Meaning of Numbers: The Number 25
The English phrases "twenty and five" and "five and twenty," used for the number 25, is recorded 41 times in 37 King James Bible verses. The Old Testament writings that use the phrases the most are Ezekiel (25 times) followed by 2Chronicles (6) then 2Kings (4). Only the New Testament book of John has the phrases occur just once.
The phrase "five and twentieth" for 25 is found only twice in Scripture (Jeremiah 52:31 and Ezekiel 40:1).The number 25 symbolizes in the Bible "grace upon grace." It is composed of 20 (meaning redemption) and five (grace) or grace multiplied (5 x 5).
And the Word became flesh, and tabernacled among us (and we ourselves beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten with the Father), full of grace and truth . . .
And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (John 1:14, 16 - 17, HBFV).
In 1947 scrolls were discovered in the Dead Sea region of Israel. Among all the scrolls found over the years, 25 copies of Deuteronomy have been identified.
Appearances of Number Twenty-Five
The Chaldee word babel, Strong's Concordance #H895, is recorded 25 times in 21 Old Testament original language verses. It is found only in the book of Daniel (16 times) and Ezra (9). The word, which means "confusion" (by mixing) is translated as the name "Babylon" in the King James.
But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven unto wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon (babel), the Chaldean, who destroyed this house, and carried the people away into Babylon (babel) (Ezra 5:12, KJV).
King Jehoshaphat, considered a good king of Judah, ruled for 25 official years (24 actual years from 872 to 848 B.C.).
Jehoshaphat was thirty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. (1Kings 22:42, KJV).
In 750 B.C. Jotham began to co-rule the Kingdom of Judah when he was 25 years old (2Kings 15:33). Righteous King Hezekiah was also this age when he began to reign (2Kings 18:2), as was King Amaziah (2Kings 14:2).
Of the top five New Testament books that contain the most material from the Old Testament, the book of Acts has material from twenty-five books.
Wicked King Jehoiakim (2Kings 23:33 - 37), at the age of 25, was placed over Judah as a puppet king of Egypt. He was one of the last few rulers before the kingdom was conquered by Babylon's Nebuchadnezzar.
The apostle John, in vision, saw 24 elders sitting around God's throne for 25 total thrones seen in heaven (Revelation 4:1 - 4).
And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne . . .
And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. (Revelation 4:2, 4, KJV).
Parables and Twenty-Five
Chronologically, the 25th parable Jesus gave during his ministry is the parable of the light of the world. The Lord gave it between October 28 A.D. and early 29 A.D.
And He said to them, "Is a lamp lit to be put under a bushelbasket or under a bed? Is it not rather lit to be put on a lampstand?" (Mark 4:21, see also Luke 8:16).
The light of the world parable is one of only two given on three separate occasions. The first time it was offered was during the Sermon on the Mount which took place (likely) near the fall of 27 A.D. The second time was above and the third was between Mid-November and December 18 of 29 A.D. (Luke 11:33).
Matthew 24, 25 and Mark 13 are dedicated entirely to Jesus' warnings and teachings concerning the prophetic end time.
The Temple and Number 25
Levities were required to be at least twenty-five years old before they could begin their service at the temple.
This is it that belongeth unto the Levites: from twenty and five years old and upward they shall go in to wait upon the service of the tabernacle of the congregation . . . (Numbers 8:24, KJV).
This minimum age requirement seems to have dropped to twenty from the time of David forward, likely due to the increasing amount of work required at the temple (1Chronicles 23:24, Ezra 3:8).
The number 25 plays a prominent role in Ezekiel's visions of the temple, which he saw in the twenty-fifth year of Judah's captivity.
In the five and twentieth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after that the city was smitten, in the selfsame day the hand of the Lord was upon me, and brought me thither. (Ezekiel 40:1, KJV).
There are several measurements within the prophetic temple shown to Ezekiel that are twenty-five cubits long.
He measured then the gate from the roof of one little chamber to the roof of another: the breadth was five and twenty cubits, door against door . . .
And the little chambers thereof were three on this side and three on that side; and the posts thereof and the arches thereof were after the measure of the first gate: the length thereof was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits. (Ezekiel 40:13, 21, KJV, see also verses 25, 29, 30, 33 and 36).
Ezekiel is shown, in vision, 25 temple priests who are standing in the inner court of Jerusalem's temple. These men, with their backs to the temple, are performing the abominable act of worshipping the sun as it rises in the east!
