I wish you a happy and blessed year. I wish you in this year to be steadfast in the Lord, to be happy, to be filled with hope and gladness. I wish you feel God’s work in you and for you, His power overshadowing you, and His hand holding your hands and working through them, leading your steps towards Him.
H.H. Pope Shenouda III
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The number “seven” is almost the most famous and most important number in the Holy Scripture.
Somebody, therefore, compiled a book on “the Number Seven in the Holy Scripture”, in which he indicated that many parts of the Scripture are combined of this number, whether the number of the words, letters, or phrases. It is very wonderful, but only those learned in the original tongues of the Scripture can benefit from it . It is beyond the level of a simple reader. Therefore we shall present the subject in an easy way.
With the number “7” both the first and the last Books of the Scripture start.
The first Book “Genesis” starts with the seven days of creation, the blessing of the Lord of the seventh day which has not yet ended, because the Scripture did not say :
So the evening and the morning were the seventh day. Also when God gave the written law, He made the seventh day the Lord’s Day (the Sabbath) and commanded that it be kept holy (Ex 20:8; Deu 5:12).
The last Book of the Scripture “Revelation” likewise starts with seven messages from the Lord to seven shepherds of the seven Churches in Asia. We see the Lord standing in the midst of the seven lamp stands, which are the seven churches, and holding the seven stars in His right hand (Rev. 1:20, 2:1).
May be the seven churches are a symbol of the churches of the world, and their cases a symbol of all cases!
The messages to those churches are probably messages to all churches, and the blessings of those who overcome there are blessings and promises to all those who overcome in spiritual life all over the world. The angels of those churches are likewise a symbol of all shepherds of churches.
Time is lacking if we want to speak about the number “7” in the Revelation.
We read about the seven seals of the scroll (Rev 5:1), which indicates that it was completely sealed. We also read about the seven archangels, called “ the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth” ( Rev 5:6) , the seven trumpets given to the seven angels who stand before God (Gev 8:2); that which happened because of those seven trumpets and which undoubtedly refer to seven prophecies related to opening the seven seals (Rev 6) ; the dragon having seven heads and seven diadems on his heads (Rev 12:3); the beast having seven heads with crowns (Rev 13:1).
Do those seven heads of the dragon and of the beast represent all the evil powers and all the princes and kings resisting the kingdom of God?
Do the seven plagues and the seven woes symbolize all the hardships that will happen to the world before the end of the ages ?
The end of the seventh day will mark the end of the world; a symbol of the completion of the present world with its heaven and earth (Mt 5:18). On that day the Lord will have complete rest from all sins and horrors committed on the earth.
The number “7” then is a symbol of complete rest.
Elijah the Prophet rested from his effort for bringing down rain after the seven prayer (1 kgs 18:44). Likewise, Naaman the Syrian got clean from his leprosy only after the seventh washing in the Jordan at the command of Elishah the Prophet
(2 kgs 5:14m10). Also the people of Israel rested when the walls of Jericho fell down flat after they had marched around the city seven times (Jos 6:16, 20). The land rested in the seventh year (Lev 25 : 2-7) ; and the servant was set free in the seventh year (Ex 21 : 2). Moreover, the number “seven” was not a symbol only of complete rest but of perfection and completion of everything.
The number “7” was a symbol of complete sin, complete punishment, and complete atonement.
It is a symbol of complete falling; for the Scripture says, “A righteous man may fall seven times and rise again” (Prov 24:16) . The number “7” here is not meant literally but it refers to the limitless times of falling. And in the same way the Scripture says about Mary Magdalene that Christ had cast out of her seven demons (Mk 16:9; Lk 8:2).
In (Job 42: 8) the Lord commanded Job’s friends to offer for themselves seven bulls and seven rams as a burnt offering. The Lord wanted them to feel that their sin was complete.
