The symbolism of the numbers in the Bible (Part 10)
It represents the expression of God’s sovereignty by an administration of a nation or a group of Jehovah’s worshipers. The 12 tribes of Israel, the 12 apostles (Genesis 49: 28, Matthew 12: 2–4). This symbolism of the administration of a people, stands out very well in Revelation: the 12 times 12000 of the Spiritual Israel, the 144000 (Revelation 7: 4–8, 14: 1–5). The dimensions of the New Jerusalem revolve around the number 12, as a multiple: “And the city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as its width. And he measured the city with the reed, 12,000 stadia; its length and width and height are equal” (Revelation 21:16). A cube of 12 thousand stadia on each of the 12 edges of the cube, we get by their sum, the number of (12x12000) 144000 stadia. The astronomical height (12000x185 (607 feet) = 2220 km) of the New Jerusalem illustrates the fact that it descends on earth from God, like a symbolic umbilical cord, which connects the Earthly Paradise with Heaven where God lives: “I also saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God and prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Revelation 21:2).
This symbolic heavenly town has a base with a wall of 144 cubits in height: “He also measured its wall, 144 cubits according to a man’s measure, at the same time an angel’s measure” (Revelation 21:17). The symbolic of the 144 cubits (measure of the length of a human forearm), seems to indicate that the heavenly administration of the New Jerusalem, will have its human or earthly correspondence. For example, the 144,000 will be kings and priests according to Revelation 5:10. The human correspondences to these two heavenly functions will be: the prince as representative of this heavenly kingship, and of “sons of Zadok”, the priests, corresponding to the heavenly priesthood (Psalms 45:16, Isaiah 32: 1,2 “princes”; Ezekiel 44: 3 “chieftain” (prince); Ezekiel 40:46 “sons of Zadok”). These two functions of prince and priest, will constitute the protective basis of the sovereignty and worship to God, of the New Jerusalem on earth by the symbolic wall of 144 cubits in height.
Often, the biblical expressions, in connection to numbers, are figures of styles which have the value of a qualifying symbol. As we have briefly seen, to express the completeness or what is to the maximum, in the sacred (7), what is incomplete (6), the insistence (2 and 3), the completeness in space (4), what is superlative or excessive, when the 10 multiplies a 7 or a 4, and so on. It is often the immediate biblical context that allows us to understand the symbolism of a number expression (THE GREAT CROWD; THE EVERLASTING LIFE; THE HEAVENLY RESSURRECTION; EARTHLY RESURRECTION; EARTHLY KINGDOM OF GOD; THE EARTHLY PRINCE; THE EARTHLY PRIEST; THE EARTHLY LEVITE).
To read the whole article of “The symbolism of the numbers in the Bible”, please choose your preferred language, below:
English: http://www.yomelyah.com/440531617
Spanish: http://www.yomeliah.com/440520056
Portuguese: http://www.yomelias.com/440529640
French: http://www.yomelijah.com/440510423
OTHER BIBLICAL ARTICLES:
The Administration of the Kingdom of God on Earth
Jesus Christ prophesied the end of this system of things (Matthew 24:14, Mark 13:10). Why will Jehovah God put end to the human domination? Because He has set a time for nations to exercise their sovereignty (without God) and it comes to end (Tishri (Ethanim) 10th).
This Bible study will be paired with the exam of the book of Apocalypse or Revelation that echoes the prophecy of Ezekiel. To write things in a simple way, Ezekiel’s prophecy makes an earthly description of the administration of the Kingdom of God by giving precise details about the functioning of this earthly governance (The Prince; The Priest; The Levite).
The Administration of the Earthly Prince
According to the context of Psalm 45, as the result of the spiritual marriage between King Jesus Christ (The Lamb) and his Royal Bride, the New Jerusalem, it will be born the earthly sons of the kingdom: the princes of the Kingdom of God.
The Administration of the Earthly Priests, the Sons of Zadock
According to Revelation 5:10, the 144,000, the New Jerusalem, with the King Jesus Christ, will have both function of heavenly kings and priests for the inhabitants of the earth. This will not be the case with earthly princes (Psalms 45:16, Isaiah 32: 1,2, Ezekiel 44: 3). If the princes will be earthly representatives of Heavenly Kingship, they will not be priests. The earthly representatives of the heavenly priesthood of the 144,000 will be the “Sons of ZadoK”.
In the prophecy of Ezekiel 40–48 there is the description of the future existence of a priestly class, the sons of Zadok, served by the future sons of Levi. Who will be the future sons of Levi? It is the book of Revelation that clearly answers this question by the vision of the great crowd that will come out the great tribulation.
Israel’s three annual festivals coincided with the harvests of the agricultural seasons. We will note, with the Bible, through the resurrection of Christ and the birth of the Christian Congregation or Christian Church, that these “harvests” of spring and autumn, are the prefiguration of the different resurrections
Jesus Christ taught the heavenly resurrection several times, and especially on the evening of the last Passover he celebrated with his Apostles.
There is no doubt that the Bible teaches that most of the dead humans will be resurrected in the earthly paradise.
The Resurrection of the Righteous
Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul, under inspiration, taught that the Righteous will not be judged in their resurrection, they will directly inherit everlasting life on Earth: “Most truly I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes the One who sent me has everlasting life, and he does not come into judgment but has passed over from death to life” (John 5:24).
The Resurrection of the Unrighteous
And in the event that they have a sinless body, how will it be compatible with the fact that during the thousand years many Unrighteous Resurrected People will commit errors or unintentional sins without dying?
The earthly administration of the resurrection
Understanding the prophecy of Ezekiel 40–48 allows us to understand how the earthly resurrection will be administered.
The Welcome of the Resurrected Ones
The Bible does not directly give information where the earthly resurrections will take place. However, in examining the prophecy of Ezekiel 40–48, we understand that these earthly resurrections will not be done disorderly. Jehovah, with his Son Jesus Christ, is a God of order (1 Corinthians 14:33). It seems that the prophecy of Ezekiel 40–48 enigmatically informs us of where the earthly resurrections will take place. It is therefore necessary to examine Ezekiel chapter 47, especially verses 9 and 10.
The Territorial Administration of the Earthly Resurrection
In the prophecy of Ezekiel chapter 47:13–48: 35, Jehovah God gives an outline of the method of allocating territorial “lots”.
The prophetic significance of the sacrifices under the Law.
The symbolism of divine qualities
The four-faced creature and the four faces of the four creatures.
In the Bible, the numbers, when they are not to be taken in the literal sense, have a symbolic value which is often a literary expression of what is unique, complete, incomplete, completed, in abundance… For each explanation regarding the number a biblical text will be quoted with the key phrases or a key word (John 17:17 “your word is truth”, the Bible).