THE NUMBER SEVEN IN THE HOLY BIBLE
The number SEVEN is one of the most
significant numbers in the Holy Bible.
This is a chapter from the book,
Biblical Mathematics, written by Evangelist, Ed F. Vallowe.
When
man began to analyze and combine numbers, he developed other interesting
symbols. He took the
perfect world number FOUR and added to it the perfect divine number, THREE, and
got SEVEN, the most
sacred number to the Hebrews. It was earth crowned with heaven -- the
four-square earth plus
the divine COMPLETENESS OF GOD. So we have SEVEN expressing COMPLETENESS
through union of earth
with heaven. This number is used more than all other numbers in the Word of
God, save the number
ONE.
In
the Book of Revelation the number SEVEN is used throughout. There are SEVEN
churches, SEVEN Spirits,
SEVEN stars, SEVEN seals, SEVEN trumpets, SEVEN vials, SEVEN personages, SEVEN
dooms, and SEVEN new
things. SEVEN symbolizes Spiritual Perfection. All of life revolves around this
number. SEVEN is used over 700 times in the Bible. It is used 54 times in the
Book of Revelation.
The whole Word of God is
founded upon the number SEVEN. It stands for the SEVENTH day of the Creation Week, and speaks of the Millennial Rest
day. It denotes COMPLETENESS or PERFECTION.
In Leviticus 23:15-16, the number SEVEN and the Sabbath,
which was the SEVENTH day, is connected with the word COMPLETE. The word COMPLETE follows after
the words "SEVEN SABBATH" (Seventh day). The day following the SEVENTH sabbath there was
something NEW that took place.
The word FINISHED is also connected with the number
SEVEN. In Revelation 10:7 we read,
"In
the days of the voice of the SEVENTH angel, when he shall begin to sound the
mystery of God should
be FINISHED."
"It is DONE" is another
expression found in connection with the number Seven.
"And
the SEVENTH angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great
voice out of the temple
of heaven, from the throne saying, It is DONE." (Revelation 16:17)
The
word CREATED is used SEVEN times in connection with God's creative work.
(Genesis 1:1; Genesis 1:21;
1:27 (three times); 2:3; and 2:4). God created all things in the beginning and
then took six days of restoring
His creation and then rested on the SEVENTH day. (Genesis 2:1-3). He appointed
SEVEN days for the week,
and most, if not all advanced nations reckon time in that way: SEVEN days to
the week. Few ever stop
to think of why there are SEVEN days in a week. Do atheists and infidels give
God and the Bible credit
for it?
There are SEVEN notes in the musical scale. All other
pitches are only variations of these. When the musician uses the eighth note he goes back to
"do" and starts over. Man named the notes but God fixed the sounds,
even as God fixed the days of the week, and man named them.
Noah
took the clean beasts into the ark by SEVENS (Genesis 7:2) SEVEN days after
Noah went into the ark
the flood came. (Genesis 7:-10) Peter tells about the long-suffering of God
waiting in the days of Noah.
(I Peter 3:21) Those SEVEN days COMPLETED God's time of waiting.
Before Aaron and his sons entered their priestly work
they were consecrated SEVEN days. (Leviticus 8:31-36) Here is a picture of a life COMPLETELY or
WHOLLY consecrated or dedicated to the Lord for service.
On
the day of atonement the high priest sprinkled the blood upon the mercy seat
SEVEN times. (Leviticus 16:14) This is a
picture of the COMPLETENESS of the redemptive work of Christ.
"By
his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption
for us." (Hebrews
9:12)
When
Christ offered Himself that FINISHED the sacrificial offerings. They were
ended. No longer must we
place sacrifices upon an altar.
When
Israel took the city of Jericho God told them to march around the city SEVEN
times. Thus, on the SEVENTH
day, when they marched around the city SEVEN times, they COMPLETED their
marching. (Joshua
6:1-16)
There
were SEVEN FEAST days of our Lord. (Passover, Unleavened, First-fruits,
Pentecost, Atonement, Trumpets
and Tabernacle). (Leviticus 23:1-44)
There
were SEVEN branches on the CANDLESTICK in the Holy Place in the Tabernacle and
this pictures the COMPLETE light of God for
the souls of man.
