Meaning of Numbers: The Number 26
The English phrase "twenty and six" used for the number 26 is recorded 2 times in 2 King James Bible verses. 26 is found once in both the book of Judges and 1Chronicles. The phrase "twenty and sixth" to designate 26th is recorded only once in the Bible. It is used to denote the start of Elah's reign over Israel. Elah, who ruled from 886 to 885 B.C., had a short reign as, while in a drunken stupor, he was murdered by Zimri!
In the twenty and sixth (26) year of Asa king of Judah began Elah the son of Baasha to reign over Israel in Tirzah, two years. (1Kings 16:8, KJV).
Jewish tradition places the giving of life to Adam and Eve on the Friday afternoon of September 26, 3760 B.C. This event was just hours before the start of the weekly Sabbath, which also began the first Rosh Hashanah (Feast of Trumpets)!
The Hebrew word adam is translated, in the King James, as both "man" (meaning humans in general, see verse 26 of Genesis 1) and the proper name of the first human (Adam, see 2:19). This original language word has a Gematria value (the value of its letters added up) of 45. The word translated as Eve has a Gematria value of 19.
Scripture states that God made Eve from a rib He took (subtracted from) Adam (Genesis 2:21 - 23). If we subtract the value of Eve's name (19) from Adam's (45), we get 26 (The Universal History of Numbers, figure 20.25).
Verse 26 of Genesis 1 is also noteworthy as it is the first time the Godhead's intention to create beings patterned after themselves is revealed.
And God said, "Let Us make man (adam) in Our image, after Our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of heaven . . ."
Adam represents the first generation of humans living on the earth. Generation twenty-six is represented by Moses, who through the power of God led the children of Israel out of Egypt (Genesis 6:16, 18, 20).
Appearances of Number Twenty-Six
The Hebrew consonants י (Yod), ה (He), ו (Vav) and ה (He) spell YHWH. This special word, used in the manuscripts of the Old Testament, is known as the Tetragrammaton (shown here left to right, as Hebrew is written right to left). The Gematria values of the letters (10, 5, 6, 5), when added together, equal 26 (Universal History of Numbers, figure 20.23).
One reason YHWH is important is that it reveals the eternal nature of God's existence. It does so because the letters of the word encapsulate the three tenses of the Hebrew verb "to be." These tenses are "He was," "He is" and "He shall be" (ibid. page 254).
The English word "Baasha" is recorded in 26 verses in the King James Bible. Baasha is the name of the Kingdom of Israel's third ruler after the united Israelite kingdom split in 930 B.C. He gained the throne by murdering King Nadab in 908 B.C. Baasha's bloody 22-year reign, in which he murdered all those of royal blood, was finally ended by God.
The English word "Ezra" is recorded 26 times in the King James Bible. Ezra, who wrote a Biblical book of the same name, was a priest who helped lead Jewish captives from Persia back to Judah. He was also instrumental in collecting and canonizing the writings that would become the Old Testament.
The Chaldee (Aramaic) word yerushalem, Strong's Concordance #H3390, is recorded 26 times in 25 Hebrew Old Testament verses. It is found only in the books of Ezra (23 times) and Daniel (3). The word, which means "teaching of peace," is translated as the name "Jerusalem" in the King James.
Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came up from thee to us are come unto Jerusalem (yerushalem), building the rebellious and the bad city, and have set up the walls thereof, and joined the foundations (Ezra 4:12, KJV).
Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem (yerushalem); and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them (Daniel 5:3, KJV).
Number 26 and Shem
Shem, who was 98 years old when he and his two brothers entered Noah's Ark, lived a righteous life. God selected him, and not Japheth his older brother, or Ham, who was younger, to be in Jesus' physical lineage (Luke 3:36).
Genesis 10 is known as the Table of Nations chapter, as it delineates some of the descendants of Noah's sons. It lists, for example, three generations of patriarchs that sprang from Ham (Genesis 10:6 - 8, 13 - 18). Japheth has two generations recorded (verses 2 - 4). Shem, however, has five generations listed which produced 26 patriarchal names in the chapter (verses 21 - 29).
The English word "Hebrew" is found 26 times in the King James translation. The first person called a Hebrew is Abraham.
