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BIBLICAL SYMBOLIC NUMBERS Part IV
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26 The number four is also known through the Hebrew four letter name of God the so called “Tetragrammaton”
In Western languages this name is known as IHVH and modern Christians often use the word Jehovah. Regarding this holy name, the number 26 has great symbolic significance because it is the numerical value of the four letters that make up this name in the Hebrew alphabet.
The mystical power that has been attributed to this number throughout the ages is enormous. Especially during the middle ages lots of experimentation was done by Jewish cabalists, trying to manipulate every aspect of the numerical value of this name. A vary special reference towards this number is provided in the Gospel of John. In chapter 21 verse 11, the writer mentions the number of fishes captured during the Miraculous Catch of Fish: “Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn”. A peculiar detail regarding this miracle is that it took place after Jesus resurrection during the time that he had already abandoned his earthly existence to return to his divine nature. The number 153 has some interesting symbolic possibilities. It belongs to the table of 9 just as the number 144. An overview is provided below:
15 x 9 = 135 (17 + 9 = 26) So 153 is the same as 17 times 9. Adding 17 to 9 instead of multiplying gives 26 as outcome. Similar little tricks were used often in Jewish number symbolism to give hidden meaning to certain numbers. The writer of the Gospel of John may as such have made a reference to the Tetragrammaton. At the same time he may have wanted to make an elegant link to the number 144, another beautiful symbolic number. We may assume that the writer of course intended to make a truthful account of what happened that day. On the other hand it is not very likely that he counted the exact number of fishes that were captured. As such he most likely choose the number 153 because of his elegant reference to the divines status of Jesus and the miraculous character of the catch. Another simple but important symbolic quality of the number twenty six lies in the fact that it can be divided in two times thirteen. At first sight this may seem rather insignificant. It should however be remembered that the Jews attributed great value to this number connecting it directly to God himself. The old Hebrews thought that this was the number that God used to give shape to the universe and attributed a highly mystical power to it. This mystical value may be connected to the fact that thirteen is a prime number that can only be divided by itself or by one, contrary to the number twelve that can be divided in almost every possible way (1,2,3,4,6,12). Apart of this, twelve is an even-, and thus “female” number, not suitable to symbolize the good old God of the Old Testament. The common practice to symbolically “lift-up” earthly numbers to spiritually higher lever by adding-up one, has been discussed before in detail. |
The important symbolic meaning of the numbers thirteen (and five) in Jewish mysticism will be illustrate by means of a citation from the Medieval Kabalistic book Zohar. This text including footnotes has been translated from German language by the author so some inaccuracies may occur.
Rose amongst
Thorns Rabbi Chiskija started: It is said: “Like the Rose amongst Thorns” (2nd Song of Salomon). What does this rose mean? The community of Israel. Just like red and white appear on a rose, which finds itself between thorns1, also the community of Israel will experience strict justice and merciful love2. Like the rose that has thirteen petals, also the community of Israel has thirteen features of (divine) mercifulness, which surround them from all sides; in the same way that Elohim, as soon as he was mentioned, produced thirteen words to protect the community of Israel, and only after this he is mentioned again. Why is he mentioned again? To bring forth the five strong sepals that surround the rose. These five are called “salvations”, and they are the five gates3. The verse “I will lift up the cup of salvation” (Psalm 116:13) refers to this secret. This is the cup4 through which the blessing will be spoken. This cup must rest on five fingers and not more, like the rose that sits on five strong sepals symbolized by the five fingers; this rose means the cup over which the blessing was pronounced. From the second Elohim to the third Elohim are five words, from that point onwards the light was created and retained5 and closed in the covenant6 that came over the rose and produced seeds in her, and was called “tree” that bears fruit in which his seed is. And this seed exists because of the sign of the covenant. Just like the form of the covenant was sowed in 42 pairs, also the unpronounceable name of God was sowed in 42 letters during the story of the creation7. 1 The thorns are an allegory for suffering and prosecution – 2 The thirteen attributes and names of God according to 2Mos-34:6; in Talmud texts Rosch Haschana 17b it says that after thirteen vocations prayers can not be denied. – 3 Through five gates a prayer rises up to God, while the blessing descends on the community of Israel; these are the five letters that spell the name Elohim in Hebrew language. - 4 This cup is a symbol for the redeemed Israel. – 5 According to cabalistic ideas, the original light of the first days of creations was thought to be unfit for the world and set apart for the coming of the Saviour. – 6 The covenant of circumcision is meant here. – 7 Incomprehensible number speculations. This text is full of rich number symbolism and mentions amongst more the numbers 5, 13 and 42. The number 42 is mentioned as 42 pairs. This can be a reference to the number 21 (2x21) or 84 (2x42). 84 is interesting as 7x12, while 21 can be explained through the use of the numbers 5 and 13:
2 x 5 = 10 The numbers 10, 26 and 42 are known symbolic numbers that are directly related to God himself. One of the footnotes of the original German texts speaks of “incomprehensible number symbolism”, referring to the unpronounceable 42 letter name of God (see appendix) and the 13 words spoken by God in reference to the creation. Well; the creation took place in 6 days with a 7th resting day; 6+7=13 while 6x7=42. This is an example of the same kind of Kabalistic calculation that was also used in the 153 fish of the miraculous catch of fish by Jesus. |
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