I’ve talked through this
self-test with many people and the incredible results at first startles them. I
invite them to choose any ten verses of the Bible and then ask them if they see
ten simple themes progressively surface in each of the ten verses? This ten
part Redemption Pattern can be compared to Campus Crusade’s “Four Spiritual
Laws” – It’s existence seems impossible until you experience it for yourself…using
any part of the Bible you like….
Most
of my various writings focus on what I refer to as the DNA like perfection of
numbers in the Bible. I’ve been concentrating my writing about the Bible’s
numbers because it seemed like a great way to share the perfection of Biblical
patterns without getting into the more complex topic regarding the perfect
pattern of repeating themes associated with the numbers. But I’ve neglected the
most important aspect of the Bible’s number/text patterns for too long.
What’s
more amazing than the repeating pattern of numeric perfection of scripture is
the perfect ten part pattern of symbolism that goes along with the numbers. This
post will attempt to provide a brief explanation of this pattern and outlines a
“self test” that can be taken in 5 minutes that allows you to experience the
pattern for yourself. This self-test demonstrates the progressive symbolism
found throughout the Bible using any set of verses of your own choosing. If you’re
skeptical about the perfection of Bible numbering this self-test may cause you
to reconsider the possibility that the number perfection exists. The self-test simply
guides you in observing ten symbolic themes in any ten consecutive Bible verses.
At this point, it likely sounds to you like some quirk of the mind’s ability to
match patterns, but I think you will quickly see it is more than that.
God created
everything by number, weight and measure - Newton
The
Bible’s Ten Part Redemption Pattern
What
is the Redemption Pattern? Very briefly,
the Redemption Pattern is a perfectly repeating pattern of ten progressive themes
that can be found secretly hidden in the contents of every book, chapter,
verse, any number and any list found in the Bible. You will find this same
pattern in ancient texts and in the Torah -- which is not a surprise since it seems
simply how God creates things. This pattern reveals what I consider to be ten
steps God wants every believer to understand about his plan of redemption. The
Redemption Pattern and its number/text symbolism is simple enough for every
person to experience, but at the same time is more complex than can be
explained in a few paragraphs. For this reason, my examples here show a basic aspect
of the number/text symbolism. More details about these patterns can be found in
other parts of this website.
The
Redemption Pattern’s concept is pretty easy to see by those that are already familiar
with Campus Crusade’s “Four Spiritual Laws”. It is a guide for quickly
understanding the basic steps each person must take in their path to being
saved and receiving eternal life with God. It is basically God’s Ten Spiritual
Laws. These ten steps provide insight we have never realized about where we are
in our spiritual walk with God. Each person should be able to know where they
are on the path and what the next steps are to be accomplished.
These ten steps provide insight we have
never realized about where we are in our
spiritual walk with God.
Following
are the ten individual parts of the Redemption Pattern. As hard as it is to
conceive of, imagine that everything written in the Bible in one form or
another follows this numbered ten step template. This pattern goes to depths of
perfection I don’t believe we will ever be able to imagine but at its basic
level is very observable. When you think about it, God wrote the Bible for men to
understand so he obviously wrote it such that it could one day be revealed to us.
Dan 12:9 He said, "Go your way, Daniel,
for these words are concealed and sealed
up until the end time.
Following
are the ten parts of the Redemption Pattern. You will find its themes in; the
first ten books of the Bible; the first ten chapters of the Bible; the first
ten verses of every Bible chapter; in every verse whose number ends in the
numbers 1-0 (10); behind every number found in the text of God’s Word; and
somewhere behind every part of every list in scripture. Of course, in our human
minds this is not possible – since all these numbered parts of the Bible
overlap in many ways, every verse could not possibly contain all the right
words and text to fit every necessary theme…not possible, that is, unless you
were God.
Jer 32:27 "Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all
flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?"
Following
are ten themes of the redemption pattern associated with the numbers 1-10. This
is an over simplified view of the ten part Redemption Pattern’s symbolism as it
only shows the numbers as they are related to God’s plan of redemption. Numbers
also have other related meanings which will also be present in the patterns.
For example, the number eight relates to the symbolism of the Godly who have
turned their lives over to God; but the number eight also relates to its cardinal
value which tells us how many of something we have – there are eight Godly
people who were saved from the flood in the ark. The number eight also has an
ordinal value that tells us the position of something in a list of things –
chapter 8 is an ordinal reference to the 8th chapter in a book and
it happens that it is in the 8th chapter of Genesis eight Godly
people are saved from the flood…coincidence…the patterns say no. (also in
Genesis 8:10 it says it was on the 8th day when they knew the flood
was receding). The point is that the symbolism of numbers can match up in
multiple ways. This list only reflects one of those ways which is of the ten
steps of God’s Redemption Pattern. As you read through this list, consider how
(even though you may have never seen this list before) it makes sense that
every believer should eventually encounter these different understandings in
their spiritual walk.