On the great day of atonement one bull was offered (Lev 16), but for Job’s friends seven were required as a symbol of the greatness of their sin the same was required from Balaam (Num 23: 1). The punishment of Nebuchadnezzar likewise was appointed by God to continue for seven times (Da 4: 16).
And in the book of Leviticus, the Lord says, “If you do not obey Me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. “ (Lev 26:18). It is a symbol of complete and seven disciplining. The Proverbs say about the thief that he must restore sevenfold (Prov 6:31).
As a symbol of punishment and atonement the blood of the sacrifice was required to be sprinkled seven times in front of the veil of the sanctuary
(lev 4: 6,17).
That was symbolic meaning that the veil between God and man has received its right fully from the blood as an evidence of the perfection of the atonement offered. Also uncleanness was punished for seven days (lev.).
The Lord Christ used this number when speaking about forgiveness.
When Peter asked the Lord, saying, “How often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” the Lord answered him, saying, “ I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” (Mt 18 : 21,22) He did not mean a limited number but the limitless number.
The number “7” also is used in the context blessing and curse.
In the context of the blessing it is said, “the Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.” ( Deut 28: 7) It means that they will flee completely. The same applies to the punishment (Deut 28: 25).
The same number comes in the interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams.
Seven good cows and seven thin cows, and seven good heads of grain and seven empty heads: both the good cows and heads represent seven years of great plenty. Both the thin cows and empty head represent seven years of famine (Gen 41).
In many other events along history the number “7” was used.
On the mention of the complete distress concerning the tribulation of Job the Righteous, it is said that his friends sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights and no one spoke a word to him. This is a sign of complete sorrow and distress, and also completion of the period necessary for comforting Job.
Also about Cain in his fear of being killed , it was said, “Whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold,” and about Lameck “seventy-sevenfold”. This represents complete vengeance.
Jacob in his love to Rachel, served seven years. Then for Leah her sister he served another seven years (Gen 29: 18,20,27,30). Jacob service for Rachel seven years to marry her is an evidence of his complete labor for her. If it was said he served for her 15 years, the words would not be as strong as “seven”.
In the story of the valiant Samson, to deceive them, he said,” If they find me with seven fresh bowstrings … I shall become weak.” (Jud 16: 7) it was a symbolic number referring to the strongest bowstrings with which a person may be bound.
When Elijah the Prophet said, “ I alone am left,” the Lord said to him,” I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal.”
(1 kgs 19: 18) . The number may be real, but is is also a symbol of the great number.
When consecrating Aaron and his sons and their garments the Lord commanded that they put the garments on for “7” days.
The priests were consecrated for seven days. Seven days an atonement was made for the altar, so the altar would be most holy. Whatever touched it must be holy
(Ex 29: 30,35,37).
But why the number “7” in particular? Is there a mystery or a symbol behind it.?
It is noteworthy that the great Day of Atonement, which was a symbol of the Redemption, was in the seventh month. An atonement was made for the people to cleanse them, as a statute forever, for all their sins once a year. On the same day an atonement was made for the Holy Sanctuary, for the tabernacle of meeting, and for the priests (Lev 16)
And why did the Lord choose for the great Day of Atonement the seventh month in particular?
Remarkably we notice that the first man to ascend unto heaven was Enoch, the seventh from Adam (Gen 5: 24; Jud 14).
Was that a symbol of his ascension unto heaven, for it is written, “Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him”? Also the seven steps leading to the temple (Ezek 40: 22, 26), were they symbolic? Likewise the clean animals and birds which our father Noah took with him into the ark (Gen 7: 2, 3) were seven each : was that a symbol ? Of course the big number was to keep the kind of each that they may be sufficient to offer as sacrifices. But why “seven”?
Many other passages in the Holy Scripture refer to the number “7”, this I shall speak of in the next article, God willing.
I shall also speak of this number in the context of: the church dogmas and rituals; spiritualities and worship; feast, fasts, and prayers, matters relating to the Lord Christ and the Holy Spirit.