Bible Numerics, Numerology, & Theomatics (See also: numerics, numerical)

"ASTOUNDING NEW DISCOVERIES" by Karl Sabiers, M.A., copyright, 1948

Published by Christian Books for the World

4138 Eagle Rock Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA, USA

ENDORSEMENT ....

"The strange phenomenon disclosed in the following pages deserves the time and consideration of laymen, theologians, and scientists. Its universal importance merits wide attention.

The material is accurately presented and will withstand a thorough scientific investigation. The reader's only prerequisite is a sincere love of truth and a desire to examine this unusual evidence with an open mind, disregarding any preconceived prejudices.

Since the scientific data is presented with remarkable simplicity enabling any one to readily understand it, this book is a valuable contribution both to science and religion.

ALBERT NOBELL, Nobell Research Foundation, Los Angeles, CA"

PART ONE

The newly discovered facts which form the basis for the subject matter of this book are supremely important and highly significant! They are facts which scientifically prove that the Bible could not possibly have been written by mere human beings alone, but that it is a supernatural, God-inspired, God-given book! They are facts which enable us to see before our very eyes an actual scientific demonstration of the divine, verbal inspiration of the Bible. The discoveries of facts so important as these are indeed "Astounding New Discoveries."

The newly revealed facts are facts which have been discovered beneath the very surface of the original Bible text. They are facts which have been mysteriously and peculiarly hidden for many centuries! They are facts which have been revealed, not merely by the twos or threes, but by the hundreds and thousands! They are facts which are baffling and confounding atheists and agnostics--facts which no living person has been able to discredit or refute. They are facts which are causing skeptical and modernistic thinkers to accept the Bible as a supernatural, God-inspired book. They are facts which constitute some of the greatest discoveries of all time. Is it any wonder that discoveries such as these are called "Astounding New Discoveries"?

The foregoing statements in regard to the profound newly discovered facts no doubt cause the majority of readers to ask numerous questions.

What are the amazing facts which have been discovered beneath the very surface of the original Bible text? How do these facts scientifically prove that the Bible could not possibly have been written by mere human beings alone, but that it is a supernatural, God-inspired book? What important questions are now definitely settled by these discoveries? Who discovered the facts? How and when were they discovered? Why were they not discovered until recently? How do they affect us?

These and various other questions no doubt arise in the minds of those who are somewhat curious about the amazing newly discovered facts. However, before we state what these facts are--before we attempt to answer any of these questions--it is necessary to remind or inform the reader of--

WHAT THE BIBLE "CLAIMS" CONCERNING ITSELF

There can be no doubt that the Bible "claims" to be a supernatural, God-inspired, God-given book. The Bible declares that "All scripture is given by inspiration of God."--2 Timothy 3:16. The expression, "given by inspiration of God" is the translation of one Greek word "theopneustos," which means literally "God-breathed." The great Bible "claim" then, is that "all scripture," the entire Bible, "is God-breathed."

The Bible "claims" that the writers of Scripture wrote, not of their own will, but only as they were "moved or "controlled" by the Holy Spirit of God. 2 Peter 1:21 declares that the Scripture came "not ... by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." Another translation of this same passage declares that no Scripture "was ever borne by man's will; but men spake from God, being borne on by the Holy Spirit."

The Bible "claims" that the words which the prophets wrote were not their own words but that they were the very words of God Himself. The Person speaking was God, not man. God was speaking merely by the prophets."--Hebrews 1:1. "He (the Lord God) spake by the mouth of His holy prophets."--Luke 1:70. "The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and His word (not the writer's own word) was in my tongue."--2 Samuel 23:1,2. "Behold I (God) have put my words in thy mouth."--Jeremiah 1:9. "Thou shalt speak my words (God's words) unto them."--Ezekiel 2:7. Statements such as "Thus saith the Lord," "God said," and similar expressions, occur more than 2,500 times in the entire Bible.

Thus, the Bible makes startling "claims" for itself--it actually "claims" to be a supernatural, God-breathed, God-given book--the very Word of God Himself. This is the unmistakable language of the Bible. Numerous other Biblical statements could be given to further show that the Bible makes this amazing "claim," but those already mentioned are sufficient for the present purpose.

Yes, there can be no doubt about what the Bible "claims" concerning itself. However, many have raised the question-- "Is that claim actually true? Is the Bible actually the very Word of God?"

The facts which have been recently discovered beneath the very surface of the original Bible text now scientifically prove and demonstrate before our very eyes that the Bible claim is true--that the Bible actually is a supernatural, God-inspired book!

Various questions concerning the newly discovered facts were mentioned in a preceding paragraph. The first of these questions can now be discussed and answered.

PART TWO

WHAT ARE THE NEWLY DISCOVERED FACTS?

What are the amazing facts which have been discovered beneath the very surface of the original Bible text? What are these facts which scientifically prove that the Bible could not possibly have been written by mere human beings alone, but that it is a supernatural, God-inspired book?

It has been stated that the facts have been mysteriously hidden beneath the very surface of the original Bible text. In order to understand what these facts are, it will be necessary to know--

THE MEANING OF THE TERM "ORIGINAL BIBLE TEXT"

Most persons are acquainted with the fact that the Bible contains two main divisions--the Old Testament, and the New Testament. Strange as it may seem, these two main divisions of the Bible were originally written in different languages. The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew while the New Testament was written in Greek. By the term "original Bible text" is meant the Hebrew and Greek text of the Bible--the words of the writers in the original languages, not their words translated into some other language. The facts, then, have been discovered beneath the surface of the Hebrew Old Testament text and the Greek New Testament text.

Now the reader's attention is called to something very important. We wish to point out a certain number--a number which occurs in Scripture more times than any other. It is the number "seven." From the first book of the Bible through the last book, "seven" is by far the outstanding number. For example, the Sabbath was the seventh day. In Egypt there were seven years of plenty and seven years of famine. When the city of Jericho was captured, the people and seven priests who had seven trumpets marched around the city seven times. Every seventh year the land of the Israelites was not to be cultivated or planted. Solomon was seven years building the temple. After its completion he held the feast for seven days. Naaman washed seven times in the river.

In the book of Revelation, the last book of the Bible, this number is especially outstanding. Seven churches, seven lampstands, seven seals, seven trumpets, seven vials, seven stars, seven spirits, etc., are mentioned. In all, the number seven occurs in the book of Revelation more than fifty times!

It has long been known that the number seven occurs in the Bible in this particular manner more frequently than any other number. However, only recently it has been discovered that this same number also occurs in a mysterious and peculiar manner beneath the very surface of the Hebrew Old Testament text and the Greek New Testament text.

