SYMBOLS IN BIBLE INTERPRETATION (Continued)

2. NUMBERS (Continued)
5. Number Four
1. The number four is not as clearly identified as the first four numbers; however, it naturally indicates stability (a chair or table on four legs or a vehicle on four wheels is much more stable than one on three); by extension, it refers to things having to do with the earth (after sailing or flying, it is comforting to get your feet on the solid, and stable, ground of the earth.
2. First mention: the river coming out of Eden parted into four heads (Genesis 2:10And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.
   See All...)
3. The four corners of the earth (Isaiah 11:12And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
   See All...; Revelation 7:1And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
   See All...) match with the four points of the compass (Jeremiah 49:36And upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven, and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come.
   See All...)
4. The night has four watches (Matthew 14:25And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.
   See All...)
5. A house has four corners (Job 1:19And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
   See All...)
6. Four things the earth cannot bear (Proverbs 30:21-23 [21] For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear: [22] For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat; [23] For an odious woman when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.
   See All...); four things upon the earth are wise (Proverbs 30:24-28 [24] There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise: [25] The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer; [26] The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks; [27] The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands; [28] The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces.
   See All...)
7. Daniel speaks of four great beasts (four kings) that arise out of the earth (Daniel 7:17These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.
   See All...)
8. When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, he had lain in the grave (in the earth) for four days (John 11:17Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.
   See All...)
9. The record of Christ’s ministry on earth is found in four gospels
10. The soldiers parted the garments of Christ into four parts (John 19:23Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.
    See All...)
11. In order to keep Peter from escaping, he was delivered to “four quaternions” of soldiers  (Acts 12:4And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.
    See All...).  Each quaternion had four soldiers for a total of sixteen soldiers.
12. The ship Paul was in was held by four anchors (Acts 27:29Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day.
    See All...)
6. Number Five
1. Five is a difficult number.  Its meaning is hotly contested among Bible students.  Five has been traditionally taught to be representative of grace.  However, recent students have shown that it better represents death.  Since there is no natural significance to the number five and the Bible does not clearly indicate its meaning (as the number six), there will always be disagreements.  We will take it to refer to death.
2. The first natural death (that of Adam) is recorded in Genesis 5:5And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.
   See All...
3. When Joseph reveals himself to his brethren, he warns them of five more years of famine (Genesis 45:6For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest.
   See All...)
4. The brasen altar of the tabernacle where the sacrificed were burnt was five cubits by five cubits (Exodus 27:1And thou shalt make an altar of shittim wood, five cubits long, and five cubits broad; the altar shall be foursquare: and the height thereof shall be three cubits.
   See All...)
5. The Ten Commandments are written on two tables of stone—that makes them a five-by-five, just like the brasen altar.  The second record of the Ten Commandments is found in the fifth book of the law (Deuteronomy) and in the fifth chapter of that book.  In the New Testament (2 Corinthians 3:7But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:
   See All...) is called the “ministration of death”.
6. Joshua slew five kings that hid themselves in a cave (Joshua 10:16-27 [16] But these five kings fled, and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah. [17] And it was told Joshua, saying, The five kings are found hid in a cave at Makkedah. [18] And Joshua said, Roll great stones upon the mouth of the cave, and set men by it for to keep them: [19] And stay ye not, but pursue after your enemies, and smite the hindmost of them; suffer them not to enter into their cities: for the LORD your God hath delivered them into your hand. [20] And it came to pass, when Joshua and the children of Israel had made an end of slaying them with a very great slaughter, till they were consumed, that the rest which remained of them entered into fenced cities. [21] And all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace: none moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel. [22] Then said Joshua, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out those five kings unto me out of the cave. [23] And they did so, and brought forth those five kings unto him out of the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon. [24] And it came to pass, when they brought out those kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the captains of the men of war which went with him, Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them. [25] And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the LORD do to all your enemies against whom ye fight. [26] And afterward Joshua smote them, and slew them, and hanged them on five trees: and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening. [27] And it came to pass at the time of the going down of the sun, that Joshua commanded, and they took them down off the trees, and cast them into the cave wherein they had been hid, and laid great stones in the cave's mouth, which remain until this very day.
   See All...)
7. David took five stones to face Goliath (1 Samuel 17:40And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.
   See All...,49-51)
8. Several men in the Bible are killed when they are smitten under the fifth rib (2 Samuel 2:23Howbeit he refused to turn aside: wherefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear smote him under the fifth rib, that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there, and died in the same place: and it came to pass, that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still.
   See All...; 2 Samuel 3:27And when Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him quietly, and smote him there under the fifth rib, that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.
