THE SIGNIFICANCE OF NUMBERS IN SCRIPTURE

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THE SIGNIFICANCE OF NUMBERS IN SCRIPTURE

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Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand;
and meted out heaven with a span;
and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure,
and weighed the mountains in scales,
and the hills in a balance?
Isaiah 40:12

Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Psalms 90:12

As for God His way is perfect.
Psalms 18:31

All God's ways are perfect.  His works are perfect and His words are perfect.  Can there also be perfection in His use of numbers?  The Jews and Jewish Christians of the Old and New Testaments thought so and so did the Fathers of the Catholic Church.  St. Jerome, St. Augustine, and Pope St. Gregory I (the Great) all wrote extensively of God's design and the significance in His plan of salvation in the use of numbers. 

In sacred Scripture numbers usually have more significance than their quantitative indicators.  More often than not even when a number is used to indicate a certain quantity the individual number given may point beyond the numerical value to a symbolic significance.  At other times the number given is not to be taken literally and may represent an approximate value, a symbolic value, or may indicate the use of hyperbole—an exaggeration or amplification to illustrate a teaching point in the Biblical text.  For example:

The six day period of Creation may be literal but it might also not be literal, representing a symbolic period of time that was perfected on the seventh day when God rested—seven being one of the four "perfect" numbers. 


The number of the 144,000 heavenly souls were marked with the "seal of the living God" in Revelation chapter 7.  Bible scholars both ancient and modern have interpreted this number as reflecting the symbolic perfection of redeemed man in terms of the "perfect" number 12 which signifies perfection of government in Scripture multiplied by divine order (the number ten signifies divine order in scripture).  144,000 is the square of 12 times the cube of 10.


In Matthew 18:22 Simon-Peter asks Jesus how many times he must forgive a bother who has sinned against him.  Peter asks, As many as seven times?  Jesus' response is, I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times,  indicating not a literal seventy-seven times but that Peter's forgiveness is to be given without limit—an abundance of forgiveness using the "perfect" number 7 which represents fullness, perfecting, covenant union and spiritual perfection.

In addition to the study of the symbolic significance of numbers in Scripture, there is also the study of the number equivalents of alphabetical symbols and numerical value of the words formed by the letters, which is known by the Greek word gematria.  The Hebrews, Greeks, Romans, and many other ancient peoples used their alphabets for numbers.  The Hebrews used all 22 letters of their alphabet plus 5 finals.  The Greeks used a 24 letter alphabet and 3 additional finals.  The Romans only used 6 letters of their alphabet and their combinations to form numbers: I= 1, V = 5, X = 10, L = 50, C = 100, D = 500.  The number 1,000 was formed by two D's (combined to form an M like figure).  The Apostle John, writing during the time of the first great Roman persecution of Christians, recorded in the Book of Revelation that the number of the Beast was 666.  Most ancient MSS (hand-written manuscripts) of the book of Revelation record 666 as this significant number while others manuscripts record the number as 616.  Is it a coincidence that all the Roman numeral added together total 666 (excluding the symbol for 1,000 which was not a separate letter/ number but two "D"= 500 placed back to back)?  Is it also a coincidence that the gematria for Neron Caesar (an alternate Hebrew spelling of the Emperor's name in wide use in the 1st century AD) totals 666 while the Greek spelling of Nero Caesar totals 616?  Six is the number of the beasts and of man (both created on the 6th day).  It is also the number which is symbolic of man's nature to rebel against the sovereignty of God. 

According to ancient tradition each number has significance, for example:

Three is the number of perfect completion for the Jews, and for Christians the number three symbolized the perfection of the Godhead—the Most Holy Trinity. 


Eight is the number of salvation.  It is the number of Christ, of the resurrection, and of the Second Coming.  The gematria of the name Jesus in Greek (the language of the New Testament) is 888:  a trinity of eights, the fullness of salvation!  As a matter of fact, every name identifying the second person of the Trinity is a multiple of 8 in Greek:  Jesus Christ = 1480 (8 x 185); Lord = 800 (8 x 100); Savior = 1,408 (8 sq. x 32); Emmanuel = 25,600 (8 cubed x 50); Messiah = 656 (8x 82); Son 880 (8 x110). 

