From the book "The ARITHMETIC of God" (1976)
by Don Kistler
Unity - "ONE"
Now, the first number would d have to be One, because it's
in the Beginning. The word UNITY comes from the Latin word "UNUS"
meaning "ONE." In the Bible number One stands for UNITY. In John
17:20-22, Jesus prayed for the UNITY of His people. "Neither pray
I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me
through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father,
art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that
the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which
thou givest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as
we are one." Jesus was praying that His followers should have one
mind, one aim, one objective in life.
The meaning here is harmony, peace and fellowship among
them. This is explained in Acts 4:32, "And the multitude of them
that believed were of one heart and of one soul". Right after
this it is stated, "And with great power gave the Apostles
witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace
was upon them all." That's Acts 4:33. It never fails when God's
people are of one heart and one soul that great power and grace
will rest upon them.
Here it is seen that a great multitude of believers, many in
number, all are of one heart, and one soul and one spirit. This
is what Jesus meant when He prayed that His people should be one,
with one mind, one aim, and one purpose in every respect for He
is One God. Yours Truly sees no reason for stumbling over the
statement that these three are One. No one stumbles over the fact
that Jesus prayed for the multitude of His believers to be one as
He and the Father were one. If the statement about the Father and
the Holy Ghost being one disturbs you, you have the wrong
thought. They are but titles to one God. Then since Jesus prayed
for as many believers to be one as He and His Father are one, He
was wanting them to be as just one person in the Spirit which is
the Seven Spirits of God. "And the spirit of the Lord shall rest
upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of
counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the
Lord"; See Isaiah 11:2. Jesus wanted no division among His
people. In I Corinthians 1:10, Paul said to the Church at
Corinth, "Now I beseech ye brethren, by the name of the Lord
Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be
no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together
in the same mind and in the same judgement". This is what is
meant by UNITY.
When Jesus prayed for the UNITY of His Believers, He was not
praying for anyone or any who did not believe or should not
believe on Him. Unity is only possible to those who believe on
Jesus. Therefore, this prayer of our Lord cannot be made the
basic for all the religious bodies regardless of what they
believe. Jesus was praying for the Unity of those who should
believe on Him. This does not embrace the Godless,
Christ-denying, Christ-rejecting, unbelievers who may hold to
some form of religion or those who have added to or taken away
from the Holy Word of God. In Ephesians 4:1-6, there is a "Seven
Fold" Unity. This seven fold is a complete Unity. The number
seven denotes completeness as you will see further on in this
book. When people possess the thing mentioned here and do what is
mentioned there will be a complete Unity. Don't forget the
fullness of number seven is the completeness, or perfection of
God, or bringing a thing to an end.
..........
Note:
God's arithmetic is not as ours. The Eternal can add one plus one
and He gives ONE. ONE can be with God MANY - there is ONE true
church, but made up of many individuals. There is ONE Godhead but
that Godhead is made up of TWO individuals - the Father and the
Son. The Holy Spirit is NOT a separate individual with a spirit
body, separate from the Father and Son. All this truth about the
Godhead and the Holy Spirit I have expounded in many studies on
this website - Keith Hunt
..........
Division or Separation - TWO
The number two is the Bible number for Division or
Separation. When the body is divided into two parts there is a
Division or Separation. It might be a peaceful Division, but
usually it isn't.
In Genesis 10:25 it is stated, "And unto Eber were born two
sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth
divided;" Here the word "divided" is used in connection with
number two. This passage was placed there for a purpose.
Luke 15:11 and 12, Jesus says, "A certain man had two sons:
And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the
portion of the goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them
his living." Here we find the number two connected with the word
"divided." In the next verse, we find the younger son separating
himself from his father and going into a far country. (verse 13)
Now in John 10:18, the word "Power" is used twice and the next
verse speaks of division, "No man taketh it from me, but I lay it
down of myself, I have (1) power to lay it down, and I have (2)
power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my
Father." There was division among the Jews for this saying.
(verse 19) Again we find division connected with the number two.
Revelation 16:18 and 19, the word "divided" is again associated
with the number two. "and there was a great (1) earthquake, such
as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an (2)
earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into
three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great
Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup
of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath." In this place the
word "Babylon" occurs the second time in the book of Revelation.
