Gematria is the study of words using the numeric value of the letters of the word. This is not an occult study! It is found throughout the Word of God.

Most of us are familiar with Roman numerals, the system of numeric values assigned to letters of their alphabet. These letters were used in combinations to make numbers. Here is an example using the value of the letters for 500, 100, 50, 10, 5 and 1:

The letters of the Hebrew alphabet also have numeric values. Brother E. W. Bullinger, an Englishman who worried about the direction of the Church over 120 years ago, wrote Number in Scripture – Its Supernatural Design and Spiritual Significance.

Many Bible scholars point out that eight is the number of new beginnings; e.g. Noah and his family of eight began mankind again after the Great Flood. Likewise, thirteen is the number of rebellion and enemies of God; e.g. the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah rebelled against their superiors in the thirteenth year. (Genesis 14:4) Brother Bullinger gave an extensive list of names in Scripture that demonstrate these traits.

These were the names of people who were friends of the Lord and began the righteous line of Abraham. The Gematria of the sum of the names are divisible by eight:

• The line of descendants of Adam through Japheth, the eldest son of Noah
• The line of descendants of Shem (son of Noah) through Abram

• The line of Cain (including Adam, his father) through Tubal Cain
• The line of Canaan and his sons (Genesis 10)
• The eleven “dukes” of Edom (sons of Esau – Genesis 36)
• The sons of Midian (Genesis 25)
• King Saul and his family (including Jonathan)
• The list of Kings of Israel (the northern, rebellious kingdom)

These names encompass books that were written by different authors hundreds of years apart, and they demonstrate the hand of God in the preparation of His Bible. It is the Word of God! Praise Him for the Bible that we have received, even after millennia!.