It is true to say that the Church of God has never been part of mainstream Christianity, and it would be equally true to say that for the last 2,000 years, the doctrines of the Church have been taken purely from the Bible. 

Syncretism has become commonplace in mainstream Christianity and is defined by Webster’s as “the combination of different forms of belief or practice.”   This word syncretism does not appear in the Scriptures, but the subject is certainly addressed and condemned.  We have to see the faulty trap of syncretism (combining right aspects of godly worship with wrong practices).

Since syncretism has been a part of “Christianity” for nearly 2,000 years, the Nineteenth-century Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard wrote that “millions of people through the centuries have little by little cheated God out of Christianity.” 

Syncretism is manifested in Sunday worship where pagan traditions have influenced “Christian” thinking and practice.  December 25 is supposedly Jesus’ birthday but was an adaptation of the birthday of the pagan’s sun god.   Easter eggs and bunnies are derived from ancient Egypt and Persia where “friends exchanged decorated eggs at the spring equinox.”   St Valentine’s day is connected to “a pagan Roman festival, Lupercalia.”   Wikipedia states that “Halloween was originally influenced by western European harvest festivals and festivals of the dead with possible pagan roots, particularly the Celtic Samhain.” These, and many more, are festivals that many churches adopt and celebrate but which are directly opposed to true Christianity.   

Deuteronomy 12:30-32  gives this warning: “… take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’ You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way; for every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.”  

That was God’s instruction then, and it is today as God does not change (Malachi 3:6).

In our booklet “The Authority of the Bible, ” the following comments are made on pages 9 and 10:

“However, there are those who set themselves apart FROM the Truth and this kind of approach was prophesied to become prevalent just before the return of Jesus Christ to the earth: ‘Now the Spirit expressly says that in LATTER TIMES some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron’ (1 Timothy 4:1–2).

“Note this further warning from Paul to Timothy: ‘Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables’ (2 Timothy 4:2–4).

“Only the truth is contained in God’s Word, because God cannot lie (compare Titus 1:2). He even truthfully exposes the lies of Satan, demons, and certain people, but He makes it clear, of course, that we are not to follow those lies and fall prey to deception. The truth we are to embrace can be proven from the Bible! Nonetheless, God has clearly revealed that liars would arise and claim that what they teach is true. That has happened and it continues to happen, but we must use God’s Word as the only measure for the truth.

“Here is a vital key for each of us to use to prove what is true in the Bible: ‘Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, RIGHTLY DIVIDING [or handling, compare the Revised Standard Version] THE WORD OF TRUTH’  (2 Timothy 2:15).”

Our Biblical doctrinal understanding is contained in our Statement of Beliefs which can be found on our websites.   There are a number of truths that are embraced by other organisations but, unfortunately, they also embrace wrong practices.

For example, there are a number of churches that keep the 7th Day Sabbath as we do—but then stray into error on other key doctrinal areas.

There are those who understand the Bible’s teaching about clean and unclean foods—but then they stray into error on other key doctrinal areas.

There are those who believe that the trinity (One God or Person in three Gods or Persons) is a false doctrine—but again they  hen stray into error on other key doctrinal areas.

The same could be said about the correct understanding about tithing, baptism by immersion, keeping the Passover annually—but again organisations that embrace such truths are then wayward in their other doctrinal understanding.

It is not that easy to find some doctrine and belief that is unique to the Church of God.   There are bits of truth here and there in other groups, mainly combined with a lot of error and misunderstanding.

But among others, one BIG difference, which appears to be unique to the true Church of God, is the meaning of the Last Great Day which follows the 7 days of the Feast of Tabernacles!

There are those who believe that “the person who physically dies in his sins without Christ is hopelessly and eternally lost in the lake of fire.   Therefore, he has no further opportunity of hearing the Gospel or for repentance.” (This quote is taken from one representative website).    This would mean that God is not fair, and that is certainly not true.

This is quite a dilemma for mainstream Christianity.   They just cannot explain this at all.   If a minister were to answer that a child is condemned for eternity because it never accepted Christ, it begs the question:  How can God be fair when someone who has never had a chance is condemned for ever?   The truth is that God wants to save all those who have ever lived.  

As God is fair, He will not condemn anyone to the lake of fire who has not had the chance for salvation and as “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).   He must allow everyone a chance for eternal life, which must include all those born before Christ and all those in many parts of the world in the last 2,000 years who have never heard the Saviour’s Name.  This is something that affects billions of people, both living and dead.

