Number Eight in the Bible

The General Message of the Lecture

This lecture explains the symbolic meaning of the number eight in the Holy Bible as the number of new beginnings and new life, closely connected to resurrection, salvation, and the new covenant with God, from a Coptic Orthodox spiritual perspective.

First: Number Eight and a New Beginning

His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains that the week consists of seven days, and when the seventh day ends, the eighth day begins, which is the start of a new week. Therefore, the number eight became a symbol of a new beginning after the completion of a previous cycle.

Second: Number Eight and the Resurrection

The Resurrection represents a transition from death to life, meaning the beginning of a new life, which is why it is symbolized by the number eight.
Christ rose on the eighth day, the first day of the new week, after the completion of the Sabbath.

The Holy Bible records eight resurrection events:

• Five in the New Testament
• Three in the Old Testament
  All of them confirm that the number eight is connected to resurrection and new life.

Third: Number Eight and Baptism

Baptism is death with Christ and resurrection with Him, meaning the beginning of a new life.
In the Old Testament, circumcision symbolized baptism and was performed on the eighth day, marking entry into a new covenant with God.

Fourth: Number Eight in Salvation History

• Abraham had eight sons, and Isaac, the eighth, was the son of promise and the beginning of a new covenant.
• The Flood: God began a new life for the world through eight souls in the ark.
• Noah was the eighth from Adam and was saved among the eight as a symbol of new life.

Fifth: Number Eight and Kingship and Priesthood

• David was the eighth son of Jesse, and from his lineage came Christ and the beginning of salvation.
• The priesthood of Aaron began on the eighth day, marking a new priesthood.
• Offerings and firstborn sacrifices were accepted starting on the eighth day.

Sixth: Number Eight and the Establishment of the Church

The Church was established on the fiftieth day after seven weeks (49 days), which is the beginning of the eighth week, proclaiming the start of a new era through the Holy Spirit.

Seventh: Number Eight and Eternity

The seventh day, the day of rest, has not yet ended, and humanity still lives within it.
The eighth day symbolizes the general resurrection and eternal life, the beginning of a new heavenly existence after the passing of this world.

Conclusion

In the Holy Bible, the number eight is not merely numerical, but a profound spiritual symbol pointing to:

• Resurrection
• Baptism
• The New Covenant
• The Church
• Eternal Life

It is a continual declaration that God always grants new beginnings to humanity.

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