Biblical numerology. Numerology - Number Forty (40) The sacred meaning of the number "40"
What does the number 40 mean in a person’s life Let’s start with the fact that a woman’s pregnancy lasts exactly 40 weeks, this is the ideal period for embryo development. That is, our life initially begins with the number forty. Thus, the number 40 in this context is the number of completion, the number of a full cycle, after which a new birth occurs. Most likely, this is the reason for the belief that after birth a child should not be shown to strangers for 40 days. It is believed that at this time he is only adapting to a new world for him, and therefore is the least protected. If you look at this from a religious point of view, the whole point is that it was on the 40th day that it was customary to baptize a baby, and before that he did not have his guardian angel and divine intercession. True, now few people follow this rule, considering it a superstition, however, not surprisingly, it is easier to jinx a child during this period. And a lot of modern mothers, having proudly demonstrated their newborn miracle not only to all relatives and friends, but also by posting its photos or videos on all kinds of social networks, then wonder why the baby sleeps poorly and cries a lot for no apparent and explainable reasons. And isn’t it worth thinking that if this belief has been around for centuries, then it is based not on the fears of “stupid women”, but on something more real? And is it necessary to risk the physical and moral health of a child just to say that you modern woman who doesn't believe in prejudice? And, by the way, even doctors do not recommend showing the child to strangers - in the first days of its life, the baby is too vulnerable to any infection and negative influence. The number 40 in various religions and in history The number 40 in Orthodoxy and other religions occupies a special place. And it is precisely because of this that the influence of this number on our lives is so great. Here are the most famous and iconic mentions of him in the Bible, in others holy books and in church canons: Jesus Christ spent 40 days in the desert in prayer and fasting. In memory of this forty days last Lent . 40 days passed from the Resurrection of Christ to his Ascension. The global flood lasted 40 days. Moses led his people through the desert for 40 years before they found their Promised Land. Moses spent 40 days on Mount Sinai before receiving the Tablets of the Covenant, on which mortal sins and other revelations were written. At the age of 40, the Prophet Muhammad was “called”. In Islam, the number 40 symbolizes death, but at the same time, reconciliation. The Koran is read every 40 days. The soul's stay in purgatory lasts 40 days, and only after that it is decided where to go next - to hell or heaven. That is why before the 40th day they say about the deceased: may he rest in peace, and after the 40th: may he rest in heaven. And that is why the forties are celebrated. This is also connected with the Christian belief, with the fact that Jesus, after the Resurrection, 40 days later ascended to Heaven for a new, no longer earthly life. So the soul of a person on the fortieth day is, as it were, “strengthened in a new status.” For eternal peace or eternal suffering. It depends on your luck. Or no luck. 40 days after death, a person’s soul is able to return to earth to say goodbye to its earthly life and to its loved ones. That is why the soul can appear to people in various guises during these forty days, for example, as a bird that flies to the balcony or windowsill every day. After the fortieth day, this almost never happens again. Although it also happens that a soul, even after a few months, can descend to earth in a similar way to say goodbye, if one of its loved ones has just learned about the death of this person or they are in some kind of danger. The dome of the main Byzantine temple in Constantinople had 40 “air” windows. The image of the sun in Inca temples had 40 rays. 40 columns had ancient pagan temples in different parts of the world. And also: the quarantine lasted 40 days during the plague, and for 40 days ships arriving from countries where the plague was raging were not allowed into city ports. The Jewish king David reigned for 40 years. For 40 days in Egypt, Osiris “disappeared,” that is, like all living things, he “died” and after forty days was reborn. In ancient Babylon, the Pleiades (a star cluster in the constellation Taurus) disappeared from the sky for 40 days, and at this time a period of storms, rains and darkness began. It was a bleak period during which it was believed that "evil reigned supreme." There is an opinion that it was from these Babylonian Pleiades that the negative attitude towards the number forty originated, that is, it began to be correlated with death, with misfortunes and troubles. And in Babylon, after the Pleiades returned to heaven, a period of holidays began, in honor of which 40 reeds were burned, one for each unlucky day. It was believed that this is how all troubles and their consequences burn out. Magpies - a popular name Orthodox holiday, the day of remembrance of the Forty Saints, the Forty Martyrs, who did not renounce their faith, even when, by order of Lycia, they were placed on the ice of Lake Sebaste. The ice melted under the martyrs, the water became warm, and a glow appeared above the believers. The martyrs were ordered to be killed and burned. The most interesting thing is that in Rus', from time immemorial, this holiday is also celebrated as the onset of spring (it is also called Zhavoronki), as a rebirth. Another “life-death-life” analogy. Numerology of the number 40 In numerology, the number 40, as a digital expression of the number 4 (40=4+0=4), is associated with various kinds of prohibitions and restrictions. This is the number of rethinking, reconciliation with reality. That is why at 4 years old and at 40 years old a person changes the axis of coordinates of life values, moves to a new level of