Bereansearching Bible Studies

INTRODUCTION

“The Lord’s Prayer” is the starting point

When Jesus responded to the disciples request to teach them how to pray, we are told in Luke 11:1-4, “¶And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. ¶And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.“

Similarly we also are told in Matthew 6:9-13, that Jesus said, “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as [it is] in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.“

Note how the petitioner is instructed to worship and honor the Father God in Heaven, and to humbly pray seven key things, but notice (for the purposes of this study) that one of those things is to petition God the Father to forgive us of our trespasses (sins), just as we are to forgive those who trespass (sin) against us. This is a key instruction that Jesus emphasized a number of times along with the immediately following admonition given as part of the “Sermon on the Mount” following His teaching “the Lord’s Prayer“:

• Matthew 6:14&15, “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.“

Other Bible passages that also apply include:

• Matthew 18:35, “So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.” (Please notice that it is not just a smile and lip service forgiveness, but forgiveness from the heart! Remember what God said in 1 Samuel 16:7, “¶…for [the LORD seeth] not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.“)
• Mark 11:25 & 26, “¶And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.“

The Parable of the Unforgiving Debtor

Jesus expounded on that admonition when the Apostle Peter asked Jesus the following question in Matthew 18:21, “¶Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?” after which Jesus replied the following in Matthew 18:22, “¶Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.“

Jesus said that we should forgive others “seventy times seven” (which is literally “490” times). However, even that number should not be taken “literally”, but rather figuratively, or, more accurately, “spiritually”, because the Numbers in the Bible “7” and “70” spiritually represent perfection of what is in view (see below in the Appendix), we can rest assured that Jesus is telling us that our forgiving is to be perfect, even as God’s forgiveness of our sins is perfect, and hence that we are to NEVER stop forgiving others of their sins as they trespass against us.

We should also note that the number seven comes up again with regard to forgiveness in Luke 17:3&4, “Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.“

However, Jesus did not stop there, because immediately following that short dialogue in Matthew 18:21&22, Jesus proceeded with the following “Parable of the Unforgiving Debtor” that we find in:

• Matthew 18:23-35, “Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. ¶ But the same servant went out, and found one of his  fellow servants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took [him] by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.” And his fellow servant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. ¶So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.”

Anyone who is counted among those of God’s Elect, knows that the number of his or her sins (the trespasses against God and His Law) are innumerable. Hence the debt is also so very great that the debt, too, is beyond measure. And, even more importantly, that same debt could not simply just be dismissed by God, but rather had to be paid for in full by God Himself, through the Atoning Sacrifice of the LORD Jesus Christ, Who not only endured the physical death on the cross, but also the eternal wrath of God in Hell for the equivalent of eternity. That was a Ransom Payment for debt that we can neither possibly fathom nor ever pay.

And notice that the debtor “fell down, and worshipped” the king. The debtor panicked when he knew he could not pay the debt that he owed to the king, and so he was forced to show obeisance to the king begging for mercy. But as we read on, it was not from his heart. We are reminded of what we find in Isaiah 29:13, “Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near [me] with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:“

Moreover, the emphasis here is that we must also desire to forgive others of their trespasses against us in our hearts (and not just with our lips and our minds), or we will likewise be beholden to God for our trespasses to Him, and that payment requires an eternity in Hell.

Forgiveness Is Loving Your Neighbor as Yourself

We must all also remember the so-called “Golden Rule” that Jesus taught during the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 7:12, “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” Just as we all want to be forgiven of the trespasses that we have caused to others (and God), we must always be forgiving to everyone who trespasses against us. No desire for revenge, or returning evil for evil, and no holding grudges in our hearts.

This is expanded further in Matthew 22:37-40, “¶Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second [is] like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” For more on this please see the post on the “Parable of the Good Samaritan.”

Note the consistency with what we find in Job 31:13-15, “If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me; What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him? Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb?“

A Believer understands that all of mankind (which includes hisself or herself) are sinners by nature and according to Romans 3:9&10, “¶What then? are we better [than they]? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; ¶As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:” which hearkens us back to Psalm 14:1-3, “¶[[To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.]] The fool hath said in his heart, [There is] no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, [there is] none that doeth good. The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, [and] seek God. They are all gone aside, they are [all] together become filthy: [there is] none that doeth good, no, not one.” Therefore we should just be grateful, and thank and praise God that things are not worse every single day of our temporal lives. We must view every other person as our earthly brothers and sisters (those saved, and those still unsaved, alike) and realize that it is only by the grace of God that anyone is, or can be, saved. Ultimately, to be forgiving of others is to realize that in the eyes of a perfectly Holy and Just God, there is no room for pride or hate, which is clearly manifest in unforgiveness.

God stated plainly the following in Leviticus 19:18, “Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I [am] the LORD.”

This comes up again in Colossians 3:12, “¶Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also [do] ye.“

Also in James 5:9, “¶Grudge (grieve) not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.“, and in James 4:11, which is pertinent as well, “¶Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of [his] brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.“

Moreover, Jesus said very clearly to pro-actively love our enemies, and not just love those who show kindness and are dear to us, in Matthew 5:43-48, “¶Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more [than others]? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.“

God is Merciful, Therefore We should be Merciful

Similarly, in Luke 6:32-36 Jesus said, “¶For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. And if ye lend [to them] of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.”

And of course, we read the very next verse in Luke 6:37, “¶Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:”

It is therefore very clear from the above that if we desire mercy from God for our sins, then we must be likewise merciful to others. Exodus 34:6, “And the LORD passed by before him (Moses), and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear [the guilty]; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth [generation].” Psalm 103:8, “The LORD [is] merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.” Psalm 116:5, “Gracious [is] the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.“Matthew 5:7, “Blessed [are] the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.“

James 2:13 tells us similarly and quite significantly, “For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.” Those that show no mercy now, shall find no mercy on Judgment Day. On the other hand, there will be such as shall become recipients of mercy, in whom mercy rejoices against judgment: everyone, in the last day, will be either vessels of wrath or vessels of mercy. It concerns all to consider among which of these two shall they be found.

More on Loving Thy neighbor as Thyself

Note also the harmony of the above verses with what we find in the Old Testament in Exodus 23:4, “¶ If thou meet thine enemy’s ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again. If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him.“

Similar verses include:  

1. Matthew 19:19, “Honour thy father and [thy] mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.“
2. Matthew 22:39, “And the second [is] like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.“
3. Mark 12:29, “¶And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments [is], Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this [is] the first commandment. And the second [is] like, [namely] this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.“
4. Luke 6:31, “And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.“
5. Romans 13:9, “For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,Thou shalt not covet; and if [there be] any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.“
6. Galatians 5:14, “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, [even] in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.“
7. James 2:8, “If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:

Romans 12:17, “¶ Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but [rather] give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance [is] mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” This reminds us of What God said in Deuteronomy 32:35, “To me [belongeth] vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in [due] time: for the day of their calamity [is] at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.“

To be unforgiving is in essence to be hateful in one’s heart. And to be hateful in one’s heart is the same as being a murderer according to what we find in 1 John 3:15, “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.” Moreover, in Matthew 5:22, Jesus said, “But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.“

And this also hearkens us back to the Old Testament and to what we read in Leviticus 19:17, “¶Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.” The Old Testament has additional pertinent admonitions as we find in Proverbs 20:22, “Say not thou, I will recompense evil; [but] wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee.“

Finally, we should remember these admonition from Jesus in Matthew 5:22-26, “But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.”

And ultimately, we should all also consider the fact that we are all by nature in an adversarial relationship with God apart from God’s Saving Grace because of our sins, so this latter verses should also be understood as saying that we make peace with God through Jesus Christ today (‘quickly‘) for who knows if we will be alive tomorrow? And to pay ‘the uttermost farthing‘ in prison for our sins means spending an eternity in Hell! 2 Corinthian 6:2, “(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now [is] the accepted time; behold, now [is] the day of salvation.)“

Conclusion: “Love [is] the fulfilling of the law“

Jesus’ parable of the unforgiving servant followed directly after Jesus reply to Peter concerning “seventy times seven” as the number of times to forgive someone who trespasses against us, which drove home the point that if we are forgiven the enormous debt of sin against our Holy God, how much more should we be eager to forgive those who sin against us, who are just as sinful as we are? Paul parallels this example in Ephesians 4:32, where we are admonished, “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Clearly, forgiveness is not to be meted out in a limited fashion but is to be abundant, overflowing, and available to all, just as the measureless grace of God is poured out upon all believers.

A Christian should not hate or begrudge others for any reason. The Bible makes clear what love is. Romans 13:10 tells us, “Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love [is] the fulfilling of the law.” And if we say that we love God, then we must love others as ourselves, and moreover in John 14:15, Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”

John 13:35, “By this shall all [men] know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.“

1 John 4:7, “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.”

1 John 4:12, “No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.“

1 John 4:20&21, “¶If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.“

Galatians 5:22, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.“

And finally, what is the best way we can show true love to both friend and foe…it is by being a Christian witness to them of the Gospel of Salvation by Jesus Christ our LORD, whoever they may be, and to pray for their souls in the hope that they too might be saved from their sins.

Postscript: We should also remember that sometimes a hurt can even come from another Christian, intentionally or unintentionally, and so then, rather than harbor any ill feelings, it is correct to discuss it privately, and in a loving manner, with that person as we read in Matthew 18:15, “¶Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.” There is additional instruction in the following verses, but it has more to do with church discipline for one who is unrepentant.

Introduction: Judgment Day Is Also Known as “the Day of the LORD’s Sacrifice“

While many people are familiar with many of the doctrines from the Bible that pertain to “Judgment Day” and “Hell”, few people are likely to have been made aware of some of the more foreboding aspects of God’s declarations concerning Judgment day as well as the analogies that God presents concerning that Great and Terrible Day. One of those analogies is that God calls Judgment Day, “the day of the LORD’S sacrifice.” This is made clear in the following verses:

1. Zephaniah 1:7&8, “Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD [is] at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests. And it shall come to pass in the day of the LORD’S sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king’s children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel.” [Note: The “strange apparel” means that those who are to be punished do not have the Robes of Christ Righteousness, the “wedding garment” that we read about in Matthew 22:11-14, and Revelation 19:7-9]
2. Isaiah 34:6-10, “The sword of the LORD is filled with blood, it is made fat (דָּשֵׁן (dāšēn))^H1878 with fatness (חֵלֶב (ḥēleḇ))^H2459, [and] with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat (חֵלֶב (ḥēleḇ))^H2459 of the kidneys of rams: for the LORD hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea. And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat (דָּשֵׁן (dāšēn))^H1878 with fatness (חֵלֶב (ḥēleḇ))^H2459. For [it is] the day of the LORD’S vengeance, [and] the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion. And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch. It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever.” (NOTE: Regarding the word that is translated as “pitch”, please also see: “Noah’s Ark versus Moses’ Ark“.)
3. Ezekiel 39:17-21, “¶And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood. Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings (מְרִיא (mᵊrî’))^H4806 of Bashan. And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you. Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD. ¶And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them.” [NOTE: (מְרִיא (mᵊrî’))^H4806 means in the original Hebrew “fat cattle” or “fat beasts“.]
4. Jeremiah 46:10, “For this [is] the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood: for the Lord GOD of hosts hath a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates.“

Note also the close similarity between Isaiah 34:10, “It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever.” and what we read in Revelation 14:9-11, “¶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.”

These verses can only be pointing to the ultimate sacrifice on Judgment Day when the people of the world (the strangers) are destroyed (typified by the fat) and the smoke of their torment goes up forever as a perpetual sacrifice to God and for God?

