“Seven
is the number of perfection with regard to the timing of things, the accomplishing
and maturing of something,” confirms Jordan. “Twelve, the number of the nation
of Israel, is the number of the governing of His creation; the division of it.
“Technically,
there were six days of creation and the seventh day was for the purpose of
enjoying the work of the six days, so it’s included.
“If
you go to Leviticus, you’ll see God takes that seven and extends it out, moving
from seven days to seven months, and the seven weeks to seven months. Then you
move to the seven years and the seven weeks of years, where you get to the week
of Jubilee, and the seven’s constantly worked through God’s system.
“God
divides seven up in the Bible. It’s generally divided in Scripture by four and
three. For example, in Matthew 13, Jesus Christ is going to give them seven
mystery parables of the kingdom. When He does it, He goes outside of the house,
sits by the seashore and gives the first four of them. Then He goes back in the
house and gives the last three. That pattern works all through Scripture that
way.
*****
“In
the kingdom, you have the 12 apostles and the 12 tribes and the earth is
divided into 12 sections, according to Deuteronomy 32. Each one of the tribes
is given responsibility over that section of the earth and then it just works
its way down.”
*****
Consistently
throughout the Bible, eight is the number of a new beginning.
“You’ve
gone seven days and the eighth day you begin again,” says Jordan. “It’s No. 1
again. Go to a piano and start with middle C and you count up seven notes and
the eighth note is another C.”
“I
Peter 3:20 tells us that with the Flood ‘eight souls were saved by water.’ Noah
and his clan debarked from the Ark onto a new earth and were put in place by
God to begin again the creation and the earth’s population.
“Not
only is 8 associated with God beginning the new earth, but when God begins a
new nation using Abraham’s seed, the corresponding ‘covenant of circumcision’
is an eighth-day covenant.
“Genesis
17:11-12 says, [11] And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin;
and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.
[12] And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.
[12] And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.
*****
“In
Luke 2:21 you see the Lord Jesus Christ: ‘and when eight days were accomplished’
for the circumcision of the child; His name was called Jesus. It’s an eight-day
ritual for the new nation and when God wants to start a new nation in the
earth, it’s the eighth day that that nation is set apart and identified that
way. By the way, the ordinance Christ is working under here is in Leviticus 12.
“In
I Samuel 16, not only is the circumcision done on the eighth day, eight being
the number of new beginning, Samuel goes in and says, in essence, ‘Jesse, one
of your boys is going to be king.’ David is the eighth son of Jesse. The seven
wouldn’t do, so we’re going to start over. God says, ‘Israel, you chose a king;
he won’t do. We’re going to start over with this king thing and I’m gonna have
my guy and he’s going to be the eighth.’
“By
the way, the feast of tabernacles goes seven days. It’s the only one of the
feasts that really goes eight days. That feast (Leviticus 23), demonstrates
that’s that new experience when Israel has God dwelling with them.
“Elijah,
the prophet of the second course of judgment, does eight miracles in Israel. Elisha
has a double portion of his spirit and he does 16 miracles. Each one of these
men demonstrate, ‘Here’s a new course of judgment. Here’s the next course.’
Where God is seven times more keeping.
*****
“By
the way, there are eight people resurrected in the Bible. There are three of
them in the Old Testament, three in the Gospel accounts and two in the Book of
Acts. Two of the resurrected are sons of widows. You remember how in I Kings 17,
Elisha goes in and the widow’s boy and raises him and then Jesus raises the
widow of Nain's son? Two of them are the children of rich people.
“You
remember II Kings 4 when Elisha goes in and raises the little boy of the woman
there, the rich lady? And Jesus raises Jairus’ daughter? Two of them were raised
after they had been buried.
“You
remember when Elisha is buried and later on a guy gets killed and they throw
him in Elisha’s grave? II Kings 13 and when he hits Elisha’s bones—buh-bum he
comes up. You remember Lazarus? He’d already been buried. Eight is a number of
a new beginning and it’s a number of resurrection and regeneration.
“By
the way, the eighth book in the Bible is the Book of Ruth where you have the
Kinsman Redeemer. Again, there’s this new beginning; this great picture of the
restoration of Israel and her beginning again and her inheritance in the land.
“Eight
is often the sum of seven plus one in the Bible. Colossians 3 says, [12] Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved,
bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
[13] Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
[14] And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
[13] Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
[14] And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
“There’s
seven things you’re to put on but then he goes on in verse 14. That’s the eighth
thing. Oftentimes in the Bible, seven will stand and then eight will come along
and be added to it.
“These
kind of things work themselves out in even listing things. When Aaron’s sons
are going to be consecrated for the priesthood, they have to kind of sit there
for seven days in Leviticus 8, and then in chapter 9 on the eighth day, they’re
consecrated. Because eight is that new beginning that seven has set up. Now
we’re going to start a new series.
*****
James
3: 16-18 says, [16] For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and
every evil work.
[17] But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
[18] And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
[17] But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
[18] And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
“There
are eight things, but if you notice, the 5th one is really two in
one. ‘Full of mercy and good fruits.’ So, one of them is doubled. You have
seven listed but one of them has two parts to it, so it’s really eight even
though there’s seven.
“I
just make the point that eight is that number of new beginnings. The Bible,
when you look at the eighth, you’re going to begin again the series.”
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