When it is stated that the "sevens" occur in a peculiar manner "beneath the surface" of the original Bible text, we mean that they occur in such a way that they are not noticed or discovered by merely reading the surface, or words. The sevens are strangely out of the sight of ordinary Hebrew and Greek readers. They are mysteriously hidden. Thousands who have read and studied the original Hebrew and Greek text of the Bible have passed by these strange occurrences of the number seven without even noticing their presence. These sevens are so deeply concealed that special searching and investigation and special counting are necessary in order to find them. Thus, they are said to occur "beneath the surface" of the text because they are beyond the observation and view of ordinary Hebrew and Greek readers.

It has been discovered that thousands of these sevens are mysteriously hidden in the structure of the text. They are strangely and remarkably concealed in every conceivable manner in the Hebrew and Greek letter, words, sentences, paragraphs, and passages!

What are the newly discovered facts? The "sevens"--the "sevens" which occur beneath the surface of the original Hebrew and Greek text of the Bible--are the amazing newly discovered facts. The "Astounding New Discoveries" are numerical discoveries--discoveries having to do with numbers. These recently revealed numerical facts or "sevens," in a most extraordinary way, enable us to see before our very eyes an actual scientific demonstration of the divine verbal inspiration of the Bible.

The reader is given examples of these newly discovered numerical facts before he learns how they scientifically prove that the Bible is a supernatural, God-breathed book.

The following are examples of facts or "sevens" which have been discovered beneath the surface of the Hebrew text of the first verse in the Old Testament--the very first verse in the Bible.

BOOK OF GENESIS, CHAPTER ONE, VERSE 1

It is indeed strange to note that the number of Hebrew words in this verse is not 6, not 8, but exactly 7. Here the number seven is discovered by counting the words.

Now if a person counts the Hebrew letters in these seven words, he will discover that the number of letters divides perfectly by seven--is an exact multiple of seven. The number of letters in the seven words is not 27, not 29, but exactly 28, or 4 7's.

Each numerical "fact" or "seven" which occurs in the structure of the text is called a "feature"--a "numeric" feature". The first two have already been mentioned.

FEATURE ONE. The number of Hebrew words in this verse is exactly 7.

FEATURE TWO. The number of letters in the seven words is exactly 28, or 4 7"s. Now let us continue.

FEATURE THREE. The first three of these seven Hebrew words contain the subject and predicate of the sentence. These three words are translated--"In the beginning God created." The number of letters in these first three Hebrew words is exactly 14, or 2 7's.

The last four of these seven words contain the object of the sentence. These four words are translated-- "the heavens and the earth." The number of letters in these last four Hebrew words is 14, or 2 7's.

FEATURE FOUR. The last four Hebrew words consist of two objects. The first is "the heavens," and the second is "and the earth. The number of letters in the first object is exactly 7. The number of letters in the second object is 7.

FEATURE FIVE. The three leading words in this verse of seven words are "God"--the subject--and "heavens" and "earth"--the objects. The number of letters in these three Hebrew words is exactly 14, or 2 7's. The number of letters in the other four words of the verse is 14, or 2 7's.

FEATURE SIX. The shortest word is in the middle. The number of letters in this word and the word to its left is exactly 7.

FEATURE SEVEN. The number of letters in the middle word and the word to its right is exactly 7.

These seven--these numeric features or facts--are indeed strangely hidden "beneath the surface." They are truly beyond the view of ordinary readers of the Hebrew text and are discovered only by special investigation and counting.

The above are only a few examples of the many amazing numeric facts which have been discovered in the structure of this first verse of only seven Hebrew words. Literally dozens of other phenomenal numeric features strangely underlie the structure of this verse.

Examples of these newly discovered facts or numerical features should be pointed out from other passages before the reader learns how the facts scientifically prove that the Bible could not possible have been written by mere human beings alone, but that it is a supernatural, God-inspired, God-given book.

The following are examples of the newly discovered facts or "sevens" which occur in a peculiar manner beneath the surface of the Greek text of the first verses in the New Testament.

BOOK OF MATTHEW, CHAPTER ONE, VERSES 1-17

The Account of Christ's Genealogy

The first seventeen verses in the book of Matthew form a natural, logical division by themselves, for they deal with one particular subject, namely, the genealogy of Christ.

These first seventeen verses of the Greek New Testament consist of two main sections. (1) Verses 1-11. (2) Verses 12-17. Each section contains amazing numeric features in the structure of its text.

The following are a few examples of the facts or "sevens" which have been discovered beneath the surface of the first main section, verses 1-11.

FEATURE ONE. The number of Greek vocabulary words used in the first eleven verses is not 48, not 50, but exactly 49, or 7 7's.

It must be remembered that the number of vocabulary words in a passage is usually different from the total number of words in a passage. The vocabulary words are the different words used. For instance, the word "and" is one word in the vocabulary, but it may be repeated many times in the passage itself. A man may have a vocabulary of only five hundred words. With these five hundred different words he may write an essay of four thousand words. Some of the words, such as "and," "for," "by," etc., may be used over and over again. The number of vocabulary words, or the number of different words used in a passage, is thus not the same as the total number of words used. (We mentioned that the number of vocabulary words in the first eleven verses Matthew is exactly 49, or 7 7's. Now let us continue.)

FEATURE TWO. The number of letters in these 49 words is exactly 266, or 38 7's.

FEATURE THREE. Of these 266 letters of the vocabulary words, the number of vowels is exactly 140, or 20 7's. Of these 266 letters of the vocabulary, the number of consonants is 126, or 18 7's.

FEATURE FOUR. Of these 49 words, the number which begin with a vowel is exactly 28, or 4 7's. The number of words which begin with a consonant is 21, or 3 7's.

FEATURE FIVE. Of the 49 Greek vocabulary words, the number which are nouns is exactly 42, or 6 7's. The number which are not nouns is 7.

FEATURE SIX. Of the 42 nouns in the first eleven verses, the number which are proper nouns is exactly 35, or 5 's. The number which are common nouns is 7.

FEATURE SEVEN. The number of Greek letters in these 7 common nouns is exactly 49, or 7 7's. It is amazing to note that in these 7 common nouns alone, there are more than 20 numeric features.

FEATURE EIGHT. The number of times the 35 proper names occur is exactly 63, or 9 7's.

FEATURE NINE. Of the 35 proper names in the vocabulary of the first eleven verses of Matthew, the number of male names is exactly 28, or 4 7's. The number which are not male names is 7.

FEATURE TEN. The number of times these 28 male names occur is exactly 56, or 8 7's.

FEATURE ELEVEN. In these first 11 verses, three women are mentioned--Tamar, Rahab, and Ruth. The number of Greek letters in these three names is exactly 14, or 2 7's.

FEATURE TWELVE. Just one city is named in this passage, namely Babylon. The number of Greek letters in this word is exactly 7.

