Significance of numbers in the Gospel

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153 is one of the significantly place bizarre numbers I had in mind. It has to mean something, but what?

There are several bizarre numbers like that in Scripture.
It has meaning in mathematics I’m sure, but I don’t see how it has anything to do with our faith. If you follow the link that juliamajor provided it shows another codex with another set of meanings for numbers in scriptures. When it all comes down to it, we don’t have to de-code, de-cipher or de-cript anything. The message we’re supposed to get is laid out pretty clearly.
 
When it all comes down to it, we don’t have to de-code, de-cipher or de-cript anything. The message we’re supposed to get is laid out pretty clearly.
I agree. Sometimes one can make things too convoluted.
 
When it all comes down to it, we don’t have to de-code, de-cipher or de-cript anything. The message we’re supposed to get is laid out pretty clearly.
You’re wrong about this, seagal.

Most of the Bible is not intended to be taken merely literally.

In his epistles, Paul has verses intended to teach us how to read some of the Bible’s symbology. Peter, in one of his epistles, actually “decodes” a structure called a typological word picture.
 
Regarding the idea, that Most of the Bible is not intended to be taken merely literally.

Hopefully, no one who believes this unusual idea will take offense.

In my humble opinon, that idea sounds like something borrowed from the Jesus Seminar founded in 1985. See Wikipedia for the Jesus Seminar opposition to various Catholic teachings.
 
You’re wrong about this, seagal.

Most of the Bible is not intended to be taken merely literally.

In his epistles, Paul has verses intended to teach us how to read some of the Bible’s symbology. Peter, in one of his epistles, actually “decodes” a structure called a typological word picture.
I didn’t say it was literally laid out, I said it was clearly laid out and with prayer and reflection we can decypher the meaning. We don’t need to go through each verse with a fine tooth comb, plucking out numbers and trying to exponentiate, cube or otherwise manipulate them. Your number symbols are an interesting exercise I suppose, but they don’t add anything to my faith or knowledge. Numbers themselves are infinitely fascinating to a mathematician. You could as easily play the same numbers game on any work of Shakespeare, or the Encylopedia Britannica. Although I admit it probably wouldn’t be as much fun, and wouldn’t get nearly as many people worked up. 😉
Just my :twocents:
 
I didn’t say it was literally laid out, I said it was clearly laid out and with prayer and reflection we can decypher the meaning. We don’t need to go through each verse with a fine tooth comb, plucking out numbers and trying to exponentiate, cube or otherwise manipulate them. Your number symbols are an interesting exercise I suppose, but they don’t add anything to my faith or knowledge. Numbers themselves are infinitely fascinating to a mathematician. You could as easily play the same numbers game on any work of Shakespeare, or the Encylopedia Britannica. Although I admit it probably wouldn’t be as much fun, and wouldn’t get nearly as many people worked up. 😉
Just my :twocents:
Hi, seagal.

You should not criticize without knowing what you’re criticizing.

The numbers do add to text interpretation. They become part of the large package of symbolic details enriching and corroboration symbolic portrayals of Christian, especially Catholic, theology.

For example, yesterday I said that 10 = “very much,” and that 5 = “Jesus.”

See what that enables us to do in 2 Maccabees 14…

**37 A certain Razis, one of the elders of Jerusalem, was denounced to Nicanor as a patriot. A man highly regarded, he was called a father of the Jews because of his love for them.
38 In the early days of the revolt, he had been convicted of Judaism, and had risked body and life in his ardent zeal for it.
39 Nicanor, to show his detestation of the Jews, sent more than five hundred soldiers to arrest him. **

500 = 10 x 10 x 5 = “very, very much Christ.”

The 500 doors being “applied to” Razis tells the readers that he is “very, very much” a “Christ” symbol!!!

Here’s another example…

5 The five Amorite kings, of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon, united all their forces and marched against Gibeon, where they took up siege positions. Joshua 10:5.

The fact that the evil Amorite Kings are “five” in number tells us that they are really another use of a sin symbol to symbolize Jesus!!!
 
Hi, seagal.

You should not criticize without knowing what you’re criticizing.

The numbers do add to text interpretation. They become part of the large package of symbolic details enriching and corroboration symbolic portrayals of Christian, especially Catholic, theology.

For example, yesterday I said that 10 = “very much,” and that 5 = “Jesus.”

See what that enables us to do in 2 Maccabees 14…

**37 A certain Razis, one of the elders of Jerusalem, was denounced to Nicanor as a patriot. A man highly regarded, he was called a father of the Jews because of his love for them.
38 In the early days of the revolt, he had been convicted of Judaism, and had risked body and life in his ardent zeal for it.
39 Nicanor, to show his detestation of the Jews, sent more than five hundred **soldiers to arrest him.

500 = 10 x 10 x 5 = “very, very much Christ.”

The 500 doors being “applied to” Razis tells the readers that he is “very, very much” a “Christ” symbol!!!

Here’s another example…

5 The five Amorite kings, of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon, united all their forces and marched against Gibeon, where they took up siege positions. Joshua 10:5.

The fact that the evil Amorite Kings are “five” in number tells us that they are really another use of a sin symbol to symbolize Jesus!!!
Catholic theology does not rely on such numerical manipulations, no matter how appealing they may be to some individuals.
 
