Biblical Numbers
21-144,000
Twenty-One
But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me
twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes,
came to help me, because I was detained there with the king
of Persia. (Daniel 10:13)
Do you know why the Daniel Fast lasts twenty-one days?
God responded to Daniel's prayer the first day he prayed by
sending a messenger to Daniel. A powerful spiritual being of
darkness detained the messenger for twenty-one days. Daniel
faithfully continued praying and fasting, and God's
messenger eventually arrived, assisted by Michael, the
archangel. Answers to our prayers may be hindered by unseen
obstacles. Our prayers may be challenged by evil forces. We
must pray and fast until there is a breakthrough. For
Daniel, it took twenty-one days. That's why some people go
on a twenty-one day fast "to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke" (Isaiah 58:5).
The number twenty-one represents a holy state because it is
the product of seven and three multiplied by each other, and
seven signifies what is holy, and so also does three.
Twenty-Two
Now Ahab the son of Omri became king over Israel in
the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, and Ahab the
son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years.
(1 Kings 16:29)
Twenty-two is double the number eleven. It is
significant in that it is double the disorganization and
disintegration that eleven is. In connection with the word
of God, twenty-two is associated with the worst of kings;
Jeroboam in 1 Kings 14:20 and Ahab in 1 Kings 16:29. Both of
these evil kings reigned twenty-two years.
Since twenty-two derives its significance by doubling number
eleven, let's review what number eleven means. Since ten is
a perfect number of divine order, we add one to get eleven.
Since twelve is a perfect number of governmental order, we
subtract one to get eleven. This alteration of perfect
numbers add up to corruption.
Before Ahab, Jeroboam reigned over Israel twenty-two years.
He made golden images of the pagan god Baal. He gave Baal
credit for what God had done. After Jeroboam's death,
eighteen kings sat on the throne of Israel, and not one of
them gave up the golden images. Ahab was the seventh king of
Israel. He was in a good position to make a difference since
seven is the number of spiritual perfection. Under the
influence of his wicked wife, Jezebel, Ahab neglected God
and gave way to idolatry. They opposed the worship of God
and gave Baal full credit for everything. This alteration of
God's law lasted the entire twenty-two years that Ahab
reigned.
We should always obey the first commandment: "You shall have
no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:3). If you do not obey
the first commandment, then you alter God's laws and His
plan for your life.
Twenty-Three
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. (Psalm
23:1)
The number twenty-three doesn't occur that often in the
Bible. When it does, it points to prosperity and plenty. The
prosperity can be in a physical, financial or spiritual
sense. The positional aspect of twenty-three is also
important. For example, the twenty-third verse of Genesis 1
completes the fifth day of creation when God says to the
creatures of the earth, "Be fruitful and multiply."
The most familiar "twenty-third" in the Bible is Psalm 23
which definitely speaks of prosperity based on God's
provisions. From the beginning of Psalm 23 to the end, we
are assured that we shall not want because we have
everything we need. We are promised green pastures, still
waters, the restoration of our soul, a path of
righteousness, a table of abundance in the presence of our
enemies, a head anointed with oil, a cup that runneth over,
goodness and mercy and a dwelling place in the house of the
Lord all because of God's grace and His love for us.
When you look to David's shepherd of Psalm 23 and welcome
Him as your own shepherd, you can say like David, "The Lord
is my shepherd, I shall not want."
Twenty-Four
Around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon
the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in
white garments, and golden crowns on their heads.
(Revelation 4:4)
The number twenty-four is used twice in the above
scripture. John reports that he saw twenty-four thrones
around the main throne in heaven. On the twenty-four thrones
sat the twenty-four elders. Who are the twenty-four elders?
They represent those who have been redeemed by the blood of
the Lamb. Because there were twelve tribes of Israel in the
Old Testament and twelve disciples in the New Testament, the
twenty-four elders in this vision represent ALL the redeemed
of God for all time before and after Christ's death and
resurrection. That includes all who have been washed in the
shed blood of Jesus.
The twenty-four elders represent every redeemed person
whether Jew or Gentile, man or female, young or old. The
twenty-four elders show us that we, too will be in continual
worship of God in heaven. Why not begin now to worship Him
in spirit and truth?
Because the scripture says the twenty-four elders are in
white garments, crowned and enthroned, it suggests that they
have been rewarded. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so "for
great is your reward in heaven" (Matthew 5:12).
