The Significance of Four
The number FOUR in the Bible, is often seen in relation to Creation, Creatures and Beasts. The association of the number four with creation is first seen in Genesis 1:26. 26 Then God said, Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, [a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground. Who is the plurality us referring to? Let us, the Trinity, make man (the fourth party) in our image. The Father, Son, and Spirit were the Creators, and Man was the Creation. Whether it was man, animals, birds or fish, the creature created was the fourth party.
Genesis 1:14 14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: The number four is also connected with the creation of lights in the sky. Lights in the heavens are used for signs(1), seasons(2), days(3), and years(4). Furthermore, the sun in the sky determines the four seasons of the year.
Genesis 2: 10-14 10 A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin [d] and onyx are also there.) 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. [e] 14 The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. When God created Eden, it was watered by a river, which split into four heads. Pishon Gihon Tigris Euphrates
1 Corinthians 15:38-39 38 But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. 39 Not all flesh is the same: People have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. Paul mentions FOUR kinds of flesh God created. Men(1), Beasts(2), Fish(3), and Birds(4).
Carbon s Role in Organic Chemistry Carbon is the fourth most abundant element in the universe by mass after hydrogen, helium, and oxygen. Hydrogen, helium, and oxygen are most often found in their gaseous state, whereas carbon is a solid. Organic molecules contain both carbon and hydrogen. Though many organic chemicals also contain other elements, it is the carbonhydrogen bond that defines them as organic. Organic chemistry defines life. Organic chemicals get their diversity from the many different ways a carbon atom can bond to other atoms. Carbon is a very unique and versatile element. Why is carbon such a special element?
The diversity of organic compounds is due to the fact that a carbon atom is tetravalent, which allows it to form stable compounds. In the second electron shell of an atom, eight electrons are needed to complete the shell. A carbon atom has four valence electrons(tetravalent), which allow it to from four bonds. These bonds may be with a variety of other elements (hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and even carbon itself).
Without carbon, life would not exist. We now see that God is not only a mathematician, but a chemist as well.
Ezekiel 1: 4-11 4 I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal, 5 and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was human, 6 but each of them had four faces and four wings. 7 Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze. 8 Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. All four of them had faces and wings, 9 and the wings of one touched the wings of another. Each one went straight ahead; they did not turn as they moved. 10 Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a human being, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle. 11 Such were their faces. They each had two wings spreading out upward, each wing touching that of the creature on either side; and each had two other wings covering its body. In Ezekiel s vision there are four living creatures, each with four faces and four wings. Each creature had the face of a man(1), a lion(2), an ox(3), and an eagle(4).
Daniel 7: 2-7 2 Daniel said: In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. 3 Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea. 4 The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a human being, and the mind of a human was given to it. 5 And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, Get up and eat your fill of flesh! 6 After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule. 7 After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns.
Daniel s vision of four beasts foreshadows the coming of four kingdoms on earth. The four beasts are as follows: 1: Lion with wings like an eagle (Babylonian Empire) 2: Bear (Persian Empire) 3: Leopard with four wings and four heads. (Greek Empire under Alexander the Great). An interesting note: After Alexander s death, his kingdom was divided into four parts among his four leading generals. i. Seleucus Syria/Babylon/Persia/India ii. Ptolemy Egypt iii. Cassander Macedonia/Greece iv. Lysimachus Thrace/Asia Minor 4: Beast with iron teeth. (Roman Empire)
The kingdoms of Greece and Rome both provided two vital components that allowed the gospel to spread quickly in the first century.
The Role of Greece Alexander the Great s dream was to Hellenize (spread Greek culture) throughout the known world (He conquered 90% of the known world). In doing so, he contributed significantly to the efficiency in which the gospel was spread during the first century. How so? Everyone in the known world spoke Greek. The entire New Testament was written in Greek. By sharing a common language, one can quickly spread an idea. In this case, the arrival of the Christ.
The Role of Rome Perhaps you have heard the phrase which was once common in antiquity All roads lead to Rome. The Roman empire supplied the infrastructure needed for a message like the gospel to spread quickly. The Roman military machine was successful because it could march quickly all over the Mediterranean. The Romans were masters at building roads (called Roman highways) with the purpose of being able to quickly move soldiers from one province to another. With these roads in place, men were able to travel very easily (faster than any other time in history) which provided the infrastructure and transportation network needed for the explosive growth of Christianity in the first century.
In Matthew 13, Jesus mentions four different types of soil. The beaten path(1), the rocky soil(2), thorny soil(3), and good soil(4). Revelation 5:13 13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever! We see here that in four different locations, creatures ascribe four words of praise to God and Christ. Creatures that are in heaven(1), on the earth(2), under the earth(3), and in the sea(4). Praising God saying praise (1), honor(2), glory(3), and power(4).
Revelation 4: 6-8 6 Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. 8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, [b] who was, and is, and is to come. Surrounding the throne of God are FOUR living creatures. Face of a lion. (King of the wild beasts) Face of an ox. (King of the domesticated animals) Face of a man. (King of God s creation) Face of an eagle. (King of the flying animals)
Revelation 6: 1-8 I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, Come! 2 I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest. 3 When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, Come! 4 Then another horse came out, a fiery red horse. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword. 5 When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, Come! I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. 6 Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, Two pounds [a] of wheat for a day s wages, [b] and six pounds [c] of barley for a day s wages, [d] and do not damage the oil and the wine! 7 When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, Come! 8 I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.
In this passage there are four seals, each associated with a different creature. Whenever a new seal is opened, a new creature is released. Here we have four horsemen riding on four horses, each of the four a different color. Power is given to them over a fourth of the earth to kill with four things. Sword(1), Famine(2), Plague(3), and Wild Beasts(4).