The significance and meaning of number 40 in the Bible.

The significance and meaning of number 40 in the Bible.

I am looking for someone to help me answer these questions.

  1. Why Noah built the Ark in 40 days.
  2. Why the rain/storm lasted for 40days.
  3. Why the Israelites walked through the desert for 40 years.
  4. Why the tower of barbel was built in 40 days.
  5. Why Jesus Christ fasted for 40days.
  6. Why Jesus Christ ascended to heaven after 40 days,
  7. Why Moses had to spend 40 days with God, and fasting before he got the 10 Commandments Tablets
  8. Why it took 40 days threat from Goliath against the Army of Israel before he was killed by David
  9. Why David later had a total reign of 40 years over the nation of Israel
  10. Why Elijah had to trekked, fasting for 40 days running away from Jezebel

40 days and 40 years in the Bible is HIGHLY SYMBOLIC

  1. Why life begins at 40.
  2. Why even Pass mark starts at 40.
  3. Why they also say “A fool @ 40 is a fool forever”

What’s so special about 40???

The significance of 40

  1. 40 is the only number that is spelt in alphabetical order (forty) in English language.
  2. Jesus Christ spent 40 days on Earth after resurrection before Ascension. This may explain why dead people hover around for 40 days before departure to the spirit world. Stories abound of the deceased spotted by persons unaware of their demise before or on 40 days after death.
  3. Jesus Christ, a perfect man albeit God fasted for 40 days and 40 nights and survived. Equally, a man can go without food for 40 days and stay alive if he or she has no health issues.
  4. Quarantine means 40 in Venitian language. Therefore quarantine period is actually 40 days.
  5. The gestation period of man is 40 weeks. This covers the time of last menstrual period till delivery.
  6. Israelites travelled on foot from Egypt to the Promised Land for 40 years by Divine guidance using the shortest safest route. 40 is a Heavenly number.
  7. 40 weeks approximate 9 months as stated earlier. Accurate mathematical calculation makes 4 weeks equal to 1 month or plus 1, 2 or 3 days as the case may be. This is the period of pregnancy of a human who is the image of God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit and Holy Trinity One God- 4 attributes of God.
  8. There are 40 spaces on a Monopoly board. Proving that life is a gamble, the game gives players equal chances (one in 40) of going directly to jail or winning the free Parking Prize.
  9. The great deluge lasted for 40 days. 8 members of Noah’s family including himself with various kinds of animals might have exhausted their provisions before the expiration of catastrophic event. Yet, they survived the remaining period on bare stores. This attests to the fact that human beings can go without food for day (Gen 7:1-17).
  10. Prophet Elijah while escaping from Jezebel walked 40 days to mount Sinai, the holy mountain (1 Kings 19:8). This supports the fact that 40 is a Heavenly number.
  11. Scientifically, minus 40 degrees is the only temperature that is the same in Fahrenheit and Celsius.
  12. 40 is the number of winks Dr William Kitchener suggests taken for a perfect nap in his 1821 guide.
    Therefore religion, science, mathematics among others regard 40 as a perfect number.
  13. Life begins at 40 years. This is true because at 40, a new phase of life starts to manifest. At this age, the symptoms of the ailments that will lead to a persons death begin to show up if one is unfortunate to develop them. A lucky person does not feel them at all while a less fortunate one notices strange feelings over the body. Thus during this time, signs of H BP, Diabetes, Depression among others are felt, Of course at this age, one is supposed to get married, be stable both financially or otherwise and prepared fully for the challenges of life.
  14. A fool at 40 is a fool forever. Nobody should be deceived into living a life of make believe at this age. Many have been led into self-destruction by the friends they keep. At 40 years of age, one should be wise enough to analyze situations and make the right choices. A person unable to discern illusions and deceitful life patterns is doomed and may never recover.
  15. In many religious circles, 40 is used to designate a period of time. A generation is marked by an interval of 40 years. Goliath challenged the Israelites twice a day for 40 days before David came to the
    Rescue. Thus 40 is a divine number.

CREDIT: Ofomah E S writes from St Davids Catholic Church,
Azigbo. Nnewi South LGA..
08101327059.

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