In the Bible “4″ Represents “God Setting Things in Order”
In the Bible numbers have a significant meaning. The number 4 is used as a bible symbol of “God setting things in order.”
Common examples in everyday usage include the four directions (north, south, east, west), the four seasons (winter, summer, fall, spring) and a square which has four equal sides.
However in the Bible, four is used in a variety of symbolic ways to demonstrate how God is involved in the affairs of man. Here are some examples of bible references to the number 4:
- In the fiery furnace there were four men seen walking and “the form of the fourth is like the Son of God” (Daniel 3:25)
- On Mount Carmel, Elijah had four pots of water poured on the sacrifice (I Kings 18:33)
- Jesus was of the Tribe of Judah. Judah was Jacob’s fourth son. (Genesis 29:35)
- Before being raised from the dead by Jesus, Lazarus was dead four days. (John 11:17)
- In Acts 10:11, Peter encounters a sheet with four corners symbolizing the gospel going to all the Gentiles
- The Altar was foursquare (Exodus 27:1)
A special emphasis on the Earth is found within Proverbs 30. Here the symbolic Bible meaning of the number four is quite evident. Take for example:
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Four things are never satisfied (Proverbs 30:15)
o The Grave
o A barren womb
o The earth not filled with water
o The Fire that says it is not enough
Four things in the Earth too wonderful to understand (Proverbs 30:18)
o The way of the Eagle in the air
o The way of a serpent upon a rock
o The way of a ship in the midst of the sea
o The way of a man with a maid
Four things the Earth can not bear (Proverbs 30:21)
o For a servant when he reigneth
o For a fool when he is filled with meat
o For an odious woman when she is married
o For a handmaid that is heir to her mistress
Four things which are little upon the Earth, but are exceeding wise (Proverbs 30:24)
o The ants
o The badgers (conies) who make their house in the rock
o The locusts
o The spider
• Four stately things upon the earth (Proverbs 30:29)
o A lion
o A Greyhound
o A “he” goat
o A King
Revelation 7:1 also shows the symbolism of the number 4 as it relates to the salvation of the Jews (144,000):
“And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.”