God completed the work of creation in six days, therefore the number (6) because a symbol of accomplishment of work. He rested on the seventh day, so the number (7) because a symbol of perfection.
What then about the number (8)? It is a symbol of the new beginning; a new week.
Here are various examples from the Holy Scripture that prove how the number (8) is a symbol of the new beginning.
1- If the number (7) is a symbol of completion, that is , termination of life, the number (8) then will be a symbol of a new life, probably after the termination of the first life by death.
This actually happened in the resurrection of the Lord Christ: He rose on the eighth day, that is, at the beginning of a new week, following a whole week of trial, crucifixion, death, and burial.
It is noteworthy with respect to the resurrection from the dead that the miracles of raising from the dead mentioned in the Scripture are only eight miracles !
• Three persons were raised by the Lord Christ; namely, the daughter of Jairus, the son of the widow in Nain, and Lazarus.
• Two were raised by the apostles: Tabitha by St. Peter, and Eutychus by St. Paul.
• Three were raised in the Old Testament : The son of the widow at Zariphath of Sidon by Elijah the Prophet ; the son of the Shunnamite woman by Elisha the Prophet; and a dead person by the bone of Elisha.
All were eitht who were raised from the dead and began a new life
2- The number (8) may be the beginning of a new covenant in own life with God. It began with the circumcision.
The circumcision was done on the eight day after the birth of a child (Gen 17:9-12).
With it a covenant with God began, by which a child becomes a member of God’s community, of His of Lock and people. Circumcision was a symbol of baptism in the New Testament (Col 2 : 11,12) Baptism, likewise, is the beginning of joining God’s people and membership of His church.
3- When God destroyed the whole world by the great flood, and wanted
To re-establish it with a new community instead of those who perished and drowned by the flood, the new beginning was with eight persons in the ask (1 pet.3:20) . Noah, his wife, his three sons, and the wives of his sons.
4- Again when corrustion prevailed over Noah’s sons, as had prevailed
before over Adam’s sons, God mad a new beginning with our father
Abraham
Our father Abraham, the new beginning, had eight children
Those were Isaac and Ishmael, and six from Keturah : Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah (Gen 35:1,2) . Isaac himself, who received the promised, was a new beginning, because he was born from Sarah after she had grown old (Gen 18:12).
5- The lord Christ was the Son of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of David as well. (Again in choosing.
David as the anointed of the Lord we find the number (8) clear.
The Lord sent Samuel the Prophet to anoint one of the sons of Jesse the Bethlehemite, so Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. But the Lord refused all of them. So Samuel asked if there remains another one, and Jesse said, “There remains yet the youngest…Keeping the sheep.”
(1 Sam.16:11) .
And they brought David, the eighth son, who became the chosen and anointed of the Lord.
Samuel the Prophet anointed him, and the Spirit of God came upon him. So a new king was set according to the Lord’s choice instead of Saul the rejected king.
6- The number (8) also is connected with priesthood.
Priesthood in olden times before Moses and Aaron was confined to the early fathers, like Noah, Abraham, and Job. And the Lord chose the firstborn children to be consecrated to Him (Ex 13:2).
Then the Lord wanted to begin a new phase with new priesthood; that of Aaron.
Since it was a new phase and new priesthood, it was fit to have the number (8) all over . How was that ? Moses brought Aaron and his sons, consecrated them, and commanded them to stay in the tabernacle of meeting and not go outside it for seven days (Lev 8:33). Many other preparations were made, as mentioned in Ch. 8 of the Book of Leviticus.
Furthermore, on the eighth day Moses called Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel, and he said to them, “today the Lord will appear to you, “ and he commanded Aaron to begin his work as a priest by giving a burnt offering (lev.9:1,4,7).
Aaron started this new priesthood on the eighth day and made offerings. Then he lifted his hand and blessed the people. And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the Altar; the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people (Lev.9:22,24) .