FEATURE THIRTEEN. Of these 49 Greek vocabulary words in the first eleven verses, the number of words which occur more than once is exactly 35, or 5 7's. The number of words which occur only once is 14, or 2 7's.

FEATURE FOURTEEN. Of these 49 Greek vocabulary words, the number which appear in only one form is exactly 42, or 6 7's. The number which appear in more than one form is 7.

These numeric facts or sevens are indeed beyond the view of mere "readers" of the Greek text. They are truly mysteriously hidden beneath the surface and can be discovered only by special searching and calculations.

It was stated that the first seventeen verses in the Greek New Testament consist of two main sections. (1) Verses 1-11. (2) Verses 12-17. The above are merely a few examples of the many amazing numerical features which have been discovered beneath the surface of the first section of eleven verses. The very structure of the passage is literally saturated with phenomenal occurrences of the number seven. The second section, verses 12-17, contains equally profound numeric features of its own.

Before we show how these facts or sevens scientifically prove the divine inspiration of the Bible, let us quickly and briefly point out a few additional examples from the Greek text of other New Testament passages.

The section following the first seventeen verses of Matthew is verses 18-25. In passing, we give space to mention only two of the many phenomenal numeric facts which have been discovered beneath the surface of this one passage.

BOOK OF MATTHEW, CHAPTER ONE, VERSES 18-25

The Account of Christ's Birth

FEATURE ONE. It is indeed interesting to note that the number of Greek vocabulary words in this passage is not 76, not 78, but exactly 77, or 11 7's. Also of special interest is--

FEATURE TWO. Of the 77 Greek vocabulary words, the number of words the angel used in speaking to Joseph is exactly 28, or 4 7's.

Even the angel's little speech has amazing numerical features all of its own. They are entirely separate from the rest of the passage, yet they form a part of the numerical features of the whole passage. They are intertwined in such a way that the entire passage contains remarkable occurrences of the number seven. This number strangely underlies the very structure of the passage in every conceivable manner. The Greek letters and words are literally permeated with amazing numeric features.

Following are merely two of many numerical facts which are strangely hidden beneath the surface of the second chapter of Matthew.

BOOK OF MATTHEW, CHAPTER TWO

The Account of Christ's Childhood

FEATURE ONE. The number of Greek vocabulary words in the second chapter of Matthew is exactly 161, or 23 7's.

FEATURE TWO. The number of Greek letters in these 161 words is exactly 896, or 128 7's.

There are several paragraphs in the second chapter of Matthew, and each paragraph has amazing numerical features all of its own. They are separate from the rest of the passage, yet in a peculiar and intricate way, they form a part of the amazing features of the whole chapter. They are intertwined in such a phenomenal way that the entire chapter is one great mathematical unit which consists of amazing numerical facts. For example, the number of Greek vocabulary words in the first six verses divides perfectly by 7. The number of vocabulary words is exactly 56, or 8 7's.

There are three speeches in the chapter. Herod speaks, the wise men speak, the angel speaks. Each speech shows numeric features in itself, yet each forms only part of the chapter, which as a whole has phenomenal features of its own. Each division alone shows the same numeric phenomena found in the chapter as a whole.

Now let us go on to the book of Mark and examine several passages. The same type of numerical phenomena that we found hidden in the structure of Matthew, are also found beneath the surface of Mark.

BOOK OF MARK, CHAPTER ONE, VERSES 1-8

The number of Greek vocabulary words in these first eight verses is not 76, not 78, but exactly 77, or 11 7's. Of these 77 vocabulary words, the ones which begin with a consonant is 35, or 5 7's. Of the 77 vocabulary words, the number John used in his speech is exactly 21, or 3 7's. Again these are but a few of the many numeric features which permeate the structure of this passage.

The next natural paragraph following these first eight verses consists of verses 9, 10, 11. This paragraph gives an account of the baptism of Christ. The number of vocabulary words in this passage is exactly 35, or 5 7's.

Going on to the second chapter of Mark for another example, we find, in verses 13-17, an account of the call of Levi (Matthew), and Christ's conversation with the Scribes and Pharisees. The number of Greek vocabulary words in these five verses is exactly 49, or 7 7's. Of the 49 vocabulary words, the number used by Christ is exactly 14, or 2 7's, while the number of words used by the Scribes is exactly 7.

In the fourth chapter of Mark, verses 3-20, Christ relates the parable of the sower. The number of Greek vocabulary words in this parable is exactly 49, or 7 7's. In Mark, chapter 13, verses 5-37, we find our Lord's important message regarding future events and the Second Coming of Christ. The number of Greek vocabulary words in this passage is exactly 203, or 29 7's.

Going on to the very last passage in the book of Mark, we find the same marvelous numeric phenomena. The following are only four of over one hundred numerical features which have been discovered in the structure of this one passage of only twelve verses--Mark, chapter 16, verses 9-20.

The number of Greek vocabulary words in these 12 verses is exactly 98, or 14 7's. The number of letters in the 98 vocabulary words is exactly 553, or 79 7's. Of these 553 letters, the number of vowels is exactly 294, or 42 7's. The number of consonants is 259, or 37 7's. Of the 98 Greek vocabulary words, the number used by Christ in addressing His disciples is exactly 42, or 6 7's. The number of vocabulary words which form no part of Christ's speech is 56, or 8 7's.

This passage not only shows amazing numeric features as a whole, but it shows features within the features, and further features within those. The separate paragraphs have features of their own within the features of the complete passage. The vocabulary has its features, and the forms have theirs. It is marvelous indeed!

"NUMERIC VALUES"

One of the most interesting and fascinating studies in connection with the newly discovered facts is the study of "numeric values." In Hebrew and Greek every letter, word, sentence, and passage has a definite "numeric value" or "arithmetical sum." The reader will be surprised to learn that thousands of the newly discovered facts, or 7's, occur in an astonishing manner in the "numeric values" of the Bible words, sentences, and passages.

The Hebrews and Greeks did not use figures such as 1, 2, 3, 4, etc., to express "numbers"--they used the letters of their alphabets instead! For instance, if a Hebrew or Greek wanted to write "1," he would write the first letter of his alphabet. If he wanted to write "2," he would write the second letter of his alphabet, or if he wished express "3," he would write the third letter of his alphabet, etc. Each letter in the Hebrew and the Greek alphabet stands for a certain number--each letter is assigned a definite "numeric value." In other words, every letter in Hebrew and Greek is a "number" as well as a "letter."

