Shareware Overload Trio 2/Shareware Overload Trio Volume 2 (Chestnut CD-ROM).ISO/dir32/numberz.zip/NUMBERS.TXT

Text File | 1994-09-01 | 14KB | 208 lines

             Do Numbers Carry any Spiritual Significance?
                        By Tony Warren

     I don't know what makes people think that when "GOD PUT" numbers in
  the Bible that it is spiritually insignificant. Our common sense
  should tell us (even if we look at it just superficially) that
  there is some method to the madness (so to speak).  For example
  the number 12. It is foolish to think that God didn't use this number
  to show us some spiritual Truth. Are we to believe it has no meaning
  and it's just coincidence the places it is found. The 12 brothers,
  who were the 12 sons of Jacob, who were the progenitors of the 12
  tribes of Isreal, which was the old testament congregation. And then
  the passing it on after the cross to the 12 apostles who were the New
  testament representation of the church. And how about the picture of
  the Bride of Christ, the New Jerusalem (THEE CHURCH) with 12 gates
  into the city "3" <-(A SPIRITUALLY SIGNIFICANT NUMBER) on each side.
  Are we to assume that this number 12 is "NOT" Spiritually significant
  number, and it's just coincidence that there were 12 tribes and then
  12 apostles representing the congregation? 12 gates? Etc. Well then
  if it's not coincidence, then the number 12 "HAS" as Special meaning
  there. GOD Specifically made the numbers 12 match, and He is using
  the number symbolically. That means He did it for a reason. To show
  us something. Anyone who says that the number 12 has no special
  significance, does not fully understand that God's word is not just
  words. They're numbers also. And GOD puts importance on "EVERY" Jot
  and tittle, meaning in the literal, EVEN DOWN TO THE LEAST PARTICLE!
  That means each and every word and that would include, down to the
  last number. The word of God is Inspired and the Numbers written in
  the word are Inspired. And just as we can take a word like Sheep and
  look at every place in the scriptures where it is found and come to
  some spiritual understanding of the word sheep, So we can also look at
  a number wherever it is found in scripture and come to some spiritual
  understanding of what it is indicating. That's not called numerology,
  that's called scriptural Study. Numerology is the belief in the occult
  influence of numbers upon the life of an individual. On the other
  hand, this is called "IN DEPTH" Bible study. The accusers can call it
  whatever they want, but to borrow a phrase, A rose, by any other name,
  would smell as sweet. If we were to listen to these (and SOME of them
  may mean well, but nevertheless, they are in error) who say leave the
  numbers alone, then we would have to disobey GOD HIMSELF, as "HE"
  Commands us who have "UNDERSTANDING" to "COUNT" the number of the
  beast! (666). Now in case anyone wants to simply pretend they didn't
  read that, I'll repeat it for EMPHASIS!!!
      REVELATIONS Chapter 13:18:
         "Here is Wisdom. Let him that hath understanding COUNT the
         number of the beast: For it is the number of man; and his
         number is six hundred threescore and six."
  Now how do these people who say it's improper to assign spiritual
  significance to numbers get around this verse. The way they get around
  it is to ..."IGNOR" what it says. I WILL NOT IGNOR THE WORD. I'll
  repeat it, again and again, and again until purhaps the Spirit of God
  will cause some to take down that wall of Spiritual ignorance and
  start listening to the word, and not people. It says "COUNT" the
  number 666! When I tell people that, they tell me, Oh, that's a
  computor debit card. Of course then I say, ok, please direct me to
  scripture where it indicates that. Of course, they don't want to HEAR
  that, because they have "NO" scriptural basis for saying it, so they
  become ruffled and have an urgent meeting they have to attend. There
  are ONLY two ways to Understand scripture. The Right way (Understand
  it by searching it out IN scripture) and the Wrong way (Coming to some
  conclusion based on your own understanding). Shall We call GOD a