The first time it occurs is in Revelation 14:8. By continuing on
to Revelation 16:21 it will be seen that the word "Hail" is used
two times, and the word "Plague" is used two times. So in
connection with the word "divided," the word "earthquake" occurs
two times, the word "hail" is used two times, and the word
"plague" is used two times, Babylon occurs the second time in the
book of Revelation.
In Genesis 1:4 it's stated, "and God divided the light from
the darkness." Here we find two things, "Light and Darkness" and
the word "Divided" connected with them. In Genesis 1:14 God said,
"Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the
day from the night;" Here are two things, day and night, and the
word divided connected with them. Then in Genesis 1:16 is stated,
"And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the
day, and the lesser light to rule the night." There the two great
lights divided the day and the night. In the days of Jereboam and
Rehoboam the one nation of Israel divided into two kingdoms known
as the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In Ezekiel
37:16-22, we find the Lord having Ezekiel to take two sticks and
put them together and they should become one stick. Then the Lord
said, "And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will
take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they
be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into
their own land: And I will make them one nation in the land upon
the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all:
and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be
divided into two kingdoms any more at all:" See Ezekiel 37:21 and
22. The two nations show forth a divided condition. The two
sticks pictured this division and when the two sticks became one
in the hand of the prophet, the picture of the abolishment of
that Division and a condition of Unity was brought again.
The same thing is seen in Hebrews 8:8-10. "For finding fault with
them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I
will make a new covenant with the house of (1) Israel and with
the house of (2) Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made
with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to
lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in
my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is
the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after
those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind,
and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and
they shall be to me a people."
Now, dear reader, if you will observe that in the eighth
verse there are two houses; that of (1) Israel and of (2) Judah.
Here is set forth a divided condition of that people. On the
other hand there is only one house in the tenth verse, and that
is the house of Israel. The house of Judah has merged with the
house of Israel, the division has been abolished by the work of
the spirit in their heart, and now there is only one house, the
house of Israel. This teaches the same lesson as Ezekiel's two
sticks becoming one. They have become one nation, never to be
divided again.
In I Kings 3:16-27, there is an account of two women
contending over the ownership of two children, one dead and the
other alive. They both have claimed the living child. Here are
two women and two children and a division between the two women.
The case was brought before Solomon to settle and as a test to
find the true mother Solomon demanded the living child be divided
and one half given to each of the women. The woman which caused
the division asked that the living child be divided, but the
woman who was the mother of the child asked that the child not to
be killed but given to the other.
Number two is connected with division in Mark 6:41, "And
when he had taken the five loaves and two fishes, he looked to
heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his
disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among
them all."
Acts 27:41 states, "And falling into a place where two seas
met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and
remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the
violence of the waves." Here are two seas and a divided ship, the
forepart sticking fast in the sand and the hinder part broken
from the forepart and then there followed a divided opinion on
what compensation to make of the prisoners. "And the soldiers'
counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim
out, and escape. But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept
them from their purpose;" So here we have two seas and a divided
opinion.
There was a division in the church at Corinth. Read I
Corinthians 1:1-11, 1 Corinthians 3:33 and I Corinthians 11:18.
While pleading for Unity instead of Division Paul brings in the
subject of baptism which he mentions six times. We find that six
is Satan's number and he is the author of division in the
churches. The second time Paul used the word "baptize" he
mentions two whom he had baptized. He said, "I thank God that I
baptized none of you, but (1) Crispus and (2) Gaius;" (I
Corinthians 1:14). These were not all he had baptized for in the
16th verse he said he had also baptized the household of
Stephanas. Two is the number for division and had Paul mentioned
the household of Stephanas in the same connection with Crispus
and Gaius, that would have been more than two. In the second
place, Paul used the word "baptized" when he mentions two whom he
had baptized, (1) Crispus and (2) Gaius.
In Acts 28:30 it is stated, "And Paul dwelt two whole years
in his own hired house," When Paul would have set forth man's
separation from sin he used the word "Baptized" two times. "What
shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may
abound? God Forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin live any
longer therein? Know ye not that so many of us as were (1)
baptized into Jesus Christ was (2) baptized into his death?"
Death is a separation and baptism shows forth our separation.
