Scripture reveals wisdom and prophetic visions thorugh the use of numbers as symbols. Many thanks go to George Kirkpatrick for his input and guidance on this section.
One
One in Hebrew is the letter alef: א
The number one can symbolize beginnings, The Beginning, unity, G-d, and His Sovereignty.
As a cardinal number (one) it denotes unity; as an ordinal (first) it denotes primacy.
- In the beginning was G-d (Genesis 1:1)
- G-d is one [Hebrew: echad] (Deuteronomy 6:4)
- The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are one (1 John 5:7)
- There is one G-d and one holy nation (Ephesians 4:5-6, 1 Peter 2:9)
Two
Two in Hebrew is the letter bet: ב
Two can symbolize of witness and division.
- Two is the minimum number of witnesses (Deuteronomy 17:6, 19:15, 4:26, 30:19, Matthew 18:16, Revelation 11:3)
- At the Judgment all nations will be separated into two groups: the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25:32)
Three
Three in Hebrew is the letter gimel: ג
Three can symbolize of fullness or completion.
Many things in Scripture are completed in threes:
- G-d: Father, Son, Spirit
- Humans: body, soul, spirit
- The patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob
Four
Four in Hebrew is the letter dalet: ד
Four can symbolize creation.
- The four elements: earth, water, air, fire
- The four directions of the compass: north, south, east, west
- The four seasons: spring, summer, fall, winter
Five
Five in Hebrew is the letter he (pronounded heh): ה
Five can symbolize grace.
G-d's grace was revealed in the tabernacle and it was made of five curtains joined to five curtains (Exodus 26:1-3)
Six
Six in Hebrew is the letter vav (pronouned vahv): ו
Six can symbolize man.
- The earth was prepared for man in six days (Genesis 1:1-25)
- Man was created on the sixth day (Genesis 1:27)
- The number 666 is the completeness of man (Revelation 13:18)
Seven
Seven in Hebrew is the letter zayin: ז
Seven can symbolize spiritual perfection and revelation.
The book of Revelation repeatedly uses number seven
- Seven churches
- Seven Spirits of G-d
- Seven golden candlesticks
- Seven stars
- Seven lamps
- Seven seals
- Seven eyes
- Seven horns
- Seven angels
- Seven trumpets
- Seven heads
- Seven crowns
- Seven plagues
- Seven gold vials
- Seven mountains
- Seven kings
Eight
Eight in Hebrew is the letter chet (pronounced with a voiced glottal fricative ch like 'Bach' rather than a voiceless postalveolar affricate ch like 'cheese'): ח
Eight can symbolize new beginnings, resurrection.
- Yeshua's transfiguration was on the eighth day
- Circumcision was to be on the eighth day
- Eight souls were saved in the flood
- Yeshua was resurrected on the "eighth" day (the first day of the following week)
Nine
Nine in Hebrew is the leter tet: ט
Nine can symbolize judgment.
- The number nine consists of 3 x 3
- It is the fullness of completeness (see three above)
- Nine is also one short of G-d's divine order (ten)
Ten
Ten in Hebrew is the letter yod (pronounded yoad... like toad): י
(This is the Hebrew letter that corresponds to the "jot" that is mentioned in Matthew 5:18 KJV.)
Ten can symbolize perfection in divine order or testimony.
A decade | 10 years | 10 |
A century | 100 years | 10 x 10 |
A millenium | 1000 years | 10 x 10 x 10 |
Noah was the tenth generation (Genesis 5:1-29)
- Adam
- Seth
- Enosh
- Kenan
- Mahalalel
- Yared
- Enoch
- Metushelach
- Lamech
- Noach
- The Ten Commandments (Exodus 23)
- One tenth = the tithe
- Ten plagues in Egypt (Exodus 7-11)
- The ten virgins (Matthew 25:1-12)
In Romans 8 there are ten things listed which cannot separate us from the love of G-d.