  "NUMEROLOGIST" because He commands us to "COUNT" the number of the
  beast? Is He telling us to dabble in NUMEROLOGY? Of couse not, He's
  telling us to search the scriptures and count the number to come to
  the TRUTH! NOTICE He says "HE WHO HAS UNDERSTANDING!" GOD knows
  everyone does not have understanding, and that Everyone will not
  RECIEVE His word, and everyone is not "WISE" Spiritually. Because
  Everyone does not read His word with an eye to "KEEP" it. Some read
  His word with an eye to try and make it "FIT" into whatever they
  already believe. Some of us go to the word looking for TRUTH, and then
  others of us go to it seeking justification. This is a very serious
  question. This is a very serious Topic. We can't ignor scripture, we
  have to obey it. We can't come to conclusions based on our own ideas,
  or politics, or History books, or what this nation or that nation is
  doing, or what someone taught us it means. We have to come to
  conclusions based on what the Bible says. Not based on what people say
  it says. Check it out yourselves, Be a scriptural WORKMAN, that you
  will not be found ashamed at our Lord's coming. Again, these people
  who say that there is no Spiritual significance assigned to numbers,
  they are not looking to follow scripture, they are trying to lead it.
  Well what does Revelation 13 tell us? It tells us that there is some
  spiritual significance assigned to the NUMBER 666. What is the
  Spiritual Significance? It signifies that those who are Spiritually
  branded (Same as a cow is branded, but in a spiritual sense) with
  this number, belong to Satan (just as a cow belongs to whoever brands
  it). 666 is the number assigned to the "UNSAVED" of the world. They
  are those who belong to satan. That is what the Lord is symbolizing
  by the number 666. When you count the number 666, as when the Lord
  "IN SCRIPTURE" numbers the saved and the Unsaved, he numbers the
  saved as 1/3 and the unsaved as 2/3 (For example in Zechariah 13:8-9)
  which I have already went over before here so I won't go over it
  again. The Saved as numbered as 1/3 and the "UNSAVED" are numbered as
  2/3. Why is the Unsaved symbolized by 2/3?  Well, 2/3 counted as a
  number to nearest 100's is .666. We saw this before. Of course the
  Unsaved will tell you that's just a coincidence and we shouldn't
  take any significance from that. But those who have studied scripture
  as long as I have know that there are no coincidences like this in
  scripture. "ALL" scripture is given by inspiration of God and is
  profitable for correction and reproof. Not some, ALL! So once again we
  see "IT ALL FITS" together just like some gigantic Living Picture
  puzzel. Every piece falls perfectly in place. There is no pushing or
  shoving, or forcing necessary. GOD's Numbers "DO" have spiritual
  significance. It is a coincidence God counts the unsaved as 2/3 and
  then counts those who are marked of satan (The UNSAVED) as 666? Not to
  the "SERIOUS" Bible student it's not. But to those trying to Poo-Poo
  the idea that God uses numbers this way it is. Just like in Daniel 12
  where God says "The Wise" will understand, but the Wicked will not,
  He says when speaking about this number, HERE IS WISDOM, Let him that
  hath UNDERSTANDING count the number of the beast, it is 666. GOD Knows
  that all will not understand. God knows that only the "WISE" will
  Recieve this!  I'm going to talk a little about the number 3, but I
  felt that first we needed to establish that GOD does use numbers in
  the Bible to symbolize, or give a Spiritual meaning to certain things.
  So that when you hear the scoffers and the people making fun of things
  like 2000 Cubits of space God commanded to be between Israel and The
  arc of the Covenant (Symbolizing God), being a picture of 2000 years
  between the birth of Christ (The Israel we are in) and God & the
  covenant, you might not find it so amusing, but consider it. Be as
  "WISE" Virgins and trim your lamps at the call that the Bridegroom
  cometh. You won't have to go for oil when that time comes, beacuse
  you will have been "WISE" and have "KEPT" your lamps full. WATCHING!

