The use of numbers in the Book of Revelation
The book is full of numbers, but what do they mean? Are they literal, like 1260 days, or are they meant to be red in some other way? How are numbers used in the Bible?
Numbers are often used in the Bible to refer to an earlier story. Jesus chose 12 apostles when Israel was made up of 12 tribes. Israel had to go through the desert for 40 years, after which Israel examined the Promised Land for 40 days, but had no faith.
The number 7
The number seven is often used as a symbol in the Bible.
Seven is the number of completeness because of the seven days of creation.
The sevenfold wrath of God in the story of Cain or in the Psalms can also to be understood figuratively.
There are 7 beatitudes, which probably describe the entire blessing of the saints and may also be a summary of the description of salvation in Revelation.
The reference to 7 churches also expresses completeness.
The formula “every tribe, tongue, people and nation” occurs seven times in varying order to refer to all people.
Other examples of completeness in Revelation are the 7 seals, the 7 trumpets, and the 7 bowls of wrath to show the completeness of God’s judgment.
The number 3,5
The number 4
Four is also the number of completeness, but more in the sense of a universal or worldwide framework. This is clear in the book of Revelation in the four ends of the earth as well as the four winds (7:1), and also where creatures from the four realms of the world (heaven, earth, sea, and under the sea) sing a fourfold hymn of praise to God and the Lamb.
Elsewhere, too, the earth is divided into four parts (during the first trumpet, by the three angels, four bowls on the land, sea, rivers, and sun). These four parts are the targets of the first four trumpets and bowls of wrath, showing God’s judgmental power over all creation.
The division of the judgments into 4+3 patterns is probably also a result of this. The division of the book into four parts also shows the universal validity of the book.
The reference to “thunder and lightning” as Sinai occurs 4 times in crucial places:
- the introduction,
- the conclusion of the seals,
- the conclusion of the trumpets and the
- the conclusion of the bowls.
The combination 4x7
If you see the seven thunders as another series of judgments (or if you see the Epistles as having a judgmental character), then there are 4x7 judgments concerning the judgment of the whole world, see also the Law where the sevenfold judgment is mentioned four times.
Also the sevenfold mention of the sickle also shows the completeness of the worldwide judgment.
Furthermore, the list of goods of the merchants at Babel has 4 times 7 is 28 goods, representing the totality of the products of the world. Certain names for God and Christ also occur four or seven times:
- The One who lives 4 times, to denote Him as the eternal Creator who rules over all creation.
- God Almighty in the nominative 7 times
- He who sits on the throne 7 times.
- Christ 7 times and Jesus 14 times
- The Lamb in the sense of Jesus is expressed 4 times 7 times.
- The Lamb and God together are mentioned 7 times.
- The seven spirits are mentioned 4 times to show the fullness of divine sovereignty sent into all the world (5/6), presumably through/with the witness of the church.
There is no such pattern in Satan, the beast, or the false prophet, only in the imitation of Christ.
The number 12
Twelve also represents completeness as well as unity in diversity, as the people of Israel is made up of twelve tribes.
The twelve apostles are the mirror image of this in the New Testament.
Twelve is squared and multiplied by 1000 in Revelation to demonstrate completeness. This is so significant that the number twelve is used twelve times in the description of the New Jerusalem as a picture of the end-time completeness of the saints, as well as the 3*4 gates and the 12 precious stones.
Other numbers
- The word “woman” (gene) occurs 10 times and bride 3 times and saints 14 times, each time expressing the Church of God.
- The counter-community harlot occurs 4 times , woman 7 times, those who dwell on the earth 10 times.
- Babel and “great” are mentioned 6 times. 6 times the word woman is used in reference to the Babylonian harlot. 6 is used as the number of man (in opposite to God) since he was created on the sixth day.
Further thoughts
Some words are repeated more often towards the end of the book to indicate the intensification of the theme (12 -> communion of God with the Church, “Alpha and Omega” and equivalents like Jesus as the conclusion of the story).
Even if some of the numbers of names are coincidental, the frequency shows that here, too, accents/statements were made through numbers.
A.Y. Collins argues that the numbers 4, 7, and 12 are a cosmic order in apocalyptic literature, especially in the book of Revelation. John uses this to show that God is behind everything and is in control, the numbers represent the net in which Satan and his followers are caught so that God’s final victory is certain and visible.
Arithmethics
There is another aspect which shows the arithmetic beauty of the usage of numbers
This picture illustrates triangular, square and rectangular numbers and the very rare square triangular numbers.
Lets take a few observations:
The red circled columns reflect Satan and his kingdom while the green circled columns reflect God and his kingdom. They are alternating but distinct. So for us: We live in this world but there is distinction between God’s kingdom and Satan’s kingdom, and the don’t mix.
The smallest (nontrivial) square triangular number is 36. This is related to several aspects of the beasts
- It is related to 666 (36th triangular number) and is the mystery of the beast
- It is related to 8 (36 is 8th triangular number) and refers to resurrection (Jesus is resurrected on the 8th day)
- It is related to 6 — the number of man or to be said non god power — (36 is the square of 6).
- The 6th rectangular number is 42 describing the 42 months of the activities of the beast.
But the next smallest (and maybe the only other one that was known at Johns time) would be 1225 which is also reflected here
- is outruns 36 by a lot and is more sophisticated to obtain
- it is the square of 35 (which is just one less than 36 but on different scales of comparison)
- the 35th rectangular number is 1260 describing the time of activities of the two witnesses
- it is the 49th triangular number while 49 is the square of 7 is described totality or completeness
The reality is that Gods kingdom is far above Satan’s kingdom which is a massive parody. Lets take the equivalent of the 666 (based on the 1225) which is 750.925. Lets assume this to be a 2 m tall person, than Satan’s strength would be compared to a less than 2 mm tall insect!
But we often see the distorted reality, where Satan is always a bit stronger.
