You Have Questions.  The Bible Has Answers.

Meaning of Numbers in the Bible


Meaning of Numbers
in the Bible
Lookup Bible Meaning of Numbers
1  -  2  -  3  -  4  -  5  -  6  -  6 and 7  -  7  -  8
8 and 7  -  8 and 13  -  9  -  10  -  11  -  12  -  13  -  14  -  15
17  -  19  -  20  -  21  -  22  -  24  -  25  -  27  -  28  -  29
30  -  31  -  40  -  42  -  50  -  51  -  65  -  70  -  120
153  -  200  -  390  -  400  -  430  -  490  -  666

Numbers Four Hundred (400), Four Hundred Thirty (430) and Four Hundred Ninety (490)

The Number Four Hundred

The number four hundred is the product of 8 and 50, and is a divinely perfect period.

From the fulfillment of the promise to Abraham in the birth of Isaac to the Exodus was a period of 400 years. Stephen mentions it as dating from "his seed" (Acts 7:6), and God dates it from the same point when He says to Abraham, "thy seed" (Genesis 15:13).*

* The structure of this verse rescues it from the way in which it is sadly misunderstood:—

A. "Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a strange land that is not theirs,

B. and shall serve them;

B. and they shall afflict them

A. four hundred years."

The structure places B and B in a parenthesis. A and A cover the whole time of the sojourn, while B and B refer to the service and sojourn during a parenthesis of unnamed length within that time. The structure of Acts 7:6 is exactly the same.

The Number Four Hundred Thirty

The number four hundred and thirty years, which, though it has the same point as to its termination, does not commence at the same point.

From the call of Abraham, or the "promise" made to him at that call (Genesis 12:3), unto the Exodus was 430 years. This covers the whole period of the "sojourning"; not of Abraham's "seed," as in Genesis 15:13 and Acts 7:6, but of Abraham himself. This is what is mentioned in Galatians 3:17 as the period from the "promise" to the "Law." It is referred to also in Exodus 12:40, where the "sojourning" is the nominative case (or subject) of the verb, while the sentence, "who dwelt in Egypt," is merely a relative clause, defining parenthetically an important point concerning them.

The Number Four Hundred Ninety

This is the period of the 70 sevens referred to under the head of Chronology. We need not therefore further enlarge on it here beyond pointing out the spiritual significance of the number itself as being seven times seventy.

Daniel was praying, and he was concerned about the 70 years prophesied of by Jeremiah (Daniel 9:2 and Jeremiah 25:11,12, 19:10). And the answer meant that though those 70 appointed years were about to end in restoration and blessing, another period of seven times 70 years had been determined (9:24-27), and they would commence from the very "decree" (Nehemiah 2) which should end the former 70 years. And these should run their course, marked by certain incidents, before the full and final restoration of Daniel's "city" and "people" should be accomplished.

The number 490 marks the product of spiritual perfection (7) with regard to the working out of Jerusalem's number (70). For 7 times 70 is 490.

 
Number in Scripture
by E. W. Bullinger
Introduction
1  -  2  -  3  -  4  -  5  -  6  -  6 and 7  -  7  -  8
8 and 7  -  8 and 13  -  9  -  10  -  11  -  12  -  13  -  14  -  15
17  -  19  -  20  -  21  -  22  -  24  -  25  -  27  -  28  -  29
30  -  31  -  40  -  42  -  50  -  51  -  65  -  70  -  120
153  -  200  -  390  -  400  -  430  -  490  -  666


 
Additional Bible Study Materials
WHY did God ask Abraham
to KILL his only son Issac?
Did God make promises to
Abraham that he DID NOT keep?
Timeline of the Old Testament
How OLD was Issac when
Abraham was to offer him to God?
MAP of Abraham's Journey
to Egypt and Land of Palestine
 
   
 
 

Visit the BEST Web Sites!

 
 
 
THE Bible Study Web Site at BibleStudy.org
You Have Questions.  The Bible Has Answers!