“Fat“ Is That Which Is Reserved for the Fire of Judgment, and “All the Fat is the LORD’s“

Leviticus 3:16&17, “And the priest shall burn them upon the altar: [it is] the food of the offering made by fire for a sweet savour: all the fat (חֵלֶב (ḥēleḇ))^H2459 [is] the LORD’S. [It shall be] a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat (חֵלֶב (ḥēleḇ))^H2459 nor blood.”
Leviticus 7:23, “Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Ye shall eat no manner of fat (חֵלֶב (ḥēleḇ))^H2459, of ox, or of sheep, or of goat.“

“Fatlings” can be linked with Destruction

Back in Ezekiel 39:17&18, “¶And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood. Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings (מְרִיא (mᵊrî’))^H4806 of Bashan.” The word translated into English as “fatlings” comes from the original Hebrew word מֵחַ (mēaḥ)^H4220, meaning “fat ones“. There are only two places that “fatlings” (as translated from this Hebrew word מֵחַ (mēaḥ)^H4220) are found in the Bible: Psalm 66:15, “I will offer unto thee burnt sacrifices of fatlings, מֵחַ (mēaḥ)^H4220 with the incense of rams; I will offer bullocks with goats. Selah.” and Isaiah 5:17, “Then shall the lambs feed after their manner, and the waste places of the fat ones מֵחַ (mēaḥ)^H4220 shall strangers eat.“

Interestingly, the word that is translated in English as “fatlings“ מֵחַ (mēaḥ)^H4220 is derived from the root word מָחָה (māḥâ)^H4229, which the King James Translators interpreted in the following manner: (blot, put, etc)…out (17x), destroy (6x), wipe (4x), blot (3x), wipe away (2x), abolished (1x), marrow (1x), reach (1x), utterly (1x). For example, Genesis 6:7, “And the LORD said, I will destroy (מָחָה (māḥâ))^H4229 man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.”

Conclusion: “the Day of the LORD’s Sacrifice” Is Judgment Day

God‘s Judgment is the primary focus. The salvation side of this, however, is that God‘s Judgment and Justice has already been appeased for the believers with the Sacrifice of His Dear Son, Jesus Christ. It is interesting to note that fat often refers to bone marrow fat, which can only come from animals that make blood. This clearly points to the fact that, without the shedding of blood with the appropriate sacrifice, there is no remission of sins. Jesus Christ, Who Is eternal God, had to become the sin bearer for all of His Elect, and the smoke of His torment for our sins satisfies the eternal aspect of forever and ever, as well. (The study of Jonah Chapter 2 makes this very clear.)

However, we also know that on “Judgment Day”, “The Great Day of the LORD”, “God’s Day of Vengeance”, and “the Day of the LORD’s sacrifice”…for all those whose sins are not covered by the Atoning shed Blood of Jesus Christ back on the Cross in 33AD will become part of that eternal burning fatling fat of the LORD’s sacrifice, where the smoke of their torment will go up forever and ever that will begin on Judgment Day. Judgment Day is real and coming soon and Hell is real.

Revelation 19:17&18, “¶And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all [men, both] free and bond, both small and great.” and then Revelation 19:21, “And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which [sword] proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.” The One Who sits on the white horse is the LORD Jesus Christ, as we find stated clearly in Revelation 19:11-16, and the sword out of His mouth is the Word of God.

Hosea 9:5, “What will ye do in the solemn day, and in the day of the feast of the LORD?“

POSTSCRIPT: Another Description of Judgment Day

This post began with reference to Zephaniah 1:7&8 regarding the “LORD’S sacrifice” as another description of Judgment Day. But God provides us with more details when we read further in the same chapter. [NOTE: The reader must be aware that while it can be said that these verses were, in the first instance, a prophecy against Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Zephaniah of the destruction to come under Nebuchadnezzar from Babylon, nonetheless that destruction and desolation only served as a temporal prefigurement of the final Judgment Day that is yet to come.]

Zephaniah 1:12-18, “And it shall come to pass at that time, [that] I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil. Therefore their goods shall become a booty, and their houses a desolation: they shall also build houses, but not inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, but not drink the wine thereof. The great day of the LORD [is] near, [it is] near, and hasteth greatly, [even] the voice of the day of the LORD:the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.That day [is] a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers.And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD:and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung.Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD’S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.“

Introduction: “Election” Means That Only God Chooses Who Will Be Saved, Not Man

Election (God’s “choosing”) is a topic that is not very appealing to unsaved mankind, because it runs counter to the pride of man. It means that man has no “free will” with respect to salvation. Furthermore, “election” entirely removes mankind’s sovereignty over his or her’s own destiny, and raises God’s Sovereignty to being limitless. Salvation is entirely by God’s Grace alone. Grace is unmerited favor. Most importantly, “election” is the determining factor regarding a person’s ultimate destiny, whether that person is going to Heaven or going to Hell. (This post is excerpted from a longer post “The Hearing Ear and the Seeing Eye“)

Jesus emphasized the concept of election when he declared in Matthew 22:14, “For many are called, but few [are] chosen.” (please see also Matthew 20:16)

Election (God’s Sovereignty Regarding Salvation) is Explained by the Example of the Potter and the Clay

God makes it clear in no uncertain terms that He Is The Sovereign Creator, Who has total control over all of His Creation. And God specifically provides a most important analogy…that just like a potter can sovereignly form whatever he decides to create out of clay, so too is God able to do with His creation as He so determines (and, as in the case of the potter… if a created pot did not satisfy the potter, or if it is found to be marred in some way, then the potter could destroy it and/or remake it differently).

This is what we are explicitly told in the Old Testament in Isaiah 29:16, “Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter’s clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?” and later also in Isaiah 45:9, “Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! [Let] the potsherd (חֶרֶשׂ (ḥereś))^H2789 [strive] with the potsherds (חֶרֶשׂ (ḥereś))^H2789of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?” and finally again in Isaiah 64:8 “But now, O LORD, thou [art] our father; we [are] the clay, and thou our potter; and we all [are] the work of thy hand.”

Additional detail is provided later in Jeremiah 18:1-6, “¶The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make [it]. ¶Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay [is] in the potter’s hand, so [are] ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.“

And, even in the Book of Job, we are reminded of this fact. In Job 10:8&9, we read that Job, in his torment, cried out to God, “Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about; yet thou dost destroy me. Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again?” and again in Job 10:3, “[Is it] good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?“

This is reiterated in Job 34:18-20, “[Is it fit] to say to a king, [Thou art] wicked? and to princes, [Ye are] ungodly? [How much less to him] that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? for they all [are] the work of his hands. In a moment shall they die, and the people shall be troubled at midnight, and pass away: and the mighty shall be taken away without hand.” Note the harmony also with Psalm 95:6, “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.” and particularly Psalm 138:8, “The LORD will perfect [that which] concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, [endureth] for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.“

Romans Chapter 9 Shows That Election Is Unequivocal

In the New Testament, in Romans Chapter 9, the Apostle Paul referred back to this same very analogy (of God, The Sovereign Creator, being represented by the Potter, while humankind, as the creature, being represented as formed from the clay) that we have just seen in Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Job, to expound upon, and further explain, God’s Sovereignty and God’s Election (choosing). The analogy begins with how this analogy applies to every individual who has or ever will live by the example of Rebecca’s twin sons (Jacob and Esau).

Beginning in Romans 9:10-15, “¶And not only [this]; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; (For [the children] being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. ¶What shall we say then? [Is there] unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”

Note that the last verse is referring back to Exodus 33:19, “¶And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.“

Immediately following, the Apostle Paul expounds further by going on to say in Romans 9:16-24, “So then [it is] not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will [have mercy], and whom he will he hardeneth. ¶Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God?” 

Then, next, the Apostle Paul hearkens back to Isaiah 29:16, “Shall the thing formed say to him that formed [it], Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? ¶[What] if God, willing to shew [his] wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much  longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?“

Similarly we read in Job 9:12, “Behold, he (God) taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou?“

The analogy is carried further in 2 Corinthians 4:5-7, where the believers, being indwelt by God’s Holy Spirit, can all say, “For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. ¶But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.“

 Also in 2 Timothy 2:20, we read of other “vessels” differing from one and other, “But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.” For more on the meaning of this verse, please see this post, “1 Corinthians 3:12: Building with “Gold, Silver, Precious Stones” & “Wood, Hay, Stubble“?

Election Means Being Chosen Before Creation, Hence “Predestinated”

Anyone who claims to be a Christian should be familiar with the following verses that deal with God’s Election program and predestination…God chooses man, man does not choose God: 

Psalm 65:4, “Blessed [is the man whom] thou choosest, and causest to approach [unto thee, that] he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, [even] of thy holy temple.“

Matthew 22:14, “¶For many are called, but few are chosen.” (passive voice) (also Matthew 20:16)

John 15:16, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.“

John 6:44, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.“

Ephesians 1:4&5, “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,“

Ephesians 1:11, “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:”

Romans 8:29&30, “For whom he did foreknow (προγινώσκω(proginōskō)^G4267 “foreordained”), he also did predestinate [to be] conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.“

Romans 9:11, “(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth; )“

And please, let us NOT forget that Jesus stated specifically, twice for emphasis, the following in John 6:44, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” and John 6:65, “And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.“

Salvation is by Grace Alone, and NOT of Works

And we must remember that the body of believers, all of whom were predestinated before the foundations of the world, includes a remnant of the Jewish people as we read in Romans 11:5-8, “Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then [is it] no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if [it be] of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. ¶What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.“

Note that the Apostle Paul was referring back to Isaiah 6:9&10 (just as Jesus also did earlier, see below), “¶And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.”

Finally, we read in Ephesians 2:8-10, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto  good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” And by being identified as God’s “workmanship”, the believer is reminded that God is the Potter, and that we are merely the formed clay, made into pots, and therefore the work of His Hands.

Some verses that help to emphasize this last point:

1. Job 14:15, “Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.“).
2. Job 4:17, “Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker?“
3. Job 12:9, “Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this? In whose hand [is] the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.”
4. 1 Corinthians 4:7, “For who maketh thee to differ [from another]? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive [it], why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received [it]?” Everything that we are, and all that we have, is only by the Grace of our God and Maker. To Him be all the Glory! Amen.

Jesus spoke in Parables for a Reason

God tells us plainly and specifically, in three passages in the Bible, why Jesus spoke in Parables (and because God ordained it, this fact is not widely known or discussed in our world because the carnal man finds it offensive):

1. In Matthew 13:10-17 we read where the disciples questioned Jesus about His use of Parables, “And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He (Jesus) answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias (Isaiah 6:8-10), which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.”
2. In Mark 4:11+12 we read, “And he (Jesus Christ speaking to His disciples) said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all [these] things are done in parables:  That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and [their] sins should be forgiven them.”
3. In Luke 8:9&10, we read , “And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be? And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.“

One has to wonder, “How this can be?“, given that God states so very clearly and plainly how He uses parables to veil the mystery of the kingdom of God from unbelievers. This makes absolutely no sense from the perspective of normal human reasoning, and it is contrary to everything the world tells you about Christianity. This is because the reality is that salvation depends entirely on the supernatural intercession of God as He sees fit (Yes, whether one likes it or not, salvation is of the LORD!). Moreover, Jesus openly explains two of His parables (The Parable of the Sower as found in Matthew 13:3-9, Mark 4:3-9, Luke 8:5-8) which anyone in the world can readily physically read in Matthew 13:10-16, Mark 4:14-20, Luke 8:11-15 (together with the companion “The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares” as found in Matthew 13:24-30, which Jesus explained in Matthew 13:36-43.)

