The Meaning of Numbers: The Number 27
The number 27 derives part of its meaning from being the cube of 3 (3 x 3 x 3).
Sarah, Abraham's wife who name means "princess" or "princess of the multitude," is the only woman in Scripture whose age at death is recorded. She died at the age of 127 (100 + 27, see Genesis 23:1). Abraham, after mourning for his wife, bought a cave in Hebron in which to bury her. Abraham himself would ultimately be laid to rest in the cave (Genesis 25:9), as well as Isaac and his wife Rebekah and Jacob and his wife Leah (49:29 - 32).
The New Testament, in most modern translations like the KJV, NIV and others, contains 27 separate books. The Old Testament, meanwhile, has 39 books making 66 total. The original version of Scripture, however, canonized by Ezra and the Apostle John, had only 49 books (7 x 7, which is perfection squared).
Appearances of the number twenty-seven
Syrian king Benhadad, who did not like King Ahab's rejection of what he told him to do, decided to attack the Kingdom of Israel (1Kings 20:1 - 12). A prophet was then sent to Ahab assuring him of victory over Benhadad.
On the seventh day of battle the Israelites slew 100,000 footmen in the Syrian army (1Kings 20:29). The remnants of the Syrian army then fled to Aphek. After entering Aphek the city's wall fell and killed 27,000 (27 x 1000) of the remaining troops, thus assuring Ahab's victory (verse 30).
Number 27 and the shortest reign
The number 27 is linked to the shortest reign of any King of Israel or Judah. Zimri, in the twenty-seventh year of Judah's King Asa (885 B.C.), murdered King Elah of Israel and assumed the throne (1Kings 16:9 - 10). He then proceeded to murder all the male descendants of Baasha, who had ruled Israel from 908 to 886.
Zimri's reign of terror and wanton bloodshed, however, did not last long. The people, after discovering that Zimri had executed Elah, made Omri Israel's new king (1Kings 16:16). After only seven days of rule, Israel trapped Zimri in Tizrah. The murderous king, seeing the city was conquered, set his palace on fire and died within its flames.
More info on Biblical Meaning of 27
Judah's King Azariah, the second longest reign of any king of Judah or Israel at 52 years, co-ruled with his father Amaziah for many years. He began to govern, solely, God's people in year 27 of Israel's King Jeroboam II's rule (2Kings 15:1). He is considered one of the better monarchs over Judah.
The Persian Empire, which held sway over millions of people, is arguably the most powerful empire in the ancient world. At its peak, it controlled 2.9 million square miles (7.5 million square kilometers) of land and spanned three continents. It lasted for an astonishing 249 years from 549 to 330 B.C.
The book of Esther, written by the Jewish Queen and Mordecai, underscored Persia's power no less than three times. It mentions in Esther 1:1, 8:9 and 9:30 that the empire ruled over 127 (100 + 27) provinces from "India unto Ethiopia."
Jesus' ministry likely started in a Jubilee year (Luke 4:18 - 19) that ran from the Day of Atonement in 26 A.D. to Atonement in 27. The Jubilee was a time when liberty was declared throughout Israel (Leviticus 25:10, 39 - 40). The next Jubilee year in this cycle begins September 21, 2026 and ends October 11, 2027.
The name Abraham, one of the top ten occurring names in God's word, is recorded in 27 Biblical Books.
The Old Testament phrases 'mercy seat' and 'the candlestick' each number 27 occurrences. The only book that contains exactly twenty-seven chapters is Leviticus.
The twenty-seventh book found in most modern Bible translations is Daniel.