being, and comes to terms (or is forced to come to terms) with the fact that there are forces that are beyond his control. For the first time, a child is faced with a meaningful perception of prohibitions coming from adults; he begins to communicate closely with society, which is often accompanied by mental turmoil. A person who reaches his fortieth birthday enters a stage of decline, despite the fact that some argue that “at 40, life is just beginning.” The body, regardless of the person, starts the aging program, all processes slow down, in women the process of childbirth becomes more problematic and painful, since the body is not designed for this. At the age of 40, consciousness opens up, a person begins to rethink his past life, their actions. At this age, intermediate results are summed up; many strive to change their form of existence, as they are “covered” by the fear of the inevitable. Hence the midlife crisis, which, as a rule, occurs at the age of forty. A person begins to be afraid of not being able to do something, of missing out on something, so many people dramatically change their lifestyle, work, environment, and partners. The number 4 in numerology is also a test of a person’s limitations and difficulties. Four (and, accordingly, the number 40) encourages him to concentrate, establish order in his soul and life, find harmony, and thereby turn limitations, if not into advantages, then at least into a fulcrum. Sometimes this manifests itself in the fact that a person begins to like being subordinate and serving other people. And sometimes a person realizes that it is easier to learn to accept limitations for granted rather than fight them. After 40 years, a person becomes more social, understanding and thinks several steps ahead. Unless he goes to the other extreme and begins to subconsciously destroy his life and his body. Again, out of fear of the inevitable. And at the age of 40, just like at 4 years old, a person tries to structure his life, find optimal use for himself and ideal interaction with the outside world.
Why the fortieth birthday is not celebrated It is believed that it is impossible to celebrate the fortieth anniversary, since this anniversary is associated with death, and a person celebrating his fortieth birthday, as it were, “celebrates” his death in advance. He flirts with fate, lures an early death. Most likely, this belief became widespread by analogy with the forties, with the forty-day stay of the human soul in purgatory. By the way, which is typical, there is an opinion that only men cannot celebrate forty years, since according to ancient beliefs that have nothing to do with religion, a woman has no soul, so she seems to have nothing to lose. There is also an opinion (unproven and harmful) that at the age of forty a person is abandoned by his guardian angel. And that, celebrating his fortieth birthday, a person attracts all sorts of misfortunes from which there is no one else to protect him. But in fact, there are many examples of those who celebrated their fortieth anniversary cheerfully and on a grand scale, then lived happily ever after. Therefore, you probably shouldn’t take this “ban” seriously. Most likely, it really arose only by analogy with the forties and has no real basis. As you can see, the attitude towards the number 40 is a historically established set of religious events, as well as coincidences, legends, and opinions. Some things can be trusted, some not so much. But the fact that 40 is a truly sacred number is indisputable. And, just like thousands of years ago, this number continues to influence our lives, both physically and metaphysically. Author Nadezhda Popova
What are the origins of the significance of the number 40 for Orthodoxy?
Hieromonk Job (Gumerov) answers:
Number fourty appears many times in the Bible and symbolizes completeness. It is formed by multiplying two other symbolic numbers: four(symbol of spatial completeness visible world) And ten(symbol of relative completeness). The last number, in turn, can be obtained by adding two other numbers, which also symbolize completeness, both in the spiritual and visible worlds: three And seven. As a result, the number fourty expresses perfect completeness. The flood continued for forty days and forty nights (Gen. 7:17). After forty days, Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made and released a raven, which flew out and flew back and forth until the earth was dried up from water.(Gen.8:6-7). Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah as his wife (Gen. 25:20). The wandering of the Jews in the desert lasted forty years (Ex. 16:35; Num. 14:33; Deut. 8:2). The number forty was significant in the life of the prophet Moses. His life, which lasted 120 years, is divided into three forty years. He spent forty days on Mount Sinai: Moses entered the midst of the cloud and ascended the mountain; and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights(Ex.24:18; 34.28; Deut. 9:9,18; 10:10). After the birth of a boy, a woman undergoes purification for forty days (Lev 12:2,4). If she gives birth to a female child, then during the purification it lasted eighty days (40 + 40). Joshua says: I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh-Barnea to spy out the land(Joshua 14:7). After the victory of Judge Othniel over the Mesopotamian king Husarsafem the earth rested for forty years(Judges 3:10-11). For forty days the Philistine Goliath invited the Jews to fight with him (1 Samuel 17:16). David and Solomon reigned for forty years each (2 Kings 5:4; 15:7; 1 Kings 2:11; 1 Kings 11:42). The front of the Jerusalem Temple, built by Solomon, was forty cubits wide (1 Kings 6:17). Elijah's journey lasted forty days to the mountain of God Horeb(1 Kings 19:8). The same number of days is found in the book of the prophet Jonah. This period was given by a resident of Nineveh for repentance: And Jonah began to walk around the city, as far as he could go in one day, and preached, saying: Another forty days and Nineveh will be destroyed! (John 3:4).
