Numbers in the Bible and What They Mean

Significance of Numbers in the Bible

The Bible contains many numbers, and each one holds symbolism and significance. In fact, some numbers have similar meanings.

For example, several numbers symbolize completion and perfection. Even though three, four, seven, ten, and twelve all refer to completion, they each signify a different type of completion:

• Three: divine perfection, embodied by the holy trinity
• Four: completeness and universality in terms of creation
• Seven: spiritual perfection
• Ten: divine order
• Twelve: governmental perfection

One: This number denotes unity and uniqueness. There is only one God. Noah's ark had only one window, located at the top of the ark.

Two: Two is needed for comparison and separation. Light and darkness. Chaos and creation. Work and rest. There are two sections of the Bible (Old and New Testaments). Jesus sent his disciples out two by two.

Three: This number symbolizes divine fullness or completion. It is the minimum number to establish a pattern. The Trinity consists of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Jonah was in the belly of the big fish for three days. Paul was blinded for three days. Jesus rose from the dead after three days.

Four: Four is a creation number of the earth that signifies completeness and universality. For instance, there are four seasons: winter, spring, summer, and fall. There are four elements: earth, air, water, and fire. There are four divisions of the day: morning, noon, evening, and night.

Five: Five represents God's grace. It is half the perfect number of 10. The first five books of the Bible are included in the Pentateuch.

Six: Six is the number of human beings because Adam was created on the sixth day. Because six is one fewer than the perfect number seven, six indicates human incompleteness. Therefore, humans can never measure up to God.

Seven: This is the number of spiritual perfection, divine fullness, completeness, and totality. The number seven appears about 600 times in the Bible. It is seen throughout the Book of Revelation: seven churches, seven seals, seven vials, etc.

Eight: This is the number of new beginnings. Noah's family consisted of eight people on the ark who survived the flood.

Nine: Nine is the number of judgment and finality. It is the last of the single digits, which represents the end. It marks the conclusion of a matter. According to Galatians 5:22–23, there are nine fruits of the Spirit. In 1 Corinthians 12:8–10, there are nine gifts of the Spirit.

Ten: This is a perfect number, meaning divine order, as in God's 10 Commandments. The number 10 is part of our anatomy based on God's order for us. We have 10 fingers to do God's works, and we have 10 toes to walk upright.

Twelve is a judicial number. Jesus had 12 disciples, and there were 12 tribes of Israel.

Eleven: This is the number of disorder, imperfection, and incompleteness. It is a state not yet full. After Judas hanged himself, another disciple had to replace him because the group was left incomplete with only 11 disciples.

Twelve: Twelve is a judicial number. Jesus had 12 disciples to follow the pattern of the 12 tribes of Israel. There are 12 gates in Jerusalem. It is interesting to note that in the United States, there are 12 people on a jury.

Thirteen: Superstitious people consider 13 to be an unlucky number. However, the 12 disciples plus Jesus make up a group of 13. Also, Jacob had one daughter, Dinah, in addition to his 12 sons. Joseph was a slave in Egypt for 13 years. When he was freed, he didn't consider 13 unlucky.

Fourteen: Fourteen is twice the perfect number seven. Jacob knew this all too well. He worked a total of 14 years in order to marry Rachel. There are 14 generations in the division of Israel's history from Abraham to David, from David to the exile in Babylon, and from the exile to the coming of Jesus Christ.

Fifteen: The number 15 indicates addition. When Hezekiah was sick, he prayed, and God responded by adding 15 more years to his life

Sixteen: This is a special number in the life of a person. That's why many teens have a special 16th birthday party. Uzziah became king at the tender age of 16 and reigned 52 years longer than any king of Israel before him.

Seventeen: This is the sum of seven and 10, which are two perfect numbers. Joseph was 17 years old when his brothers sold him into slavery. At the time, Joseph didn't think 17 was perfect. However, it was all in God's timing.

Eighteen: This is the number of affliction and bondage. Satan kept a woman bent over for 18 years until Jesus saw her in the temple and set her free.

Nineteen: This number is connected with judgment because it is a combination of 10 and 9. Only three scriptures in the Bible mention 19. In 2 Samuel 2:30, 19 of David's men were killed in battle. That might seem bad, but it was a small number to lose in battle.

Twenty: This number represents waiting and expectancy. Jacob expected to leave Laban one day, but he waited 20 years before leaving. After 20 years, Samson delivered Israel from the Philistines.

Twenty-One: Twenty-one is two perfect numbers multiplied by themselves. When three is multiplied by seven, the sum is good. God responded to Daniel’s prayer the first day he prayed, but it took 21 days for Daniel to receive the answer. This was because it was held up until a messenger was sent to help release the answer. That's why the Daniel Fast lasts 21 days.

Twenty-Two: This is double the number 11, which stands for disorder, imperfection, incompleteness, disorganization, and disintegration.

Twenty-Three: The number 23 doesn’t appear that often in the Bible. It points to physical, financial, or spiritual prosperity. Psalm 23 speaks of having everything we need through God’s provisions.

