4 (Four)
Symbolic treatment of this number in the corpus
Bullinger · Jones
The number four stands in the corpus for the earth and the material creation. Bullinger regards it as the number of earthly power and weakness, the counterpart of the divine three. Jones connects it through the Hebrew letter Daleth (door) to access and opening, and identifies the fourth day of creation as the moment when the material world was completed.
Biblical References
| Reference | Context |
|---|---|
| Gen. 1:14-19 | Fourth creation day: sun, moon, and stars created |
| Ezek. 1:5 | Four living creatures in Ezekiel’s vision |
| Rev. 4:6 | Four living creatures around the throne of God |
| Rev. 7:1 | Four angels at the four corners of the earth |
| Ezek. 37:9 | The four winds in the vision of the dry bones |
| Matt. 1:1-17 | Four groupings of fourteen generations in the genealogy |
Symbolism in the Corpus
E.W. Bullinger
Bullinger describes four as “the number of the material creation and earthly power.” The four compass points, four seasons, and four elements (in ancient cosmology) confirm this pattern. He notes that four stands in direct contrast to the divine three: “the two most used numbers in the Bible are three and four — three for what is above, and four for what is below, what is earthly and material.” 1
Stephen E. Jones
Jones derives four from the Hebrew letter Daleth, meaning a door: opening, access, and pathway. He writes: “In biblical number symbolism, four is the number of the earth, or the material creation of God. On the fourth day of creation the material world was completed (Gen. 1:14-19).” As additional evidence he gives the gematria of the Hebrew word h’eretz (“the earth”): the numerical value is two hundred and ninety-six, equal to four times seventy-four. The four cherubim (Ezek. 1:5) and the four living creatures around the throne (Rev. 4:6) confirm this pattern of earthly representation before God’s throne. The four Gospels and the four colors of the Tabernacle curtains (purple, scarlet, white, blue) form a fourfold revelation of Christ as King, Servant, Son of Man, and Son of God. 2