Gematria and the Bible

For most people life is plain, even flat at times. The great mountain peaks of existence are either far behind us or on the distant horizon. Occasionally, with a rush of excitement, we remember the intoxicating heights of our first date, the birth of a child, or our rebirth in Jesus. For me, discovering gematria was an event of that magnitude, an Everest in importance.

What is gematria? The Old Testament was written in Hebrew, the New Testament in Greek. Neither language had number symbols; instead, they used letters of their alphabets for counting. Adding up the numerical values of the letters in a word and interpreting its meaning is called gematria. For example, in old Greek manuscripts the number 99 was often written at the end of a benediction or a prayer. For centuries the meaning of this was a tiny mystery, until the 1900s. But consider: the sum of the numerical values of the Greek letters for amen is precisely 99 (see page 326). What could be more natural? Significantly the last word in the entire Bible is Amen or 99. More important, this topic unlocks the startling symbolism of the world's most holy name, Jesus Christ. Yet, gematria is only one thread among many. We will examine this fascinating, ancient topic in Chapter 6.
 

God's Word provides the authority for gematria's use; the Apostle John explicitly mentions it in Revelation 13:18. From Genesis to Revelation, it links all outstanding biblical verses. The very words of the Bible contain it. Simply stated, every character in the ancient Hebrew and Greek alphabets did double duty as both a letter and a number. So, every word was also a number. This practice is familiar to you from Roman numerals. The Romans, however, used only the letters I, V, X, L, C, and D as numbers.

As you will discover, gematria is the Second Level of biblical interpretation. That sum provides additional information in greater depth, but always harmonizing with the word's obvious meaning. To clarify this idea, I will give many examples. Everyone has made a table of items and numbered/lettered them a, b, c, and so on. This is not hidden or unusual knowledge. Webster's New World Dictionary under "Special Signs and Symbols" lists the entire Greek alphabet, giving the numerical value of each letter. Although not hidden, gematria is definitely not used. In our century religious writers have universally avoided this topic. At the close of Chapter 6, I will give some possible reasons for this evasion.

 

Seven (7) in the Bible and Everyday Life

Everyone perceives something unusual about the number "seven," even if they cannot explain what it is. Consider the following biblical examples just from the Old Testament (more on pages 38-39):                                   

The most sublime and immortal words (statements) ever spoken are the last 7 by Jesus from the Cross. At the beginning of time, God had determined that only 7 words would be voiced on that transcendent day (see page 41). With these 7 words the Son completed the Father's will.

Throughout the Bible this insistence on 7 is all encompassing. It begins in Genesis 1:1 with 7 Hebrew words. It flourishes in the Law and the Prophets. It is resplendent in the Gospels and the Epistles. It bursts into glorious bloom, however, in the Apocalypse. Here the mystery of God is complete with 7 seals, 7 trumpets, 7 vials -- 777. The reader may discern the essence linking all these cases:

Secular symbolic usage is identical. From the Seven Wonders of the World in ancient times, to the popular bestseller The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People today, to the 7 colors in the rainbow, this number is everywhere. (See pages 42-44 for more examples.)

The most important word in the life of any Christian is JESUS. The most important word in the Bible is JESUS. Remarkably, Joseph and Mary did not even choose it. In a scene commemorated by many famous artists, the archangel Gabriel announced to an astonished Mary:
 

You will be with child and give birth to a son,and you are to give him the name Jesus. Luke 1:31

If gematria is to have any deep meaning at all, it must begin with this Most Holy Name. Using the original Greek from the Gospels, let us find the number value of His name:

I still remember the exact day and hour when I first learned of this beautiful threefold regularity in our Savior's number. It transfixed my soul with wonder and emotion! Here was a mystery worth chasing. This book is the result of that pursuit. Before learning more gematria, we will investigate why the number 8 was chosen for association with JESUS.

 If 7 is the number of completeness of a list, then 8 begins a new list. To learn how and where the Bible displays this relationship of renewal and rebirth, read the following examples:
 

				•	All the Gospels say that Jesus rose from the dead "on the first day of the week." For Jews this was Sunday, the 8th day of their week.)."
				•	The Ark contained 8 souls: Noah, his wife, his three sons, and their wives. When these 8 stepped out of the Ark onto a new world, they had to start a new order and regenerate all life on earth.
				•	The Jewish ritual act of circumcision had to be done on the 8th day (Genesis 17:12). Concerning that, Luke 2:21 says: "On the 8th day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived."
				•	Aeneas, a paralytic, was healed by Jesus and rose out of his bed after 8 years (Acts 9:33-35).
				•	Jesus' brilliant Transfiguration took place 8 days after the first announcement of His future sufferings. Exactly three disciples witnessed this showing of the glory to be at the Second Coming.
				•	The entire Bible details 8 resurrections, distinct from our Lord's and His saints:          3 in Old Testament (1 Kings 17, 2 Kings 4 and 13)          3 in the Gospels (Matthew 9, Luke 7, John 11)          2 in Acts (9 and 20)
				•	The Resurrection is the 8th "great sign" in John's Gospel.
				•	In Greek, the word "Lord" is 800 or 8 emphasized.

Eventually we will learn all the gematria surrounding the title CHRIST; for now observe only that, like JESUS, it is also a multiple of 8:
 

Summary: LORD, JESUS, and CHRIST are all multiples of 8, and the New Testament uses them in exactly 8 combinations:
 

Since each of these names is composed of 8s, their sum is also a multiple of 8. During the church's early days, believers also used the first and last letters, Χ--ς, of Christos (Christ in Greek) as a contraction for the entire name. This short form is just 8 emphasized. The fonts of many churches are intended for baptisms using a non-immersion method. Most are 8-sided as a reminder of the "new creation" and as a connection to the practice of circumcision which traditionally occurs on the 8th day.

The many instances involving 8 and Jesus and the Bible could be continued for several pages, but the preceding list is sufficient to make the point:

 

In the Bible, 8 is the number of resurrection and renewal.

Fax: (705) 286-2525

E-mail: CD@BibleCodes.ca