Five: Incompletion or lacking

For a person to understand the meaning of the number “five”, one must first realize that the meaning of the number ten is completion or wholeness. Since five is half of ten, the idea is that the number five represents incompletion or that which is lacking. A Scripture that expresses this idea is found in the book of John. At a place called Beit Chesed (Bethesda), there was a pool whose waters healed the sick. The reader is told that around the pool there were five porches. It is stated that on these five porches laid individuals who were not whole. Some were paralyzed and the rest of them had a variety of health problems. It is not a chance happening that these people who were lacking their health were on five porches. Another well-known passage that contains the number five is found in I Samuel 17. In the account of David and Goliath, David picks up five stones (see I Samuel 17:40). Why is the reader told the specific number and not simply that David had gathered a few stones? The answer is to assist the reader in understanding that the stone, which David hurled at Goliath, was not the source of victory. Rather, this was only the means that God used to accomplish His victory. In other words, the stone and even David, who hurled this stone at Goliath, were insufficient to bring about this victory.

One of the first places where the idea of "lacking" or "incompleteness" is seen regarding the number five is in the book of Genesis. In chapter 18, two angels are sent to Sodom to destroy the city. God tells Abraham that if 50 righteous people are found in the city, then the city will be free of this punishment (We will learn that the number 50 is related to freedom when this number is studied). This is revealed to Abraham and he responds saying, perhaps the city will lack 50 righteous people by five. It is significant that Abraham uses the number five when referring to the city lacking enough righteous people. 

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Ten: Completion, wholeness, in a general sense, entirety…

The number ten relates to completion, wholeness, or speaking about something in its entirety. In Luke's Gospel, Yeshua uses the number ten frequently in His parables or when recounting an event. Yeshua spoke of ten coins (chapter 15), ten lepers (chapter 17), ten servants (chapter 19), and ten units of money (chapter 19). In Matthew's Gospel, Yeshua refers to ten virgins; while in Mark's Gospel, ten cities. In all of these passages, Yeshua is utilizing the number ten in a collective manner. In other words, He is speaking about ten in a general manner or as a whole. 

In the book of Revelation chapters 13 and 17, the number ten appears in reference to ten horns. These ten horns are related to the beast, which had also seven heads. These ten horns are ten kings which rule with the beast. Why specifically ten kings? Other than Israel, all the nations of the world are going to serve the beast. Hence, the ten kings represent the world in its entirety or wholeness. In this example, it may be puzzling at first to see why the number seven is used in regard to the beast, as seven relates to holiness or perfection. The solution to this difficulty is found when one remembers that seven also relates to purpose or setting something apart. Hence, the beast is the empire which has as its purpose the exact opposite of the will of God, i.e., the beast has been set apart to stand in opposition to the purposes of God. 

In Hebrew, the word that relates to a pagan temple prostitute is the word that could be translated as a "holy one". Certainly this one is not holy in our understanding of the word; however in Hebrew, the idea which is being expressed by the use of the Hebrew word for "holy" is that this woman has been set apart (sanctified) for a purpose. Obviously a very unholy purpose; yet in Hebrew the word "holy" does not always convey a good or godly purpose, just a purpose.

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Eight: The Kingdom of God, redemption, and newness or renewal 

The number eight both in Judaism and Christianity expresses "newness". Many scholars call it the number of redemption or the Kingdom number. A common use for the number eight relates to circumcision, for a male child was circumcised on the eighth day. It was on the eighth day the male child was also given a name. It was through the covenant of circumcision and the giving of a Hebrew name that the child entered into a new relationship as a member of the Children of Israel. Circumcision also relates to the death of the flesh (carnal nature), which is one of the primary outcomes of redemption. Not living according to the flesh expresses a Kingdom lifestyle. Before examining a few examples from the Scripture, let it be stated that early churches were often built with eight walls to convey faith in the resurrection (the Kingdom hope). The Bible states that Yeshua rose from the dead on the first day of the week. However, when also considering the prior week, seven days and adding the first day of the week, the total is eight. Therefore, Christianity has used the number eight to convey the concept of resurrection and not only the resurrection of Yeshua, but all who will enter into the Kingdom. Resurrection and Kingdom are often linked together in both Judaism and Christianity. 