   See All...; 2 Samuel 4:6And they came thither into the midst of the house, as though they would have fetched wheat; and they smote him under the fifth rib: and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.
   See All...; 2 Samuel 20:10But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab's hand: so he smote him therewith in the fifth rib, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died. So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri.
   See All...)
9. Mephibosheth was five years old when he fell and became lame (2 Samuel 4:4And Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son that was lame of his feet. He was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up, and fled: and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.
   See All...)
10. The rich man feared lest his five brethren come to the place of torment (Luke 16:28For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
    See All...)
11. The pool of Bethesda, where people were dying from all manner of illness, had five porches (John 5:1-3 [1] After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. [2] Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. [3] In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.
    See All...)
12. Jesus died with five major wounds on His body (John 20:27Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
    See All...)
13. Ananias died in Acts 5:5And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.
    See All....  Romans five deals with the death of Adam and of Christ
14. Paul received forty stripes save one five times (2 Corinthians 11:24Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
    See All...).  This beating was supposed to bring a man to the point of death and some did die of it
15. In the tribulation, men will be tormented by the sting of supernatural locusts for five months (Revelation 9:1-11 [1] And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. [2] And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. [3] And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. [4] And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. [5] And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. [6] And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. [7] And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. [8] And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. [9] And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. [10] And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. [11] And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.
    See All...).  The pain will be so bad that men will seek death (verse 6)
7. Number Six
1. Six clearly refers to man; man was created on the sixth day (Genesis 1:26-31 [26] And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. [27] So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. [28] And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. [29] And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. [30] And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. [31] And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
   See All...)
2. In Revelation 13:18Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
   See All..., the number of a man is 666—a trinity of sixes
3. Man is to work for six days a week (Exodus 20:9Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
   See All...)
4. A man’s height is about six times the length of his foot; when he is buried, he is said to be planted six feet under
5. A Hebrew servant was to serve for six years (Exodus 21:2If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.
   See All...); however, the emphasis on the number six here (as well as gathering manna for six days, etc.) was that something special was to happen on the seventh year or day.  Six is incomplete in that it comes one short of seven.
6. There were six cities of refuge to which men could flee if they had accidentally killed a man (Numbers 35:15These six cities shall be a refuge, both for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them: that every one that killeth any person unawares may flee thither.
   See All...).  These were the cities of men.  God Himself provides the seventh and perfect city of refuge.
7. When Boaz determined to take Ruth as his bride, he sent her home with six measures of barley (Ruth 3:15-17 [15] Also he said, Bring the vail that thou hast upon thee, and hold it. And when she held it, he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on her: and she went into the city. [16] And when she came to her mother in law, she said, Who art thou, my daughter? And she told her all that the man had done to her. [17] And she said, These six measures of barley gave he me; for he said to me, Go not empty unto thy mother in law.
   See All...).  When God determined to win a bride for His Son, He sent his only begotten Son (a seven) to earth to become a man (a six) to take upon Himself all the sins of man’s rebellious heart (6+7=13).  Note that the genealogy of Christ in Matthew One has 42 generations (verse 17) and 6 times 7 is 42.
8. Goliath, the tallest man actually measured in the Bible, was six cubits and a span (1 Samuel 17:4And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
   See All...)
9. Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, had six steps coming up to his throne with six lions on one side of the steps and six lions on the other side of the steps (1 Kings 10:18-20 [18] Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the best gold. [19] The throne had six steps, and the top of the throne was round behind: and there were stays on either side on the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the stays. [20] And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps: there was not the like made in any kingdom.
   See All...).  Solomon also received 666 talents of gold a year (2 Chronicles 9:13Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold;
   See All...).
10. Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image (of himself) was 60 cubits high and 6 cubits wide (Daniel 3:1Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.
    See All...)
11. At the marriage of Canaan, there were six waterpots that ran out of win (John 2:6And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.
    See All...) and had to be filled with the wine of God.
12. Romans is the sixth book in the New Testament.  It has the word man in it.  The sixth word of the sixth verse of the sixth chapter of Romans is man.
8. Special Note:  Here is a ranking of the numbers one through twenty and the multiples of ten up through ninety.  They are ranked in order of most common to least common occurrence.  Since you would naturally expect the smaller numbers to be the most common, numbers that rank higher than you would expect indicate special usage in the Bible.  Just remember that many times these numbers are used in combination with other numbers (for example, eight hundred and forty and two) and so these rankings only give a general feeling of their importance in scripture.

NOTE:  This still leaves out some important numbers. A combination of the phrases “twenty and two” and “two and twenty” occurs 25 times.  A combination of the phrases “twenty and four” and ‘four and twenty” occurs 27 times.  This indicates that both of these numbers have some significance.