So then, quite astoundingly, even when a parable is explained perfectly to someone who is not one of God’s elect/chosen, that parable will still mean absolutely NOTHING to an unbeliever beyond merely the intellectual!  That is why at the end of the Sower parable, Jesus said three times in Matthew 13:9, Mark 4:9, Luke 8:8 (respectively), “Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” and “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” and “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.“

This appears, on the surface, both logically and intellectually, from a human standpoint, to not make any sense, and thereby raises the question, how is this possible? The answer to this conundrum is that even if a parable is clearly explained to a person who remains an unbeliever (one whom God does not intend to “hear” or “see” or “perceive” or “understand” the meaning), then the salvation imbuing essence (The Holy Spirit) will not be manifest…and the Word of God will still remain completely veiled or hidden to that person and that person will remain in an unsaved state. That is what makes true Christianity so scary, and so offensive, to carnal man.

Jesus consistently “spoke in parables”!

Matthew 13:34, ¶All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:” (and Mark 4:34) which fulfilled Psalm 78:2.

It was never Jesus’ intent to save everybody, or anybody who choses Him! (active voice), that is why we have Mark 4:12, “That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.”  See also Matthew 13:13, Luke 8:10

And when we consider that the entire Bible is a “Parable”, it makes perfect sense from God’s perspective (but not man’s) that Election depends on the veiling of Truth through the use of parables, otherwise Jesus would have indeed always just spoken “plainly”. (please see also John 16:25-33.)

Moreover, parables are, themselves, just a “sign” that God’s Salvation Program is strictly by Election, because even when the parables are explained in plain English, if a person is not elect, then the explanation and teaching of the parables will still have no effect on that person. 

Conclusion

Dear reader, as hard as this post is to accept, we must remember that Jesus stated specifically, twice for emphasis, the following in John 6:44, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” and John 6:65, “And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.“

However, just because Election is a predetermined grace upon one individual and not another…everyone, while still living, is not in any way absolved from turning back to God in repentance for sin, and thus everyone is still faced with a personal reckoning. Everyone needs to ask, “Am I saved or not?” IF this question is disturbing, then that is a positive sign of being fearful of God’s wrath to come on Judgment Day, and that God is instilling a desire to make peace with Him through the Atoning Sacrifice of His Beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Anyone who is unsaved, but becomes concerned with what the Bible says (because it is true and trustworthy), can still cry out to God for mercy…and God will show mercy. IF, on the other hand, the individual is disgusted, and dislikes what has been said above, and refuses to hear God’s Word, then so be it. God Is still The Creator, The Potter, and The Judge.

Let us not forget God’s warning in Isaiah 45:9, “Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! [Let] the potsherd [strive] with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?“

Epilogue

Isaiah 55:11, “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper [in the thing] whereto I sent it.”

POSTSCRIPT

Psalm 2 provides a lot of pertinent information for us, if we only pay attention to it. All of Psalm 2 is about Jesus and His Sovereign Reign and His punishment for the rebellious.

Psalm 2:1-12, “¶Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, [saying], Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou [art] my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give [thee] the heathen [for] thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth [for] thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish [from] the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed [are] all they that put their trust in him.“

Introduction to Numbers in the Bible

Myriad misperceptions abound on the role of numbers as they are found in the Bible. Nonetheless, it can be observed that God does apply the use of numbers in a consistent and meaningful way, which have the effect of conveying spiritual truths, as this post attempts to show.

However, this post on the role of numbers in the Bible has nothing to do with “Numerology“, or “Gematria“, or claimed “secret Bible Codes“, but it will hopefully show how specific Gospel elements can be embedded within a few of the various numbers that are repeatedly found in the Bible. This teacher has noted that the numbers which are located throughout the Bible are for the purpose of conveying spiritual truths that are also consistent with the various historical accounts in which they appear. The numbers in the Bible, just like the words in the Bible (in the original languages), are integral to the Spiritually crafted text in an inerrant, infallible, and consistent manner/pattern.

Moreover, just as the individual spiritual meaning of a word can be derived through careful comparisons of Bible scripture with other Bible scripture (the Parable of the Sower is an illustrative of this point), so too can the meaning of a number be determined using the same process. Many (but not all) of the numbers that are present in the Bible, and the spiritual concepts that they each appear to convey, are reviewed in this post along with pertinent Bible references (as a basis for evidential validation).

And let us not forget, numbers are words in any written language. Number “3” is written as the word “three”, the number “16” is written as the word “sixteeen”. But numbers are also different from words in that they can be added, subtracted, multiplied and divided. Words on the other hand are immutable, but nonetheless can still have different meanings in the same, or different, languages depending on their use in context (think of the word “bat” in English…a “bat” can either be a stick, or a flying mammal).

Numbers Are a Universally understood Language

We should also be aware that “numbers” are also unique words in themselves, in that they are the only means of human communication which can be universally understood. All people in every culture in every nations count using numbers, and it does not matter what language anyone speaks, because each number still has the exact same meaning in every language. Ten is “10”, and nothing else, in every tongue, in every nation on earth, regardless of whatever language someone speaks. (And “prime” numbers are unique numbers that are universally understood as numbers which can not be further subdivided because they are not the product of two smaller natural numbers.) The numbers found in the Bible are evidently meant by God to convey consistent spiritual associations and concepts, which can be be derived by comparing scripture and scripture…as will be shown below (and please note that these examples should in no way to be viewed as exhaustive, as they really only represent tiny fraction of what can be expected to be found with greater scrutiny of numbers in the Bible).

Numbers Are Constant and Consistent Throughout Time

The meaning of any given word in any given language has the potential of being changed over time, but not so in the case of numbers. In the King James English the word “prevent” means “to go before” whicl in modern English, the word “prevent” means “to stop something”. Conversely, the number “ten” (10), be it cubits, or fingers on hands, and toes on feet, has not changed since creation, and will not change until the end of time.

Numbers in the Bible Have Different Applications

But what about “numbers”? As was mentioned above, numbers are, in fact, words, and the same rules apply to numbers in the Bible that apply to words in the Bible. However, non-numeric alphabetic words can only be qualitative (and general, e.g., tall, long, heavy, old), while numbers are quantitative (and precise) and can be applied in a variety of ways:

• Numbers can be used to measure the passage of time: Israel was in Egypt exactly 430 years as we read in Exodus 12:40, “¶Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, [was] four hundred and thirty years.“
• Numbers can be used to describe how many people, objects, or things are in given historical account: There were eight souls on Noah’s Ark as we read in 1 Peter 3:20, “Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.“
• Numbers can be used to describe the size, volume, or weight of an object: Noah’s Ark measurements are provided in Genesis 6:15, “And this [is the fashion] which thou shalt make it [of]: The length of the ark [shall be] three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.“
• Numbers can have both a literal and symbolic meaning: The “153″ fish caught in the unbroken net in John 21:11, which is expounded below in Lesson #1, and the “276″ souls saved in the shipwreck in Acts 27:37-44, which is expounded below in Lesson #2. [But also note that if we only see the literal number in each case, we will simply understand the numbers to be only conveying that there were “a great number” of fishes and souls, and thereby serving no further purpose beyond that].
• Numbers can have an entirely spiritual meaning: Jesus tells us that we should forgive others “seventy times seven” (490 times) in Matthew 18:21&22. Because the numbers “7” and “70” spiritually represent perfection of what is in view (see below in the Appendix), we can be assured that Jesus is telling us that our forgiving is to be perfect, even as God’s forgiveness of our sins is perfect, and hence that we are to NEVER stop forgiving others of their sins as they trespass against us.
• Finally, numbers in the Bible can be multiplied by ten, hundred, thousand, and remain consistent in their individual spiritual meanings. For instance, the number “23” can be multiplied by tens to yield 230, or 2300, or 23000, with the spiritual meaning remaining unchanged (because the number ten (“10”) consistently appears to spiritually represent the “totality” of whatever is in view).

Finally, numbers are indeed words in that they convey specific meanings in themselves on an earthly level, but can also be used to convey specific meanings on a spiritual level as can be shown from the Bible. However, because all men by nature are spiritually blind and eternally separated from God by the corruption of sin, it is only through the Grace of God’s Divine intervention that a spiritually dead sinner can be regenerated to a new, sinless, God conscious life again by God’s Holy Spirit. Therefore whatever understanding there may be, of the Godward, Heavenly, meaning of words in the Bible, that understanding is entirely dependent on God’s revelation and teaching according to His Sovereign Will.

Motivation for this Post

In earlier posts, this teacher has taken issue with the literal-grammatical-historical method of Biblical interpretation (hermeneutic), e.g.,these posts: Refutation and Dialogue. Those posts were intended to show how the literal-grammatical-historical method of interpretation falls far short of the truth. Another significant way that the literal-grammatical-historical method falls short is with regard to the understanding of the role of numbers that God has included in the Bible. One Advocate of the literal-grammatical-historical interpretation states that, “Often a number in the Bible is simply a number. God does not call us to search for secret meanings, hidden messages, and codes in the Bible.”  

That is simply, and absolutely, NOT true! The Holy Scriptures are all “Spiritually” inspired to convey important spiritual information from God. We know this from 2 Timothy 3:16 which states, “All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for  correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” 2 Timothy 3:16 does not say “some” scripture!

NOTE: For anyone to dare to presume that God does not conceal information within His Word (which includes numbers) is, in effect, calling God a liar! This verse alone makes this point clear: Proverbs 25:2, “[It is] the glory of God to conceal a thing (“word”): but the honour of kings [is] to search out (חָקַר (ḥāqar))^H2713 a matter (“word”).” Note specifically the word “seek” and “search” and how God instructs His people to search out wisdom from His Word in Proverbs 2:4-6, “If thou seekest (בָּקַשׁ (bāqaš))^H1245 her as silver, and searchest (חָפַשׂ (ḥāp̄aś))^H2664 for her as [for] hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth [cometh] knowledge and understanding.” A detailed exposition on the meaning of Proverbs 25:2 can be found in this post: Hidden Spiritual Gem #1.

And numbers (which are effectively the same as “words” in the Bible) are used by God as an integral part of the Holy Scriptures, and NONE of those numbers should ever be viewed as incidental, superfluous, or without any spiritual meaning. To say otherwise merely limits, and thereby demeans, the Almighty Sovereign Omnipotent God of the Bible, Who rules over Heaven, Earth, and all of Creation. Please remember Romans 11:33, “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable [are] his judgments, and his ways past finding out!” and
Isaiah 55:8&9, “For my thoughts [are] not your thoughts, neither [are] your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

The problem with such humanly crafted and taught rules of Biblical interpretation (and the literal-grammatical-historical hermeneutic is derived by men), and why such rules are so insidious, is that, for the most part, they actually place “mental and spiritual blinders” on the reader, by limiting the reader to see no further than the earthly historical and moral lessons of the Bible.  The deeper and more profound spiritual meanings will be completely lost to the adherent of that methodology, in that they will see nothing more than a “literal” and “historical” accounts. Their readings will effectively be casual and careless, because they do not have, nor do they desire to have, hearing ears and seeing eyes, because they underestimate God.

Please also note that the literal-grammatical-historical methodology is also contrary to the guidance provided to us by God via the hand of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 2:13, “Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned.“

In order for anyone to truly understand the meaning of Biblical scripture, scripture (“spiritual things“) must be compared with other scripture (“spiritual“). So then, in order to understand the meaning of a word, which include numbers, we do not just go to a man made dictionary, we must go to the Bible to see where else in the Bible the same word, contextual phraseology, or number is found. The Bible is its own dictionary and encyclopedia. The Bible is not just like any other book, it is entirely God breathed and wholly inspired by God by His Holy Spirit.