Since each letter has a numeric value, each word likewise has a numeric value, for every word is made up of one or more letters. The numeric value of a word is obtained by adding the numeric values of the various letters in that particular word. By way of illustration, let us determine the numeric value of the word"Jesus." In Greek, "Jesus" is spelled "I H S O U S." "I" stands for 10, "H' stands for 8, "S" stands for 200, "O' for 70, "U" for 400, and "S" for 200. If we add these numbers we will discover that the numeric value of the word "Jesus" is 888. The numeric value, at first thought, might seem to be very insignificant. However, when we turn to the book of Revelation, Chapter 13, verse 18, and find that Satan's number, or the number of the antichrist is plainly stated to be 666, we begin to realize that there must be some significance to the fact that the numeric value of the word"Jesus" is exactly 888! This strange comparison causes us to marvel and wonder!

Just as every word has a certain numeric value, so every sentence, paragraph, and book of the Bible has a definite numeric value or arithmetical sum. The numeric value of a sentence is obtained by adding the numeric value of each word contained therein. Likewise, the numeric value of a paragraph is obtained by adding the numeric values of all the words in the paragraph. The numeric value of each of the sixty-six books of the bible is determined in precisely the same manner.

Now let us go back to the first verse of Genesis for a moment. There are three important nouns in this verse--"God," "heaven," and "earth." The numeric values of these three nouns are 86, 395, and 296, respectively. When we add these three numbers, we find that the total numeric value of the three words is not 776, or 778, but strangely enough, is exactly 777, or 111 7's. Neither 776 nor 778 of course divides evenly by 7. It is strange to note that the "numeric value" of the verb in the first verse of Genesis is also a number which divides perfectly by 7. The numeric value of the Hebrew word "created" is exactly 203, or 29 7's. Turning now to the first seventeen verses of Matthew, the account of Christ's genealogy, we find that the numeric value of the vocabulary words in those verses is also an exact multiple of 7, namely 42,364, or 6,052 7's. Notice that the number is not 42,363, or 42,365. Neither of these divides evenly by 7. If even one Greek letter were taken out or exchanged for another the numeric value of the passage would be changed.

We mentioned previously that exactly 77 vocabulary words are used in the account of Christ's birth, Matthew 1:18-25. The reader will marvel at the fact that the numeric value of these 77 words is also an exact multiple of 7, namely 51,247, or 7,321 7's. We also mentioned that the angel used exactly 28 of these 77 vocabulary words when speaking to Joseph. The numeric value of the angel's words is exactly 21,042, or 3,006 7's. In the second chapter of Matthew, the account of Christ's childhood, exactly 161 vocabulary words are used. The numeric value of these words is exactly 123,529, or 17,647 7's.

"CHAIN" FEATURES

just before we learn how the newly discovered facts scientifically prove the divine inspiration of the Bible, we must note one other particular manner in which the "sevens" are found in the structure of the Bible text. The examples which have been given thus far are examples of facts which occur beneath the surface of single passages. The following features, however, occur in a different manner. They are called "chain" features because they occur in the structure of words that are separated by great distance. The words in a "chain" feature are scattered throughout many different books of the Bible. They are not confined to any one particular passage.

The names of the Bible-writers, for instance, are widely separated throughout Scriptures. It is remarkable to note that the number "seven" is found even in the scattered occurrences of these names. The number of Old Testament writers named in the Bible is exactly 21, or 3 7's. The numeric value of these 21 Hebrew names is also divisible by 7. It is exactly 3,808 or 544 7's. Of these 21 Old Testament writers, those named in the New Testament are Moses, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Hosea and Joe. In all, exactly 7. The numeric value of these 7 names is exactly 1,554, or 222 7's. The name which appears the greatest number of times in the Old Testament is David. The number of times his name is found is exactly 1,134, or 162 7's. The name Jeremiah, for instance, occurs in 7 Old Testament books in 7 different forms in Hebrew, and the number of times it occurs in those 7 Old Testament books is exactly 147, or 21 7's. The number of times that the name Moses, writer of the first book, occurs in the Bible is exactly 847, or 121 7's. Again these are merely a few examples of the many astounding numeric features which occur beneath the surface of the Bible writers' names. In fact, there are 38 or more features in the occurrences of just this one name Moses.

The reader can readily see that the above numeric features are not found in the structure of any one particular passage, but are found in the structure of words that are separated by great distances. These features are strangely hidden in the occurrences of words which are scattered throughout many different books of the Old and New Testaments. The discovery of "chain" features such as these requires careful searching and special investigation of the entire Bible. One of the most intriguing studies in connection with the newly discovered facts is the study of "chain" features. The Bible is literally filled with them!

In the preceding pages the reader has been given a small conception of the thousands of amazing facts which have been found in the very structure of Bible passages.

It has been discovered that amazing numerical facts occur beneath the surface of the original bible text from the very first verse in Genesis through the very last verse in Revelation. Phenomenal mathematical features, similar to the examples already presented, underlie and pervade the text of every one of the sixty-six Bible books. They occur in the very structure of every paragraph in the entire Bible, not in the paragraphs only, but frequently in the many subdivisions of paragraphs. Often single verses are literally teeming and saturated with astounding numerical facts. These features extend to all parts of the text, vocabulary, grammatical forms, parts of speech, etc. Frequently as many as a hundred or more numeric features are strangely hidden beneath the surface of passages which consist of no more than 175 words. Actually thousands upon thousands of these numerical facts have been discovered--they are so abundant that more than 40,000 pages have been required to contain the calculations used in discovering and enumerating the features of the New Testament alone.

PART THREE

How do the Newly Discovered Facts Scientifically Prove That The Bible Is A God-Inspired, God-Given Book?

The presence of the amazing numerical features or facts beneath the very surface of the original bible text cannot be denied by anyone. There are actually thousands of phenomenal, numerical facts in the very structure of the Bible. One can ignore them and turn his eyes from them, but the astounding numeric facts continue to be there. Our own opinions, likes or dislikes, do not alter the facts in the least. Welcome or unwelcome, acknowledged or unacknowledged, the facts continue to be there. Their presence is one truth which every person must accept.

Now then, since these facts are actually found in the very structure of the Bible text, a certain logical question arises--

HOW CAN WE ACCOUNT FOR THE PRESENCE OF THESE FACTS?

How did these features occur or come to be in the very structure of the Bible text? Their presence must be explained in some satisfactory way.

The reader will agree that there are only two possible ways in which these amazing facts could have occurred. They could have occurred either by accident, that is, by sheer chance, or by design. They could have occurred accidentally, or they could have been purposely designed or arranged.

No doubt some are of the opinion that these features occurred accidentally--that they occurred in this peculiar manner merely by sheer chance. Therefore, let us suppose that there are twenty-four numerical features or facts in the structure of a certain passage. What chances are there that these 24 features would occur together in one passage accidentally? This is easily calculated, for there is a standard, recognized, scientific method of calculating chances--there is an established law of chances.