2. 9. Number Seven
   1. The number seven is the number that indicates perfection of work; it refers to completion in the divine sense; i.e., God’s perfect work.
   2. Natural sevens are found in the seven colors of the rainbow and the seven notes in the major scale
   3. God completed the work of creation and rested on the seventh day (Genesis 2:2-3 [2] And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. [3] And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
      See All...).  In the course of creation, God saw that His work was “good” seven times (Genesis 1:4And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
      See All...,10,12,18,21,25,31).
   4. The seventh day became the Sabbath which was given to Israel as a special sign (Exodus 31:12-17 [12] And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, [13] Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you. [14] Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. [15] Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. [16] Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. [17] It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.
      See All...)
   5. There were seven lamps in the candlestick (Exodus 25:37And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it.
      See All...)
   6. The word of God is as silver purified seven times (Psalm 12:6-7 [6] The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. [7] Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.
      See All...)
   7.  Israel was given seven great feasts (Leviticus 23) with the final three (Trumpets, Atonement, Tabernacles) occurring in the seventh month of the year.  The seventh feast (Tabernacles) occurs in the seventh month and lasts for seven days (Leviticus 23:34Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD.
      See All...).  From the feast of the wave offering, the Jews counted seven sabbaths plus a day to get to the feast of Pentecost (Leviticus 23:15-16 [15] And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: [16] Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD.
      See All...)
   8. The practice of the priestly ceremonies is filled with uses of the number seven (Leviticus 4:6And the priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle of the blood seven times before the LORD, before the vail of the sanctuary.
      See All...,17; Leviticus 8:11,33,35; Leviticus 13:4,5,21,26,31,33,50,54)
   9. The Israelites were to celebrate the seventh year as a year of release from servitude, from debt and from planting crops (Deuteronomy 15).  After seven sevens of years, they were to celebrate a year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25:8-10 [8] And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years. [9] Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land. [10] And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.
      See All...)
   10. Joshua conquered Jericho by sending seven priests with seven trumpets around the city one time each for seven days and seven times on the seventh day (Joshua 6).
   11. Enoch was the seventh generation from Adam (Jude 14); Eber was the fourteenth generation from Adam (Genesis 10:21-25 [21] Unto Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder, even to him were children born. [22] The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram. [23] And the children of Aram; Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Mash. [24] And Arphaxad begat Salah; and Salah begat Eber. [25] And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother's name was Joktan.
       See All...); David was the seventh son of Jesse (1 Chronicles 2:13-15 [13] And Jesse begat his firstborn Eliab, and Abinadab the second, and Shimma the third, [14] Nethaneel the fourth, Raddai the fifth, [15] Ozem the sixth, David the seventh:
       See All...)
   12. Ruth was better to Naomi than seven sons (Ruth 4:15And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him.
       See All...)
   13. Job had seven sons and three daughters…twice (Job 1:2And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters.
       See All...; Job 42:13He had also seven sons and three daughters.
       See All...)
   14. The psalmist praised God seven times a day (Psalm 119:164Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments.
       See All...)
   15. The book of Revelation is built on the number seven
   1. Seven churches (Revelation 1:4John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
      See All...)
   2. Seven spirits (Revelation 1:4John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
      See All...; Revelation 4:5)
   3. Seven golden candlesticks (Revelation 1:12)
   4. Seven stars (Revelation 1:16,20)
   5. Seven lamps (Revelation 4:4)
   6. Seven seals (Revelation 5:5)
   7. Seven horns (Revelation 5:6)
   8. Seven eyes (Revelation 5:6)
   9. Seven angels (Revelation 8:2)
   10. Seven trumpets (Revelation 8:2)
   11. Seven thunders (Revelation 10:4)
   12. Seven crowns (Revelation 12:3)
   13. Seven heads (Revelation 13:1)
   14. Seven last plagues (Revelation 15:1)
   15. Seven golden vials (Revelation 15:7)
   16. Seven mountains (Revelation 17:9)
   17. Seven kings (Revelation 17:10)
   10. Number Eight
   1. Number eight is the number of new beginnings
   2. The week is made of seven days; the eighth day is when the week starts all over again
   3. Eight people entered the safety of the ark (2 Peter 2:5And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;
      See All...); they left the ark to start a new world in the eighth chapter of (Genesis 8:15-22 [15] And God spake unto Noah, saying, [16] Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with thee. [17] Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth. [18] And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him: [19] Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark. [20] And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. [21] And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. [22] While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.
      See All...)
   4. Jewish boys were to be circumcised on the eighth day of their lives (Genesis 17:12And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.
      See All...)
   5. The Israelites were to let their land lie fallow every seventh year; on the eighth year, they were to sow and reap again (Leviticus 25:22And ye shall sow the eighth year, and eat yet of old fruit until the ninth year; until her fruits come in ye shall eat of the old store.
