Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: johnw@sag4.ssl.berkeley.edu (John Warren) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: important biblical numbers Message-ID: Date: 29 Jul 90 17:47:39 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: University of California, Berkeley Lines: 29 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article gt5599d@prism.gatech.edu (gt5599d TOLBERT,JASON ALAN) writes: >Does anyone know what importance does the number 13 have in the Bible. >I hear that it is mentioned often along with the number 12. Six and >nine seem to be inportant. Does anyone know what significance these >particular numbers have? Are there any other significant numbers? >What is the sifgnificance of the cycles of "14" generations up to >the birth of Christ? >-- >TOLBERT,JASON ALAN 6 is the number used in the old testament (particularly in the Torah where God describes how the Tabernacle should be built) to represent man. 3 is the number of divine manifestation; thus 666 stands for man making himself out to be God. 12 stands for perfect government, since there are twelve tribes (13 if you count Ephraim and Manasseh separately; maybe herein lies some subtle connection between 12 and 13, but I don't care) of Israel (which itself means 'God-governed', or 'a prince who has power with God'), and Jesus chose 12 apostles to be judge over the 12 tribes. As for 14, Matthew got it wrong. He left out Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah and father of Jeconiah. Maybe Matthew was so entranced with the number 14 that he bent history to suit this interpretation. 7 is the number of perfection, completion. 7 days to create the earth, the 7 churches of Revelation, and there are other references. I have no idea what the significance of 13 is. Disclaimer: my faith neither falls nor stands on numerology. I am not a student of it, but it seems to me to be, rightly understood, simply a confirmation of the truth of God's word, and nothing magical. Numbers are symbols of a greater reality, just like the sacraments.