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The Number Seven
Used 735 times (54 times in the book of Revelation alone), the number 7 is the foundation of God's word.
If we include with this count how many times 'sevenfold' (6) and
'seventh' (119) is used, our total jumps to 860 references.
Seven is the number of completeness and perfection (both physical
and spiritual).
It derives much of its meaning from being tied directly to God's
creation of all things.
According to some Jewish traditions, the creation of Adam occurred
on September 26, 3760 B.C. (or the first day of Tishri, which is the seventh
month on the Hebrew calendar).
The word 'created' is used 7 times describing God's creative work (Genesis 1:1, 21, 27 three times; 2:3; 2:4).
There are 7 days in a week and God's Sabbath is on the 7th day.
The Bible, as a whole, was originally divided into 7 major
divisions. They are:
- 1) the Law;
- 2) the Prophets;
- 3) the Writings, or Psalms;
- 4) the Gospels and Acts;
- 5) the General Epistles;
- 6) the Epistles of Paul; and
- 7) the book of Revelation.
The total number of originally inspired books was forty-nine, or 7
x 7, demonstrating the absolute perfection of the Word of God.
Appearances of the number seven
There are at least seven men in the Old Testament who are
specifically mentioned as a man of God. They are:
- Moses (Joshua 14:6),
- David (2 Chronicles 8:14),
- Samuel (1 Samuel 9:6, 14),
- Shemaiah (1 Kings 12:22),
- Elijah (1 Kings 17:18),
- Elisha (2 Kings 5:8) and
- Igdaliah (Jeremiah 35:4).
In the book of Hebrews, written by the apostle Paul, he uses seven
titles to refer to Christ. The titles are 'Heir of all things' (Hebrews 1:2),
'Captain of our salvation' (2:10), 'Apostle' (3:1), 'Author of salvation'
(5:9), 'Forerunner' (6:20), 'High Priest' (10:21) and the 'Author and finisher
of our faith' (12:2).
In Matthew 13 Jesus is quoted as giving seven parables (Matthew
13:3 - 9, 24 - 30, 31 - 32, 33, 44, 45 - 46, 47). Seven Psalms are ascribed to
David in the New Testament (Psalm 2, 16, 32, 41, 69, 95 and 109).
In the book of Revelation there are seven churches, seven angels
to the seven churches, seven seals, seven trumpet plagues, seven thunders and
the seven last plagues. The first resurrection of the dead takes place at the
7th trumpet, completing salvation for the Church.
How is number seven linked with God's annual Feast Days?
There are 7 annual Holy Days, beginning with Passover and ending
with the Last Great Day (the day after the Feast of Tabernacles ends in the
fall).
The cycle of the holy days is completed in 3 festival seasons by
the 7th month of the sacred calendar: Passover and Unleavened Bread, 1st month;
Pentecost, 3rd month; and Trumpets, Atonement, Tabernacles and Last Great Day,
7th month.
Additional info on the Biblical Meaning of 7
Jesus performed seven miracles on God's holy Sabbath Day (which
ran from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset), thus affirming its continued
sacredness to God and necessity in the life of the believer.
1.
Jesus healed the
withered hand of a man attending synagogue services (Matthew 12:9)
2.
At a Capernaum
synagogue he casts out an unclean spirit that possessed a man (Mark 1:21)
3.
Right after the above
miracle Jesus heals Peter's wife's mother of a fever (Mark 1:29)
4.
A woman attending
synagogue, who was made sick by a demon for eighteen years, is released from
her bondage (Luke 13:11)
5.
At a Pharisee's house
eating a meal with the host and several lawyers, Jesus heals a man with dropsy (Luke 14:2)
6.
A man who is disabled
and unable to walk is healed at the pool of Bethesda (John 5:8-9)
7.
Jesus heals a man
born blind at the pool of Siloam (John 9:14)
