Meaning of Numbers: The Number 144
The possible meaning of the number 144 is derived from the Psalms, God's law and the New Jerusalem soon to be created.
Psalm 144 references a rarely listed musical instrument called an Asor (Strong's #H6218). A ten-stringed instrument, its only other mentions in the Bible are in Psalms 33 and 92. Not much is known about the Asor. It was likely a type of harp such as a zither.
I will sing a new song to You, O God; on a harp of ten strings (asor) I will sing praises to You (Verse 9 of Psalm 144, HBFV).
Verse 9 of Psalm 144 also informs us that new songs, as well as old favorites, are acceptable for praising God (see also Psalm 33:3, 96:1, 98:1 and 149:1).
Appearances of Number One Hundred Forty Four
The English word "city" is written 154 times in 144 King James Bible New Testament verses. It is found the most in the book of Acts (42 times) followed by Luke (36) and then Revelation (28). Its first mention notes that the decision of Jesus' parents to live in Nazareth, and not Bethlehen, was a fulfillment of prophecy.
And he (Joseph) came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene (Matthew 2:23, KJV).
The Hebrew word nuach (Strong's #H5117) occurs 144 times in the Hebrew Old Testament. It is found the most in Ezekiel (17 times) followed by Isaiah (15) and then by both Exodus and Joshua (10 times each). The word means to rest, to lay or settle down, or to withdraw. One of its most well known uses is as part of the fourth commandment that requires all humans to rest on the seventh day Sabbath.
But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall not do any work . . .
For in six days the Lord made the heaven and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested (nuach) the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and sanctified it (Exodus 20:10 - 11, HBFV).
The New Jerusalem, which is made by God and brought to the earth, will have walls that are 144 cubits thick.
And he measured its wall, one hundred and forty-four cubits; the angel's measure was according to a man's (Revelation 21:17, HBFV).
If we assume a conservative length of a cubit as 17.5 inches, New Jerusalem's walls will be 2,520 inches (144 x 17.5) or 210 feet (64 meters) thick! If we assume a longer cubit known as a "royal" cubit, which is 20.4 inches long, the walls then become almost 245 feet (74.6 meters) thick.
A Profound Question and Number 144
Verse 3 of Psalm 144 asks the most profound questions any human can ask. Why are we here? For what purpose, if any, were we made? Why are humans important to God?
O Lord, what is man that You take knowledge of him? Or the son of man, that You think of him? (Verse 3 of Psalm 144, HBFV, see also Psalm 8:4 - 6).
We begin to find an answer in the New Testament.
For it is not to the angels that He has placed in subjection the world that is to come, of which we are speaking . . . "You did make him (man) a little lower than the angels; You did crown him with glory and honor . . . You did put all things in subjection under his feet." For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that was not subjected to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him . . . (Hebrews 2:5, 7 - 8, HBFV).
God, out of perfect love, wants others to experience the same kind of glorious existence he possesses. His plan, through Christ, is to develope holy righteous character in every human willing to repent and go his way. The future will not be dominated by angels, but by resurrected immortal humans who will receive glory (Hebrews 2:10) and power to rule over all things!
More Info on Biblical Meaning of 144
Out of 150 Psalms only 18, 122 and 144 list King David's name twice. In Psalm 144 his name is found in verses 1 and 10. Only two Psalms, 89 and 132, list his name four times.
God commanded ancient Israel, ever seven years, to observe what is known as a Sabbatical year (Leviticus 25:1 - 7, 19 - 23). One of these special years began on September 10 in 144 B.C. and ended on September 28 in 143.
In a unique coincidence, one of God's Sabbatical years also begins September 10 in 144 A.D. and ends on September 21 in 145.
Fibonacci numbers are named after Italian mathematician Leonardo of Pisa (who was later known as Fibonacci). He first created the sequence in 1202 A.D. to describe the growth of an idealized rabbit population. A Fibonacci sequence is a set where each number is the sum of the previous two in the list. The first few entries of this set are 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233 and 377.
144 is equal to 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 (or 2 to the fourth power) x 3 x 3 (or 3 squared). It is also equal to 12 x 12 (or 12 squared) as well as equaling the addition of two consecutive primes (71 + 73).