The mind of a fair and loving God is written as follows;  “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3-4).   This clearly shows what God wants to happen.   One of the greatest errors in the mainstream Christian religion is that they believe that this is the only day of salvation and that there is a battle going on between the forces of good and the forces of evil.   If that were true, Satan would be winning hands down, but that belief is in error.

In our Statement of Beliefs, this unique piece of understanding is quoted as follows:

“The Last Great Day which immediately follows the Feast of Tabernacles, once a year.   This day symbolizes a 100-year period called the ‘Great White Throne Judgment,’ during which all persons who have ever lived and who were never called by God for salvation during this life, will have their first opportunity to accept Christ as their Saviour (Leviticus 23:36; John 7:37; Revelation 20:11-12).  At the end of that period, there will be a judgment during which all people who have ever lived and who have refused to accept Christ as their Saviour, will be finally condemned to eternal death and destroyed in Gehenna fire (Revelation 20:13-15).”

The reason why this Last Great Day understanding is so important is because it single-handedly destroys all of the false concepts that exist about the fate of those who have never been given the opportunity for salvation down through the ages.    The Last Great Day has meaning that is incomprehensible to the world.   They don’t keep the annual Feast days, and so they simply cannot understand. 

In the Good News magazine in September 1982, this comment was made: “This last of God’s annual Holy Days pictures one of the most wonderful and least understood doctrines of the Bible – the time of God’s final judgment.   It answers the question: What is the fate of the billions who… have never understood the truth about God’s plan?”

But what understanding we have! Because we keep this day we understand that those who have died without being called in this life and who have never heard the name of Jesus Christ or the message He brought, WILL, after the millennial rule of Jesus Christ, have their opportunity for salvation.  

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

In the last two Q&A’s, we discussed the significance of numbers 1 to 7 and 10 in the Bible. In this final Q&A of this series, we will conclude with pointing out the biblical importance of numbers 12 and 40.

Number 12 is generally understood as being the number of foundations. Twelve is a combination of the number 2 (which can symbolize union) and the number 10 (which symbolizes godly judgment).

Jesus tells us that a day has twelve hours (John 11:9)—referring to the daylight portion—adding that the day is followed by the night (verse 10)—another period of twelve (dark) hours.

In the first book of the Bible, we are introduced to Jacob, who was later renamed Israel, and his twelve sons who are the foundation of the tribes of Israel (Genesis 35:22-26; 49:28; compare Acts 26:7; James 1:1). To be protected from the plagues of the Lord, God will seal 144,000 Israelites (12 times 12)—twelve thousand from each of the twelve tribes (Revelation 7:1-8; since Dan is not mentioned, Joseph is listed with his son Manasseh, reaching again the number 12).

Moses and Aaron numbered the people “with the leaders of Israel, twelve men, each one representing his father’s house” (Numbers 1:44). Moses sent 12 leaders as spies into the Promised Land (Numbers 13:1-16), to indicate the potential future foundation or establishment of the nation of Israel in Canaan, but due to the rebellion of ten spies, they had to wait forty years before being allowed to possess the land.

We also read about 12 judges in the Old Testament, beginning with Othniel and ending with Samuel. In Samuel’s time, the people demanded to be led by a king. Even though God never intended for Israel to have a human king, He let them have their kings, the first king being Saul. King Solomon had twelve governors over all Israel, and each one made provision for one month of the year (1 Kings 4:7).

We are told that Jesus was 12 years old when He was found in the Temple to discuss God’s Law with the teachers (Luke 2:42-47). He told His surprised parents that He had to be about His heavenly Father’s business (verse 49).

Later, Jesus called twelve apostles (Matthew 10:2-4; Luke 6:13-16). But He knew from the beginning that one of them, Judas Iscariot, would be “a devil” and betray Him (John 6:64, 70-71; Luke 22:3). Therefore, after Judas’ betrayal, another disciple was chosen to replace Judas and become an apostle, to be numbered with the eleven, and his name was Matthias (Acts 1:15-26). From that time on, the Bible includes Matthias (no longer Judas) as part of the twelve apostles (compare 1 Corinthians 15:5; Revelation 21:14). Even before Judas’ actual betrayal, Jesus spoke in Matthew 19:28 of 12 thrones on which the apostles will sit (those who truly followed Him—not Judas, but Matthias), to judge the house of Israel.

