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| By Michael Hoggard |
The number 7 is God's very own number, and is associated with
Divine completion and perfection. It becomes apparent to most
who read the Scriptures that the number 7 is the most significant
number in all of the Scriptures. Therefore, it stands to reason
there must be some extremely important patterns that are associated
with the number 7. As you read through this article you will understand
that the use of the number 7 in the KJV is what sets it apart
from the other translations.
The entire Bible is based upon the things that God Almighty has
said to His servants, the prophets. They wrote these things down
exactly as they had received them. That is why the Bible is such
a perfect book. It comes from a perfect God. A common phrase that
is found in the Old Testament, "Thus saith the Lord of Hosts",
is a phrase that reveals to us that God has indeed given us the
very words that have come directly from His mouth. This phrase
is found exactly 70 (7 x 10) times in the King James Bible.
The phrase, "his servants the prophets", is found 7
times in the Bible (see 2 Kings 17:23; 21:10; 24:2; Jeremiah.
25:4; Dan. 9:10; Amos 3:7; and Rev. 10:7). Notice that in Amos
and Revelation the Lord chose to place it in the 7th verse so
that we would know that it has a special meaning. In each case
we find that the prophets are the recipients of the Word of God.
The Bible is a book of prophecy. The word "prophecy"
is found 21 (7 x 3) times in the Scriptures. The 21st occurrence
of this word reveals that we should be very cautious about how
we handle the Word of God: "And if any man shall take away
from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away
his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and
from the things which are written in this book" (Revelation
22:19).
The very first version of the written Word of God was the Ten
Commandments. God has placed a very important value on the Ten
Commandments, for we find them located in the 70th chapter of
the Bible, Exodus 20. The Bible mentions that they were written
on "tables of stone". In fact, the Bible mentions 14
(7 x 2) times that they are written on "tables of stone".
Also, in the 70th chapter of the New Testament (John 2), you will
find the very first miracle that Jesus performed.
It is clear that the words, phrases, verses, chapters, and books
of the Bible have been arranged in a perfect order. It would be
impossible for men to manipulate a group of documents in this
manner, especially men who, in many cases, lived thousands of
years apart. How do we know which "Word of God" to use?
We are told that Jesus is the Word of God in John 1:1. In 1 John
5:7 He is also given that title: "For there are three that
bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost:
and these three are one." It seems odd that most modern translations
omit verse 7, or place a note by it that says this passage does
not appear in some Greek texts! This phrase is found exactly 49
times (7 x 7) in the Authorized Version of the Bible!
Jesus and the Bible are forever linked. They are, in reality,
the same thing. He is truly the Word of God. The title, "the
Word", given to Jesus, is found 7 times in 5 verses, including
being found in 1 John 5:7 (also see John 1:1; 1:14; 1 John 1:1;
and Rev. 19:13)! Do we yet not believe that the Hand of God was
on these men as they compiled and translated this sacred book?
Does the Bible you read and trust contain this Divine pattern?
The number 49 (7 x 7) is a tremendous number, for it compounds
the idea of completion that we find in the number 7. This equation
is found in the text of the Scriptures themselves: "And thou
shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven
years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto
thee forty and nine years" (Leviticus. 25:8). Since this
number is important to God, it is reasonable to assume that His
Word and His Son are associated with the number 7.
The Bible itself states that the Word of God is a book of parables.
The word "parable" is found 49 times. The word "parable"
is found 7 times in the book of Numbers. All of them are found
in chapters 23 and 24, and all of them are spoken by Balaam, with
the first time being in verse 7. In Psalm 78 we are told that
God speaks His Word by means of the parable, and we are also told
that all the words of Jesus are in parable form: "All these
things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without
a parable spake he not unto them" (Matthew 13:34).
God's Word came in many forms and under many titles. One of those
titles is the word "message", as in this verse which
is the first occurrence of this word: "...And Ehud said,
I have a message from God unto thee..." (Judges 3:20). The
word "message" is found 7 times in the Scriptures.
In the Tabernacle there were found various representations of
the Godhead. The Ark of the Covenant was a duplicate of the throne
that God the Father sat upon. The Table of Shewbread represented
the Son, for He is the Bread of Life. There was a menorah in the
sanctuary that was the only light to be found inside the Tabernacle
itself. This was the figure of the Holy Spirit. John saw this
menorah and described it in Revelation. "And out of the throne
proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were
seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven
Spirits of God" (Revelation 4:5).