The study of the significance of the use of numbers in Scripture requires a lifetime of study and reflection, but a brief summary of some of the most significant numbers may be enough to wet one's appetite for future study. 

Tru-Thinking

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Tru-Thinking: I am a Spiritual Being live out a Physical existence, while learning and walking out the lessons of God's Love, Compassion, Forgiveness, Grace and Mercy which he is using to prepare me for eternity.

The Earth - 1093 gḗ – properly, the physical earth; (figuratively) the "arena" we live in which operates in space and time which God uses to prepare us for eternity.

The physical earth (1093 /gḗ) is the temporary, probationary place to live out moral preferences "through the body," i.e. as free moral agents (cf. 2 Cor 5:1-10). In this way, God makes an eternal record of everything we do on the earth. Through faith, each scene of life becomes equally, eternally significant (cf. Mt 13:31,32,17:20; cf. also Lk 16:10; Lk 17:6; 2 Pet 1:1).

Tru-Thinking

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Tru-Thinking - In the Book of John, he points to stories where Jesus returns to the issue of faith again and again. The crowds are fickle, believing sometimes and not others. The religious leaders refuse to believe because Jesus doesn’t fit their paradigms.

The disciples and close friends constantly face situations that challenge their faith, and this especially happens when Lazarus dies. John is implicitly urging his readers to have faith in Christ, even in difficult times, because He is the source of life and well being.

Love in Action

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Love in Action: The Promises of God in the Book of MARK

God has identified with us in our humanity through the humility and servanthood of the incarnation. Christ experienced the conditions of human limitations including his encounters with the temptations we face (1:12; 14:32-41).
Jesus offers the glorious gift of the forgiveness of sins (2:1-12) so that we can be cleansed and lifted up into a relationship with him.
When we lose our lives for Christ’s sake, we find our lives for the first time (8:34-37).
By God’s grace, we have the inestimable privilege of knowing true greatness by following our Lord in the path of servanthood to others (10:42-45).

God is Love in Action

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God is Love in Action: God loves you on your best days! God loves you on your worst days! God loves you on your average days! God loves you in the midst of your sin. God's loves for you is unconditional. His love for you is not based on your performance. It is based on who He is, He is Love.

Right now, receive his love for you. "Father I receive your unconditional love for me." Thank you for loving me. 
(John 3:16 and Romans 8:37-39)

Jesus is Grace in Action

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Jesus is Grace in Action: Here are 2 more of the 3000 promises God has given to us in Christ Jesus. Enjoy.

Philippians 4:19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

Romans 8:37-39 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Jesus's Love in Action

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Jesus's Love in Action: Because of Jesus's sacrifice and resurrection we have been "eternally forgiven" and stamped with His Righteousness. Enjoy your freedom and receive all the benefits of being free, everyday.

Remember, "Sin Consciousness" is always seeing what is wrong in your lives and in the world. "Righteousness Consciousness" means we see how Jesus has made everything right in your life and with the world.

Your Adventure in Jesus: His Calling is Your Calling.

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Eph 1:15    (15-23) On account of this, I also, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is among you and of your love to all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you as I constantly make mention of you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of the glory, might give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the sphere of a full knowledge of Him, the eyes of your heart being in an enlightened state with a view to your knowing what is the hope of His calling, what is the wealth of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the superabounding greatness of His inherent power to us who are believing ones as measured by the operative energy of the manifested strength of His might, which might was operative in the Christ when He raised Him from among the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, over and above every government and authority and power and lordship and every name that is constantly being named, not only in this age, but also in the one about to come. And all things He put in subjection under His feet, and Him He gave as Head over all things to the Church, which is of such a nature as to be His body, the fulness of the One who constantly is filling all things with all things.

Grace in Action: The Word of Faith and Grace

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Grace in Action: It's all because of Jesus and His Finished Work, that is what the message of Grace has restored to the Body of Christ. Grace has reminded us that is about Jesus and what he has already done. Not, what I must do to qualify, I have been qualified already by him. Now, I just walk in all the things he has qualified me to receive. Thank you Jesus for your Abundant Grace.

Matthew 28:18 is another verse where the word "authority" should have been used instead of "power." In the King James Version it reads, "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, ALL POWER is given unto me in heaven and in earth." It should read, "ALL AUTHORITY is given unto me in heaven and in earth."

