The number 7

GodLovesCats

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Starting with God resting on the seventh day, the number seven has many special meanings in the Bible. Throughout Scripture #7 is used in a variety of ways (not counting chapter and verse references). There is one verse, I forget which, that uses the phrase "between six and eight." Why is seven a special number to God?
 

JustRachel

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I have been taught that the number 7 represents perfection in the Bible. Other numbers are claimed to represent various things. 40 represents testing. Search Google. It's all kinda interesting.
 
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mark kennedy

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Starting with God resting on the seventh day, the number seven has many special meanings in the Bible. Throughout Scripture #7 is used in a variety of ways (not counting chapter and verse references). There is one verse, I forget which, that uses the phrase "between six and eight." Why is seven a special number to God?
I was into this for years, Revelations is loaded with things that come in 7s. The 7 days of creation is another good one. At one time I had a had a long list of them. Once you start seeing them it's hard to stop and a lot of fun.

There were 7 utterances of Christ from the cross. Seven laws of Levetical sacrifice, 5 actual sacrifices, the purification of the Priest hood and finally fire from before the LORD.

Like I said, once you start seeing them it's hard to stop. It's some kind literary, biblical writers organized things in 7s sometimes. There were reasons.
 
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There is meaning behind numbers in Scripture but dont get caught up in trying to read more into them than is intended. As noted, 7 is a number of completeness. 6 would be incompleteness, 3s can be used to indicate God in Trinity, 10 is another type of completeness (since we have 10 fingers/toes), 12 usually represents the tribes of Israel or the Apostles.
 
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JackRT

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Throughout Scripture #7 is used in a variety of ways (not counting chapter and verse references).

Chapter and verse references were added much later. IIRC chapters were introduced circa AD 1000 while the verses were added four or five centuries later primarily for the convenience of the early printers. Neither one makes consistent logical sense.
 
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GodLovesCats

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There is meaning behind numbers in Scripture but dont get caught up in trying to read more into them than is intended. As noted, 7 is a number of completeness. Six would be incompleteness, 3s can be used to indicate God in Trinity, 10 is another type of completeness (since we have 10 fingers/toes), 12 usually represents the tribes of Israel or the Apostles.

Why would 7 represent completeness?
 
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Why would 7 represent completeness?

Because 7 is the last day of the week.
According to the Jewish calendar, this would be our Saturday (with Sunday being the first day of the week).
 
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To all:

I would recommend watching a video series by Mike Hoggard that talks about the number 7 involving the King James.

King James Code - Number 7 - Mike Hoggard (Part 1):


King James Code - Number 7 - Mike Hoggard (Part 2):


Note: The patterns are the number 7 are not always there with other translations. This is the case for the other numbers in the Bible, as well.
 
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I was into this for years, Revelations is loaded with things that come in 7s.

It's called "Revelation" (singular) and not "Revelations" (plural).

The 7 days of creation is another good one.

Technically, it would be 6 days of creation. God stopped from his work of creation on the 7th day.
 
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I started this thread by saying God rested on the seventh day.

Sorry, I did not look at the OP.
Here is something from an old book called:
"That Ye May Marvel or the Significance of Bible Numbers" that you may find helpful.

It mentions the Sabbath, as well; But it goes more in-depth on it.
It also helps to illustrate the meaning of the number seven in other parts of the Bible, as well (Which may resolve the answer you are seeking).


NUMBER SEVEN

COMPLETENESS OR PERFECTION SEVEN is the number that denotes COMPLETENESS or PERFECTION. In Lev. 23:15-16 the number SEVEN and the sabbath, which was the SEVENTH day, is connected with the word COMPLETE. "And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; SEVEN sabbaths shall be complete: even on the morrow after the SEVENTH sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a NEW meat offering unto the Lord."

The word COMPLETE follows after the words "SEVEN sabbaths" (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 the days of the voice of the SEVENTH angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be FINISHED." (Rev. 10:7).

"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." (Rev. 16:17).

The word CREATED is used SEVEN times in connection with God's creative work. (Gen. 1:1; 1:21; 1:27 (three times); 2:3; and 2:4). God created all things in six days and rested on the SEVENTH. (Gen. 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: "do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti." All other pitches are only variations of these. When the musician uses the eighth note he goes back to "do" again 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. (Gen. 7:2). SEVEN days after Noah went into the ark the flood came. (Gen. 7:9-10). Peter tells about the longsuffering of God waiting in the days of Noah. (1st Pet. 3-20). Those SEVEN days COMPLETED God's time of waiting.

