Numbers in the Bible: Lesson 5

Overview

Numbers in Scripture: 7, 12, 40, and 8

Scripture often uses numbers to communicate spiritual truth. Four numbers in particular—7, 12, 40, and 8—deepen our reading of God's Word when we recognize the meaning woven into them.

Seven: completion and perfection. Seven shapes the rhythm of creation itself, with the seven days of the week. Joseph interprets Pharaoh's dream of seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine Genesis 41:29. John addresses the seven churches of Asia and speaks of "the seven spirits" before God's throne Revelation 1:4—a picture of the fullness of the Holy Spirit poured out on the whole church. When Peter asks how often he must forgive, Jesus answers, "not seven times, but seventy-seven times" Matthew 18:21-22. Jesus is not setting a ceiling of 490; He is using the language of completeness to teach forgiveness without limit. The forgiveness God extends to us in Christ—perfect and complete—is the forgiveness we are called to extend to others.

Twelve: completion and the people of God. Jacob had twelve sons; Israel had twelve tribes; Jesus chose twelve apostles. After feeding the five thousand, the disciples gather twelve baskets of fragments—a perfect, satisfying provision John 6:1-14. In the new Jerusalem, the twelve gates bear the names of the twelve tribes and the twelve foundations bear the names of the twelve apostles Revelation 21:10-14. The number proclaims the completeness of the church, the bride of the Lamb, gathered from old and new covenant alike.

Forty: probation, testing, and waiting. The flood rains fell forty days and forty nights Genesis 7:11-12. Moses was on the mountain forty days receiving the covenant Exodus 34:27-28. Israel wandered forty years; Saul, David, and Solomon each reigned forty years; Jesus fasted forty days in the wilderness before being tempted Matthew 4:1-2; and the season of Lent observes forty days. Wherever forty appears, watch for a season of trial, hardship, or holy preparation.

Eight: new creation. After grieving over human wickedness Genesis 6:5-6, God preserved eight people through the ark. Noah waited, sent the dove, waited another seven days, and on the eighth day his family stepped onto a renewed earth Genesis 8:10-12. Jewish boys were circumcised on the eighth day as the sign of the covenant. And on the first day of the week—the day after the seventh, the eighth day—Jesus rose from the dead John 20:1. This is why ancient baptisteries and fonts are often built with eight sides: in Holy Baptism, God claims us as His own, joining us to the cross and empty tomb and bestowing new life. Your baptism is your personal eighth day.

Putting it together. One and three belong to God; two and four point to humanity and creation; five, seven, ten, and twelve speak of completion and fullness; forty marks seasons of testing; and eight announces the new creation in Christ. Read these numbers as the Spirit's invitation to see the wholeness of God's saving work—and to rejoice, baptized child of God, that the eighth day has already come to you.

Transcript

Well, good morning. 1s

Let's join together, please, in prayer. 5s

Almighty, in everlasting God, you knit together your faithful people of all times and places 9s

into one holy communion, the mystical body of your son, Jesus Christ. 16s

Grant that we may come to the unspeakable joys you have prepared for those who love you 23s

through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, 29s

one God, now and forever. 35s

Amen. 39s

Well, we come to the concluding class this morning on our class on various numbers in Holy Scripture. 40s

Last week, we took a look at the numbers 5 and the numbers 10. 49s

Though not exclusively, 5 and 10 are really associated with the law. 53s

You've got the first five books of Moses, the Pentateuch, the containing of the law. 61s

You've got the 10 commandments. 66s

We saw also how those two numbers are also numbers associated with completeness and 68s

with fullness. 75s

We saw how the number 5 helped tie the Old Testament with the cross and the resurrection 77s

of our Lord, and we looked also how the number 10 is associated with all of humanity. 85s

Well, today I'd like to look at a group of four numbers with you as we conclude. 93s

The number 7 and 12, 40 and 8, and I hope you haven't been losing sleep over it this past week, 98s

but I'm going to reveal of my favorite number of those. 107s

So we'll do that today. 113s

The number 7 is a number of completion and perfection. 116s

The number of completion and perfection. 121s

Seven days in a week. 124s

Let's go to Genesis chapter 41, Genesis chapter 41. 128s

And we'll pick up in verse 29. 138s

Genesis chapter 41, verse 29. 142s

There will come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt. 152s

After them, there will arise seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten. 161s