Note that we should never presume that we will always understand every number as used in each and every case in the Bible. We can only understand so far as what God Is Willing To Graciously Reveal to us from His Word. This teacher does not pretend to claim that this post is complete or accurate in every point, but it is hoped that it will at least still serve as a means of further raising awareness of the perfection of God’s Word, the Bible.

Two Spiritual Lessons from Prime Numbers Intertwined Within Two Historical Accounts

Two exemplar lessons, provided below, involve two different, but very significant numbers, which each uniquely incorporate a different prime number (but yet in the same manner) and provide important spiritual insights about the historical account (each of which is itself an “Historical Parable“) in which they each exist. And each of those insights would be missed entirely if one were to derive one’s understanding solely on the basis of the “literal-grammatical-historical” method of interpretation.

Lesson #1: The Apostle Peter’s Net Caught “153” Fish

The “153” fishes caught in the net by the Disciples highlight the Prime Number “17”

God records the historical account of Jesus appearing to the disciples (post-Resurrection) on the shore of the Sea of Galilee (“Sea of Tiberias“), when Peter, along with other named disciples, were fishing as we read in John 21:1-11, “¶After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he [himself]. There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and 

Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the [sons] of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing. But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. ¶And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and nowthey were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. ¶Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt [his] fisher’s coat [unto him], (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea. And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes. As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught. ¶Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.“

Remember what Jesus said in His first encounter with them after a similar event in Mark 1:17“And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.” (see also Matthew 4:19, and Luke 5:1-10, where in the last verse we read, “And so [was] also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.“). Therefore the fishes spiritually allegorically represent mankind. Jesus said so!  So then what does the number “153” represent?  We can be certain that it is NOT just some random number indicating “a lot” of fish. And God did not tell us “about 150”, the Bible specifically, and precisely, states “an hundred and fifty and three:“!

NOTE: Before proceeding to address the meaning of the number of fishes caught (153) we should remember that fish do not exhibit their free will and volunteer to be caught in any net. They are caught unawares and suddenly and there is nothing that they can do to prevent themselves from being caught. It is therefore useful to remember how consistent this is with respect to the doctrine of Election for those who become saved. They are caught in the “Good” net, but everyone of the non-elect will be similarly be caught in an Evil net. Ecclesiastes 9:12, “For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net (מָצוֹד (māṣôḏ))^H4685, and as the birds that are caught in the snare (פַּח (paḥ))^H6341; so [are] the sons of men snared (יָקֹשׁ (yāqōš))^H3369 in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.“

When we look at the original Greek language translated into English by the King James translators, we find that the number presented as “an hundred and fifty and three” (“153“) is ἑκατόν (hekaton)^G1540 (“100“), πεντήκοντα (pentēkonta)^G4004 (“50“), and τρεῖς (treis)^G5140 (“3“). Each of those numbers has spiritual significance in themselves. 

The “an hundred” (10 x 10) is representative of “totality” (“10” squared).  

The number “fifty” is (5 x 10). The number “five” (“5“) is a prime number representing “Divine Justice“, which brings both God’s “Salvation” and “Judgment“. The multiplication of “5” by “10” is indicative of this being in “totality”. (Please see the Appendix below)

Finally we see the number “three” (“3”). The number “3” represents “the Purpose or Will of God” (as in the Trinity, please see see the Appendix).

So then, using an initial understanding of how God has used these specific numbers in the Bible, we can see that it involves the “Will of God” to, in “Totality”, bring about “God’s Justice” in bringing Salvation to God’s Elect, the Eternal Church, at the end of time (while at the same time being God’s Will to bring about the totality of God’s Just Judgment on those not counted among God’s elect with the Elect being represented by the caught fish)

The Number “17” Is Also in View

But there is more to the spiritual implications of this historical account than that. God instructs us to search out the Word of God like hidden treasure. The number 153 is very significant, but it takes time to search out the otherwise hidden meanings. The Number 153 also breaks down like this:  3 x 3 x “17“. Again, the number “3” represents “the Purpose or Will of God” and the number “17” (a prime number that cannot be divided any further) represents “Heaven” in the Bible.

153 Is a Unique Number Which Also Highlights the Number “17”

Moreover, the number of caught fishes being exactly “153” is itself a very unique number because the prime number “17”, which can be factored from it, is particularly highlighted by the number “153” in a VERY unique manner. If we add 1 +2 +3 +4 +5…..up to and including +17, we find that the sum equals 153!  The number 17 is therefore uniquely highlighted in two different ways that no other number besides 153 will be capable of doing.

We can see that the spiritual implication that God has incorporated into this historical account, and the insertion of this unique number, is that it was the Purpose and Will of God that the disciples, led by Peter, should become “fishers of men“, and they would be used of God to bring a great number of souls into Heaven in accord with Jesus’ declaration that is recorded in Matthew 4:19 and Mark 1:17.

Scriptural Evidence to show that the number “17” has “Heavenly” or “Completion of Salvation” association/typology:

1. In Genesis 8:4, “And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.” Noah’s Ark resting was a prefigurement of salvation and coming into Heaven. Heaven is prefigured by mountains as we read in Psalm 121:1&2, “¶[[A Song of degrees.]] I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help [cometh] from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.” The word for “hills” in the original Hebrew is הַר (har)^H2022, which is synonymous with “mountains”.
2. Joseph (a clear Type” of the LORD Jesus Christ) was seventeen years old when he had the dream that the members of his family would bow before him. Genesis 37:2-10, “These [are] the generations of Jacob. Joseph, [being] seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad [was] with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.” This historical event anticipated the Heavenly realm in eternity when all believers will bow and worship the LORD Jesus Christ as is told to us in Revelation 5:11-14.
3. Jacob lived seventeen years in Egypt under the care and keeping of Joseph who as the second ruler of Egypt had saved him from deadly famine. Genesis 47:28, “And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years: so the whole age of Jacob was an hundred forty and seven years.” This period again points us to Heaven where all the believers will be under the care and keeping of the LORD Jesus Christ forever.
4. When Judah and Jerusalem was about to go into captivity in Babylon, Jeremiah was instructed by God to buy a field in the land of Israel and pay seventeen shekels of silver for it. Jeremiah 32:9, “And I bought the field of Hanameel my uncle’s son, that was in Anathoth, and weighed him the money, [even] seventeen shekels of silver.” This action anticipated the future return of the remnant of Israel to the promised land, which in turn is the entrance of all believers into Heaven (and Salvation) marking the end of the captivity of their souls.

Lesson #2: The Saving of “276” Souls from a Shipwreck

The “276” souls saved in the shipwreck with Paul coming to the island of “Melita” (“Honey“) highlight the Prime Number “23”

We also know that the promised land (typifying Heaven) was frequently described in the Bible as a place flowing with “milk and honey”^H1706.  And it should be noted here that when Paul was shipwrecked, that the “certain island” that Paul prophesied about in Acts 27:26 was named Melita (now known as Malta) in Acts 28:1.  Melita means “Honey”, and it was also used in this true historical account to portray “Heaven”… to where all 276 souls on the ship were saved, although the ship that carried them was completely destroyed (because it represents the apostate corporate church just prior to Judgment Day). We read in Acts 27:37, “And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls.“ and then later in Acts 27:42-44, that the centurion in charge of the Apostle Paul, ”commanded that they which could swim should cast [themselves] first [into the sea], and get to land: And the rest, some on boards, and some on [broken pieces] of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.”  

The ship was completely destroyed, yet every soul was saved. That is the plain, literal, and historical understanding, for which there is no argument to that point. But why did the number of souls total exactly “276“? Could there be some kind of spiritual meaning Iinked to that number as was the case of the 153 fish? YES, Indeed there is!

When we look at the original Greek language translated into English by the King James translators, we find that the number presented as “two hundred threescore and sixteen” (“276“) is διακόσιοι (diakosioi) ^G1250 (“200“), ἑβδομήκοντα (hebdomēkonta) ^G1440 (“70“), and ἕξ (hex)^G1803(“6“).Each of those numbers has spiritual significance. 

The number “two hundred” (2 x 10 x 10) is representative of the church (“2”, like the two witnesses) in totality (“10” squared).  Mark 6:7, “And he called [unto him] the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;“

“Seventy” as a Perfection of Time Indicator

The number “seventy” is a perfection of time indicator, as we know from the 70 years of desolation of Jerusalem and the Babylonian captivity during that same seventy year period (Daniel 9:2 and Jeremiah 25:12, Jeremiah 29:10). Then there are the 70 weeks of years (490 years) in Daniel 9:24 prophesying the exact time in the future that Jesus would arrive to make Atonement, “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.” Also Isaiah 23:15, “¶And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king: after the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing as an harlot.”

Sometimes “seventy“ can have a positive connotation (for the Believers)

We also know from Exodus 1:5, “And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls: for Joseph was in Egypt [already].” In the New Testament, we read where Jesus appointed seventy men as new Apostles as we read in Luke 10:1, “After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.” and then in Luke 10:17, “And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.” Significantly, Jesus told those seventy men in Luke 10:20, “Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.” Those 70 men were appointed by Jesus and were granted entrance into Heaven. Seventy years was also the time period of captivity after which Jerusalem would be restored, picturing the end of time when the New Jerusalem would be revealed.

Sometimes “seventy” can also have a negative connotation (for the unsaved)

2 Samuel 24:15, “¶So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men.” In Ezekiel 8:11, there were, “seventy men of the ancients of the house of Israel,” who were doing abominations back in the Old Testament. 1 Chronicles 21:14, “¶So the LORD sent pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.” Judges 9:56, “¶Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren:”

Finally the number “six” (“6”). The number six is most closely aligned with both man and work.  God created man on the sixth day (Genesis 1:26-31). That was God’s “Work”.

So then, using this understanding of how God has used these specific numbers in the Bible, we can see that it involves the Eternal Church when God will finish His Work of restoration at the end of time leading to the era of the New Jerusalem in Heaven.

The Number “23” Is Also in View

But there is more to the spiritual implications of this historical account than that. The number 276 can also be divided into 3 x 4 x “23“. As was indicated earlier above, the number “3” represents “the Purpose or Will of God”, while the number “4” represents “Global” or “Universal” (like the four points of the compass, again please the Appendix). The number “23” (please see the Appendix) is another “prime number”, which cannot be divided any further and it represents God’s Judgment, particularly in “the Final Tribulation“, which occurs just before Judgment Day, when God’s wrath is poured out on the apostate church and the abomination of desolation takes over because God looses the devil as we read in Revelation 20:3&7.  The giant storm “euroclydon“, a form of God’s Wrath, was sent by God against the ship.

276 Is a Unique Number Which Also Highlights the Number “23”

And just as we learned above how the number 153 was unique, so too is the number 276 unique!
In the case of the number 276, the prime number that is highlighted is the number “23” in the same unique manner as was “17” highlighted in the number 153. If we add 1 +2 +3 +4 +5…up to and including +23, then we find that the sum of all the numbers equals 276!  The number 23 is therefore uniquely highlighted in two different ways that no other number besides 276 will be capable of doing. So then, the spiritual meaning that God has crafted into this historical account is that the Jesus (represented by the Apostle Paul, as a “Type” of Christ) would bring the souls of all of the believers into Heaven (those who were previously in the corporate body, the church during the last days after it is destroyed by God for its becoming apostate during in the Final Tribulation. 