Jesus said in John 17:11-17 that His Church was to be kept in the name of His Father. The Father’s name is GOD  (compare John 20:17; 1 Corinthians 11:3; Ephesians 3:4-15). We find 12 passages in the New Testament where the true Church is named “the church of God” [as the collective Body] or “churches of God,” [referring to the total of all local congregations]—sometimes also in connection with a place or location, or with the addition of an attribute describing characteristics of God the Father. The 12 passages are as follows:

“The church of God” (six times, namely: Acts 20:28; 1 Corinthians 10:32; 1 Corinthians 11:22; 1 Corinthians 15:9; Galatians 1:13; 1 Timothy 3:5); “The church of God which is at Corinth” (two times, namely: 1 Corinthians 1:2; 2 Corinthians 1:1); “The church of the living God” (one time, namely: 1 Timothy 3:15); and  “The churches of God” (three times, namely: 1 Corinthians 11:16; 1 Thessalonians 2:14; and 2 Thessalonians 1:4).

We read that when Christ fed five thousand men, besides women and children, “twelve baskets full of the fragments” of the multiplied loaves of bread remained (Matthew 14:20), and when Peter was anxious to defend Christ with a sword, Christ told him to put his sword away, as He could ask His heavenly Father to send Him more than 12 legions of angels to protect Him (Matthew 26:53).

When focusing on the New Jerusalem which will descend from a new heaven to a new earth after the third resurrection (Revelation 21:1-2), we are told that that spiritual city—the bride, the Lamb’s wife—will have 12 gates, with 12 angels at the gates, with the names of the 12 tribes of Israel written on them (verse 12). The wall of the holy city will have 12 foundations, on which will be written the names of the 12 apostles (verse 14). The city will be twelve thousand furlongs long (verse 16). The foundations of the wall will be adorned with 12 precious stones (verses 19-20), and the 12 gates will be 12 pearls (verse 21).  Finally, we read that a “river” will proceed from the throne of God and the Lamb, and that in the midst of the street, and on either side of the river “was the tree of life which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month”—or twelve times a year (Revelation 22:1-2).

Another meaningful number is number 40. It is a combination of the number 4 (God’s revelation) and the number 10 (Godly Judgment), and it is widely understood as symbolizing God’s revelation in judging and testing man.

The many occasions when the number 40 plays a major role in the Bible should convince even the skeptic that these incidents are not merely “coincidental.” In fact, there are too many examples to list, but we are going to point out those which are most remarkable.

God’s flood at the time of Noah lasted for 40 days. God sent the flood to show His judgment of a rebellious world (Genesis 7:4, 12, 17; 8:6). In a somewhat related context, the punishment of a judged and condemned criminal could not exceed 40 blows or stripes (Deuteronomy 25:3).

We read that Isaac was 40 years old when he married Rebekah (Genesis 25:20). This was a good and godly-ordained marriage. Sadly, Isaac and Rebekah’s son Esau married two wives, when he was 40 years old (Genesis 26:34), but this marriage was not good or godly-ordained. We read that Esau’s two wives “were a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebekah” (verse 35).

The Bible reveals the predominant role of the number 40 in the life of Moses, and it also plays a role in the lives of Aaron and Caleb. Acts 7:23 tells us that Moses was 40 years old when he visited the Israelites and slew the Egyptian, forcing him to flee from Egypt (verses 24-29). Acts 7:30 adds that Moses was staying for 40 years in Midian, tending the sheep of his father-in-law. We are also told that he was with the Israelites for 40 years in the wilderness (Acts 7:36). Moses died when he was 120 years old (Deuteronomy 31:2; 34:7), which means that God revealed Himself in the testing and judgment of Moses during three different time intervals: during the first 40 years in Egypt; during the next 40 years in Midian; and during the last 40 years in the wilderness with the Israelites.

We read that Moses was fasting for 40 days and 40 nights on the mountain to receive from God two tablets with the Ten Commandments (Exodus 24:18), but after he broke the tablets in his wrath, he fasted again for 40 days and 40 nights on the mountain until God gave him the Ten Commandments, which God had written on two tablets of stone which Moses had to cut (Deuteronomy 9:18, 25; Exodus 34:1, 4).

We read of two more occasions when holy men of God fasted for forty days and forty nights—Elijah (1 Kings 19:8) and Jesus (Matthew 4:2).

When Moses sent the twelve spies to the Promised Land, only Joshua and Caleb gave a good report. Caleb was 40 years old at that time (Joshua 14:7). The other spies gave bad reports, and Israel believed them and disobeyed God. Due to Israel’s rebellion, they had to wander and were tested and judged by God in the wilderness for 40 years (Numbers 14:33; Deuteronomy 2:7; 8:2-6; compare Joshua 5:6; Acts 13:18; Hebrews 3:9, 17; Psalm 95:10; Amos 2:10; 5:25). During this time of their journey in the wilderness, they ate manna for 40 years (Exodus 16:35), but there were times when they complained about God’s bread from heaven (compare Numbers 11:5-6).

