Most symbolic number for Christians..

Which would you say it is?

I think maybe seven... Anyone else?

Originally Posted by Crisco

Which would you say it is?

I think maybe seven... Anyone else?

there are so many numbers with importance

6 is the number of man

7 is the number of completion

8 of new beginnings

guess it all depeds on your outlook really

I would say 3 is the most important. Its the whole father, son, spirit, but its also the number of days that Jesus chose to defeat death and pay for our sin

[NateR]

Some of the Hebrew understanding of numbers:

1 - represents the One, Unique and Indivisible GOD; divinity, unity, uniqueness; the ultimate perfection that exists only with GOD

2 - represents the concept of duality (father and son, husband and wife, good and evil, etc.); also the number that represents the creation and blessing; diversity, multiplicity, and incompatibility

3 - the concept that two opposing factors must be blended to form a third, more perfect, entity. For instance, justice and mercy are opposing concepts that are constantly clashing with each other. Only when they are merged with the third element of truth can the world find its necessary balance.

4 - represents the physical world which spans north, south, east and west

5 - the combination of the physical with the spiritual; freedom of choice, repentance, and mercy

6 - physical completion; self-contained; the six dimensions of any completed physical object: above and below, right and left, before and behind.

7 - the spiritual values that were the purpose of Creation; the Oneness of GOD and the spiritual presence He has instilled in Creation

8 - man's ability to transcend the limitations of physical existence; a plane above nature (the metaphysical Divine)

[NateR]

Originally Posted by warriorlion

I would say 3 is the most important. Its the whole father, son, spirit, but its also the number of days that Jesus chose to defeat death and pay for our sin

Three would be extremely important especially when applied to a marriage: a man and a woman, two equals who are constantly clashing and opposing each other, and only through a mutual devotion to GOD can they find true peace and balance in their marriage.

[Tyburn]

That entirely depends on what meaning matters most. See, Symbols in themselves are just physical tokens, they have no meaning, but that which we ascribe to them. Thats why they can have more then one meaning, or how meanings can be perverted over time. Symbols are merely ikons, or signposts which point to something greater then themselves (that thing which they symbolize.

so the question is not which Number is the most important symbologically...but what THING is most important, and by what token is it represented.

To me...I would have to say the nature of my walk with GOD through the seasons of my life, in order to eventually gain union would be the most important meaning. The closest numerical value for this would be Forty. Often a long period of time, which represents preparation, or a season between two changes, or a time of growth...part of a journey.

it rained for forty days...Christ was in the wilderness for forty days...each a season for something...

That would be my answer.

40.

Originally Posted by Tyburn

That entirely depends on what meaning matters most. See, Symbols in themselves are just physical tokens, they have no meaning, but that which we ascribe to them. Thats why they can have more then one meaning, or how meanings can be perverted over time. Symbols are merely ikons, or signposts which point to something greater then themselves (that thing which they symbolize.

so the question is not which Number is the most important symbologically...but what THING is most important, and by what token is it represented.

To me...I would have to say the nature of my walk with GOD through the seasons of my life, in order to eventually gain union would be the most important meaning. The closest numerical value for this would be Forty. Often a long period of time, which represents preparation, or a season between two changes, or a time of growth...part of a journey.

it rained for forty days...Christ was in the wilderness for forty days...each a season for something...

That would be my answer.

40.

it also represents testing

[NateR]

I read where some translators believe that "forty" is just a way for the ancient Hebrew to refer to an unspecified, large number. In other words, "40 days" would just be an idiom for "many days."

We do the same in English. If someone is looking at a large flock of birds, they might exclaim, "There must be a million birds there!" They don't literally mean that there are 1,000,000 birds, it's just a way to explain that this is an unusually large flock of birds. Or if someone tries to lift a box full of books, they might say, "This thing weighs a ton!" when the box is probably only 40-50 pounds, far short of 2000 pounds.

Anyways, that's just one interpretation of the word "forty" in the Bible. I'd have to study to see if there is any real significance to the number 40 in the Hebrew language.

[Tyburn]

Originally Posted by warriorlion

it also represents testing

yes...thats what I mean by progression from one season to another, a time of growth

[Tyburn]

Originally Posted by NateR

I read where some translators believe that "forty" is just a way for the ancient Hebrew to refer to an unspecified, large number. In other words, "40 days" would just be an idiom for "many days."

We do the same in English. If someone is looking at a large flock of birds, they might exclaim, "There must be a million birds there!" They don't literally mean that there are 1,000,000 birds, it's just a way to explain that this is an unusually large flock of birds. Or if someone tries to lift a box full of books, they might say, "This thing weighs a ton!" when the box is probably only 40-50 pounds, far short of 2000 pounds.

Anyways, that's just one interpretation of the word "forty" in the Bible. I'd have to study to see if there is any real significance to the number 40 in the Hebrew language.

yes, it can be used to just mean a long period of time...the point isnt how long the period of time is, the point is more that its usually used as a progression. Someone rulled Israel for Forty years...the flood, forty days...and each of those things had a before...and an after..its about progression.

40.

I'm gonna go with 5.