Symbolic Numbers

Numbers in Scripture have often led people to strange conclusions. Understanding ancient number symbolism can help us interpret the Scriptures better. Yet, this symbolism is not precise. We must be careful when using numbers in interpretation to avoid making unrealistic predictions about the future.

In the Bible, numbers often have special meanings:

• The number one can refer to God's unity (Deuteronomy 6:4; Galatians 3:20; James 2:19).

• Two is the minimum number of people needed to provide a valid witness in court (Deuteronomy 17:6; Revelation 11:3).

• Three can imply divine presence (Genesis 18:1–2; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Revelation 1:4–5).

• Four can represent the known world. The book of Revelation indicates this with living creatures, horsemen, winds, and angels (Revelation 4:6–8; 6:1–8; 7:1). Genesis 2:10–14 indicates this with four rivers.

• Adding three and four to make seven represents perfection or divine fulfillment. This shows harmony between God and the world.

• Multiplying three by four gives twelve, the number linked to God's people (Genesis 35:22–26; Exodus 24:4; 28:21; Numbers 17:2; Joshua 4:3–8; 1 Kings 18:31; Matthew 10:1–4; 19:28; James 1:1; Revelation 12:1; 21:12–22:2).

• The number five and its multiples, like ten, represent human completeness. For example, there are five fingers per hand.

• Six has a negative meaning, suggesting imperfection. It is neither humanly complete (five) nor divinely complete (seven).

• Multiples of ten represent many (for example, forty). In contrast, three sixes or "666" suggest extreme evil (Revelation 13:18).

• One thousand is the basic large number. The number 12,000 represents a large group of God’s people (Revelation 7:5–8). One hundred and forty-four thousand represents all of God's people (Revelation 7:4; 14:1). The Greek transliteration myriads best represents what some translations call "10,000." This is because it is really a huge number, rather than an exact count.

Some numbers in the Bible have symbolic meanings. Yet, it is extremely doubtful to use them to guess when Christ will return or when the world will end. Only God knows these things (Mark 13:32). God did not intend for the symbolic numbers in Revelation to predict the future. Instead, they explain the importance of the visions.

Translating these numbers into modern sizes, distances, or quantities can sometimes lose their theological meaning. These symbolic numbers can show how a vision relates to the world or to God's people.

Passages for Further Study

Genesis 2:2–3; 4:15; 15:13; 41:53–54; Exodus 20:6; 25:31–37; 32:15; Leviticus 16:14; 23:16; 2 Samuel 24:13; 1 Kings 4:26; 17:21; 18:31, 43–44; Job 1:2; Psalm 90:4; Jeremiah 15:3; 49:36; Ezekiel 14:21; Daniel 4:16, 23–25; 7:3, 17, 24; Zechariah 4:2; 6:1; Matthew 10:1–5; 12:40; 18:21–22; Mark 6:7; Luke 15:8; Acts 6:3; 10:16; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Ephesians 4:4–6; 2 Peter 3:8; Revelation 1:16; 2:10; 4:4; 6:1; 7:1, 4–8; 12:1, 3; 13:1; 17:3–14; 20:2–7; 21:12–21