Bible Numbers 2.0

Comparing Other Texts

In the infinite realm of numbers, the possibility of finding features is infinite. The more you look, the more you find. This is guaranteed. These are all due to random chance. Because of this, it is possible other texts could have as many or even more features than God’s proclamation in Exodus 34:6-7. The question is whether they would be meaningful features like those in Exodus, and whether they would be features as described in Revelation 1:8.¹

To be meaningful and eliminate random chance, features must begin with meaning (or a rule) and end with meaning. (Anything else is a waste of time examining what just so happens to exist.) To be meaningful, numeric features must follow a pattern. And patterns can be applied to other texts for a comparison.

Revelation 1:8 sets the rules for symmetrical patterns: Alpha and Omega, Beginning and End, First and Last, Is Was Is To Come. Define one group, and everything else is outside that group. If both are divisible by seven there is symmetry between what is in the group and what is outside the group. Because of this, the total of a phrase (passage or verse) must be divisible by seven in order to be considered significant. This requirement is necessary for its features to follow Revelation 1:8 and Revelation 22:13.

The following phrases were divisible by seven. Basic numeric results for each are given in the table below. (For other texts not divisible by seven see note 2 below.)

• Exodus: Exodus 34:6-7, God's personal proclamation of all His goodness and name to Moses.
• Joshua: Joshua 24:24 is Israel's recognition of God and their oath of obedience.
• Rev: Revelation 1:8 (GNT) God's declaration to John the Apostle of who He is.
• Bal4: Balfour Declaration expressing British favour for the return of Israel (issued 1917).
• USB4: American Congressional approval for the Balfour Declaration.
• USrec: President Harry S. Truman's recognition of the newly declared Jewish state in 1948.
• DOI-2p: The second paragraph of the American Declaration of Independence: We hold these truths to be self-evident... (1776).
• AC_E62: The Apostles' Creed in English from the Book of Common Prayer 1662.
• AC200: The Apostles' Creed in English from the Church of England's Common Worship, dated 2000.
• ACLut: The Apostles' Creed in English from the Lutheran Church.
• NC381: The Nicean (Constantinople) Creed of 381 AD in Latin (without vowels).
• Wep: We the People - preamble to the US Constitution.
• Rev_P: Revelation 1:8 and 22:13 paraphrase in English (my construction).

Table Explanation

One of the things the believer will notice is that most of the major Christian Creeds were eliminated at the outset. There are several reasons why they are not divisible by seven.

• They begin with I believe. The creeds are man-centred. They are not God-centred. The principles developed from Revelation 1:8 are God-centred.
• They are not declarations of God's character or nature. They are statements of what humanity believes of God. This is fundamentally different from God, or an angel revealing truth to us.
• And what people believe of God, even though it is the majority position, a long standing tradition, and or approved by mainline denominations may not be true. An example of this is in the Apostles' Creed, where it states Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit. When we speak of birth and conception, the English word conceived is very specific as to impregnation. But Matthew 1:20 uses the Greek word gennao, which has wider meanings: bear, beget, be born, bring forth, conceive, be delivered of, gender, make, spring. The truth is no human being has any idea what happened, and thus no one should say conceived.
• The Nicean, Athanasian, and Chalcedonian Creeds all make similar statements on the nature of God, and of Jesus building up to the Trinity. These statements on spiritual matters, which no human can see, know or prove, and with no support from divine revelation, are the learned opinions and interpretations of men. (They should be treated as such.)
• Belief actually means very little (James 2:19). Compare the creeds to Joshua 24:24.

  And the people said to Joshua, The LORD our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey.

  Listening to God's voice and obeying is true recognition of God (Matthew 7:21). None of the creeds mention obedience. As the Apostle James warned, it is possible to hold the creeds and ignore God's voice completely (James 2:19).

These reasons also explain why Joshua 24:24 has so many features like Exodus 34:6-7. Israel's response at that time was the result of a living faith in the one true God who had led them for nearly fifty years. They knew who God was. They knew what He liked, and what He was like. They would obey His commands.

Exodus 34:6-7

There are more Revelation type features in Exodus 34:6-7 than in any other passage except Matthew 13:52-58. Some are also intertwined. Not only are the first and last letters of each word divisible by seven when added together, but the groups are divisible by seven individually. At the same time, since the passage is divisible by seven, that means all the letters that are not first in a word are also divisible by seven. All the letters that are not last in a word are divisible by seven, as is all the letters that are not first or last. Exodus illustrates the symmetrical principles of Revelation 1:8 beautifully.

Revelation 1:8

Revelation 1:8 appears to have very few features. This may seem strange, but it is not. God's signature is in the meaning of the words, and thus the numbers are not really necessary. (Coincidentally, combining Revelation 1:8 and 22:13 into one English paraphrase produces a phrase with eight features. This was done with very little effort. [See Rev_P.])

Joshua 24:24

Joshua 24:24 has the second highest number of features after Exodus. Like the proclamation, the sum of every other letter is divisible by seven. This is paired with the remaining letters also being divisible by seven. The total of every other letter through the passage is an excellent picture of Israel's faithful response to God mirroring God's faithful care of Israel through time.

The sum of the first letter of each word is divisible by seven, as is the total of the last letter of each word. Together the sum is 777, a wonderful numerical illustration of the one same God beginning and end, and who is, was, and is to come. This is God's signature, and stamp of approval on Israel's response.

Finally, there are the odd valued letters, and the even valued letters. The sum of each group is divisible by seven. This is similar to every other letter being divisible by seven, but in this case the letters are not dispersed evenly through the passage. This feature accurately reflects the ups and downs of anyone's life. Sometimes we are closer to God, and sometimes we are not.

The Balfour Declaration

Of the non-Bible texts, the Balfour Declaration of 1917 has the most features: nine. The timing of the Balfour is curiously coincidental. 1917 is 1847 years after the 70 A.D. destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans. If one were to count inclusively, there would be 1848 years (2 x 2 x 2 x 3 x 7 x 11). In 70 A.D., the Roman Empire began the end of Israel, and then in 1917, the British Empire began its restoration. (Coincidentally, 1917 is also 1782 years from 135 A.D. where the final Jewish rebellion was crushed and Rome took over completely. If one were to subtract one year, just as previously counting inclusively one added a year, the number would be 1781 [13 x 137]. Thirteen is a factor of the sum of the divine name in Hebrew.)

There is a feature in the Balfour Declaration that even Exodus and Joshua do not have. Not only are the odd and even positioned letters of the Balfour each divisible by seven, so too are the odd and even positioned words! The Balfour Declaration is a witness to God's constant faithfulness to Israel throughout the centuries. Since words and letters are what transmit meaning, both of them having this feature doubles the impact of the declaration's meaning. There can be no doubt. God planned to have Israel back.

First and last do not show up individually in the Balfour as being divisible by seven because this is a quality of God, not Israel. There was a time Israel did not exist. First and last have to show up together to demonstrate God's signature.

The Balfour Declaration begins with the words, His Majesty's government. These words were meant to refer to the government of the British Empire, but since Britain ended up with a queen not too long after, these words now serve a double meaning. His Majesty's government refers to God, and not any human nation.

The American Balfour Version

The American version of the Balfour is a separate witness of God's intention to restore Israel. God's faithfulness through history towards Israel is seen in the odd and even positioned words each being divisible by seven.

Unlike the Balfour Declaration, every other letter in the American version is not divisible by seven. There is something less perfect. This is confirmed by the fact that fewer basic features were discovered.

What is less perfect? The main differences between the Balfour and the American version are the additions of a third group (Christian), and mention of holy places and religious buildings. The underlying human assumptions behind these two additions are most likely what make the American version less perfect.

Nevertheless, God's signature is also seen in the first and last letters of each word being divisible by seven. Since there is no king in the American republic, to confirm there is the King behind it, the number of words is 78 (13 x 3 x 2). Even though there are few features, they are still symmetrical.

The U.S. Recognizes Israel in 1948

After Israel declared independence in 1948, President Harry S. Truman issued a statement recognizing the new Jewish state. God's recognition of Israel is seen in the numeric features. His signature appears in the first and last letters of each word separately, and in the first and last letters together. A second witness is in every odd valued letter and every even valued letter being divisible by seven.

Odd and even valued letters are not interspersed evenly throughout the text like odd and even positioned letters. This is not a sign of God being here some of the time for Israel and other times not being there. God is always constant. It is man's failings that cut out God's blessings and make them appear intermittent (Isaiah 59:2).

American Declaration of Independence - Second Paragraph

The second paragraph of the American Declaration of Independence has features because the truths it conveys are self-evident. (This is a definite reminder for the world that came after 1776 as it slowly tilted towards secularism and atheism.)

It is a witness to God's faithfulness and goodness throughout time (Matthew 5:45). This is demonstrated in every other letter being divisible by seven. To show God's signature more clearly, the first and last letters individually and together are also divisible by seven.

But this is not about the thirteen colonies. These features indicate this paragraph is true. Proof is very specific. It applies only to the statement where they were found. The unfortunate truth is that no other part of the declaration makes mention of God, or of obedience. And as a result, nothing in this second paragraph can be construed as divine approval for the United States of America, or for her destiny.

Every nation is given the opportunity to seek after God (Acts 17:27). This paragraph, in one of America's most important founding documents, was meant as a witness and guiding light for the new nation that would grow into the world superpower. This paragraph testifies against their failure to honour God, and the good gifts He bestowed. Truly, many are called but few chosen (Matthew 22:14).

Apostles' Creed - Book of Common Prayer

The English version of the Apostles' Creed from the Book of Common Prayer (1662) is divisible by seven, but there is very little in it that follows Revelation 1:8 or the other texts mentioned previously.

The positions of the last letter of each word, when added together, is divisible by seven, but there is no corresponding feature from the positions of the first letter of each word. And the positions are not letters or words. They are one step further removed from the meaning (letters and the words).

The first and last letters of each word have to be added together before there is a feature. Individually they don't work. There is no pairing of first and last as stated in Revelation 1:8.

The positions of the odd valued words and the positions of even valued letters are features, but again have no corroboration from the positions of even valued words and odd valued letters. This produces a lopsided picture.

These lopsided features, and the fact that they come from the positions and not from the letters (or words) of the text lead to the inescapable conclusion that something in the Apostles' Creed is imperfect. Since letters and words convey meaning, it is the meaning which is defective (see the points on creeds above).

Apostles' Creed - Common Worship (2000)

The Apostles' Creed from the Church of England's Common Worship (2000) is only slightly better because the odd valued letters and even valued letters individually are divisible by seven. It has more features than the verson from the Book of Common Prayer, but they too don't come in pairs for confirmation. There is no feature from the odd positioned and even positioned words or letters, which would mirror God's faithfulness through time. Again this is lopsided.

Apostles' Creed - Lutheran Church

The Lutheran Church's version has very few features (only 5), and only the odd and even positioned letters are paired. There is no first and last, a telling signature of God.

Nicean Creed (Constantinople 381 A.D.)

The Nicean Creed of 381 A.D. has six features, even though over half of them are all related to one basic feature: the first and last letters of each word. It lacks the odd and even positioned letters which are part of Revelation 1:8's is, was and is to come principle.

American Constitution - Preamble

The preamble to the American Constitution is divisible by seven, but has little else. Features are not paired. The principles in Revelation describing God are absent. Perhaps this is should not be surprising. After all, the preamble begins with We the people. It is man-centred, and not God-centred. Taken together with the Declaration of Independence, and Jesus' statement concerning the many, it becomes clear. America was given a choice, a great opportunity, and they failed.

Revelation 1:8 & 22:13 English Paraphrase

This paraphrase in English combines Revelation 1:8 and Revelation 22:13. There are eight features divisible by seven. The odd and even positioned words complement each other in being divisible by seven. The first and last letters of each word do not work, but the first and last letters (and their positions) together are both divisible by seven. The remaining features do not pair up. Since this is a paraphrase, it should not be expected to match Exodus or Joshua.

Matthew 13:52-58

Aside from God's proclamation in Exodus 34:6-7, this is the only other verse (or text) with symmetric features. It has more Revelation type features than Exodus!

First, the number of words, the number of letters and the numeric total are each individually divisible by seven. Second, the odd positioned words are divisible by seven. This makes the even positioned words also divisible by seven. Third, the letters behave exactly the same way. Fourth, the first letters of each word are divisible by seven, as are the last letters of each word. Of course the first and last together would also be divisible by seven.

Fifth, the break down between odd and even valued words are each divisible by seven. Sixth, the lesser half of the words and the greater half of the words also work. Seventh, the lesser half of the letters and the greater half mirror the words and are divisible by seven.

(Click for the study specifically on this passage.)

Conclusion

None of the other texts match the number of basic features in Exodus 34:6-7. Even so, when the principles of Revelation 1:8 are applied, the meaning and circumstances of each text work hand in hand with the numeric features. Texts concerning God and His will (plan) have more features than those that don't. The more they convey spiritual truth, the more symmetrical paired features there will be. So far, texts that give erroneous ideas about God have fewer features and lopsided features. Only time will tell whether this conclusion continues hold when more texts are examined.³

Choose the best for yourself. Read the Bible. Study it. Apply it. There is no other. (You don't need numbers for this.)

Notes

1. God has said He would not give His glory to another (Isaiah 42:8). Perhaps we can take it on faith there is no other text in existence with features like Exodus 34:6-7. And if there is, it would end up being a text that describes God in a manner similar to the proclamation and Revelation 1:8.
2. The following passages were not divisible by seven and dropped from the study.

   Texts Not Divisible By Seven

   Apostles' Creed	Greek, Latin, English (ecumenical & Roman Catholic versions)
   Athanasian Creed	Latin
   Chalcedonian Creed	English
   Nicean Creed 325	Greek, English
   Nicean Creed 381	Greek, English
   Gettysburg Address	Abraham Lincoln (Blish version)
   Give me your poor...	Emma Lazarus' inscription on the Statue of Liberty from "The New Colossus."
   Various speeches	Winston Churchill
   Evangelical Trinity Statement	Stan Gundry (Accessed: Sept. 24, 2018; https://www.cbeinternational.org/resource/journal/priscilla-papers)
   Belgic Confession, Article 8	The Reformed Church in America (Accessed: Sept. 24, 2018; https://www.rca.org/)
   Confession of Faith - Article 1: God	First paragraph of this article is from the Mennonite Church. (Accessed: Sept. 24, 2018; http://home.mennonitechurch.ca/)
   Trinity statement	NRSV Life Application Bible Study Notes on Luke 3:21-22. (***N.B. This brief part of a sentence is divisible by seven, but has no other features.)
   Dictionary definition of the Trinity	Funk & Wagnalls Canadian College Dictionary, 1989
   Dictionary definition of the Trinity	Websters' New Collegiate Dictionary, 1976

3. The unfortunate truth is the impossibility of checking even a fraction of every phrase spoken or text written.

Numeric Study Links

• Home
• Preface & Dedication
• Part 1: Introduction
• Part 2: God Describes Himself With Words & Numbers
  • The Hypothesis
  • Selecting The Verses
  • Formulating Rules
  • Applying The Rules To Exodus 34:6-7
    (The Proclamation)
  • The Proclamation's Complexity
  • Odd & Even
    (Complementary Opposites)
  • Combining Rules

  • The Structural Miracle I
    (Features from inside the verse.)
  • The Structural Miracle II
  • The Structural Miracle III
    (Features from the Bible outside the verse.)
  • The Structural Miracle IV
    (Features near the verse.)
  • The Proclamation & Revelation 1:8
  • The Divine Name & Signature
  • What It Means To Us
    (The first two commandments.)
• Part 3: A Bible Numbers Experiment
  (Eliminating randomness.)
• Part 4: Computer Searches
  • Short Computer Searches
    Quest For God’s Signature

    • Old Testament Verses
      • Exodus 17:16 War With Those Against God
      • Joshua 24:24 The Proper Response
      • 1 Kings 8:2-9 Solomon's Temple
      • 2 Kings 24:8 Kingship Rescinded
      • Psalm 89:8-12 Praising God
      • Isaiah 2:19-3:2 End Times
      
      
    • New Testament Verses (GNT)
      • Matthew 13:52-58
        Response (to teaching)
      • Philippians 2:14-15
        Advice For Service
      • Luke 1:31-36
        Divine Announcement Of Jesus' Birth
      • John 8:19-20
        Knowing God
      • Romans 2:13-16
        Doers Of The Law
      • Galatians 5:13-14
        The Second Great Commandment

      • 2 Timothy 2:22-3:2
        An Evil End Time Generation
      • Revelation 3:14-17
        The Church At The End Times
      • Revelation 4:8-10
        Heaven Praises God
      • Revelation 7:9-11
        The Great Multitude
      • Revelation 12:1-6
        The Woman And The Dragon
      • Revelation 19:12-14
        King Of Kings, Lord Of Lords
      
      
    • New Testament Verses (GNS)
      • Matthew 9:3-8
        The Son Of Man's Authority For Forgiving Sin.
      • Matthew 11:4-6
        Jesus' Ministry.
      • Matthew 18:21-22
        Forgive Your Brethren
      • Matthew 21:18-21
        Faith & Miracles
      • Mark 2:6-13
        Confirmation Of The Authority To Forgive (GNT)
      • Mark 2:8-10
        Authority To Forgive Sins. (See also the verse above.)
      • Mark 3:24-29
        Blaspheming The Holy Spirit (Unforgivable Sin).
      • Mark 13:8-11
        What To Say Before Persecutors.
      • Mark 14:48-49
        Man Made Religion Kills.
      • Mark 16:1-2
        The Women Visit Jesus' Tomb.
      • Mark 16:2-14
        The Resurrection Of Jesus.
      • Luke 7:46-50
        Why Jesus & God Forgive
      • Luke 9:38-43
        Perverse Generation.

      • Luke 9:43-46
        Man Made Religion Blinds.
      • Luke 10:16-19
        Jesus Gives Authority To His Disciples.
      • Luke 14:12-13
        Invite Those Who Can't Repay.
      • Luke 17:23-27
        The "Presence" Of The Son Of Man.
      • Luke 21:8-10
        Signs Of The End.
      • John 11:53-54
        Man Made Religion Seeks Death.
      • Acts 2:45-3:1
        Voluntary Sharing.
      • Acts 13:32-34
        Prophecy Fulfilled In The Gospel.
      • Romans 9:33-10:4
        Jesus The Stumbling Block For Israel.
      • 1John 1:7-9
        Jesus Is Faithful To Forgive
      • Hebrews 12:11-17
        The Closing Door.
      • Revelation 20:14-21:5
        New Heaven & Earth.
  • Long Computer Searches
    Widening The Search For God’s Signature

    Extended Old Testament Passages

    • The Story Of Abraham
    • The Story Of Jacob
    • The Exodus
    • The Journey From Darkness To Light
    • The Conquest Of Canaan
    • God, The Master Of Time

    Extended New Testament Passages (GNT)

    • John 1:1-37a
    • Matthew chapters 5:1 to 9:17b
    • Confirmation Of Jesus' Life, Teachings & Ministry
• Part 5: Taking It All Further
  • Moving Beyond The Bible
    (English in numbers.)
  • The Founding Of Modern Israel
  • We Hold These Truths...
    (A piece from the American Declaration Of Independence.)
  • Comparing Other Texts
• Part 6: Chinese Numbers
  • The Proclamation (Chinese)
    出 埃 及 34:6-7
  • Genesis 1:1
    創 世 記 1:1
  • John 1:1
    約 翰 福 音 1:1
  • Revelation 1:8
    啟 示 錄 1:8
  • Revelation 22:13 & 21:6
    啟 示 錄 22:13

  • The Vision In Revelation
    啟 示 錄 1:8-22:13
  • The Vision in 3D
    啟 示 錄 1:8-22:13 (三 維)
  • Chinese Character Number Convertor
    漢字編號轉換板
  • More...
    • Related Verses In Chinese
    • Jesus' Birth (Luke 1:31-36 路加福音)
    • Our Response (Joshua 24:24 約書亞記)
    • The Greatest Commandment (Matthew 22:37 馬太福音)
    • Other Verses In Chinese
    • Prophecy Of China & America (Isaiah 18 以賽亞)
• Part 7: Closing Words On Bible Numbers
  (The grand picture.)
• Part 8: What This Means To The World
  • A Message For Skeptics, & Unbelievers
  • A Message For Christians
  • A Message For Muslims.
  • A Message For Jews.
• New Numeric Experiments
  • The Proclamation In English
  • The Proclamation In Greek
  • Prophecy Of China & America
    Isaiah 18 (English)
  • Numeric Experiments: Conclusion
  • Speculative Numeric Experiments

  Further Numeric Experiments

  • Numeric Experiments
  • Second Experiment: It's Not Easy
  • The Balfour Declaration In Chinese
  • The U.S. Recognition Of Israel In Chinese
  • A New Proclamation In Chinese
• Miscellaneous
  • The Future Of The Middle East.
  • The Prayer Of Moses.
  • The lord Is My Shepherd.
  • The Structure Of History.
  • The Donkey Speaks.
  • Be Holy For I Am Holy.

  • God’s Covenant.
  • The Tower Of Babel.
  • The First Marriage.
  • The Flood.
  • The Imperial Number.
• Appendix: Why 7 & 13?
• About This Site & Contact

May the Lord god rebuke any who seek to misuse what is presented on this site.

The Rational Bible

Bible Issues

presents the Bible as a rational book, as history, economics, and prophecy (with an extensive look at the book of Revelation) also covering a diverse range of topics. (Active site.)

The foolishness of God is greater than anything we can imagine (1 Corinthians 1:25). On the off chance the numbers are a form of foolishness, do not spend too much time on them.

Copyright © 2019