And he brought me into the inner court of the Lord's house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east. (Ezekiel 8:16).
Ezekiel, in a later vision, is shown the eastern gate of Jerusalem's temple. He sees twenty-five princes, who were possibly civil magistrates, who give wicked advice and deceive the people into thinking the city is not in peril of being destroyed.
Moreover the spirit lifted me up, and brought me unto the east gate of the Lord's house, which looketh eastward: and behold at the door of the gate five and twenty men . . .
Then said he unto me, Son of man, these are the men that devise mischief, and give wicked counsel in this city: Which say, It is not near; let us build houses: this city is the caldron, and we be the flesh. (Ezekiel 11:1 - 3, KJV).
Missing One Letter
Ezra 7:21 in the King James Bible contains 25 of 26 letters of the English alphabet. Only the letter "j" is missing!
And I, even I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers which are beyond the river, that whatsoever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it be done speedily. (Ezra 7:21, KJV).
1Chronicles 4:10, in the King James, also contains 25 of 26 English alphabet letters. Only the letter "x" is missing!
And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested (1Chronicles 4:10, KJV).
Lastly Daniel 4:37, in the KJV, contains 25 of 26 English letters. In this case, only the letter "q" is missing!
Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase (Daniel 4:37, KJV).
Walking on Water
In early 29 A.D., a short time before Passover, Jesus miraculously feeds 5,000 people near Bethsaida on the northeastern shore of the Sea of Galilee (John 6). At sunset the disciples, after Jesus decides to stay and pray, get in a boat to journey to Capernaum. Rowing at night, a "great wind" begins to buffet the ship and causes it, in spite of the disciples' best efforts, to be pushed near the middle of the sea!
Now when evening arrived, the ship was in the middle of the sea, and He (Jesus) was alone on the land. And He saw them laboring in their rowing, because the wind was contrary to them . . . (Mark 6:47 - 48, HBFV).
Jesus, knowing his disciples are struggling in the middle of Galilee, begins to walk on water toward the ship! Around 3 a.m. (the fourth watch, Mark 6:48) the disciples, at a distance of 25 to 30 furlongs (3.1 to 3.7 miles or 5 to 6 kilometers) from where they left, see an unknown person in the darkness walking toward them. Their fear at what is approaching them is soon relieved when Jesus shouts that it is him!
. . . And about the fourth watch of the night, He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed by them. (Mark 6:48, HBFV).
And after rowing about twenty-five or thirty furlongs, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and approaching the ship; and they were afraid. But He said to them, "I am He. Do not be afraid." (John 6:19 - 20, HBFV).
The moment the Lord gets in the ship it is miraculously transported to destination the disciples wanted to reach (John 6:21)!
More Info on Biblical Meaning of 25
The tenth generation of humans, starting with Adam, is represented in the Bible by Noah. The twentieth generation is Abraham. Generation 25 of humans on the earth is represented by Abraham's great-great-great-grandson named Hezron.
There are 53 words and phrases in the Bible's original languages that are recorded exactly 25 times.
The Greek word leukos, Strong's #G3022, is used 25 times in 23 Greek New Testament verses. It is found the most in the book of Revelation (16 times) followed by Matthew (3). The word, which refers to light or something that is bright or brilliant, is translated as the color "white" in the King James.
Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white (leukos) or black (Matthew 5:36, KJV).
And I saw, and behold a white (leukos) horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer (Revelation 6:2, KJV).
25 is the product of 5 x 5 (5 squared). 5 is a prime number.
25 is the sum of the first five positive odd numbers or 1 + 3 + 5 + 7 + 9.
The book of 2Kings contains 25 chapters in the KJV.
Both the New Testament books of Philemon and Jude have only 1 chapter that is composed of 25 verses.
In the Old Testament, the Biblical chapters of Genesis 2, Exodus 2, 7, 19, Numbers 24, Deuteronomy 6, 23, Judges 7, 13, 21, 1Samuel 12, 26, 28, 2Samuel 5, 24, 2Kings 2, 13, 2Chronicles 33, Job 12, 24, 29, Proverbs 13, Isaiah 7, 19, 22, 42, 45, 65, Jeremiah 3, 10, Ezekiel 11 and 45 contain 25 verses in the King James Bible.
In the New Testament, the chapters Matthew 1, 4, John 2, 21, Acts 12, Romans 4, 7, Colossians 3, 2Timothy 5, Hebrews 13, 1Peter 1 and 2 have 25 verses in the KJV.