Supernatural Design Through Numbers
Words in New Testament, Apocalypse, Phrases of Bible

Supernatural Design Through Numbers
Words in New Testament,
The Apocalypse, Phrases of the Bible

Words in the New Testament

• "The Father" occurs in Matthew 44 times (4x11).
• "The Father" occurs in Mark* 22 times (2x11).

  * One passage (11:26) is disputed, and is omitted in the RV. The above numeration is an argument for its retention.

• "The Father" occurs in Luke 16 times (4²).
• "The Father" occurs in John 121 times (11²).
• "The Father" occurs in Rest of NT 77 times (7x11).
• "The Lamb," a peculiar word arnion (arnion) as used of Christ, 28 times* (4x7).

  * The Concordance gave 29; but, on examination, one of these was found to belong to Antichrist, Revelation 13:11.

• fwV (phos), light, occurs 72 times (3³x6) if we add with RV Ephesians 5:9 and Revelation 22:5.
• apax (hapax), once, or once for all, 14 times (2x7), omitting 1 Peter 3:20 with RV. This is a word used especially of Christ's sufferings and death.

• "Israelites" (pl.), 7.

• 'Wdh (Odee), a song, 7.
• yalmoV (psalmos), a psalm, 7.

* This is omitting Mark 10:47 and Luke 24:19, where the reading is NazarhnoV (Nazarene), according to Lachmann, Tischendorf, Tregelles, Alford, Westcott and Hort. For the significance of this number, see under "Thirteen."

There is another word NazarhnoV (Nazarene), which seems to have not so much a local reference, but a moral sense. This word occurs six times,* and partakes of the moral significance of the number six.

* Adding the two passages in the above note, they are Mark 1:24, 10:47, 14:67, 16:6; Luke 4:34, 24:19.

• This shows that the other two words refer to the city and its inhabitants, as noun and adjective; and therefore, that NazwraioV, in Matthew 2:23, has special reference to the inhabitants of the city, and means "He shall be called a Nazarethan." (See "the first fulfillment of prophecy in the New Testament," under the number "One.")

• sperma (sperma), seed, 44 (4x11).

"Verily" is shown to be a weighty word. It occurs 49 times (7²) in the first three Gospels* and 25 times in John (5²). In the Gospel of John, however, it is always used double ("Verily, verily"), making 50 altogether in John, and 49 in the other three, or 99 in all (3²x11).

* Omitting Matthew 6:11 and Luke 23:35 with RV.

If we separate those which were spoken to the Disciples and those spoken to others, we have

"Moses" occurs 80 times in the New Testament (4²x5) (or 2³x10). The Concordance gave only 79, overlooking Hebrew 11:23.

The names of the Apostles conform to this law:—

Peter occurs 245 times (7²x5)
Simon* (used of Peter) occurs 50 times (5²x2)

* The Concordance gave in this case one too many, viz., 51, but this was found to include Mark 3:18, which is another Simon (the "Canaanite").

James (the great) occurs 21 times (3x7)
James (the less) occurs 21 times (3x7)
John occurs 49 times (7²)
Simon Zelotes occurs 4 times (2²)
Matthew occurs 8 times (2³)
Philip occurs 16 times (4²)
Paul occurs 160 times (4²x10)
Saul (Apostle) occurs 25 times (5²)

Seven were called before the whole Twelve were appointed:—

1. John (John 1:35-39)
2. Andrew (John 1:40)
3. Peter (John 1:41,42)
4. Philip (John 1:43)
5. Nathanael (Bartholomew) (John 1:47-51)
6. James (son of Zebedee) (Matt 4:21)
7. Matthew (John 9:9)

Then the Twelve appear to have been called at seven different times:—

Here the seven is divided as usual into 4 and 3. Four being recorded in John's Gospel, and three in the other Gospels.

It is probable also that they belonged to seven different families, but the relationships are too uncertain for us to speak positively. At any rate seven were brothers:—Peter and Andrew; James and John; James (the less), Judas (Lebbaeus or Thaddaeus), and Simon (Zelotes).

Side by side with this seven-fold order, marking the number of the Apostles, there is a three-fold division of the twelve into fours.

Altogether there are four (2²) lists of the Apostles' names; three in the Gospels and one in the Acts. In each list the order of the names varies, but with this remarkable agreement, that the first name in each group is the same in each list, while the other three, though they are in a different order, are never in a different group, thus:—

(1) A patronymic for Nathanael. See John 1:44-46, where he is joined with Philip as here, and John 21:2.

(2) Judas the brother of James, to distinguish him from Judas Iscariot. He was called Lebbaeus or Thaddaeus, words which have a similar meaning, courageous.

(3) Canaanite, not a Gentile name, but an Aramaic word meaning the same as Zelotes.

Note (1) that 4 hold the same place in each list, Judas Isacriot being always last.

(2) That in Matthew and Luke the first four are arranged in pairs according to their calling and sending out; while in Mark and Acts they are placed individually according to their pre-eminence.