Solomon
was SEVEN years in building the Temple and kept the Feast for SEVEN days. Job
had SEVEN sons. When his friends came to
visit him they sat SEVEN days and SEVEN nights in silence, and afterward they were required to offer a Burnt
Offering of SEVEN bullocks and SEVEN rams. Naaaman washed SEVEN times in the Jordan. The Saviour
spoke SEVEN words from the Cross. SEVEN men of honest report were chosen to administer the alms of the church in Acts
6:1-7. There were SEVEN years of plenty and SEVEN years of famine in Egypt
during the days of Joseph.
SEVEN
times in the Book of Revelation blessing of the Lord are promised to His
people. These are called
the "BEATITUDES" of Revelation. These are found in Chapters 1:3;
14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7, 14.
There are SEVEN Dispensations - Innocence, Conscience,
Government, Patriarchal, Law, Grace, and Milleniah (sic) Age.
«
SEVEN times the Book of
Life is mentioned in the Bible. The Book of Revelation is a Book of SEVENS. We have SEVEN churches, SEVEN seals, SEVEN
Trumpets, SEVEN Personages, SEVEN vails (sic), SEVEN dooms, SEVEN new things. SEVEN SEVENS make up this
Book . It is the COMPLETENESS of all things.
Jesus said
to "forgive SEVENTY times SEVEN" In other words, He is saying,
"Keep on forgiving until you are complete." Even the duration of Israel's great punishments was
based upon this law of SEVENS. Their
captivity in Babylon was for SEVENTY years, ten periods of SEVENS. (Jeremiah
25:11-12; Daniel 19:2)
Life
operates in a cycle of SEVENS. Changes take place in the body every SEVEN
years. There are SEVEN
bones in the neck, SEVEN bones in the face, SEVEN bones in the ankle, and SEVEN
holes in the head. Most
births are multiple of SEVENS. The hen sits three weeks (21 days); the pigeon
two weeks (14 days); after having laid eggs for two weeks. Of 129 species of
Mammalia (sic) the majority have a period from conception to birth of an exact number of
weeks, a multiple of SEVEN.
Human
physiology is constructed on a law of SEVENS. Children are born to mothers in a
certain number of weeks
usually 280 days, a multiple of SEVENS. Fevers and intermittent attacks of
gout, ague, and similar
complaints have a period of operation of SEVEN, FOURTEEN or TWENTY-ONE days knows as critical days.
All
departments of nature are marked all over with mathematics. In this realm
practically everything is in SEVENS. Notice next time the shape of frost when it crystallizes on
the window. Notice the small snow flakes. It is wonderful how God formed
everything in a pattern of SEVENS.
It
would be well for the reader to always remember the SEVEN means COMPLETENESS or
SPIRITUAL PERFECTION.
Whenever you come to a SEVEN in the Word of God read the meaning and the
message is plain.
SEVEN
is found 735 times in the Bible. SEVENFOLD is mentioned 6 times and SEVENTH is
found 119 times.
The SEVENTH time Noah's name occurs
is where it is said,
"Noah was a just man, and
PERFECT in his generations." (Genesis 6:9)
In
the second chapter of Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar had a dream of a great image whose
head was of gold, arms and breasts of silver, his belly and things of brass,
legs of iron, and feet of iron and clay. (Daniel 2:31-33) Daniel told him that he was the head of
gold (vs 37-38) In the next chapter Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold to be worshipped. At
that time he called together SEVEN kinds of officials to the dedication of the image: (1)
princes, (2) governors, (3) captains, (4) judges, (5) treasurers (6) counselors, (7)
sheriffs. The penalty for refusing to worship that image was death by being cast into the burning fiery
furnace. THREE Hebrew children refused to worship the image and were cast into that furnace of
death, and brought forth alive, thus picturing the resurrection, signified by the number THREE That furnace was
heated SEVEN times hotter than it had ever been. Here is a COMPLETE DELIVERANCE FOR GOD'S
PEOPLE from the power of death. (Daniel 3:1-27) When those THREE Hebrew children came out of
that furnace of fire, or death, there was not a trace of fire upon their bodies or their clothing. When
Christ brings His people out of death there will not be a trace of death left on them. The will be
COMPLETELY delivered from its power.