Significance of the Number Seven (7)

For the three major monotheistic religions the number seven (7) plays a mysterious part in trying to decipher the eschalogical events of a purposed human extinction. The holy books of Christianity, Islam and Judaism are filled with references to the number seven (7) which mankind has been trying to decode the meaning for many centuries now.

The interesting thing about biblical mysteries is that many questions arise, but answers are seldom forthcoming to completely appease mankind's curiosity. The same can be said of the number seven (7).       

Seven (7) in Judaism:

When Moses wrote the Torah, the very first story in this holy book was referred to as the 'seven days of creation'. God created the world and all therein in six days and rested on the 7th day. (Genesis 2:2). Many stories will follow where the number seven is instrumental to various happenstances told by the prophets of antiquity. The following is a list of sevens and their multiples which can be found in the creation story of Bereishit (Genesis):

• 35 times (7x5) - Elokim (God)
• 21 times (7x3) - "Earth, earth or land"
• 14 times (7x2) - "day or days"
•   7 times  -  "Good"
•   7 times  -  "Water(s) beneath the heavens"
•   7 times  -  "heaven(s), sky [excluding heavenly sky]
•   7 times  -  "flying, fly, or birds"
•   7 times  -  "crawls, walks, land animals"

The Hebrew Bible presented the number seven (7) from the very beginning and continued the secretive sequence of the number throughout the rest of the Tanakh. Here are a few references to the number seven (7) in the Tanakh:

• Noah gathered every clean beast and bird by sevens. (Bereishit 7:2) [Gen 7:2]
• The rains of the Great Flood  came on the seventh day. (Bereishit 7:4) [Gen 7:4]
• Jacob served seven years for Leah and seven years for Rachel. (Bereishit 29:16-30) [Gen 29: 16-30]
• Egypt had seven years of plenty and seven years of famine. (Bereishit 41:29-30) [Gen 41:29-30]
• The walls of Jericho fall on the seventh day after seven priests with seven trumpets march around the city seven times. (Yehoshua 6:3-4) [Joshua 6:3-4]
• Elisha sent a messenger to tell Naaman to wash himself in the Jordan River seven times. (Melachim II 5:10) [2 Kings 5:9]
• King David praised God seven times a day for His righteous laws. (Tehillim 119:164) [Psalms 119:164]
• There are seven things detestable to the Lord. (Mishlei 6:16-19) [Proverbs 6:16-19]

Seven (7) in Christianity: 

In Christianity, the same sequences of the number seven (7) found in the Torah and Tanakh are also found in the Old Testament and the number seven (7) appears many times in the New Testament. It is estimated that the number seven (7) is mentioned in the Christian Bible more than seven hundred times (7x100)! Besides the number one (1), the symbolic significance attached to the number seven (7) is almost unrivaled when it comes to other numbers mentioned throughout the Bible. Here are a few references to the number seven (7) in the New Testament:

• Jesus turned seven loaves of bread into seven bucketfuls (Matt 15:32-37)
• The woman [when she was widowed] married seven brothers (Matt 22:25-29) 
• Jesus cast seven devils from Mary Magdalene. (Mark 16:9)
• Jesus told his Disciples, "if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; though shalt forgive him." (Luke 17:4)
• Seven men of honest report; filled with the Holy Ghost & wisdom. (Acts 6:3)
• Jesus spoke seven phrases on the cross (Mark 15:34; Luke 23:34, 43, 46; John 19:26, 28, 30)

It is interesting to note the Christian Bible also begins with the number seven (7) being instrumental in the creation story, but the holy book also concludes in Revelation with the number seven (7) being very prominent. The sequences of the number seven (7) found in Revelation are highlighted in the following verses:

1. Churches (1:4; 2:1-3:22)  
2. Letters (2:1-3:22)
3. Spirits (1:4;3:1; 4:5; 5:6)
4. Lampstands (1:12, 20; 2:1; 4:5)
5. Stars ( 1:16, 20; 2:1; 3:1)
6. Seals (5:1; 5:5; 6:1)
7. Horns (5:6)
8. Eyes (5:6)
9. Angels (8:2, 6; 15:1, 6, 7; 15:8; 16:1; 17:1; 21:9)
10. Trumpets (8:2, 6)
11. Thunders (10:3,4)
12. Thousand People (11:13)
13. Heads (12:3; 13:1; 17:3, 7, 9)
14. Crowns (12:3)
15. Plagues (15:1, 6, 8; 21:9)
16. Bowls (15:7; 16:1; 17:1; 21:9)
17. Hills (17:9)
18. Kings (17:10, 11)
19. Last 7 Visions (Chapters 20-21)                   

Many believe the New Testament builds on the symbolic significance of God's chosen number (7) and surfaces through the course of Christ's ministry unto the Revelation of the Prophet John [of Patmos]. 

Seven (7) in Islam:

As in Christianity and Judaism, the holy book of Islam is filled with the sacred number seven (7) and the second most prominent number [after the number one (1)]. There are seven (7) verses in the first sura (chapter) in the Qur'an. During the rituals of Hajj (the pilgrimage to Mecca) Muslims walk around the Kaaba seven times; pilgrims also walk or run between Mount Safa and Mount Marwah seven times [in reference to Hagar, mother of Ishmael, when she ran between the two hills in search of water for her dying son].

In reference to the number seven (7), the following can be found in the Qur'an:

• Yusef (Joseph) is asked to interpret the King's dream where seven fat cows were devoured by seven skinny cows and seven green spikes. (Sura 12:46)
• Muhammad spoke of seven sleepers, as revealed to him by the angel Gabriel. (Sura 18)
• Allah (God) created seven heavens one above the other. (Sura 71, 15-16)
• Muhammad mentioned 'seven pairs', and the Great Qur'an, using the story of Lot as a reference. (Sura 15:87)

It is also interesting to note that Islam believes there are seven (7):  heavens, skies, layers of the Earth, big sins/vices, doors to Hell, levels of Hell, gates of Hell ... Among all the prominent numbers throughout the Qur'an, seven (7) is the first number mentioned [in Sura 2:29] and refers to "seven heavens". Throughout the Qur'an, "seven heavens" is mentioned seven (7) times. But, to go one step further, from the first time that seven (7) is mentioned until the last time the number is mentioned [in Sura 78:12] there are 77 chapters in between (7x11); from Sura 2:29 through Sura 78:12, there are 5,649 verses which is also a multiple of seven (7).

The Hadith of the prophet Muhammad states: "Avoid the seven sins of polytheism, witchcraft, the killing of the soul which Allah has forbidden except by right, consuming riba, consuming the wealth of the orphan, to escape from the battles and slandering chaste women."

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Many scholars and theologians of biblical antiquity question and debate whether the number seven (7), with its numerical precision, is a coincidence or a factual sign of divine intervention. It is definitely one of the greatest mysteries that remains in obscurity even unto our modern times. There is no doubt that this sacred number and its multiples are found throughout all the holy books of the Abrahamic religions and each respective religion continues to explore and seek out the meaning of the number seven (7).