The book of the bible that uses the word seven most frequently is revelation, where it appears 55 times. Number 7 in the book of revelation meaning of numbers. Principles in interpreting numerology in a recent post, entitled responding to the 8 great debates of bible prophecy, i pointed out the following principles that determine when to use allegorical interpretation of numbers in a text. And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years. The numbers 12,000 and 144,000 are variously interpreted in traditional christianity. Core christianity the book of revelation is not about. While most prophecies only foretell of gods master plan, this book completes the picture. The number 7 and the book of revelation a heart for god. This equation is found in the text of the scriptures themselves. To readers living in the first century, an age when the symbolism of numbers was common, the number seven was thought to represent fulfillment or completion. His book will be proven to be a manuscript concerning a nonviolent revolution towards the roman empire. Of all the symbolic numbers in the book of revelation, the number 7 receives prominence.
Of course, not every instance of the number 7 in the. If you want to understand the book of revelation, this podcast will send you off in the right direction. In his apocalyptic vision, the apostle john saw a mighty angel striding the sea and the land with a scroll in his hand. The true summary of the book of revelation youtube. In your revelation study guide you say that theres a symbolic meaning for the numbers in the book. By counting links in the table below, and ignoring repeated sevens of things in the same verse, the number obtained is seven times seven, or 49. Here are seven signs revelation will happen sooner than you think. Introduction to the book of revelation the number 7.
Of the numbers we see in the bible, seven appears to show up far more frequently. The number 7 is very significant in the book of revelation. If we also include the words related to seven terms like sevenfold or seventy or seven hundred, the count is higher. Revelation 7 kjv and after these things i saw four. These in white robes, he asked, who are they, and where have they come from. The number seven repeatedly occurs in the text of the book of revelation. Charts 171, 172 the number seven repeatedly occurs in the text of the book of revelation. The trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of god, as he announced to his servants the prophets, should be fulfilled.
Have the 7 seals of the book of revelation been opened. Revelation alone contains the keys that are essential to unlocking the prophetic mysteries found in such books as daniel and isaiah. Because 7 is the number for perfection, revelation is the last book of the word of god the 7s are to emphasize perfection of the word of god plus 7 is used alot right through the word of god not just revelation. The list of sevens in revelation agape bible study. One suggestion is that the number comes from 12, a symbol for totality, which is squared and multiplied by one thousand for more emphasis. Lots of numbers appear in revelation 12, 24, 144,000, 10, 666. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea. The number 7 stands for completeness and god is saying when the things contained in this book come about, the world will have completed its time as we know it and we will see the triumphant return of. And several other examples from scripture what about the 7 sacraments and the 7 gifts of the holy spirit. The fact that it represents all human governments is indicated in revel. Jesus christ wants the church to see the revelation of oneness. In this discussion of the book of revelation we look at. A fourth of the earth, at present, would amount to almost two billion people, whereas the pandemic has taken less than 300,000 lives.
Why is the number 7 mentioned so many times in the book of. After the two witnesses are taken to heaven rev 11. Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of that beast, for the number is that of a man. The number seven 7 symbolizes things which are complete, whole, or finished. That s because the number seven carries extra meaning beyond the. Therefore, in this post i want to show a comprehensive list of the numbers in the book of revelation. The visions that john get are introduced by seven seals revelation 5. Jehovah the true god in the heavens and creator of all things. John writes to the seven churches in asia revelation 1. Like the hebrews, the greeks used their letters as numbers, so each letter carries a.
There are 55 sevens, and 5 sevenths, 5x7 35 phrases of sevens in the book of revelation. The seven seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments of the book of revelation have nothing to do with our future and they were never intended for the. For instance, 7 churches, 7 lamp stands, 7 seals, 7 trumpets and so on. The number 49 7 x 7 is a tremendous number, for it compounds the idea of completion that we find in the number 7. The number seven is mentioned many times in the bible, including there being seven days in the week genesis 2. Revelation refers to the number seven 55 times, which is more than any other book. To readers living in the first century, an age when the symbolism of numbers was. The special meaning of seven in the bible revelationlogic. Those who are familiar with the book of revelation know that the number seven appears regularly in this book. The list of sevens in revelation new testament charts list scripture study guide. In this podcast episode, i give you 7 keys to understanding the book of revelation. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth revelation 6. Speaking of the book of revelation, the number 7 is used there more than fifty times in a variety of contexts. Most people are familiar with some of these already 3 is the number for the triune god, 4 is the number for creation, 6 is the number for man, 7 is the number for perfection, 12 represents the tribes of israel or the apostles, is a number for completenessso when a number like 666 is used it means always coming short of perfection, or a.
