A lot of people have asked the question as to whether or not
numbers play a part in the Bible and most specifically, Biblical prophecy. The short, easy answer to that question is yes
but it is far more complex than it might seem and bears no resemblance at all
to modern ‘numerology’. There are
certain numbers that are repeated frequently throughout the Bible and they all
actually have a deeper meaning than at first appears.
Take for example our last post where we discussed the
principal of duality in prophecy.
Contrary to what the greater Christian world will tell you it is the
number two that is a reflection of God and not the number three. There is no such thing as a ‘trilogy’ of God;
God did not express Himself in three different ways. Rather he represented Himself as two. This is one of the reasons that the Bible is
filled with dual related prophecy – because there are two Gods, God the Father,
known as The Ancient of Days, and the Creator God who became Jesus Christ, God
among us. It is vitally important that
we understand this principle because without it there is much in the Bible that
is impossible to understand.
The very nature of the duality of prophecy shows us how
important this dual nature of God truly is; just as a prophecy came true to the
word in the past so too will it come true to a word in the future. Another way that God uses as an example of
Their dual natures is that of marriage.
God says clearly in the Bible that ‘a man shall leave his family and
cleave to his wife and the two shall become one flesh.’ In God’s eyes that married couple is a
reflection of the relationship that the two Gods share – they are distinct and
separate individuals, just like the members of a marriage, yet they are a
united front, designed to be in perfect agreement on all things. However, this analogy, like so many in the
Bible, millions of people have failed to understand.
So if the number three is important, and there can be no
doubt of that if you examine your Bibles but it is not designed to symbolize the nature of God, then what is its’ true
significance? The number three could
perhaps best be described as God’s number of finality. Samuel for example was called three times
until he answered God’s call. It is only
speculation, of course, on our part, to wonder whether God would have called a
fourth time. The Biblical evidence would
seem to indicate that He would not. At
the End of Times God sends out three angels, ‘crying woe, woe, woe, to the
inhabitants of the Earth’. Three angels,
three warnings – God evidently uses three for what we probably call
‘emphasis’. It is His way of saying
‘take note of what I am about to say or do’.
A Biblical exclamation point if you will.
We all know that when God talks about the Church, He describes her
as a woman set apart to be the Bride of God. However, there are verses in the Bible where He also speaks of another
woman, a church of some kind that He describes as a harlot riding the beast or kingdom of Satan. Again we see the principle of the number
two. God's Way and Satan's Way.
Within the Church itself there are
a number of repetitions of the number two – one shall be taken, one shall be
left, ten virgins, half who fell asleep and half who remained alert. There can be no doubt that the number two is
a number of great importance to God, as is the number three, although not in the
manner the current Christian’s churches understand and preach.
Yet another number that holds a great deal of significance
is the number twelve. There were twelve
tribes of Judah, twelve stones sewn into the breast plate of the high priest,
Christ called only twelve to be His closest disciples. Even after Judas’ betrayal another had to be ordained
to be one of the twelve. This is the
primary reason that Paul, once known as Saul and a great persecutor of the
early Church, who when he went on to become a great Missionary for the True Way he often felt the need to defend his position. Paul defends his position as a true Apostle, even though he was not one of the original Twelve but the first of those branching
out beyond the twelve and into the world.
There are many other numbers of significance throughout the
Bible, the number 40 for example. Yet
we’re concentrating at the moment on the significance of the numbers two and
three. Two because it reflects God’s
true state of being; that there are two of them, united in love, united in person,
united every possible way. And the
number three, which is God’s way of saying it is final, it is done. These numbers are also used by God as a way of showing mankind the
true church from the false. The nature
of God is one of duality, not a trilogy – He wants you to know and understand
that.
In God’s Love,
Tracey
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