- death
- life
- angels
- principalities
- things present
- things to come
- powers
- height
- depth
- any created thing
Eleven
Eleven can symbolize disorder, confusion
After Judas' betrayal, there were only 11 disciples
Before the Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost, the twelfth apostle had to be appointed
Twelve
Twelve can symbolize government
- The twelve tribes (Genesis 49:28)
- The twelve disciples (Matthew 10:1)
- The twelve foundation stones of the Holy City (Revelation 21:14)
Thirteen
-- pending --
Fourteen
Fourteen can symbolize deliverance or salvation
Israel was delivered the fourteenth day of the first month (Pesach- Exodus 12)
Matthew records 14 generations from Abraham to David, 14 generations from David to the carrying away into Babylon, 14 generations from the carrying away into Babylon to Messiah (Matthew 1:17).
David in Hebrew = 14 (dalet, vav, dalet = 4 + 6 + 4 = 14). Messiah is the consummation of G-d's promise to David.
Fifteen
Fifteen can symbolize the completion of G-d's grace or the kingdom
- The completion of G-d's grace: 3 x 5
- The fifteenth day of the first month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Chag Hamatzot), the symbol of the sinless body of Messiah.
- The fifteenth day of the seventh month is the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). The Feast of Tabernacles marks the end of the sixth day of man and the beginning of the seventh day of the Kingdom.
Sixteen
Sixteen can symbolize love
In 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 there are sixteen attributes of love:
- patient
- kind
- not jealous
- does not brag
- not arrogant
- does not act unbecomingly
- does not seek its own
- is not provoked
- does not take into account a wrong suffered
- does not rejoice in unrighteousness
- rejoices with the truth
- bears all things
- believes all things
- hopes all things
- endures all things
- love never fails
Seventeen
Seventeen can symbolize faith
There are seventeen people listed in Hebrews 11, the faith chapter:
- By faith Hevel (Abel, Hebrews 11:4)
- By faith Enoch (Hebrews 11:5)
- By faith Noach (Noah, Hebrews 11:7)
- By faith Avraham (Hebrews 11:8, 17)
- By faith Sarah (Hebrews 11:11)
- By faith Yitzchak (Isaac, Hebrews 11:20)
- By faith Yaakov (Jacob, Hebrews 11:21, 21)
- By faith Yosef (Joseph, Hebrews 11:22)
- By faith Moshe (Moses, Hebrews 11:23, 24-26, 27, 28, 29)
- By faith Rachav (Rahab, Hebrews 11:431)
- Gideon (Hebrews 11:32)
- Barak (Hebrews 11:32)
- Shimshon (Samson, Hebrews 11:32)
- Yiftach (Jephthah, Hebrews 11:32)
- David (Hebrews 11:32)
- Shemuel (Samuel, Hebrews 11:32)
- The Prophets (Hebrews 11:32)
Eighteen
Eighteen can symbolize bondage
- In the book of Judges, Israel was held in bondage to Moav for eighteen years (Judges 3:14)
- Yeshua healed the woman who had been bound by Satan for eighteen years (Luke 13:16)
- 6 + 6 + 6 = 18 The fullness (3) that man (6) can accomplish = bondage to sin.
Nineteen
--pending--
Twenty
Twenty can symbolize redemption or a time of waiting
- The Israelite men were chosen to go to war at the age of twenty. (Numbers 1:2-3)
- Beginning at the age of twenty, the children of Israel were to pay the annual half shekel contribution for the tabernacle. (Exodus 30:14-15)
- Jacob served twenty years for his wives and possessions. (Genesis 31:41)
Twenty-two
Twenty-two can symbolize light
There are twenty-two sections in Psalm 119
There are seven divisions of 22 verses in the book of Lamentations:
- Lamentations 1:1-22
- Lamentations 2:1-22
- Lamentations 3:1-66 (3 sets of 22)
- Lamentations 4:1-22
- Lamentations 5:1-22
Lamentations chapters 1, 2, and 4 are alphabetic acrostics, containing a single verse beginning with each letter of the Hebrew alphabet, while chapter 3 has three verses for each letter of the alphabet. Thus chapters 1, 2, and 4 have 22 verses each, while chapter 3 consists of 66 verses. Chapter 5, while not an acrostic, also contains 22 verses.1
Twenty-three
Twenty-three can symbolize death
There are twenty-three things listed in the book of Romans 1:28-32 which makes one worthy of death
- do not acknowledge G-d
- depraved mind
- unrighteousness
- wickedness
- greed
- evil
- envy
- murder
- strife
- deceit
- malice
- gossip
- slander
- hatred of G-d
- insolence
- arrogance
- boastfulness
- inventing evil
- disobedience to parents
- lacking understanding
- untrustworthiness
- unlovingness
- unmercifulness
Twenty-four
Twenty-four can symbolize priesthood or a higher form of government
- There are twenty-four elders around G-d's throne. (Revelation 4:4)
- There were twenty-four divisions of the priesthood in the tabernacle. (1 Chronicles 24:1-19)
- There were twenty-four thousand men in each division that served the king of Israel (1 Chronicles 27:1)
Thirty
Thirty can symbolize maturity
- Yosef was thirty when he stood before Pharaoh. (Genesis 41:46)
- Saul was thirty when he began to reign. (1 Samuel 13:1)
- David was thirty when he began to reign in Hebron. (2 Samuel 5:4)
- Yeshua began His ministry at the age of thirty. (Luke 3:23)
Thirty-three
Thirty-three can symbolize promise
[Assuming Yeshua was thirty-three at the time] He went to the cross, died, and later arose, giving us the promise of eternal life.
