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Biblical Numbers
I. In recent years, it has become increasingly popular to search the Bible for hidden codes.
A. One book called “The Bible Code” used a method of selecting letters at equal distance to find hidden words, such as looking at every 100th letter to see if a word is formed somewhere in the sequence.
B. The problem is that the method is pure nonsense. It only works because the frequency of letters used remains constant over a large set of writing. Selecting a sub-portion will give you letters in the same frequency as the language it comes from. The likelihood that some word or words can be found in that stream is much higher than a pure random sequence of letters.
C. Because Hebrew has no vowels and most words are based off of three-letter root words, the odds of finding Hebrew words in selection of Hebrew letters is very high.
D. As an example, one person used the equal distant letters method on Moby Dick and found the name “Princess Diana.” So does this mean that Herman Melville left us a hidden message in his book?
II. Symbols are often rich sources for claims of hidden meanings, such as the symbols found in Revelation.
A. Today we will look at one type of symbol that is richly used in Revelation – symbols based on numbers
B. Numbers are not hidden codes, but we do use numbers for the ideas commonly associated with them
1. 911 - The US emergency number
2. 9/11 - Memory of our recent tragedy
3. 13 - Bad luck
4. 40 - Over the hill
C. Certain numbers in the Bible contain meaning from the things with which they are associated.
III. Significant Bible Numbers
A. One - The ultimate unity
1. Genesis 2:24 - Marriage makes two people one flesh
2. Ephesians 2:11-15 - Christ made two peoples into one
3. In a discussion of unity, Paul emphasized the many ones in Christianity - Ephesians 4:1-6
4. It was Christ’s desire that his people be one, just as God is one - John 17:20-21
5. God is one
a. Deuteronomy 6:4
b. Revelation 11:17; 16:5
6. The statement that God is one is not necessarily a numerical count, but a statement of ultimate unity
a. Would having Christians be one necessarily mean that there will only be one Christian?
b. Would a husband and wife becoming one mean that one ceases to exist?
B. Two - Testimony and Witness
1. It started with the creation of the sun and moon - Genesis 1:16. Two great lights to rule day and night.
2. Pharaoh’s dream repeated to show it was established - Genesis 41:32
3. Two stones on the High Priest’s garment as a memorial - Exodus 28:12
4. Two cherubim over the mercy seat on the ark - Exodus 25:18-22
a. Notice as well that the two tablets of stone were called a Testimony or a Testament - Exodus 31:18
b. Oh, and there are now two Testaments, Old and New
5. Truth was established by the testimony of at least two witnesses - Hebrews 10:28
a. Heaven and Earth as witnesses - Deuteronomy 30:19
6. Revelation 11:3-4 - Two witnesses
C. Three - Complete
1. The world was repopulated through Noah’s three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth - Genesis 9:18-19
2. Abraham had to travel three days to where he was required to sacrifice his son - Genesis 22:4
3. Dreams filled with threes fulfilled after three days - Genesis 40:9-19
4. Three major feasts to God - Exodus 23:14
5. Jonah spent three days in a great fish before being returned - Jonah 1:17
6. Jesus prophesied to spend three days in the grave - Matthew 12:40
7. Jesus rose on the third day - I Corinthians 15:3-4
8. Saul blinded for three days, baptized on the third day - Acts 9:9; Acts 20:16; Romans 6:3-4
9. God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
a. Baptism done in their names - Matthew 28:18-19
b. II Corinthians 13:14 - With us all
10. Revelation 8:13 - Three woes pronounced before three angels bring judgment
11. Revelation 9:18 - Three plagues killing a third of mankind
12. Revelation 21:12-13 - three gates in each direction on the great city
D. Four - Everywhere
1. Four rivers surrounding Eden - Genesis 2:10
2. Breast plate stones were set in four rows of three stones - Exodus 28:17-20
3. Most of the articles in the temple were built with four corners
4. Four corners of the earth - Isaiah 11:12; Revelation 20:8
a. Ezekiel 37:9 - four winds
5. Four living creatures - Ezekiel 1:5-10
6. Four sides to the new city - Revelation 21:12-13
E. Seven - Finished, oath
1. One week. The creation took place over seven days, including the day of rest when everything was finished - Genesis 2:1-2
2. Seven clean animals taken on the ark - Genesis 7:2-3
3. Seven and oath are similar words in Hebrew, seen in Genesis 21:28-31
4. Jacob worked two sets of seven years for Rachel - Genesis 29:20, 27, 30
5. Seven years of plenty, seven years of famine - Genesis 41:25-31
6. Length of Passover feast was seven days - Exodus 12:15-17
7. Seven lamps on a lamp stand - Exodus 37:23
8. Blood of sin offering sprinkled seven times - Leviticus 4:6
9. Promise of seven-fold punishment - Leviticus 26:18, 21, 24, 28
10. Sin then is represented by six (not perfect)
11. Three and a half then is something incomplete
F. Ten - A complete set, in time – short
1. Ten plagues on Egypt
2. Ten Commandments
3. Ten attributes of beloved in Song of Solomon
4. Ten virgins - Matthew 25:1ff
G. Twelve - God’s people
1. Twelve tribes
2. Twelve apostles
3. Twelve gates to the city
H. Hundred - A lot, in time – long
1. A hundred blows on a fool - Proverbs 17:10
2. Doing evil a hundred times - Ecclesiastes 8:12
3. A hundred sheep versus one - Luke 15:4
I. Thousand - All, in time – very long
1. God of cattle on a thousand hills - Psalm 50:10
2. A very long time - Psalm 90:4; 105:8
IV. Combinations
A. Twenty-four - God’s people under old and new covenants
B. Forty - Four and Ten - Complete, encompassing trial or judgment
1. Forty days of rain - Genesis 7:4
2. Forty years wandering in the wilderness
3. Forty days in wilderness before temptation
C. Seventy - finished, completed
1. Seventy years of captivity
2. Seventy weeks in Daniel’s prophesy
D. Four Hundred
1. 400 years in Egyptian captivity
E. 666 - completely unfinished or fully sinful
F. 144,000 - All of God’s people
V. Numbers are not codes, but are used to emphasize concepts
A. Too often easy meanings are overlooked and complex are latched onto
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