Number in Scripture
PART II
ITS SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE
INTRODUCTION
Having thus shown and established the supernatural design in the use of number, both in the works of God and in the Word of God, we now come to the spiritual significance of the numbers themselves.
We propose to take them in order, and to give under each not merely lists of passages or things, but first to define and explain the significance of the number, and then to illustrate its meaning, and show its teaching, as applied to its use, to numbers of things that are mentioned, the numbers of occurrences of words and things, the numbers of words used for a thing, and the numbers formed by the letters of the words themselves. This last is called by the ancients Gematria. This is the use of the letters of the alphabet instead of figures. Arabic numerals being a comparatively modern invention were not, of course, known to, and could not have been used by, the more ancient nations.
The Hebrews and Greeks, therefore, used their alphabets as follows:—
consists of 22 (2 x 11) letters, so the 5 finals were added to make up three series of 9, or 27 in all:
| Aleph ) | = 1 | Yod y | = 10 | Koph q | = 100 | ||
| Beth b | = 2 | Kaph k | = 20 | Resh r | = 200 | ||
| Gimel g | = 3 | Lamed l | = 30 | Shin # | = 300 | ||
| Daleth d | = 4 | Mem m | = 40 | Tau t | = 400 | ||
| He h | = 5 | Nun n | = 50 | Final Kaph K | = 500 | ||
| Vau w | = 6 | Samech s | = 60 | Final Mem M | = 600 | ||
| Zayin z | = 7 | Ayin ( | = 70 | Final Nun N | = 700 | ||
| Cheth x | = 8 | Pe p | = 80 | Final Pe P | = 800 | ||
| Teth + | = 9 | Tsaddi c | = 90 | Final Tsaddi C | = 900 |
The Greek letters were 24, and the required number, 27, was made up by using the final "V" or V (called Stigma) for 6, and adding two arbitrary symbols called respectively Koppa, for 90, and Sampsi, for 900.
| Alpha a | =1 | Iota i | = 10 | Rho r | = 100 | ||
| Beta b | = 2 | Kappa k | = 20 | Sigma s | = 200 | ||
| Gamma g | = 3 | Lambda l | = 30 | Tau t | = 300 | ||
| Delta d | = 4 | Mu m | = 40 | Upsilon u | = 400 | ||
| Epsilon e | = 5 | Nu n | = 50 | Phi f | = 500 | ||
| Stigma V* | = 6 | Xi x | =60 | Chi c | = 600 | ||
| Zeta z | = 7 | Omicron o | = 70 | Psi y | = 700 | ||
| Eta h | = 8 | Pi p | = 80 | Omega w | = 800 | ||
| Theta q | = 9 | Koppa | = 90 | Sampsi | = 900 |
* This letter V (called Stigma) is used for the number 6. Why this letter and number should be thus associated we cannot tell, except that both are intimately connected with the ancient Egyptian "mysteries." The three letters SSS (in Greek SSS) were the symbol of Isis, which is thus connected with 666. Indeed the expression of this number, CxV, consists of the initial and final letters of the word XristoV (Christos), Christ, viz., X and V, with the symbol of the serpent between them, X—x—V.