Bereansearching Bible Studies

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

Explore posts in the same categories: Bible Studies

This entry was posted on August 9, 2024 at 12:54 am and is filed under Bible Studies. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site.