These 7 spirits are found in Isaiah 11:2, where we read: "And
the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom
and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit
of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD." You will find
that the phrase "Holy Spirit" is mentioned 7 times in
the Authorized Version.
The Holy Spirit is represented elsewhere in the Scriptures as
being the "breath" of God. God tells us in Ezekiel 37:6
that He will "put the breath in you, and ye shall live".
In Genesis 2:7 God did this with Adam. This is the first place
we find the word "breath", and notice that it is in
verse 7. The word "breath" is found 42 times. God took
the number for man (6) and multiplied it by the number for God
(7). (6 x 7= 42).
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God Himself. There is a variation
of this in the Scriptures called "the Spirit of Christ".
The Spirit of Christ and the spirit of God are the same. There
is no difference between them. That is why these two phrases together
are found exactly 28 (7 x 4) times in the Scriptures.
In the two listings of the lineage of Jesus Christ, the manifestation
7 is displayed. The account given for us in Matthew, chapter one,
lists 42 (6 x 7) generations from Abraham. The account given for
us in Luke, chapter three, lists 77 generations from God Who created
Adam, the first "son of God", to Jesus, the "true
Son of God". Jesus' title of "Son of God", in its
various forms is found 49 (7 x 7) times in the New Testament.
It is found only one time in the Old Testament, recorded in Daniel
3:25. Check your modern translations for this verse (:25), because
the NIV records it merely as, "a son of the gods". There
can be no mistaking that this points to Antichrist, not to the
real Christ! The Scriptures do attribute a "god" status
to fallen angels. The word "gods" is found a total of
244 times in the Scriptures. This is a product which has the number
for the world (4) as its factor (4 x 61). These false "gods"
are truly earthly, not heavenly!
Our Savior is also given the title, "Son of Man". This
phrase is found 196 times in the AV. This number breaks down to
49 (7 x 7) x 4! The last place that this phrase is used is in
Revelation 14:14! Incidentally, 14 x 14 = 196!
In John 12:34, the doubters ask Jesus a very simple question:
"...who is this Son of man?" It is Jesus Christ. How
do I know for sure? It is all in the numbers. The phrase, "Jesus
Christ", is found exactly 196 times in the KJV, the exact
amount of times that the "Son of Man" is found! Even
the place where Jesus was born contains this pattern. In the Scriptures,
Bethlehem is mentioned 39 times. The only other form of this name
in the Scriptures is Bethlehemjudah, mentioned 10 times. This
gives us a total of 49 (7 x 7) times when this special is mentioned.
The Scriptures tell us that Zion is the City of David. We find
all the mentions of Zion exactly 154 (7 x 22) times in the Old
Testament. This includes two occasions where it is spelled Sion.
In the New Testament, Sion is mentioned exactly 7 times! When
we add the word "Lord" to the name of Jesus Christ,
we find that the exact phrase, "Lord Jesus Christ",
is found exactly 84 times, which is 7 x 12!
At the beginning of Jesus' ministry on earth, right after His
baptism, God revealed to the world that Jesus was His Son. "And
lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom
I am well pleased" (Matthew. 3:17; see also Matthew. 17:5;
Mark 1:11, 9:7; Luke 3:22, 9:35; and 2 Pet. 1:17). It is either
by chance or Divine guidance that this title is given to our Savior
exactly 7 times in the Scriptures. Jesus is also given the title,
"His Son", exactly 7 times in the Scriptures. The unity
of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, and the Church, is established
exactly 7 times in the KJV by use of the phrase, "are one".
This phrase is only found 7 times in the Scriptures and is not
associated with any other idea (see John 10:30, 17:22; Romans.
12:5; 1 Corinthians. 3:8, 10:17, 12:12; and First John 5:7).
Comparing this pattern with the NIV, I discovered that in Romans
12:5 - "So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every
one members one of another" - this phrase had been divided
up to change the meaning. The phrase in 1 Corinthians 3:8 - "Now
he that planteth and he that watereth are one" - is missing
and replaced with, "have one purpose", which is not
the same as being "one" with someone, especially God.
God and Satan have the same purpose, to draw all men in worship
to each of them respectively, but this does not make them "one".
In 1 Corinthians 10:17 the phrase, "are one bread",
is replaced with, "are one body". The phrase is omitted
in 1 Corinthians 12:12, and the entire verse of 1 John 5:7 - "For
there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word,
and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one" - is completely
gone.
