Here we will show you the biblical meaning of the number 7. Of the numbers we see in the Bible, seven appear much more frequently than most others. God creates the world in seven days if we include the rest day ( Genesis 1 ). In fact, we see seven appear over 700 times throughout the Bible.
Jacob works seven years for Laban before marrying his daughter ( Genesis 29 ). On the other hand, it also doesn’t seem like we can escape the seven in Revelation in terms of seals, trumpets, etc. Let’s see how the number seven has a deeper meaning and importance than mere coincidence.
Biblical meaning of the number 7
Numbers tended to have a deeper meaning in Israelite culture during the time the Bible was written than they do today.
Although not all numbers have a deeper meaning in the scriptures, those that are used frequently, such as three, seven, and 12, often have historical, philosophical, and prophetic foundations throughout the scriptures.
Seven is no exception to this. Many theologians consider it a sacred number, some even say it is the number of God.
Why is God’s number called 7?
Often when we talk about the biblical meaning of the number 7, we refer to the holy works of God. God creates the earth in seven days ( Genesis 1 ). He commands the Israelites to make the seventh day of the week, Saturday, a holy day filled with God and without work activities ( Exodus 20:8-11 ).
The seven tend to represent that something is ending or completed.
Therefore, God’s creation was completed on the seventh day. It also tends to symbolize divine perfection. So when someone upholds the Sabbath, he upholds (or fulfills) a divine mandate.
The man was created on the sixth day, and six is never as great as seven. Later in this article, we will see how 666 falls short in holiness, divine perfection, and wholeness.
meanings and symbologies behind the use of 7
Although there are many occurrences of the number seven in the Bible, let’s take a look at 7 specific meanings and symbologies behind the use of 7 in the Bible. Let’s see:
1. Seven as a sacred number
God describes the Sabbath as a holy day, the seventh day of the week ( Deuteronomy 5:12-14 ). Although mankind may work for six days, six being the number often associated with man, they dedicate the seventh, the number associated with God, to God.
In the Jewish calendar, in addition to the seven days of the week, one of rest, they had a year of rest after 49 years (7×7) of work. During this year of Jubilee ( Leviticus 25 ), no work would be done, slaves would be freed, and property would be returned to its rightful owners.
- Meaning of Psalm 118:24: This Is The Day The Lord Has Made
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- Meaning of The Word of God is Alive and Powerful; Hebrews 4:12
2. Seven Jewish holidays or festivals
Speaking of the Jewish calendar, we see seven different holidays that take on importance throughout the Scriptures:
- Passover – Celebrating their exodus from Egypt, the Israelites would gather once a year ( Leviticus 23:5 ) to sacrifice a lamb (later represented by Jesus, who was sacrificed around Passover time) and partake of a meal. Still celebrated today, this meal includes bitter herbs, unleavened bread, and baked eggs, among other items, to remember the time in Egypt.
- Unleavened Bread – Right after Passover, this holiday ( Leviticus 23:6 ) includes a seven-day celebration of meals with bread made without yeast to remember their time after Egypt when they wandered in the wilderness.
- Firstfruits: Leviticus 23:9-14; this festival was celebrated when they entered the Promised Land and included three offerings, where the Israelites would offer their first fruits to the Lord.
- Feast of Weeks – Seven weeks after Firstfruits, this festival would include an offering of two loaves of leavened bread, known later as Pentecost.
- Feast of Trumpets – When the trumpet was blown, it was a signal for the field workers to go to the Temple. The trumpet is also associated with the end times ( Revelation 8-9 ).
- Yom Kippur – One of the holiest days would be a public holiday where the Israelites would gather to confess their sins ( Leviticus 23:27 ).
- Feast of Tabernacles or Booths – The third of the harvest festivals. This holiday celebrated God’s provision and protection when they wandered in the desert.
3. Seven churches in Revelation
The book of Revelation begins by addressing seven different churches ( Revelation 2-3 ) that are at different degrees on their spiritual paths. Some, like Smyrna, seem to have strong walks of faith ( Revelation 2 ), while others, like Laodicea, do not have good grades and manifest terrible lukewarm spiritual fervor ( Revelation 3:14-22 ).
4. Seven x 10 (70) years of captivity
When the Israelites went into captivity, they resided in Babylon for 70 years ( 7×10, Jeremiah 25:8-12 ). Every seven years was supposed to be a year of rest (the year of Jubilee had other elements besides this). The Israelites did not observe the 70 years of rest, hence the 70 years of captivity.
5. Seven in relation to 666
As mentioned above, six tends to be associated with the male. God created man on the sixth day. The devil’s number, or man’s number instead of God’s number (7), is 666 ( Revelation 13:18 ). Conversely, seven is greater than six. Although the devil will create false religions, governments, and economic systems, he will not be able to overcome seven.
6. Seven x 10 weeks until God’s eternal justice
In Daniel ( Daniel 9 ), a period of 70 weeks is mentioned, at the end of which God will bring everlasting justice. Theologians have not agreed on where this period began or ended, but in the 70th week, God will put an end to sin.
7. Seven seals, trumpets, bowls, and more in Revelation
In Revelation, we have quite a series of punishments that pour out the wrath of God on the earth. Throughout Revelation, we see a pattern of seven in terms of God’s judgment.
The seventh seal presents the judgments of the seven trumpets that destroy with hail and fire. The seventh trumpet calls for seven angels who bear the seven bowls of God’s wrath.
What should Christians remember about the number 7?
Seven is a sacred number that often represents the completion of divine fulfillment. God has used it seven times throughout the scriptures for Jewish festivals, and it’s not over yet. We will experience the fullness of seven in the seventieth week mentioned in Daniel, and we will also witness the various seven mentioned in Revelation that has not yet taken place.
We must remember that not all seven mentioned in the Scriptures are saints. It is always necessary to be careful when it comes to biblical symbolism and compare everything with the Scriptures and the original context.
But when we read the Old and New Testaments, we can see God using numbers to bring about his kingdom. By analyzing the 7, we can see the intricate patterns that God has used in history, throughout the Scriptures, and in the age to come.
The things that are recorded in the scriptures are not there by chance, and they are there because God wanted them to be that way.
The biblical meaning of the number 7 can be found simply by scrutinizing the word and analyzing the signs related to this number, considered holy on many occasions.