#1
– God – we must understand God and that he sets things apart by kind (Genesis)
#2
– Jesus/redeemer – God sent is only Son Jesus to deliver us from sin and death
(Exodus)
#3
– A Holy Spirit – God is spirit and that spirit is holy and righteous and lives
in believers (Leviticus)
#4
– Mankind & the World – We and all we see are God’s creation – starting out
lost and wandering in a fallen world (Numbers)
#5
– Call to God/Law/Consequences – We call out to God to be saved and he tells us
what is required. Blessings if we do, curses if we do not (Deuteronomy)
#6
– Crossing Over (The Cross) – To be saved we must finally trust God’s redeemer,
comprehend/repent our sin and cross over into his land (Joshua)
#7
– The Good Shepherd – Crossing over into God’s land is just the beginning – we
then enter a long process of trying to live God’s way and failing. We struggle…God’s
way vs our own way until we finally realize living God’s way is truly best. (Judges)
#8
– Becoming Godly – We surrender our hearts to God and his Son, Jesus Christ,
and as a result we begin living the obedient life of a fruitful servant (Ruth)
#9
– Persevere in service with hope of Jesus return (future things) – We persevere
as an obedient servant always keeping before us the hope of Living one day in
God’s Kingdom (1/2 Samuel)
#10
– Last things, end things – This age will end and Jesus will return to judge
every person, some to eternal life and others to death (1/2 Kings)
This
list gives one aspect of the Redemption Pattern. Everything in the Bible (and I
believe in God’s Creation) follows the template of this perfect pattern. There
is also a positive and negative aspect to each of these steps so you may also
find text referring to this opposite symbolism – I.E. Jesus is the redeemer but
#2 may also refer to Satan the adversary. This plan of redemption is seen in
every aspect of God’s Word. Next, let’s look at a good example of this pattern
in the Bible.
An
example of God’s Redemption Pattern – Psalm 107
You
may have already noticed, one of the best evidences of the Redemption Pattern
is simply seeing the pattern in the first ten books of the KJV (King James) and
similarly structured Bibles (NIV, NASB, ESV…). These first ten books are not
only evidence of the pattern, but they contain the definition of the pattern.
If you want to better understand the symbolism of any of the ten steps, study
the themes and messages of each corresponding book. Another easy evidence is to
use the first ten chapters of the Bible.
I
have included below the first ten verses of Psalm 107 which contains one of the
most obvious and clear examples of the Redemption Pattern found associated with
the numbers 1-10. Compare the meanings found in these ten verses with the ten
themes listed above:
Psa 107:1 Oh give thanks
to the LORD, for He is good, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. (Genesis – God –
Separates by kind)
Psa 107:2 Let the
redeemed of the LORD say {so,} Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the
adversary (Exodus - Jesus, Redeemer)
Psa 107:3 And gathered
from the lands, From the east and from the west, From the north and from the
south. (Leviticus - Spirit leads us – God lives
among us)
Psa 107:4 They wandered
in the wilderness in a desert region; They did not find a way to an inhabited
city. (Numbers - Lost in Wilderness)
Psa 107:5 {They were}
hungry and thirsty; Their soul fainted within them. (Deuteronomy - finished
wandering, we call out to God…rules first)
Psa 107:6 Then they
cried out to the LORD in their trouble; He delivered them out of their
distresses. (Joshua - God leads us unto his
Kingdom/Promised Land)
Psa 107:7 He led them
also by a straight way, To go to an inhabited city. (Judges - Good Shepherd –
Rod and Staff he leads us to understand God’s ways are best)
Psa 107:8 Let them give
thanks to the LORD for His lovingkindness, And for His wonders to the sons of
men! (Ruth – Those wanting to live God’s way go
to him and are rewarded. Holy Spirit and his wonders?)
Psa 107:9 For He has
satisfied the thirsty soul, And the hungry soul He has filled with what is
good. (1/2 Samuel – Examples of good and bad
servants Saul/David -- The future, we are finally delivered from this world
into God’s Kingdom)
Psa 107:10 There were
those who dwelt in darkness and in the shadow of death, Prisoners in misery and
chains (1/2 Kings - Last things - Those that
remain live in darkness—the exiles)
The
Self Test – Observing the Pattern for Yourself
If
what I have written above makes sense, you are more than ready to observe this
pattern for yourself. I hope it surprises you in the same way I’ve seen others
experience it. It truly can be an “Oh My God!” experience. It’s easy, get your
Bible and do the following:
STEP #1 -- The Redemption Pattern
is everywhere so there’s no trick to finding an example. Open your Bible and
find any ten verses you like. Find a set of verses where the first verse begins
with verse number of 1, 11, 21, 31, 41, etc. For example, choose verse 1-10 of
any chapter - or 11-20, 21-30…etc. Try to pick a set of verses you can
basically understand - it’s probably not a good idea to pick 10 verses that are
simply a list of names (although, the pattern is in names as well…the names of the
ten generations from Adam to Noah are a perfect example of the Redemption
Pattern in lists).
