The Most Deeply Sacred Number
Nearly everywhere you look in the Bible, you find seven. The number seven is mentioned over 700 times in Scripture. The Book of Revelation, alone, contains dozens of sevens – churches, bowls, lamps, seals, and the list goes on. Why are there so many “sevens” of sacred items? This is because in ancient Israel, the number seven was thought to be a symbol of divine perfection. As opposed to other numbers which derive their power from human endeavors, seven comes from God.
The Sevenfold Spirit of the Lord
God’s identity is also tied to the number seven. If we look at the famous “branch of Jesse” prophecy in Isaiah chapter 11, we find that the Holy Spirit will come to rest upon the Messiah in seven distinct facets. Collectively, these attributes form the sevenfold essence of the Holy Spirit.
| “The Spirit of the Lord shall rest on him | רוּחַ יְהוָה | ruaḥ adonai |
| The spirit of wisdom | רוּחַ חָכְמָה | ruaḥ hohma |
| And understanding | וּבִינָה | ruaḥ bina |
| The spirit of counsel | רוּחַ עֵצָה | ruaḥ etza |
| And might | וּגְבוּרָה | ruaḥ gevura |
| The spirit of knowledge | רוּחַ דַּעַת | ruaḥ da’at |
| And the fear of the Lord” (Isa. 11:2) | וְיִרְאַת יְהוָה | ruaḥ yirat adonai |
Discover the Power of Hebrew
When read in translation, seven may just seem like a coincidence, but in the original Hebrew, the words form a spiritual package, exploding with power. Reading the Word of God in the original Hebrew, new details will suddenly burst with meaning, and seven is no exception to this rule. Enroll in our live, online Biblical Hebrew course today and appreciate the Bible to its fullest!
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