Numbers and You

DO NUMBERS have hidden meaning? “Of course!” some exclaim, pointing to an intriguing example​—the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

“The moment I heard the news,” says one numerologist, “I noticed the date: 9-11-2001.” The number 11 is generally considered to be one of the “master numbers” by numerologists. So numerology enthusiasts have compiled a list of various items related to the terrorist attack that point to the “master number” 11. This is just a portion of what they found:

▪ The tragedy occurred on the date 9/11. 9 + 1 + 1 = 11.

▪ September 11 was the 254th day of the year. 2 + 5 + 4 = 11.

▪ The airplane that hit the north tower was Flight 11.

▪ That flight had 92 people on board. 9 + 2 = 11.

▪ The airplane that hit the south tower had 65 passengers. 6 + 5 = 11.

▪ The Twin Towers resembled the number 11.

▪ In English the expression “New York City” has 11 letters.

Numerology​—in which special significance is attached to figures, their combinations, and numerical totals—​has been a widespread practice in Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Why the allure? According to one Web site, decoding the letters of the alphabet used in names​—one popular aspect of numerology—​“yields accurate information concerning personality, nature, qualities and shortcomings.” According to this source, studying our “date of birth uncovers our life path, with its joys and trials.”

Are these claims true? Or could there be hidden dangers in the metaphysical study of numbers?

The Allure of Numbers

IMAGINE a world without numbers. There would be no money. Trade would be restricted to face-to-face barter. And what about sports? Without numbers, not only would we be unable to keep score but we could not even define how many players should be on each team!

Besides their practical application, however, numbers carry an aura of mystery. This is because they are abstract. You cannot see, touch, or feel numbers. To illustrate: An apple has a distinct color, texture, size, shape, smell, and taste. You can check each of these properties to see whether a certain object is indeed an apple, a lemon, a ball, or something else. A number, however, is not like that. One collection of seven items may not share anything in common with another collection of seven items​—other than their “sevenness.” Hence, to comprehend the meaning of numbers​—for example, to discern the difference between six and seven—​is to grasp something very abstract indeed. And this is where number mystics come into the picture.

From Pythagoras to Pseudoscience

Attributing special meaning to numbers was common in ancient societies. Pythagoras, a Greek philosopher and mathematician who lived during the sixth century B.C.E., taught that all things can be reduced to numerical patterns. He and his followers reasoned that the whole universe exemplifies order and proportion. Could it not be, then, that mathematical relationships are inherent in all material things?

Since Pythagoras’ day, numerical readings have been used for prediction and dream interpretation as well as for memory aids. They have been employed by Greeks, Muslims, and members of Christendom. Using a system of numerology called gematria, Jewish Cabalists assigned a numerical value to each of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet and thereby claim to have found hidden meanings in the Hebrew Scriptures.

Modern-day numerology is similar. Often, your name and birth date will be the starting point. A numerical value is assigned to each letter in your name. By adding these​—along with the numbers of your birth month and date—​a numerologist establishes your key numbers. He then ascribes special meaning to these numbers, which he feels provide a complete description of you​—including your personality, your unconscious desires, and your destiny.

Perhaps the real attraction of numerology lies in the seeming accuracy of its analysis. “Many people have come to believe in numerology through finding how closely the numbers fit those to whom they are applied,” writes Edward Albertson in his book Prophecy for the Millions. Yet, numerology has also been labeled a pseudoscience. Why? Are there reasons for you to be suspicious of its claims?

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HIDDEN MESSAGES IN THE BIBLE?

In his book The Bible Code, journalist Michael Drosnin claims to have discovered hidden messages by means of computer analysis of the Hebrew Scriptures. According to Drosnin’s claims, the “code” yielded the words “assassin that will assassinate” along with the name Yitzhak Rabin​—and this was found a year before Israeli Prime Minister Rabin was killed.

