I have been "journaling" for a MANY years. I started "blogging" about 14 years ago. As I state on the description of my blog, "I write to think." As you read my blog, you are tracing my thought process. Writing reveals things to me! Thus, you see the basis for my conclusion! Come along with me...
One of the subjects I've been thinking about is the 22 Hebrew letters -- one at a time. This is the 17th letter I've done. I'm not going in chronological order. I'm letting the Spirit pick the letter. This time it lead me to "Zayin" ( זַיִן ).
"Zayin" is the seventh letter of the Hebrew alphabet with a gematria value of 7. The letter sounds like "Z" in Zebra.
From "In the beginning," Genesis 1.1, Adonai is making a big point about 7.
There are seven Hebrew words in Genesis 1.1. There are (7x4) 28 Hebrew letters in Genesis 1.1.
Seven appears in contexts such as creation (God resting on the seventh day), rituals (seven days for feasts), and prophetic visions (seven churches, seals, trumpets, and bowls in Revelation). In the Book of Revelation, the seven eyes of the Lamb symbolize the fullness and completeness of divine insight and the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Seven carries deep symbolic meaning, often representing completion, perfection, and divine fulfillment. Here are notable examples:.
- Creation: God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh, making it holy (Genesis 2:2-3).
- Sacred Rituals: Seven is central to various rituals, such as seven days of feasts (e.g., Passover, Tabernacles) and sevenfold sacrifices (Leviticus 23:34-36; Numbers 23:1) The temple menorah has seven branches.
- Covenants and Oaths: The Hebrew word for "swear" (shavua) derives from "seven," linking it to covenantal promises (Genesis 21:28-31).
- Healing and Forgiveness: Naaman was cleansed after bathing seven times (2 Kings 5:10), and Jesus emphasized forgiving "seventy times seven" (Matthew 18:22)
- In Luke chapters 1 & 2 describing the birth of Jesus, Luke says "Behold" seven times. "Behold" is to see something "revealed."
- Judgment and Revelation: The Book of Revelation features seven churches, seals, trumpets, bowls, and spirits of God, symbolizing divine completeness (Revelation 1:4; 5:1)
Sacred Time Cycles:
- The Sabbath occurs every seventh day (Exodus 20:8-11).
- Shiva is a seven-day period of mourning in Judaism that ends in the morning after the seventh day's shacharit prayers.
- The Shmita (Sabbatical Year) is every seventh year, and the Jubilee Year follows seven cycles of seven years (Leviticus 25:4-8).
- Pentecost (Shavuot) takes place after 7 sevens (49 days).
- The Tribulation is seven years.
Rituals and Feasts:
- Passover and Tabernacles are celebrated for seven days (Exodus 12:15; Leviticus 23:34-36).
- Priests consecrate themselves for seven days (Leviticus 8:33).
Divine Instructions:
- Naaman was cleansed after bathing seven times in the Jordan (2 Kings 5:10).
- Jericho fell after seven priests blew seven trumpets for seven days (Joshua 6:3-4).
- The Seven Noahide Laws are a set of universal moral principles derived from the Torah, intended for all humanity as part of God's covenant with Noah after the Flood.
- Bemidbar (Numbers 19:11) says "He who touches the corpse of any human being shall be unclean for seven days."
- Impurity - When a woman has her regular flow of blood, the impurity of her monthly period will last seven days, and anyone who touches her will be unclean till evening. (Leviticus 15:19)
7 Promises:
Seven promises to Abraham:
- I will make you a great nation
- I will bless you
- I will make your name great
- You will be a blessing
- I will bless those who will bless you
- Whoever curses you I will curse them
- Everyone on earth will be blessed through you
Seven promises to Jacob:
- Land: God promised to give the land to Jacob and his descendants. Jacob's name was later changed to Israel, as was the land.
- Descendants: God promised to bless Jacob and his descendants, and that they would spread out in all directions.
- Presence: God promised to be with Jacob wherever he went.
- Renewal: God promised to renew the covenant.
- Protection: God promised to protect Jacob.
- Family growth: God promised that Jacob's family would grow great.
- Messiah: God promised that through Jacob's descendants, the nations would be blessed with the Messiah.
Seven "I Am" statements in the Christian bible:
John 8:58 -- Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!
Shape Tied to Meaning
Zayin's root meaning is "sword" or "sharp weapon." The letter even looks like a sword.
"Zayin" is comprised of a "Yod" crowning the top of a "Vav." "Vav" is a nail.
"Zayin" is also connected to food and sustenance. "Zayin" is linked to spiritual and physical struggles. "Zayin" represents the balance between effort (struggle) and rest (Shabbat). This duality mirrors humanity's use of technology to ease labor while advancing society.