In Acts 13:2, two names, the name of Barnabas and the name
of Saul, are connected with the word "separate." "As they
ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate
me (1) Barnabas and (2) Saul for the work whereunto I have called
them."
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The First Creation - "FOUR"
The number four is associated with the First Creation and
the Flesh. When applied to man it represents the Flesh in an
unsaved state. This is true with one exception, Jesus Christ, Who
was made Flesh but not in a sinful state. The fourth time Jesus
is called the "Word" is in John 1:14, "And the Word was made
flesh, and dwelt among us," The word "Amen" is found the fourth
time in Revelation 3:14; Jesus is speaking to the Church at
Laodicean, saying, "These things saith the Amen, the faithful and
true witness, the beginning of the creation of God." The word
"Amen" occurred in Revelation 1:6, 1:7 and 1:18, which you'll
notice was used in connection with number three or the
resurrection.
I Corinthians 15:39, Paul speaks of the word "flesh", and
it's used four times. "All flesh is not the same flesh: but there
is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of
fishes, and another of birds." The reader's attention is called
to the way the numerology is preserved in this verse. The word
"Flesh" occurs twice before Paul lists the four kinds of flesh,
and then it is only used two more times, which makes four times
in all. While speaking of men and beasts, he said, "There is one
kind of Flesh of Men, another flesh of beasts," but in speaking
of the flesh of birds and fishes the word is dropped, and he
simply says, "another of fishes and another of birds." Speaking
of the four different kinds of flesh, you'll notice that flesh is
used four times although it was used twice already. Note the way
the numerology of the passage is used and how it corresponds with
the number which means Creation and Flesh. The word "Creature" is
found four times in the account of Creation. (Genesis 1:20, 1:21,
1:24 & 2:19) The verb "Created" is found seven times, and later
it will be seen where this fits in.
The first four Bible numbers are found in the opening
statement, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the
earth." (Genesis 1:1) John 1:1 shows that the "Word", WHICH is
Jesus, was with God in the beginning. Genesis 1:2 shows that the
Spirit was there; and the opening verse also shows the God-head
and the Unity of the God-head. In this verse Creation is found
which is the number four. Then there are two things mentioned
that were created: the heaven and the earth. Number two stands
for Division. Division is connected with the heaven and earth.
(verses 6-8) The word "beginning" is a noun used as a
commencement of an action or state. So there are four nouns in
the opening statement of God's work of Creation: the beginning,
God, heaven and earth.
Four things are said about the lights which God created:
"And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the
heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for
signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:" (Genesis 1:14)
There are four seasons in the year which are: spring,
summer, autumn and winter. There are four tides in a day and
night: two incoming and two outcoming.
The river that flowed out of the Garden of Eden was parted
in to four heads. "River" occurs four times in Genesis 2:10-14,
"And a (1) river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from
thence it was parted, and became into four heads. The name of the
first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of
Havilah, where there is gold; And the gold of that land is good:
there is bdellium and the onyx stone. And the name of the second
(2) river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land
of Ethiopia. And the name of the third (3) river is Hiddekel:
that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth
(4) river is Euphrates." Here the numerology of the passage is
safely guarded to show creation. The word "River" is mentioned
one time before each name of the four "Rivers", yet the word
"River" occurs only four times in the whole passage. This is done
by omitting the word "River" in naming the first one and is
simply stated, "The name of the first is Pison."
When God was going to send the flood, He mentioned four
things in connection with what He had created, "And the Lord
said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the
earth, both man, beast, the creeping things and the fowls of the
air." (Genesis 6:7) This occurred again in Genesis 7:23, where
the word "Cattle" is used instead of "Beast", "And every living
substances was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground,
both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of
the heaven."
In Ezekiel 1:5-17, Elisha had a vision in which he saw four
living creatures. The four living creatures had four faces, four
wings, and four sides. Here the number four is repeated four
times. There are four living creatures, then there are four
faces, four wings, and four sides. Amazing? It only shows God's
word to be perfect.
Romans 1:23 states that man "changed the glory of the
uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and
to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things." Then he
goes on to say that they "changed the truth of God into a lie,
and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator,"
Romans 1:25 lists the four things that were just mentioned to
prove that the number four is connected with creation. "Thou
carryest them away as with a flood; they are as asleep: in the
morning they are like grass which groweth up. In the morning it
flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and
withereth." (Psalm 90:5 and 6 speaks of man.)
