What does 7 signify in the Bible?

SEVEN. Spiritual completeness, generally in good but occasionally in evil. It is the compound of three and four, and the highest single indivisible number. Seven days in a week, every seventh day was a day of rest, every seventh year was a year of rest for the land, and every seven times seven years brought the jubilee. Creation was complete on the seventh day, God's rest being the result. There were seven lamps to the golden candlestick. Num. 8:2; cf. Zech. 4:2. The blood was sprinkled before the Lord seven times. Lev. 4:6, 17; Lev. 8:11. The Christian is exhorted to keep the feast of seven days after the passover, which makes it a perpetual feast for him. 1 Cor. 5:7-8. John speaks of seven Spirits before the throne of God. Rev. 1:4. There are seven abominations in man's heart. Prov. 26:25. The first beast has seven heads and ten horns. Rev. 13:1. In the Revelation 'seven' occurs frequently; the symbol is found therein more than seven times seven. Forgiveness is to be 'seventy times seven.' Matt. 18:22.

One is the number of origin, creation, sufficiency, and so on. It is the fitting number of God and of the Father. Two speaks of help and deliverance from evil. It is the number appropriate to the Son, the Saviour and Deliverer. Three speaks of manifestation and of Him, the Holy Spirit, who is the unfolder of truth. "God is light" (that which manifests), and it is significant that light is composed of a threefold ray. "Three" also suggests resurrection,which is so closely connected with the manifestation of God and His power; also of the sanctuary where His presence is manifested. Four is the earth number — of trial, weakness, and failure. Five is the creation with another coming into it, and suggests in addition to other features, the incarnation of One who embraces in His own blessed person, God and man. It is also the number suggesting responsibility. Six is the number of man's day, the limit of human labor and activity, and therefore of evil so constantly carried on in man's energy. It thus suggests divine restraint and victory over evil. Seven is the rest number. It speaks of completeness, leaving nothing to be added or desired in that sense. It therefore completes the perfect series. Eight, being a fresh beginning, is therefore the number of the new creation. Nine is a multiple of three; it is its square, we may say an intensified three. Ten is a double five, suggesting the two-fold measure of man's responsibility as seen in the two tables of the law, the obedience demanded Godward and manward. Eleven seems to be one short of twelve. Twelve is the great governmental, administrative number — the twelve tribes, twelve apostles, twelve gates, etc. It is the number of Israel's unity as seen in the twelve stones set up in Jordan, and the other twelve brought up and set up in a pillar on its banks the twelve stones in the altar of Elijah; the twelve loaves of showbread, etc.

Seven is well-known as the number of perfection and so of rest. But it may be applied to evil, and simply show "completeness" of any kind.

Number 7. This number completes the series. It is so familiar, not only in Scripture, but in nature itself, that few words need be said upon it. It is composed of 4 + 3, the number of the creature combined with that of the Creator. God and His creation gives the thought of that beyond which we cannot go in that direction. There is nothing more. Thus we find that seven is constantly used throughout Scripture as the number of completeness; seven days in the week; seven years; and the constant repetition of this numeral with unvarying meaning, though with many applications, shows that completeness is the thought. But we pause nere to return to our immediate theme.

However, my purpose now is to take up the numbers, and to inquire more fully than I have yet done into their symbolic meanings. These are the keys to the locks, for they are not one but various: and it will be understood that they need to be carefully modeled to the wards that are to receive them, if they are to turn without being forced. Much difficulty has arisen from lack of precision as to these meanings, while the positively contradictory ones advocated by different writers have been a stumbling-block with many as to any faith in them at all. I do not propose, however, to examine these differences, but to give the grounds only for those which satisfy myself, and which have abundantly proved themselves in experimental application. It will be found also that these meanings have their roots in nature as well as in Scripture, and are thus counter-checked on either side while the numbers themselves are not indefinite, but few in number the larger ones being but resultants of their factors, as 10, is 5 X 2, or of the addition of certain others together, according to warrant in Scripture itself as 7 is 4 + 3 and 5, as will be shown hereafter, is 4+1. Plainly, without some Scriptural or natural warrant, the latter method would be quite unjustifiable, as any numbers might be arbitrarily taken in this way, and entire uncertainty of all meaning be the result.

