Our Wonderful Bible: It’s Numerical Design / Part 1

Series – October 2021 – Grace & Truth Magazine

Our Wonderful Bible
Its Numerical Design – Part 1

In considering the structure of the Bible, we see that certain truths therein are connected with numbers, and that it has a numerical structure as well. We purpose to give a little outline of this numerical design, pointing out the meaning of some numbers and associated truths.

Several scholars, including F. W. Grant (1834–1902), Ivan Panin (1855–1942) and LeBaron W. Kinney (born about 1876), did much research and study along these lines. They brought out many facets, showing the marvelously perfect design of numbers and numerical patterns throughout the Bible, as well as the doctrines and truths woven into the designs. We have gleaned from these writers and present some of their research. These discoveries are added proofs of the unerring, matchless perfection of God’s Word and of its divine inspiration and authorship.

Numerical Value Of Letters And Words
The Jews and Greeks both used the letters of their alphabet for figures to express numbers. Therefore, the letters and words of the original Hebrew Old Testament and Greek New Testament have numerical value and significance.

The Hebrew letter “A” was their figure 1; their letter “B” was their figure 2; and so on up to ten. The next letter was not 11 but 20, the next was 30 and so on up to 100. Then the next was 200, then 300 and the last, or 22nd letter had the value of 400, according to L. W. Kinney.

The same order of numerical values was used by the Greeks in their alphabet, except no letter seems to have the value of 6. The sixth letter has the value of 7. Also, no letter has the value of 90. The last letters of the Greek alphabet are 400, 500, 600, 700 and 800, respectively. The last letter being the 24th, two letters more than the Hebrew alphabet.

The value of a Greek or Hebrew word is the sum of its letters. The value of the Greek word for “Jesus,” Iesous, as an example, is found by adding up the letters as follows: “I” equals 10, “e” equals 8, “s” equals 200, “o” equals 70, “u” equals 400 and “s” equals 200. The total is 888.

This number in itself is fitting for the name of Jesus, as we shall see in a later part that eight is the number that signifies a new beginning. Jesus is “the second Man … the Lord from heaven” (1 Cor. 15:47 KJV), the new beginning which God made in Him, the new creation in Christ Jesus. Thus He is designated in Revelation 3:14 as “the Beginning of the creation of God” – the beginning of a new spiritual creation and a new race in contrast to Adam’s lost and sinful one. The whole Godhead, or Trinity, dwelt in the Man Christ Jesus (Col. 2:9), which may be represented by the three 8’s in the number 888. Three, we shall see, is also the number of manifestation, so this number of Jesus would speak of the whole Trinity of the Godhead manifested in Him, the Head of a new creation, the new beginning.

These may be considered somewhat deep truths, but they are very precious and give a little example of the perfect designs and spiritual truths that lie hidden in the numerical structure of Scripture. We trust our readers will be enabled by the Holy Spirit to grasp them and enjoy their preciousness.

By R. K. Campbell

Look for part 2 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.