Isaiah 40:4-8 shows the word "Grass" and it's used four
times, "All flesh is grass and all the goodliness thereof is as
the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth:
because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people
is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of
our God shall stand for ever." (verses 6-8 show grass mentioned
four times.)
In Romans 8:19-22, the word "Creature" occurs three times
and the creation once which makes four. Both of the translations
as rendered, "For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth
for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was
made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who
hath subjected the same in hope. Because the creature itself also
shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the
glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the
whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until
now." The old American revised translation renders the word
"Creation" in all four places; the Greek word is the same also.
When it says that "all of the creation groaneth and travails
together," it teaches that all of God's Kingdom is awaiting the
unifying of all into one. The earth was cursed with thorns and
thistles because of man's sin, and the animal creation was cursed
as well. (Genesis 3:14-18) The time is coming when this bondage
shall be lifted from creation. Instead of thorns shall come up
the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle
tree. (Isaiah 55:13) "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the
young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall
lead them, And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones
shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the
ox." (Isaiah 11:6 & 7) Before the fall, all animals ate green
herbs. (Genesis 1:30) The above Prophecy will be as literally
fulfilled as were the passages in Genesis 1:30, which refers to
all of the animals eating the green herbs.
Colossians 1:16 states that there are four things which God
created, "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven,
and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be
thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers:"
Revelation 5:13 shows the creatures in four different places
giving praise to the Father and the Son in four words, "And every
creature which is (1) in heaven, and on (2) the earth, and (3)
under the earth, and such as are (4) in the sea, and all that are
in them, heard I saying, (1) Blessing, and (2) honour, and (3)
glory, and (4) power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne,
and unto the Lamb for ever and ever." Why are the creatures
mentioned in only four places?
It was to show that four is the number associated with
creation! In Mark 16:15, it is found that Jesus sent out His
disciples to preach the gospel to every creature. In Acts 1:8, He
said, "ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in
all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the
earth." He couldn't have mentioned Galilee, Syria, Italy or other
places by name because four is the number of creation.
Peter had to have a special vision given him showing that
the gospel was for every creature. In that vision he saw a
blanket let down from heaven like a sheet knit at the four
corners. In this vessel he saw a four-footed beast, and creeping
things and wild beast and fowls of the air. (Acts 10:1-12) This
convinced Peter that the gospel was "to every nation, and
kindred, and tongue, and people," (Revelation 14:6) When Peter
reached the home of Cornelius it had been exactly four days to
the hour since the Angel of the Lord had told Cornelius to send
for Peter. (Acts 10:30)
The word "ungodly" is connected four times with the wicked
in Jude 14 and 15, "And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam
prophesied of these, saying, Behold the Lord cometh with ten
thousand of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to
convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly
deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard
speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him."
Ishmael, the son of Abraham by the bondswoman, was said to
be born after the flesh. (Galatians 4:22, 23) Four things were
foretold to Ishmael, "the Lord said to her, Behold, thou art with
child, and shall bear a son and shall call his name Ishmael;
because the Lord hath heard thy affliction. And he will be (1) a
wild man; (2) his hand will be against every man, and (3) every
man's hand against him; and he shall (4) dwell in the presence of
all his brethren." (Genesis 16:11-12)
All of these things show forth that the number four is
connected with the first creation and the natural or unsaved man.
In I Corinthians 1:26-28, Paul stated, "how that not many
wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are
called:" Then he stated that the purpose of this was, "That no
flesh should glory in his presence." (verse 29) He went on to
say, "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto
us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
That according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory
in the Lord." (verse 30) These particular four things were
mentioned at this time because man shouldn't glory in the flesh
and flesh is represented by the number four.
In Luke 17:26 and 27, Jesus said, "And as it was in the days
of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man. They
did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were giving in
marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the
flood came, and destroyed them all." These were four things man
was doing in the days of Noah. Genesis 6:12 shows, "And God
looked upon the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh
had corrupted his way upon the earth."
..........
To be continued
Note:
What fantastic glory it is to see how God uses numbers! It is
proof that He exists, and that the Bible is INSPIRED!
Keith Hunt
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