The Design of Scripture

The Number Five - Grace and Preparation

The number five is generally agreed to be one of a handful of numbers similar to the church at Philadelphia. No bad things to say about it. Every source I have concerning this number associates the idea of God's grace and life to it. The 5th word of scripture is shamayim, or heaven. There are not many bad things to say about heaven, and there is probably alot of grace and life there. The 5th day of restoration of the creation is the first appearance of life.

According to Ephesians 2:8-9, grace is a gift from YHVH. This gift is followed by eternal gratitude expressed through good works according to verse 10. Good works are defined only by the Word of God given to us from the beginning, or as Sha’ul puts it, from the foundation of the world. YHVH initiates the creative act and the objects of this act of grace respond. This is why the rest of the creation is seen going through the same process that human creation goes through. "In the beginning created God the heaven and the earth". This was accomplished by YHVH 'in the beginning'. Except for the soul and spirit of man and beast, so to speak, all things created in the beginning by the grace of God 'respond' in what we erroneously call the 6 days of creation. It was in the beginning that YHVH created heaven and earth in perfection, just as He did with man when he was created. Then in the second verse of scripture and the second recorded act, (remember the meaning of the number two?) the fall of hasatan takes place and the world is thrown into chaos and emptiness. Not so coincidently, the exact same thing happens to man in his first encounter with the evil one. But then the third recorded act (remember the meaning of the number three?) the Spirit of God moves over the face of the waters, and by an act of His own will, God restores His creation by 'letting be', 'making', 'forming', and 'calling'. The creation responds to the Creator by producing fruit, shining light, and providing just the right atmosphere for God's ultimate act to flourish. This same creation is waiting for it's new body just as we are.

Romans 8:19-22
"For the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creation was made subject to vanity, not willingly but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope. Because the creation itself ALSO shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now."

God's grace is indeed no respector of anything! He extends this gift of life to all, and all who have truly received His grace, by nature, respond by producing the fruit of His seed, the seed of the woman, the Messiah. An awesome examply of this is seen in the lives of Avraham and Sarah. The 5th letter in Hebrew is called the he. It is pronounced somewhat like the word you would use to get someone's attention. However, this letter, when used in a word, is very breathy and quiet. Before Avraham and Sarah heeded the call of YHVH and departed their 'former' life, they were called Avram and Sarai. However, sometime after their obedient response, YHVH renames them.

B'reshith 17:5,15
"Neither shall thy name any more be called Avram, but thy name shall be Avraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee ... And God said unto Avraham, As for Sarai, thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be."

YHVH demonstrates through His language His gift of grace. The letter he is placed in both the names of Avram and Sarai which gives them their meaning and purpose. He breathes His life into their lives. Avraham now becomes the father of many nations (goyim, gentiles). In scripture, the term av is used to indicate the prototype or source of something. Avraham will now become the earthly expression of where grace and true faith has it's source. This is why the testimony of the Brit Chadashah is replete with teaching that Avraham is the father of us all (Galatians 3:29, