Numerical Symbolism—III

Let me conclude this series with two more very important numbers used symbolically in the book of Revelation.

“3½.” Seven was divided in two to get 3½. 3½ came to express the incomplete, that which was imperfect, restless longings not yet fulfilled, aspirations unrealized, or an indefinite, but finite, period of time. When an apocalyptic writer wanted to describe these conditions, for example, picturing the world as waiting for something which had not yet arrived, or when men in despair and confusion seeking peace and light, he would use 3½. This number actually takes several forms: 3½, “a time, times, and half a time,” 42 months (three and a half years), or 1,260 days (also three and a half years)—all of these have the same meaning. In Revelation 11, the two witnesses preached 3½ years—an indefinite time, filled with much despair. The court of the temple was trampled upon by the ungodly for 3½ years; saints were persecuted 42 months; the woman was in the wilderness 1,260 days. Always this represents the indefinite, the incomplete, a dissatisfied condition. But in it, there was still hope and patient waiting for a better day when truth would win out. A perfect apocalyptic literature-type figure.

“Six.” This last number, very important, needs to be mentioned. To the Jew, six had a sinister meaning. As seven was the sacred number, six fell short of it and failed. Thus, it was an evil number, like “13” is to many people today. Six was the charge that met defeat with success just within its grasp. Thus, in Revelation 13, “666” was evil, failure stretched out the nth degree. Satan’s success at overthrowing God’s people was very close, but ultimately this evil creature failed. “666” is not literally a man; all efforts to identify him as one literal person have been unsuccessful. “666” simply represents evil raised to the highest power; if any one man would be meant, John’s readers would have perceived it to be the Roman emperor, an evil person doing Satan’s work by persecuting God’s saints. By giving him the number “666,” God is saying this one is very evil, and will come close to achieving his wicked goals. But he will ultimately fail, for he falls short of the perfection of “seven.”

It is essential to remember that the numbers in the book of Revelation are symbolic, even when used literally (e.g., the seven churches of Asia represent all of God’s people). These numbers must not be understood with mathematical precision. When you see a number in Revelation, don’t even think in mathematical terms, think in conceptual terms, as John’s readers would have done. That is very difficult for us to do, because we don’t use numbers that way; it’s not part of our language. But it was to John’s readers and that’s the way they would have thought. I tell my history students, on the very first day of lecture, that if they are going to understand peoples of other time periods and cultures, they simply must learn to think like those people. Not easy, in fact, impossible to completely accomplish. But, as best as possible, it must be done to understand the Bible, and especially the book of Revelation. This will greatly aid in comprehending this remarkably beautiful, but obscure, book—obscure to those who fail to understand the historical circumstances and nature of apocalyptic writings.


Note: I must give thanks and credit to Ray Summers, whose book Worthy is the Lamb was the source of most of the material for this series, and also the one on apocalyptic literature. It is, far and away, the best book on the book of Revelation that I have ever studied.