Reference: Numbers As Symbols
Morish
There can be little doubt that numerals are used in scripture as symbols; and by comparing the instances in which any numeral is employed the idea hidden in it may often be arrived at. The signification of some numbers is too obvious to be mistaken; that of others is less apparent. In some cases the symbolical number may be discovered where the numeral itself is not mentioned: as, for instance, under three we may class the law, the psalms, and the prophets; spirit, soul, and body, etc. A few references only are given here for each number.
ONE. Supremacy, exclusiveness. One Jehovah. De 6:4; Isa 42:8; Zec 14:9. One God and Father. 1Co 8:6; Ga 3:20; Mr 12:29; Eph 4:6; 1Ti 2:5. "None other God but one," one Lord Jesus Christ. 1Co 8:4; Eph 4:5. One Holy Spirit. 1Co 12:11,13. One mediator. 1Ti 2:5. One body. 1Co 12:12-13; Eph 4:4. One hope, one faith, one baptism. Eph 4:4-5. One offering that has perfected for ever the sanctified. Heb 10:14.
TWO. Distinctness, and hence adequate testimony and fellowship when in agreement. Two witnesses needful. De 19:15; 2Co 13:1. Caleb and Joshua witnessed for the land. Nu 14:6-9. Two spies sent over Jordan. Jos 2:1. Two olive trees typical of two witnesses. Zec 4:3; Re 11:3-4. God's word and His oath show the immutability of His counsel. Heb 6:17-18. Two are to agree in asking. Mt 18:19. Two or three can be gathered to Christ's name. Mt 18:20.
THREE. Divine fulness or completeness, and hence perfection in testimony. God
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Then a voice came out of heaven, saying, "This is my dearly loved Son. I am very pleased with Him."
While he was still talking, suddenly a bright cloud engulfed them. Just then, a voice spoke out of the cloud, saying, "This is my dearly loved Son, who is very pleasing to me; listen to Him."
I tell you again, if two of you agree [here] on earth concerning anything you ask for [i.e., in prayer], God in heaven will grant it to you. For I am in the presence of two or three [disciples] wherever they are gathered in my name."
Jesus replied, "I tell you, not [just] up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven [i.e., a large indefinite number of times].
Jesus said to them, "Truly I tell you, [since] you have become my followers, in the time of new beginnings [i.e., the church age], when the Son of man sits on His glorious throne, you apostles will also sit on twelve thrones, judging [i.e., through their writings] the twelve tribes of Israel [i.e., God's people].
He spent forty days in this desert where He was put to the test by Satan. He was with wild animals, and angels ministered to His needs [while there].
And Jesus answered, "The foremost one is this [Deut. 6:4-5], 'Hear this, you Israelites, the Lord our God is the only Lord,
And He said to them, "Go and tell that fox [Note: This is a metaphor signifying the sly, cunning nature of King Herod], 'Look, I am driving out evil spirits and performing [miraculous] healings today and tomorrow, but on the third day I will be finished.'
So, he called ten of his slaves and gave each of them a sum of money [Note: The amount of each sum was equivalent to one hundred days of a farm laborer's pay, or about $7,000 in 1994]. [Then] he said to them, 'Invest this money until I return.'
Then Jesus said to the apostles, "These are the words that I told you while I was still with you, [when I said] that everything written in the law of Moses, and the prophets, and the psalms about me needed to be fulfilled."
Now there were six clay water jars there, used by the Jews for ceremonial washings [i.e., for hands, utensils, etc.]. Each one held from
"There is a little boy here who has five [small] loaves of barley bread and two [probably smoked] fish. But what is this amount for [feeding] so many people?"
Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in a day? [i.e., hours of daylight]. If a person walks during daylight, he will not stumble because he can see [by] the sun's light.
Father, honor your name [in all this].'" Then a voice came out of heaven, saying, "I have honored it, and I will honor it again."
For three days he was blind and neither ate nor drank anything.
For about forty years He tenderly cared for them in the wilderness.
Get rid of the old yeast [i.e., of sin, and especially the unrepentant sinner], so that you can be a new batch of dough, without yeast in it [i.e., a godly church without unrepentant sinners in it] as [I know] you really are. For our Passover [Lamb], Christ, has already been sacrificed. So, we should observe the Festival [i.e., live the Christian life], but not with the old yeast [i.e., old sinful ways], such as the leavening [effect] of evil and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Now concerning [the matter of] eating foods [once] offered as sacrifices to idols, we know that an idol is [really] nothing in the world [at all], and that there is only one God.
yet there is [only] one God to us, [and He is] the Father, from whom all things have come, and for whom we live. And [there is only] one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom all things have come, and through whom we live.
Now all of these [supernatural gifts] are the work of one and the same Holy Spirit, who distributes them to each person individually as He desires. For [just] as the human body is one [unit], made up of many parts, and all the many parts make up a single body, so it is with Christ. [Note: Just as a human body is a single unit, and Christ is a single being, so the members of His body, the church, constitute one body. See verses 27-28]. read more. For we were all immersed by means of the one Holy Spirit into one body [i.e., the church], whether [we were] Jews or Greeks [i.e., Gentiles], whether slaves or free people, and were all given the one [and the same] Holy Spirit to drink. [Note: This probably refers to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, given to all immersed believers. See John 7:37-39; Acts 2:38].
For we were all immersed by means of the one Holy Spirit into one body [i.e., the church], whether [we were] Jews or Greeks [i.e., Gentiles], whether slaves or free people, and were all given the one [and the same] Holy Spirit to drink. [Note: This probably refers to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, given to all immersed believers. See John 7:37-39; Acts 2:38].
However, in the assembly I would rather speak five words with my understanding, so that I can instruct other people also, than to speak ten thousand words in a language [that people do not understand].
