Meaning Of Biblical Numbers

To write eleven in Hebrew, they wrote two Hebrew letters: yod (hand) and aleph (strength). These signify the hand
(outworking) of one’s strength. Man’s works apart from God are imperfect and out of order, and so they come ultimately
to disintegration.
Eleven is the number of imperfection, disorder, or being out of order. Jacob had only eleven sons remaining at home
after Joseph was lost and presumed dead. This portrays a measure of disorder. Only when Joseph was found and reunited
with his brethren was there the order of divine government—the number 12.
Israel was rebellious against God ten times from the time they left Egypt to the day the twelve spies gave their reports
(Num. 14:22). God then judged them, saying that they would have to spend 40 years in the wilderness. As we showed
earlier, ten indicates the judgment of the law. But then the people refused to accept God’s judgment, and this became their
eleventh sin—disorder. They attempted to conquer Canaan on their own, but failed miserably (Num. 14:39-45). It does
not work to do the right thing at the wrong time, nor to do the wrong thing at the right time. Both manifest disorder.
Also of note is the fact that it was an eleven-day journey from Mount Horeb to Kadesh-Barnea, where the 12 spies
gave their report and where Israel committed their eleventh act of rebellion against God.
According to Jer. 39:2, the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem in the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. Again, to
emphasize disorder, God gave Ezekiel a revelation about the destruction of Tyre “in the eleventh year” (Ez. 26:1) and also
of Egypt “in the eleventh year” (Ez. 30:20).
After Judas betrayed Jesus and hanged himself, this left just eleven disciples. As they contemplated the soon-coming
day of Pentecost, Peter understood that eleven disciples constituted a number of disorder. He also understood that Judas
had played the role of Ahithophel (Psalm 109:8) and that, therefore, he should be replaced (Acts 1:20).
So the disciples cast lots (Acts 1:26), and Matthias replaced Judas, making the total number of disciples back to
twelve—divine government. Matthias served temporarily as a stand-in (Acts 1:26) until Jesus appeared to Saul and called
Him to the ministry (Acts 9:5). God then trained him for fourteen years before commissioning him on his first missionary
journey (Gal. 2:1; Acts 13:2) and renaming him “Paul” (Acts 13:9).
The eleventh time Paul is mentioned is in Acts 14:14. Paul had just worked a miracle, healing a lame man. The
multitudes then said, “The gods have become like men and have come down to us” (vs. 11). The people brought out
garlands to honor Paul and Barnabas like gods. This was clearly out of order.
14 But when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of it, they tore their robes and rushed out into the
crowd, crying out 15 and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same
nature as you, and preach the gospel to you in order that you should turn from these vain things to a living
God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them.”
After Paul brought correction to these people, they dragged him out of the city, stoned him, and left him for dead.
Eleven, therefore, shows disorder and incompletion. For this reason there is often judgment associated with this
number.
In similar manner, Egypt was out of order by refusing to let Israel go. So God brought ten plagues upon Egypt—the
judgments of God. The eleventh offense was at the Red Sea when Pharaoh tried to bring the “Church in the wilderness”
back into slavery. They were out of order.
Canaan himself had eleven sons (Gen. 10:15-18). The Canaanite kings symbolically depict the inner strongholds in
our minds (2 Cor. 10:4, 5) that prevent us from submitting to Christ fully. Likewise, there were eleven dukes, or chiefs, of
Edom (Gen. 36:40-43).
Twelve (yod-beth)
Governmental Perfection/Authority
To write twelve in Hebrew, they wrote two Hebrew letters: yod-beth. These signify the hand (outworking) of the
household in harmony under divine authority.
Twelve is the number of governmental perfection and divine authority. It follows 11, which is the disorder preceding
this perfection. There were 12 sons of Jacob in the Old Testament and 12 apostles in the New Testament. There are 12
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