Twenty-Five
Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and
the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. Sarah became
pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the
very time God had promised him. (Genesis 21:1-2)
Abraham was 75 years old when God called him. God made a
covenant with Abraham and promised him and his 65 year old
wife, Sarah a son. Isaac was not born nine months later. He
was born twenty-five years later when Abraham was 100 and
Sarah was 90 (Genesis 17:17; 21:5). You do the math. That
was twenty-five years later! Where was God for twenty-five
years?
God did not forget His promise to Abraham. God was working
things out for the benefit of all nations since Abraham was
to become the "Father of Many Nations." Surely God could
have opened up Sarah's womb immediately, but He chose not to
do so at that particular time. God's ultimate plan will
always be carried out in His perfect timing. When the
waiting had gotten too long for Sarah, she took matters into
her own hands. Of course, Abraham went along with it by
sleeping with Hagar and Ishmael was born. But Ishmael was
not the son of promise. God's plan was not fulfilled until
twenty-five years later. By that time, Abraham's faith was
stronger and He was ready to trust God wholeheartedly.
That's why Abraham was able to pass the test with the near
sacrifice of Isaac on Mt. Moriah.
Twenty-five is the number of grace multiplied five times. It
is that grace that allows us to wait on God's promises. It
is that grace that allows us to be faithful in the midst of
our storms. Twenty-five is what you might call "Grace Under
Fire."
Let's wait on God for His promises to be fulfilled . . .
even if it takes twenty-five years! Know that God's grace is
sufficient! (2 Corinthians 12:9) Let's wait on it!
Thirty
Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his
work. (Luke 3:23)
Thirty is 3 x 10, a combination of two good numbers.
Thirty denotes a higher degree of the perfection of divine
order, such as marking the right moment. For example, Jesus
began His ministry when He was thirty. Joseph, who is a type
of Christ began His ministry at thirty (Genesis 41:46).
David, another type of Christ, began to reign at age thirty
(2 Samuel 5:4).
Notice that all three of these men were betrayed either
before or after they started their ministers. As you know,
Judas betrayed our Savior for thirty pieces of silver
because that was the going rate for a slave. Joseph was sold
for fifteen pieces of silver, the going rate for a slave
during his day. David wasn't sold into slavery, but he was
continually chased by Saul who tried to kill him on several
occasions
Thirty denotes what is perceived as of little value.
However, the true value surpasses that perception as in the
case of Jesus, Joseph and David.
Thirty-Three
And when they had come to the place called Calvary,
there they crucified Him . . . (Luke 23:33)
It is so amazing that the number thirty-three is not in
any version of the Bible. However, thirty-three is a
significant number based on what we know about the life,
ministry and death of our Lord and Savior. For example, He
was baptized when He was thirty and started His ministry
soon thereafter. He taught the disciples for three years.
Therefore, he was thirty-three years old when He died for
us.
In commemoration and thankfulness of Jesus' death on the
cross, let's praise God for His redemptive plan. There is no
better way on this day, September 11, than to thank God for
His son who died that we might live. In so doing we are
better able to thank God for peace and comfort for those who
still feel the pain of what happened two years again when so
many lives were lost.
"But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first
fruits of those who have died." (1 Corinthians 15:20)
Forty
And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy
God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble
thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart,
whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.
(Deuteronomy 8:2)
Forty is the number of probation, testing and trial. The
significance of forty is seen throughout the Bible. Moses
was forty years old when he fled from Egypt. He was on
probation for forty years while on the backside of the
mountain tending sheep. God called him when he was eighty.
He led the Israelites through the wilderness forty years and
died at age 120. Moses' life was divided into three distinct
periods of forty years each. Moses received the Ten
Commandments from God after spending forty days on Mount
Sinai. When he broke the tablets, he returned for another
forty day period.
Saul, the first king of Israel was on probation for forty
years. He proved himself unworthy. He, his servant and his
three sons all died on Mt. Gilboa after Saul had reigned
forty years. He left no descendants on the throne.
How long did it rain after Noah and his family were safe
inside the ark? Forty days and forty nights. It took that
long for God to purge the earth of sin. The twelve spies
were in the land forty days. God told Ezekiel to lie on his
side forty days to symbolize the punishment of Judah. Elijah
fasted for forty days while he was hiding from Jezebel.
Forty centuries after Adam, Jesus came in the fullness of
time. Jesus fasted forty days before starting His ministry.
