What does the the number “7” mean in the Bible? The number seven is widely considered as a “lucky” number. This affinity to the number seven in everyday life may have its origins in the fact that the number seven is seen throughout the Bible more so than any other number. The short answer to the question, “What does seven mean in the Bible?” is, according to Bible scholars, God’s number of perfection or completeness, both physically and spiritual, and among other things is related to creation. It is not a surprise that sinful man, made in the image of God and desires to have God’s blessings, adopts God’s number of perfection for themselves.
The study of Biblical numerology, and specifically, the number seven, as it occurs in the Bible is vast. Here is a brief overview, but not an exhaustive study, of some of the more prominent appearances of the number seven in the Bible.
What Does 7 Mean in The Bible? Time ─ Seven Days of the Week
When God made time, He made the week to contain exactly seven days. In the first week of time, He performed His creative work and completed it all within seven days. This is told in the first book of the Bible, the Book of Genesis.
What Does 7 Mean in the Bible? ─ Genesis
The appearance of the word “seven” and its derivatives, a total of seven variations, are found predominantly in both the first and last books of the Bible. Here is the first use of the word “seven,” and its other variations and multiples, as they appear in the Bible.
Seven
Genesis 5:7 “And Seth lived after he begat Enos eight hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters” (KJV) This first mention of the number “seven” occurs in the seventh verse.
Sevens
Genesis 7:2 “Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.” (KJV)
Seventh
Genesis 2:2 “And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.” (KJV)
Seventy
Genesis 4:24 “If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.” (KJV)
Seventeen
Genesis 37:2 “These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.” (KJV)
Seventeenth
Genesis 7:11 “In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.” (KJV)
Sevenfold
Genesis 4:15 “And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.” (KJV)
The heavy use of the word “seven,” and all its derivatives, are all found in Genesis, indicating both God’s number of perfection and completion. The word “Genesis” has exactly seven letters.
The seventh day of the Old Testament week was the Sabbath. God rested from His creative work on the seventh day. His work was finished and complete.
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What Does 7 Mean in The Bible in Old Testament Occurrences
Enoch ─ This Old Testament saint was “translated,” he did not die, but rather, “God took him,” according to Genesis 5:24. “And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.” (KJV). The New Testament author Jude says that Enoch was “the seventh from Adam” (Jude 1:14).
Sacrificial Animals ─ Animals had to be at least seven days old before being accepted for sacrifice, according to Exodus 22:30.
Lampstand in the Tabernacle ─ The golden lampstand in the tabernacle had seven branches, according to Exodus 25:37.
Naaman ─ This Syrian general who had leprosy was commanded to bathe in the Jordan River seven times for his cleansing of this dread disease in 2 Kings 5:10.
Joshua and the City of Jericho ─ Joshua led the Israelites in marching around the city of Jericho for seven days. On the seventh day, they marched around Jericho seven times. Then seven priests blew seven trumpets and then the walls fell, according to Joshua 6:3-4.
Seven Sins God Hates ─ These seven sins area proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet swift in running to mischief, a false witness, and he that sowth discord among brethren. (Proverbs 6:16)
Daniel’s Seventy Weeks ─ The prophet Daniel was given the revelation of the “seventy weeks” of prophecy in Daniel 9:24.
Babylonian Captivity ─ The prophet Jeremiah said the children of Israel would be in captivity in Babylon for seventy years in Jeremiah 29:10.
Seven Times Punishment ─ God warned Israel that if they would not obey Him, He would punish them seven times more for their sins in Leviticus 26:18.
What Does 7 Mean in The Bible? ─ New Testament Occurrences
Here are some notable New Testament occurrences of the number seven in the Bible.
Forgiveness Against a Brother
Jesus told Peter to forgive a brother who trespassed against him, not just seven times, but “seven times seventy,” in Matthew 18:22.
Seven Parables In Matthew Chapter 13
These parables are the sower, the tares among the wheat, the grain of mustard seed, leaven, the treasure hid in a field, the pearl merchant, and the dragnet.
The Seventy
Jesus appointed seventy men to go before Him to prepare for His appearance in Luke 10:1.
Seven “I am” Statements Of Jesus In John’s Gospel
Jesus not only called Himself “I am,” which was an Old Testament name of God (Exodus 3:14), but also clarified His statement of “I am” with seven distinctions.
- The Bread of Life (John 6:35)
- The Light of the World (John 8:12)
- The Door (John 10:9)
- The Good Shephard (John 10:11)
- The Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25)
- The Way, The Truth and the Life (John 14:6)
- The True Vine (John 15:1)
What Does 7 Mean in The Bible? ─ The Book of Revelation
Just as the number seven and all its forms appear in the first book of the Bible, the number seven is found throughout the last book of the Bible, the Book of Revelation. In Revelation, seven occurs more than fifty times. Here are just a few of the many instances of the appearance of the number seven in Revelation.
- The seven churches in Asia (Revelation 1:4)
- Seven Candlesticks (Revelation 1:12)
- Seven Stars (Revelation 1:16)
- Seven Lamps of Fire / The Seven Sprits of God (Revelation 4:5)
- The Seven Sealed Book (Revelation 5:1)
- Seven Angels with seven trumpets (Revelation 8:2)
- Seven Thunders (Revelation 10:3)
- Dragon with seven heads and seven crowns (Revelation 12:3)
- Seven angels with seven plagues (Revelation 15:1)
- Seven mountains (Revelation 17:9)
- Seven kings (Revelation 17:10)
Many times, in the study of Bible numbers, the question may arise as to what does “7” mean in the Bible, and more questions are raised than answered. However, the number seven directs our attention to both the completeness and perfection of God and His work.
