Meaning of Numbers: The Number 96
The English phrase "ninety and six," used for the number 96, is recorded 2 times in 2 King James Bible verses.
The possible meaning of the number 96 is derived primarily from Biblical history as well as facts from the Scriptural text.
Gideon is discussed in Judges Chapters 6 through 8 while Samson is discussed in chapters 13 through 16. The Biblical record related to Gideon is 100 verses long totaling 3,234 words, while Samson's is 96 verses long for 3,229 words.
Appearances of Number Ninety-Six
Thursday, April 6 is day 96 (31 + 28 + 31 + 6) of Roman year 30 A.D. It is the First Day of Unleavened Bread, a High Holy Day commanded to be kept by God. It is the day Jewish religious leaders visit Pontius Pilate to request guards be used to secure Jesus' tomb. The leaders are afraid that the Lord's disciples will steal his body then claim he was resurrected from the dead. Pilate rejects their request but allows them to post their own guards at the tomb (Matthew 27:62 - 66).
The Hebrew chamor (Strong's #H2543) is found 96 times in 93 Hebrew Old Testament verses. It occurs the most in Genesis (17 times) followed by Exodus (12) and then both Judges and 1Samuel (10 times each). The word is used to refer to a male ass.
And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass (chamor), and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him (Genesis 22:3, KJV).
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass (chamor), and upon a colt the foal of an ass (Zechariah 9:9, KJV).
The Hebrew word yaan (Strong's #H3282) is recorded 96 times in 91 Hebrew Old Testament verses. It is written the most in Ezekiel (40 times) followed by 1Kings (14) then both Isaiah and Jeremiah (9 times each). It is a root word which means, "pay attention" or "because of."
And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because (yaan) thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son . . . (Genesis 22:16, KJV).
For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because (yaan) thou (King Saul) hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king (1Samuel 15:23, KJV).
The Greek word peripateo (Strong's Concordance #G4043) occurs 96 times in the original Greek version of the New Testament. It is found the most in the gospel of John (17 times) followed by Mark (10) then both Acts and Ephesians with 8 times each. The word means to tread or walk or can refer to how a person regulates and lives their life.
And the nations of them which are saved shall walk (peripateo) in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it (Revelation 21:24, KJV).
And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk (peripateo) (Revelation 9:20, KJV).
Number Ninety-Six and the Psalms
Psalm 96 is full of joyful praise for the Eternal. The Psalmist calls on all the nations to sing to the Lord for his love toward us. The Psalm closes with a reminder that the Lord will soon come to judge the earth and bring God's Kingdom to humanity.
O sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth . . . Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all people, for the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods . . .
Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it; then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord; for He comes, for He comes to judge the earth; He shall judge the world with righteousness and the people with His truth (verses 1, 3 - 4, 12 - 13 of Psalm 96, HBFV).
Number 96 and the Last Apostle
Roman Emperor Domitian ruled the empire from 81 A.D. until September in 96. Two years before his death, in 94 A.D., he indulges in a violent campaign of persecution against Christians. One of the many victims of his unwarranted attacks was the Apostle John, the last surviving member of the original twelve apostles. John is banished to the Aegean Sea island of Patmos in 95 A.D.
Emperor Domitian dies in September of 96 A.D. The Apostle John, prior to the emperor's death, recorded what he saw in multiple visions to create the book of Revelation. Nerva becomes the new emperor the same month as Domitian's death.
Nerva releases John from Patmos shortly after becoming Roman ruler. John, in late 96, immediately begins the task of canonizing Scripture from Ephesus.
"Although Paul and Peter had canonized their writings before they died, the official canonization with the final arrangement of the books of the entire New Testament was accomplished by the apostle John in 96 - 99 AD.
"As one of the last living apostles and the last living eyewitness of Christ’s transfiguration, John was uniquely qualified and chosen by Jesus to canonize the entire New Testament in its final form" (Holy Bible a Faithful Version, 2nd Edition, Chapter 10).
John completes the God-given work he received and dies around 100 A.D.
More Info on Biblical Meaning of 96
There are 5 words and phrases in the Bible's original languages that are recorded exactly 96 times.
The English phrase "ninety and six," used for the number 96, is found once in both the books of Ezra and Jeremiah.
96 is the product of 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 (2 to the fifth power) x 3. Both 2 and 3 are prime numbers.
Laodicea is one of the seven churches found in the book of Revelation. Located at the junction of several important trade routes, it was 77 kilometers (48 miles) from the city of Philadelphia (modern day Alasehir) and 155 kilometers (96 miles) from Ephesus.
The Greek word enopion (Strong's #G1799) is written 96 times in 88 Greek verses of the New Testament. It is found the most in Revelation (36) followed by the gospel of Luke (21) then the book of Acts (15). It is a word used to designate an occupied place which is commonly translated as "before" in the King James Bible.
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before (enopion) God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works (Revelation 20:12, KJV).
And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before (enopion) him . . . These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone (Revelation 19:20, KJV).