You are strongly recommended to add to your library the excellent revised edition of Harper's Bible Dictionary titled, The Harper Collins Bible Dictionary, Revised Edition [book review], edited by Paul J. Achtemeier, with the Society of Biblical Literature (NY: Harper Collins, 1996). It is currently the best one-volume Bible dictionary in English, and it is available at Border's Books, Christian Science Reading Rooms, http://www.borders.com, or http://www.christianbook.com.

numbers, symbols used to designate quantity. The Egyptians and the Sumerians had advanced number systems and mathematics by the beginning of the third millennium b.c. The Egyptian system was decimal. The Sumerian system was a combination of a decimal and a duodecimal (12) or sexagesimal (60) system. Remnants of the duodecimal and sexagesimal systems are evident in our time system (24 hours, 60 minutes, and 60 seconds), degrees of a circle (360), and our units of dozen (12) and gross (144). The same system originally lay behind our calendar with 12 months, each with basically 30 days, for a 360-day year.

The Hebrews used the decimal system but did not develop their own symbols until the postexilic period (539 b.c. on). In all pre-exilic inscriptions, numbers are either represented by Egyptian symbols or are written out. The Arad inscriptions regularly used Egyptian symbols for numbers. The Samaria ostraca (fragments of pottery) more frequently had the number written out. Letters of the Hebrew alphabet were first used for numbers on coins in the Maccabean period (168-40 b.c.).

Symbolism and Significance: Some numbers in biblical usage had symbolic meaning.

Seven probably represented completeness and perfection, as seen in the seven days of creation and the corresponding seven-day week, climaxing with the Sabbath (Gen. 1:1-2:4). Even the land was to have a Sabbath, lying fallow in the seventh year (Lev. 25:2-7). In Pharaoh’s dream, there were seven good years followed by seven years of famine (Gen. 41:1-36). Jacob worked seven years for Rachel; then, when he was given

Leah instead, he worked an additional seven (Gen. 29:15-30). The finest quality silver was described as having been refined seven times (Ps. 12:6).

A similar use of the number seven can be seen in the nt. There are seven churches mentioned in Revelation 2-3 and seven deacons in Acts 6:1-6. To Peter’s question concerning forgiveness, Jesus responds that we are to forgive not seven times, but seventy times seven (Matt. 18:21-22).

Multiples of seven were also important. After forty-nine years came a Jubilee year, when all Jewish bond-servants were released and land that had been sold reverted to its former owner (Lev. 25:8-55). The ot speaks of seventy elders (Exod. 24:1, 9). Also, Jesus sent out the seventy (Luke 10:1-17). Seventy years was to be the length of the Exile (Jer. 25:12; 29:10; Dan. 9:2). A period of seventy weeks of years was to culminate in the coming of the messianic kingdom (Dan. 9:24).

Three also indicated completeness. The created order has three parts: heaven, earth, and underworld. The godhead is composed of three beings: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Three major feasts appear in the religious calendar (Exod. 23:14-19). Also prayer was urged three times daily (Dan. 6:10; Ps. 55:17). The sanctuary was divided into three parts: vestibule, nave, and inner sanctuary (1 Kings 6:2-22). Three-year-old animals were prized for special sacrifices (1 Sam. 1:24; Gen. 15:9). Jesus said the Son of man would be in the grave for three days and three nights (Matt. 12:40).

Four was also a significant number. There were four cardinal directions, four corners of the earth (Isa. 11:12), and the four winds (Jer. 49:36). Four rivers flowed out of Eden to water the world (Gen. 2:10-14). Surrounding God were four living creatures (Ezek. 1:10; Rev. 4:6-7).

Forty, a frequently occurring multiple of four, represented a large number or a long period of time. Forty days and nights of rain (Gen. 7:12) flooded the earth. Likewise, Jesus was tempted in the wilderness for forty days (Mark 1:12). Forty years represented approximately two generations. During the forty years of Israel’s wilderness wandering, all the adults who had rebelled against God died (cf. Num. 14:20-23). At age forty, a person reached maturity (Exod. 2:11; Acts 7:23). No more than forty lashes could be imposed on an offender (Deut. 25:3).

In the Talmud, Midrashim, and the Cabala, a system of numerology called gematria developed. Gematria attempted to discover hidden meaning for words based on the numerical values of the letters. The Hebrew letters of the name Eliezer, Abraham’s servant, have a numerical value of 318. Gen. 14:14 says that Abraham took 318 trained men to pursue the kings from the east. The Midrash notes that Abraham had but one helper, Eliezer, since Eliezer has the numerical value of 318. In a similar pattern, the number 666 in Revelation is often taken as a gematria for the emperor Nero.

Not all number usage in the Bible was symbolic. The pattern x, x+1 appears frequently as a device of emphasis in parallelism. A good example may be seen in Prov. 30:18-19 with three and four:

Three things are too wonderful for me;
four I do not understand:
the way of an eagle in the sky,
the way of a serpent on a rock,
the way of a ship on the high seas,
and the way of a man with a maiden.

Number Symbolism...

One...

Two...

Three...

Three and a half...

Four...

Five...

Six...

Seven...

Eight...

Ten...

Twelve, like seven, is a number of completeness and perfection. This number in particular must not always be taken literally. Israel always comprised more tribes than the twelve that were actually counted, and the counting of the twelve was not always uniform (Gen. 49; Josh. 13-19; Rev. 7:7-8), but the twelve meant "all Israel." It was regarded as important that there were twelve apostles and that their number should be complete, but the lists do not quite tally. The twenty four elders (Rev. 4:4) clearly represent all Israel and the whole church. The twelve cornerstones and gates of the new Jerusalem not only link the city with the twelve tribes of Israel and the apostles, but also signify its divine perfection, as do its measurements of 12,000 stadia square and its walls of 144 cubits. The 144,000 of Revelation 7 and 14 in each case means that the number is complete and not one of the elect is lost; in Revelation 7 John hears the 144,000 from Israel (all Israel) being counted, but sees "a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages" (the redeemed gentiles).

Thirty...

Forty...

Seventy...

See also:

• "888 & 666? - What is the significance of these numbers?" (response to question) at http://www.bibletexts.com/qa/qa035.htm
• "144,000" (Bible dictionary explanation) at http://www.bibletexts.com/glossary/144000.htm