Forty
Forty can symbolize trials, testing, or cleansing
- Israel was tested for forty years in the wilderness (Exodus 16:35)
- The 10 spies spent forty days testing the Land (Numbers 13:25)
- Goliath tested Israel for forty days before David killed him (1 Samuel 17:16)
- Jonah preached judgment to Nineveh for forty days (Jonah 3:4)
- Yeshua was tempted for forty days in the wilderness (Mark 1:13)
- It rained for forty days and nights when G-d cleansed the earth (Genesis 7:12)
- Noach waited for forty days after the rain stopped to open the window of the ark (Genesis 8:6)
- Jacob was embalmed (cleansed?) for forty days (Genesis 50:3)
- Moses fasted for forty days and nights while on the mountain with G-d... twice (Exodus 24:18, Exodus 34:28-29, Deuteronomy 10:10)
- In the book of Judges, Israel was given forty years of rest under Othniel, Barak, and Gideon (Judges 3:11, 5:31, 8:28)
- Elijah fasted for forty days and nights strengthened by a single meal at Mt. Horev (1 Kings 19:8)
- Yeshua was seen for forty days after His resurrection (Acts 1:3)
Forty-one
There are forty-one generations from Abraham to Messiah
- Abraham
- Isaac
- Jacob
- Judah
- Perez
- Hezron
- Ram
- Amminadab
- Nahshon
- Salmon
- Boaz
- Obed
- Jesse
- David
- Solomon
- Rehoboam
- Abijah
- Asa
- Jehoshaphat
- Joram
- Uzziah
- Jotham
- Ahaz
- Hezekiah
- Manasseh
- Amon
- Josiah
- Jeconiah
- Shealtiel
- Zerubbabel
- Abihud
- Eliakim
- Azor
- Zadok
- Achim
- Eliud
- Eleazar
- Matthan
- Jacob
- Yosef
- Yeshua
Forty-two
Forty-two can symbolize completion of a journey.
