The Number Seven
The Number Seven¹
Just as one star surpasses another in glory, so also one number surpasses another in importance and symbolic value.
Among the most important numbers is the number 7, which symbolizes perfection.
Its importance begins from the first Book of Genesis, when God blessed the seventh day. We also see that the first human to ascend to heaven was Enoch, who was the seventh from Adam.
And in the Book of Revelation, the last of the books, we see the importance of the number 7.
✠ From its beginning, we see seven messages to seven churches, symbolized by seven lampstands. They have seven angels, symbolized by seven stars.
Do these seven churches symbolize all the churches of the world, and are their conditions explained in seven states? And do their angels symbolize all the shepherds? Perhaps…
✠ In the Book of Revelation as well, we read about seven seals with which the book was sealed, meaning that it was complete in its sealing. Then we read about the seven Spirits of God, seven angels, seven plagues, and seven trumpets.
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✠ And we read about the dragon that it had seven heads (Rev 12), and that the beast also had seven heads (Rev 13).
Do these seven heads of the dragon and of the beast symbolize all the evil powers and all the resisting leaders who have harmed Christianity? And do the seven plagues and the seven woes symbolize all the tribulations that come upon the world before the end?
✠ Concerning forgiveness, Peter asked the Lord Christ, “How often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” (Matt 18:21–22). In order to show him that it is not a matter of number but of symbolism, the Lord said to him, “Up to seventy times seven.” The number 7 repeated symbolizes perfection, multiplied by the number 10, which also symbolizes perfection.
✠ Concerning the perfection of falling, Scripture says, “For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again,” meaning that no matter how much he falls, he rises; it does not mean the literal concept. And perhaps concerning such a kind of fall, it was not in vain that Scripture said about Mary Magdalene that Christ “had cast out seven demons from her” (Mark 16:9).
✠ And Job’s friends: when the Lord wanted to make them feel the perfection of their sin, He commanded them to offer a burnt offering of “seven bulls and seven rams” (Job 42:8).
On the Day of Atonement, one bull was offered for the sin of the whole people, and one bull for the sin of the high priest, but here there were seven bulls, as a symbol of the perfection of sin. Perhaps they offered seven bulls for their sin against God, and seven rams for their sin against His servant Job, the two groups together symbolizing their sin against God and people. Perhaps the same thing happened with Balaam, when “seven altars” were built for him, on which he offered “seven bulls and seven rams” (Num 23:1).
✠ In the story of Job, for the perfection of sorrow, we see that his friends “sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights” (Job 2:13).
✠ And the number seven appears very clearly in the subject of punishment.
✠ In the punishment of Nebuchadnezzar, in the Book of Daniel (4:16), God commanded that he remain under punishment for “seven times.”
✠ And in the story of the fall of the walls of Jericho, they went around them for seven days.
✠ And concerning the killing of Cain it was said, “Whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold… but of Lamech seventy-sevenfold” (Gen 4:15, 24).
✠ And in the Book of Leviticus (26:18) it says, “And after all this, if you do not obey Me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins.” And in the Book of Proverbs (6:31) it says, “He restores sevenfold.” And the famine that occurred in the time of Elisha lasted seven years (2 Kings 8:1).
✠ And for the perfection of punishment and atonement, the blood of the sacrifice was sprinkled seven times around the altar (Lev 4:6, 17).
And the punishment of uncleanness lasted seven days (Num 19:11), and the Book of Numbers explained examples of this duration of uncleanness. And in (Num 12:14) it speaks about the daughter whom her father spits in her face: “Would she not be ashamed seven days?”
✠ And for the perfection of purification, Naaman the Syrian was commanded to wash seven times in the Jordan, for the perfection of purification on the one hand, and for the perfection of patience and waiting for the Lord on the other; he was not healed from the first washing, but from the seventh. The Lord waits “from the watch of the morning until night.” He does not quickly become impatient.
✠ And perhaps in the same way, rain came down after the seventh prayer of Elijah the prophet, despite the Lord’s promise to him…
If the number 7 symbolizes perfection and rest, we see that Elijah rested in the seventh prayer, Naaman the Syrian rested from his illness in the seventh washing, and the people rested from the walls of Jericho in the seventh circuit. In the same way, the land rested in the seventh year (Lev 25:2–10), and the servant was released from his bondage and rested in the seventh year (Exod 21:2).
✠ And when God wanted to explain the perfection of victory and the perfection of defeat, He also used the number 7. In blessing He said, “The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways” (Deut 28:7). And in the same way the curse was said, “The Lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies; you shall go out one way against them and flee before them seven ways” (v. 25).
✠ And in Jacob’s love for Rachel, it was said that he served her for seven years…
Indeed, literally he served seven years, but the number at the same time symbolizes the perfection of his toil for her. If it had been said that he toiled 15 years, the expression would not have given the same strength. Exactly like the numbers that occurred literally in the story of Jericho, Naaman the Syrian, and the prayers of Elijah… but alongside the literal meaning there was the symbolic meaning.
We find the importance of the number 7 in many events, among them:
✠ In the raising of the Shunammite’s son, he sneezed seven times (2 Kings 4:35).
✠ And in the consecration of Aaron and his sons, it says concerning the holy garments in (Exod 29:30, 35, 37): “Seven days the priest shall wear them… who enters the tabernacle of meeting to minister in the holy place… seven days you shall consecrate them… seven days you shall make atonement for the altar and sanctify it…”
✠ Yet there are many testimonies in the Holy Bible in which the number 7 does not appear explicitly, but is understood from the context.
✠ For the Apostle Paul, when he speaks about the tribulations that cannot separate him from the Lord, mentions seven tribulations, saying: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? (1) Tribulation, (2) or distress, (3) or persecution, (4) or famine, (5) or nakedness, (6) or peril, (7) or sword?” (Rom 8:35).
✠ And in the qualities of the wisdom from above, we see the same pattern (James 3):
“But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, (2) then peaceable, (3) gentle, (4) willing to yield, (5) full of mercy (6) and good fruits, (7) without partiality and without hypocrisy.”
✠ And if we take the fruits of faith, as explained by the Apostle Peter (2 Pet 1:5–7), we find the same number:
Add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge,
to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance,
to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness,
and to brotherly kindness love.
✠ And in the glorification of Christ we find the same seven attributes, as stated in the Book of Revelation:
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive (2) power and (3) riches and (4) wisdom and (5) strength and (6) honor and (7) glory and blessing!” (Rev 5:12). And the same number appears in the praise of the nations and tribes before the throne in (Rev 7:12):
“Saying: Amen! (1) Blessing and (2) glory and (3) wisdom, (4) thanksgiving and (5) honor and (6) power and (7) might be to our God forever and ever.”
✠ And the same number we find in the fear of people in the last days:
“(1) The kings of the earth, (2) the great men, (3) the rich men, (4) the commanders, (5) the mighty men, (6) every slave and (7) every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains” (Rev 6:15). And in the same way we can review (Rev 19:18; Rom 12:6–8).
✠ And in the parables of Christ (Matthew 13), we find the same number 7:
(1) The parable of the sower who went out to sow.
(2) The parable of the tares.
(3) The parable of the mustard seed.
(4) The parable of the leaven.
(5) The parable of the hidden treasure in the field.
(6) The parable of the merchant and the pearl.
(7) The parable of the net cast into the sea.
✠ In the woes pronounced by the Lord upon the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 23), we find the same number 7, and in the genealogy of Christ we find the repetition of the number 7 (Matthew 1).
✠ In the rites, we find the same number, for example the feasts of the Old Testament:
(1) Passover. (2) Unleavened Bread. (3) Feast of Harvest.
(4) Pentecost. (5) Feast of Trumpets. (6) Day of Atonement.
(7) Feast of Tabernacles.
✠ Likewise the feasts of the New Testament: seven major and seven minor.
The major feasts are: (1) Annunciation. (2) Nativity. (3) Theophany.
(4) Palm Sunday. (5) Resurrection. (6) Ascension. (7) Pentecost.
And the minor feasts are: (1) Circumcision, (2) Presentation of Christ in the Temple, (3) His entry into the land of Egypt, (4) His attendance at the wedding of Cana of Galilee, (5) Transfiguration, (6) Covenant Thursday, (7) Thomas Sunday.
✠ Even our fasts, we find them also to be seven:
(1) Nativity Fast. (2) Jonah’s Fast. (3) The Holy Forty Days Fast.
(4) Pascha Fast (Holy Week). (5) Apostles’ Fast. (6) Virgin Mary’s Fast.
(7) Wednesday and Friday Fast.
✠ And in the rites and doctrines of the Church we find other examples:
Seven prayers of the Agpeya, seven prayers of the oil lamp (Anointing of the Sick), seven ranks of the Church of God (for the priesthood), seven deacons (Acts 6), and the sacraments of the Church are seven… etc.
✠ And we find that the Lord’s Prayer includes seven petitions:
(1) “Hallowed be Your name.
(2) Your kingdom come.
(3) Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
(4) Give us this day our daily bread.
(5) And forgive us our debts.
(6) And do not lead us into temptation.
(7) But deliver us from the evil one.”
✠ And the words of Christ on the cross are seven.
✠ And the attributes of the Holy Spirit are seven (in the Agpeya and in the Book of Isaiah).
¹ An article by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III – Al-Keraza Magazine – Sixth Year – Issue Fourteen – 4/4/1975.
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