As expected, The Bible Code created its share of controversy. Dave Thomas, a mathematician and physicist, demonstrated that computer analysis of any text will produce what appear to be cryptic messages. Analyzing Drosnin’s own text, Thomas came up with the words “code,” “silly,” and “hoax.” “Hidden messages can be found anywhere,” Thomas says, “provided you’re willing to invest time and effort to harvest the vast field of probability.”

With its capability of making an unlimited number of calculations, a computer would likely find some combinations of letters that could be used as some sort of prediction. But this is merely a coincidence and does not prove that the Bible contains hidden messages.a

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Pythagoras taught that all things possess numerical patterns

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Courtesy National Library of Medicine

Should You Look to Numbers for Guidance?

DOES numerology stand up under the scrutiny of science and reason? Are numbers the means by which our destiny can be revealed? Should you build your future around numerological findings and predictions?

One objection that numerologists have been unable to overcome is that different cultures use different calendars. For example, what if someone lives where the Chinese calendar is used? Consider the date mentioned in our opening article​—September 11, 2001. According to the Chinese calendar, that was the 24th day of the 7th month of the 18th year of the 78th cycle. The Julian calendar would express the same date as August 29, 2001. According to the Muslim calendar, it was 22 Jumada II 1422, while the Hebrew calendar had it as 23 Elul 5761. How could there be numerical significance to a date that is expressed in so many ways? Another factor: Languages often have unique spellings of names. For example, the letters contained in the English name John have a numerological value of 2, but the letters in the Spanish spelling of the same name​—Juan—​have a value of 1.

It is one thing to recognize that many aspects of the universe can be explained by mathematical formulas. These formulas can be tested and demonstrated. But it is quite another matter to claim that your name was preordained to coincide with your date of birth and to be linked with certain numbers so that you can ascertain your destiny.

The conclusion is clear: To believe that numerological interpretations are accurate, when they are based upon such widely variable factors as calendar and language, is to stretch the limits of credibility to an absurd degree.

“Time and Unforeseen Occurrence”

Some become interested in numerology because they desire to make their life predictable. However, the Bible makes it plain that the details of human life cannot be mapped out in advance. We read: “The swift do not have the race, nor the mighty ones the battle, nor do the wise also have the food, nor do the understanding ones also have the riches, nor do even those having knowledge have the favor; because time and unforeseen occurrence befall them all.” (Ecclesiastes 9:11) Yes, many events take place unexpectedly. Such chance happenings defy efforts to predict outcomes based on birth date or numerical value of a name.

Consider another example: In encouraging generosity, the Bible states: “Send out your bread upon the surface of the waters, for in the course of many days you will find it again. Give a portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what calamity will occur on the earth.” (Ecclesiastes 11:1, 2) With few exceptions, calamities are things that people do not​—indeed, cannot—​know in advance. Hence, mathematics professor Underwood Dudley writes regarding numerologists: “They fail to give chance sufficient credit. Amazing things can happen at random.”

It is true that numerologists may make some predictions that come true. What accounts for this? In some instances, the outcome may be coincidental. Then, too, sometimes the language of numerologists is so ambiguous that it could apply to several outcomes. But there is something more serious to consider.

A Form of Divination?

The Bible does not mention numerology by name. But it does tell of Haman, an Amalekite who plotted the extermination of the Jews living in Persia during the fifth century B.C.E. The account says: “Haman ordered the lots to be cast (‘purim,’ they were called) to find out the right day and month to carry out his plot. The thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, was decided on.” (Italics ours.)​—Esther 3:7, Today’s English Version.

In ancient times, casting lots was a legitimate way of settling a controversy.a (Proverbs 18:18) But Haman cast lots to practice divination​—something that the Bible condemns. Deuteronomy 18:10-12 states that God detests “anyone who employs divination, a practicer of magic or anyone who looks for omens or a sorcerer, or one who binds others with a spell or anyone who consults a spirit medium or a professional foreteller of events . . . Everybody doing these things is something detestable to Jehovah.”

The Bible links divination and uncanny power to spiritism. Wicked spirits can maneuver events to suit their purpose. Whether this is the case in a specific instance or not, one thing is certain: The practice of spiritism is condemned by God, and it can bring one under the control of wicked spirits.​—1 Samuel 15:23; Ephesians 6:12.