There is a two-word phrase that is used repeatedly in the Scriptures
to describe the total authority and power of Almighty God, and
it is the phrase, "most High". Truly, our God is the
Most High God. He is given this title exactly 49 times in the
Scriptures. Listed are the places this title is either mentioned
in the 7th chapter, the 7th verse, or one of its multiples: Genesis
14:18-20, 22; Psalms 7:17, 21:7, 77:10; Isaiah 14:14; Daniel 7:18,
22, 25, 27; Hosea 7:16, 11:7; Mark 5:7; Acts 7:48; and Hebrews
7:1.
In Psalm 16:10 Christ is given the title, "Holy One".
It is mentioned in various places that He is the Holy One of Israel.
This title is found in the KJV (with the correct capitalization)
exactly 49 (7 x 7) times. It is also apparent to those who study
the Scriptures that our Savior made various appearances in the
Old Testament days in the form of the "Angel of the Lord".
This title is mentioned exactly 56 (7 x 8) times in the Old Testament.
Another title that the Scriptures give to God is the title, "God
of Israel". This title is associated with the number 7, for
it is found 203 (7 x 29) times in the Scriptures.
Now, for those of you who are still not convinced, allow me to
make the equation a little more difficult. It stands to reason
that the more words in sequence that you find in any given pattern,
the more improbable it is that this pattern is there by chance,
mistake, or human intervention. There is yet another title that
is attributed to our great God, and that is the title, "the
word of the LORD" (Genesis 15:1). We notice that "the
word of the LORD" is used as a personification of God. This
could only mean that the expression is used to identify Jesus
Himself. The phrase is made up of 5 words. The number 5 is directly
associated with Christ. As we have seen, Jesus is given the title
"the Word" exactly 7 times in the Scriptures, and is
primarily a phrase used in the Old Testament. God wanted the Israelites
to know who their Messiah was really supposed to be. It is none
other than Jesus Himself, for we find that this phrase ("the
Word") is found exactly 245 times in the Old Testament. This
breaks down to 49 x 5! But it doesn't stop there. You will find
the very commonly used title of God, "LORD of hosts",
exactly 245 times in the Old Testament as well. How can this be,
other than by the direct hand of God?
Realistically, we do not necessarily need all these number patterns
in order to believe the Word of God. However, we do need faith.
The Bible teaches us that faith and the "word of God"
are inseparable. It is through the "word of God" that
we receive the faith that we need to believe the things of God.
It is interesting, and yet understandable, to note that the word
faith is found 245 (49 x 5) times in the New Testament! It is
only found twice in the Old Testament. We are told that faith
comes by hearing. I looked up the 17th occurrence of the word
hearing in the New Testament, and here is what I discovered: "So
then faith (245 - 49 x 5) cometh by hearing (17th occurrence),
and hearing by the word of God (49 - 7 x 7)" (Romans 10:17).
In keeping with the theme of Jesus and the number 5, which is
the number for grace, we find that "Jesus" and "grace"
are mentioned together in the same verse exactly 49 times.
The idea that the Bible and Jesus Christ are one in the same is
a principle that is to be accepted by all who claim to believe
in the Lord. Jesus claimed that He was going to fulfill all that
the Scriptures had written about Him. You will find many instances
in the Gospels where Christ fulfilled a portion of the Scriptures,
just as "it is written". This is the phrase that Jesus
used to defeat Satan during his 40-day fast. The phrase, "it
is written", is found exactly 63 (7 x 9) in the New Testament.
The phrase, "thy word", is found 58 times in the Scriptures.
This is not a multiple of 7. However, we find that this phrase
is found only 7 times in the New Testament! All occurrences apply
directly to the Word of God, or Christ Himself (see Luke 1:38,
2:29, 5:5; John 17:6, 14, 17; and Acts 4:29). Notice what our
Lord said in John 17:17. He declares that God will "Sanctify"
His disciples through the word of truth. As His Word is perfect
and complete, so must his sanctification. The word "sanctify"
is found exactly 70 times in the King James Bible!
Jesus' disciples asked Him a question about forgiveness of sins:
"Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my
brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus
saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until
seventy times seven" (Matthew 18:21-22). So, now we understand
that forgiveness of sins is also associated with the number 7.
