The more scientifically and mathematically oriented our society becomes, the more it becomes necessary to remind ourselves that numbers appearing in the Bible are often not meant to be understood literally, but on a figurative or symbolic level instead. After all, the ancient Hebrew culture was probably one of the least interested in mathematics on earth.
We can chose to look down on that attitude as being very outdated and ignorant. But keep in mind that even today in our more “enlightened” times, we still round off certain numbers to give an approximation when the exact amount really doesn't matter much. I think that my mother was the only one I have ever known who would reply to a question of how many of some items or events there were, would reply, “Oh, about 13” or “I think it was 29.” Most of us would have just rounded the answers off to a dozen or thirty, respectively.
Or what about our common use of numbers in a hyperbolic, or exaggerated, sense? “If I've told you once, I've told you a million times!” No one would accuse us of lying if we said that because it is rightly taken as figurative language, not to be taken literally. And the same applies to the various unusual ways in which numbers may be utilized in the Bible. We must take each individual example on its own terms and not try to impose our own understanding on the biblical authors.
Numbers as Symbols
A good introduction to the symbolic meaning of individual numbers is to consider the many recurring numerals that appear in the Book of Revelation. And almost all of them can be derived from only three symbolic numbers that are ubiquitous throughout Scripture.
Symbolic Numbers in the Bible
3 = God (Trinity)
4 = the earth or universe
four points of the compass (Zechariah 6:1-7)
four corners of the earth (Isaiah 11:12 )
1000 = a figurative way of expressing a large number (with today's inflation, we would probably
use “one million” instead)
“A day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.” (Psalm 84:10)
Actually, if you take the time to go through an exhaustive concordance to the Bible some time, you will
discover that over one-half the references in the Bible to 1,000 are obviously figurative rather than
literal.
The Number 12
12 = 3 x 4 = the people of God (i.e. God working through His creation)
Twelve Judges
Minor Prophets
Tribes of Israel
Jesus' Apostles
24 elders (Revelation 4-5) = 12 + 12 (i.e. God's chosen representatives in the OT and NT combined.
144,000 (Revelation 7--Those who are sealed) = 12 x 12 x 1000 (i.e. numerous Old and New
The Number 7 in the Bible
7 = 4 + 3 completeness, perfection, fullness (i.e. God plus His creation)
a. “If they (thieves) are caught, they will pay seven-fold;
they will forfeit all the goods of their house.” Proverbs 6:30
This flunks all three of the tests for literalness -- in poetry one expects figurative language. Also, in
poetry one needs to go to second line to help explain the meaning of the first line. Thirdly, in the
legislative rulings of the Bible, the thief has to literally pay back twice what he has stolen. Thus, to take
Proverbs 6:30 literally would result in a contradiction within Scripture.
b. Matthew 18:21-22
“Then Peter came and said to him, 'Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often
should I forgive? As many as seven times?' Jesus said to him, 'Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-
seven (or seventy times seven according to other manuscripts) times.' Here the main test showing that 7
is used literally by Peter but figuratively by Jesus is that a literal meaning would result in an absurdity.
The Number 7 in Revelation
Often, the actual symbolic number will not appear, but it can be discerned in a word, phrase, or concept
being repeated a particular number of times. Thus, besides the obvious series of seven churches, bowls,
trumpets, etc., certain words and phrases appear exactly seven times or in multiples of seven. Examples
of seven-fold usage include: “the Spirit says,” “prophecy,” “candlestick,” “cloud,” “worthy,”
“bottomless pit,” seven lists including four related elements such as “kindred, tongue, people, tribe,
etc.,” “kingdom,” “wonder/miracle,” “earthquake,” “reign,” “(God's) wrath,” “Almighty God,” “Jesus
Christ,” seven blessings, and seven references to Jesus coming “quickly,” etc.
This overwhelming emphasis on the number 7 in within Revelation is probably to symbolically stress
the fact that the whole story is now complete. But if 7 represents completion or perfection, how is
imperfection expressed in the Bible numerically? That is done in two ways:
3 ½ years (Revelation 11-13) = 7/2 = a woeful or incomplete time period, a time of testing.
I Kings 18:1: “The word of the LORD came to Elijah, in the third year of the drought, saying, “Go and
present yourself to Ahab; I will send rain on the earth.”
This literal time period is literally 3 years However, when this event is referred to in the NT, it is given
as 3 ½ figurative years of drought in Luke 4:25 and James 5:17. These last references should be taken
as figurative to eliminate any contradiction with the OT historical account.
6 = 7-1 is another way to express less than perfection. For example, man was created on the 6th day as a
little lower than the angels.
666 (Revelation 13:18) This leads us to one way of understanding 666: as a symbolic number-- a
trinity of incompleteness or imperfection, “a human number.” In other words, any created being who
tries to usurp the place of God.