After His resurrection, he walked the face of the earth
before ascending to His Father. Forty days after Jesus'
crucifixion, Jerusalem was destroyed.
If you are approaching your 40th birthday, your testing time
is ending. If you have been married 40 years, you are no
longer on probation. If you have been on the same job 40
years, you have done well, and your boss knows what you can
do. But no matter what age you are or how long you have been
married or how long you have worked for the same company,
there is one area in which your probation will never end.
And that is loving God more with each passing day. God can
never love us more. God can never love us less. But, we can
love Him more. Let's do that...not for forty days or forty
years...but FOREVER.
Fifty
That fiftieth year shall be a jubilee to you; in it
you shall neither sow nor reap what grows of its own accord,
nor gather the grapes of your untended vine. (Leviticus
25:11)
Fifty is the number of jubilee or deliverance. Fifty is
used approximately three hundred times in the Bible. It
points to deliverance and restoration following seven cycles
of seven years. According to Leviticus 25:8-55, special
instruction was given concerning the fiftieth year. It was
the year for the Israelites to rejoice and be jubilant.
Therefore, the fiftieth year is known as the Year of Jubilee
when the Israelites were told to "proclaim liberty
throughout all the land." Debts were considered paid in
full, slaves were released and land was returned to the
proper owners. The Year of Jubilee was a year for neither
sowing nor reaping. God established the Year of Jubilee for
people to be liberated and to start over.
Fifty is also the number of salvation. In Genesis 18,
Abraham's prayer was for God to spare wicked Sodom if fifty
righteous people were found there.
Fifty is significant because it is the numbers of days from
Jesus' resurrection to the coming of the Holy Spirit; hence,
the name Pentecost. On the Day of Pentecost, there was great
rejoicing for the freedom that the Holy Spirit brought. He
still brings us freedom today.
God wants people to be free. Jesus spoke these words: "The
Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He anointed me to
preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim
RELEASE to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind
to set FREE those who are downtrodden, to proclaim the
favorable year of the Lord" (Luke 4:8-9).
Therefore, "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there IS
liberty!" (2 Corinthians 3:17).
Seventy
For thus says the Lord: After seventy years are
completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform my good
word toward you, and cause you to return to this place.
(Jeremiah 29:10)
Just as the number seven denotes perfection, maturity
and completion, the number seventy denotes an entire period
or a full state. This is especially true since seven is one
of the perfect numbers multiplied by ten, another one of the
perfect numbers. The Book of Daniel speaks of the seventy
weeks of this dispensation. According the Bible we are
living in the 69th week; thus, the 70th week will bring this
dispensation to its full state. These weeks are "decreed for
your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to
put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in
everlasting righteousness . . ." (Daniel 9:24).
Jacob's family consisting of seventy people joined Joseph in
Egypt after he became second in command. The seventy
increased to two million. Jesus appointed seventy and sent
them on a mission (Luke 10:18).
God sent the sinning Israelites into captivity to Babylon
for seventy years and promised them they would return after
that time. Why seventy years? Why not some other number?
Seventy is a full state and the ideal life span of a person.
A new generation did emerge from this captivity and the
people returned home after exactly seventy years.
Since the ideal life span of a person is seventy years, let
us so live so that we will make the most of our days. "The
days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of
strength they are eighty years, yet their boast is only
labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away"
(Psalm 90:10).
One Hundred
Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son
Isaac was born to him. (Genesis 21:5)
The number one hundred indicates fullness especially
when it comes to age. The fact that Abraham was one hundred
years old when Isaac was born underscores the magnitude of
the miracle.
Since one hundred equals ten tens, the number is a nice
round figure that conveys completeness. Israel's soldiers
normally appeared in groups of a hundred. Obadiah hid one
hundred prophets from Jezebel.
A hundred denotes not only what is full; but also the
principle of return. "And other seed fell upon the good
earth and having sprung up it brought forth fruit a
hundredfold" (Luke 8:8; Matthew 13:8; and Mark 4:20).
Another good example of the siginificance of one hundred is
in the parable of the lost sheep. We can see the emphasis on
completeness and return. When one sheep out of a hundred
wanders off and is lost, the number remaining seems lackng
and incomplete by comparison. The man is not satisfied until
after he has found his lost sheep bringing his total back to
exactly one hundred. "What do you think? If a man has a
hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not
leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the
one that is straying?" (Matthew 18:12) A number other than
one hundred would not have made the parable as significant
in its message.