      The number 3 is often used in the scriptures to symbolize God's
  Purpose or God's Will! In other words, it means that something has
  been ESTABLISHED as the purpose. If I could use an EARTHLY analogy,
  of a Biblical principle, It's like in baseball. when someone goes to
  the plate. he gets 3 strikes, and after the 3 strikes, then he is out.
  The 3 strikes have established that he is not destined to get a hit.
  If he doesn't get a hit in 3 strikes, then it's established that it
  just wasn't meant to be. Now that may be a bad analogy, but that is
  the way the number 3 is often used in scripture. It symbolizes the
  establisment of God's purpose or will. For example when the Lord smote
  the apostle Paul with Blindness for 3 days (acts 9:9). Was that just a
  number picked out of a hat. No, it was God Breathed. He was Blinded
  "OF THE LORD" for 3 days. It was God's purpose for him to be blind,
  and neither eat nor drink for 3 days. For He was bringing Paul to the
  LIGHT! Why not 4 days? Why not 2 days? Because God wanted to indicate
  by the number 3 days that it was for His own good purposes that Paul
  be blind. Same thing in Acts Chapter 10 when a voice from heaven told
  Peter to rise kill and eat the beasts of the earth, that were on a
  sheet decending from heaven. And Peter says No, for I have never eaten
  anything that is common or unclean. And then the voice says, What God
  has cleansed, don't call it common. And then we read in scripture
  (Acts 10:16) that this was done "3" times and then the sheet was
  recieved up again into heaven. Now when we study scripture we find
  that this was to indicate that The gospel was going out to the
  gentiles as well as the jews. Why is it meticulously pointed out that
  this was done "3" times and "THEN" recieved up again unto heaven?
  Just another number? NO! Because it is to Indicate that This is God's
  purpose or Will that salvation go to the gentiles as well as the jews.
  The 3 times it's done, gives us an indication that it is established
  as God's will and purpose. Christ spoke a parable in Luke 13:6 which
  was about a fig tree in a vineyard (Symbolizing Israel) and the
  man of the vinyard came "3" years seeking fruit and found none, and so
  said cut it down, why cumbereth it the ground. Why didn't he say cut
  it down after 1 year, or after 2? Well the 3 years he came seeking
  fruit is symbolizing the purpose of God. He gave it 3 chances and
  before he said Cut it down. There is One God, yet there are 3 in the
  GODHEAD, the Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. The Purpose or will
  of God is worked out in "3."  Look, read the Bible and understand.
  These things are here for our understanding. Paul sought God to remove
  the Thorn in the flesh, but it wasn't God's purpose or will to do so.
  We read in 2nd Corinthians 12:8:
      "For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart
       from me. And he said unto me, My Grace is suffcient for thee.."
  Here we see it again "3" Times Paul besought the Lord! Why not 5,6 4
  or 2? Because GOD wants to indicate here by this number 3 that it is
  not His purpose, or not His Will that this be removed. He says to
  Paul, My Grace is sufficient for you. In other words, My grace is
  enough for you. Remember the 3 strikes and your out. He besought God 3
  times, but it was Established as God's will that this not be removed.
  His Grace was sufficent for Paul. So again the number 3 was an
  indication to us that it's God's Will that this be.
    There are just so many indications of the number 3 being used to
  symbolize the will and Purpose of God. None more "MARVELOUS" than the
  atonement that the Lord made at the cross. The Atonement has the
  number "3" all around it and we can readily understand why. That's
  because though Christ was Crucified, it was God's will, or purpose
  that Christ go to the Cross.  For example, Jesus sat with the elders
  in the Temple 3 days being about His father's work, there were 3
  Crosses, there were three men crucified, there was writing in 3
  different languages on the cross, Jesus prayed 3 times that if it
  was possible could this cup pass from me, 3 appostles went into
  the garden to pray with Him, Peter denied Our lord 3 times, Pilate
  sought 3 times to let Jesus go, it was the "3rd" hour when they
  crucified Him, Jesus was in the heart of the earth "3" days and
  "3" nights,   When Jesus was Risen He asked Simon 3 times
  Loveth thou me, and on and on, the number 3 is indicated in the
  atonement that christ made for us. Are these "ALL" just coincidence.
  An unbeliecer would say so. But God put's this nuber 3 in these places
  to gve us a Spiritual picture that this is God's purpose. His will.
  Christ "HAD" to go to the cross in order for us to be saved. It is a
  Gift of God. It was HIS will. The number 3 being used this way is a
  coincidence like the sheep being used as an indication of a believer
  is a coincidence. They were "BOTH" put there by God to give us a Great
  Spiritual, or symbolical picture we could learn from. Unfortunately
  some people choose to remain Spiritually Ignorant. We are not to
  ignor numbers in scripture any more than we are to ignor the letters,
  alpha or Omega! They all have a Story to tell. It is not wise, but
  foolish to think otherwise. As the Lord hath said. Here is Wisdom! Let
  him that hath understanding count the number of the beast....
                      Peace,
                            Tony

    Internet:  [e-mail]