Scriptural Evidence to show the number “23” points to “Judgment”, particularly in the context of punishing the corporate church for its apostasy during the “Final Tribulation”:

1. It was stated that the temple would be trodden under foot for 2300 (“23” X “100”) days to signify the period of the Final Tribulation when God judges the corporate church for its apostasy. Daniel 8:13&14, “¶Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain [saint] which spake, How long [shall be] the vision [concerning] the daily [sacrifice], and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? ¶And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.“
2. 23,000 (“23” X “1000”) Israelites were killed in one day in the plague in the Sinai wilderness as we read in 1 Corinthians 10:8, “Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.“
3. It was in the 23rd year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign when Judah was completely destroyed by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar. Jeremiah 52:30, “In the three and twentieth year of Nebuchadrezzar Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Jews seven hundred forty and five persons: all the persons [were] four thousand and six hundred.” (And please note that the 4600 is 2 x 2300)!

NOTE to the reader: The fact that all of the 276 souls made it safe to the Island of Melita is also significant, because it also reinforces a spiritual concept, because it is also a “Geographical Parable”. A Geographical Parable is a real “earthly” physical place, which serves to represent a real “spiritual” place and thereby conveys a “spiritual” meaning. “Melita“, from the orginal Greek Μελίτη (melitē)^G3194, means “Honey“. The Island of Melita, as God applies it in the Bible, is described more fully in a longer post entitled Biblical Insights: Geographical Parables, Part 7: The Island of Melita, A Portrait of Heaven. We also should remember that the “Promised Land” (typifying Heaven) is frequently described in the Bible as a land that is flowing (or floweth) with “milk (חָלָב (ḥālāḇ)) ^H2461and honey (דְּבַשׁ (dᵊḇaš))^H1706“(see for example Exodus 3:8). The phrase “milk and honey” is actually found 20 times in the Old Testament.  Is it not interesting that both milk and honey are related to this Creation of God, and, hence are not reliant in any way on the work of man? They are also dependent on green grass and flowers to be produced, but they result in a means of sustenance for man. Only those who are the chosen of God can enter into that land of rest (from work), a land that is flowing with milk and honey, hence that land of milk and honey (hence also “Melita”) is an earthly picture of the Spiritual Heaven wherein mankind can have eternal rest and sustenance for that which it cannot labor.

Conclusion About the Meaning of Numbers

Both of the above lessons illustrate how numbers in the Bible do indeed convey important spiritual concepts, and are used by God to emphasize an associated “spiritual” meaning.  The two numbers used in the lessons above (“153” and “276”) each highlighted a particular prime number (“17” and “23”respectively), which each convey an important spiritual meaning. They were not included in the Bible by accident or happenstance. Moreover, God ordered the events perfectly such that those two particular prime numbers were embedded within the context of two extremely important historical and spiritual Biblical accounts, which also each formed an “Historical Parable”. Moreover, each of the derived meanings conforms with the rest of each of the two historical accounts, which can be further verified by viewing how those prime numbers are consistently used throughout other portions of scripture to convey the same spiritual concepts.

This teacher welcomes any and all questions and comments regarding this post (or any other post), such that we would all come to a more perfect understanding of the Truth, Who Is Jesus Christ, from God’s Word the Bible.

Appendix: The Spiritual Meaning of Key Numbers in the Bible

All numbers from one to ten are found in the Bible. Higher numbers are can either be presented as single alphabetic words or combinations of multiple alphabetic words representing different smaller numbers. For example, in Luke 13:4, we see in English the number eighteen, but in the original Greek the number “eighteen” is found to be a combination of two smaller numbers. It is actually written as “ten and eight”…δέκα (deka)^G1176 for “ten”, καί (kai)^G2532 for “and”, and ὀκτώ (oktō)^G3638 for “eight”. In Judges 3:14, we see in English the number in the original Hebrew “eighteen” is derived from שְׁמֹנֶה (šᵊmōnê)^H8083 [“eight”] and עֶשֶׂר (ʿeśer)^H6240 [“teen”].

The Number One

The number one (“1“) is the universally understood number for “Unity“, “Oneness“, but in the Bible also the number one also means “Headship“. God Is One, as we read where Jesus states in John 10:30, “I and [my] Father are one.” or the following in 1 John 5:7, “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.“

The Number Two

The number two (“2“) is a universally understood number for pairing. Like the pairing of a man and a woman, or two eyes, or two hands, or two feet. But in the Bible God specifically uses the number “2” to represent the spiritual truth of the Gospel, the “testimony” and those who bring it, “the two witnesses”, who, in turn, conceptually represent “the Church“.

• Deuteronomy 19:15, “One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.”
• Jesus instructed the disciples to go out into the world to bring the Gospel by twos, as we read in Mark 6:7, “And he (Jesus) called [unto him] the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;”
• Luke 10:1, “¶After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.“
• Then there are the two witnesses, the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks of Revelation 11:3, “And I will give [power] unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred [and] threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.¶These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.“
• We also remember that, on the Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus was met by “two” men, Moses (representing the Law) and Elijah (representing the prophets).
• We also see this in the two elements coming out of Jesus, portraying the Gospel of Salvation, the “blood and water” in John 19:34, “But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.“

The Number Three

The number three (“3“) is a prime number (cannot be further divided) and represents the “Unfailing Purpose of God, hence God’s Sovereign Will and Testimony”. We can immediately think of the Trinity…The Father, The Word (The Son), and The Holy Ghost as specified in 1 John 5:7, “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word (The Son), and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” and Ecclesiastes 4:12, “And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” and with regard to another “witness” we have again, Deuteronomy 19:15, “One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.“

There are many other “threes” in the Bible, but perhaps the most frequent occurrences are those found in association with Jesus’ Atoning Sacrifice, whereby Jesus Christ unequivocally fulfilled the unfailing Purpose and Will of God.

• The “3” disciples (Peter, James, and John) with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (as well as earlier on the Mount of Transfiguration).
• Jesus prayed in the Gethsemane “3” times. Matthew 26:4
• The “3” disciples were asleep three times in Gethsemane. Matthew 26:45
• Jesus was betrayed by Judas for “Thirty pieces of silver” (“3” X “10”) Zechariah 11:12&13 and Matthew 27:3-8.
• Peter denied Jesus “3” times, as Jesus predicted in Matthew 26:34 , Luke 22:34, and John 13:38.
• “3” crosses on Calvary Hill for the “3” condemned. Luke 23:33
• The words “King of the Jews” placed above Jesus on the cross were written in “3” languages (Greek, Latin, and Hebrew, according to Luke 23:38).
• The “3” hours of darkness during the Crucifixion: Matthew 27:45.
• Jesus was “3” days and “3” nights “in the heart of the earth“: according to Matthew 12:40, just as Jonah was “3” days and “3” nights “in the whale’s belly“: Jonah 1:17.
• Three women came to the empty tomb on Easter Sunday. Mark 16:1
• The “3” walking on the Road to Emmaus.
• Nehemiah was in Jerusalem for “3” days as we read in Nehemiah Chapter 2

The Number Four

The number four (“4“) represents “Earthly”, “Global”, and “Universal“, something having an impact on the entire world, and can also apply all the way to the end of time.

• We immediately think of the four corners of the earth representing all of the world, e.g., Psalm 107:3, “And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south.” and Luke 13:29, “And they (the elect of God from all nations) shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.“
• The “four quarters of the earth” in Revelation 20:8
• The “four winds of the heaven” in Matthew 24:31, Zechariah 2:6
• The “four angels“, the “four corners of the earth“, the “four winds of the earth” in Revelation 7:1
• The four horses (white, red, black and pale) and the “four beasts” in Revelation 6:1-8.
• Abraham bought the burial place (the cave of Machpelah) for his wife Sarah for “four hundred” (4 X 100) shekels of silver in Genesis 23:15-20.
• The “four corners of the land” linked to the end: Ezekiel 7:2, “Also, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD unto the land of Israel; An end, the end is come upon the four corners of the land.”

The Number Five

The number five (“5“) is a prime number representing “Divine Justice“, which brings both God’s “Salvation” and “Judgment“. Favor and Salvation to the Believers, and Judgment upon the wicked. It is like the “two-edged” sword in Hebrews 4:12, which cuts two ways, and relates to 2 Corinthians 2:14-17.

• We see how this plays out when the shepherd boy, David, chose “five smooth stones” out of the brook, with which he subsequently slew Goliath with a first strike, granting God’s salvation to Israel, and condemning Goliath to death as a judgment upon him and his nation, the fleeing Philistines. 1 Samuel 17:40, “And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling [was] in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.”
• We also see this manifest in the Parable of the five wise virgins and the five foolish virgins, where the five wise virgins had the Holy Spirit making them ready to enter in to Heaven when Jesus comes again, and five foolish virgins did not have the Spirit and could not enter in.
• The five loaves feeding five thousand in ranks of fifty (5 X 10) for their sustenance/typifyiing Salvation: Matthew 14:17-21, Mark 6:38-44, Luke 9:12-17, John 6:8-14 (the only one of Jesus’ miracles recording in all four of the gospels).
• The “five brethren” under judgment headed to Hell in Luke 16:28.
• The “five months” of “torment” (judgment) for those “men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads” in Revelation 9:4&5.
• The cost of redemption is given as five shekels in Numbers 18:16
• Pentecost (Feast of Weeks) is fifty days after Passover when the Holy Spirit was poured out bringing Salvation to the World. Acts 2:1-5.
• The Jubilee is every fifty years in Leviticus 25:9-15.

The Number Six

The number six (“6“) identifies with “Work“, we see God’s Divine Work of Creation in six days, and also “man” and “his works” as opposed to God’s.

• God worked to create the heavens and the earth in six days: “For [in] six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them [is], and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it“. Exodus 20:11
• Adam, representing mankind, was created on the sixth day in Genesis 1:26-31.
• “Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:” Exodus 20:9
• “Six days may work be done; but in the seventh [is] the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth [any] work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.“Exodus 31:15
• The number 666 is the “number of a man” Revelation 13:18. The number six relates to man striving for his salvation through his own efforts/works, hence it represents a false gospel, and hence those who serve the devil rather than God.

The Number Seven

The number seven (“7“) is a prime number that represents “Perfection” or “fulfillment” of whatever God has in view in the text, frequently “Perfection or fulfillment with respect to time” (but possibly also “Sanctification” for the Elect). The Bible is replete with examples of completed seven day, or seven year, cycles, and regarding the 70 years of the captivity in Babylon.

• Genesis 2:2&3, “And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.“
• Revelation 5:6, “¶And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.“
• The seven men with the Holy Ghost in Acts 6:3, “Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.“
• Romans 11:4, “But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to [the image of] Baal.”
• Regarding the Passover feast period in Exodus 13:6, “Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the LORD. Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy quarters.” The leaven represents “sin” and the Passover feast memorializes coming out of Egypt wherein Israel was in bondage.
• It took seven days to bring judgment on Jericho in Hebrews 11:30, “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.”
• And regarding the judgment of Jericho, it involved seven priests with seven trumpets of rams’ horns circuiting the city seven times on the seventh day! Joshua 6:4, “And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams’ horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.“
• Revelation 1:20, “The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.“
• And remember that the candlestick inside the Tabernacle and Temple had seven lamps Exodus 25:32 and it, together with all of the furniture of the Tabernacle, were sanctified and made holy, as we read in Exodus 30:29, “And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy.“
• Exactly 70 souls of the house of Jacob (Israel) came into Egypt, as we read in Genesis 46:27, “And the sons of Joseph, which were born him in Egypt, [were] two souls: all the souls of the house of Jacob, which came into Egypt, were threescore and ten.“
• There were 70 weeks of years (70 X 7 years or 490 years) in Daniel 9:24-27, enumerating a precise literal timeline from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem after the captivity until the Messiah (Jesus) would be crucified (after the first 69 weeks) with the last week (not a literal week of years) finishing at the end of time.
• Revelation 4:5, “And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and [there were] seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.” and Revelation 5:4-6, “¶And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. ¶ And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.“
• Finally, we should consider Revelation 17:9-11, “¶And here [is] the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, [and] the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.” The seven mountains are the seven kingdoms of the earth over all time. At the time of John the Revelator there had been five previous kingdoms: 1) Egyptian, 2) Assyrian 3) Babylonian, 4) Medo-Persian, 5) Grecian. Then there was 6) the Roman empire of John’s time (later known as the Holy Roman Empire and the Western/Global world up to this day), and 7) the little season, the Final Tribulation period (when the devil, the beast who was, then was not, being bound at the cross, but later loosed by God, which will end on Judgment Day.

