The Number 40 used in Scripture

Having seen that the number 40 has been used in scripture so many times, I think it may benefit us to know that this number seems to mean testing and possibly also restoration. I am going to give you some scriptures where the number 40 is prominent in both Old and New Testaments. It seems most predominant in the Old Testament however. I am also at this time concluding that this number is mainly applicable to God’s dealings with the Jewish people rather than to the gentile world, however there are two instances I know of definitely in which God dealt with Gentiles.

We see the number 40 brought to our attention first in Genesis where Noah and his family were in the ark and the rain came down for 40 days and nights. That is 10 days longer than a month, if you notice. Can you imagine God sending rain-in torrents-for 40 days? I have seen rains like that for maybe 3 or 4 days in a row and what flooding there was! Can you imagine 40 days straight of heavy rain? I am really glad God set that rainbow to remind us that He won’t use water again to destroy this earth.

Next instance we see is in reference to Isaac. He got married at 40 years of age.

Then when Jacob died in Egypt-Gen 50:3-the embalming period lasted 40 days it looks like

The next time we see the number 40 used is in connection with Moses. First we know that he was 40 years old when he left Egypt, and I don’t remember what scripture tells us that, but there is one. Then 40 years later he meets up with God at the burning bush. The next instance we have is in a sentence that is a summary about how long the people of Israel ate manna-40 years in Exodus 16:35. Then how long is Moses up on the mountain of Sinai? He is there for 40 days, which was also long enough for these people to desert God and get Aaron to build a golden calf for an idol. Moses ends up having to repeat his trip up that mountain for 40 days again. You also see the number used in the construction of the tabernacle where there are 40 sockets of silver on the boards used on the sides of the tabernacle.

Then you see the number forty used with thousand in reference to the numbers of quite a few tribes of Israel-this is when they did a census of those 20 years and older. Then the trip into the promised land to scout out the land by the 12 spies-that was a 40 day scouting trip. And Josha was 40 years old at the time. See his statement in Joshua 14:7.

And of course we have the fact that the people of Israel had to wander in the wilderness for 40 years because of their refusal to trust God. And in Numbers 33 we see a listing of the campsites of the people throughout their travels and if you discount the town of Ramseses where they departed from and discount the final spot they ended before entering the promised land-in the plains of Moab, there are 40 stops-40 campsites. I thought that was really interesting.

Sometimes in the previous instances we can see how the number 40 may mean testing, even though in not every case. But the number 40 is used in many more instances in the Old Testament.

What I find interesting, besides Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness after His baptism undergoing temptation, is that he was 40 days old when he was redeemed at the temple. This was because of a ruling in the Old Testament regarding purification of the mother besides redeeming the child.

Lev 12:2-4

2 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman have conceived seed, and born a man child: then she shall be unclean seven days; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean.

3 And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.

4 And she shall then continue in the blood of her purifying three and thirty days; she shall touch no hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying be fulfilled.

(KJV)

Once this was accomplished she and Joseph could go to Jerusalem and

Luke 2:22-24

22 And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord;

23 (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)

24 And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.(KJV)

So this plus the time in the wilderness we see the number 40 involved in Jesus’ life. The last time I know of the number 40 being involved in Jesus’ life is the number of days He was still here after His resurrection spending time with the disciples and teaching them further.

Now there are lots more instances of the number 40 in the Old Testament such as the reigns of David, Solomon, Jehoash, plus the 40 day trip Elijah made to Mt. Horeb-the verse is not clear whether that included the time he spent there or if it took him that long to get there. I suspect it meant how long he was there in that cave. That took place after he had challenged the prophets of Baal. There is also the instance where Ezekiel had to lie on his side for 40 days on behalf of Jerusalem & Judah-this to do with a punishment on Jerusalem and Judah.

Now the 2 instances I know of in God dealing with the Gentiles for 40 years is where Jonah was told to announce judgment on Nineveh and they were to have 40 days to repent. The other instance is where God explains in Ezekiel that the people of Egypt were going to be dispersed for 40 years and then brought back to their land. Ezek 29:13,14.

The last time I noticed the number 40 to do with Jerusalem and I believe Jesus is when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. Remember Jesus died about 30 AD and 40 years later Jerusalem gets destroyed. I personally believe this occurred because the nation failed to accept Jesus in the 40 years after Jesus’ death and resurrection. So judgment came again-a judgment Jesus foretold also-and the people were scattered as God always promised when they were not listening to Him.

What lesson can we take from all this. Well, I think for one-God uses the number forty to get our attention -and probably still uses it as a number for testing with people. These instances of forty being used in scripture are obviously no accident. They are intentional. However, by and large, numbers in the Bible, such as 3, 7, 40 and their multiples, including 12, we can see how they often fit together, but there does not seem to always be a set rule for the choice of the number. 40 seems to mean testing, 3 seems to mean God who is a trinity, 12 seems to mean authority-(there were it seems 12 judges referred to judging Israel in the book of Joshua) plus your 12 tribes and 12 apostles. What I think we will find once we get to heaven is that they did represent certain things but just cause you see the number there in the Bible doesn’t mean that in that instance it has to mean something symbolical. Sometimes I am sure God stuck a number in just cause He wanted to use that number. But what we really have to remember is all of this points to God Himself being in control. Control of the past, control of the present, and control of the future. Many folks think that things happen by happenstance-they don’t, and no number is necessarily sacred in your life or mine. Let me point out something of interest. My life got changed dramatically at age 46. At that time I met a lady who had gotten saved at 46. I believe God arranged that timing just to let me know that it was no accident that I met this lady. She, besides many others, were operating in God’s plan for my life. Understand folks, there is no such thing as luck or coincidence. It is all connected to God’s planning in our lives. Even many of our interests have been placed in us by God. Our lives are in the palm of His hand if we are Christians, and under God’s palm if we are not. When I say under God’s palm, I am meaning that He still has control over our lives in scads of areas one would never dream of, but when one isn’t saved, one does not have the same protection as the one in God’s palm. People do things not in God’s plan at all, but that doesn’t prevent Him from being in control of the situation anyway.

What I mainly want to point out is that numbers in scripture when they have significance, they have significance mainly because it is God who is in control and not us and not Satan. Satan, in my firm opinion, is on a leash. He can do just so much and then God stops him. God allows him to get away with only just so much and then he gets stopped. One of the most important things to realize is that Satan has actually been defeated-he was defeated by Jesus’ death on the cross and His resurrection that 3rd day. He has yet to be done away with, but he has been defeated. The day will come when he gets done away with, and that day will also do away with death and all that withstands and rebels against God. What is going on in this world right now is all leading up to the final days of this planet. And Jesus will prove to be Lord and King. And one day every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

That is it for this week. Next week we will get into the next event in the lives of the people of Israel. God bless and have a great weekend. The Good News Lady