HEBREW NUMEROLOGY - FIFTY
FIFTY
When a person hears the number fifty the first thing that should enter his mind is Jubilee, for every 50 years was the Jubilee year. In the book of Leviticus the following is read, “And you shall sanctify the fiftieth year and you shall call (that year) a year of
freedom in the Land for all the ones who dwell in it, it shall be a Jubilee for you….” Leviticus 25:10
The key word in this verse is the Hebrew word, דרור which means freedom. When one studies the nature of this word for freedom, he will understand therelationship between freedom and the will of G-d. In other words, the freedom that is provided by G-d is so that His will can be realized in one’s life. In connection with this understanding is another occurrence of the number 50.
The Torah speaks of three special festivals which every Jewish male, 20 years and older, must go up to Jerusalem to observe. These festivals are Unleavened Bread, Weeks, and Tabernacles. The Feast of Weeks derives its name from the fact that
HaShem commanded the Children of Israel to count seven weeks and the next day would be the Holy Day. However, during this time, not only were the Children of Israel commanded to count seven weeks, but also 50 days. Hence, an additional name for the Festival of Weeks is Pentecost, or the festival of fifty.
Although Judaism traditionally associates this festival with the giving of the Ten Commandments, it is only in the New Covenant that this festival is clearly connected to the giving of the Holy Spirit. It is important for the reader to comprehend that only when one is indwelt by the Holy Spirit can he truly turn away from the bondage of sin and be set free to obey the will of G-d.
Another example from the Scripture is found in the Gospels. Here, Yeshua fed the 5,000 (100 X 50). He had the 5,000 people sit down in groups of 50. Because of this, there is obviously an emphasis on the number 50. One of the theological points which this passage teaches is that when one acts in faith, he is not bound by the things of this world. Rather, he is free, or liberated, to serve G-d.
Conclusion: Numbers can and often do assist the reader in arriving at a more accurate interpretation of Biblical texts. In the examples provided in this article, one learns how to utilize the numbers that appear in the Bible and the rules/methodology for interpreting such numbers.
Again, one must remember two important facts:
1) the significance of each number should only be applied to the numbers that appear in the Scriptures and not the numbers that we encounter in everyday life;
2) the significance of each number may not be relevant for every appearance of that number in the Scriptures. Hence, one should be very cautious in applying the significance of numbers when interpreting the Bible