The series of numbers which we may consider fundamental is, I believe, but seven: answering to the seven notes in music, which by their combinations produce all the various melody and harmony with which we are acquainted. Seven is the well-known number of perfection, which, taken from the completion of God's six days' work with the Sabbath of His approving rest, has been used for the division of time ever since, and in Israel was the basis of most of the larger divisions, except the year itself. Thus the months were lunar, (except the partial one intercalated to keep the year straight,) and the 7th month specially marked out by the day of atonement and the feast of tabernacles (Israel's celebration of rest); while there was a sabbatic year as well as day, and a jubilee at the end of a week of sabbatic years — a still more joyous rest.

Rev. 16:10-11. — “And the fifth poured out his bowl on the throne of the Beast; and his kingdom became darkened; and they gnawed their tongues with distress; and blasphemed the God of the Heaven for their distresses and their sores, and did not repent of their works.” The seven churches (Rev. 2; 3), the seven Seals (Rev. 6; 8:1), the seven Trumpets (Rev. 8), and the seven Vials (Rev. 16) are each divided into two distinct groups. In the case of the churches the division is into three and four, whilst in the others the grouping is reversed, four and three. Number seven in itself signifies completeness, spiritual perfection. When separately numbered as one, two, etc., the various parts of the whole are distinguished, and when grouped into the two unequal divisions of three and four it intimates a special and characteristic feature peculiar to each group.

Seven

is the symbol of perfection; the sense, however, being sometimes evil, though prevailingly good. It is in Scripture, where divided, in general 4 + 3, numbers which speak evidently of the creature as manifesting the Creator, which, being attained, is for the creature its perfection, and for God His rest.

It often seems merely to indicate a complete view or accomplishment, as the parables of Matt. xiii. give a complete view of the kingdom of heaven: the first four, the external world-aspect; the last three, the divine mind. The seven addresses to the churches give in like manner the complete inspired Church-history. The seven seals secure the book completely. In the seven vials is "filled up the wrath of God." The seven more wicked spirits which the unclean spirit associates with himself (Matt. xii. 45) is an example of the bad sense; and the seven heads of the beast in Revelation.

"And Eleazar the priest shall take of her blood with His finger, and sprinkle of her blood directly before the tabernacle of the congregation seven times." Here we have the solid groundwork of all real purification. We know that, in the type before us, it is only, as the inspired apostle tells us, a question of "sanctifying to me purifying of the flesh." (Heb. 9:13) But we have to look beyond the type to the antitype — beyond the shadow to the substance. In the sevenfold sprinkling of the blood of the red heifer, before the tabernacle of the congregation, we have a figure of the perfect presentation of the blood of Christ to God, as the only ground of the meeting-place between God and the conscience. The number "seven," as has frequently been observed, is expressive of perfection; and, in the figure before us, we see the perfection attaching to the death of Christ, as an atonement for sin, presented to, and accepted by God. All rests upon this divine ground. The blood has been shed, and presented to a holy God, as a perfect atonement for sin. This, when simply received by faith, must relieve the conscience from all sense of guilt and all fear of condemnation. There is nothing before God save the perfection of the atoning work of Christ. Sin has been judged and our sins put away. They have been completely obliterated by the precious blood of Christ. To believe this is to enter into perfect repose of conscience.

Six is the highest number below seven, and seven in the symbolism of Scripture stands for spiritual perfection, for complete fullness, which can only be true of what is Divine, or the product of the working of divine power or grace. So we get in Revelation 4:5, “Out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God.” It is not that there are seven Spirits of God, there is but One, but seven sets forth the fullness and perfection of His operations.

Next John intimates the character of the throne, that is, of judgment, for out of it come lightnings, and thunderings and voices, and the seven Spirits of God are seen as seven lamps of fire burning before the throne. The seven Spirits of God* portray the one Holy Spirit of God in sevenfold activity—seven speaking of divine perfection in discernment and activity, whilst the seven burning lamps of fire speak of that discernment and activity being seen in judgment.