this tumultuous planet. In the age to come (post-cave humanity), we will look back and only remember the good. We will also receive great reward just from the way we embraced relationships during this era.

Now, a quick note to say that this whole thing also speaks to our individual lives. Like humanity as a whole, each of us follows the progression of coming into this dark world and eventually trying to find our own way to the Light–which is always met with failed attempts. At some point we hear the call to let go of self and surrender to our Guide, the Holy Spirit. We are invited to come to the light of Jesus who reveals the true beauty and meaning of creation. He is the Light in our greatest darkness. 

From there we learn the way of walking in the Spirit and coming to the communion fire as we learn to serve and fellowship with others. This is what life is all about, even in the midst of suffering. In fact, all our suffering only becomes a backdrop for the glory of love to radiate from our lives as we grow and mature. 

And of course, all of this leads to a 7th Day awakening, a rising up in our full identity as the children of God. “MrBeast 6000” ascending out of the cave speaks to humanity’s promised ascension into the full light of God. We will rise and no longer carry the mark of the beast but the name of the Lamb on our foreheads (minds fully renewed to the truth of his love and grace; see Revelation 13-14). We will experience this through the resurrection power of Jesus who is the “first-fruit” of humanity’s global resurrection. 

A Final Note

This entire message shows up in another episode where MrBeast spends 7 days on a raft. For those with eyes to see, God is truly speaking through the largest YouTube channel on the planet… And his voice is sweet and filled with hope.