Now an intermediary does not serve in a situation involving [only] one person. However, God is one [Being].
There is [only] one body [i.e., church] and one Holy Spirit, just as God also gave you one hope when He called you [See Titus 3:7].
There is [only] one body [i.e., church] and one Holy Spirit, just as God also gave you one hope when He called you [See Titus 3:7]. [There is] one Lord [i.e., Jesus], one faith [i.e., one body of teaching], one immersion [i.e., in water for the forgiveness of sins],
[There is] one Lord [i.e., Jesus], one faith [i.e., one body of teaching], one immersion [i.e., in water for the forgiveness of sins], and one God and Father of all, who is over all and [works] through all and is in all [obedient believers].
For God was very pleased to have all of [His] fullness dwell in Christ [See 2:9],
For there is one God and one Mediator between God and mankind --- the man Christ Jesus,
to be sensible, [morally] pure, [good] homemakers, kind [and] in subjection to their own husbands, so that God's message will not be spoken against.
Since God wanted to show conclusively to those who would inherit the promise [i.e., Abraham and all of his spiritual descendants], how unchangeable His purpose was, He confirmed it with an oath. He did this so that by two unchangeable things [i.e., His promise and His oath], (and it is impossible for God to lie), we, who have fled [to God] for refuge, could be greatly encouraged to take hold of the hope set before us [i.e., the hope of never ending life].
For by one offering [i.e., the sacrifice of Himself], Christ has made perfect forever those people who are being set apart for God.
These people had disobeyed [Noah's preaching, See II Pet. 2:5] back when God's patience waited [for them to repent, See Gen. 6:3], during the days of Noah, when the ship was being constructed. It was by that means [i.e., the ship floating them to safety through the Flood waters] that a few persons, eight of them, were saved [from destruction] through water.
For there are three who give their testimony [about Jesus]: The Holy Spirit [through His Word], and the water [through His immersion] and the blood [through His crucifixion]; and these three agree together [in giving testimony about Him].
[This book is from] John [and is being sent] to the seven churches that are in Asia [Note: This refers to the province of Asia Minor, a part of present-day Turkey]. May there be unearned favor and peace to you from God, the One who is [in the present], who was [in the past] and who will come [in the future], and from the seven spirits that are in front of God's throne [Note: Because the number "seven" was regarded as the number of perfection by the Jews, it is thought that this refers to the Holy Spirit].
And there was an ocean, as crystal-clear as glass, in front of the throne. And at the center, surrounding the throne were four living beings, covered with eyes in the front and back of them. [Note: In view of Isa. 6:1-3 and especially Eze. 10:20ff, these "living beings" appear to be some special order of heavenly beings who inhabit the presence of God].
And I will give [authority] to my two witnesses and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, wearing sackcloth" [i.e., a black, coarse cloth made of goat's hair]. These [two witnesses] are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand in front of the Lord of the earth.
Then a great [supernatural] sign appeared in heaven. [It was that of] a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon was under her feet. On her head was a crown with twelve stars.
And I saw a beast coming up out of the ocean. It had ten horns and seven heads, and [it had] ten crowns on his horns and on each head there was a blasphemous name [i.e., a name that slandered God].
This calls for wisdom; the person who has understanding should calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a person. And his number is six hundred and sixty-six.
And the beast that once existed, but now does not, is actually the eighth one [i.e., head/hill/king. See verse 9], and yet he belongs to the seven; and he will go to his destruction. "And the ten horns you saw are ten kings, who have not received a kingdom yet, but for one hour they will receive authority as kings, along with the beast.
And the ten horns and the beast you saw will hate the prostitute and will take away everything from her, leaving her naked; they will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire.
and he will [again] go out to deceive the nations which are [located] throughout the whole world --- Gog and Magog. [Note: Based on Eze. 35-40, it appears that these names are used here figuratively for all the forces of wickedness which are enemies of God]. Satan will assemble them together for battle, and they will be as numberless as the sand on the seashore.
It had a very high wall [around it], with twelve angels [stationed] at its twelve gates. The names written on the gates were those of the twelve tribes of the Israelites. There were three gates on the east side [of the wall]; three gates on the north side; three gates on the south side; and three gates on the west side. read more. And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb [were inscribed on them]. And the angel who spoke to me [See verse 9] had a golden measuring stick with which to measure the city, its gates and its wall. Now the city is laid out as a perfect square; its length is the same as its width. So, he measured the city with the stick [and found it to be] fifteen hundred miles each way; its length and width and height all being the same. And he measured its wall [and found it to be] two hundred and sixteen feet [high], according to human measurements which the angel was using. The material for the city's wall was jasper, and the city [itself] was made of pure gold, as clear as glass. The foundation of the city's wall was decorated with all kinds of precious stones [Note: Not all of the following stones listed can be accurately identified today]. The first foundation stone was jasper [i.e., a bluish-colored stone]; the second was sapphire; the third was chalcedony [i.e., a translucent quartz of pale blue or gray]; the fourth was emerald; the fifth was sardonyx [i.e., an orange-colored stone similar to chalcedony]; the sixth was sardius [i.e., a reddish-colored stone also called carnelian]; the seventh was chrysolite [i.e., a yellowish- or greenish-colored stone]; the eighth was beryl [i.e., a stone of bluish-green color]; the ninth was topaz [i.e., a yellow or bluish-yellow stone]; the tenth was chrysoprase [i.e., a stone of greenish-gold color]; the eleventh was jacinth [i.e., a stone of purple or reddish-blue color]; the twelfth was amethyst [i.e., a purple- or violet-colored stone]. And the twelve gates were made of twelve pearls, with each gate being made of a single pearl. And the street of the city was made of pure gold, as transparent as glass.