In the earthly life of our Lord Jesus Christ, two events are associated with the number forty. Before the beginning of the preaching of the Kingdom of Heaven, the Savior of the world, having retired into the waterless Judean desert, fasted for forty days, eating nothing (Matthew 4:2; Luke 4:2). Before His ascension, the Risen Lord remained on earth for forty days (Acts 1:3).
Often we see dreams through which our subconscious or higher power communicate with us and convey important information. Sometimes symbols come to us not only in the form of objects and familiar images, but also in the form of numbers. If with objects and images we can at least guess about the meaning of the dream, then what does the dreamed number promise us? To find out what the number 40 means, you need to look into the dream book.
Meaning of 40 in numerology
Dream Interpretation 40 is associated with the meaning of numbers in numerology. 4 symbolizes inviolability, integrity, completeness, trials, dedication, death, as well as the “cross”, personifying the confrontation between matter and spirit. 0 means unity, integrity and completeness of the universe.
Since 40 is also 4x10, then in deciphering its meaning it is necessary to mention 10. It denotes the unity and autocracy of the creator of the universe. Thus, the combination of these meanings describes 40 as the perfection and inconsistency of the creator. This number carries fatality and necessity. In Babylon, the forty-day period of disappearance of the Pleiades from the sky was considered a period of rain, bad weather and danger.
Dream book opinions
If we turn to dream books for a separate interpretation for the numbers 4 and 0, we get the following:
- 0 in a dream means power. It can mean that you need strength to do something. If 0 comes after other numbers, then it enhances their meaning. The number 0 indicates the degree of amplification.
- 4 shows that if there was negativity in your life, then you got rid of it in exchange for something new in your life. 4 is stability.
By comparing these meanings, you can intuitively understand what the number 40 means in dreams.
Pastor Loff's dream book agrees that such a dream is directly related to numerology. Dreaming about the number 40 may mean a period when you will be in danger. This could be an illness, a quarrel with loved ones, or a serious problem in business sphere. But this period, despite all the difficulties, will make you stronger.
According to Felomen's dream book, the interpretation is completely opposite. He believes that dreams of 40 are exclusively a good omen. You will have success in all your endeavors; higher powers will favor you. However, you should not forget about spirituality. Think not only about material wealth, and everything will work out as well as possible.
There is a third interpretation, according to which such a dream promises the dreamer the acquisition of stability after a difficult period of troubles and obstacles. However, a value of 4 ensures that you find balance.
4 with other numbers has completely different interpretations. For example, here are brief meanings of dreams with numbers from 40 to 49:
General meaning of numbers
Dream Interpretation of Medea claims that seeing numbers clearly in a dream is good sign. All your plans will soon come true. If they were vague, then you are wasting your energy. If during your sleep you were sure that you had imagined the date of death, then in reality you will complete a lot of work on that day.
If the numbers you dreamed of mean something to you, for example, this is your date of birth loved one or the day you receive your salary at work, the dream book advises to correlate it with associations from life: a positive attitude towards the number shows that the dream promises something good.
Women's dream book considers numbers to be an unfavorable sign. They will bring anxiety about loved ones, job dissatisfaction and melancholy into your life.
A number heard in a dream can become the date of some unexpected event. The dream book considers the number 40, or any other number that is greater than the number of days in a month, to be the probable number of days before the event.
The lunar dream book recommends remembering the number you dreamed about, because it will bring you good luck. Kananita's dream book agrees with him and even recommends using the number in the lottery or gambling. These dream books consider the number 40 to be one of the best signs, which foreshadows perhaps the best period in your life. Luck is on your side and all things will be crowned with success.