In the land of Egypt, the famine will consume the land. 168s

So you've got the number 7 associated with the days of the week. 174s

You've got the number 7 associated with years of good, of the harvest, and the famine. 179s

When you go to the book of Revelation, you've got seven churches that are revealed in Revelation. 184s

Let's go to Revelation chapter 1, please. 191s

Revelation chapter 1, verse 4. 197s

And there we read, John to the seven churches that are in Asia, grace to you, and peace from him. 208s

Who is and who was and who is to come. 216s

And from the seven spirits who are before his throne. 220s

And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first born of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. 225s

To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, 234s

priest serving, his God and Father to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. 241s

Amen. 248s

What number is used here in verse 4? 251s

But John to the seven churches that are in Asia. 255s

And then notice there's a reference later in 4 and from the seven spirits who are before his throne. 259s

That's a rather just an aside. 266s

It's a rather odd reference or usage in terms of referring to the Holy Spirit, 268s

but it's actually rooted in Isaiah, but it's uncommon to use it. 273s

But the seven spirits here is a reference to the Holy Spirit, a number of completeness. 279s

So you've got the sevenfold spirit to the seven congregations. 286s

So the image here in Revelation is the pouring out of the fullness upon the Holy Spirit upon the church. 292s

The pouring out of that spirit, using of the number seven. 301s

Let's go to Matthew, the 18th chapter. 307s

Matthew chapter 18 will pick up in verse 21. 311s

Very first gospel, Matthew 18 verse 21. 322s

Number seven here, the number of perfection, also a number of completion. 327s

So Matthew 18 picking up in verse 21, 333s

then Peter came and said to him, 339s

Lord if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? 342s

As many as seven times, Peter's thinking he's being rather magnanimous there, doesn't he? 347s

Jesus said to him, not seven times, but I tell you, 354s

seventy seven times. 357s

That also can be translated, seventy times, seven. 361s

So Peter then came to him and said, Lord if another member of the church sins against me, 368s

how often should I forgive? Many seven times. 371s

He said to him, not seven times, but I tell you, seventy seven times. 373s

Both seven and ten are numbers of fullness and completion. 378s

So Jesus is not teaching here that we should forgive four hundred and ninety times. 383s

You're not teaching that. 389s

This is a ebreeic or a Greek way of communicating here that this is to be without limit. 391s

It is to go on and on and on. 399s

So we should forgive others until there are no more sins to forgive. 404s

Well, what does that mean? That they'll never come, right? 410s

Because there's always sins to forgive. 415s

That number is not to be broken. So in other words, we don't say we start out and we forgive 421s

and now we're at four eighty nine. And now we're just going to work our way back 430s

backwards. No. When we forgive, what number are we back at? 434s

Whenever do we return to? Four ninety, right? 442s

When never gets off of four ninety. So in other words, if we forgive and we get down to 447s

how many times should we forgive after two thirty two four hundred ninety? 455s

It's always returning to that number. 461s

This takes us a little bit of a field here, but I do want to mention it. 466s

Forgiveness does not mean necessarily, for example, returning into a relationship. 470s

There's a whole other series of classes and in fact I did that. 477s

I think it was last year we taught on on on forgiveness in terms of a biblical way to understand 480s

of forgiveness. Forgiveness means to not hurt back. And so we are to continually forgive. 486s

It's part of the letting go of us, but it doesn't necessarily mean that one then returns into, 495s

for example, a relationship. That's going to take us too far a field here to dive into that 503s

any further. But I would commend that teaching that we've got someplace in our library, 510s

right Steve? On forgiveness with regard to that. It is the forgiveness then that we receive from God. 518s

It is perfect. It is complete. That is the type of forgiveness that we are to extend to others. 527s

That forgiveness. Well the number 12, Jacob had how many sons? 538s

12. How many tribes of Israel were there? 12. How many disciples? 545s

13. Let's go to John the 6th chapter, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and then John. John chapter 6, 552s

verse 1. After this Jesus went to the other side of the sea of ghettily, also called the sea of 563s

Tiberius. A large crowd kept following him because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. 579s

Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, 588s

was near. When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, 594s

where are we to buy bread for these people to eat? He said this to test him, for he himself knew what 602s

he was going to do. Philip answered him six months wages would not buy enough bread for each of 609s

them to get a little. One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, 616s

there's a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they among so many people? 622s

