While magic or superstitious use of numerology is condemned by the Catholic Church, the symbolic meaning of numbers within the Bible, particularly as a literary device and for understanding spiritual truths, is acknowledged and has been commented on by early Church Fathers and contemporary Catholic sources. This symbolic interpretation of numbers is distinct from using numbers for divination or seeking hidden powers, which is considered a grave sin against God.
That being said, let’s dig in a bit.
First, we should not forgive beyond what God himself does. Many think Christians must forgive even those unrepentant for their wrongs. This idea sounds pious but is it accurate? God only forgives those who repent. Second Corinthians 7:10 states, “Godly grief brings repentance that leads to salvation.” First John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he will forgive our sins.”
Our Lord has not forgiven, and will not forgive, souls in hell. They did not ask for forgiveness. This seems very plain.
Must we do more than God in forgiving? Jesus addresses this in Luke 17:3-4. He says, “Rebuke your brother. If he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day and seven times returns to you saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
This passage shows Jesus expects his followers to forgive only those who are sorry, just as God does. This aligns with common sense. Colossians 3:13 directs us to forgive “as the Lord has forgiven you.”
Some might recall Jesus’ words from the cross: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34. However, he did not grant forgiveness then. He asked the Father to forgive those who hurt him. This showed his desire that “all men be saved.” 1 Timothy 2:4. It was not a declaration that these men were forgiven.
Second, we must separate forgiving the repentant from loving everyone. We are called to love all people, including those who hurt us and show no remorse. These two ideas are sometimes confused.
Saint Thomas Aquinas defined love as “willing the good of the other” unselfishly. God, being love, acts this way. God desires to share his goodness with everyone. This includes those who reject him, as a God who does not love would contradict his very nature.
Therefore, God’s love is unconditional. It originates from within him. Jesus’ command to “love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12) reflects this. He asks us to love with the same unconditional love he possesses as God and man. Romans 5:5 confirms that God’s love is available through the Holy Spirit. This empowers us to “will the good of the other,” no matter the circumstances.
Forgiveness, as we have noted, is not automatic. It requires reciprocity. God offers forgiveness freely due to His love. Christians are called to do the same. However, forgiveness depends on the other person’s willingness. It cannot happen without both parties participating.
God declares, “I, I am he who will blot out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins” (Isaiah 43:25).
What if people have no sign of regret? Even if there were, forgiveness needs proper understanding. Divine amnesia does not exist. Jesus will not question His wounds in heaven. God not remembering sins means He will not hold them against us after forgiveness. Temporal consequences still exist. Purgatory serves as a reminder.
You need not ignore reality. Jesus instructed, “Love your enemies” (Matthew 5:44). He did not say we must like them. He also did not say we would not have enemies. Living truthfully against falsehood creates enemies. Those who wish us harm are clear examples. We must place them in the “enemies” category.
Jesus commands us to love enemies. He also asks us to pray for persecutors. This shows we are children of our heavenly Father. Love is not optional; it is a command. Loving enemies does not mean seeking their company. Love does not equal liking. Being near an enemy can be harmful.
We cannot love and forgive like God alone. We must rely on Christ. Reflect on Christ’s sacrifice. Consider His infinite love and constant forgiveness. We must admit our weakness. Then we can let Christ love and forgive through us.
Key Points about Numerology in the Bible and Catholicism:
Symbolic vs. Divinatory: Catholic teaching differentiates between the symbolic use of numbers in Scripture (e.g., 7 for perfection, 40 for a period of trial) and the superstitious or magical use of numbers for divination, the latter being forbidden.
Historical Significance: The Catholic Church, particularly through its early Fathers, has recognized the mystical significance of certain numbers in the Bible, including their role in understanding spiritual truths and the divine plan.
Examples in Scripture: Numbers like 7 (days of creation, rest), 12 (tribes of Israel), and 40 (periods of trial or preparation like Noah’s flood, Moses’ time in the desert, Jesus’ temptation) are frequently cited for their symbolic meaning.
Gematria: Gematria, a system where letters are assigned numerical values, is a practice found in biblical interpretation, with the number 666 in Revelation as a famous example, often interpreted as referring to a specific historical figure like Nero Caesar.
Liturgical and Cultural Context: The Church’s own practices, including litanies, prayers, and rituals, often incorporate symbolic numbers, reflecting this long-standing tradition of assigning deeper meaning to numerical patterns.
Mandate to forgive: Forgiveness is not optional but a direct command from Go. A divine command, as demonstrated by Jesus’ example of praying for his persecutors on the cross.
Following God’s example: Just as God forgives our transgressions, even when we fall short, as often as we do, Catholics are called to emulate this divine mercy and forgive others, even those who don’t repent or apologize. It isn’t optional. It isn’t easy, but it is necessary.
Internal act: Forgiveness is primarily an internal act of the heart, which involves releasing resentment and bitterness towards the offender, even if full reconciliation or trust is not possible. Most of us have experienced some reluctance, but eventually come to a state where we realize this.
Personal freedom/Inner peace: Forgiving, even an unrepentant person, is seen as a way to free oneself from the burden of anger and bitterness, allowing for inner peace. This isn’t particularly divine, but I can speak about personal peace when this is done.
Stark Distinction from reconciliation: While forgiveness is a required internal disposition, it doesn’t necessarily mean restoring a relationship or trusting the offender again, especially if they continue to cause harm. Reconciliation aims to fix broken connections. It needs both sides to work together. Forgiveness can be part of this. Yet, it does not guarantee the relationship will be mended. Forgiving someone does not always mean immediate reconciliation or even ever. This is true when the offending person is not sorry. They might keep acting badly. Or the hurt was deep. Trust must be rebuilt slowly. Sometimes, it is wise to stay apart. Limited contact may be best even after forgiving or even no contact.