However, the literal use of the numbers in Revelation is not necessarily excluded in all cases. After all,
there were exactly 12 original apostles and Jewish tribes even if one was added to each group later. But
if the symbolism of the numbers is not recognized, you are missing out on most of the underlying
meaning.
Gematria
Another way in which numbers may possibly be utilized non-literally in the Bible was developed by
the Jews, especially the more mystical ones, whereby each letter in the Hebrew alphabet was
represented by its equivalent number. Thus, the letters of any word could be added up to reach its
identifying number. Conversely, any number could be broken down into possible combinations of
letters that would add up to it. Only a few of the proposed possibilities for 666, the number of the beast
in Revelation, based on this hidden code method are listed below:
Neron Caesar
Caligula
lateinos (Roman State or the Pope)
Josephus
Martin Luther
Ku Klux Klan
Henry Kissinger
Ronald Wilson Reagan
“Beast”
Additional possibilities are endless. Nero is perhaps the best bet since Revelation 13:3 says that the
beast had been healed of a mortal wound. There was the belief in the Roman Empire that Nero either
didn't really die by suicide or had died but would come back again in a resurrected form. Another piece
of evidence is that use of the Latin form “Nero” in place of “Neron” adds up to 616 instead, which is
the alternative reading in a number of ancient NT manuscripts in place of 666.
X, X+1 Series
As for the rhetorical utilization of numbers, one type found in the Hebrew Bible is known as x / x+1 poetic parallelism. This sounds like a rather technical term, but it represents a rather simple concept.
In the Bible, this translates to expressions such as “Three things are too wonderful for me; four I do not understand.” (Proverbs 30:18) This particular phrase is followed in verse 19 by a listing of four examples that the poet has observed on earth. Did the poet start out with only three items in mind and then just happen to remember a fourth one to add at the end? Obviously not since that same type of expression appears again and again in the Bible.
Note that “too wonderful for me” is another way of saying “I do not understand.” Thus, it falls into the general category of biblical parallelism of thought typical of Hebrew poetry. But since there is no synonym for the number “three,” to put in the second line of poetry, the poet utilizes the next highest number there. But what is the overall intent of expressing an idea in that manner?
G.V. Smith outlines three possible understandings of the x/x+1 pattern as it appears in Amos 1-2:
A. “Numerical sequences refer to a large indefinite number of sins. It is an idiomatic or rhetorical device which should not be taken literally.” Thus, perhaps it is another way of expressing the idea that the author could have listed many more if he wished to do so.
B. “The actual listing of the items after some sequences has led other to conclude that the highest number should be understood literally.” That general explanation may apply to the sins condemned in the “3 / 4” oracles found in Amos 1:3-2:5, but it fails in other cases found in the Bible.
C. “Three and four are components of the number 7, which symbolizes completion.” Thus, Smith and others count exactly seven sins against Israel in Amos 2:6-8. However, Carroll notes that other commentators only count four. And this particular explanation only fits sequences of 3 and 4.
D. In addition to those three possibilities, most other commentators start out by stating that the main rhetorical function (i.e. how it affects the reader or hearer) is that it leads to an increase in intensity with each subsequent phrase. A rough equivalent in English might be the expression: “One for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, and four to GO!” In this case, there is no particular significance to the numbers themselves except for the fact that they get higher each time.
For additional examples of x, x+1 series in the Bible, see Job 5:19; Proverbs 6:16; chap. 30; Ecclesiastes 11:2; and Micah 5:5.
Other Series of Numbers
Somewhat associated numerical sequences are found in the Bible that are not strictly x, x+1 in nature, but are built on other methods of mathematical progression such as multiplying the first number by ten, writing the first digit twice, etc. These include Lamech's “7 / 70” boast in Genesis 4:24. This example is an interesting one since the number series actually begins in Genesis 4:15 when God promises that if anyone kills him, seven-fold vengeance will result. Lamech carries the series one step further.
Another prominent series is found in the song of the Israelites (I Samuel 8:7) praising the relative exploits of Saul and David (1,000 kills versus 10,000). This numerical comparison is one of the prime causes for Saul's growing jealousy over David's popularity with the people.
Returning to Jesus' comment to Peter regarding the times you should forgive your brother (not 7 but 77; the second number is given as 7x70 in some manuscripts) in Matthew 18:22, I have known a number of Christians who have been especially confused regarding the last example above. That is probably because Peter starts out talking on a strictly literal level wanting to know if seven times forgiving someone is enough before he can stop doing it. But Jesus, as he often did, immediately jumped to the figurative level to get at the root of the question. Whichever of the two textual traditions one chooses, 77 or 7x70, it is obviously not a number that is to be taken literally. “Seven times” in biblical symbolism simply means “completely.” You need to completely forgive the other party.
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