SPECIAL TOPIC: SYMBOLIC NUMBERS IN SCRIPTURE

A. Certain numbers functioned both as numerals and symbols.

1. One – God (e.g., Deut. 6:4; Eph. 4:4-6)

2. Four – the whole earth (i.e., four corners, four winds)

3. Six – human imperfection (one less than 7, e.g., Rev. 13:18)

4. Seven – divine perfection (the seven days of creation). Notice the symbolic usages in Revelation:

a. seven candlesticks, 1:12,20; 2:1

b. seven stars, 1:16,20; 2:1

c. seven churches, 1:20

d. seven spirits of God, 3:1; 4:5; 5:6

e. seven lamps, 4:5

f. seven seals, 5:1,5

g. seven horns and seven eyes, 5:6

h. seven angels, 8:2,6; 15:1,6,7,8; 16:1; 17:1

i seven trumpets, 8:2,6

j. seven thunders, 10:3,4

k. seven thousand, 11:13

l. seven heads, 13:1; 17:3,7,9

m. seven plagues, 15:1,6,8; 21:9

n. seven bowls, 15:7; 21:9

o. seven kings, 17:10

5. Ten – completeness

a. use in Gospels

(1) Matt. 20:24; 25:1,28

(2) Mark 10:41

(3) Luke 14:31; 15:8; 17:12,17; 19:13,16,17,24,25

b. use in Revelation

(1) 2:10, ten days of tribulation

(2) 12:3; 17:3,7,12,16, ten horns

(3) 13:1, ten crowns

c. multiples of 10 in Revelation

(1) 144,000 = 12x12x1000, cf. 7:4; 14:1,3

(2) 1,000 = 10x10x10, cf. 20:2,3,6

6. Twelve – human organization

a. twelve sons of Jacob (i.e., twelve tribes of Israel, Gen. 35:22; 49:28)

b. twelve pillars, Exod. 24:4

c. twelve stones on breast plate of High Priest, Exod. 28:21; 39:14

d. twelve loaves, for table in Holy Place (symbolic of God's provision for the twelve tribes), Lev. 24:5; Exod. 25:30

e. twelve spies, Deut. 1:23;

f. twelve rock carriers, Jos. 4:2,3,4,8,9,20

g. twelve apostles, Matt. 10:1

h. use in Revelation

(1) twelve thousand sealed, 7:5-8

(2) twelve stars, 12:1

(3) twelve gates, twelve angels, twelve tribes, 21:12

(4) twelve foundation stones, names of the twelve apostles, 21:14

(5) New Jerusalem was twelve thousand stadia squared, 21:16

(6) twelve gates made of twelve pearls, 21:12,21

(7) tree of life with twelve kinds of fruit, 22:2

7. Forty – number for time

a. sometimes literal (exodus and wilderness wanderings, e.g., Exod. 16:35); Deut. 2:7; 8:2

b. can be literal or symbolic

(1) flood, Gen. 7:4,17; 8:6

(2) Moses on Mt. Sinai, Exod. 24:18; 34:28; Deut. 9:9,11,18,25

(3) divisions of Moses life:

(a) forty years in Egypt

(b) forty years in the desert

(4) Jesus fasted forty days, Matt. 4:2; Mark 1:13; Luke 4:2

c. Note (by means of a Concordance) the number of times this number appears in time designation in the Bible!

8. Seventy – round number for people

a. Israel, Exod. 1:5

b. seventy elders, Exod. 24:1,9

c. eschatological, Dan. 9:2,24

d. mission team, Luke 10:1,17

e. forgiveness (70x7), Matt. 18:22

B. Good references

1. John J. Davis, Biblical Numerology

2. D. Brent Sandy, Plowshares and Pruning Hooks