In summary, the number one hundred is a lround
complete number. It suggests a large return. Remember, the
one who receives the seed of the word of God and keeps it
will produce a hundredfold crop (Luke 8:15).
One Hundred and
Twenty
n those days Peter stood up among the believers
(together the crowd numbered about one hundred twenty
persons) and said . . . (Acts 1:15)
The number one hundred and twenty is made up of three
forties (3x40=120). Since forty is the period of probation,
one hundred and twenty signifies a divinely appointed period
of probation as in Genesis 6:3, "Then the Lord said, 'My
spirit shall not abide in mortals forever, for they are
flesh; their days shall be one hundred twenty years.'"
Applied to persons, it is a divinely appointed number during
a period of waiting as in the above scripture (Acts 1:15).
Just before Jesus ascended to His Father, He told His
disciples to stay in Jerusalem on one accord and wait for
the coming of the Holy Spirit. Because the believers were
all together on one accord, the waiting period was a short
one of only ten days. All one hundred and twenty believers
had gathered together in unity.
The life application here is that blessings happen to and
for us when we gather together on one accord. Let's assemble
ourselves together on one accord serving and honoring our
God.
One Hundred and
Fifty
And the waters prevailed on the earth one hundred and
fifty days. (Genesis 7:24)
God had a workable plan to purge the earth of sin. He
chose Noah, an upright and just man to build an ark one and
a half football fields in length and 800 railroad cars wide
to escape the flood. It rained forty days and forty nights,
and the waters prevailed on the earth one hundred and fifty
days. During that time, the ark was on top of the mountain
of Ararat 17,000 feet high, and the flood was fifteen cubits
higher than the mountains. There have been many local floods
since then, but not a flood that prevailed for one hundred
and fifty days.
Noah's ark was a picture of Christ. The waters depicted
God's judgment upon the earth. Like Noah and his family, we
are in the ark of safety if we have confessed Jesus as our
Savior and Lord. Those who are outside are doomed (1 Peter
3:21).
Like Noah, let's make sure that we and those in our family
are in the ark of safety
One Hundred and
Fifty-Three
Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore.
It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the
net was not torn. (John 21:11)
One hundred and fifty-three is definitely a number of
plenty. Not only that, but it is a number of unexpected
plenty. Peter, a true fisherman had toiled all night when
fish normally bite, and he had caught nothing. He had come
back from a fruitless fishing trip, discouraged and
disgusted. He had cleaned his nets which is not an easy job.
Then comes the carpenter during the early morning and tells
him to cast his net on the other side of the boat. Didn't
Jesus know fish usually bite at night? Didn't Jesus know
Peter had already tried fishing from both sides of the boat,
from the front and from the back?
When Peter and the others followed Jesus' instructions, they
were unable to haul the net in because of the large number
of fish. Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net
ashore. It was full of large fish, 153 to be exact. The
Bible gives the exact number to illustrate how we can toil
all night and catch nothing on our own. As soon as we obey
God, no matter how illogical the instructions might seem, we
prosper more. Notice the Bible says the fish were large
suggesting the usual catch might not have been large. Also,
notice the net was not broken. This indicates that God
provides a mighty catch for us who are obedient to His word.
He will see to it that in the process our net does not
break.
This was a most productive day for Peter and the other
fishermen. They caught more fish using the unconventional
methods provided by Jesus. Do you want to have productive
days? Try following the word of God even when it seems not
to make sense!
Two Hundred
Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for
them. (John 6:7)
Since twenty is the number of expectancy, then the
expectancy is tenfold with the number two hundred. The
significance of two hundred is suggested by the above
scripture when Philip announced two hundred pennyworth of
bread amounting to six months' wages was NOT SUFFICIENT for
feeding the multitude who had followed Jesus to the desert.
Therefore, two hundred is not only the number of expectancy,
but it is also the number associated with insufficiency. The
miracle of Jesus feeding the five thousand is based on God's
sufficiency and not on the insufficiency that Philip saw
with his natural eyes.
Other examples of two hundred being a number of
insufficiency appear several times in the Bible. Achan's 200
shekels were "not sufficient" to save him from the
consequences of his sin (Joshua 7:21). Psalm 49:7-9 shows us
the insufficiency of money. Absalom's 200 shekels weight of
hair were "not sufficient" to save him, but rather caused
his destruction (2 Samuel 14:26, 18:9). This shows us the
insufficiency of beauty. Micah's graven image was purchased
for 200 shekels (Judges 17:4 and 18), and led to the
introduction of idolatry into Israel and the blotting out of
the tribes of Dan and Ephraim, showing us the insufficiency
of idolatry. Ezra's 200 singing men and women (Ezra 2:65)
were "not sufficient" to produce peace with God, true
spiritual worship, or joy in the Lord. There will always be
insufficiency when we try to worship God with external
things.
