What is the significance of seven?

[CerebralCherub]

Apologies if this is in the wrong section, please move or educate me, as required.

I have asked if the chaplains are the place to go with these questions, because I don't know what a chaplain is, so while I'm awaiting response I hoped you all might be able to assist.

So, the bible makes so many references to the number 7. Everything happens in 7s, e.g. 7 days and I just wondered what the reason was for this?

There was a gentleman who I used to talk to who highlighted this and I scoffed at him telling him that the bible wasn't some mystical text filled with numerology so, if he explained it to me, I missed out due to my arrogance as I wasn't actually reading the Bible at the time and thought he was misguided about seeing a pattern of instances. But, as I read, he is correct and I have no idea why the number features so heavily.

Thanks for your help, as always, God bless.

 

[SabbathBlessings]

Apologies if this is in the wrong section, please move or educate me, as required.

I have asked if the chaplains are the place to go with these questions, because I don't know what a chaplain is, so while I'm awaiting response I hoped you all might be able to assist.

So, the bible makes so many references to the number 7. Everything happens in 7s, e.g. 7 days and I just wondered what the reason was for this?

There was a gentleman who I used to talk to who highlighted this and I scoffed at him telling him that the bible wasn't some mystical text filled with numerology so, if he explained it to me, I missed out due to my arrogance as I wasn't actually reading the Bible at the time and thought he was misguided about seeing a pattern of instances. But, as I read, he is correct and I have no idea why the number features so heavily.

Thanks for your help, as always, God bless.

Numbers mean something in Scripture

7 represents perfection and completeness- it is God's number God rested on the seventh day from all His work. God blessed the seventh day and made it holy.

6 represents mans number. Man was made on the 6th day

2 represents witness- Jesus would often send people in pairs 3 represents the Godhead 4 represents the whole earth His created world (four corners of the earth). 10 represents God’s order and authority- the Ten Commandments, 12 represents God's people (12 disciples, 12 tribes) 40 represents a generation etc

 

[CerebralCherub]

Numbers mean something in Scripture

7 represents perfection and completeness- it is God's number God rested on the seventh day from all His work. God blessed the seventh day and made it holy.

6 represents mans number. Man was made on the 6th day

2 represents witness- Jesus would often send people in pairs 3 represents the Godhead 4 represents the whole earth His created world (four corners of the earth). 10 represents God’s order and authority- the Ten Commandments, 12 represents God's people (12 disciples, 12 tribes) 40 represents a generation etc

Thank you so much!

I assume this is not written in black and white, in scripture, but has been ascertained via patterns in scripture?

Do you know who originally saw the pattern or what other patterns there are?

I don't want to tell the family anything that's not correct (I read the bible to them almost nightly and they have asked this and so many other questions that I don't have the answers to), so really appreciate your help, thank you!

 

[DragonFox91]

I kind of agree we shouldn't read too much into the significance of certain numbers just b/c the number's in the Bible. 7 is common, but so is, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 9, 10, 0, 12, etc. You can find a meaning for any number in it if you look hard enough. They are sign-posts to God & his sovereign plan more then anything.

I think a lot of it is secular people studying the Bible looking for numerical patterns to come up w/ ways it's all metaphor

 

[CerebralCherub]

I kind of agree we shouldn't read too much into the significance of certain numbers just b/c the number's in the Bible. 7 is common, but so is, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 9, 10, 0, 12, etc. You can find a meaning for any number in it if you look hard enough. They are sign-posts to God & his sovereign plan more then anything.

I think a lot of it is secular people studying the Bible looking for numerical patterns to come up w/ ways it's all metaphor

Thanks!

I, and correct me if I'm wrong, believe the bible states that numerology etc is a sin and I didn't know if this fell under that definition or if there was a genuine pattern that God followed that man just picked up on or what.

I'm very hesitant to say anything concrete to my family, as they are not saved yet and I don't want to steer them incorrectly, so could really use some guidance on a lot of things and this is one of those things that came up for which I had no answer.

Part of me thinks its manmade superstition, part of me wonders if I'm just ignorant of the Hebrew customs from where this might have come, part of me thinks it's not literal, part of me thinks it is and part of me thinks I'll never have the answer but not sure what to do with that for the family.