Our Wonderful Bible: It’s Numerical Design / Part 2

Series – November 2021 – Grace & Truth Magazine

Our Wonderful Bible
Its Numerical Design – Part 2

Truths Connected With Numbers
A certain meaning is placed by Scripture on the different numbers and this is worked out in patterns in multiples of numbers. Every number mentioned in God’s Word is placed in a text which gives it a meaning. This meaning is retained throughout the Bible. Such is the unity of numerical design found throughout this blessed Book.

There is a correspondence between the numerical order of the books of the Pentateuch of Moses – Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy – and the characteristic truths of each book. This seems to be true of the other four pentateuchs into which the Bible divides – the five being the books of Moses, historical books, poetical books, prophetical books and the New Testament. If we look closely we will find this true also of the Psalms in series, of the sections of a psalm, of the divisions of a book and of its subdivisions. This proves beyond a doubt that there is a perfect numerical design, divinely arranged, throughout the Scriptures. Every part is marked with some number that conveys to us its real significance and is a key which opens to us its structure and meaning.

Let us now look at the various numbers of the Scriptures and notice the truths associated with them.

One
In Deuteronomy 6:4 we read: “Hear O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD” (KJV). And Zechariah 14:9 says, “The LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD and His name one.”

These two Scriptures, taken from among the many that include the word “one,” give the primary thoughts of unity, exclusion of difference, uniqueness, supremacy, independency and sufficiency within itself as being the symbolical meaning of this numeral. Being the first of the numbers it also speaks of origin, beginning and source. These characteristic meanings are essentially true of God alone; the number one is especially His number. What blessed thoughts they are which this numeral gives us of Him for our heart’s enjoyment! It tells us that the first place is always rightly His, and this is the place we should always give Him.

Let us look for a moment at the book of Genesis and see how the truths of the number one are stamped upon it. Therein we have the account of creation, the origin and beginning of all things, and even the seed of every doctrine in the Bible. In Genesis, the title “Almighty,” which speaks of supremacy and sufficiency as seen in the numeral one, is found six times. This name is only found three other times in the rest of the Pentateuch. It is clearly characteristic, therefore, of Genesis, and we can easily see that the teaching of the entire book agrees with its numerical place.

Two
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10,12 says, “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up … And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him.”

Here we have the thought of help, relationship and fellowship connected with the number two, and assistance against the enemy. This is what is involved in redemption, which is the characteristic theme of the second book of the Scriptures, Exodus, and of all the second books of the other four pentateuchs. Redemption and the Redeemer are prominent truths associated with the number two.

To develop this further, two is the first divisible number and suggests the possibility of division and difference. With this goes the thought of enmity and conflict. These things are associated with redemption, for why is there need for man to be redeemed? It is because the enemy brought in sin between God and man and thus made a division between them. “Your iniquities have separated between you and your God” (Isa. 59:2). The enemy has to be met in redemption, and the one in bondage delivered from his power. He is then brought into relationship and fellowship with God. These are the very truths we have seen suggested in our text in connection with the number two.

If a person studies the Psalms he will notice that there, especially the second series of the second psalm in a series, generally has for its subject the enemy. Thus the numerical design in Scripture, formed by the hand of divine inspiration, is again shown.

There are several other Scriptures which give us another thought connected with the number two. Deuteronomy 17:6, Matthew 18:16 and 2 Corinthians 13:1 establish this principle: “In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.” John 8:17 says, “The testimony of two men is true.” The truth of competent testimony and witness is then also associated with the numeral two. This is seen in the Bible itself with its two parts – Old and New Testaments – God’s two-fold, competent testimony to man.

Now let us see how these thoughts apply to Christ, whose name is second in the Trinity (Mt. 28:19). He is “the faithful witness” (Rev. 1:5), who has testified, amid all the contradictions that sin brought in, to the perfections of His Father and God, whose will alone He came to do.

The principle of difference is also found in Christ in His divine and human natures – two natures, far apart, brought into mysterious relationship. He is also called “the second man” (1 Cor. 15:47), and herein is the thought of evil having come in and of there being an unspeakable difference between Him and the first man. With Him also comes in a second – a new creation, a second paradise (Rev. 21:1,5).

Christ is the Redeemer, the Helper, the Savior, who has met in conflict the adversary of our souls. He has come down into the place of the division because of sin – the place of separation from God – and has delivered us. Yea, He has come down into the place of death, the division of soul from body, to lift us from the condition into which we have fallen because of sin.

Thus we see that all through Christ’s path, the number two cleaves to Him; He claims it as His own and it is distinctly His. What marvelous harmony and design is seen in this number throughout this blessed Book!

By R. K. Campbell

Look for part 3 of this Series Next month.

This short Series is adapted from the book, “Our Wonderful Bible.” The original articles, revised and compiled later for the book, were published in Grace & Truth Magazine between 1942 and 1949. The full book can be purchased from Believers Bookshelf USA.