It was in the garden of Eden that we first learned the difference
between "good and evil" because of the sin of Adam.
This phrase is mentioned in the Scriptures exactly 7 times. The
Bible tells us that sin and corruption go hand in hand. The word
"corruption" is found 21 times. The number 21 is not
only the product of 3 (resurrection) and 7, but is, according
to Ed Vallowe, also the number for the exceeding sinfulness of
sin.
The word "forgive" is found 56 (7 x 8) times, the word
"forgiven" is found 42 (7 x 6) times, the word "forgiveness"
is found 7 times. In fact, all the forms of the word "forgive"
can be found 112 (7 x 16) times in the KJV. As an added bonus,
we find the word "reconciled" exactly 7 times in the
Scriptures.
The way to rid ourselves of our sins is to confess our sins. The
word "confessed" is found 7 times. It was Christ Who
displayed His grace for us in being wounded for our transgressions
(Isaiah 53:5). The word "wounded" is found 35 (7 x 5)
times, the number for "perfection" and the number for
"grace". The Bible declares that those who are not forgiven
of their sins will be "cast off". This phrase is found
exactly 14 (7 x 2) times in the Scriptures, including this verse:
"Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable
no more?" (Psalm 77:7).
It is through prayer that we confess our sins. In the Old Testament
you will find the word "pray" a total of 245 (49 x 5)
times. The word "prayeth" is found 7 times in the Bible.
The 7th time it is found is in 1 Corinthians 14:14 (7th book of
the New Testament): "For if I pray in an unknown tongue,
my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful."
When we pray we make supplications to God, asking for His favor
on our lives. David, the Psalmist, says it this way: "The
LORD hath heard my supplication; the LORD will receive my prayer"
(Psalm 6:9). David may not have realized just how perfect his
words were when he uttered them. The phrase, "my supplication",
is found 7 times in the Scriptures. Once your sins are forgiven,
you are found in favor with God, for grace is unmerited favor
from God. The word "favour" is found 70 times. It is
an attribute given to Christ (Luke 2:52).
Isaiah declares that though our sins are red like crimson, they
shall be as wool (Isaiah 1:18). The word "wool" is found
14 (7 x 2) times. In the Levitical Law, the priests were to consecrate
themselves for 7 days. The word "consecrate" is found
14 times in the Bible. The word "consecrated" is also
found 14 times.
The word "sanctify" is found 70 times. The first occurrence
is in Exodus: "Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever
openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and
of beast: it is mine" (Exodus 13:2). The Bible tells us that
Jesus was a type and symbol of the "firstborn" (See
Matthew 1:25; Colossians 1:18; and Hebrews 12:23). The title,
"firstborn", is found exactly 7 times in the New Testament!
The first place it is mentioned is in Matthew 1:25. Check the
NIV for this verse. His title as the "firstborn son"
is omitted.
Since the number 7 deals with perfection and completion, it comes
as no surprise that the word "correct" is found 7 times,
the 7th time being this passage: "Fear thou not, O Jacob
my servant, saith the LORD: for I am with thee; for I will make
a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee: but
I will not make a full end of thee, but correct thee in measure;
yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished" (Jeremiah 46:28).
God says He is going to make an end (7) of the nations of the
world (4). This tells us that God's work on earth is going to
be "finished". The word "finished" is found
42 (7 x 6) times. This was the word used by Jesus on the cross
to mark the completion of the His sacrifice for the world: "It
is finished." The word "rested" is found 21 (7
x 3) times, including the Genesis 2:2 reference where it tells
us that God "rested" on the 7th day. It also comes as
no surprise that the word "perfectly" is found 7 times.
As you study the Bible you will find stories that prefigure the
final 7 years of this age. You will see things that are performed
or that happen "seven times". This phrase is found 35
(7 x 5) times. When you add the occurrences of the phrase "seven
years" with the occurrences of "seven times", they
total 77. Also, we find the phrase "seven days" is found
98 (49 x 2; 7 x 7 x 2) times in the Scriptures. In the Old Testament
you will find the phrases "seventh day" and "seventh
month" a total of 77 times.
As we saw earlier, Jesus' title of "Christ" is found
555 times in the Bible. We also found, according to the lineage
of Luke 3, that He is the 77th in line from God the Father. Since
the Bible declares that those who follow Christ will be joint
heirs with Him (Romans 8:17), it is logical that this lineage
has a very special purpose. You will, therefore, find the word
"church" in the KJV exactly 77 times! We discovered
the phrase, "house of God", is found 84 (7 x 12) times
in the Old Testament. When we look at the history books of the
Old Testament, Genesis through Esther, we find the phrase, "house
of God", 77 times.
