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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, e.g., Isa. 11:12; Jer. 49:36; Dan. 7:2; 11:4; Zech. 2:6; Matt. 24:31; Mark 13:27; Rev. 7:1)
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, Rev. 1:12,20; 2:1
b. seven stars, Rev. 1:16,20; 2:1
c. seven churches, Rev. 1:20
d. seven spirits of God, Rev. 3:1; 4:5; 5:6
e. seven lamps, Rev. 4:5
f. seven seals, Rev. 5:1,5
g. seven horns and seven eyes, Rev. 5:6
h. seven angels, Rev. 8:2,6; 15:1,6,7,8; 16:1; 17:1
i seven trumpets, Rev. 8:2,6
j. seven thunders, Rev. 10:3,4
k. seven thousand, Rev. 11:13
l. seven heads, Rev. 13:1; 17:3,7,9
m. seven plagues, Rev. 15:1,6,8; 21:9
n. seven bowls, Rev. 15:7; 21:9
o. seven kings, Rev. 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) Rev. 2:10, ten days of tribulation
(2) Rev. 12:3; 17:3,7,12,16, ten horns
(3) Rev. 13:1, ten crowns
c. multiples of 10 in Revelation
(1) 144,000 = 12x12x1000, cf. Rev. 7:4; 14:1,3
(2) 1,000 = 10x10x10, cf. Rev. 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, Rev. 7:5-8
(2) twelve stars, Rev. 12:1
(3) twelve gates, twelve angels, twelve tribes, Rev. 21:12
(4) twelve foundation stones, names of the twelve apostles, Rev. 21:14
(5) New Jerusalem was twelve thousand stadia squared, Rev. 21:16
(6) twelve gates made of twelve pearls, Rev. 21:21
(7) tree of life with twelve kinds of fruit, Rev. 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
(c) forty years leading Israel
(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 (70×7), Matt. 18:22
B. Good references
1. John J. Davis, Biblical Numerology
2. D. Brent Sandy, Plowshares and Pruning Hooks
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