As you read the Bible, there are a some numbers that you will notice are used or mentioned more frequently than others. They relate to everything from God, creation, man, laws, Jesus and the end of our time. These repetitive numbers show the wisdom of our Creator. He has made Himself evident in all that He has done, is doing, and will do, and this can be learned by researching these numerical clues. There are several other numbers He highlighted, but here is a short list of a few examples:

1: (means unity)
only one true God,
one universe,
one book contains God’s Word to man,
Isaac was God’s promised 1st son of Abraham,
Jesus was the firstborn son,
only one way to God: through Jesus

3: (means holiness, divinity)
God is three beings in one: Father, Son, Holy Spirit,
Noah had 3 sons,
3 heavenly visitors appeared to Abraham,
Jonah was in the belly of a great fish for three days and nights,
Jesus’ ministry lasted three years,
Jesus was dead for three days,
3 major feasts in Jewish tradition,
Universe consists of 3 things: time, matter, space,
Time consists of 3 dimensions: past, present, future
Matter consists of: solid, liquid, gas,
Space is made up of: height, width, depth

7: (means completion)
earth and its inhabitants created in 7 days,
7 days in a week,
7 annual Jewish holy days,
in Revelation, there are numerous examples of seven – churches, bowls, seals, trumpets, thunders, spirits

10: (means testimony, law)
in Genesis chapter 1, the phrase “God said” is written 10x,
God gave 10 commandments to man,
the Passover lamb was selected on day 10 of the first month,
tithing is to be a 10th of our earnings

12: (means exclusivity)
sons of Jacob / tribes of Israel,
the high priest had 12 stones embedded in his breastplate,
Jesus was 12 when he spoke in the temple to his parents,
Jesus had 12 disciples / apostles,
foundations of the new Jerusalem used 12 stones

40: (tied to tribulations, difficult times, hardship)
Moses lived in Egypt for 40 years,
Moses lived in the desert for 40 years before his calling by God,
Moses was on Mt. Sinai to different times for 40 days each,
Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years,
Jonah warned Ninevah for 40 days,
The prophet Ezekiel laid on his right side for 40 days,
King David and King Solomon each reigned for 40 years,
Jesus fasted in the wilderness for 40 days,
Jesus was on earth for 40 days after his resurrection,
There are 40 authors / writers that make up the books of the Bible

God used specific numbers, or a specific  length of time, to specify the importance of things. These are patterns that imply a significance. Our Lord had allotted these occurrences and meanings to help us understand more of who He is.

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.”
Deuteronomy 6:4

This verse relates to Moses, who was a key figure in the number 40:
“And he said, ‘Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream. Not so with my servant Moses. He is faithful in all my house. With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the Lord.'”
Numbers 12:6-8

Count your many blessings name them one by one….

Food for thought: What is your favorite number and why? Ask the Holy Spirit to give you a deeper understanding of these and other numbers and their meanings, of what they represent.

Fun facts: The Book of Numbers in the Old Testament was the 4th book written by Moses. The setting took place from Mt. Sinai to just before the Israelites entered the land of Canaan, approximately 40 years of wandering in the wilderness.

Photo by: Kari Wiseman – Numbers