Because of their rebellion, God decreed that they had to bear their guilt for 40 years according to the number of the 40 days in which they had spied out the Promised Land (Numbers 13:25; 14:34). This important prophetic principle—one year for one day—is critical to recognize; the reverse—one day for one year—is also correct. In Ezekiel 4:6, we read that Ezekiel was to “bear” the iniquity of the people of Judah for 40 days, according to the 40 years of their iniquity. God said that He laid on Ezekiel “a day for each year.”

We read that Aaron (as well as Moses and Miriam) did not enter the Promised Land, due to sins that they had committed. Even though they bitterly repented of their sins, they still had to live with the consequences. Aaron died in the 40th year after Israel had left Egypt (Numbers 33:38).

In Judges 13:1, God plagued Israel for 40 years because they did evil in the sight of the LORD. However, when they were under the rule of righteous judges, Israel had rest for 40 years (compare Judges 3:11 under Othniel; Judges 5:31 under Deborah; and Judges 8:28 under Gideon).

We read that Eli judged Israel for 40 years (1 Samuel 4:18), but he had not done so perfectly. King Saul ruled Israel for 40 years (Acts 13:21), but he failed miserably. On the other hand, King David—a man after God’s own heart—reigned over Israel for 40 years (1 Kings 2:11; 1 Chronicles 29:27). He was followed by Solomon, who also ruled Israel for 40 years (2 Chronicles 9:30), but he did not follow God fully, as his father David had done. Later, King Joash or Jehoash ruled in Jerusalem for 40 years (2 Chronicles 24:1; 2 Kings 12:1). He began ruling in a godly way, but ended up rebelling against God (2 Chronicles 24:22). We also read that because of sin, Egypt would be uninhabited for 40 years (Ezekiel 29:11-16).

Finally, we read that after Jesus was resurrected from the dead, He spoke to the disciples for 40 days about the Kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). After these 40 days, He ascended to heaven (Acts 1:9-11).

In conclusion, not all numbers used in the Bible are of equal importance, and some numbers are of no importance at all. However, as we have seen in this series, there is most certainly important significance which we must apply to certain selected numbers, and God recorded them on purpose in His Word to teach us valuable lessons.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

In the last Q&A, we discussed the significance of numbers 1 to 6 in the Bible. In this Q&A, we will continue with pointing out the biblical importance for numbers 7 and 10.

Number 7 belongs to the most important numbers in the Bible.

It stands for completion and perfection, and it is generally understood and recognized in this way.

As we already mentioned in the previous Q&A, the number 6 can refer to something which lacks completion. For instance, God’s re-creation week was only completed on the seventh day with the institution of the Sabbath. Jericho was destroyed on the seventh day, after the Israelites had marched around the city for six days. Man was given six “days” of 1,000 years each to rule himself, but God will begin His rule over man and this earth with the Millennium (the seventh “day” of 1,000 years). In Old Testament times, individual debts were cancelled every seven years (Deuteronomy 15:1).

God also gave us the seven Days of Unleavened Bread, during which no leavened products (symbolic for sin) are to be consumed, as well as the seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles (symbolizing the Millennium); and God has made holy seven annual Feast Days (First and Last Days of Unleavened Bread; Pentecost; Feast of Trumpets; Day of Atonement; First Day of Feast of Tabernacles; Last Great Day).

The very first sentence in the Bible (Genesis 1:1) contains seven words in the Hebrew, showing that God’s initial physical creation of the heavens and the earth was perfect. The earth was not created in a state of confusion and destruction, but the earth became void and empty because of Satan’s rebellion against God.  

When reviewing Christ’s last sayings on the cross, as related to us by the four gospel writers, we find that He made important pronouncements on seven occasions (Luke 23:34; Luke 23:43; John 19:26; Matthew 27:46; John 19:28; John 19:30; and Luke 23:46). These sayings show that Christ had finished or completed the work which the Father had given Him to do, while He was a human being on this earth.

We also find that the book of John recorded seven miracles by Jesus Christ during His life as a human being (John 2:1-11; John 4:46-54; John 5:1-9; John 6:1-14; John 6:15-21; John 9:1-12; John 11:1-16, 25-26, 41). John recorded those miracles as sufficient, complete and perfect evidence for us to believe that Jesus is the Son of God, leading to eternal life (John 20:30-31).