NEXT – Read each verse and
observe how the contents of the verse in some way symbolically fits the
corresponding Redemption Pattern theme. I’ve included some example words below
that are often found related to the theme. Remember, although the best example
of the theme for number one is God, #1 also relates to any first thing or those
in charge (leaders/kings/priests..), and can also be a reference to self,
pride, or the first item in any list.
Don’t
get stuck on trying to fully comprehend the number/theme relationship in every
verse. We can’t fully understand how every verse fits the pattern - some are
very subtle. What’s most important is to watch for the pattern. Consider how
the verses you have chosen fit the progressive pattern. I’ve shared this self
test with many people and have never had anyone not see the pattern at all.
Did
you get your ten verses? Do their contents correspond in some way to these ten
themes?
"1-God/Who
will we follow" priests / leaders / kings / self / pride (see Genesis)
"2-God/Jesus relationship - Love, hate, Family, Jesus, division, unity,
calling us to Jesus (see Exodus)
"3-Righteousnes", trinity / spirit / purity / perfection, God with
man, man crying out to God. Inheritance. (see Leviticus)
"4-Fallen Creation" Things of our world men / groups / earth / cities
/ time / days / heavens / waters / land / man's ways(see Numbers)
"5-Fear of God is the beginning of Wisdom" Grace to those following.
Grace and Truth - Severe consequences for those who do not. Deciding to live
according to God's ways (see Deuteronomy)
"6-The Cross" Crossing over -sin / redemption / accepting Jesus,God
fights the battles for us, need for redemption and the process of coming to the
Lord (see Joshua)
"7-Sanctification/Teaching/Commencement" God's training process and
commencement to the Godly Christian life, teaching, Going back, falling away,
decisions, resistance, against, adultry (see Judges)
"8-Returning to God and taking others with us" Abundance, fruit, joy,
serving, obedience, provision of God and lack without God (See Ruth)
"9-Waiting for His return" The future and things that will happen,
watching, serving, planning (see Samuel)
"10-The Final End" Jesus return to complete his covenant, Last Things
or ends of things, The last word on something, commands, certanty (see Kings)
Conclusion
Hopefully
you’ve caught a glimpse of God’s ten part Redemption Pattern. If you have just
experienced this for the first time, you might be thinking -- that’s
impossible, there must be some kind of trick or illusion going on. I wondered
the same thing for a long, long time before I was truly convinced the pattern
was real. There is no trick. I believe
you are experiencing a hidden mystery of God’s Word.
To
confirm what you see, pick other sets of verses to compare. You might also compare the pattern to themes
of chapters or even contents of any list in the Bible. To help confirm this
pattern does not fit any set of verses, pick a set of verses that begin and end
with another number such as 4 and compare verse 4 to the theme of 1, 5 to the
theme of 2, etc. It won’t work.
You may have noticed
above that I’ve related the theme for number 9 to the books of 1st
and 2nd Samuel and number 10 to the books of 1st and 2nd
Kings. People wonder why I make this assumption and why number ten is not seen associated
with 2nd Samuel. This is an example of how this pattern helps us interpret scripture.
Everything fits the pattern, so when something does not fit the pattern such as
2nd Samuel not fitting the theme for number 10, you have to
reconsider your understanding of the text. When I observed that when combining
the two part books of Samuel and Kings to associate to numbers nine and ten,
not only did their symbolism fit the pattern, but every other book theme to the
end of the Bible also fit the pattern. For example, counting only “complete”
books of the Bible,the book of Lamentations becomes the 22nd book of
the Bible. Number 22 has a theme related to Jesus, the Suffering Servant which
fits the theme of Lamentations and it is not coincidence that four of the five
chapters of this book have 22 verses and the other chapter (#3) has sixty-six
verses (22x3). The Redemption Pattern reveals secrets.
It
is truly unbelievable that such a pattern can possibly exist in so many places,
but years ago I stopped questioning if it was possible. Look at enough examples
and you will be convinced – the Redemption Pattern in God’s Word is an
incredible wonder of God and will leave you in awe that God is so much more
incredible than we can ever, ever imagine.
…
Note: Everything I write
is based on my simple comprehension of the Numeric Map and Redemption Pattern
as I observe it today. I can only imagine how dim my understanding truly is and
want to point out that, like everything we study about the Bible, we can never
expect to fully comprehend it – It is God’s Word. I’m no Bible scholar, just
someone that seems to have observed a pattern. I’m sure there’s many mistakes
in my understandings and what I write. I pray the concepts get across enough
for others to understand and that the mistakes are not harmful in any way. Acts 17:11 – You must
confirm these things for yourself by examining God’s Word. I can only imagine the wonders God will
teach us when the world begins to study these patterns together.