Only one number in seven is a multiple of seven. The other six numbers which are not multiples of seven have as good a chance to occur accidentally as the one that is a multiple of seven. Therefore, according to the law of chances, for any 1 number to be a multiple of 7 accidentally, there is only 1 chance in 7.

According to the law of chances, for any 2 numbers to be multiples of 7 accidentally, there is only 1 chance in 7 x 7, or only 1 chance in 49.

According to the law of chances, for any 3 numbers to be multiples of 7 accidentally, there is only 1 chance in 7 x 49, or only 1 chance in 343.

(The calculation continues on the same basis)

thus, according to the law of chances, for any 1 FEATURE or NUMERIC FACT to occur accidentally, there is only 1 chance in 7

For 2 features * 1 chance in 49

For 3 features * 1 chance in 343

For 4 features * 1 chance in 2,401

For 5 features * 1 chance in 16,807

For 6 features * 1 chance in 117,649

For 7 features * 1 chance in 823,543

For 8 features * 1 chance in 5,764,801

For 9 features * 1 chance in 40,353,607

For 10 features * 1 chance in 282,475,249

For 11 features * 1 chance in 1,977,326,743

For 12 features * 1 chance in 13,841,287,201

For 13 features * 1 chance in 96,889,010,407

For 14 features * 1 chance in 678,223,072,849

For 15 features * 1 chance in 4,747,561,509,943

For 16 features * 1 chance in 33,232,930,569,601

For 17 features * 1 chance in 232,630,513,987,207

For 18 features * 1 chance in 1,628,413,597,910,449

For 19 features * 1 chance in 11,398,895,185,373,143

For 20 features * 1 chance in 79,792,266,297,612,001

For 21 features * 1 chance in 558,545,864,083,284,007

For 22 features * 1 chance in 3,909,821,048,582,988,049

For 23 features * 1 chance in 27,368,747,340,080,916,343

For 24 features * 1 chance in 191,581,231,380,566,414,401

* = "to occur accidentally, there is only"

Thus, according to the law of chances, for the 24 features to occur in a passage accidentally, there is only 1 chance in 191,581,231,380,566,414,401---only 1 chance in one hundred ninety-one quintillion, five hundred eighty -one quadrillion, two hundred thirty-one trillion, three hundred eighty billion, five hundred sixty-six million, four hundred fourteen thousand, four hundred one. (The nomenclature herein used is the American, not the British.)

Many brief Bible passages have as many as seventy or a hundred or more amazing numeric features in the very structure of their text. If there is only one chance in quintillions that 24 features could occur together accidentally, what would the chance be for 70 features to occur together accidentally?

When there is only one chance in thousands for something to happen accidentally, it is already considered highly improbable that it will occur at all. When there is only one chance in hundreds of thousands, it is considered practically impossible. But here there is one chance in not only millions, but billions, trillions, and quadrillions, and quintillions, that merely 24 features could occur together in a passage accidentally.

The argument and demonstration is convincing enough. The amazing numerical features of even one small passage, to say nothing of the thousands in the entire Bible, could not possibly have occurred by accident--by sheer chance. All this evidence simply cannot be explained by the doctrine of chances. If these features did not occur accidentally, then there is only one conclusion, one alternative. They were purposely designed or arranged--their occurrence in such a marvelous and mysterious manner was intended or planned. The point can be illustrated as follows:

Suppose for example, someone were carrying a bag which contained 24 oranges. Suppose that suddenly the bag broke and the 24 oranges fell to the floor. What chance would there be that the oranges would fall into four perfect rows with six in each row, each orange being exactly opposite the other? Such self arrangement would be considered impossible!

O O O O

Suppose on the other hand you came into the room and found the oranges arranged in the manner described. You would come to only one conclusion, namely, that they were purposely designed or arranged in that unusual manner. No one would risk being called insane by insisting that such a thing occurred accidentally!

Likewise, these profound numeric features found in the very structure of the original Bible text are not there by sheer chance or accident, but by design. They are arranged according to a definite plan; they form thousands of perfect and uniform designs.

It has been conclusively shown that there are amazing numerical features in the very structure of the Bible--their presence cannot be denied, but is a truth which everyone must accept. It has also been proved that these features could not possibly have occurred by sheer chance or accident, but that they were arranged or designed. This is a second truth which everyone must accept.

Since the discovery of a design is proof of a designer, the next logical question arises---

WHO PLANNED AND CARRIED OUT THESE AMAZING NUMERIC DESIGNS?

Who caused them to occur in the very structure of the Bible text?

The thousands of perfect patterns and designs came into the Scripture through some intelligence. The reader will agree that there are only two possible intelligences that could have planned and brought about these profound designs. They could have come into the Scripture either by human intelligence or by superhuman, namely, divine intelligence.

Were these amazing numeric designs planned by the men who wrote the books of the Bible?

(1) The profound numeric patterns in the structure of the Bible passages could not possibly have been planned and worked out by mere human beings alone.

If anyone could write an intelligible passage of 300 words, constructing it in such a way that the same designs and schemes of sevens occur in the structure of its text as those found in the first seventeen verses of Matthew, indeed he would prove himself a wonder if he could accomplish it in six months.

If anyone could write an intelligible passage of 161 words, constructing it in such a manner that the same designs and arrangements of sevens occur in the structure of its text as those which are found in verses 18-25 of the first chapter of Matthew, he would accomplish a still greater wonder if he were able to do it in three years.

If anyone in an entire lifetime of continuous work could write an intelligible passage of some 500 words, containing in its structure as many intertwined yet harmonious numeric features as are found in the second chapter of Matthew, it would be a miracle of miracles.

No mortal in a lifetime of a hundred years could possibly have carried out the design which is found in even a single book of the Bible, if he devoted the entire hundred years to the task. It would require some centuries to write a book designed and constructed in the manner in which the book of Matthew is constructed.

It must be remembered that with each additional sentence the difficulty of constructing these numerical features increases not only in arithmetical progression, but in geometrical progression, for each paragraph is designed so as to develop constantly fixed numeric relations to the material which precedes and follows it. Every additional letter, word, and sentence makes the matter tremendously more complicated and comprehensive.

The reader must also observe that many of the Scripture writers were men chosen from very ordinary walks of life--men who had little or no schooling at all. If Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John, for instance, had attempted to construct and produce the harmonious numeric features and designs which are found in their books as a whole, and had attempted to produce separate numeric schemes and designs which occur in each division, and in each sub-division, and in the words, forms, vocabularies, letters, etc., how long would it have taken them to construct their books? Centuries upon centuries!

Certainly, mere human beings alone could not possibly have planned and worked out the amazing designs of numeric features which occur in the very structure of the Bible text. The limitations of the human intellect and the shortness of human life make it impossible for any man or any set of men combined to accomplish such stupendous feats.

