Meaning of Numbers: The Number 5000
The possible meaning of the number 5000 is derived primarily from a well-known miracle by Jesus along with events centered on Jerusalem's temple.
In 30 A.D., sometime after Pentecost, Peter and John go to Jerusalem's temple to pray (Acts 3:1). They heal, while at the temple, a middle-aged man who had been lame since birth. The news of this undeniable miracle spreads like wildfire and a crowd quickly gathers at Solomon's Porch. Peter then preaches Christ to the mass of people gathered and calls for them to repent. 5000 people respond to his message by believing the gospel and becoming converted.
But many of those who had heard the message believed, and the number of men was about five thousand (Acts 4:4, HBFV, see also Acts 3:1 - 4:3).
Appearances of Number Five Thousand
God made it possible, through Persian King Cyrus, for Judean captives to return to their homeland under Ezra and Nehemiah. Many of those who returned to Judea and Jerusalem made offerings for the rebuilding of the temple. Noteworthy contributions made by the leaders of certain families for the work included 5000 minas of silver.
And some of the chief of the fathers, when they came to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, offered freely for the house of God to set it up in its place. They gave according to their ability to the treasury of the work, sixty-one thousand (61000) drachmas of gold, and five thousand (5000) minas of silver, and one hundred (100) priestly garments (Ezra 2:68 - 69, HBFV).
What is the value of the silver that was donated? 5000 minas is equal to 250,000 shekels. Each shekel roughly weighed .4 U.S. ounces for a total weight of 100,000 ounces. One ounce is equal to .911 troy ounces that are used to price silver in the modern world. The 91,100 troy ounces that were generously given, assuming a price of $25 per ounce, would be valued at $2,277,500 U.S. dollars today.
King David, just before his death, provided a massive amount gold, silver, bronze and other materials for the building of God's temple (1Chronicles 29:1 - 5). He then called on the chief leaders within the twelve tribes, including royal officials and military leaders, to also contribute to its construction (verse 6). They collectively gave an additional 5000 talents of gold for the project along with other precious metals and materials.
And they gave for the service of the house of God five thousand talents of gold and ten thousand darics, and ten thousand talents of silver, and eighteen thousand talents of bronze, and one hundred thousand talents of iron (1Chronicles 29:6 - 7, HBFV).
One talent of gold, using modern weights, weighed about 75 U.S. pounds (34.3 kilograms). 5000 talents, therefore, weighed an incredible 375,000 pounds (171,500 kilograms)!
Jesus and the Number 5000
One of the most well-known miracles of Jesus' ministry was his miraculous feeding of five thousand (5000) people. He actually fed far more than this as the count represents only those men, and not the women and children, who benefitted from the food.
This miracle was performed in March or early April of 29 A.D., roughly a year before the Lord would be crucified.
And He commanded the multitude to sit on the grass. Then He took the five loaves and the two fish; and looking up into heaven, He blessed them; and He broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
And they all ate and were filled; and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that were left. Now those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children (Matthew 14:19 - 21, HBFV).
This feeding of the 5000 was one of Jesus' ten non-healing miracles during his ministry. It is one of only seven miracles recorded in the Gospel of John. It is also the only miraculous event he performed that is mentioned in all four Gospel accounts (Matthew 14:13 - 21, Mark 6:30 - 42, Luke 9:10 - 17, John 6:1 - 13).
More Info on Biblical Meaning of 5000
The number 5000 is equal to 2 x 2 x 2 (or 2 cubed) x 5 x 5 x 5 x 5 (or 5 to the fourth power).
Entry 5000 in Strong Concordance's definitions of Biblical Greek words is "Tabitha." The word is the name of a greatly loved Christian woman, also called Dorcas, who lived in Joppa. Although she became ill and died, the Apostle Peter miraculously brought her back to life! This astonishing act made him the first person, after the Lord's ascension, to resurrect someone from the dead (Acts 9:36 - 41).
The first year of the Hebrew civil calendar found in the Bible begins in the fall of 3761 B.C. (Julian). Year 5000 on this calendar system runs from September 1 in 1239 A.D. to the middle of September in 1240.
BibleStudy.org's Old Testament timeline places God's creation of man in 3969 B.C. The year 1031 A.D. is 5000 years after this momentous event in God's plan. In this year King Malcolm II, whose throne traced back to King David, ruled over Scotland.
Goliath the Philistine whom David fought was a true giant of a man who possessed incredible strength. The Bible states he was "six cubits and a span" tall (1Samuel 17:4) or conservatively at least 9 feet 3 inches (2.82 meters) in height! He carried a spear that was at least 26 feet (7.9 meters) long with a spearhead that weighed 17 pounds U.S. (7.7 kilograms)! Trained as a warrior from his youth, he went into battle wearing a protective coat that weighed 5000 shekels (80 pounds U.S. or 36.3 kilograms).
And a bronze helmet was upon his (Goliath's) head, and he was armed with scaled armor. And the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze (1Samuel 17:5, HBFV).