Meaning can be derived by adding up the letters of a word, or in a sentence. This mode of study is called Gematria. It may sound mystical to Western ears, but in Jewish circles, it is well known and accepted. Children in Yeshiva school learn Gematria right along with the alphabet. If you were to ask a student for the numerical value of a Hebrew letter, the student would tell you right away.
The ancient Greeks also used their letters to double as numbers. The pattern they used is exactly the same as Hebrew’s Gematria, except in Greek format. Numbers increase by ones, then tens, then hundreds. Here’s what it looks like:
There are number-lovers who take this study to the next level. They’re constantly uncovering amazing connections that are coded in the Hebrew and Greek text of Scripture. It reminds me that not only can the Bible be translated into the language of English, it can also be translated into the language of math. Let me give you a few of their findings:
The Greek form of Jesus (Ιησούς) equals 888. Isaiah 9:6 prophesizes, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Here is Isaiah 9:6 in Hebrew (reading from right to left):
The sum of every seventh Hebrew letter equals 888, the numeric value of Ιησούς!
Coincidence? Well how about another connection:
Genesis 1:1 and John 1:1 are the Bible’s definitive creation verses. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the word was God.” Would you be surprised to learn that these verses are connected mathematically?
The number value of Genesis 1:1 is 2,701––which is the sum of all integers from 1 to 73. Picture this as a triangle, with 1 dot on the top row, 2 dots on the second row, 3 dots on the third row, then 4 dots on the fourth, five on the fifth. . .so on and so forth all the way down to 73 dots on the 73rd row. Such a triangle would have 2,701 dots total.
The number value of John 1:1 is 3,627––which is the sum of all integers from 74 to 112. In other words, John 1:1 is a continuation of the Genesis triangle! It looks better than it sounds:
I think Solomon said it best: “It is God’s privilege to conceal a matter, and a king’s privilege to discover it” (Proverbs 25:2).