Dr. D. B. Turney tells how he attempted to construct a passage that would show some numeric features. He declares, "I gave numeric values to the English alphabet, and tried to prepare a passage which would adhere to the numerics, and make every section a multiple of seven, and present all the other features of biblical arithmography, without letting the meaning of the passage descend to nonsense. After working thereon for days, I could get no satisfaction. Yet this feature is accomplished in every one of the thousands of Bible paragraphs without the slightest visible effort."

(2) The marvelous numeric designs which extend over many books of the Bible could not possibly have been planned and carried out by the writers themselves.

Not only are the phenomenal designs confined to the text of single Bible passages, but widely separated portions of the Bible are woven into intricate and perfect patterns. Special words which are scattered through many different books of the Bible form amazing chain-designs that literally teem with numerical features. The numeric designs in the structure of the Bible writers' names, for instance, extend throughout the entire scriptures. The discovery of such word-chains requires careful searching in all parts of the 66 books of the Bible.

The double design of sevens in the name "Moses," for example, could not have been planned and carried out by the Bible writers themselves. It must be remembered that the writers did not live at the same time--they lived many years apart. In fact, there was a period of about 1600 years between the writing of the first book of the Bible and the last. It must be remembered also that the 66 books were written by 33 different persons. And it must be remembered that these persons were scattered throughout various countries of the world and that they were men of widely different backgrounds. Many of the writers had little or no schooling. How could these men have planned the distribution of the name "Moses" throughout the entire Bible so as to form marvelous numeric designs?

How could each one of the 33 writers who lived in various counties, the last writer separated by 1600 years from the first, insert the name "Moses" just enough times to keep the numeric design in suspense until it came to John, the last writer who used it in the book of Revelation just once to complete the design? How could each writer have known that he should use a particular word a certain number of times so that when all would be finished after 1600 years the total would divide perfectly by seven and would show numeric design? Certainly such design could not possibly have been planned by the writers themselves. The case of Moses is only one example of a chain design which extends throughout the entire Bible. Literally hundreds of other cases as convincing as this can be pointed out.

Each word of the whole Scripture is linked and connected in one marvelous pattern. All the intricacies and beauties of the separate and smaller patterns when put together form one great design. Thus, the entire Bible is tied together by a continuous pattern from Genesis to Revelation.

The designs interlock paragraph with paragraph, book with book, and the Old Testament with the New Testament. The numerics of the Old Testament and those of the New together form harmonious schemes which could not be made possible or solved without either of the Testaments. The Old Testament was concluded 400 years before the New Testament was begun, yet the two when taken together form one complete revelation. Both accord perfectly--both are parts of one homogeneous whole.

The fact that the Bible was written by a number of different persons in various countries of the world over a period of hundreds of years makes it impossible for the writers to have planned these patterns. Designs which cover some 1600 years could never have been planned and carried out by man, for many of the words were penned without any knowledge of what would be written by other writers many years later. Even if it were possible for the 33 different writers to meet and comment about the use of their vocabularies, etc., it would require thousands of years to carry out such profound numeric schemes.

The minds of the cleverest men who have ever lived would not be capable of devising such sublime mathematical problems. No human minds could possibly have devised such a means of binding the whole of the Word together.

(3) the special elaborate numeric designs in each book of the bible could not possibly have been planned and carried out by the writers unaided.

The number of words found in Matthew, not found in any of the other 26 New Testament books, shows elaborate designs. How did Matthew know that he should use certain words which would not be used in any of the other 26 books of the New Testament? In order for him to have done this it would have been necessary for him to have had all these other books before him as he write his book. If he had all these other 26 books before him as he wrote, it would mean that he wrote his Gospel last.

It so happens, however, that each of the other books has a certain number of words which are not found in any other New Testament book. These words show phenomenal numeric designs. How did each writer know that he should use a certain number of words which would not be used in any other book? In order for each writer to have done this it would have been necessary for each one to have had all the other 26 books before him as he wrote. If each had the other 26 books before him as he wrote, it would mean that each particular book was written last. But such a things is an utter impossibility! How could each New Testament writer have the other 26 books before him as he wrote? Such a thing is unthinkable!

These are only a few of the many problems which confront a person who tries to figure out how mere men could have designed and arranged the phenomenal numeric features in the structure of the original Bible text. Certainly these amazing numerical designs could not possibly have been planned and carried out by mere human beings.

It is interesting to note that as far as is known,

THE BIBLE IS THE ONLY BOOK IN EXISTENCE WHICH IS CONSTRUCTED ON AN AMAZING NUMERIC DESIGN

At first glance the most obvious objection to the numeric features of the Bible is that such or similar numerics could be extracted from any other writings in any language if sufficient time and ingenuity were expended. However, this is not the case. The Bible is different from all other books. No other piece of literature anywhere in the entire world is known to contain amazing numerical features such as are found in the structure of the Bible text. The Apocrypha shows no evidence of such numeric design. Various persons have devoted much time to the examination of the Greek classics in an effort to find the same mathematical structure, but no such phenomena have yet been found anywhere.

Various professors of Greek have been requested to submit Greek prose classics to the numeric test to ascertain if these same amazing numerical phenomena could be found. No one has reported any success in finding such numeric designs.

No human beings could have written the Bible in the way it is demonstrated to have been written. No human foresight or arrangement could have secured such results beforehand; no human powers could have carried them out to such perfection. Man by his own attainments could not perform such unthinkable feats. It is simply impossible to account for these designs of numeric features if the mere human authorship of the Bible is assumed.

If human logic is worth anything at all we are simply driven to the conclusion that the thousands of amazing numeric designs in the very structure of the original Bible text could not possibly have been planned by the men who wrote the books of the Bible--they could never have been produced by mere human minds.

Its is evident that the Bible is not the work of many minds, but the work of One Mind. The designs furnish clear proof that the whole Bible has but one Author. All the books of both the Old and New Testaments were planned and produced by the same Mind.

Every candid, logical minded individual is simply compelled to admit that the intelligence which planned and designed the Bible must have been Superhuman, Divine. That One Designer was a Supernatural, Master Designer. Only the Supreme, Omniscient, Omnipotent god could have caused such phenomenal numeric designs to occur beneath the surface of the Bible text. Only God could have constructed the Bible in the amazing manner in which it is constructed. The Eternal, Omnipotent Author designed, superintended, worked, and carried out His Own infinite plans. There is no escape from this conclusion.

Thus the newly discovered designs of numerical features or facts scientifically prove that the great Bible "claim" concerning itself (Part 1) is actually true. The Bible actually is a supernatural, God-inspired, God-given book as it claims to be, for mere human beings alone could not possibly have written and constructed it in the marvelous manner in which it is constructed.