When Christ ascended, He transferred His authority to the Church (Grace). He is the Head of the Church, and believers make up the Body. Christ's authority has to be perpetuated through His Body (Grace), which is on the earth. (Throughout Ephesians and elsewhere in the epistles, Paul uses the human body as an illustration of the Body of Christ.)

Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father—the place of authority—and we're seated with Him(Grace). If you know anything about history, you know that to sit at the right hand of the king or pope means authority. We died with Christ(Grace), and we were raised with Him(Grace). This is not something God is going to do in the future; He already has done it(Grace)!

The Believers Authority by Kenneth E. Hagin

By His Grace Be Strong

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Grace in Action: Be Strong in The Lord.

In this dream it seemed that another minister and I were walking on some kind of parade ground or ball field.

There were stands on either side of us. As we were walking along talking, the man jumped and exclaimed, "Look!"
I turned and saw two ferocious, roaring lions. The man started running. I started running with him. Then I stopped and told him we were too far away from the stands to reach safety. We'd never escape those lions.
I stopped dead still, turned around, and went back to meet the lions. They came toward me with their fangs bared, roaring.

I was trembling. I told them, "I resist you in the Name of Jesus. In Jesus' Name you can't hurt me." I just stood there. They ran right up to me like a couple of kittens, sniffed around my ankles, and finally frolicked off, paying no attention to me.

Then I woke up. I knew exactly what God was saying to me. The Scripture in First Peter 5 came to me. It says, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith___" (vv. 8,9).

The physical battle I had been fighting was won right then. Instantly the symptoms disappeared and I was all right. I had stood my ground.

I wouldn't give in. I had won.

Ephesians 6:10 says, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might." Many people read that verse and think the Lord is telling them to be strong in themselves. But the Scripture doesn't say a word about being strong in yourself. It says to be strong in the Lord.

"I don't know whether I can make it or not," people say.

Certainly you can make it. Don't even think about it. Be strong in the Lord. Be strong in the power of His might, not your power or might.

Believers Authority
by Kenneth E. Hagin

Your Adventure in Jesus - Are Your Believing or Faithing in the Now.

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What are you Believing or Faithing right now, concerning who you are in Jesus. Your believing/faithing is how you see yourself from the inside out not outside in. So my question is to you, "what are you believing concerning Jesus Finished Work right Now???

Definition: faith, belief, trust, confidence; fidelity, faithfulness.

HELPS Word-studies
4102 pístis (from 3982/peithô, "persuade, be persuaded") – properly, persuasion (be persuaded, come to trust); faith.

Faith (4102/pistis) is always a gift from God, and never something that can be produced by people. In short, 4102/pistis ("faith") for the believer is "God's divine persuasion" – and therefore distinct from human belief (confidence), yet involving it. The Lord continuously births faith in the yielded believer so they can know what He prefers, i.e. the persuasion of His will (1 Jn 5:4).

[4102 (pistis) in secular antiquity referred to a guarantee (warranty). In Scripture, faith is God's warranty, certifying that the revelation He inbirthed will come to pass (His way).

Faith (4102/pistis) is also used collectively – of all the times God has revealed (given the persuasion of) His will, which includes the full revelation of Scripture (Jude 3). Indeed, God the Lord guarantees that all of this revelation will come to pass! Compare Mt 5:18 with 2 Tim 3:16.]

1. The root of 4102/pistis ("faith") is 3982/peithô ("to persuade, be persuaded") which supplies the core-meaning of faith ("divine persuasion"). It is God's warranty that guarantees the fulfillment of the revelation He births within the receptive believer (cf. 1 Jn 5:4 with Heb 11:1).

Faith (4102/pistis) is always received from God, and never generated by us.

Ro 12:3: "For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith (4102/pistis)" (NASU).

Eph 2:8,9: " For by grace you have been saved through faith (4102/pistis); and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9not as a result of works, so that no one may boast" (NASU).

Gal 5:22,23: "22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,

patience, kindness, goodness, faith (4102/pistis), 23gentleness,

self-control; against such things there is no law."

2 Thes 1:11: "To this end (glorification) – indeed each time we pray about (peri) you for the purpose (hin) of our God counting you worthy of the call – even that He may fulfill (His) every good-pleasure that comes from (His) goodness and work of faith, in (His) ability."