Jesus identified Himself in the book of John as the “I am” (John 8:58-59)—the YHWH or God of the Old Testament—and He describes in seven ways how this applied to Him. He said: “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35); “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12; 9:5); “I am the door of the sheep” (John 10:7); “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11, 14); “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25); “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6); and “I am the true vine” (John 15:1). Unless we are close to Jesus Christ, accept Him as our personal Savior and are part of His Body, the Church, which is a spiritual organism, we will not inherit eternal life and salvation.

The perfect armor of God consists of seven parts, namely truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, the word of God, and prayer (Ephesians 6:14-18). It is this godly armor which helps us to fight against Satan and his demons.

The Church of God consists of seven church eras, as described in chapters 2 and 3 of the book of Revelation. Also, we read that the first deacons who were ordained in the New Testament Church were seven  men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom (Acts 6:1-3).

The book of Revelation speaks of seven seals, containing prophetic events; of seven trumpets; and of the seven last plagues.

The physical nourishment in the Promised Land was described as consisting of seven parts, namely wheat, barley, vines, fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey (Deuteronomy 8:8). Likewise, God lists seven physical gifts for ancient and modern Israel, namely grain, new wine, oil, silver, gold, wool and linen (Hosea 2:8-9). In Matthew 15:36-37, Christ multiplied seven loaves of bread to feed 4,000 men, besides women and children, and after they had eaten, seven large baskets full of the fragments were left. All of this shows that God’s gifts are good and complete.

God reveals seven names of those who wrote the book of Psalms. Most were written by David (including Psalm 1-41; 51-59; 61-65; 67-70; 86; 101; 103; 108-110; 122; 124; 131; 133; 138-145), but other identified authors are the sons of Korah (Psalm 42; 44-49; 84-85; 87), Asaph (Psalm 50; 73-83), Heman (Psalm 88) , Ethan (Psalm 89), Moses (Psalm 90)  and Solomon (Psalm 72). All the psalms (as well as all the other passages in the Bible) are inspired of God, regardless as to who the human author might have been.

Seven men (identified by name) are called “man of God” in the Old Testament, namely Moses (Deuteronomy 33:1); David (2 Chronicles 8:14); Samuel (1 Samuel 9:6); Shemaiah (1. Kings 12:22); Elijah (1 Kings 17:18; 2 Kings 1:9); Elisha (2 Kings 4:7); and Igdaliah (Jeremiah 35:4). There are other men mentioned who are also called “man of God” (compare 1 Kings 13:1; 1 Kings 20:28; 2 Kings 23:17), but they are not identified by name. In the New Testament, Timothy is identified one time as a man of God (1 Timothy 6:11), but every true Christian is also referred to as “man of God” (2 Timothy 3:17).

Seven pairs of clean animals survived the Flood in Noah’s ark, to keep the species alive (Genesis 7:2-3). We also read in the New Testament that seven miracles were performed by Christ on the Sabbath. Seven demons were cast out of Mary Magdalene by Jesus (Mark 16:9; Luke 8:2), as He had cast out seven nations from the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 15:1). All of this shows Christ’s complete and perfect dealing with men, both from a physical and also a spiritual standpoint.

We read of seven things which spiritually defile a man (Matthew 15:19; namely: evil thoughts; murders; adulteries; fornications; thefts; false witness; and blasphemies); and there are seven things which are an abomination in God’s eyes (Proverbs 6:16; namely: a proud look; a lying tongue; hands that shed innocent blood; a heart that devises wicked plans; feet that are swift in running to evil; a false witness who speaks lies; and one who sows discord among brethren).

On the other hand, God lists seven spiritual gifts which we can use for the benefit of others (Romans 12:6-8; namely: prophecy or inspired speaking; ministry or ministering to or helping others; teaching; exhortation; giving; diligent leading; cheerful mercy) and there are seven points showing unity in the Body of Christ (Ephesians 4:4-6; namely: one body; one spirit; one hope; one Lord; one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all).

We can be sure that God’s Word is always true, as it has been purified seven times (Psalm 12:6), and the Psalmist praised God seven times a day (Psalm 119:164). This is not to say that we need to carefully count the times in order to cease praising God when we have done so seven times—rather, it expresses completion and perfection in that we always have to be in a prayerful and thankful attitude. We have to forgive our brother not just seven times, but up to seventy times seven (Matthew 18:21-22)—that is, always, when the brother who sins against us repents and asks for our forgiveness (Luke 17:3-4).