40 is considered great. Little is known about it, but great, even mystical significance is attached. The number 40 is associated with many questions regarding death and further afterlife person. 40 consists of 4 - meaning peace and stability, and in our case death, and 0 - spiritual life and the absolute. Four is also called Zero, manifested in the material plane. If translated from the language of numerology, then 40 is a transition from relative peace to absolute peace, and then to Divine peace. You can choose other interpretations: complete devastation, non-existence, the end of everything, the transition from one state to another. In each case it is true and is determined by the individual and his beliefs.
If you adhere to the philosophy that life is endless and when you die, human soul does not go anywhere, but is reincarnated into another living entity, then in your case the number 40 symbolizes precisely the moment of dying and reincarnation followed by birth. IN Christian religion death is the ascension of the soul and the dying of the physical shell. And on the fortieth day - the final farewell of the soul to its earthly burden and reunification with the holy spirit. And this is also the number 40.
40 announces that everything is over. All earthly functions are completed, a transition is made to the highest level, where “everything” is “nothing” and “nothing” is “everything”. Now this doesn’t say much to a person, because he perceives himself as a Personality. And the Personality, our I or Ego, considers these two concepts to be opposite. This can be realized by intensively meditating, which can cause the disintegration of the Personality.
The meaning of the number 40
40 has many meanings, but no matter which one you take, it will always be one. This is the sum of all interpretations regarding the 11 levels of our consciousness. A person lives being on all these levels at once, although he is not aware of it. And at best, he can only realize two or three of them.
40 is an inner peace associated with age, towards which a person moves as he grows up and gains experience.
This is natural harmony, the visible and invisible parts of natural phenomena and forces merge and connect. And just because we don’t see them doesn’t mean they don’t exist.
40 balances the spiritual and emotional components of a person.
Each person contains both a man and a woman, and this number balances them.
40 serves as a transition between parallel worlds. It also symbolizes an altered consciousness.
With the participation of this figure, human destiny is erased during life. This is a rare phenomenon that happens when life mission individual is impossible.
The line where the soul passes from one incarnation to another.
Complete erasure of the previous personality, its nullification. Gives oblivion, without which the human psyche would not be able to withstand the memory of everything that happened to the soul during its past incarnations.
Everything becomes nothing. We discussed this postulate above.
40 is absolute peace. At the same time, something is born and something dies, ad infinitum.
The combination of relative and absolute peace, in which Divine peace is born.
In Orthodoxy, numbers do not have a magical component; they carry an exclusively symbolic meaning, as well as a historical one. Historical numbers indicate a specific date or period of time from the past. Symbolic numbers carry a semantic theological load. Sometimes the historical and symbolic components are mixed in one number. For example, the 40 years of Moses' wandering in the desert is more important than just a historical date.
The meaning of the number 40 and significant events
40 is one of the most significant symbolic numbers in the Bible. The word "forty" is mentioned in Holy Scripture 150 times. The number 40 means something very significant and sacred, the most important event in biblical history humanity. Since in the Bible 40 is often associated with wanderings, movement, travel, then, according to St. Augustine, 40 symbolizes man's journey along the channel of life to its source, the truth, which is God.
40 days Lent lasts before the celebration of Easter; this period is called “Lent.” Most likely, this number of days is associated with the fast of Jesus Christ in the desert for 40 days. Although, it is likely that this refers to the 40 hours that Jesus lay in the tomb. Some historians suggest that the duration of Lent may be associated with the biblical prophet Moses, who wandered in the desert for 40 years with his people, or the prophet Elijah, who walked for 40 days to Mount Horeb, where he saw the Lord.
There are many more times in the Bible the number 40 is mentioned, For example:
For 40 days Noah floated on the Ark, for 40 days and nights it rained, and there was no one and nothing left on Earth except Noah’s Ark and those present on it;
King David and King Solomon ruled Israel for 40 years each;
40 years is very significant number for St. Moses, his life lasted 120 years - these are three important periods of 40 years each; He remained in Sinai for 40 days before receiving the tablets God's law;
Jesus fasted for 40 days in the Judean desert before the start of his sermon; For 40 days after the Resurrection, Christ remained on Earth, telling his disciples the New Testament truths, etc.
Orthodox Christians know that 40 days shower the deceased goes through ordeals and on the fortieth day her fate is finally decided. On the 40th day after death, it is important to remember the deceased in the Church.
A normal pregnancy in a woman lasts 7*40=280 days (or 10 lunar months). 40 days after the birth of a child, the mother cleanses herself (and should not enter the temple); on the 40th day, it is customary to baptize infants.
Thus, the number 40 symbolizes the transition from the present to the future, our very life and its finitude. 40 means fasting, testing, purification, wandering (through life) and waiting.