unknown4

This could simply be a product of my own mind, but has anyone noticed that some of the major "proof texts" in the Bible seem to follow "patterns"?

For instance, Genesis 49:10. 49 is 7x7 and 7x7x10 is 490, a number related to Daniel 9. Zechariah 9:9-The Donkey Passage. Jeremiah 31:31-A verse about the "new covenant". Daniel 9:24-27. 27 is 9 three times. Isaiah 53. 5+3=8. 8 is a number related to the NT, the 8th day, and 888 is the Greek gematria of Jesus' name. Isaiah 66:24, final verse in the book, the "worm dies not" passage. 66 chapters in Isaiah, a book considered by Christians with a lot of Christological verses. 66 books in the Protestant canon, 24 is 8+8+8, related to Jesus' name. Proverbs 8:22-23 is considered by some to be Jesus as "wisdom". So there's another 8.

Isaiah 7:14 the "virgin" verse, # is double the chapter #. Isaiah 8:8 speaks of Immanuel, once again the #8 and twice. Isaiah 9:6. Daniel 7:14 is a passage about one like a "son of man".

And, there's Revelation 13:18, the # of the beast passage. Why is it that the chapter is 13, which is known as an "unlucky #" in certain parts of the world, and some buildings don't even have a 13th floor. and what is 18 but 6+6+6? Does anyone here think that gematria could have been in the mind of the person/people who made the chapter/verse divisions?

Ok, before I simply get a "You're nuts" response, and "this is all just mystical drivel", I think it's at least somewhat accepted that gematria is related to the Bible. After all, look at the 666 passage in Revelation 13:18 and the idea that 888 is Jesus' gematria in Greek. And here is a link referring to Greek gematria in the Greek Testament: http://www.jesus8880.com/

Kosmos (world) is 600, and Kyrios (Lord) is 800. Purposely designed? Another interesting gematria related point: The Hebrew word for amen in Hebrew gematria is 91, while in Greek word for amen is 99 in Greek gematria. The difference is.. 8.

Anyone have any constructive comments about this? Thanks.

SaintCog

Yes, I have a constructive comment - a few actually.

The versification as found in most modern Bibles wan't developed until well over a thousand years after the texts were originally written. Different denominations have numbered the verses of their respective editions and translations differently. Some verses have been removed from certain editions altogether because they are recognized as spurious. Also, some verses have been added to certain editions.

So you have pointed to a few coincidences found in an enormous anthology of texts. To tell you the truth, I would be more amazed if no such coincidences were found. Any textual corpus the size of the Old and New Testaments put together are bound to yield at least a few, if not several.

I imagine you could do the same thing with any other book of any length. I think of gematria like a Ouija board. Sure it's fun and sometimes bizarre. But at the end of the day, so what? It doesn't help anyone's understanding of anything.

Ben C Smith

Let us press this one further. There are 66 chapters in Isaiah, one for each of the 66 books of the Protestant canon, and 39 of those books are in the OT, 27 in the NT. Split Isaiah up accordingly and presto, numerological evidence that original Isaiah (chapters 1-39) and second (deutero-) Isaiah (chapters 40-66) are by different authors. Alas, breaking it down further to account for third (trito-) Isaiah would divide the NT between 2 Timothy and Titus. Not good.

Ben.

unknown4

Thanks for the responses.. I have been hesistant to read the responses to this, for concern of possible ridicule. I realize that supposedly the present chapter and verse divisions are something not original to the text. Also, another "interesting" link is that the word for Messiah, in the Hebrew Bible, is used 39 times. And there are 39 books in the OT. Personally, I don't think it's too ridiculous to think that gematria could have been involved in some way. Apparently, some of them found some significance with the number 7. If some of the Bible authors were into gematria, why not its compilers and translators? I realize that Josephus mentions 22 books in the Hebrew Bible (22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet, hehe).. and the Jews today say 24 books (interestingly, 24 letters in the Greek alphabet, and again, 888 is Jesus' gematria in Greek), but the later divisions in the Septuagint (if one uses only a Protestant or Jewish canon, gives 39 books, doesn't it?)

Are we sure that two different people gave the chapter and verse numeration? I could see how some of it could have been purposely designed. But if two different people made the divisions, with no collusion, then I guess there could be only a certain amount of verse variation, say, instead of Revelation 13:18, make it 13:16 to 13:20 or whatever. Then again, I guess I could make something out of those two also.. 13:16.. what's that besides 1*3 and 1*6? and 13:20? 1*3*2 is 6. haha.. ok, but seriously, having both 13 as an unlucky number and 18 being 6+6+6 does seem to be an "interesting coincidence", like Genesis 13:13 being the first verse to mention the word for "sinners".

Interesting point about the book of Isaiah, Ben. I realize "gematria" can be used as "evidence" for various things. I just find things like this interesting. According to this website, the KJV has the word "Christ" 555 times, http://www.blueletterbible.org/tmp_d...3457-8865.html

But, if one actually looks up the Greek word, one gets 569 as a result. http://www.blueletterbible.org/tmp_d...3504-8066.html

I'm not sure why the variance, actually.

Weren't some of the "founding fathers" of the USA into some sort of gematria? Some Freemasons are into gematria, aren't they? The Washington monument is 555 feet tall. And what is 1776 besides 888+888?