Hi George:
George Andrews wrote:
>
> Hi Vernon;
>
> Vernon Jenkins wrote:
>
>
> George, while I very much appreciate your contribution, I
> would urge you
> to examine the evidence I have provided; it is
> 'God-honouring' and leads
> to a better understanding of his supreme sovereignty and
> providence.
>
> Yours, in Christ,
>
> Vernon
>
>
> Well - herein lies your difficulty; the evidence your interpret as
> revealing the hand of God logically does not do so. The patterns are
> in Gen. 1.1. because Hebrew letters did represent numbers and numbers
> do exhibit patterns; this is all. You want to establish certain
> numbers as being some how superior in pattern beauty then others and
> these particular numbers reveal divine involvement. But Gordon has
> proven these numbers to be commonplace.
One has only to take a bag of circular coins of the same denomination to
prove to one's own satisfaction that 37 of them can be arranged
symmetrically, in tight formation on a flat surface, in 3 distinct ways.
This property is neither bettered nor equalled by any other number;
therefore, 37 is manifestly not 'commonplace', as you suggest! And
neither is 91: it too has 3 symmetrical forms - two that, like 37, are
two-dimensional, and the other, three-dimensional.
>
> The scripture in Rev. - referring to the number of a man - does just
> that: identifies a man. I am sorry, but I do not see it as supporting
> number theory or patterns based upon numbers.
>
There are a number of points to be made here:
1) Because the Greek language has no indefinite article, the relevant
word may be equally translated "of a man" or "of man". In the NIV, for
example, it is rendered "man's number"; and in a footnote to the NLB,
"number of humanity".
2) The intriguing words of Rv.15:2 include "...victory...over the number
of his name...". Clearly, this is a serious matter! Now I have already
suggested that the words of Rv.22:19 require every Christian to grapple
with Rv.13:18 - distasteful as it might appear to many! - in order that
he/she might, in obedience, acquire "wisdom". A clear starting point
would appear to be to engage the matter of "victory" over 666!
3) You will say, 666 is but a number! However, it is rather special in
being both uniquely triangular, and a multiple of 37. Furthermore, we
understand that it is to be derived by reading a sequence of letters as
a number! If we read the Hebrew of the Bible's first verse in this
manner, we find that its numerical structure involves two triangles -
coordinated visually, and both multiples of 37 - in association with a
triplet of 666-as-triangle! How remarkable!! Do we therefore hastily
sweep this information (or, as some would have, "numerology") under the
carpet, or do we press on with the business of acquiring wisdom thereby?
4) The matter of equating the name of an individual with 666 is,
logically, a non-starter. Unless the name were written in a language
having the tradition that letters doubled as numerals, there would be no
method of translation that could command general consent. But even in
this narrow context, it is hard to see a definitive solution emerging.
We are, therefore, left with a question that should perhaps have been
asked at the outset: What serious purpose is likely to be served anyway
in identifying an individual whose name bears this number? It is hardly
likely that it would offer us some input into a rewriting of the
prophecy of Rv.13!
These matters form the basis of my web page
http://homepage.virgin.net/vernon.jenkins/sixes.htm
>
> Sincerely
> George A.
George, thank you for writing.
Regards,
Vernon
http://homepage.virgin.net/vernon.jenkins/Symb.htm
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Wed Apr 19 2000 - 08:17:31 EDT