Subject: meaning of numbers in the bible |
Bible Note: Hi casiv, I'm sorry that you didn't find Theomatics worthwhile. I thought that Del Washburn's book glorified God and His word. The author has spent many years in his study, just as you probably have in yours. He would probably be disappointed if you didn't give him more than a few minutes of your time. Whatever, the important thing is that we know the Christ and His love. By the way, in order to do the counting of pronouns of Deity that I have done for many years in a study, I look for words to be properly capitalized. In that regard, here is my question for you. Do you believe that God is Love? You ask what I think of biblical mathematics. I hate mathematics. I don't do well with numbers; I can't even make my checkbook come out to the penny when I balance it. Not even close. I wouldn't be able to do your study, just as I wouldn't be able to count the letters for Theomatics. Both would be too exact for me. I have enough trouble making sure that I count every pronoun. But because we have spent so much time and energy in our studies, they would be hard to leave behind us, would they not? Our God is great in His creative powers. I have no doubt that He is able to accomplish all the things that you and I see or think we see in our individual studies. The "Theomatics" author has written about many "coincidences" regarding the addition of letters of the actual texts. I am trying to determine which words of the actual texts are meaningfully capitalized because of "coincidences" that I see. In like manner, you have seen "coincidences" in your own study. Our coincidences or things revealed can lose their meaning or significances with just one missing count, or one pronoun too many. In reading your follow up to searcher yesterday, I remember that you went to another Scripture for a number to count. That to me is not consistency. In past posts we talked about how you counted the chapter and verse to get at a "coincidence" that was meaningful, but you weren't open to considering all the chapters and verses. That to me is not consistency. Math is consistent. It always has to come out right to the penny. For me, then, your study is too much like math, and not enough like praising God. I don't expect that you will want to give up your mathematics or the acceptance of assigned words to various numbers. They may or may not be correctly discerned by you and other people. But what I would expect of you as a Christian is to desire to get the true meaning of the actual text first of all, and primarily. What we get from the Scriptures besides the actual words is our own personal study, "for what it's worth." There will be no way to check to see if your numbers are correct or the choice of assigned words are correct. So you are free to make your choices. I respect your courage and risk-taking in expressing your ideas. I would encourage you in searching for yourself and being true to yourself; just keep your eyes on Him. In your study of Daniel you spoke of 66 being the number of idol worship. Whether this is the case or not, don't lose sight of the fact that not one idol would have been able to deliver Daniel. There is only one God. Nebuchadnezzar says, "It seemed good to me to declare the signs and wonders which the Most High (God) has done for me. How great are His signs, And how mighty are His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And His dominion is from generation to generation." He also says, Daniel 4:37, "Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise, exalt, and honor the (King) of heaven, for all His works are true and His ways just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride." Later, Ray |