Now, let's take this just a little further. Let's look at the
77th chapter of the Bible, Exodus 27. This chapter has 21 (7 x
3) verses in it. In the 21st verse we find this passage: "In
the tabernacle of the congregation without the vail, which is
before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall order it from evening
to morning before the LORD: it shall be a statute for ever unto
their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel."
This phrase is a common phrase that refers to the "church"
of the Old Testament. This is the 1st occurrence of the name for
the "church", This phrase is found 21 (7 x 3) times
in the Book of Exodus. It is found exactly 133 (7 x 19) times
in the whole Bible!
Focusing on the church and its association with the number 77,
we notice that the word "passover(s)" is found exactly
77 times in the King James Bible. We must not assume that there
is a correlation between these two until we see what the Scriptures
reveal: "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with
him..." (Romans 6:6). "...Ye are unleavened. For even
Christ our passover is sacrificed for us" (1 Corinthians
5:7). "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet
not I, but Christ liveth in me..." (Galatians 2:20). "And
they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh..." (Galatians
5:24) There is indeed a scriptural connection between the Passover
and the church. And we also see how these various patterns can
and must be used to gain a better understanding of the Scriptures.
Since we do see a relationship between the church and the sacrifice
of the Passover, we are not surprised to find that the symbol
of our sacrifice, when we were baptized, is also similarly related.
You will find all the forms of the word "baptize" exactly
77 times in the Scriptures as well: "Know ye not, that so
many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into
his death?" (Romans 6:3).
There are other phrases that the Scriptures associate with Christ
and His Church. In Exodus 29:5, God calls His people a "peculiar
treasure". The word "peculiar" is found 7 times
and is always associated with God's special people. John 4:23
speaks of the "true worshippers". "Worshippers"
is also found 7 times. Ephesians 2:10 tells that "we are
his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus". The word "workmanship"
is found 7 times. The Scriptures proclaim that we as the church
are His witnesses, along with a great cloud of witnesses (Hebrews
12:1). The word "witnesses" is found exactly 49 (7 x
7) times in the King James Bible!
In Luke, chapter ten, Jesus sends out a group of witnesses referred
to as "the seventy". They are sent out to compel all
who would to follow them in salvation and become part of the "kingdom
of God". This phrase is referred to 70 times in the Scriptures.
This combines the two perfect numbers of 7 for perfection, and
10 for divine authority. Along with this same pattern we find
the word "King" (with a capital "K") 70 times
in the KJV.
Finally, let's examine the phrase that was placed over the Cross
when Christ was crucified. When we look in each of the four Gospels
we find a different inscription given. Some would point to this
and say that the Bible is inaccurate because of the differences.
However, when we view them numerically, we find that each one
of them points directly to the perfect order contained in the
Scriptures. Listed are these inscriptions:
THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS
THE KING OF THE JEWS
THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS
JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS
There are a total of 28 words in the above inscriptions. This
number is a product of 7 for perfection, and 4 for the Gospels.
When Pilate was asked to change the words that were written, Pilate
responded with a 7-word proclamation: "What I have written
I have written" (John 19:22).
There are those who will not believe, even when faced with these
amazing facts. There is no way that these numerical patterns could
have crept in by chance or human design. They were placed there
by an Almighty God; a God Who wanted all of mankind to know His
special secrets. These are revealed to us in this most special
of all books. You may deny some of my conclusions, but you cannot
deny that these patterns exist.
If in the course of my study I had encountered one or two of these
patterns, I might not have thought too much about them. But, as
you can clearly see, the evidence is overwhelming, and is growing
day by day. There has not been a single time when I dedicated
myself, my time, and my study to the Lord, relying on His inspiration,
that I have not been shown more of His signature in the King James
Bible. It is my hope that all who discover these wonderful truths
will also come to revere this most special of all books the way
I have.
Michael Hoggard's new book, "By
Divine Order is now available (Order # S-391, for a $10 gift,
plus $3 shipping and handling) from Southwest
Radio Ministries, P.O. Box 100, Bethany, OK, 73008 - or call
toll free 1-800-652-1144.
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