This totally makes sense in the context of revelation. Revelation 7, new international version niv the bible app. How many times is the number 7 mentioned in revelation. Although revelation does have more plagues than just the seven seals and seven trumpets the seven bowls and the seven thundersthe latter of which john was not even allowed to write down. In the symbolism of numbers in scripture 5 is the number of grace. 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. The book of revelation often called the revelation to john, apocalypse of john, the revelation from jesus christ from its opening words, the apocalypse, the revelation, or simply revelation is the final book of the new testament, and consequently is also the final book of the christian bible. The significance of the number 7 in the book of revelation. What are the seven seals and trumpets in revelation. What is the biblical significance of the number seven7. Reminiscent of the 10 plagues to fall on egypt during the exodus exodus 711, a series of catastrophic events will take place during the end days to enact the judgment of god upon the earth. It is 12,000 jewish men from each of the twelve tribes of the children of israel jacob.
We also cant seem to escape seven in revelation in terms of seals. In this post i provide a list of the numbers used in the book of revelation because those numbers are often seen as symbolic. In gods revelation, what is the signifance and importance of the number 7. One like the son of man stood in the midst of seven golden lampstands with seven stars in his hand rev. The revelation of john charts 171, 172 explanation the number seven repeatedly occurs in the text of the book of revelation. I am doing a study on the book of revelation and i would like to share the sevens which are in that book. The number seven usually represents completion source, p. Many major entities and symbols in the book of revelation are introduced earlier in the bible. Few things in the book of revelation have caused more confusion and even division and conflict than this great apocalyptic books use of numbers. And so we have the 7 spirits before gods throne standing for the infinite perfection of the holy spirit. The devils number, or the number of man rather than the number of god 7, is 666 revelation.
Revelation uses many signs, or symbols, that are not to be understood literally. Just as john was about to write down what they said, a voice from. The word seven or derivatives such as seventh, seventy, etc. Three, seven, ten, and twelve are known as the perfect numbers. The origin of the 12,000 and 144,000 in the book of revelation the book of revelation written by john is a highly encrypted book with several symbolic representations deriving from several sources. It seems as if this book had, in many places, a special view to the people of israel. The meaning and purpose of this seal stands in stark contrast to the mark of the beast, as seen later in revelation revelation 7. Thank you for the big list of sevens in the bible and it is really interesting to find out why god is giving importance to the number 7. In all, the number 7 is used in the bible more than seven hundred times. Its title is derived from the first word of the koine greek text.
The author of the book of revelation has grouped many things into sevens. The number 7 is in many ways a theme of the book of revelation. With the book of revelation, the word was complete revelation 22. John in the book of revelation saw the mark while he was in the spirit. The prophetic book of revelation is the pinnacle and crowning glory of the bible told through numbers. There are 59 in total, and the whole book is structured around a few sets of seven. Allegorical interpretation should be considered if the literature is apocalyptic a genre that uses symbolic and allegorical language there is clear. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. The star was given the key to the shaft of the abyss. After this i looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the lamb. What does the number seven mean in the seven heads of the. Babylon was responsible for the bloodshed of the saints, prophets, and apostles rev. Some, taking the numbers in revelation to be symbolic, believe it represents all of gods people throughout history in the heavenly church.
Seven is the second perfect number signifying fullness and perfection, especially spiritual perfection. The prominence of seven the number seven is the most prominent number throughout the whole bible. The purpose of this delay, it seems, is to allow for a sealing of 144,000 servants of god. The number 7 is used 53 times in revelation, and 670 total times throughout the entire canon of the holy scriptures. In revelation the number 7 is mentioned in many places. Seven, among all the numbers, plays a significant role in revelation. The beast of revelation has seven heads because it represents all human governments combined. According to hebrew tradition every number has a symbolic significance.