There is no tenfold expectancy when we love, honor and give
God the glory. There is no insufficiency on our part when we
worship God in spirit and in truth. There is definitely no
insufficiency on God's part because "God's grace is
SUFFICIENT" (2 Corinthians 12:9)
Three Hundred
And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand
to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of
the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water . . .
and he sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent,
and retained those three hundred men. . . (Judges 7:6,
8b)
Gideon started out with 32,000 men in his army as they
went to defeat the Midians. Gideon thought that was too few
to go up against the Midianites, but God told Gideon this
was too many men. If they defeated the Midianites, Gideon
and his men would certainly claim the victory as their own.
Gideon had to make cuts from the team. The first cut was
based on those who were afraid. Fear is contagious and
besides it keeps people from performing effectively. "And
there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and
there remained ten thousand." (Judges 7:3) Then God said the
number was still too many. Gideon had to make another
cut.
God sent Gideon and his men down to the river. The
Israelites were familiar with the custom of wandering people
used on a journey. Because they are usually in a haste, they
do not stoop down on their knees to drink water from a
river. They bend forward as much as is necessary to bring
their hand in contact with the stream, and they throw the
water up rapidly. The three hundred in Gideon's army who
adopted this style of drinking were selected as fit for a
work that required haste and full awareness of enemies
around them. The rest were dismissed. This left only three
hundred, a handful of men to defeat the Midianites. And they
did with God getting the glory!
In this case, the number three hundred is a divine number
because that's how many men it took to carry out God's plan.
While it is natural to think it takes a whole lot of people
to do something, we need to believe with God any number is a
majority. So, whether you are working with a budget of $300
or have a congregation of 300 members, invite God to be in
control of all you do and let Him get the glory!
Four Hundred
See, I will send you a prophet (like Elijah) before
that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He (John the
Baptist) will turn the hearts of the fathers to their
children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers;
or else I will come and strike the land with a curse."
(Malachi 4:5)
The period from the book of Malachi at the end of our
Old Testament to the opening of Matthew at the beginning of
our New Testament comprises about 400 years and is called
the Intertestamental Period. These 400 years are often
referred to as the "silent years." However, they were only
silent in the sense that God spoke to no prophet during that
time. God was still speaking loudly through His silence.
The last prophet God spoke to was Malachi in the Old
Testament, and he spoke to no one else until He spoke to
John the Baptist in the New Testament. Therefore, John the
Baptist is the link between the two testaments.
God is never silent. He neither slumbers nor sleeps. (Psalm
121:4). He didn't create the world and wind it up like a
watch to run on its own. God has always been and always will
be in control of His world. Remember, God didn't speak to
any prophet for the four hundred year intertestamental
period, but He speaks clearly today. How? "In the past God
spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times
and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to
us by His Son." (Hebrews 1:1)
Listen! God is speaking to you right now!
Six Hundred and
Sixty-Six
Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding
calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a
man: His number is 666. (Revelation 13:18)
We are warned to have wisdom over evil and know what the
mark of the beast is. What is the mark of the beast? And
what is the meaning of 666? Some have seen this number as a
reference to Nero, the first emperor to persecute
Christians. Other explanations point toward this number as
mathematical computations of other evil persons such as
Hitler or Mussolini as the Antichrist. Efforts to identify a
specific person have been unsatisfactory.
The most convincing explanation is this: Since the number
seven symbolizes the fullness of God (Genesis 3:1; 5:6),
perhaps six is falling one short of completeness. Man was
created on the sixth day. Therefore, six is the number
representing man. The "mark of the beast" is the counterfeit
of "the seal of the living God" (Revelation 7:3). Just as
there is a trinity with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit;
there is also a trinity with Satan consisting of Satan
himself, the first beast, and the false prophet.
What it comes down to is who gets our allegiance: the
Trinity of the Godhead or the Satanic Trinity. Our
allegiance should always be to God and not to Satan. The
mark of the beast (666) will then have no chance of being
imprinted upon our foreheads, representing our thoughts, or
on our hands, representing our action.