The Number Eight

The number eight (“8“) represents “Resurrection“, “Regeneration“, and “Eternity” (and oftentimes “Eternal Life and Salvation“).

We should remember that God established seven days in a week back in Genesis 2:2&3, and the eighth day always heralds the beginning of a “new” week. In the same way, the number eight is associated with the new birth, as exemplified by the Resurrection of the LORD Jesus Christ Who Is the “Firstborn from the dead.” Colossians 1:18, “And he (Jesus) is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all [things] he might have the preeminence.“

• Eight souls were saved on Noah’s Ark (Noah and his wife and his three sons and their wives): 1 Peter 3:20, “Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.”
• Circumcision of the male children occurred on the eighth day after birth: Leviticus 12:3, “And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.” This was a sign of the earthly Old Covenant that looked forward to the eternal New Covenant instituted by Jesus’s Atoning Sacrifice that would bring about Salvation and Eternal Life. We should also remember what is said in Genesis 17:12, “And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which [is] not of thy seed.“
• Jesus was raised from the dead (the Resurrection) on the eighth day (Easter Sunday morning) from which we derive the 8th day Sabbath for Christian worship.
• The last day of the last of the three Jewish feasts, the Feast of Tabernacles, is the eighth day: Leviticus 23:36, “Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it [is] a solemn assembly; [and] ye shall do no servile work [therein].” That feast typifies the believers’ Salvation and rest in Heaven with God.

NOTE to the Reader: Another interesting case involving the numbers 7 and 8 can be found in Psalm 90:10 where we read, “The days of our years [are] threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength [they be] fourscore years, yet [is] their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.” If only understood literally, we could view this simply as a statement of fact, akin to an actuarial table for normal life expectancy. However, if the numbers do have more than just a literally meaning, it is worth taking a closer look. The phrase “threescore and ten” as it is translated in English by the King James translators, is from the original Hebrew (שִׁבְעִים (šiḇʿîm))^H7657, which is also translated “seventy” as we find it in Genesis 5:12, “”And Cainan lived seventy years, and begat Mahalaleel:” This is also true in the case of “fourscore“, as it is also the same word as “eighty” that we find translated into English from the original Hebrew (שְׁמֹנִים (šᵊmōnîm)^H8084, which has also been translated as “eighty” in Genesis 5:28, “¶And Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son:” So the two numbers in view are indeed “seventy” and “eighty”. Given the context of the verse, and considering that there is a potential spiritual implication to be found, we can see that the number “seventy” relates to the perfect totality of all mankind throughout history (in time) (“7” X “10”), while the second number “eighty” (“4” X “20”) or (“4” X “2” X “10”), can be viewed as relating to the “Universal Church in Totality”. Moreover, “eighty” is also “8” X “10”, points us to the “Resurrection” and “Eternal Salvation” for the totality of all those saved individuals by reason of strength, which is Jesus’ strength, which will occur outside of time and this creation in eternity. Just a thought.

The Number Nine

The number nine (“9“) is equivalent “3” X “3” and hence a repetition of the number “3”. Nonetheless, it may also have its own spiritual meaning, which is somewhat unclear but could mean “reprobate” or “as yet unsaved”:

• Genesis 17:24, “And Abraham [was] ninety years old and nine, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.” Abraham did not come under the covenant until he was ninety and nine.
• Judges 4:3, “And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD: for he (Sisera, the Canaanite captain of king Jabin) had nine hundred  (9 X 100) chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.” Sisera and king Jabin can be likened to the devil, and the 900 chariots are his devices (which include people who are still rebrobate?).
• Luke 17:17, “And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where [are] the nine?” It would appear that the nine were viewed as unthankful, and hence reprobate.

The Number Ten

(which can also be manifest as 100, 1000, or 10,000s) is most representative of the concept of “Completeness“, “Totality“, and “Fulfillment“

• Most notably, we have the Ten Commandments (also known as the decalogue) as God gave them in Exodus 20:1–17  and  Deuteronomy 5:1–22 .
• Revelation 20:6, “Blessed and holy [is] he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.“
• Psalm 3:6, “I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set [themselves] against me round about.“
• Psalm 50:10, “For every beast of the forest [is] mine, [and] the cattle upon a thousand hills.”
• The one hundred sheep in Luke 15:4 and the ten coins in Luke 15:8, which formed the prelude to the Parable of the Prodigal Son.
• In Deuteronomy 33:2, we read “And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand [went] a fiery law for them.” and in Jude 1:14, “¶And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard [speeches] which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” God could have more simply said “all of his saints” or “myriad saints”, but God uses instead the number “ten thousands” to exemplify the totality of all of His saints gathered together throughout time from all corners of the world (to bring Judgment on Judgment Day).
• Esther 3:9, “If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed: and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge of the business, to bring [it] into the king’s treasuries.” (Please see the post on Esther Chapter 3.)

The Number Eleven

The number eleven (“11“) is a prime number that best represents “Foreseeing Salvation“, “Short of Fulfillment“, and “Incomplete“

• Joseph and Joshua are the only two persons in the Bible whose lifespans are give twice. They are both powerful “Types” of the LORD Jesus Christ and they both lived for 110 years (11 x 10). We read of this for Jospeh in Genesis 50:22 and Genesis 50:26, and for Joshua in Joshua 24:29 and Judges 2:8.
• Joseph was the 11th son of Jacob (Israel) in Genesis 30:24.
• Joseph’s 11 brothers bowed down to him in Genesis 43:26.
• Jacob with his 11 sons born in Haran entered into Canaan (the Promised Land typifying Heaven) in Genesis 32:22.
• Finally it is by no accident that we are told in Deuteronomy 1:2, “([There are] eleven days‘ [journey] from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadeshbarnea.)” Mount Horeb is where the Law of God was given, and Kadeshbarnea was the location where the Israelites should have entered the Promised Land at its south western border. Two significant events occurred at Kadeshbarnea: 1) the Israelites’ faithless refusal to possess the Promised Land (Numbers 13:32&33) and their opposition to Moses for not having enough water (Numbers 20:1–5). These two events, marked by unbelief, grumbling, and disobedience, directly affected Moses, Aaron, and the Israelites. 1). Joshua and Caleb were the only men of all the adult males who left Egypt who then 40 years later crossed over Jordan to the Promised Land, and 2). Moses, typifying the Law, remained on the other side of the River Jordan from where he was able to see the Promised Land, but could not enter into it. The Law of God made the Salvation of God foreseeable, but the Law could not provide Salvation, which only Jesus Christ, in the Fulness of Time, could.
• For the record it can also be shown, from the Bible genealogies, that there were actually 11,000 (11 X 1000) years from Creation (and when the first law was pronounced in the Garden of Eden) until the Birth of Jesus. Jesus fulfilled the Law and made the Salvation possible, which the Law could only foresee, but never could provide. (Please see more below regarding the Biblical calendar under the number “thirteen”.)

The Number Twelve

The number twelve (“12“) best represents “Fullness” (primarily of the Elect)

• There were 12 tribes in Israel for each of Jacob’s 12 sons. James 1:1
• There were 12 Apostles of Jesus. Mark 3:14
• The 144,000 (12 x 12 x 1000) representing the Elect of God, the true believers in Heaven. Revelation 14:1 and Revelation 14:3 This number should not to be taken literally, but rather spiritually, because 144,000 is a composite number representing the totality (“1000“) of the true believers fully drawn throughout all time from both the Old Testament (typified by the 12 tribes) and the New Testament (typified by the 12 Apostles).
• The Heavenly Jerusalem has 12 foundations Revelation 21:14, with 12 precious stones Revelation 21:19&20, and 12 gates with 12 pearls Revelation 21:21
• The height of the walls was 144,000 (12 x 12 x 1000) cubits Revelation 21:17

The Number Thirteen

The number thirteen (“13“) is a prime number that represents “Completion” or “Super Fullness” (possibly with implications for the end of time, the “completion and super fullness of time”). It should also be noted that he number 13 is often considered “unlucky” by those who are superstitious (this phobia even has its own name: triskaidekaphobia) due to several historical and cultural associations, e.g., Judas, who betrayed Jesus, was the 13th guest at the Last Supper. Interestingly, although it can be shown that the number 13 should indeed be viewed as negative for all unbelievers (because the number 13 ultimately points to the end of the world on Judgment Day when Jesus returns), the number 13 should alternatively be viewed as positive for all the true Christian believers who happily anticipate Jesus’ soon return.

• While there were twelve tribes in Israel, there were in fact thirteen. The tribe of Joseph was given a double portion divided up between his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, which created an additional 13th tribe. Genesis 48:22 (The tribe of Ephraim, because of Jacob/Israel’s Patriarchal blessing, is also known as the tribe of Joseph. Numbers 1:32)
• While there were twelve Apostles with Jesus, there were in fact thirteen because Paul was chosen by God to be the 13th Apostle (understanding that Judas Iscariot, being of the original twelve, was replaced by Matthias, as we read in Acts 1:26) See also for example, Romans 1:1 Galatians 1:1, and 1 Corinthians 9:1
• In Genesis 17:25, we read that “And Ishmael his son [was] thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.” It is also an interesting fact that in Judaism, 13 years old signifies the age at which a boy matures and becomes a Bar Mitzvah, i.e., a full member of the Jewish faith (counts as a member of Minyan).
• Have you ever realized that the walls of Jericho fell only after National Israel circumnavigated (compassed) the city thirteen times? Joshua 6:2-5, “And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, [and] the mighty men of valour. And ye shall compass the city, all [ye] men of war, [and] go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams’ horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long [blast] with the ram’s horn, [and] when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him.“
• In Joseph’s second dream, thirteen celestial objects (the sun, moon, and eleven stars) bow down to him in Genesis 37:9&10. His brothers and father quickly interpreted the dreams to mean they would one day be under Joseph’s authority. This dream (together with the first dream in Genesis 37:6-8) effectively became reality in Genesis 42:6 and Genesis 42:9 . And we should also remember that at the end of time, according to Philippians 2:10, “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth; And [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father.“
• Seth, in the origina Hebrew (שֵׁת (šēṯ))^H8352 meaning “compensation” or “substitute”), the third son of Adam, was born to Adam when Adam was 130 years old. Genesis 5:3, “And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat [a son] in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name (קָרָא (qārā’)^H7121 שֵׁם (šēm)^H8034) Seth:“
• 1 Kings 7:1, “But Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house.” Given that king Solomon is used by God to “Typify” Jesus, and Jesus builds His house by the saving of souls throughout time, we could also say that these “thirteen years” could be indicative of the whole period of time of God’s Salvation program. It is therefore no accident or incident that, by using the Biblical calendar provided by God using patriarchal genealogies (mentioned earlier) it can be shown that it had been 11000 years from creation to the coming of Jesus. And given that it is now two thousand years since Jesus was on earth, we must be very close to it being 13000 years since creation now in our day (see note below on how this age can be determined).
• Three other verses to ponder…Why did God provide this information?  Deuteronomy 1:2, “(There are eleven days‘ journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadeshbarnea.). Remember also that Mt. Horeb is where the Law was given, but so it was in the Garden of Eden that a Law was given and Kadeshbarnea would have been the entrance to the Promised Land (Heaven). Remembering that a day to God is as a 1000 years to man 2 Peter 3:8, “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day“. However, it was not until Joshua (“Jesus”) led the people through the flood waters of the river Jordan 40 years later where the Ark of the Covenant stayed the flood waters that the people could enter in. And remember this: Joshua 3:4, “Yet there shall be a space between you and it (the Ark of the Covenant), about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed [this] way heretofore.” Could it be that the final entering in to Heaven will be about two thousand years after Jesus returned to Heaven, for a total of about 13000 years since Creation?