Practical steps: While not forcing emotions, individuals are encouraged to acknowledge feelings of hurt or anger verbally, in person, or in writing, and then actively choose to release the desire for revenge or bitterness, often through prayer and self-reflection.
Within Christian numerology, especially in Catholicism, 490 signifies forgiveness. This links to Jesus’ words to Peter. The number 490 represents “seventy times seven.” It also relates to “tamim,” a Hebrew word meaning perfect. This perfection comes from constant forgiveness. Bethlehem, meaning “House of Bread,” also numbers 490. This connects forgiveness to the Lord’s Prayer and Communion.
Forgiveness and Catholicism: The number 490’s role is key.
Seventy Times Seven Means Perfection: Jesus’ command implies endless forgiveness. This shows spiritual wholeness. It is achieved through this forgiving attitude.
Hebrew Word Tamim is 490: Tamim means complete or perfect. Its numerical value is 490. This reinforces the link. It connects 490 to spiritual maturity through forgiveness.
Bethlehem and Communion: Bethlehem means “House of Bread.” Its Hebrew letters total 490. This ties forgiveness to the Eucharist. Bread is central to Communion. It recalls Jesus’ sacrifice for forgiveness.
Forgiveness Fuels Spiritual Life: Just as bread sustains the body, forgiveness sustains the spirit. It is vital for relationships too. It allows a full life in Christ.
Jesus told Peter to forgive seventy times seven. This shows forgiveness is endless, not a set number. It mirrors God’s endless mercy. The number 490 connects to Bethlehem, the “House of Bread.” This links to Jesus, the Bread of Life. It also relates to the Lord’s Prayer asking for daily bread and forgiveness. The number seven signifies biblical perfection. Seventy times seven suggests complete, perfect forgiveness. In gematria, 490 links to “Let your heart be perfect.” Some prophecies see it as an end to suffering and a time of peace. The real point of 490 is not counting offenses. It is about showing God’s forgiving nature. We must forgive freely and always, as God forgives us.
In many ancient cultures, including Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity, numbers were not used as precisely as we might presuppose today. Thus, numbers in the Old Testament and New Testament books are often meant symbolically, not literally. Likely why the Catholic church generally condemns too muc meaning to these numbers. For example:
- When the Israelites wanted to say “a long time,” they would say “40 days” or “40 years.” Not concerned with meticulous precision as much as we are today, saying “forty” did not mean that they counted carefully, and the result was exactly between 39 and 41, no more and no less.
- Similarly, to say “a short time,” the Scriptures often say “on the third day” or “in three days,” but without meaning exactly 72 hours!
Consider the symbolism of other numbers used in biblical texts:
| 1 | singularity; God in monotheism (Deuteronomy 6:4); unity for humans (John 10:16; Eph 4:4) |
| 2 | duality: contrary (light/dark, good/evil) or complementary (material/spiritual; human/divine) |
| 3 | God’s actions: 3 “visitors” (Gen 18:2); “third day” (Exodus 19:11); later “Trinity” (Matt 28:19) |
| 3½ | half of seven; thus, things in process, still incomplete |
| 4 | earth, directions, winds, empires; later, the four Gospels or four Evangelists |
| 6 | human work/effort (Luke 13:14); incompleteness, imperfection, lack (not yet 7) |
| 7 | days in a week, sabbath rest (Gen 2:1-3); thus natural & divine completeness/perfection |
| 8 | Jewish day of Circumcision (Exodus 22:30); Christian day of Resurrection (John 20:26) |
| 10 | completion; basis of many number systems (# digits on fingers/toes!) |
| 11 | incompletion; only eleven apostles remain after Judas’ death |
| 12 | months per year, tribes of Israel, apostles of Jesus; human completion |
| [13] | [used in later superstition; based on Judas, but not used in the Bible itself] |
| 14 | value of the name “David” in Hebrew gematria (a type of numerology popular in ancient Judaism) obtained by summing the value of its three consonants (dalet=4, vav=6; thus D+V+D = 4+6+4) |
| 24 | Christian number for completion/restoration: OT tribes + NT apostles |
| 30 | days in month in ancient lunar calendars |
| 40 | very long time: years of Israel’s Exodus, days of Jesus’ temptation |
| 42 | number of months in 3½ years (half of seven years; see also 1260 days) |
| 100 | = 10×10 |
| 144 | = 12×12, thus perfect completion |
| 360 | number of days in a lunar year |
| 365 | number of days in a solar year (cf. Gen 5:23) |
| 666 | number of the beast (Rev 13:18 only; variant reading is 616) |
| 1000 | = 10x10x10 |
| 1260 | number of days in 3½ years (thus, incompletion) |
| 10,000 | “myriad”; the highest ancient number with its own name |
Biblical numbers often build upon these fundamental ones. They frequently appear as multiples. This layering merges their symbolic meanings.
- 7000 = 7 x 1000; 12,000 = 12 x 1000; 20,000 = 2 x 10,000; 144,000 = 12 x 12,000
- “200 million” in Rev 9:16 is an English equivalent for 20,000 x 10,000; but there is no word in Hebrew or Greek for “million” or “billion”
Learn more about numbers
https://www.biblestudy.org/bibleref/meaning-of-numbers-in-bible/14.html