The righteous may fall seven times (so it may appear that he has been thoroughly defeated), but he will rise again every time (Proverbs 24:16), because God will raise him up.

The biblical number 10 is also of great significance.

This number stands for godly judgment.

For instance, God gave us the law of the Ten Commandments, which is still in force and effect today, and it is by that law that we will be judged. God also asked us to pay Him the tithe –ten percent of our increase – and we will be judged as to how diligent we are in fulfilling His command.

We find in Daniel 1:12-15 that Daniel and his three friends were tested for ten days to see whether their refusal to eat meat – i.e. unclean meat or meat sacrificed to idols — would harm them in any way, and the judgment was that it did not; further, the king of Babylon examined them in “matters of wisdom and understanding” and judged that they were ten times better than all his magicians and astrologers (Daniel 1:20).

God brought judgment upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians and their false religion, by striking them with ten plagues—the tenth plague was the death of every Egyptian firstborn. God told Abram that He would not destroy Sodom if ten righteous were to be found in it (Genesis 18:32), but Sodom was judged of lacking even ten righteous people. We also read that during God’s judgment, only ten out of one hundred people will be left in the cities of Israel (Amos 5:3).

There are ten generations from Adam to Noah (Genesis 5), and God judged the world at the time of Noah when He destroyed it in a Flood. There are also ten generations from Shem (one of Noah’s sons) to Abram (Genesis 11); we do not read about anyone after Shem and before Abram who was called in this life for salvation. But even though Abram was to become a chosen vessel in the service of God, that does not mean that he was perfect. After having resided for ten years in Canaan, he and his wife Sarai concluded that they had to produce offspring through Sarai’s handmaid Hagar, lacking the faith that God could fulfill His promise to give Abram and Sarai a son (Genesis 16:3-4).

In later generations, Jacob deceived his father Isaac and was subsequently deceived ten times by his uncle Laban (Genesis 31:7, 41), showing the righteous judgments of God.

At the time of Moses, the children of Israel rebelled ten times against God in the wilderness (Numbers 14:22), judging themselves as unworthy to enter the Promised Land (verse 23).

When Christ was here on earth, He cleansed ten lepers, but only one returned and thanked and gave glory to God, and he was a Samaritan (Luke 17:11-18). While he was judged as having been “saved by faith,” (verse 19, New Jerusalem Bible and New American Bible), the others were not described in this way.

In His famous parables about the talents or the minas, the number 10 plays again a dominant role. In Matthew 25, the kingdom of heaven is compared with a man who gives talents to three servants—one receives ten talents, one two talents, and the third one receives one talent. The man expected his servants to trade with the talents, and while the first two doubled their talents, the third one did not do anything with his talent, but hid it in the ground.  When the master returned, he rewarded the first two servants equally, but decided to take the one talent from the lazy servant and give it to the one who had been given ten talents at the outset. His achievement—to double the ten talents—was judged to be worthy of a greater reward than the achievement of the one who had been given five talents and who had gained five more.

In the parable in Luke 19—the parable of the minas—we are introduced to ten servants. Each one receives one mina, and during the master’s absence, nine trade with the money and achieve different results, but the lazy servant hides the money in the ground. At his return, the master rewards his servants in proportion to their achievements, and he takes away the mina from the lazy servant and gives it to the servant who has gained ten minas. He judged the one who traded the most as being most competent to receive an additional reward.

We read about ten virgins in the end time—five of them are being judged as being foolish, and five as being wise. The five foolish ones are not too concerned with using the Holy Spirit that had been given to them, while the five wise virgins—even though they also fell asleep—had still enough Holy Spirit within them to be able to prepare and make themselves ready for their Master’s return. The church in Smyrna was to be tested for ten days, but if they were judged to be faithful, they would inherit eternal life (Revelation 2:10).

We are warned in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 that according to God’s righteous judgment, ten categories of unrighteous people will not inherit the Kingdom of God—fornicators; idolaters; adulterers; homosexuals; sodomites; thieves; covetous; drunkards; revilers; and extortioners. On the other hand, we are told that nothing can separate us from the love of God, and ten things are listed to emphasize this fact: Neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing can separate us from God. God’s judgment is on us today (1 Peter 4:17), and if we live worthy of our calling, we will be judged worthy of eternal life in His Kingdom.

In the next and final installment of this series, we will discuss the symbolic meaning of numbers 12 and 40.

(To Be Continued)

Lead Writer: Norbert Link