Brother Ed. F. Vallowe, in his book Biblical Mathematics, determined that the number fourteen indicates Deliverance or Salvation. This he determined from the appearance of that number in Holy Scripture. One instance that Brother Vallowe did not refer to was the deliverance of Jerusalem in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah. For the complete story see Second Kings 18:13-19:37.

The story of Abram’s rescue of Lot is found in the fourteenth chapter of Genesis. The king of Sodom and four other kings served (paid tribute) to four kings from the area later known as Babylon. They did this for twelve years, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled. In the fourteenth year the kings from Babylon and nearby states marched against the king of Sodom and his allies. The Babylonian kings prevailed and sacked Sodom and the other cities. This action included Lot and his family who were then living there.

With 318 men Abram pursued and defeated King Chedorlaomer of Elam. Abram rescued Lot, and the other hostages that had been taken and all the spoils taken by Chedorlaomer. In the fourteenth year the people of Sodom and the cities of the plain were delivered by Abram.

A little later in Genesis Abram fathered a child by Hagar, the Egyptian maid of Sarai. The child was Ishmael and Abram was 86 years old at the time. (Genesis 16:16) In chapter seventeen of Genesis the Lord gave the Covenant of Circumcision to Abram. It was at this time that the Lord changed Abram’s name to Abraham, and Sarai’s name to Sarah. Scripture tells us that Abraham was 99 years old at that time, indicating that Ishmael was then 13 years old.

From these Biblical stories, we can see a pattern. On one hand, in the thirteenth year, the kings rebelled; on the other hand Abraham was obedient to the Lord’s command of circumcision. It is interesting that at this time Ishmael, the father of a rebellious people, was thirteen years old.

We also see that in the fourteenth year there was deliverance of the people of the area around Sodom and Gomorrah. In the time of King Hezekiah in the fourteenth year there also was deliverance of the people of Jerusalem.

In my opinion, the best example is that in the fourteenth year after Abraham and Sarah tried to fulfill the Lord’s promise in their own way, the promised son came. Of course, Isaac is a type of the Lord Jesus, and Abraham offering to sacrifice Isaac, “his only begotten son,” is an example of this foreshadow. (Please see John 3:16) Just as Jerusalem was delivered in the fourteenth year, and the promised son who is a type of Jesus came in the fourteenth year, it is possible that Jerusalem in the future will be delivered also in the fourteenth year.

Joseph, the son of Jacob, was also a type of Jesus. It was Joseph who interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh and explained the seven good years and seven bad years. I have often wondered if these fourteen years somehow fit into End Time prophecy. Possibly there will be seven good years, and then seven really bad years of Tribulation. Only the Lord knows. May His name be praised!