I am always amazed at the complexity in God's Word - when you think you know a portion of Scripture really well, something else is in there waiting to be discovered by further studying! Take for example, the book of Revelation. It is amazing the number of sevens in that book! Everytime you think you found them all, there are more to be brought to light. To me, it is like God's stamp on His Word - only God could write a book that makes sense like His Word does, but with so much more to be learned. (Note: I do not advocate spending a lot of your time trying to find sevens in the Bible, but it is interesting to note them when you do find them - some of these were discovered through a fun challenge to see what we could come up with.)
Sevens In The Book Of Revelation
Some of these were taken from Revelation Chapter One: An Introduction And Overview, and some from further study by myself and others.
Seven means "fulness, completion, perfection."
I will start of with a not so obvious one, but which is foundational to the message of chapters 6-19: the seven year tribulation, which is the 70th week of Daniel (7 times 70 years). It is divided into two halves, of 42 months each (6 X 7).
Of course, there are seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven vials.
Chapter One:
In Revelation 1:5-7 Jesus Christ is:
1. the faithful witness
2. the first begotten of the dead
3. the prince of the kings of the earth
4. him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood
5. him that... hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father
6. he [that] cometh with clouds
7. he [that] every eye shall see.
There are seven different names Jesus is called in this chapter:
1. Alpha and Omega, (verse 8)
2. the beginning and the ending,
3. the Lord,
4. which is, which was, and which is to come,
5. the Almighty,
6. the first and the last, (verse 17)
7. He that liveth and was dead... and is alive for evermore (verse 18).
There is a seven-fold symbolic presentation of Christ in verses 13-16 (the symbolism is traced through Scripture and explained in my study linked above):
1. Girt about the paps (chest) with a golden girdle.
2. His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow.
3. His eyes were as a flame of fire.
4. His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace.
5. His voice as the sound of many waters.
6. Out of His mouth went a sharp twoedged sword.
7. His countenance was as the sun shining in his strength.
Revelation 1:20 speaks of the seven golden candlesticks which depict the seven churches and Jesus right in the midst of them. Then there are the seven stars in His right hand which are the seven angels (pastors) of the seven churches.
There are seven "blesseds" in the book of Revelation: 1:3; 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7, 14.
Jesus makes seven "I Am" statements in this book: Revelation 1:8, 11, 17, 18 (x2); 2:23; 21:6; 22:13, 16. (2023 Note: While it is interesting to see these I Ams in Revelation, upon counting them in my Bible app, I see there are actually 9 I Ams in 8 verses. Don't know how I missed some back then.)
There are seven times the Lamb's Book of Life is mentioned: 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27; 22:19.
Chapters 2-3:
There are seven letters to the churches of Asia, named for and addressed to seven specific cities - each of the letters to the churches has seven parts to it:
1) Name (of the church that particular letter is addressed to.)
2) Its Description of Christ.
3) Commendation - What that church is praised for.
4) Warning - What that church is rebuked for.
5) Promise.
6) To The Overcomers.
7) Prophetic Application (As revealed in church history, found throughout the letter).
In Revelation 4, the Apostle John is describing the throne room and he notes seven things he sees and hears:
1. One upon the throne that was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone
2. A rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald
3. The 24 elders sitting, and clothed in white raiment with gold crowns on their heads
4. Lightnings, thunderings and voices proceeding out of the throne
5. The seven lamps of fire burning (which are the seven Spirits of God, ie. the seven-fold Holy Spirit - see Isaiah 11:2)
6. A sea of glass like unto crystal before the throne
7. The four beasts.
There are seven doxologies (hymns of praise to Christ) in Heaven throughout the book of Revelation, some also have seven specific aspects of Christ that are praised: 4:9-11; 5:8-13; 7:9-12; 11:16-18; 14:2-3; 15:2-4; 19:1-6.
Revelation 5:6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
As mentioned before, seven is the number of fulness, completion. So here we see Jesus with complete power (seven horns - in the Bible, horns are always symbolic of power, this is His omnipotence); complete knowledge (seeing all, omniscience); complete presence (present everywhere, omnipresence - sent forth into all the earth).
Revelation 6 describes the 6th seal which is seven-fold:
1. Earthquake
2. Sun becomes black
3. Moon becomes as blood
4. Stars of heaven fall upon the earth
5. The heaven departed as a scroll
6. Every mountain and island moved out of their places
7. All people hide and call for the rocks to fall on them.
In Revelation 10 there are seven thunders which John is not allowed to describe.
Seven thousand dead from one judgment in Revelation 11:13.
Revelation 15 tells of the seven last plagues and the seven vials which is the culmination of the wrath of God.
This verse describes Rome:
Revelations 17:9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
Revelation 17:10 refers to seven world empires (kingdoms): five have fallen, one is, and one is yet to come.
Revelation 17 also tells us seven things about the great whore, Babylon:
1. Sitting on a scarlet coloured beast which has seven heads and ten horns.
2. Woman is arrayed in purple and scarlet.
3. She is decked with gold, precious stones and pearls.
4. She has a golden cup in her hand that is full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication.
5. On her forehead is written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6. She is drunken with the blood of saints and the martyrs of Jesus.
7. She is the great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
There are seven main people or groups of people portrayed in the Great Tribulation:
1. The two prophets (Moses and Elijah) - chapter 11
2. The woman clothed with the sun (Israel) - chapter 12
3. The Man child (Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God)
4. The dragon (with seven heads and seven crowns on his heads) and his angels
5. Michael and his angels
6. The beast - chapter 13
7. The false prophet.
I am sure there are many more to be found - I just wanted to whet your appetite and share some of what I (and others) have been learning. Of course, the main message of Scripture is what God's Word actually says - these "extras" are just His fingerprints on the pages.
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