Jesus said, make the people sit down. Now there was a great deal of grass in the place, 630s

so they sat down about five thousand, and all. Then Jesus took the loaves and when he had given 635s

thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated, so also the fish, as much as they wanted. 641s

When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, gather up the fragments left over so that nothing 649s

may be lost. So they gathered them up and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, 657s

left by those who had eaten, they filled 12 baskets. When the people saw the sign that he had done, 663s

they began to say, this is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world. 675s

Is it any accident that there were 12 baskets that they were filled? Absolutely not. 12 is another 683s

number in Scripture for completion and perfection. This miracle of our Lord complete, 690s

satisfying the hungry, and it was perfect. Let's go to Revelation chapter 21. 701s

Last book of the Bible, Revelation chapter 21, verse 10. 711s

21, 10, and we read this. In the Spirit, He carried me away to a great high mountain and showed me 728s

the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It has the glory of God in 738s

a radiance like a very rare jewel, like Jasper, clear as crystal. It has a great high wall with 746s

12 gates and at the gates, 12 angels. And on the gates are inscribed the names of the 12 tribes 756s

of the Israelites. On the east, three gates, on the north, three gates, on the south, 765s

three gates, and on the west, three gates. Remember what numbers associated with three? 772s

Who's associated with that? Yeah, it's God, right? God's number one, and God is also associated with 778s

three, one God three persons. We've got 12 and three here. And the wall of the city 785s

has 12 foundations, and on them are the 12 names of the 12 apostles of the Lamb. Now, what John 790s

is seeing here is the new Jerusalem. It's called the bride, the wife of the Lamb. Jump over into 802s

21. It helps get the context here. Then I saw a new heaven, verse 1, and a new earth for the first 810s

heaven and the first earth had passed away. The sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the 818s

new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband, 824s

her loud voice from the throne, saying, see, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them. 830s

They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their 837s

eyes. Death will be no more, mourning and crying, and pain will be no more. For the first things 844s

have passed away. This new Jerusalem here that God is revealing. Focus again on two. And I saw the 849s

holy city, the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride for her husband. 863s

The new Jerusalem then is described in how many times the number 12 pops up. 869s

The city has 12 gates. On them are written the 12 tribes of Israel. There's the 12 foundations, 875s

which are the 12 apostles. That number 12 completion and perfection symbolizing the church. 881s

Remember, Revelation is a pochaliptic writing. So you have a lot of symbolic type of use of 893s

numbers and of language to communicate truth. So 7 and 10, completion and fullness, 900s

number 12 is another number of completion and fullness. Let's go on to a different one now. 907s

Let's go to Genesis chapter 7. Genesis chapter 7. 914s

Verse 11. 927s

In the 600th year of Noah's life in the second month, on the 17th day of the month, 934s

on that day all the foundations of the great deep burst forth and the windows of the heavens were 943s

open. The rain fell on the earth 40 days and 49. Okay, let's go over to Exodus chapter 34. 951s

Verse 27. 964s

Exodus 34, 27. 971s

The Lord said to Moses, write these words in accordance with these words, 983s

I have made a covenant with you and with Israel. He was there with the Lord 40 days and 40 nights. 989s

He neither ate bread nor drank water and he wrote in the tablets the words of the covenant, 996s

the 10 commandments. Let's go to Matthew 4. First book in the New Testament. 1003s

Matthew chapter 4. 1011s

Verse 1. 1018s

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted 1025s

40 days and 40 nights and afterward he was famished 40 days and 40 nights. Let me ask you this. 1033s

How many years did the Israelites wander in the desert after fleeing the Egyptians? How many years? 1045s

40. How many days after our Lord's resurrection did Jesus ascend into heaven? It was 40. 1053s

Okay, how many years did Saul reign over Israel? How many years? 1063s

40. How many years did David reign? 1070s

41. How about Solomon? 40. What number represents one generation of the children of Israel 1076s

who died in the wilderness for their disobedience to the Lord? 40. Right. 1085s

How old was Isaac when he married? 40. That's right. How old was he saw when he married? 1092s

Right. It's not in the Bible, but how long has lent? 40 days. My goodness, you are an impressive lot. 1103s

Just tremendous. The number 40 is associated with probation, trial, testing, waiting, times of trouble, 1112s

times of hardship. This one, the number 40 pops up. Look at the context and what is being communicated. 1130s