      See All...)
   6. King Josiah began to reign when he was eight years old (2 Chronicles 34:1Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years.
      See All...); in the eighth year of his reign, he began to seek the Lord (2 Chronicles 34:3For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images.
      See All...)
   7. Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week; but it would also be the eighth day; certainly the day of resurrection was a day of new beginnings
   11. Number Nine
   1. The number nine is not as strongly identified as some other numbers but it seems to refer to fruitfulness
   2. A child carried to full term in the womb is carried for nine months
   3. In Genesis 9:1And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.
      See All..., God tells Noah, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.”
   4. Abraham was ninety-nine years (Genesis 17:1And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.
      See All...) when God made him fruitful (Genesis 17:6And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.
      See All...) and he conceived his son Isaac who Sarah bore a year later (Genesis 21:1-5 [1] And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. [2] For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. [3] And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. [4] And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him. [5] And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.
      See All...)
   5. The Bible speaks of the nine-fold fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23 [22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, [23] Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
      See All...)
   12. Number Ten
   1. The number ten denotes completeness; not in the sense of perfection so much as in the sense of a full cup or a use of all one’s chances.
   2. We find the phrase, “God said”, ten times in the creation story of Genesis One (Genesis 1:3And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
      See All...,6,9,11,14,20,24,26,28,29)
   3. God gave to Israel ten commandments (Deuteronomy 4:13And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone.
      See All...; Deuteronomy 10:4)
   4. Jacob complained that Laban had changed his wages ten times (Genesis 31:7And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me.
      See All...,41); now it is time to leave
   5. God accused Israel of tempting Him ten times in the wilderness (Numbers 14:22Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice;
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   6. Among the Jews, it takes ten men to have a quorum for law or for full religious service (Ruth 4:2And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down.
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   7. Nehemiah, when rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem was threatened ten times (Nehemiah 4:12And it came to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times, From all places whence ye shall return unto us they will be upon you.
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   8. Job accused his friends of reproaching him ten times (Job 19:3These ten times have ye reproached me: ye are not ashamed that ye make yourselves strange to me.
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   9. Daniel and his friends were proven with pulse for ten days (Daniel 1:12-15 [12] Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink. [13] Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king's meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants. [14] So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days. [15] And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat.
      See All...) and they were found to be ten times better than the magicians of the realm (Daniel 1:20)
   10. The church of Smyrna will have tribulation ten days (Revelation 2:10Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
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   11. Ten also seems to make special reference to the Gentiles
   12. Noah was the tenth generation from Adam.  God gave the Gentiles ten generations before judging them with the flood.  Abram (Abraham) in the twentieth generation from Adam.  God gave the Gentiles ten more generations before He started working through the Jews.  Moses is the seventh generation from Abraham; David the fourteenth from Abraham
   13. Genesis ten has the table of nations which tells where the families of the Gentiles come from.  It also has the first use of the word Gentile (Genesis 10:5By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.
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   14. The ten sons of Haman represent the Gentiles who try to destroy the Jews (Esther 9:10The ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, slew they; but on the spoil laid they not their hand.
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   15. The ten horns of Daniel (Daniel 7:24And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.
       See All...) and Revelation (Revelation 17:12And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
       See All...) represent ten future kings of the Gentiles
   16. In John 10, Jesus speaks of the “other sheep” which are the Gentiles (John 10:16And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
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   17. In Acts 10, the door of the gospel is opened up to the Gentiles (Acts 10:45And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
       See All...); ten men go in the group that brings the witness to Cornelius (Acts 11:11-12 [11] And, behold, immediately there were three men already come unto the house where I was, sent from Caesarea unto me. [12] And the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man's house:
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   18. Romans 10 explains salvation to the Gentiles
   13. Number Eleven
   1. Eleven is not used a lot but seems to indicate incompleteness
   2. Jacob’s eleven sons without Joseph (Genesis 42:13And they said, Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.
      See All...,32)
   3. The eleven apostles without Judas were incomplete until they chose Matthias to take his place (Acts 1:15-26 [15] And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,) [16] Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus. [17] For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry. [18] Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. [19] And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood. [20] For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take. [21] Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, [22] Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection. [23] And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. [24] And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen, [25] That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. [26] And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
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   4. From Mt. Horeb (same as Mt. Sinai) the Israelites journeyed eleven days to Kadesh-Barnea and encamped (Deuteronomy 1:1-2 [1] These be the words which Moses spake unto all Israel on this side Jordan in the wilderness, in the plain over against the Red sea, between Paran, and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Dizahab. [2] (There are eleven days' journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadeshbarnea.)
      See All...); but their journey was incomplete