Before Aaron and his sons entered their priestly work they were consecrated SEVEN days. (Lev. 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 and before the mercy seat SEVEN times. (Lev. 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." (Heb. 9:12). When Christ offered Himself that FINISHED the sacrificial offerings. They were ended.

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. (Josh. 6:1-16).
"And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man (1) and woman (2), young (3) and old (4), and ox (5), and sheep (6), and ass (7) with the edge of the sword." (Josh. 6:21).​

This is a picture of the COMPLETE destruction of the city.

In the second chapter of Daniel Nebuchadnezzar had a dream of a great image whose head was of gold, arms and breast of silver, his belly and thighs of brass, legs of iron, and feet of iron and clay. (Dan. 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. (Dan. 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. They will be COMPLETELY delivered from its powers. Jesus spoke out SEVEN times from the cross. (1) He said, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34). (2) He said to the penitent thief, "Today shalt thou be with me in Paradise." (Luke 23:43). (3) He said, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matt. 27:46 and Mark 15:34). (4) He said to Mary, "Behold thy son!" and to John, "Behold thy mother." (John 19:26-27). (5) He said, "I thirst." (John 19:28). (6) He said, "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit." (Luke 23:46). (7) He said, "It is finished." (John 19:30). The above order of the sayings of Jesus from the cross seems to this writer to be the order in which they were spoken.

The statement, 'Father, forgive them for they know not what they do", seems to have been spoken immediately after His crucifixion. Luke tells about them mocking and deriding Him. From the sixth to the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. This darkness was evidently so appalling that men were too frightened to mock and deride Him after that. Therefore the first statement was made before the darkness came. This should also apply to the thief who derided Jesus. It is not likely that he derided Jesus after the darkness came. Just after rebuking the other thief for deriding Him the penitent thief asked Jesus to remember him when He came into His kingdom. Jesus answered him by saying, "Verily, I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in Paradise." (Luke 23:39-43). This statement was evidently made before the darkness came. After three hours of darkness, or when the ninth hour had come (Luke 23:46), Jesus said, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" John says it was after Jesus had spoken to his mother and to John that He said, "I thirst." "After this, Jesus knowing that all things were accomplished, that the scriptures might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst." (John 19:26-28). The next verse says they gave Him vinegar in a 'sponge. (v. 9). Then, "When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, It is finished, and He bowed His head and gave up the ghost." (John 19:30). This accounts for all the statements but the one recorded in Luke 23:46, "When Jesus had cried with a loud voice, He said, Father into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus He gave up the ghost." So evidently, immediately after receiving the vinegar, Jesus made this statement, and immediately after that He said, "It is finished." Then His head dropped upon His breast and He expired.

The book of Revelation is the last book in the Bible. It COMPLETED God's revealed will to man. Since it is at the end of the Bible one would expect to find it abounding with the number SEVEN, and it does exactly that. The book was written to SEVEN churches. Christ was pictured walking among SEVEN golden candlesticks. (Rev. 1:12-13 and 2:1). In His hand He held SEVEN stars. (1:16). The SEVEN stars represent the SEVEN angels of the SEVEN churches, and the SEVEN candlesticks represent the SEVEN churches. (1:20). There were SEVEN lamps of fire before the throne. (4:5). There was a book with SEVEN seals. (5:1). SEVEN words of praise were ascribed to Christ. (5:12). In 6:15 SEVEN classes of men flee to the rocks and mountains in fear. In 8:2 there were SEVEN angels with SEVEN trumpets. In 7:12 SEVEN words of praise were ascribed to Christ and the Father. In 10:3 there are SEVEN thunders. When the SEVENTH TRUMPET SOUNDS the mystery of God is to be FINISHED OR COMPLETED. Other SEVENS may be found in 11:13; 12:3; 13:1; 15:6-7; 17:1; and 17:3. The words "Blessed", "Patience", "Earthquake", "Judgment", are found SEVEN times.

The SEVENTH time Noah's name occurs is where it is said, "Noah was a just man, and PERFECT in his generations." (Gen. 6:9).


Source:
https://www.amazon.com/That-Ye-May-Marvel-Significance-ebook/dp/B013WZ2GD8/
 
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