Zayin" was originally represented by a pictograph that meant "plow, tool and weapon.""Zayin" is connected to Mankind's struggle for nourishment (from the root zan, meaning "to sustain") ties it to agricultural tools like plows, which are technological innovations that enabled food production.
The visual representation of "Zayin" in early Hebrew as a plow can serve as a reminder of the balance between physical labor and spiritual nourishment, reinforcing themes of growth, sustenance, and divine care in both agricultural practices and spiritual life.
Both the images of a sword and a plow are related to man's struggle for survival and sustenance. They both represent a means. In the case of the plow, humans struggle with creation (God), whereas with the sword, man struggles against man.
Isaiah 2:4: "They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more."
We "learned war!"
This verse is a vision of the Kingdom of God, where life is nurtured rather than destroyed. The transformation from spears to pruning hooks represents a move from destruction to cultivation. The Hebrew words for spear and pruning hook emphasize the change from instruments of death to tools of life.
Adonia gives us a direction on the choice of means. According to the Bible, the punishment for the man (Adam) eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil was expulsion from the Garden of Eden, meaning he was forced to leave the paradise where he lived and face the hardships of the outside world, including the need to work for food and experience pain and suffering; essentially, losing the perfect life he had in Eden.
It is not long after the fall that Man goes in the wrong direction, choosing violence in the story of Cain & Able.
Matthew 26:52 -- "Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword."
It seems to me that the message the Lord wants us to understand is that as difficult as "working the ground" is, a peaceful means is better than violence against our fellow. If we live by the Sword, we die by the sword. Vengeance is the Lord's.
Deuteronomy 32.35 -- Vengeance is Mine, and recompense; Their foot shall slip in due time;
For the day of their calamity is at hand,
And the things to come hasten upon them.’
Words with Zayin
Here are some notable biblical words beginning with Zayin (ז) with ties to "7":
- Zachor (זכור) - "Remember" is a word very tied to holidays, rituals and past events to maintain faithfulness.
- Zman (זְמַן) - the word for "time," relates to word for "memory" and "rememberance," Zicharon (זִכָּרוֹן). Both start with "Zayin."
In these next words we find a connection to the meaning of the letter:
- Zera (זרע) - "Seed": Symbolic of planting, growth, and continuity, reflecting Zayin's connection to sustenance and cultivating the earth.
- Zayin (זין) - "Weapon": Represents spiritual warfare and the Word of God as a sword.
- Zion (ציון) - While spelled with Tzadi, it is often associated with Zayin's themes of spiritual struggle and sustenance. Zion represents Jerusalem as a spiritual center.
Conclusion:
Clearly the number 7 is important, but after all this explanation, I still didn't fully understand why the number seven is so prominent in the scriptures? It seemed to me I was missing something!
It is said that "The New Testament revealed what the Old Testament concealed." The word "Apocalypse" means "Revelation" or "something revealed." So I referred to the Christian scriptures to reveal the meaning of Zayin ("sword" or "weapon") and 7.
When it comes to the word "Sword" or "Weapon" there is perhaps no better verses to refer to than these passages in the Book of Ephesians.
Ephesians 6:10-17 -- Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
For the last few days that I have been working on this article, I have been having bad dreams. As I was finishing this article, literally while I was writing the conclusion, the answer to my questions about the meaning of "Zayin" and "7" came to me. I had a revelation! I had an "Apocalypse." I understand what my dreams were telling me. The answer is in verse 17 -- the Zayin of the Spirit! Amen.
Hebrews 4:12 -- the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Happy Hanukkah. Remember the 13th of Adar and Mordechai Day.
BEHOLD! Seeing BEYOND what meets the eye.
Merry Christmas🎄
Isaiah 34:5-7 (NIV) --
My sword has drunk its fill in the heavens;
see, it descends in judgment on Edom,
the people I have totally destroyed.
6 The sword of the Lord is bathed in blood,
it is covered with fat—
the blood of lambs and goats,
fat from the kidneys of rams.
For the Lord has a sacrifice in Bozrah
and a great slaughter in the land of Edom.
7 And the wild oxen will fall with them,
the bull calves and the great bulls.
Their land will be drenched with blood,
and the dust will be soaked with fat.
see, it descends in judgment on Edom,
the people I have totally destroyed.
6 The sword of the Lord is bathed in blood,
it is covered with fat—
the blood of lambs and goats,
fat from the kidneys of rams.
For the Lord has a sacrifice in Bozrah
and a great slaughter in the land of Edom.
7 And the wild oxen will fall with them,
the bull calves and the great bulls.
Their land will be drenched with blood,
and the dust will be soaked with fat.
Epilogue:
Last Sunday, 7 days ago, the woman who is moving into the cottage that I built for my Mom originally, gave me a book she wrote. It's been sitting on a counter we pile stuff on and I haven't opened it yet. Just now I walked by the counter and noticed the book and title among all the other things. Coincidence?