Catholic theology does not rely on such numerical manipulations, no matter how appealing they may be to some individuals.
I don’t know about the word “rely.” The numbers and other symbols in the Bible, however, in fact teach Catholic theology. You really are wrong. You really don’t know what you’re criticizing.
 
I don’t know about the word “rely.” The numbers and other symbols in the Bible, however, in fact teach Catholic theology. You really are wrong. You really don’t know what you’re criticizing.
Many numbers in Scripture do have symbolic significance and meaning, yes. But the gyrations in the post I referred to goes way beyond that. Sometimes a number is just a number.
 
Many numbers in Scripture do have symbolic significance and meaning, yes. But the gyrations in the post I referred to goes way beyond that. Sometimes a number is just a number.
As far as I can see, “1” is the only number which is just a number.

If you would peruse the Bible and post a number in a verse which you are curious about, I’ll break it down for you.
 
Hi, seagal.

You should not criticize without knowing what you’re criticizing.

The numbers do add to text interpretation. They become part of the large package of symbolic details enriching and corroboration symbolic portrayals of Christian, especially Catholic, theology.

For example, yesterday I said that 10 = “very much,” and that 5 = “Jesus.”

See what that enables us to do in 2 Maccabees 14…

**37 A certain Razis, one of the elders of Jerusalem, was denounced to Nicanor as a patriot. A man highly regarded, he was called a father of the Jews because of his love for them. **
**38 In the early days of the revolt, he had been convicted of Judaism, and had risked body and life in his ardent zeal for it. **
**39 Nicanor, to show his detestation of the Jews, sent more than five hundred **soldiers to arrest him.

500 = 10 x 10 x 5 = “very, very much Christ.”

The 500 doors being “applied to” Razis tells the readers that he is “very, very much” a “Christ” symbol!!!

Here’s another example…

5 The five Amorite kings, of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon, united all their forces and marched against Gibeon, where they took up siege positions. Joshua 10:5.

The fact that the evil Amorite Kings are “five” in number tells us that they are really another use of a sin symbol to symbolize Jesus!!!
You just showed how the number 5 can be used as both a good symbol and a bad symbol, in the first instance a Christ figure and the second a sin symbol. Maybe I’m just being dense but it just seems too convoluted to me. And I really don’t understand “500 doors being applied to Razis”. What doors??
 
You just showed how the number 5 can be used as both a good symbol and a bad symbol, in the first instance a Christ figure and the second a sin symbol. Maybe I’m just being dense but it just seems too convoluted to me. And I really don’t understand “500 doors being applied to Razis”. What doors??
In each case, the “5” is used to refer symbolically to Jesus.

In Joshua, “5” kings are hung on “5” trees, and then their “5” bodies are buried in a cave at sunset, just as Jesus was crucified on a “tree” of sorts, and then buried in a cave at sunset.

In 2 Maccabees, I should have written that “500 soldiers” were applied to Razis’ door. Sorry about that. I’m a slightly dyslexic lefty. When I sink into deep thought, the verbal part of my mind starts “going dyslexic” and I start inverting letters, words and ideas.

In 2 Maccabees, 500 soldiers bearing down Razis’ door is actually a double reference to Christ. “5” = “Christ.” “Door” = “Christ.” Because it is Razis’ door, this is :Identification by Juxtaposition" telling us “Razis = what 5 symbolizes and what door symbolizes.”

Just as Christ went UP to the cross,

was STABBED in his abdomen,

went DOWN to Hell,

and then TOOK HIS PLACE IN THE CHURCH,

from which Christ distributes HIS BODY AND BLOOD;

Razis went UP ro his tower,

where he STABBED himself in the abdomen with his sword,

went DOWN to an “empty place” amidst the crowd,

and then TOOK HIS PLACE ON A ROCK,

from which Razis “distributed” his entrails.

A lor of the Christians here won’t like this latter typological word picture, because it is so utterly blood-soaked.

I personally suspect that God weote it that way to rub our noses in His teachi8ng of Real Presence theology. “Do you get it?,” God asks impatiently.
 
Thank you for the great & in depth replies.

I had a different thought…,

In Mark 6:30-6:43; *…5 loaves & 2 fish fed 5,000 with 12 baskets left over *. I thought 12 baskets left over, represented the 12 apostles to “feed” the people after Jesus is gone? What does 5 loaves & 2 fish represent?

In Mark 8.1-8.9; **7 **loaves of bread fed over 4,000 with 7 baskets left over. What is the significance of 7?

Also in Luke & John…

Thanks
 
Thank you for the great & in depth replies.

I had a different thought…,

In Mark 6:30-6:43; *…5 loaves & 2 fish fed 5,000 with 12 baskets left over *. I thought 12 baskets left over, represented the 12 apostles to “feed” the people after Jesus is gone? What does 5 loaves & 2 fish represent?

In Mark 8.1-8.9; **7 **loaves of bread fed over 4,000 with 7 baskets left over. What is the significance of 7?

Also in Luke & John…

Thanks
“5” loaves = “Jesus” loaves.

“2” fish = fish from the “Church,” “Church” fish.

“7” loaves would = “perfect” loaves.
 
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