Significance of Numbers
Numerology in the bible / Significance of numbers
One of the interesting features of Hebrew and Greek is that in both written languages there are no numeric characters. Where we have numbers and letters, they have only letters. So, in each language, the letters are also used as numbers. In a small way we do the same thing in English. For example is "O" a zero or a letter in the alphabet? Is "l" a one or a small L? When they are used, the context tells us which is which and we have no problem understanding it. The same goes for Hebrew and Greek. They knew when they were writing numbers and when they were writing letters.
But the interesting thing is that when a word is written, it also has a numeric equivalent. For example, the word "Jesus" in Greek is "iasous." Since each letter has a numeric equivalent, we can add up each number and get a value. The value is the gammatria. Therefore, the gammatria of "Jesus" in Greek is 888 because i = 10, a = 8, s = 200, o = 70, u = 400, s = 200. There are many interesting 'games' that can be played with this feature of Greek and Hebrew and much of it is absurd. But, some of the numeric relationships are interesting.
Commom meanings attached to numbers in the bible:
1 - UNITY: Father. Deuteronomy 6:4 "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.", Ephesians 4:5 "one Lord, one faith, one baptism."
2 - DIVISION: The Son who has two natures: human and divine. There are 2 Testaments: the Old and New. Man is Male and Female. Rom. 9 speaks of two vessels: one for honorable use and the other for dishonorable use. Two types of people: Sheep and Goats. There are two ages, this age and the age to come: Matt. 12:32; 13:39,40,49; Mark 10:30.
3 - DIVINE PERFECTION: The Trinity consists of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
4 - CREATION - North, South, East, West; 4 Seasons. The 4th commandment is the first that refers to the earth. The 4th clause of the Lord's Prayer is the first that mentions the earth. The materials of the tabernacle were four and so were the coverings and the ornamentations.
5 - GRACE. Redemption. Israel came out of Egypt 5 in rank (Ex 13:18). David picked up 5 smooth stones to fight Goliath (1 Sam. 17:40). The Holy Anointing Oil was pure and composed of 5 parts (Ex. 30:23-25).
6 - MAN: Man was created on the 6th day. Man labors 6 days only. The Serpent was created on the 6th day. The 6th commandment is "Thou shalt not murder." Six words are used for man: Adam, ish, Enosh, gehver, anthropos, anar. Also, 6 x 6 = 36. 36 + 35 + 34 + 33 + 32 . . . 5 + 4 + 3 + 2 + 1 = 666. 666 is the number of the antichrist. This means that the name of the antichrist in Greek adds up to 666. This is a mockery of the Trinity.
7 - SPIRITUAL PERFECTION. Seven days in a week. Seven colors in the spectrum. Seven of the 10 commandments begin with the word "not." There are 7 seals, 7 trumpets, 7 parables in Matthew, and 7 promises to the churches. There are 7 "eternals" in Hebrews which are: A priest for ever (1:6); Eternal salvation (1:9); Eternal judgment (6:2); eternal redemption (9:12); eternal spirit (9:14); eternal inheritance (9:15); and everlasting covenant (13:20). Jesus said 7 things on the cross: 1) Luke 23:34 "Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots; 2) Luke 23:43 Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise"; 3) Matthew 27:46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" -- which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"; 4) John 19:26 "When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son"; 5) John 19:28 "Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." 6) John 19:30 "When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit"; and 7) Luke 23:46 "Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last." "Hallelujah" occurs 28 times or 4 x 7. "Hosanna" occurs 7 times. "Milk" occurs 49 times or 7 x 7. "Abaddon" occurs 7 times. "After the order of Melchizedek" occurs 7 times.
8 - NEW BEGINNINGS. 8 people on Noah's Ark (2 Pet. 2:5); circumcision on 8th day (Gen. 17:12); God made 8 covenants with Abraham
9 - JUDGMENT. There are 9 greek words derived from the root word meaning judgment = dikay. The following words each occur 9 times in the Bible: abussos (bottomless pit); asebee (ungodly); aselgeia (lasciviousness); and astrapee (lightning). The gifts of the spirit are 9 in number (1 Cor. 12:8-10): the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, tongues, and interpretation of tongues.
