The number 8 appears throughout the Bible, being mentioned 80 different times, and it is often associated with God’s power. In fact, it is used to describe a variety of things that are related to God’s power.
This article aims to understand the meaning of the numbers (with a particular focus on number 8), in relation to biblical numerology, looking at examples throughout the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament.
Read on to find out more about the Biblical meaning of the number 8.
The Meaning Of Numbers: Eight
Throughout the Bible, the number 8 represents a new beginning, a new order, and man’s true born-again event when he is resurrected out of the dead into eternal life.
For example, just like the Old Testament Passover lamb, Jesus Christ was chosen as the Lamb to take our sins away on the Hebrew day of Nisan 10 he was crucified on Nisan 14th his resurrection occurred, exactly as he stated, three days and three nights later on Nisan 17.
This has symbolic numerological meaning, as Nisan 17 was also the 8th day, counting inclusively from the time Christ was picked as man’s sacrificial lamb.
All this bears record that Jesus’ perfect sacrifice and his complete victory over death.
The date of Nisan 17 even has symbolic importance, as 17 is symbolic of victory.
So, with the dates in man, we can know that in Jesus’s resurrection was a victorious rebirth, and is the event which caused him to pass finally from the mortal realm to eternal life.
This is not the only meaning of the number 8 though. The number 8 is thought to represent hope, new horizons, bright future and more.
The Bible was written by 40 authors, a number which can be divided whole by the number 8, so you can see that the number does recur throughout the Bible.
In addition, in the Greek language, the name Jesus has a numerological value of 888. After Jesus’ resurrection, he appeared eight times.
The first time the word ‘circumcise’ appears in the Bible is when Noah and his sons enter the ark, and it is told that the boy should be circumcised eight days after birth. The passage reads as such:
“For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner those who are not your offspring.”
Bible Verses Which Mention The Number 8
These bible passages have been linked to the biblical numerology meaning of the number 8
1. Mark 8: 8
“And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full.”
2. Luke 8: 8
“And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
3. Numbers 8: 1 – 26
“Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron and say to him, When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lampstand.”
And Aaron did so: he set up its lamps in front of the lampstand, as the Lord commanded Moses. And this was the workmanship of the lampstand, hammered work of gold.
From its base to its flowers, it was hammered work; according to the pattern that the Lord had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, …”
4. Nehemiah 8: 18
“And day by day, from the first day to the last day, he read from the Book of the Law of God. They kept the feast seven days, and on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly, according to the rule.”
5. Revelation 7: 1 – 17
“After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree.
Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”
And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel: 12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed, 12,000 from the tribe of Reuben, 12,000 from the tribe of Gad, …”
6. 1 Peter 3: 20
“Because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water.”
Fun Facts About The Number 8
The number 8 is a very lucky number according to Chinese traditions, and does affect their daily life in a practical and organizational way – for example, the Beijing Olympics were held 8/8/2008, and the symbol of the Beijing Olympics is eight.
Frequently, Chinese car license plates and cell phone numbers are chosen to purposely start with the number 8.
Eight is the number of roses on the Winds of Athens; that is the number of the angels in the heavenly throne.
This figure is always appearing in the Bible – According to Saint Augustine, after the seventh day comes the eighth day, which marks the life of the righteous and the penalty for the condemned.
So, if we take this account into consideration, we can conclude that the number 8 brings resurrection not just for Jesus Christ, but also for man (followers of Christ), and announces the oncoming future eternal age.
In Summary: The meaning Of The Number 8
The number eight can represent new life, regeneration, commencement and regeneration – as evidenced by the fact that there were eight people on Noah’s Ark, sailing off towards a new beginning after the great flood.
There were eight words of God, which He said to proceed forth with creation (Genesis 1:3). Evidence of the importance of the number eight can even be found in the week – as the week begins again on the 8th day.
People with the number 8 as their lucky number are usually very strong and hardworking. They may be responsible and disciplined.
They tend to succeed in everything they do. They are often organized and patient. They also have a sharp mind and an analytical ability.
Eight is a number that represents infinity and everything in our world. When we see more than one eight in a row, it means that things are going well for us. We should always be grateful to God for this amazing gift.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, the number 8 has many biblical meanings. It has different connotations depending on its context. Frequently, for Christians, it symbolizes new beginnings, resurrections regeneration and renewal.
I have been a devout Christian since I was a little girl, so I trust my knowledge can help more people learn and perhaps even join the religion that is Christianity.
In 2011, 75% of Americans identified as Christian. However, in 2021, that number dropped to 63%. That is a 12% decrease, and that trend is likely to continue. If more people aren’t informed about Christianity, I fear that we will suffer from fewer members and we will become a forgotten religion.
My hopes for this website are for it to be a useful resource where you can get all of your supplementary knowledge on Christianity in one place. Of course, your religion leader will be able to answer most of your questions, but when they’re not available, I’m here for you.
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