Sevens In The Gospels and Acts

[Jerry]

Just for something fun to do - challenging (to make you think) and interesting. Jess and I had a thread like this (on sevens in Revelation) going several years back, but I wanted to start something fresh. I will also be starting a couple of similar threads, to give us a little variety, in case you don't have much to input on one of them, you can still give your input to each thread as you think of something to add.

What sevens can you find in the Gospels and the book of Acts? It could be where the Bible mentions that there was seven of a particular thing, a multiple of seven, a word/idea/phrase repeated seven times, seven of a type of thing, etc. You can glean this from your own personal Bible study, from a commentary, notes from somewhere, etc. I want this to be fun - seven is God's number in the Bible, and it is everywhere throughout Scripture. How many can we find?

The Gospel of John is prOBably the richest out of these five books, but there are sevens in Matthew - such as the 7 parables of the Kingdom of Heaven in Matthew 13.

The most OBvious ones in John are the seven I Ams of Jesus:

1. The Bread of Life. 6:35, 48, 51.
2. The Light of the World. 8:12.
3. The Door of the Sheep. 10:7, 9.
4. The Good Shepherd. 10:11, 14.
5. The Resurrection and the Life. 11:25-26.
6. The Way, the Truth, and the Life. 14:6.
7. The True Vine. 15:1, 5.

There are also seven other I Am's of Jesus in the Gospel of John:

4:26; 8:24, 28, 58; 13:19; 18:5, 8.

One other for you - though this one is from the whole NT:

Seven times Jesus is called the Word of God:

John 1:1 (3x's), 14; 1 John 1:1; 5:7; Revelation 19:13.

[Jerry]

In the Gospel of John, Jesus made Seven references to His Hour:

John 2:4 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.

John 7:30 Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come.

John 8:20 These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as he taught in the temple: and no man laid hands on him; for his hour was not yet come.

John 12:23 And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.

John 12:27 Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.

John 13:1 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.

John 17:1 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:

[Jerry]

Sevenfold Promise To Mary:

Luke 1:31-33 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of JacOB for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

[HappyChristian]

I don't remember the references he used, but years ago, a man was talking about the 7 Mary's in the gospels. I can't think of 7, just these:

Mary, mother of Jesus
Mary Magdalen
Mary of Bethany

Are there more?

[1Timothy115]

Acts 6:3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.

Acts 6:5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:

[Jerry]

It is interesting to note that the first one mentioned there was the first NT martyr and Philip was an Evangelist.

[HappyChristian]

It is interesting to note that the first one mentioned there was the first NT martyr and Philip was an Evangelist.

Jerry, do you know if there are more Mary's in the gospels? Like I said, I can't remember what all he said, but I'm thinking he might have just used references, assuming they were different women.

[Jerry]

I think there is one more - like the sister of Mary (from what I can recall, there were two Marys that were related) - though I don't have my Bible handy because it is lunchtime at work.

Perhaps it is seven references to Mary the mother of Jesus - sometimes a Bible character is mentioned seven times.

On that note, this morning I came across a note I had written in the margin of my Bible, stating that Jesus addressed the Samaritan woman in John 4 seven times.

[1Timothy115]

It is interesting to note that the first one mentioned there was the first NT martyr and Philip was an Evangelist.

It's also interesting to read their testimonies as recorded in Acts.

[Jerry]

I was hoping these threads would generate a little more interest. Well, here goes:

A sevenfold promise about the ministry of the Holy Spirit in John:

John 16:13-14 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come,
1. he will guide you into all truth:
2. for he shall not speak of himself;
3. but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak:
4. and he will shew you things to come.
5. He shall glorify me:
6. for he shall receive of mine,
7. and shall shew it unto you.