What is the symbolism associated with the number 40 and why is it documented so
many times in the Bible?
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| This picture symbolizes Jesus being tempted for 40 days |
While reading the gospel of Mark several
questions arose. First I noticed that the book of Mark was known as the
primitive gospel: Meaning that Mark was the first written gospel of the synoptic
gospels. Knowing that Mark was primitive made me wonder if the other four
gospels were written by the standard Mark set. I did some research and
discovered that the gospels are very similar, but are not identical. The main
similarities between the synoptic gospels were the stories, and they all
shadowed the life of Christ. Another common theme I observed was the disciples
all claimed to have witnessed Jesus performing miracles. One conclusion I came
to for sure is that the gospels deserve some discussion and clarification. These
findings opened my mind and allowed me to dig deeper. On my quest I discovered
that the gospels had an inclination to use words and numbers multiple times. The
beginning of Mark in the Literary Study Bible makes a profound statement:
“Mark’s fondness for the word immediately , which appears approximately forty
times.” This fact actually pushed me to write this blog. As I studied more on
the information presented I detected a number that was used in the doctrine of
Matthew that stirred up my analytical nature. This digit has been used over in
over in the biblical text and should be examined. The number is 40.
Why was
the number 40 used so frequently?
The number 40 is symbolic in many ways. It
can symbolize a period of waiting, a time of preparation, a test, or even a
trial of punishment. There is a story that is documented about the 40 days of
rain. Forty days of rain represents the trial period. Some scholars even think
it could mean punishment for followers of Christ’s teachings. http://www.ecclesia.org/truth/40.html alludes to
this with The 40 days of rain in the days of the flood were the judgments of
God. The 40 day periods of fasting, testing, and communing with God that were
faced by Moses and Jesus were a form of God's judgments.” The compelling thing
about that statement is that Christians are taught not to judge, but God judges’
mankind. As a result, there is a trial of punishment for 40 days. New
chapters of the Bible even begin with the number 40 for the record of redemption.. In contrast, forty would also point toward the extent or length of
time in which a generation survived. The Bible uses numbers to convey different
messages and signs to the reader. For instance, the Bible articulates that 40 can symbolize the death of the
inner self and the unworldly reincarnation. According to http://www.biblestudy.org/bibleref/meaning-of-numbers-in-bible/40.html
“the prophet Jonah powerfully warned ancient Nineveh, for forty days, that its
destruction would come because of its many sins.” From this excerpt the number
40 was conveyed as the number of destruction. This is a fairly good example of
what the number 40 can represent in the biblical doctrine.
How does the
number 40 transmit the message of humility?
I discovered that the number 40
was referenced 146 times in scripture. That is a lot of times to use a numeral
for one book. This statistic brought me to the realization that this particular
number may have more hidden messages. I found that the ancient Israelites were
harassed from time to time. Harassment after a period of time could lead to
being controlled and even enslaved by certain enemies who stripped them of their
humanity for sins that were real or imagined. This in turn caused the Israelites
to recognize the power of humility. According to http://www.biblestudy.org/bibleref/meaning-of-numbers-in-bible/40.html
“The Philistine's, in the southern and western parts of Israel's land, harassed
them from 1105 to 1065 B.C. God's resolution to the harassment was Samson.” (See
Judges 13:1, 1Samuel 7:13, 15 - 17).
10 times the number 40 occurred in the
bible. (http://www.ridingthebeast.com/numbers/nu40.php
)
1. The 40 days of fast of Jesus in the desert. (Mt
4,2)
2. Forty days separate the Ascension of Jesus of his
Resurrection. (Act 1,3)
3. The Flood of Noah lasted 40 days. (Gn
7,4)
4. Elijah walked 40 days and 40 nights before to reach the Horeb
mount. He fasted during 40 days before to begin his public ministry and he
remained 40 days on the Carmel mount. (1 K 19,8)
5. The priest Eli had
been judge of Israel for 40 years. (1 S 4,18)
6. The Hebrews wandered
40 years in the desert. (Nb 32,13)
7. The reign of Joash lasted 40
years in Jerusalem. (2 Ch 24,1)
8. The people of Nineveh had to repent
during 40 days. (Jon 3,4)
9. Isaac was 40 years old when he married
Rebekah. (Gn 25,20)
10. The embalming of Jacob was prolonged during 40
days. (Gn 50,3)
What else should you know?
In my research I
discovered that the bible is loaded with scriptures that included numbers. There
is a reason for every number that is used. All the numbers used convey different
messages. I just had the inclination to know more about the number 40. Knowing
more about symbolism can be very fascinating; especially when it’s coming out of
the Bible.
2 final things you should know:
The Koran puts the number 40 five times in print. (Koran II,48, V,29, VII,137, X,17 and XLVI,14).
The Koran puts the number 40 five times in print. (Koran II,48, V,29, VII,137, X,17 and XLVI,14).
Forty different people actually participated in penning the
Bible dogma.
For information about 40 days of lent click this link:
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