Reflection: Faith is only (exclusively) given to the redeemed. It is not a virtue that can be worked up by human effort.

2. Faith (4102/pistis) enables the believer to know God's preferred-will (cf. J. Calvin; see 2307/thelçma). Accordingly, faith (4102/pistis) and "God's preferred-will (2307/thelçma)" are directly connected in Scripture.

2 Ro 12:2,3: " And do not be conformed to this world, but betransformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will (2307/thelçma) of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. 3For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith (4102/pistis)" (NASU).

5 2 Cor 8:5,7: " And this, not as we had expected, but they first

gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will (2307/thelçma) of

God" (NASU).

7" But just as you abound in everything, in faith (4102/pistis)

and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love

we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also"

(NASU).

Heb 10:36,38: "36For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will (2307/thelçma) of God, you may receive what was promised" (NASU).

" BUT MY RIGHTEOUS ONE SHALL LIVE BY FAITH(4102/pistis); AND IF HE SHRINKS BACK, MY SOUL HAS NO PLEASURE IN HIM" (NASU).

1 Jn 5:4: "For whatever is born of God conquers the world;

Your Adventure In God

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Your Adventure in God: Prayer is a combination of Your Thoughts, Feelings and Emotion working together for a certain end effect. I like to call it "the Trinity Effect".

Thoughts are forms of energy, how will you use your energy today? Will your thoughts bless you and those around you? Or will they devalue you and all those around you?

Your Adventure in God: Tru-Thinking is not speaking positively and thinking negatively. Negative thinking comes from a belief system of disappointment, self ridicule and low-self worth. Tru-Thinking is about taking the promises of a God in Jesus and meditating on them and let Jesus replace your negative thinking/belief with thoughts and beliefs of victory, peace, self-love and love for others, joy, peace and prosperity throughout your being and life.

Grace in Action: Jesus is the Logos.

Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is called the Messiah.
(Matt 1:26)

2424 Iēsoús – Jesus, the transliteration of the Hebrew term, 3091 /Lṓt ("Yehoshua"/Jehoshua, contracted to "Joshua") which means "Yahweh saves" (or "Yahweh is salvation").

"Jesus Christ" is properly "Jesus the Christ." "Jesus" (2424 /Iēsoús) is His human name, as the incarnate, eternal Son of God (Mt 1:21,25, see also Lk 1:31) – the Christ, the divine Messiah (the second Person of the holy Trinity).

[Christ (His title) means "the Anointed One" (the eternal pre-incarnate, Logos, Jn 1:1-18).]

Grace in Action: Why there is Power in saying Jesus's name.

And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." Matt 1:21

3686 ónoma – name; (figuratively) the manifestation or revelation of someone's character, i.e. as distinguishing them from all others. Thus "praying in the name of Christ" means to pray as directed (authorized) by Him, bringing revelation that flows out of being in His presence. "Praying in Jesus' name" therefore is not a "religious formula" just to end prayers (or get what we want)!

["According to Hebrew notions, a name is inseparable from the person to whom it belongs, i.e. it is something of his essence. Therefore, in the case of the God, it is specially sacred" (Souter).] Adventure in God: Release all Guilt and Self-Condemnation over your life. Statements like "I should be" more loving, more understanding, more giving, more involved, more trusting, more spiritual, more liberal, more conservative, more prayerful, more fit, more prosperous or health conscious. Breed self-hatred and guilt. Jesus has set us free, so be free from all self-condemnation and guilt by releasing it from your flesh or thinking to Jesus and receive his love and completeness for your life. (Matt 5:48)

Your Adventure in God: Seed Time and Harvest. In our physical world the gestation period for a carrot seed is 70 days for a baby around 280 days. Knowing these fact make it easier for us to plan things out in this physical world. 

Now, move over to the Unseen World were God Ideas, Business Ideas, Ministry Callings and Inventions are located, which are seeds too.

These seeds do not have the same gestation periods as physical seeds, because of this many times when we don't see a predetermined turn around time, we give up on these supernatural seeds and except failure. But don't give up!! 

These seeds from the Unseen World will produce great fruit. 

Remember once they are planted, in your heart refuse to give up on them and continue to feed and water them by using your imagination/thinking on their fulfillment. Talk to yourself about their fulfillment. Build up your excitement concerning them and watch what cool things God does to bring them to past in your life.