Indeed, "all scripture" is "God-breathed." The words which the writers of the Bible recorded were not their own word, but were the very words of God Himself--they wrote only as they were "moved" or "in-breathed" by the Spirit of god.

In geometry the two angles at the base of an isosceles triangle are proved to be equal by cold unimpassioned mathematical reasoning about which there can be no dispute. So the divine inspiration of the Bible is proved with all the clearness and positiveness of mathematical precision. Skeptics can bring no indictment against the proof made possible by the numerical facts, for the proof deals with mathematical certainties. The modern scientific method, the hard logic, the sound laws of reasoning, are astounding. One cannot argue with mathematics, for it is an exact science.

The facts are undeniable and indisputable--their conclusions are unavoidable. They are stupendous, overwhelming evidence of divine inspiration which shatter all the arguments of non-believers.

The discoveries of facts as important as these, are indeed "Astounding New Discoveries." They are as amazing as any discoveries that can be made. The results are staggering. The facts are hardly conceivable except that they are visible before our eyes. One is forced to say with awe, "This is the work of God Himself." God has written His signature in His Word in this phenomenal manner so that no man can claim it as a human production.

It is utterly foolish for anyone to say that the numerical facts do not underlie the actual text and vocabulary of the Bible passages. They are there! To make such a statement would be as foolish as saying that there is no blood in a living human being.

The evidence and facts are such that no destructive critic can successfully face them. Facing them means unconditional surrender to the inevitable. They form an unanswerable argument--they make possible a certain and foolproof system which can stand any amount of honest testing. No living person has yet attempted to dispute this convincing array of facts. The best anyone can do is to ignore them.

Robert Ingersoll, the noted infidel lecturer, was continually crying for a miracle. Here are hundreds of miracles! Let anyone deal with these facts and show how they occurred in the very structure of the original Bible text if they did not occur in a miraculous way!

PART FOUR

The Remarkable Precision of the Numeric Designs

Readers will be amazed to learn that the perfect numeric designs which underlie the very structure of the original Bible text make it possible to detect any letter or word that anyone might add, omit, or transpose. The extraordinary mathematical designs in a profound manner determine the exact order of words, spelling, etc.

Just as an astronomer, who knows definite astronomical calculations and the position of various planets, can determine where and when certain other planets will appear, so one who knows definite numerical calculations of the Bible and the position of various letter, words, or books, can immediately determine where certain other letters, words, or books should occur.

The following is a striking illustration of the remarkable precision and accuracy made possible by the presence of the numerical facts in the very structure of the Bible text.

A certain Bible concordance prepared by C. F. Hudson, supervised by H. L. Hastings, and checked by Ezra Abbot, lists what were evidently thought to be all of the Bible references in which the word "Moses" occurs. According to the concordance the name appears in exactly 846 Bible references. This number of course is out of harmony with various numeric designs which run through the Bible. According to certain numeric designs the name would be expected to occur a number of times which divides perfectly by seven. Of course 846 does not divide evenly by seven, but 847 does--it is 121 sevens. What is the trouble? Was one of the references omitted from the concordance?

Yes, a reference to Moses which that certain edition of the concordance does not list is found in the book of Hebrews. The scholarly gentlemen who prepared this concordance apparently overlooked this verse, but the error is detected by the designs of numerical facts which occur in the very structure of the Bible text.

The newly discovered numerical facts definitely settle the question regarding the correct number of books the Bible should contain. The Roman and Greek Catholic Churches include in the Old Testament of their Bibles, 14 books known as the Apocrypha, which Protestants do not include. The books of the Apocrypha date from 300 B.C. to 100 A.D. With the exception of these books, the Roman and Greek Catholic Bibles are practically identical with the Protestant Bible. What is the correct number of Bible books?

There are many marvelous numeric designs which run through all of the 66 books of the Protestant Bible as a whole---patterns which bind these books into one great unit. If a single book is added or removed, certain elaborate numeric designs or chains which tie these books together are completely destroyed. Furthermore, there is no evidence of numerical features and designs in the text of the Apocrypha. Thus the Bibles of the Roman and Greek Catholic Church, so far as the number of books is concerned, are proved to be incorrect. The numerical facts thus act as an automatic check against tampering with the divinely planned number of books.

Since each letter stands for a number, it is clear that a change in even a single letter changes the "numeric value" of an entire passage. The omission of or a change in a single letter, to say nothing of a whole word, at once destroys many features of a perfect numeric design. In fact, the design as a whole is destroyed by the addition of one word. In one case, all is harmony, and the elaborate scheme of sevens is seen at once, while in the other case, all is confusion if something foreign is introduced into the delicate numerical systems mysteriously recorded in the Bible by the Holy Spirit.

"PLACE VALUES" AND "ORDER NUMBERS"

The exact order of Bible words is determined by the numeric designs in the "place values" and "order numbers" of the words. For example, suppose someone should change the order of the names of our Lord in a certain passage from "Jesus Christ," to "Christ Jesus." The number of letters in the passage would remain the same, but the order of those two words would be different. Could such a change be detected? Would we be able to determine whether "Jesus Christ" or "Christ Jesus" is the correct order of the words? Since the proper order for each particular passage is definitely established by the numeric designs in the place values and order numbers of the words, the correct order could be determined by submitting both passages to the numeric test. The passage which gives the true order of the words would show numeric design, whereas the passage which gives the false order would not show numeric design. A change in the order of words in any Bible passage invariably destroys perfect designs in the place values and order numbers. Even the exact spelling of words may be determined by the designs in the order numbers.

It is remarkable also to note that a profound "cross-section" method--a system of multiplication--makes it possible to promptly detect any errors which one might make when checking on the place and order of words in the vocabulary.

It is indeed marvelous to think of the many separate systems of designs which run through each letter and word of the Bible. Not only is there a definite numeric scheme in the "numeric values" of each letter and word, but there are also separate designs in the place values, values, and order numbers, of each letter and word. Each pattern or design serves its own particular purpose.

Just one separate scheme or numeric design is convincing enough to demonstrate the divine inspiration of any passage, but when a person combines all of these many separate systems of designs which run through each letter and word of a passage, the argument is simply staggering! Every letter and word is so intricately intertwined and interlocked by these different systems of designs that is simply impossible to move a letter or word either to the right or to the left without destroying the perfect patterns. The very order of every letter and word is definitely designed. Each letter and word has its own special place. Such perfect order--such complex systems of designs with their astonishing precision and accuracy, indeed could not have occurred accidentally. As an illustration, suppose that the sixty or sixty-five pieces of an alarm clock were placed in a box. One could shake that box year in and year out and those pieces would never go in their proper places accidentally. The perfect order and the complex numeric systems of the Bible cannot be attributed to chance, or even to human design--they can only be divine.

