FIVE (one‐half of ten), an Incomplete Number. The symbol of the indefinite, the uncertain, with the suggestion of smallness; as a measure of time an incomplete period.
SIX (one less than seven; and one‐half of twelve), an Imperfect Number. The symbol of evil, of incompleteness of quality, or of imperfection; Satan’s number, the signature of non‐perfection; the representative of that which is earthly as opposed to that which is heavenly; falling short of the fulness of seven, the perfect number, and but the half of twelve, the church number.
SEVEN (the number of days in a week; also four plus three), the Perfect Number. The symbol of perfection, or completeness of quality; of totality of kind, fulness, or universality. A sacred number with the Jews; the number of the covenant in the Old Testament; the ethical number, for it often has a moral significance, and, as will be seen, is composed of the earth number (four) added to the divine number (three). The number seven occurs _fifty‐four_ times in the Revelation, indicating that it occupied an important place in the mind of the writer, and should receive special attention.
EIGHT (seven plus one), a Reinforced Number. The symbol of culmination, of resurrection, or of a new life or period begun.
TEN (the ten digits; the ten commandments), the Complete Number. The symbol of completeness of all the parts, of totality of portions, entirety, and absoluteness; a finite number as contrasted with infinity; in its larger multiples implying indefiniteness and magnitude. Ordinarily used of things that are earthly, though not necessarily implying any moral significance. It is a relevant fact, however, that nothing which is described in heaven is ten in number, though its multiples are constantly introduced. The combination of seven with ten in the seven heads and ten horns of the Dragon and the Beast, is unusual and has an evil significance throughout, which is probably intended to indicate that that which was originally designed for moral perfection (seven) has been prostituted for earthly ends (ten), as is signified by joining one to the other.
TWELVE (the twelve sons of Jacob; four multiplied by three), the National Number of Israel. The symbol of the covenant nation, the church number—the number of the earth (four) multiplied by the number of the divine (three) becoming the sign of God’s people divinely chosen out of the earth. By some it is interpreted as the number of world‐witness for divine truth, as the twelve tribes and the twelve apostles, putting the purpose of the church first.