Numerology is devoid of scientific basis, and it fares badly when examined under the light of reason. More important, because it is a form of divination, numerology conflicts with Bible teachings. In view of that, numerology is not a beneficial means of regulating your life or planning your future.

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THE VARIETY OF CALENDARS POSES A SERIOUS OBSTACLE TO NUMEROLOGY

GREGORIAN September 11, 2001

JULIAN August 29, 2001

MUSLIM 22 Jumada II 1422

HEBREW 23 Elul 5761

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ARE HOROSCOPES RELIABLE?

“At times you are outgoing, but at other times you are reserved. You find it unwise to reveal too much about yourself to strangers. You are an independent thinker who needs proof of a matter before gullibly accepting it. You like variety in life, and you become unhappy when you are hemmed in by rules. You have great potential, which you have not tapped entirely. You tend to be critical of your performance and abilities.”

Does that sound like you? If so, you may be putting more meaning into the description than it deserves. After all, most of the above statements are true for the majority of people. Hence, readers will tend to accept those statements that seem accurate and ignore those that do not. According to the book Why Do Buses Come in Threes​—The Hidden Mathematics of Everyday Life, “researchers have found that if the star signs on a horoscope are removed, people are unable to identify which paragraph belongs to their own sign, but if the signs are included they will believe their own star reading to be the most accurate.”

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SYMBOLIC NUMBERS IN THE BIBLE

Certain numbers used in the Bible have symbolic meanings, but only within the context of the Scriptures in which they are used. For example, the number four is used to denote allness or universalness. This idea is conveyed in such expressions as “four extremities of the earth” and “four winds of the heavens.” (Isaiah 11:12; Daniel 8:8) At times, the number six represents imperfection. Interestingly, the number given to Satan’s earthly political organization by the book of Revelation is “a man’s number”​—666. (Revelation 13:18) Here six is raised to the third degree, underscoring the imperfection of that beastly organization. When the number seven is used in a symbolic way, it represents completeness. (Leviticus 4:6; Hebrews 9:24-26) These and other symbolic numbers used in the Scriptures gain meaning from their prophetic context.

Although the Scriptures give a measure of importance to certain numbers, the Bible does not encourage us to link the letters of certain words with numbers to uncover mystical truths.

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Haman used divination to select a date to carry out his genocidal plot

Reliable Guidance for the Future

DOES the untrustworthiness of numerology and other forms of divination mean that we have no way to learn about our future? By no means!

Abstract numbers cannot tell mankind what the future holds. But the “living God,” who declares “from the beginning the finale,” has done so. This he does in his written Word, the Bible. (1 Timothy 4:10; Isaiah 46:10) It is also the word of the living God, not the word of numerologists, that “is able to discern thoughts and intentions of the heart” and so can help you to understand what motivates you and what will bring you real success.​—Hebrews 4:12.

Our Creator, the Author of the Bible, is the only one who can accurately predict the future. This is because God is all-powerful, and he has always been true to his word. “I have even spoken it,” Jehovah God said. “I shall also do it.” (Isaiah 46:11) After leading the Israelites into the Promised Land, Joshua was able to say with confidence: “Not a promise failed out of all the good promise that Jehovah had made to the house of Israel; it all came true.”​—Joshua 21:45; 23:14.

The Bible contains many prophecies that are yet to be fulfilled. Among them are those that foretell a time when the earth will be wiped clean of wickedness and made into a paradise. (Psalm 37:10, 11; Proverbs 2:21, 22) Does that future appeal to you? Do you believe that our Creator has the wisdom and the power to make things right on this planet? If so, you will want to consider what the Bible says about earth’s future.a

Therefore, spend your time wisely now​—not by trying to read your future in the numbers but by striving to gain an accurate understanding of the Bible and its prophecies. Jehovah’s Witnesses are ready to help you to gain further knowledge about the future as revealed in God’s Word, the Bible.