The Bible itself claims that divine inspiration extends not only to every sentence and every word, but even to the smallest letter and the smallest mark. In Matthew 5:17, 18, when Jesus said that not one "jot" or one "tittle" would pass from the law till all be fulfilled, He referred to the smallest letter (jot) and the smallest mark or point (tittle), thus indicating that even they were inspired.

The numerical facts demonstrate that the words, syllables, letters, and even every jot and tittle are numbered and have their own special, divinely appointed place in the text. God controlled the spelling of every word and the number of its occurrences in the various Bible books. The Bible is scientifically proved to be divinely inspired, not in a loose or general way--not only in "thought," but in actual word and letter. Christ's significant statement. "The Scripture cannot be broken" is proved to be true. Indeed God has protected and preserved His Word in a wonderful manner!

The amazing numeric facts and designs are interwoven in the Bible-text in such a peculiar and marvelous manner that no power on earth can blot them out. They are woven into God's Word as a thread is woven in dollar bill to assure its genuineness. They are imprinted on the pages of Scripture as watermarks are imprinted in paper for verification and identification. They guard the Bible against errors and interpolations as the intricate designs on a bank note or check guard against counterfeits and interpolations. God has marked His Word in a marvelous manner!

It has been demonstrated that the vast numerical structure of the Bible is a supernatural, divine work. While it is utterly impossible for human beings to construct a book on such a marvelous mathematical design, it is only the normal work of God, the great Creator, Who has carefully placed--

NUMBERS IN ALL OF NATURE

The number system of god is stamped upon all His works. All departments of nature are based on a system of mathematics--great mathematical laws govern the activities of the entire universe.

For instance, in the sphere of light, there are exactly seven colors. The seven colors merged together form light. In the sphere of music there are exactly seven whole tones in the scale, while every eighth note begins a new octave and is merely a repetition of the first note. The seven colors correspond to the seven notes in music, and sounds that harmonize correspond with colors that harmonize, while discords in color correspond with discords in music.

The human body is completely renewed or changed every seven years. Every part of the body is constantly throwing off old effete matter, and constantly receiving deposits of new and living matter. In seven years the whole structure is altered down to the minutest particles and becomes essentially a new body. In certain diseases, the seventh, fourteenth, and twenty-first are critical days. Man's pulse beats slower every seventh day whether he is sick or well. In diseases resulting from physical exhaustion, the pulse changes every seventh day. With the human being, the period of gestation is 280 days (7 x 40). Indeed, seven is stamped upon physiology. Is it not significant that God ordained every seventh day to be a day of rest, and that He declared man's years to be "Three-score and ten" (7 x 10)?

With animals, the period of gestation of the mouse is 21 (7 x 3) days. The hare and rat 28 (7 x 4) days. The cat 56 (7 x 8) days. The dog 63 (7 x 9) days. The lion 98 (7 x 14) days. The sheep 147 (7 x 21) days. With birds, the incubation of the common hen is 21 (7 x 3) days. The duck 28 (7 x 4) days.

God's mathematical laws are at work in all departments of nature. The planets of the heavens are governed according to definite mathematical laws. Indeed, nature does not operate by chance, but by design. Volumes could be devoted to showing design in all of God's creation.

"God made ... the stars ... and set them in the firmament of the heaven?--Gen. 1:16-1;7. "He counteth the number of the stars."--Ps. 147:4 R.V. He "bringeth out their host by number."--Isa. 40:26. "God hath measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and meted out the heaven with a span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance."---Isa. 40:12.

If God placed the stars in their proper order, and numbered them and measured the waters and weighed the mountains, is it surprising or incredible that He has placed the words and letters of His book in exact order, and numbered them, and guided them into combinations of numbers?

The same God Who created the universe and was careful to weave designs and intricate patterns into the smallest detail of creation, has taken the same care with His Word. He has placed the same peculiarity in both.

"The very hairs of your head are all numbered" (counted). Matt. 10:30. The word "numbered" in Greek is "arithmeo," the very word from which our English word "Arithmetic" is derived. If God counts the very hairs of our heads, is it strange that He has counted the words and letters of His Scripture?

PART FIVE

How Do the Newly Discovered Facts Affect Us?

Think of it--the newly discovered facts actually prove that the Bible is God's inspired book! God has given us this convincing proof so that we might acknowledge that the Bible is His own precious Word! Since the Bible is God's Word, it is our DUTY and RESPONSIBILITY to know, believe, and obey the instructions He has given us!

Let us turn to the Bible with an open mind and an open heart and see what God's message is. We find that the Bible gives a sad picture of the human race! It gives us a description of ourselves as we appear in our natural condition--it tells us just what we look like in God's sight! By nature we are sinners! "All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." (Rom. 3:23) By nature we are "(spiritually) dead." (Eph. 2:1) "(Spiritual) death passed upon all men, for all have sinned." (Rom. 5:12) By nature we are "guilty before God." (Rom. 3:19)--we are "condemned already" (John 3:18)--we are "separated" and "far off" from God (Isa. 59:2, Eph. 2:13), and are in "darkness" (12 Pet. 2:9), "without Christ," without "hope" (Eph. 2:12), and without "peace." (Isa. 48:22.) By nature all of us are hopeless and helpless sinners!

If this were the only message in the Bible it would be tragic indeed, but fortunately, God has another message--a message of "good news," for lost, needy humanity! God has provided a way of salvation! Christ, the Son of God, paid the debt of sin by His substitutionary death upon the cross. "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom. 5:8) "His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree (cross)." (1 Pet. 2:24.) Christ rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Eph. 1:20.) Now all who receive Him--all who believe on Him have spiritual life, instead of spiritual death. "He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son hath not life." (1 John 5:12.) "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life." (John 3:36.) If we receive Christ, we become "children of God," and are "born of God." (John 1:12,13.)--our sins are forgiven (Eph. 1:7)--we are "not condemned" (John 3:18)--we are made "nigh" unto God (Eph. 2:13)--we are "in His marvelous light" (1 Pet. 2:9)--we have a "blessed hope" (Tit. 2:13), and have "the peace of God, which passeth all understanding." (Phil. 4:7.) Our Lord "is able to save to the uttermost" (Heb. 7:25), that is, He is able to save the greatest sinner--the one who is farthest from God! "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Acts 2:21.)

Christ is knocking at the door of your life even now! "Behold, I stand at the door and knock." (Rev. 3:20.) "What will ye do with Jesus?" (Matt. 27:22.) Will you RECEIVE Him (John 1:12), or will you REJECT Him? (John 12:48.) Your decision will determine your eternal destiny!

Cathedral of Praise Church and School

apostlerodman@juno.com