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The Number 4
There
are 4 gospel accounts of Jesus' life and ministry. Each of these emphasizes a
unique aspect of his sacrifice and ministry. Matthew's focus is on Christ being
the son of David and a King. Mark highlights the suffering servant aspect of
his ministry. John proclaims Jesus is the One and Only begotten Son of God. And
Luke showcases him as the Perfect Man.
Meaning
of Numbers in the Bible
BibleStudy.org
The Meaning of Numbers: The
Number 4
The number 4 derives its
meaning from creation.
On the fourth day of what is
called 'creation week' God completed the material universe.
On this day he brought into
existence our sun, the moon, and all the stars (Genesis 1:14-19).
Their purpose was not only to
give off light, but also to divide the day from the night on earth, thus
becoming a basic demarcation of time.
They were also made to be a type of signal that would mark off the days, years and seasons.
Interestingly, the Hebrew
word for 'seasons' in Genesis 1:14 is moed (Strong's Concordance #H4150), which literally translated is "appointed
times" (divine appointments) in reference to God's festivals.
This is the earliest known
allusion to what would later be called the Holy (or Feast) days (periods) of
worship, which are seven in number.
The 4th of the Ten
Commandments is to remember and keep God's holy Sabbath day (Exodus 20:9-11).
The Sabbath day is tied
directly to the creation week.
God himself made the period
between Friday sunset and Saturday sunset extra special when he rested on it
after bringing everything into existence the previous six days (Genesis 2:1-3, Exodus 20:11).
Appearances of the number
four
One of the top ten most
frequently mentioned women in the Bible, Eve, is only referenced four times (Genesis 3:20, 4:1, 2 Corinthians 11:3 and 1 Timothy
2:13).
Psalm 107 is the only section
or chapter in God's word that contains the exact same phrase four times (Psalm 107:8, 15, 21 and 31).
The apostle Paul was a man
familiar with 4 major first century cultures. He was a Roman citizen, he was a
Jew who spoke Greek as well as Hebrew, and he was a Christian.
The Garden of Eden had a
river which parted into the headwaters of four other rivers. These rivers were
the Pison, Gihon, Hiddekel and the Euphrates (Genesis 2:10-14).
After Jesus was nailed and
hung on a cross, Roman soldiers divided up his clothes into four parts (one for
each soldier - John 19:23).
The four witnesses of God on
earth are miracles, wonders, signs and the gifts of the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 2:4).
The number of times rainbows
are referenced in scripture are four (Genesis
9, Ezekiel 1:28, Revelation 4:3, 10:1).
Ezekiel, prophecy and the
number 4
In Ezekiel's well-known 'wheel
in the middle of a wheel' vision (Ezekiel
1, 10) he sees four living creatures
transporting a throne with four sides and four wheels.
Each of the living creatures
(likely Cherubim, a class of angels) has four faces (the face of a man, lion,
ox and eagle) and four wings (Ezekiel 1:6).
Later in the book that bears
his name, Ezekiel is told to proclaim to Israel that an end is coming upon 'the
four corners of the land' (Ezekiel
7:2).
In chapter 14 the prophet is
told by the Eternal to ask Israel's unrepentant elders to repent or else four
sore judgments will come upon Jerusalem.
They are the sword, famine,
wild beasts or animals, and pestilence (Ezekiel
14:21).
Additional info on the
Biblical Meaning of 4
There are 4 gospel accounts
of Jesus' life and ministry. Each of these emphasizes a unique aspect of his
sacrifice and ministry.
Matthew's focus is on Christ
being the son of David and a King.
Mark highlights the suffering
servant aspect of his ministry.
John proclaims Jesus is the
One and Only begotten Son of God.
And Luke showcases him as the Perfect Man.
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teachings?"
https://www.biblestudy.org/bibleref/meaning-of-numbers-in-bible/4.html
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