A Key to the Biblical Calendar that points to Creation being 13000 years ago (as opposed to only 6000 years ago)

A key to determining the Biblical calendar of history can be found in the Books of Genesis and Exodus. The Bible tells us three times that National Israel sojourned in Egypt exactly 430 years in Exodus 12:40, Exodus 12:41, and Galatians 3:17 (and that National Israel was in bondage for 400 of those years according to Genesis 15:13 and Acts 7:6). [ NOTE to the Reader: This is a controversial subject given that some theologians and scholars, as far back as at least to Flavius Josephus in the first century, have claimed that the sojourn was not 430 years, but rather 215 years due to an erroneous understanding of the “fourth generation“.]

We do know in fact that there were only “four generations” living in Egypt during that 430 year period, according to the Word of God in Genesis 15:16, “But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites [is] not yet full.” For the Levitical priesthood, the first generation to come into Egypt was that of Levi. Levi can be shown to have been sixty years old when he entered into Egypt during the great famine, given that Joseph was 39 years old at the time. We can know this Genesis 41:46 because Joseph was 30 years old when he foretold the following seven years of plenty and then his brothers came in during the second year of the subsequent famine (Levi can be calculated separately as having been 21 years older than Joseph), and Levi lived 137 years according to Exodus 6:16, therefore the first generation was in Egypt for 77 years. The second male in the “generational line” of the Levitical priesthood was Kohath, who lived 133 years according to Exodus 6:18. The third in this generational line was Amram, who lived 137 years according to Exodus 6:20. The fourth and last of the generational line of the Levitical priesthood to be in Egypt was Aaron. Aaron was 83 years old at the time of the Exodus according to Exodus 7:7. 77 + 133 +137 +83 = 430 years covering only four generations, exactly as God said would be the case.

But note that the generations are consecutive, and not overlapping, as would normally be expected (and what most people think when seeing the word “begat“). This is because God does not provide any evidence of a direct father-to-son relationship. Instead, each of these patriarchs were in fact distant progeny, either grandsons or great grandsons, etc., born in the same year as that of the previous patriarch’s death. A true father-to-son relationship is normally identified through the use of the Hebrew phrase “(קָרָא (qārā’)^H7121 שֵׁם (šēm)^H8034)” meaning “called his name“, and that is not the case as is provided in Exodus chapter 6. The only direct father-to-son relationships, which are incontrovertible with regard to calculating the Biblical calendar from the genealogies, are found in Genesis 5 and 11 are 1) Adam to Seth, 2) Enosh to Lamech, 3) Noah to Shem, and 4) Terah to Abraham. All of the other names recorded were patriarchal heads of families that would have followed each other chronologically in a manner consistent with what was just shown to be the case with Levi, Kohath, Amram, and Aaron. Using this methodology it is possible to arrive at about 13000 years since creation (as opposed to other calculations suggesting only 6000 years). Among the key dates derived from the 13000 year calendar include Noah’s Flood occurred in 4990 B.C. and the Exodus occurred in 1447 B.C.

The Biblical Calendar Rosetta Stone is the 430 years in Egypt conforming to 4 generations…NO other timeline is sufficient to explain this. And the currently generally accepted Biblical Timeline of ~6000 years since creation says that Israel’s sojourn in Egypt had to be only 215 years!!!…despite the Bible having emphatically stated 430 YEARS TOTAL IN THREE PLACES (Exodus 12:40, Exodus 12:41 , and Galatians 3:17) to the very day!!! (and 400 years in bondage/affliction…because, when Joseph reigned for the first 30 years, Israel was not in bondage).

As a result, this relatively unknown information entirely annuls all of the generally accepted Biblical Timelines claiming ~6000 years since creation (which erroneously applies only 215 years to Israel’ sojourn in Egypt) and instead shows us that it has been ~13000 years since creation (where the sojourn actually lasted 430 years, exactly, as the Bible explicitly states THREE times). 

From a geologic (“Scientific”) perspective of history, which says the Universe was created in a Big Bang, ~14 Billion years ago, this difference is this difference is relatively insignificant. However, it is more than double that of the current accepted thinking from a theological perspective.  And it should be noted that this newer Biblical Timeline and the “Scientific” Timeline are not irreconcilable.  When we consider that Adam, that only a few minutes after having being formed out of the dust would have likely “appeared” as though he was an adult (e.g., ~20 years old) so too does the universe “appear” to be ~14 Billion years old. Moreover, the Bible states that God created the universe by simply speaking it into existence out of nothing, which is also consistent with the Big Bang theory which states that everything came from nothing in an instant.

The Number Fourteen

The number fourteen (“14“) equals “7” X “2” is unclear, but given the composite numbers it would appear to be pointing to the “perfection of the church“. We see the number fourteen in a few places in the Bible.

• Jacob served Laban fourteen years for the daughters Leah and Rachel according to Genesis 31:41. Leah was the elder daughter (representing the Old Testament), while Rachel was the younger (representing the New Testament).
• Genesis 46:22, “These [are] the sons of Rachel, which were born to Jacob: all the souls [were] fourteen.“
• Numbers 29:12-32 details the burnt sacrificial offerings that include fourteen lambs without spot or blemish to be offered everyday of the seven days that comprise the Feast of Tabernacles (which typifies the period after Judgment Day for the perfected church in Heaven with the LORD Jesus Christ)
• Matthew 1:17, “So all the generations from Abraham to David [are] fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon [are] fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ [are] fourteen generations.”
• And how can we forget that the Passover always occurs on the Fourteenth day of the first month of each year as we read in Exodus 12:1-6, which points to the Atoning Sacrifice of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, Who had to die in order to Save His Church. The Fourteenth day of every month is also always a Full Moon and the moon spiritually can be seen to represent the Church….the Sun is Jesus Christ in His Glory. and the Moon has no light in and of itself, but rather reflects Glory of God’s Son .

The Number Fifteen

The number fifteen (“15“) is another composite number “5” X “3” which would suggest that it represents the “purpose of God” “to bring salvation and judgment”.

1. The Noachian flood waters rose “fifteen cubits upward” according to Genesis 7:20, “Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered.” The world in that day was judged by God and destroyed, but Noah and his family were all saved.
2. The last sounding of the depths before the ship carrying the 276 souls was destroyed, although all the souls were saved was fifteen fathoms as we read in Acts 27:28, “And sounded, and found [it] twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found [it] fifteen fathoms.“
3. There are these two interesting verses that highlight the number “fifteen”Isaiah 38:5, “Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years.” and Galatians 1:18, “Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.“
4. But “fifteen” is also found with regard to Eternity for God’s Elect when we look at the Feast of Tabernacles which occurs every year on the “fifteenth day” of the seventh month, and which marks the ingathering of the final harvest “at the end of the year.”  This is really a feast that represents the completion of Gods Plan of Salvation at the end of time and the end of the world. Exodus 34:22, “¶And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year’s end.” Leviticus 23:39, “Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day [shall be] a sabbath, and on the eighth day [shall be] a sabbath.” Numbers 29:12, “And on the fifteenth day of the seventh month ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work, and ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days:” Leviticus 23:34, “Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month [shall be] the feast of tabernacles [for] seven days unto the LORD. Note that we also see the seventh month and seven days which point to the perfection in time, and the Feast of Tabernacles culminating on the eighth day pointing again to eternal salvation for the Elect of God.

The Number Sixteen

The number sixteen (“16“) is another composite of “8” X “2” which could well be indicative of a witness of eternal life but the references in the Bible using the number sixteen are more obscure than others.

The Number Seventeen

The number seventeen (“17“) is a prime number that appears to strongly represent “Heaven” in the Bible (Please see above in Lesson #1, above, regarding the 153 fish caught in the net at the command of Jesus to His disciples). 

The Number Eighteen

The number eighteen (“18“) is a composite number of “9” X “2” and as with the number nine, its precise spiritual meaning is unclear, but it does not appears to have a negative connotation, perhaps “Vexation“?:

• Judges 3:14, “So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.”
• Judges 10:8, “And that year they vexed and oppressed the children of Israel: eighteen years, all the children of Israel that [were] on the other side Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which [is] in Gilead.“
• The evil king “Jehoiachin [was] eighteen years old when he began to reign” according to 2 Kings 24:8&9.
• 1 Chronicles 18:12, “Moreover Abishai the son of Zeruiah slew of the Edomites in the valley of salt eighteen thousand.“
• Jesus spoke this in Luke 13:4, “Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?“
• Jesus spoke this in Luke 13:11, “And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up [herself].” And after healing the woman on the sabbath day, Jesus rebuked the ruler of the synagogue for being indignant in Luke 13:16, “And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?“

The Number Twenty Three

The number “twenty three” (“23“) is another prime number that represents “Judgment, particularly in regards to the Final Tribulation” just before Judgment Day (Please see above in Lesson #2, regarding the 276 souls all saved despite the Shipwreck).

The Number Thirty Seven

The number “thirty-seven” (“37“) is another prime number, which appears to most closely be representative of Judgment. Interestingly, the number 666 can be subdivided into three three numbers “3” X “6” X “37” which using the meaning of numbers outlined above we could say that that it is effectively saying that it is “God’s purpose that those who work for their own salvation will come under judgment“.

• Noah and his family were in the Ark for a total of 370 (37 X 10) days while the earth of his day was judged. Noah entered the ark on the 17th day second month of one year and exited the ark on the 27th day of the second month of the next year according to Genesis 7:11 and Genesis 8:14-16 assuming a 360 day year (12 months of 30 days each).
• King David had 37 mighty men according to 2 Samuel 23:39
• The Assyrian army of Sennacherib, which was destroyed by God, numbered 185,000 according to Isaiah 37:36, “¶Then the angel of the LORD went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they [were] all dead corpses.” The number 185,000 can be broken down into 5 X 37 X 1000, indicating that while God saved Judah and Jerusalem, God destroyed (judged) the Assyrian army in totality, as well as Sennacherib shortly thereafter in Isaiah 37:37&38 (see the Book of Nahum).

The Number “Forty”

(“40”, which can also be manifest as 400, 4000, etc.): The number “forty” (“40“) is generally well known as being representative of “testing” (which can also be referred to as “proving“). And note also that forty is comprised of “4” X “10” which represent respectively “universal” and “totality”.

