I was delighted to find in my graduate ministry studies at Creighton University that 3, 7, 12 and 40 just don’t appear in modern life; ancient people of faith also found mystical meaning in specific numbers.
In modern times we still see 3 and 7 used in headlines such as “3 Beauty Secrets to Make You Ten Years Younger” or “7 Tips to a Six Figure Income in One Year.” I don’t see 40 much because we are such a fast-paced culture; 40 seems like an unrealistic number for any endeavor! But it’s useful if we want to experiment with deep and lasting transformation.
Modern times have embraced 10 and 30 as well, my guess, because of our current numerical system and the importance of the average length of a month. As I’m building the seedbop business, there is so much advice about blog headlines that include these numbers. We seem to be attracted to them without knowing it! And – I’ve succumbed – I am developing a 30-day seedbop your creativity challenge.
But meanwhile, what is our attraction? Those numbers evoke some connections that we may not be conscious of.
In Hebrew, 3, three, shelosh[f.], sheloshah [m.] means harmony, new life, and completeness. Jesus prayed three times in the Garden of Gethsemane. As a baby, he was gifted gold, frankincense, and myrrh. He told Peter three times, “feed my sheep.” There are 3 days between his crucifixion and death. It appears 467 times in the Bible alone.
The number 7 is even more popular and goes back to the creation story. In Pythagorean numerology, the number 7 means spirituality. It appears 860 times in biblical texts and is the most potent symbol of completeness and perfection – physical and spiritual.
The number 12 indicates perfection or authority— and more frequently is used in cultural structure references – the 12 tribes of Israel, the twelve disciples. “Jesus heals a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years, for instance (Matthew 9:20-22). The 12 years could possibly symbolize just how bad her condition was, signifying the malady as a ‘perfect storm,’ with seemingly no possible cure. Or, it could signify that this was completion of a difficult timeframe and God would be doing a new thing now.”1
40 indicates a period of testing, trial, or probation. During Moses’ life, he lived forty years in Egypt and forty years in the desert before God selected him to lead his people out of slavery. According to scholars, Moses is probably a fictional character who evolved through the Jewish storytelling tradition and formed the remembrance of actual people. The great flood is depicted as lasting 40 days.
My favorite, Jesus retreated to the desert for 40 days. I’ve taken long retreats, and they are life-transforming. Forty days sounds about right for having enough time to stripe away the burdens of life, getting deep into one’s soul, and letting something new emerge before we get back into the world’s routine.
“Remain open. There is something bigger than you know going on here.”
— Iyanla Vanzant (One Day My Soul Just Opened Up: 40 Days and 40 Nights Toward Spiritual Strength and Personal Growth)
What numbers are important to you? Do you find power in practices that use these numbers?
Photo by Silvia Fang on Unsplash
1 https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/12-interesting-facts-about-number-12-in-the-bible.html