In the book of Leviticus, Moses provides a list of God's festival days. The last one is known as the Eighth Day Assembly (see Leviticus 23:36). Although very little is stated in the Scripture concerning this festival, it is treated as a Shabbat and called a holy convocation. Whereas Christianity ignores this day altogether, Judaism places great significance upon it and understands its message as related to the Kingdom. 

A classic example of the number eight is found in Acts chapter 9. In this passage, a man who was paralyzed for eight years, was healed by Peter. There is no coincidence that in the next passage the message found is resurrection. In 1 Peter 3:20, eight individuals are mentioned. These are Noah and his wife and their three sons and their wives. It was with these eight people that HaShem began humanity anew. This is one of the places that one can see how the concept of newness is related to the number eight. The vast majority of times the number eight appears in the Scripture it is part of a composite number. For example, in John chapter five a man was paralyzed for 30 and 8 years (38). This occurrence provides a good illustration of how composite numbers should be handled.

Although the number 30 has as a general meaning death, it is possible to understand it as multiplications of five and six, and three and ten. The idea then would be that when incompleteness (5) meets with the grace of God (6), there is a new beginning (8). One could make this interpretation somewhat more spiritual. As sinners we are incomplete (5) for entrance into the Kingdom of God, but when we experience the grace of God (6), we become a new creation (8) and are no longer incomplete for entrance into the Kingdom.
If one uses the other numbers (3 and 10) the following can be derived from the number 38. As we have learned, the number three expresses the concept of testing. Hence, the number thirty can relate to being thoroughly or completely (10) tested (3). Usually when a person finds himself being tested, he immediately prays for the testing to be stopped or to be removed from the trial. What is being expressed in this example is that one is going to be thoroughly or completely (10) tested (3) and when the purpose for this testing or trial is complete, then this person will have a new beginning (8). 

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One: God

Refers to HaShem (God), Who is One. This number can also refer to unity. The first place the number "one" occurs is in Genesis 1:5. There one reads, "And there was an evening and there was a morning— one day". Later on in this same book of Genesis, it is stated concerning the man and his wife, "And they became one flesh" (Genesis 2:24). It is very significant that in both of these examples there was a multiplicity for the subject. In the first example, the evening and the morning became one day and in the second example, it was Adam and Eve who became one flesh.

One of the most famous passages in the Torah concerning HaShem is Deuteronomy 6:4 which states, "Hear O Israel the Lord your God the Lord is One." The question that a person must ask himself is what is the connection between the use of the Hebrew word אחד "one" which identifies a multiplicity being one and the fact that the Lord God of Israel is One? The answer is that the Hebrew word אחד can relate to the concept for one as in "unification". There is another Hebrew word that would have been possible to be used if the author wanted to refer to an absolute oneness or singleness. This is the Hebrew word יחיד. In fact, there is a well-known prayer in Judaism which states, "אחד ואין יחיד כיחודו". This phrase should be translated as, "(God is) One and there is no singularity as His singularity." The idea that is being expressed in this prayer is that the Lord God of Israel is One; but not an absolute One; rather there is a uniqueness and a complexity to His Oneness.

The number one is frequently employed to express in the Scriptures one object, such as one man or one tabernacle. This usage would be the simple or common purpose that the number one or for that matter any number, would appear in a Biblical text. Often the appearance of a number does not contain any of the significance that Hebrew numerology might offer. Therefore, the reader must always consider when coming across a verse which contains a number, that the number only expresses an amount and no additional significance. 

Because the number one is often associated with God, there is a unique phenomenon in the Scriptures concerning this number. Sometimes the number one is employed to express a unique relationship that the object has to HaShem. For example,

"And it will be one day, it will be known to HaShem..." Zechariah 14:7

In the text above, Zechariah could have stated simply, "And it will be a day…" The fact that the prophet said "one day" is to convey that this day is uniquely related to God. Similarly, it is stated by the prophet Ezekiel in chapter 37, "one King", "one nation" and "one Shepherd" (see Ezekiel 37:22, 24). Each of these objects—King, nation and Shepherd—has a connection to HaShem. The King and Shepherd is Messiah Yeshua, the Son of God and the one nation is Israel, the people of God.

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