Meaning of Numbers
in the Bible

The Meaning of Numbers: The Number 42

The number forty-two is a number connected with Antichrist. An important part of his career is to last for 42 months (Revelation 11:2, 13:5), and thus this number is fixed upon him:

"Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, 'Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months.' . . ."

"So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, 'Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?' And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months." (Revelation 11:1-2, 13:4-5)

Another number of Antichrist is 1260, and this is 30 x 42.

The factors of 42 are six and seven (6 x 7 = 42), and this shows a connection between man and the Spirit of God, and between Christ and Antichrist. Additionally, forty-two stages of Israel's wanderings mark their conflict with the will of God.

Being a multiple of seven, it might be supposed that it would be connected with spiritual perfection. But it is the product of six times seven. Six, therefore, being the number of Man, and man's opposition to God, Forty-two becomes significant of the working out of man's opposition to God.

There may be something more in the common phrase about things being all "sixes and sevens." They are so, indeed, when man is mixed up with the things of God, and when religious "flesh" engages in spiritual things.

Forty-two and the punishment of mockers

A group of young men (around 30 to 40 years old) began to mock Elisha the prophet soon after his mentor, Elijah, left him in a chariot of fire. Elisha's response was quick to the foolishness of the men:

"Then he (Elisha) went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up the road, some youths came from the city and mocked him, and said to him, 'Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!'

"So he turned around and looked at them, and pronounced a curse on them in the name of the Lord. And two female bears came out of the woods and mauled FORTY-TWO of the youths." (2Kings 2:23-24, NKJV)

The number 42 and Nimrod

When we substitute numbers for letters in Nimrod's name in the Bible we find the number forty-two playing a role. Nimrod's name equates to the number 294, which is 42 x 7. Forty-two is often found as a factor in Anti-Christian names (See the symbolism of the number 13). It does not often appear as a separate number, but when it is thus seen as a factor of another number, it always imparts its significance to it.