7: The Importance of Numbers in the Bible

The number seven is the fourth prime number (after two, three and five) but is also known as a lucky prime, a happy number and a safe prime. It is a number that has certain significances in mathematics – if only anyone but mathematicians could understand them! For us simple folk, we know that a heptagon is a shape with seven sides, and those interested in probability, the number seven has a 6 in 36 chance of being rolled (1/6) with two dice, which is the greatest of any of the possible numbers. 
 
In Classical Antiquity, the number seven appears many times, for instance, the seven deadly sins, which in Christianity we call the cardinal sins. There are seven wonders of the ancient world and Seven Hills of Rome and Istanbul.  According to legend, there were seven kings of Rome, beginning with Romulus who founded the city in 753 BC. There are seven days of the week, seven colours in the rainbow, seven seas, seven continents, and the list goes on.
 
In the Bible, the number seven is reportedly used 735 times, 54 of which are in Revelation. If we were to include words such as “sevenfold” and “seventh”, the total becomes 860 references. Already it appears the number seven must have some importance in scripture. 
 
It is believed the number seven represents completeness and perfection. God rested on the seventh day when he was happy with the world he had created, which is why we have seven days in a week, the seventh day being the Sabbath – the day God rested. In the Book of Genesis, the word “created” is used seven times when describing God’s work and, according to some Jewish traditions, God created Adam on the first day of Tishri, the seventh month in the Hebrew calendar (if you are interested, this equates to 26thSeptember 3760 BC). 
 
Originally, the entire Bible, both Old and New Testaments, were divided into seven sections. These were the Law, the Prophets, the Psalms, the Gospels (and Acts), the General Epistles, the Epistles of Paul, and the book of Revelation. 
 
In the Gospels, Jesus is recorded performing miracles seven times on the Sabbath:

1. Jesus healed a man with a withered hand in the synagogue (Matthew 12:9)
2. At Capernaum, he cast a demon out of a possessed man (Mark 1:21)
3. Jesus healed Peter’s wife of a fever (Mark 1:29)
4. Jesus released a demon from a woman who had suffered for eighteen years (Luke 13:11)
5. At a Pharisee’s house, Jesus healed a man with dropsy (Luke 14:2)
6. A disabled man is healed at the pool of Bethesda (John 5:8-9)
7. Jesus healed a blind man at the pool of Siloam (John 9:14)

 
In the book of Hebrews written by the apostle Paul, he uses seven different titles for Christ:

1. Heir of all Things
2. Captain of our Salvation
3. Apostle
4. Author of Salvation
5. Forerunner
6. High Priest
7. Author and Finisher of our Faith

 
Let’s look at a handful of examples where the number seven is actually used:

• Revelation 1:4 (NIV): “John, to the seven churches in the province of Asia…”
• Deuteronomy 15:9 (NIV): “… ‘The Seventh year, the year for cancelling debts, is near’ …”
• Genesis 8:4 (NIV): “and on the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.”
• 2 Kings 5:10 (NIV): “Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, ‘Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed’”
• Leviticus 4:6 (NIV): “He is to dip his finger into the blood and sprinkle some of it seven times before the Lord, in front of the curtain of the sanctuary.”
• Genesis 4:15 (NIV): “But the Lord said to him, ‘Not so; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.’ Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him.”
• Genesis 4:24 (NIV): “If Cain is avengedseven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times.”
• Genesis 7:2 (NIV): “Take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate…”
• Genesis 41:29-30 (NIV): “Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, but seven years of famine will follow them …”
• Joshua 6:8 (NIV): “When Joshua had spoken to the people, seven priests carrying the seven trumpets before the Lord went forward …”
• 1 Samuel 16:10 (NIV): “Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, ‘The Lord has not chosen these.’”
• 2 Kings 4:35 (NIV): “…The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.”
• Proverbs 9:1 (NIV): “Wisdom had built her house; she has set up its seven pillars.”
• Matthew 15:34 (NIV): “’How many loaves do you have?’ Jesus asked. ‘Seven,’ they replied, ‘and a few small fish.’”
• Luke 8:2 (NIV): “and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out.”
• Acts 6:3 (NIV): “Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are know to be full of the spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them”

… And there are many, many more.
 
Just by looking at theses example we can see that the number seven is important, although its connection to completeness and perfection is never actually mentioned in the Bible, that has been inferred at a later date. 
 
Since there are so many instances of the number seven, I cannot mention them all but I will leave you with a few more important examples:

• Matthew 13 mentions seven parables of Jesus
• Seven of the Psalms are ascribed to David
• In the book of Revelation, there are seven stars, seven churches, seven angels, seven seals, seven plagues and seven thunders
• Seven gifts of the Holy Spirit:
  • Wisdom
  • Understanding
  • Counsel
  • Fortitude
  • Knowledge
  • Piety
  • Fear of the Lord
• The are seven suicides mentioned in the Bible
• Seven Virtues
  • Chastity
  • Temperance
  • Charity
  • Diligence
  • Kindness
  • Patience
  • Humility