The Significance of the Seven Loaves

# 486 - Today's Living Word comes from: Mr 8:5 He asked them, "How many loaves do you have?" And they said, "Seven."

When you study the Bible, inevitably the matter of numerology comes up. Numbers in Scripture often have symbolic meaning. The trick is to determine when they have special meaning and when they are just numbers.

Numerology is a tool that God uses to enhance the meaning of Scripture, but it is a tool that must be used carefully lest we try to make the Scriptures say more than God intended. In this instance, I personally believe that there were indeed seven loaves, but that it was not by accident that the number seven is used.

What is the context here? Jesus has been ministering to the Gentiles, and there are two classes of people in the biblical world. Jew and Gentile. (everyone else)

This feeding of the 4000 was a highlight of Jesus' earthly ministry among the Gentiles (the world) and the number 7 is the sum of the number of God (3) and the number of the world (4) Seven then, is the number that signifies God's dealings with the world through His Spirit, and His Spirit deals with us primarily through His Word, the Bread of Life.

The seven loaves then are a picture of the Bread of Life given to the disciples, (the church) to be distributed to the Gentiles. This miracle foreshadows the Great Commission where we the church are to take the Bread of Life and distribute it to the world.

I'm Duane Matz and that's Today's Living Word