Meaning of Numbers
in the Bible

The Meaning of Numbers: The Number 33 *

The number 33 is connected to promise or the promises of God. The 33rd time Noah’s name is used in the Bible, God promised to never again destroy the world with a flood and sealed His promise with the sign of the rainbow:

"And God said:  'This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:

"'I set My RAINBOW in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.  It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the RAINBOW shall be seen in the cloud;  and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh;  the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.

"'The RAINBOW shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.' " (Genesis 9:12-16, NKJV throughout)

The 33rd time Abraham’s name is used in God's word Isaac — the child of promise — was born:

"And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken. For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him." (Genesis 21:1-2, NKJV)

The number thirty-three and Jacob's ladder

"Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran. So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep. Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it . . .

"Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, 'Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.' And he was afraid and said, 'How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!' Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of that city had been Luz previously.

"Then Jacob made a vow, saying, 'If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God. And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God’s house, AND OF ALL THAT YOU GIVE ME I WILL SURELY GIVE A TENTH TO YOU.' " (Genesis 28:10-12, 16-22, NKJV)

The significance of thirty-three is also seen at Jesus' age at death, 33, which was the fulfillment of all the prophecies and promises concerning the Savior of man.

The divine name of God, Elohim, appears 33 times in the story of creation found in the opening chapters of Genesis. Number 33 also is a numerical representation of the Star of David (also known as the shield of David) and the numerical equivalent of the word Amen.

The Meaning of Numbers: The Number 34 *

In the bible the number 34 may relate to naming a son, as the 34th time Abraham’s name is mentioned is when he named his son Isaac:

"And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him - whom Sarah bore to him - Isaac." (Genesis 21:3, NKJV)