"Submit yourself therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he
will flee from you" (James 4:7)
One Thousand
But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that
one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand
years as one day. (2 Peter 3:8)
We refer to the thousand-year period mentioned in
connection with the description of Christ's coming to reign
with the saints over the earth as the millennium (Revelation
19:11-16; 20:1-9). During this thousand-year period, Satan
will be bound in the bottomless pit so he will not deceive.
After the thousand-year period is over, Satan will be
released to resume his work of deceit (Revelation 20:3,
7-9)
The most important thing to remember about the millennium is
that Christ will reign and Satan will be bound. Some
interpreters view this as literal years, and some view this
as symbolic. If you are redeemed, it doesn't matter because
Peter taught that one day with the Lord is as a thousand
years and a thousand years as a day. However, those who have
chosen Satan will experience this thousand years as an
eternity.
Choose this day how you will spend eternity. Will you spend
eternity with God in heavenly bliss? Or will you spend
eternity with Satan in outer darkness where there will be
wailing and gnashing of teeth? (Matthew 13:50
Four Thousand
Those who had eaten were about four thousand men,
besides women and children. (Matthew 15:28)
In the gospels, there are two feeding stories. Luke and
John record only the feeding of the five thousand. However,
Matthew and Mark record both stories. The feeding of the
five thousand should not be confused with the feeding of the
four thousand. They are two independent feeding stories.
Close study reveals that while the two feeding stories are
similar, they are quite different.
For example, as its number indicates the feeding of the four
thousand was to a much smaller crowd. Jesus seems amazed
that the disciples, having witnessed the feeding of the
Jewish crowd of five thousand doubted his ability to feed
the smaller Gentile crowd.
Also, when Jesus fed the Gentile crowd, He simply "gives
thanks" among people who would not be familiar with the
Jewish tradition as He did in the feeding of the five
thousand. This should remind us that Jesus extends his
saving mission beyond his own Jewish heritage in a way
that's welcoming to all.
Two important characteristics of Christ can be seen in the
feeding of the four thousand: the compassion of Christ and
the creativity of Christ. The multitude had followed Jesus
for three days and ended up in the wilderness far from a
store to buy food. Jesus had compassion on all those people
and multiplied what was available to feed all of them before
He sent them away.
Jesus assures us that "blessed are those who hunger and
thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled"
(Matthew 5:6). Let's follow Him so that He will feed us
until we want no more!
Five Thousand
And those who ate were about five thousand men,
besides women and children. (Matthew 14:21)
While the feeding of the four thousand took place in
Gentile territory, the feeding of the five thousand took
place first in Jewish territory. Several main points can be
taken from this passage and used as our own life
applications.
1. Jesus used what was available: five loaves of bread and
two fish. God wants us to be good stewards of what is
available. Use what you have.
2. Jesus ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. God
wants us to do things orderly. It would have been quite
disorderly if everyone had tried to grab the food at the
same time or tried to buck the line. Be orderly in
everything you do.
3. Jesus blessed the meager meal. No matter how much we have
to eat, God wants us to bless it and to give Him thanks.
4. After all had eaten and were filled, they took up what
was left over of the broken pieces. Simply put, we should
waste nothing. We should be good stewards over our
leftovers.
We can follow Jesus' procedure for the feeding of the five
thousand in areas of our own lives. Review all four points
and do likewise.
One Hundred Forty-Four
Thousand
And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One
hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the
children of Israel were sealed. (Revelation 7:4)
This is one of the most misunderstood scriptures in the
Book of Revelation. There have been many perplexing theories
about the 144,000. If people would merely read the above
scripture, they could save themselves much confusion.
Revelation 7:4 clearly states the 144,000 are from the
twelve tribes of Israel. Revelation 7:5-8 then states there
were twelve thousand from each tribe and each tribe is named
individually to prevent any confusion about who the 144,000
are. One hundred and forty-four thousand symbolizes
completeness. This number represents totality, perfection
and the organization of God's people.
Will YOU be included? Will God protect YOU in the end times
even though YOU are not from the twelve tribes of Israel?
Absolutely! If YOU have confessed Jesus Christ as YOUR
Savior and Lord, then YOU are God's people with all
privileges and spiritual blessings and sealed with the Holy
Spirit. For this reason, all believers will be counted and
will not be forgotten in the last days.
To be included in this number is to "confess with your mouth
that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised
him from the dead" (Romans 10:9).