Gematria

[Why Syzygy]

The significance of numbers is established by their use both in Scripture and in nature. God created man on the sixth day in the Genesis account, and on the seventh day he rested from his works. He appointed 6 days for man's labour. After 600 years Noah, whose name means Rest, ceased from work and entered the ark. These, and other scriptures, make 6 the number of man and of man's works apart from God. The seventh day is the Lord's day. The Bible, especially the book of Revelation, is heavily patterned on the number 7. This indicates that 7 is the number of God.

The meanings of numbers are further illustrated and established by the study of Gematria or the numeric values of words. The Greeks and Hebrews did not have separate symbols, such as 1, 2 and 3, for numbers like we do. Instead, like the Romans, they used the letters of their alphabets. In Greek alpha represents 1 and beta 2 and so on up to iota, which is 10. After that kappa is 20, lambda 30 and so on up to ro, which is 100. Sigma is 200, tau 300 and so on up to omega, which is 800. These values are shown in the table below. (The number 6 was originally the letter digamma which later dropped out of use.) This means that you can take the letters of any word or name, and add them up to get a total value for the word. That value is called the gematria. The name Jesus (IhsouV in Greek) adds up to 888.

Many of the titles of Jesus have the number 8 as a prominent feature or factor. KurioV (Lord) has the value 800. CristoV (Christ) is 1480 which has the factors 37 x 8 x 5. (888 is 37 x 8 x 3). Alhqeia (truth) is 64 or 8 x 8. Swthr (Saviour) is 1408 or 8 x 8 x 22. OdoV (Way) is 344 or 8 x 43.

KosmoV (world) on the other hand has the gematria 600. The kosmos is the sphere of man's works apart from God. Many of the names and titles of Satan, such as drakwn (dragon) and ofiV (serpent), have the factor 13.

http://www.growthingod.org.uk/666and88.htm
Emphasis added. This is why we can consider numbers when examining scripture.

[Critters2]

1. This really is not the appropriate group for this.

Progressive and liberal Christianity do not try to separate reason from faith as this stuff does.

There's a seekers group where you might feel more comfortable. Or at least where other group members wouldn't find this so irritating.

[Why Syzygy]

2. Yeah.

I was getting the feeling that this is more for social Christians.

[Critters2]

3. What does "social Christians" mean? nt

[Why Syzygy]

4. Based on the traditions of men.

Legalistic. Not breathing.

[Critters2]

5. Well, now who's judging?

In fact, yours is based on the traditions of men. All that numerology stuff is, as I said earlier, a distraction from the teachings of Jesus, who's never recorded to have engaged in such practices.

My faith is NOT legalistic, by any stretch of the imagination. And it does breathe. It breathes free of the sacred violence which has bound Christianity and other faiths throughout history. It breathes in the justice and kindness Jesus teaches. It asks us to see through the eyes of the victim. That's hardly legalistic.

But I won't waste my time playing with numbers and letters when there are real issues for the faith to concern itself with, real suffering, real violence, real pain. You know, the things Jesus told us to care about.

[Why Syzygy]

6. Actually, He did

Here is the wisdom. Who hath understanding, let him count the number of the beast; for it is the number of a man: and his :number is Six hundred sixty six.

Revelation 13:18.

But, then He also told us not to call someone a "fool", which you have already called me (silly).

and
whoso shall say, Fool, shall be in danger unto the geenna of :fire

Matthew 5:22

What is "sacred violence" unless a tradition of man? Where does the Bible teach of it?

[Critters2]

8. Sacred violence is indeed a human tradition,

which is why Jesus spends his entire ministry denouncing it. The text you quote above, in Matthew, speask against sacred violence. Jesus is saying that claiming that one has wisdom and others don't (as you're doing with all this woo-woo you keep spouting) is a step toward violence. Jesus' entire ministry is one large teaching against violence.

Would it kill you to take your woo-woo to a more appropriate forum? I really think it would get a hearing in the seekers group.

[Rabrrrrrr]

7. Please don't spam this forum with woowoo.