(3) The second four are given in Matthew, Luke, and Acts, in pairs; while in Mark they are given individually.

(4) The third four are in Matthew, again given in groups; while in Mark, Luke, and Acts the order is individual.

(5) That each group furnished a penman of the NT: from the first Peter and John; from the second Matthew; from the third James and Jude.

The illustrations of the working of this law might be indefinitely extended. We have given merely a selection from our lists, which contain a large number of examples.

The Apocalypse

In the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, seven seems to be the predominating number, not only used as a numeral, but in the occurrences of the important words:—

• "Jesus" occurs 14 times (2x7) (seven times alone, and seven times with "Christ")
• "Lord"* occurs 21 times (3x7)

  * This word kurioV gave some trouble. For the Concordance gave 22. This was good enough, being 2 x 11. But being in the Apocalypse we expected a multiple of seven, and this led to a more careful examination. We found that the RV omitted kurioV, on due authority, in Revelation 16:5 and 19:1, while it inserted it in 11:4 instead of the word "God," thus leaving exactly 21 as above.

• "Spirit," 14 times, Pneuma, 1:10, 2:7,17,29, 3:1,6,13,22, 4:5, 5:6, 11:11, 14:13, 22:17
• axioV (axios), worthy, 3:4, 4:11, 5:2,4,9,12, 16:6
• upomonh (hupomonee), patience, 1:9, 2:2,3,19, 3:10, 13:10, 14:12
• sarx (sarx), flesh, 17:16, 19:18 (five times), 21
• deka kerata (deka kerata), ten horns, 12:3, 13:1 (twice), 17:3,7,12,16
• profhteia (propheeteia), prophecy, 1:3, 11:6, 19:10, 22:7,10,18,19
• shmeion (seemeion), sign, 15:1
  shmeion (seemeion), wonder, 12:1,3, 13:13
  shmeion(seemeion), miracle, 13:14, 16:14, 19:20
• asthr (asteer), star, 1:16,20 (twice), 2:1,28, 3:1, 6:13, 8:10,11,12, 9:1, 12:1,4, 22:16 (14 times)
• yuch (psuchee), life, 8:9, 12:11
  yuch (psuchee), soul, 6:9, 16:3, 18:13,14, 20:4
• kairoV (kairos), time (i.e. season), 1:3, 11:18, 12:12,14 (3 times), 22:10
• seismoV (seismos), earthquake, 6:12, 8:5, 11:13 (twice), 19, 16:18 (twice), seven times elsewhere in NT, making 14 in all
• etoimazw (hetoimazo), make ready, 19:7
  etoimazw (hetoimazo), prepare, 8:6, 9:7,15, 12:6, 16:12, 21:2
• basileuw (basileuo), reign, 5:10, 11:15,17; 14:6, 20:4,6, 22:5, 14 occurrences elsewhere, making 21 in all
• imation (himation), garment, 3:4, 16:15
  imation (himation), raiment, 3:5,18, 4:4
  imation (himation), vesture, 19:13,16
• abussoV (abussos), bottomless, 9:1,2
  abussoV (abussos), bottomless pit, 9:11, 11:7, 17:8, 20:1,3
• nefelh (nephelee), cloud, 1:7, 10:1, 11:12, 14:14 (twice), 15,16
• tetartoV (tetartos), fourth, 4:7, 6:7 (twice), 8:12, 16:8, 21:19
  tetartoV (tetartos), fourth part, 6:8
• drepanon (drepanon), sickle, 14:14,15,16,17,18 (twice), 19
• topoV (topos), place, 2:5 6:14, 12:6,8,14, 16:16, 20:11
• makarioV (makarios), blessed, 1:3, 14:13, 16:15, 19:9, 20:6, 22:7,14
• oxuV (oxus), sharp, 1:16, 2:12, 14:14,17,18 (twice), 19:15
• qumoV (thumos), wrath (God's), 14:10,19, 15:1,7, 16:1
  qumoV (thumos), fierceness, 16:19, 19:14
• ouai (ouai), woe 8
  ouai (ouai), alas 6 [8+6=14* (2x7)]

  * There is another seven-fold arrangement in connection with this word; for while Bruder's Concordance gives 14 times in Revelation as noun and interjection, the word occurs 42 times elsewhere as interjection only.

• brontai (brontai), (Nom. pl.) thunders, 10:3,4, 16:18
• brontai (brontai), (Nom. pl.) thunderings, 4:5, 8:5, 11:19, 19:6
• akolouqew (akoloutheo), to follow, 6:8, 14:4,8,9,13, 19:14
  akolouqew (akoloutheo), reach, 18:5
• piptw (pipto), to fall down (in worship of God), 4:10, 5:8,14, 7:11, 11:16, 19:4,10

These are some examples, among many others, from one book.

Phrases of the Bible

tw$dl:w$t@ hl@e)' (aleh tol'doth), these are the generations, i.e., these are the events that time brought forth to him; (from dly (yalad), to bring forth); or these are the things or persons produced by him. This phrase occurs 14 times in the Bible, 13 times in the Old Testament and once in the New Testament.