10 - DIVINE PERFECTION. There are 10 commandments (Ex. 20); 1/10 of your income is a tithe; the were 10 plagues on Egypt (Ex. 9:14ff); 10 x 10 silver sockets formed the foundation of the Tabernacle (Ex 38:27); There are 10 "I AM's spoken by Jesus in John: 1) I am the Bread of Life (6:35); 2) I am the Bread of Life which came down from heaven (6:41); 3) I am the Living Bread (6:51); 4) I am the Light of the world (8:12); 5) I am One that bears witness of Myself (8:18); 6) I am the Door of the sheep (10:7,9); 7) I am the Good Shepherd (10:14); 8) I am the Resurrection and the Life (14:6); 9) I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life (11:25); and 10) I am the True Vine (15:1,5).
12 - GOVERNMENTAL PERFECTION. There were 12 tribes of Israel; 12 Apostles, 12 foundations in the heavenly Jerusalem; 12 gates; 12 pearls; 12 angels. The measurements of New Jerusalem are 12,000 furlongs or stadia, while the wall will be 144 (12 x 12) cubits (Rev. 21:16-17).
40 - PROBATION OR TRIAL. The Israelites wandered for 40 years (Deut. 8:2-5). Moses was on the mount for 40 days (Exodus 24:18); 40 days of Jonah and Nineveh (Jonah 3:4). Jesus was tempted for 40 days (Matt. 4:2).
153 - In John 21:11, after the resurrection the disciples caught 153 fish. The word fish in Greek is 'ixthus' which has a numerical equivalent of 1224, or 8 x 153. Remember, which is Jesus Christ is 888. 153 people received a blessing from Jesus in the four gospel (not counting the 5000 and examples like that).
Theomatics
Mathematicians universally recognise the number 2 as the first of the primes. This is as it should be, as the number 1 is far too special to be lumped in with the prime series. The number 1, referred to as unity, is the only indivisible integer. All the primes are divisible by 1, making them all dependent on 1 for their existence. In a similar fashion, all composite numbers are divisible into primes. There is a hierarchy at play amongst numbers, which may be divided into three categories: (a) Unity, (b) the primes, and (c) the composites. As with the Godhead, numbers themselves are organised around tri-unity.
The first letter of Scripture is the Hebrew 'beth', equivalent to our b, which has a numerical value of 2. This letter begins the first word, 'bereshith', and is always written larger than other letters in Genesis 1 in the Hebrew scrolls. Appropriately, Scripture begins gematrically with the first prime number. Just as the primes lead us into all combinations of numbers, so the 'beth' leads us into the word of God.
The subject of the Bible's first verse is God, the Hebrew 'elohim'. This word has a numerical value of 86. Anyone who has followed Richard's work knows that there is a strong numero-geometrical link between the thematically related verses of Genesis 1:1 and John 1:1. Both verses open with the phrase: "In the beginning ...". The subject of John 1:1 is the Word, in Greek 'ho logos'. The Word - 'ho logos', which context shows us to be none other than the Lord - has a numerical value of 443. 443 is the 86th prime number.
The prime index of 'ho logos' links to the 'elohim' of Genesis 1:1. They both share a relationship through the number 86. In this way, gematria shows us that the thematically linked subjects of both verses are, in fact, the same being. Jesus Christ is, indeed, the Creator of the heavens and the earth.
This is a very simple lesson in relation to prime numbers. Genesis 1:1 contains many such lessons in relation to the primes, although this is probably the simplest of them all. It should not escape our notice that the prime factors of Genesis 1:1 have a reflexive property through the pair 37 and 73. This is undergirded by their prime indices, 37 being the 12th prime and 73 the 21st prime.
Beginning in Genesis 1:1, counting each letter "Aleph" we find that this first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, who's number is 1 and indicates God, appears 6 times, man's number. If we count from the first letter, the oversized Beth, 86 letters, we find the letter "Aleph". We can do this with the Gematria of God's other "names" and find the same thing. Yah is 15, YHVH is 26, God (EL) is 31,
Examples of how Numerology can be used to "prove" incorrect doctrines
First, remember the following:
- 1 is the number of unity: "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Ephesians 4:5 "one Lord, one faith, one baptism."
- 3 the number of divine perfection: The Trinity consists of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; Three bear witness (1 John 5:8); The Three appearances of Christ past, present, future; Both the Tabernacle and the Temple consisted of three parts: The Court, The Holy place, The Sanctuary.
1(Father) 1(Son) 1(Holy Spirit), 111, x 3(the number of divine perfection, "and these three are one") = 333, the trinity. Doubled to greatly increase our assurance that this is established by God and will shortly come to pass (Genesis 41:32) = 666, the mark of the beast.
We have just proved that the beast of revelation is the truine God!
Math Theory
Math system biblically established? Mathmaticians still don't know how it is that their system matches with reality...