Seven
Almost from the very beginning of the Bible, the number seven takes on special if not symbolic importance. God not only created the world in seven days, he also reserved the seventh day of creation as a personal day of recreation, or rest. Later, when God delivered the Ten Commandments (Exod. 20:1–17), the seventh day, or Sabbath, was identified as “the day of worship dedicated to the LORD your God” (v. 10). The reason given for this rule is, “In six days the LORD made heaven, earth, and the sea, along with everything in them. He didn’t work on the seventh day. That’s why the LORD blessed the day he stopped his work and set this day apart as holy” (v. 11). This early use of seven in Scripture creates the foundation for understanding this particular number as a symbol of perfection and completeness.
The significance of seven is further carried into the spiritual practices of Israel. In carrying out sacrifices for his sins and the sins of the people (Lev. 16:14–19), Aaron and the priests who would follow him were directed to “sprinkle some of the blood with [their] finger seven times in front of the throne of mercy” (v. 14). The pattern of the Sabbath was applied not only to the weekly cycle, but to the yearly one. Every seventh year was to be a sabbatical; and every fiftieth year, the year following a cycle of seven times seven years, was to be a Jubilee year of special celebration in which debts were forgiven and commitments settled.
The Number of Completeness
Use of the number seven to symbolize completeness or representatives of a larger group is illustrated in many settings throughout the Bible. Sets of seven are not always obvious, but when identified they can be significant. Proverbs lists seven deadly sins (6:16–19). The lamp stand had seven branches (Exod. 25:37). Seven priests with seven rams’ horns preceded the march around Jericho, which was performed seven times (Josh. 6). Seven baskets of food were left over after the feeding of the four thousand (Mark 8).
Groupings of seven events also appear. Matthew’s collection of Jesus’ parables that makes up the bulk of chapter 13 in his Gospel includes seven of these stories, and all of them teach various aspects of the kingdom of heaven. The Gospel of John includes seven major miracles or signs that display the glory of God in Jesus (2:11, 18–19; 4:54; 6:2, 14, 26; 9:16; 12:18). In his Gospel, John also incorporated two sevenfold sets of “I am” statements of Jesus. One set echoes the “I AM” self-description of God in the Old Testament (Exod. 3:13–14), recognized as such by Jesus’ hearers (John 4:26; 6:20; 8:24, 28, 58; 13:19; 18:5, 6, 8). The other group includes Jesus’ special ministry claims beginning with “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35; 8:12; 10:7, 9, 11, 14; 11:25; 14:6; 15:1, 5). The writer of Hebrews, demonstrating from the Old Testament the superiority of Jesus over angels, uses seven passages to make the case (Heb. 1:5–14). When James describes wisdom, he gives it seven primary characteristics (James 3:17). When Jesus comes to John with a message for his churches, he specifies seven of them to represent all the churches (Rev. 2–3). The book of Revelation also has seven specific blessings, beginning with the promised blessing for those who read the book (1:3; 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7, 14).
The seven candles in the menorah reflect the importance of this number in Jewish symbolism.
The Number Seven in Prophecy
In Scripture’s prophetic books, seven serves as a symbolic pointer to completeness, sometimes even complete evil. In Zechariah 4:10, God’s intimate awareness of all things is described as the “seven eyes of the LORD.” Daniel’s interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream included the sobering news that the king would be out of his mind for seven years (Dan. 4:19–37). On several occasions the book of Revelation refers to the “seven spirits of God” (1:4; 3:1; 4:5; 5:6), attributing them to Christ. Jesus is further described as the Lamb with seven eyes (complete knowledge) and seven horns (power) in Revelation 5:6.
Contrast that picture with the image of the seven-headed serpent of Revelation 12:3, representing the ancient serpent Satan, and the seven-headed beast who assists him in carrying out his plans on earth (Rev. 13:1; 17:3, 9–11). In Revelation, the unfolding of God’s final judgment on earth is described in sets of seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven bowls. In each of these, the seventh item contains the next set of horrors. But when the final bowl of wrath is poured out, John writes, “One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the last seven plagues came to me and said, ‘Come! I will show you the bride, the wife of the lamb.’ He carried me by his power away to a large, high mountain. He showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven. It had the glory of God” (Rev. 21:9–11). After God’s judgment has been fully completed, the true perfection of eternal life in his presence will become reality.
Key Verse
One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the last seven plagues came to me and said, “Come! I will show you the bride, the wife of the lamb.” (Rev. 21:9)