The first and last are used only of the "first Adam" and of the "last Adam." But these have the additional formula, "This is the book of," etc. (Gen 5:1 and Matt 1:1).

While the total number is 14, Genesis has 11, which divide the book into twelve sections. The first section being the Introduction, and the rest consisting of these eleven "Tol'doth," making twelve divisions in all, in Genesis.

The eleven Tol'doth in Genesis are as follows:—

1. 2:4-4:26 The Heavens and the Earth
2. 5:1-6:8 Adam
3. 6:9-9:29 Noah
4. 10:1-11:9 The Sons of Noah
5. 11:10-26 Shem
6. 11:27-25:11 Terah (not Abraham's!)
7. 25:12-18 Ishmael
8. 25:19-35:29 Isaac
9. 36:1-8 Esau
10. 36:9-37:1 Esau's posterity
11. 37:2-50:26 Jacob (not Joseph's)

The Massorah calls attention to the fact that the word Tol'doth, in the Old Testament, is spelt in two ways. The first and the last occurrences (Gen 2:4 and Ruth 4:18) are spelt with two Vaus, (tw$dl:w$t@); the other eleven are spelt with one Vau (td&l:w$t@). Various fanciful explanations of the phenomena are indulged in by Jewish Commentators. But the simple reason seems to lie in the fact, that the spelling of the first and last is called plene, i.e., full or complete; while the spelling of the other eleven is called defective. Thus the eleven which relate to Adam and his posterity (5:1, &c.) are stamped with defect: while the first, which relates to the heavens and the earth, tells of the perfection in which they were created; and the last, which relates to Pharez (Ruth 4:18), contains the first mention of the name of David, and tells of the Perfect One—David's Son and David's Lord, who shall restore perfection to His people as well as to the new heavens and the new earth.

It is instructive to notice these divine divisions, and see how different they are from either man's chapters, or man's theories as to the Jehovistic and Elohistic sections, according to which some editor is supposed to have pieced together a number of separate documents by two different authors, one of whom used the word Elohim (God), and the other Jehovah (LORD).

As a matter of fact, if we take these divinely marked sections, five of them contain both titles (viz., the 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 8th, and 11th); four of them contain neither (the 5th, 7th, 9th, and 10th); only the first has the combined title Jehovah Elohim (the LORD God); and only the Introduction has Elohim alone; while "Jehovah" is used by nearly all the speakers, except the Serpent, Abimelech (to Abraham, not to Isaac), the sons of Heth, Pharaoh, Joseph, and his brethren.

Thus, this simple fact to which we are led by the consideration of design in the employment of numbers, entirely explodes the elaborate theories of the so-called "higher critics" concerning the Book of Genesis

• "In all the land of Egypt" (Myrcm Cr) lkb):—
  
  

  7	times in Genesis
  13	times in Exodus
  1	time in Jeremiah
  =
  21	in all (3x7)

  
  
• "His mercy endureth for ever" (wdsx Mlw(l):—
  
  

  6	times in Chronicles
  1	time in Ezra
  34	times in Psalms
  1	time in Jeremiah
  =
  42	in all (6x7)

  
  
• "A jealous God," 7.
• "The ends of the earth," Cr) ysp) (aphse eretz), 14.
• "Behold (or Lo), the days come," 21.
• "Thus saith the Lord GOD (or the LORD)," 126 (7x18).
• "As I live, saith the Lord GOD," 14 (all in Ezekiel).
• "Daughter (or Daughters) of Jerusalem," 7 in singular; 7 plural.
• "The tree of life":

  3 times in Genesis
  4 times in Proverbs
  =
  7

• "This is a faithful saying," pistoV o logoV (pistos ho logos), 7 (in all in Timothy and Titus); 1 Tim 1:15, 3:1, 4:9,12; 2 Tim 2:11; Titus 1:9, 3:8.
• "These things saith..." (tade legei o...), 7 in Revelation.
• "Children of Israel," 14 times in New Testament.
• "Son of David," used of Christ, 14 times; with slightly different wording,* 7 = 21 (3x7).

  * Matt 22:42; Luke 1:32; John 7:42; Rom 1:3; 2 Tim 2:8; Rev 5:5, 22:16.

• "And thou shalt know that I am the LORD" occurs 7 times (1 Kings 20:13; Isa 49:23; Eze 16:62, 25:7, 32:16, 35:4,12).

We must not, however, multiply these seven-fold occurrences, because they properly come under our head of "significance," and belong to the many illustrations of this number of spiritual perfection. We shall treat them more fully under the number "Seven." We will close these few specimens, selected from a long list of over one hundred, with the phrase, thus shown to be important:—

"As it is written"* (kaqwV gegraptai, and wV gegraptai):

* The tense is perfect, and refers not to the act of writing, or to the fact that it was once written, but to the truth that it standeth written.

Of these 28, note, that 7 are in the Gospels, and 21 in the rest of the New Testament; a seven-fold arrangement within the square numbers.