Twenty-Four: In Revelation 4:4, John reports seeing 24 elders sitting on 24 thrones in heaven. This number represents those who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. The 12 tribes of Israel in the Old Testament and Jesus' 12 disciples in the New Testament add up to 24.

Twenty-Five: Abraham and Sarah waited 25 years for God's promise to be fulfilled for them to have their son, Isaac. Therefore, 25 represents the number of grace multiplied five times while waiting for something.

Thirty: This is the product of two good numbers. When three is multiplied by 10, it denotes a higher degree of divine perfection and divine order. It marks the right time. Jesus was baptized and began His ministry at age 30 (Luke 3:23). Joseph also began His ministry at 30 (Genesis 41:46). David began to reign on the throne at age 30 (2 Samuel 5:4).

Thirty-Three: The number 33 is not found in any version of the Bible. That's odd considering that Jesus was crucified at the age of 33.

Forty: This number is seen throughout the Bible. It represents probation, testing, and trial. Moses's life was divided into three distinct periods of 40 years each. It rained for 40 days and 40 nights, but Noah and his family were safe inside the ark. Jesus fasted 40 days before starting His ministry. Moses received the 10 Commandments from God after being on the mountain for 40 days.

Fifty: This is the number of freedom, deliverance, and jubilee. Fifty appears approximately 300 times in the Bible. The 50th year is known as the Year of Jubilee, when the Israelites were free of all debts, slaves were released, and the land was returned to the proper owners. In Genesis 18, Abraham prayed that God would save Sodom if he could find 50 righteous people there. Fifty is the number of days from Jesus’ resurrection to the coming of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost.

Seventy: Seven denotes perfection, maturity, and completion, but the number 70 denotes a full state of perfection. Seven is one of the perfect numbers multiplied by 10, which is another perfect number. Seventy is a full state and the lifespan of a person. That's why the Israelites were in exile in Babylon for 70 years.

Eighty: Moses was 80 years old when he was called to deliver the slaves out of Egypt.

Ninety: This number represents both election and a new order. Sarah was 90 years old when Isaac was born. In other words, Sarah and Abraham started "a new order.”

One Hundred: This is a nice, round number that indicates fullness and completeness. It equals ten tens. The number represents not only what is full but also what is to be returned. When one of the 100 sheep wandered away, the remaining number was incomplete. When the shepherd found and returned his lost sheep, the total returned to exactly 100 (Luke 8:8; Matthew 13:8; and Mark 4:20).

One Hundred and Twenty: The number 120 is made up of three 40s, as in the life of Moses. Since 40 is the period of probation, 120 signifies a divinely appointed period of probation and waiting. According to Acts 1:15, 120 believers followed Jesus's instructions and stayed together on one accord to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost.

One Hundred and Fifty: It rained 40 days and 40 nights, and the waters prevailed on the earth 150 days (Genesis 7:24). There have been many local floods since then, but not a flood that lasted for 150 days as in the days of Noah and the ark that he built according to God's instructions.

One Hundred and Fifty-Three: This number represents unexpected plenty. Peter, a fisherman, had toiled all night when fish normally bite, yet he had caught nothing. When he and the others followed Jesus’ instructions, they caught 153 large fish. That was Peter's unexpected plenty.

Two Hundred: Since 20 is the number of expectancy, then the expectancy is tenfold at 200. It is also the number associated with insufficiency. Achan’s 200 shekels were not sufficient to save him from the consequences of his sin, according to Joshua 7:21. Neither was Absalom’s hair, which weighed 200 shekels, enough to save him. Instead, it caused his destruction (2 Samuel 14:26, 18:9).

Three Hundred: This is a divine number. In Judges 7:6, 8b, Gideon started out with 32,000 men in his army to defeat the Midianites. God showed Gideon that only 300 men were needed to win the battle.

Four Hundred: There are 400 years between the Old and New Testaments. They are often referred to as the “silent years.”

Six Hundred and Sixty-Six: Just as there is a Trinity with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, there is also a trinity with Satan. This trinity consists of Satan himself, the first beast, and the false prophet. Therefore, 666 is referred to as the mark of the beast and a counterfeit trinity (Revelation 7:3).

One Thousand: We refer to a thousand-year period as the millennium. It is mentioned in connection with Christ’s coming to reign with the saints over the earth (Revelation 19:11–16; 20:1–9). During that thousand-year period, Satan will be bound in the bottomless pit so he will not deceive. After the thousand-year period is over, Satan will be released to resume his work of deceit (Revelation 20:3, 7–9).

Three Thousand: Three thousand people died after criticizing Moses, who was doing God’s work in Exodus 32. Peter preached the first sermon on the Day of Pentecost, and 3,000 souls were saved in Acts 2.

Four Thousand: The feeding of the 4,000 in Gentile territory should not be confused with the feeding of the 5,000 in Jewish territory. The feeding of 4,000 was to a much smaller crowd.

Five Thousand: The feeding of the 5,000 in Jewish territory took place before the feeding of the 4,000. Jesus used what was available: five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Jesus blessed the meager meal.

One Hundred Forty-Four Thousand: This is the highest number mentioned in the Bible. It symbolizes completeness. This number represents totality, perfection, and the organization of God’s people.

Note to the Reader

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