Forty-two young men mocked Elisha... and died for it. (2 Kings 2:23-24)
Israel had forty-two campsites between Egypt to the Promised Land:
- Succoth - סכת (Numbers 33:5)
- Etham - אתם (Numbers 33:6)
- Pi Hahiroth - החירת פי (Numbers 33:7)
- Marah - מרה (Numbers 33:8)
- Elim - אילם (Numbers 33:9)
- Red Sea - סוף ים (Numbers 33:10)
- Sin - סין (Numbers 33:11)
- Dophkah - דפקה (Numbers 33:12)
- Alush - אלוש (Numbers 33:13)
- Rephidim - רפידם (Numbers 33:14)
- Wilderness of Sinai - סיני מדבר (Numbers 33:15)
- Kibroth Hattaavah - התאוה קברת (Numbers 33:16)
- Chazeroth - חצרת (Numbers 33:17)
- Rithmah - רתמה (Numbers 33:18)
- Rimmon Perez - פרץ רמן (Numbers 33:19)
- Libnah - לבנה (Numbers 33:20)
- Rissah - רסה (Numbers 33:21)
- Kehelathah - קהלתה (Numbers 33:22)
- Mount Shepher - הר־שפר (Numbers 33:23)
- Haradah - חרדה (Numbers 33:24)
- Makheloth - מקהלת (Numbers 33:25)
- Tahath - תחת (Numbers 33:26)
- Terah - תרח (Numbers 33:27)
- Mithcah - מתקה (Numbers 33:28)
- Chashmonah - חשמנה (Numbers 33:29)
- Moseroth - מסרות (Numbers 33:30)
- Bene Yaakan - יעקן בני (Numbers 33:31)
- Char Haggidgad - הגדגד חר (Numbers 33:32)
- Yotvathah - יטבתה (Numbers 33:33)
- Avronah - עברנה (Numbers 33:34)
- Etzion Geber - גבר עצין (Numbers 33:35)
- Kadesh (Rekem) - קדש (Numbers 33:36)
- Mount Hor - הר ההר (Numbers 33:37)
- Tzalmonah - צלמנה (Numbers 33:41)
- Punon - פונן (Numbers 33:42)
- Oboth - אבת (Numbers 33:43)
- Iye Abarim - העברים עיי (Numbers 33:44)
- Divon Gad - גד דיבן (Numbers 33:45)
- Almon Diblathaim – דבלתימה עלמן (Numbers 33:46)
- Abarim - הרי העברים (Numbers 33:47)
- Moab - ערבת מואב (Numbers 33:48)
- Beth Jeshimoth - הישמת בית (Numbers 33:49)
Fifty
Fifty can symbolize Holy Spirit and Freedom
The word Pentecost means "count fifty".
Fifty is the year of Yovel (Jubilee) when slaves are set free. (Leviticus 25:10-11)
The Holy Spirit was given fifty days after Jesus' resurrection
Sixty
Sixty can symbolize Pride and Arrogance
The image Nebuchadnezzar set up was sixty cubits high
Sixty-six
Sixty-six can symbolize Idol Worship
The confusion of man (11 x 6) who makes an idol out of self
Seventy
Seventy can symbolize restoration:
- The descendants of Shem, Ham, and Japeth after the flood were seventy
- Seventy descendants of Jacob were in Egypt at the time of Joseph. (Genesis 46:27)
- There were seventy elders of Israel at Mt. Sinai (Exodus 24:1) who were filled by the Spirit (Numbers 11:25).
- Israel was restored to their promise land seventy years after the Babylonian captivity. (Jeremiah 29:10)
- Daniel's seventy weeks will complete the time when the Most Holy will be anointed. (Daniel 9:24)
One hundred twenty
One hundred and twenty can symbolize complete period of time
Moses lived three complete generations of time 3 x 40 = 120
- Forty years under the law of Egypt
- Forty years under grace, after he killed the Egyptian
- Forty years led by the Spirit of G-d
One hundred forty-four
One hundred, forty-four can symbolize G-d's perfect government
12 x 12 signifies G-d's ultimate creation of government (Revelation 7:4)
One hundred fifty-three
One hundred, fifty-three can symbolize a complete catch/harvest:
Jesus' disciples caught one hundred and fifty-three fish when they fished on the right side of the boat (John 21:11)
Two hundred
Two hundred can symbolize insufficiency
Two hundred denarii of bread was insufficient to feed the multitudes (Mark 6:37)
Six hundred
Six hundred can symbolize warfare
- Pharaoh pursued Israel with six hundred chariots. (Exodus 14:7)
- The Danites sent six hundred men of war to take Josiah. (Judges 18:11)
- Goliath's spear weighed six hundred shekels of iron. (1 Samuel 17:7)
Six hundred sixty six
Six hundred and sixty-six can symbolize man's best
Six, six, six 3 x 6 = 18 is the best man can do without G-d. This can only brings people into bondage.
Six, six, six (not six hundred sixty-six) is the number of the beast, the great anti-christ
One hundred forty-four thousand
One hundred forty-four thousand can symbolize G-d's perfect government
G-d's Kingdom rulership (Revelation 7:4)