• The Noachian Flood rains fell for “forty days and forty nights” as we read in Genesis 7:12, “And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.“, which also served to prove that God’s earthly plan of Salvation for Noah, via Noah’s Ark, would not fail the test.
• Numbers 14:34 tells us that the spies that Joshua sent to spy out the land of Canaan was forty days as we read here, “After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, [even] forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.“
• And true to the above promise by God, Israel was forty (“40”) years in the wilderness as God tested ( “to prove“) them whether they would obey Him or not. Deuteronomy 8:2-4, “And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, [and] to prove thee, to know what [was] in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments,or no. And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every [word] that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live. Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years.“
• Moses was on Mount Sinai for “forty days and forty nights” as a test of obedience to Israel (Exodus 24:18, Exodus 34:28, and Deuteronomy 9:9&11, 18, 25 and Deuteronomy 10:10). “And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.” Israel failed the test by worshipping a golden calf of its own making.
• Goliath challenged (tested) Israel to a duel for forty days in 1 Samuel 17:16.
• Jonah warned Nineveh that it would be destroyed in forty days. Nineveh passed the test through repentance. Jonah 3:4.
• Jesus was tested for forty (“40”) days in the wilderness.  Luke 4:2-4, “Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. ¶And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. ¶And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.“
• Jesus was on the earth for “40” days after the Resurrection and ending with His Ascension that marked a period to test mankind as to whether it would believe on him as the risen Christ. Acts 1:3, “To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:“

POSTSCRIPT: Biblical Calendar of History

The following charts are provided as a teaching aide to understand how it is possible to conclude from the Bible a Biblical Calendar of History such that it can be shown that we are now roughly 13,000 years since the time of Creation. This teacher is not claiming the calendars presented are inerrant, only that they provide a basis for understanding this viewpoint.

The Biblical Calendar

Introduction

The Island of Melita (now known as Malta) is a small island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, which is only mentioned once by name in the entire Bible. The Island of Melita, while geographically not very significant, nonetheless holds great Biblical significance as this study will show. The Island of Melita is another example of a “Geographical Parable“, which God provides in throughout the Bible. A Geographical Parable is a real “earthly” physical place, which serves to represent a real “spiritual” place and thereby conveys a “spiritual” meaning.

Melita Was Paul’s Journey’s End Via Shipwreck

When the Apostle Paul was on his way to Rome, being sent as a prisoner on a sailing ship Acts 27:1, we later read in Acts 27:9-12, that Paul had forewarned the Centurion, who was guarding him, that they should not take the journey so late in the year, but rather stay and safely winter in a harbor called “The fair havens” along Crete’s southern coast.

We read in Acts 27:9, “¶Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished  (παραινέω (paraineō))^G3867 [them], And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives. Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul. And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, [and there] to winter; [which is] an haven of Crete, and lieth toward the south west and north west.“

The Centurion did not heed the exhortation of Paul. He “believed the master and owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul“, and took the shipmaster’s counsel, who decided that it would be better sail a bit further to the west to winter in the more protected harbor of Phenice. As a result of not taking Paul’s counsel… not heeding his admonishment/exhortation…not believing his words, the sailing ship was soon caught in a catastrophic storm (“Euroclydon“), which blew the ship carrying Paul from the Island of Crete westward across the Mediterranean Sea, which ultimately led to the total destruction of the ship.

During the storm, when everyone on board thought that they were about to die, we read the following: Acts 27:21-26, “¶ But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of [any man’s] life among you, but of the ship. For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island.“

Later in Acts 27:37, we learn “And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls.“ and then in Acts 27:42-44, when the ship was wrecked on rocks, we read, “¶And the soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape. But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from [their] purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast [themselves] first [into the sea], and get to land: And the rest, some on boards, and some on [broken pieces] of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.”

Finally, In Acts 28:1, we learn that the “certain Island” of which Paul prophesied earlier, was named “Melita” (Melita is currently known as Malta), “¶And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita.” Melita (Μελίτη (melitē)^G3194 means “Honey” in the original Greek language.  

Conclusion: Melita Means “Honey“, and Melita Is an Allegorical Reference to “Heaven”

The entire historical acount of Paul’s Journey through the sea that ended in shipwreck on the shores of the Island of Melita was another Historical Parable, used by God to portray the Great Tribulation period leading up to the end of time. Just as God wrought His stormy wrath upon the ship and destroyed it, so too during the Final Tribulation, God will be bringing His Wrath upon the apostate corporate church and destroy it just before Judgment Day. But please also note that although the ship that carried them was completely destroyed, nonetheless, All of the 276 souls on the ship were saved! That makes it clear to us that although the apostate corporate church would be the object of God’s Wrath, all of the faithful believers would nonetheless be assured of gaining entrance into “Heaven” as typified by the Island of Melita.

The Final Tribulation Is Like a Storm Leading to a Shipwreck

God makes clear that in the Final Tribulation, in the prelude to Judgment Day, God will loose the devil to bring an evil pre-judgment upon the world (examples of how and why this is the case is provided in the study on the book of Nahum). We are also told that this last period of time will be cut short, otherwise “there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.” (Matthew 24:22 and Mark 13:20). However, the devil along with all of God’s enemies, will be destroyed when Jesus comes down from Heaven with all of His Saints on Judgment Day. The Saints will then be in the presence of Almighty God for eternity in the new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. (Isaiah 65:17,  Isaiah 66:22, and 2 Peter 3:13)

And note what the Apostle Paul also said in 1 Timothy 1:18-20, “¶This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.“

We should also take note of the fact that after Paul had spoken things were not getting better. We read of two accounts that occurred subsequent to the above:

1. “¶But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country; And sounded, and found [it] twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found [it] fifteen fathoms. Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day. And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship, Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved. Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off.” Given the allegorical context, these verses come to mind: Hebrews 10:25, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some [is]; but exhorting [one another]: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Luke 21:31, “So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.”
2. Acts 27:33-37, “¶And while the day was coming on, Paul besought [them] all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing. Wherefore I pray you to take [some] meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you. And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken [it], he began to eat. Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took [some] meat.“

POSTSCRIPT #1: The Land Flowing with “Milk and Honey” is another Allegory for Heaven

Why is it significant that the Island of Melita is named for “honey”? Well, we also know that the “Promised Land (Which God used to allegorically typify Heaven) is often described in the Bible as a land that is flowing (or floweth) with “milk (חָלָב (ḥālāḇ)) ^H2461 and honey (דְּבַשׁ (dᵊḇaš))^H1706“(see for example Exodus 3:8). The phrase “milk and honey” is actually found 20 times in the Old Testament.  Is it not interesting that both milk and honey are related to this Creation of God, and, hence are not reliant in any way on the work of man? They are also dependent on green grass and flowers to be produced, but they result in a means of sustenance for man. Only those who are the chosen of God can enter into that land of rest (from work), a land that is flowing with milk and honey, hence that land of milk and honey is an earthly picture of the Spiritual Heaven wherein mankind can have eternal rest and sustenance for that which it cannot labor. For a more detailed review on how honey is described in the Bible please see the post on “The Meaning of Honey in the Bible“.

POSTSCRIPT #2: All of the 276 Souls “escaped all safe to land“

The “276” souls saved in the shipwreck on island of “Melita” (“Honey“)

We has observed earlier in Acts 27:37, “And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls.“ and then later as was described earlier in Acts 27:42-44, that the Centurion in charge of the Apostle Paul, ”commanded that they which could swim should cast [themselves] first [into the sea], and get to land: And the rest, some on boards, and some on [broken pieces] of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.”  

The ship was completely destroyed, yet every soul was saved! That is the plain, literal, and historical understanding, for which there is no argument on that point. But why did the number of souls total exactly “276“? Could there be some kind of spiritual meaning that is particularly Iinked to that number? YES, Indeed there is!

When we look at the original Greek language translated into English by the King James translators, we find that the number presented as “two hundred threescore and sixteen” (“276“) is διακόσιοι (diakosioi) ^G1250 (“200“), ἑβδομήκοντα (hebdomēkonta) ^G1440 (“70“), and ἕξ (hex)^G1803 (“6“).Each of those numbers has spiritual significance.

The “two hundred” (2 x 10 x 10) is representative of the church (“2”, like the two witnesses) in totality (“10” squared). Mark 6:7, “And he called [unto him] the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;“

The “seventy” is a perfection of time indicator as we know from the 70 years of desolation of Jerusalem and the Babylonian captivity during that same 70 year period (Daniel 9:2 and Jeremiah 25:12, Jeremiah 29:10). Then there are the 70 weeks of years (490 years) in Daniel 9:24 prophesying the exact time in the future that Jesus would make Atonement “to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.” We also know that there were “seventy men of the ancients of the house of Israel,” who were doing abominations back in the Old Testament in Ezekiel 8:11, and then in the New Testament we read where Jesus effectively set forth a replacement seventy men as we read in Luke 10:1, “After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.” and then in Luke 10:17, “And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.” Significantly, Jesus told those seventy men in Luke 10:20, “Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.” Those 70 men were appointed by Jesus and were granted entrance into Heaven. Seventy years was also the time period of captivity after which Jerusalem would be restored, picturing the end of time when the New Jerusalem would be revealed.

Finally the number “6”. The number six is most closely aligned with both man and work. God created man on the sixth day (Genesis 1:26-31). That was God’s “Work”.

So then, using this understanding of how God has used these specific numbers in the Bible, we can see that it involves the Eternal Church when God will finish His Work of restoration at the end of time leading to the era of the New Jerusalem in Heaven.

276 Is Also a Unique Number

The number 276 can also be broken down another way 3 x 4 x “23“. The number “3”, a prime number, represents “the Purpose or Will of God”, while the number “4” represents “Universality (global, all creation)” (like the four points of the compass) These specific meanings will be provided in another more detailed study on how numbers in the Bible can convey spiritual concepts. The number “23” is a larger prime number”, because it cannot be broken down further, and it represents God’s Wrath, particularly in “the Final Tribulation“, which occurs just before Judgment Day, when God’s wrath is poured out on the apostate corporate church, over which the abomination of desolation takes control because God will have loosed the devil as we read in Revelation 20:3&7.  The giant storm “euroclydon“, a clear form of God’s Wrath, was sent by God against the ship (representing the devil being loosed the apostate corporate church) because the Centurion did not heed the counsel of Paul but rather the shipmaster.

276 Is Also a Unique Number

The number “276” is also a unique number! This is because we can also find that the prime number “23” that is being particularly highlighted in a way that is not possible with any other number. If we add 1 +2 +3 +4 +5…..+23, then we find that the sum of all the numbers equals 276!  So then, the spiritual meaning that God has crafted into this historical account is that the Jesus (represented by the Apostle Paul, as a “Type” of Christ) would bring the souls of all of the believers into Heaven (those who were previously within the corporate body, the church) during the last days after it is destroyed by God for its becoming apostate, in not heeding God’s Counsel, during in the Final Tribulation. 

Scriptural Evidence to show the number “23” points to “Judgment”, particularly in the context of punishing the corporate church for its apostasy during the “Final Tribulation”:

1. It was stated that the temple would be trodden under foot for 2300 (“23” X “100”) days to signify the period of the Final Tribulation when God judges the corporate church for its apostasy. Daniel 8:13&14, “¶Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain [saint] which spake, How long [shall be] the vision [concerning] the daily [sacrifice], and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? ¶And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.“
2. The two witness (the true Church) would prophesy for 2300 (“23” X “100”) days, making clear once again that the Final Tribulation period is highlighted by the number “23”: Revelation 11:3, “And I will give [power] unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred [and] threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.”
3. 23,000 (“23” X “1000”) Israelites were killed in one day in the plague of God’s Judgment in the Sinai wilderness as we read in 1 Corinthians 10:8, “Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.“
4. It was in the 23rd year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign when Judah was completely destroyed by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar. Jeremiah 52:30, “In the three and twentieth year of Nebuchadrezzar Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Jews seven hundred forty and five persons: all the persons [were] four thousand and six hundred.” (And please note that the 4600 is also 2 x 2300)!