7- We notice also the number (8) in the sacrifices that were offered: “When a bull or a sheep or a goat is born, it shall be seven days with its mother; and from the eighth day and thereafter it shall be accepted as an offering made by fire to the Lord.” (Lev.22: 27 ; Ex. 22 : 30).
8- This reminds us of the New Sunday, the eighth day after the resurrection, and its importance.
The disciples could not understand the miracle of the resurrection of the Lord. They did not believe what Mary Magdealene said, not what the two disciples from Emmaus said (Mk.16 : 9-13). The words of the woman seemed to them like idle tales (Lk 24:11). The same doubts prevailed even over Mary Magdalene; she thought that the body was stolen, and she said, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid it. “ (Jn 20:2) And she repeated the same words twice in (Jn 20:13,15). Even when the Lord appeared to the disciples, they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit
(Lk 24:37) . So the Lord rebuked them for not believing the resurrection of the body.
A long way of doubts that reached its climax with Thomas, who said, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger in the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” (Jn 20: 25).
But this stage of doubts ended and a new stage of faith began on the eighth day.
That was on the eighth day following the resurrection known as Thomas’ Sunday. On that day the disciples were inside, and Thomas with them. The Lord appeared to them, showed Thomas His hands and side, and said to him, “Reach your finger here … and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” So Thomas said to Him , “My Lord and my God.” (Jn 20:26,28) Doubts ended and new stage of faith began.. on the eighth day.
9- The number (8) appears in the establishment of the church on the Day of Pentecost.
The Pentecost in the Old Testament was a symbol of the Pentecost of the New Testament. The Lord commanded them, saying, “You shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath…seven Sabbaths shall be completed. Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall after a new grain offering to the Lord.” (Lev 23 : 15,16).
The Pentecost was the beginning of the eighth week.
Likewise, in the New Testament the beginning of the eighth week the establishment of the church took place. On that day the Holy Spirit descended, and the miracle of speaking in tongues happened, and three thousand Jews believed and were baptized (Acts 2 : 1-41). It was a new era of preaching. Faith, and testifying to the Lord (Acts 1 : 8).
The same may applied to follow up the number (50) and its connection with the number (8).
Seven weeks day followed by the fiftieth day, or seven weeks years followed by the fiftieth year, both symbolize perfection. Their multiplication also seven by seven = 49 symbolized a greater perfection. All are followed by a new beginning represented in the number (fifty).
10- The Jubilee also was in the fiftieth year, in the Old Testament.
The Lord said,” You shall consecrate the fiftieth year , and proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its inhabitant. It shall be a Jubilee for you … it shall be holy to you (Lev 25 : 8-12).
11- Other events that represent important beginnings are connected with the number (8).
• Josiah the king who came after the period of idolatry and restored everything to the Lord, became king when he was eight years old
(2 kgs 22:1) . His reigning was a shinning beginning in the history of the people .
• King Hezekiah, the good king, removed away the worship of idols and cleansed the house of the Lord. 80 they sanctified the house of the Lord in eight days (2 Chr. 29:17) . It was a symbol of a new era.
12- Let us also see the number (8) in the Feast of Tabernacles and what it symbolizes:
They were commanded to dwell in booths for seven days, as a symbol of their being strangers in the world. On the eighth day they had to holy convocation and a feast (Lev. 23: 36), as a symbol of the new life which we shall live in the other world.
The number (8) is a symbol of the beginning of this happy eternal life.
How can that be?
In the Genesis we read that God made the whole world in six days, and each day ended with the words: So the evening and the morning were a … day. But the seventh day was not concluded with the same words! I has not ended! We still live on the seventh day, which will continue till the end of the ages, till heaven and earth pass away (Mt 5 : 18).
Heaven and earth will pass away by the end of the seventh day of creation, and eternity will begin on the eighth day.
It is the beginning of an endless new life, a new covenant with God. There shall be no more death, no more sorrow, and no more curse (Rev 22 : 3).
There are the multiplications of the number (8), such as the numbers (24) and (40), but let us conclude our talk with the above happy conclusion.
