Bible’s answer 
Numbers in the Bible can often be taken
literally, but they are sometimes used as symbols. The context usually
indicates whether a particular number is used as a symbol. Consider these
examples of the symbolic meaning of numbers in the Bible:
·
1 Unity. For instance, Jesus prayed to
God that his followers “may all be one, just as you,
Father, are in union with me and I am in union with you.”—John 17:21; Matthew 19:6.
·
2 In a legal setting, two witnesses
verify the truth of a matter. (Deuteronomy 17:6)
Similarly, the repetition of a vision or a statement confirms the matter as
sure and true. For example, when Joseph interpreted a dream given to Pharaoh of
Egypt, he said: “The fact that the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice means that the
thing is firmly established on the part of the true God.” (Genesis 41:32) In
prophecy, “two horns” can represent dual rulership, as the prophet
Daniel was told regarding the Medo-Persian Empire.—Daniel 8:20, 21; Revelation 13:11.
·
3 Just as three witnesses would firmly
prove a matter to be true, a threefold repetition seems to establish it firmly
or emphasize it.—Ezekiel 21:27; Acts 10:9-16; Revelation 4:8; 8:13.
·
4 This can represent completeness in form
or function, as in the expression “the four corners of the
earth.”—Revelation 7:1; 21:16; Isaiah 11:12.
·
6 Being one less than seven, which often
represents completeness, six can stand for something incomplete or imperfect or
something associated with God’s enemies.—1 Chronicles 20:6; Daniel 3:1; Revelation 13:18.
·
7 This number is often used to represent
the idea of completeness. For instance, the Israelites were commanded by God to
march around Jericho on seven successive days and to march around seven times
on the seventh day. (Joshua 6:15) The Bible
contains many similar examples of such a use of the number seven. (Leviticus 4:6; 25:8; 26:18; Psalm 119:164; Revelation 1:20; 13:1; 17:10) When Jesus told
Peter that he should forgive his brother “not, Up to seven times, but, Up to
seventy-seven times,” the repetition of “seven” conveyed the thought of
“without limit.”—Matthew 18:21, 22.
·
10 This number can stand for the entirety
or aggregate of something.—Exodus 34:28; Luke 19:13; Revelation 2:10.
·
12 This number seems to represent a
complete, divine arrangement. For example, the vision of heaven given to the
apostle John included a city with “twelve foundation
stones, and on them the twelve names of the twelve apostles.” (Revelation 21:14; Genesis 49:28) Multiples
of 12 can have a similar meaning.—Revelation 4:4; 7:4-8.
·
40 Several judgment or punishment periods
were linked with the number 40.—Genesis 7:4; Ezekiel 29:11, 12.
Numerology and gematria
These symbolic meanings of numbers in
the Bible are different from numerology, which involves looking for an occult
meaning in numbers, their combinations, and numerical totals. For example,
Jewish Cabalists have analyzed the Hebrew Scriptures using a technique called
gematria, which looks for a hidden code in the numerical equivalents of
letters. Numerology is a form of divination, which God condemns.—Deuteronomy 18:10-12.
LEARN MORE at www.jw.org
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