And there came one who had escaped. And he told Abram (Abraham) the Hebrew, for he lived in the plains of Mamre the Amorite . . . (Genesis 14:13, HBFV).
The word "Hebrew" is believed to be derived from Eber, the great-grandson of flood survive Shem. Eber lived from 2246 to 1843 B.C.
Parables and Twenty-Six
Chronologically, the 26th parable Jesus gave during his ministry is the parable of what defiles a man. He gave it between April and Mid-September in 29 A.D.
"There is nothing that enters into a man from outside which is able to defile him; but the things that come out from within him, those are the things which defile a man . . .
"That which springs forth from within a man, that defiles the man. For from within, out of the hearts of men, go forth evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
"Thefts, covetousness, wickednesses, guile, licentiousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness; All these evils go forth from within, and these defile a man." (Mark 7:15, 20 - 23, see also Matthew 15:10 - 11, 16 - 20).
History and Twenty-Six
In March of 26 A.D. John the Baptist begins his ministry (Matthew 3:1 - 12, Mark 1:1 - 8, Luke 3:1 - 18 and John 1:6 - 27). Jesus will begin his own ministry six months later.
On September 2 in 26 A.D. Jesus turns thirty years old. Shortly after his birthday he travels to Bethabara to be baptized by John (John 1:28 - 32).
September 11, nine days after the Lord's baptism, is the Day of Atonement. It marks the start of Jesus' ministry and the start of his 40 days of fasting and temptation (Matthew 4:1 - 11, Mark 1:12 - 13, Luke 4:1 - 13).
September 11 26 A.D. also is the start of a Jubilee year (see Luke 4:18 - 19), the 30th one to occur since the Israelites received their land inheritance in 1398 B.C.! This Jubilee will run until September 29 in 27 A.D.
On October 20 Satan's concentrated temptations hurled at Jesus finally end. Angels are sent by God to minister to the Lord (Matthew 4:11).
In late October Jesus is in Bethabara (John 1:28). When John the Baptist sees him walking toward him he proclaims, "Behold the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29).
It is also in late October that Jesus will initially meet five of his disciples. They are John and Andrew (John 1:35 - 39) then Peter (also called Simon or Simon Peter, verses 40 - 42), followed by Philip (verses 43 to 44) and then Nathanael (Bartholomew - verse 45).
In November of 26 A.D. the Lord performs his first recorded miracle which is turning water into wine at a wedding celebration in Cana (John 2). Jesus miraculously produces at least 120 gallons (about 454 liters), and possibly more, of high-quality alcohol!
After the miracle at Cana Jesus and his disciples, along with his family, travel through Galilee to Capernaum (John 2:12). The Lord will likely stay in the city to at least the end of 26 A.D.
More Info on Biblical Meaning of 26
There are 42 words and phrases in the Bible's original languages that are recorded exactly 26 times.
The Hebrew word yareach, Strong's Concordance #3394, is recorded 26 times in 26 Hebrew Old Testament verses. It is found the most in the book of Psalms (8 times) followed by Joel (3). The word is translated "moon" in the King James Bible.
The moon plays a critical role in determining when God's annual Feast days of worship should be kept. The first day of the Hebrew civil calendar is called Tishri 1 (the Feast of Trumpets) and always falls on a new moon.
Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon (yareach), in the valley of Ajalon (Joshua 10:12, KJV).
26 is the product of 2 x 13, both of which are prime numbers.
In the Old Testament, the Biblical chapters of Genesis 4, 50, Exodus 20, Numbers 8, Deuteronomy 7, 27, Joshua 7, 2Samuel 20, 2Kings 21, 1Chronicles 5, Job 3, Psalm 44, 136, Ecclesiastes 2, Isaiah 3, 49, Jeremiah 9, 33, Ezekiel 28, 30 and 41 contain 26 verses in the King James translation.
In the New Testament, the chapters John 17, Acts 1, 3, Galatians 5, 2Timothy 2 and James 2 have 26 verses in the KJV.
Book 26 of most modern Biblical translations is the prophetic writing of Ezekiel which contains 48 chapters and 1,273 verses in the King James.
The word "God," if we use simple Gematria values for the letters of the English alphabet (A = 1, B = 2, etc.) adds to 26. Names such as Leah, Jacob's wife who produced six of his sons, and Obed, the grandfather of King David, also equal twenty-six using this method.