Lastly, there's one more number I want to share with you. A spectacular number. 1141s

My favorite number. Ready? Let's go to Genesis chapter 1, verse 31. 1150s

God saw everything that He had made and indeed it was very good. There was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. 1175s

Then jump over to chapter 2, verse 2. On the seventh day, God finished the work that He had done 1185s

and He rested on the seventh day from all the work that He had done. So God blessed the seventh day 1194s

and hallowed it because on it God rested from all the work that He had done in creation. 1201s

Then there's the fall into sin. Genesis, let's go to Genesis chapter 6, Genesis chapter 6, verse 5. 1209s

The Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind was great in the earth and that every inclination 1225s

of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually. The Lord was sorry that He had made humankind 1231s

on the earth and it grieved Him to His heart. So God creates it is good. He delights in the creation, 1239s

creation falls into sin and now God beholds the depth of the sin held in the human heart and 1253s

then expressed in the human heart. So what does God do but God starts over? He starts over 1263s

in ark and the rain and the flood and God preserving of life. The water recedes, no one in His family, 1271s

they wait 40 days, 40 days after the water had receded. They released the dove to see if the 1288s

dove returns or not. Finding no place for the dove to perch, to land the dove returns. Let's go 1299s

to Genesis chapter 8, verse 10. He waited another seven days and again he sent out the dove from the 1309s

ark and the dove came back to Him in the evening and there in his beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf. 1322s

So no one knew that the waters had subsided from the earth. Then he waited another seven days and sent 1329s

out the dove and it did not return to Him anymore. So these tests are going here to see whether the 1339s

water is receded enough and the use of the dove. He waits another seven days. He sends out the 1348s

dove again, the dove doesn't return and so on the eighth day, on the eighth day then, Noah and his 1356s

family disembarked and how many were in Noah's family? Eight. Coincidence? No, divinely appointed. What's 1364s

it communicating here? We'll see. The new creation them to replenish the earth and there's the 1384s

disc embarking. The number eight then is associated with new creation with the new. Okay, let's go to 1394s

John the 20th chapter. Matthew, Mark, Luke and then John. John chapter 20. 1408s

Verse 1. Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb 1424s

and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the 1435s

other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, they've taken the Lord out of the tomb. We 1442s

do not know where they laid him. Then Peter and the other disciples set out and went toward the 1446s

tomb, the two were running together, but the other disciple out ran Peter, reached the tomb first. 1452s

He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon 1456s

Peter came following him and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there and the 1462s

cloth that had been on Jesus's head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place 1469s

by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in and he saw and believed 1475s

for as yet they did not understand the scripture that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples 1483s

returned to their homes. On the first day of the week, Jesus rises from the dead. We've experienced 1490s

Holy Week. Now it's the first day of the week and it's the what then? It's the eighth day, 1500s

isn't it? What's associated with the eighth day? What's associated with the eighth day? 1509s

Is it new life? New life in the Lord Jesus Christ. How many people again? We're on the 1518s

ark? Eight. All Jewish males were circumcised. How many days after birth as a sign of the covenant? 1527s

Eight. What shape characterized ancient sanctuaries? What shape? I see a diagramming it. What's the word? 1538s

The octagon, right? Baptismal fonts will commonly have, guess how many sides to them? 1556s

Eight. Why? Because in our baptism, God claims us as His own. We are granted the gifts of what was 1567s

one through the cross and the empty tomb. There is new life bestowed on us as God calls us His child. 1577s

Your baptism then is your personal eighth day because eight is associated with new creation. 1587s

Eight is my favorite number. Eight. One in three, the numbers belong to God. Two in four, 1600s

numbers associated with humans and creation. Five, seven, ten, and twelve, numbers of completion 1614s

and fullness. The number 40, probation, testing, trouble, waiting, and eight, the new, the new. 1624s

We worship one God in three persons and rejoice, baptized child. Because the eighth day, 1641s

the eighth day has come to you. Well, next week there is no class Thanksgiving weekend and then 1655s

two weeks from today. Pastor Maloneck is going to teach a class in December and January and it's 1666s

entitled Twelve Ordinary Men. She's going to look at the men that Jesus chose for His ministry 1673s

and what they did after the ascension. That starts two weeks from today. I commend that opportunity 1683s

to you. Blessings. 1690s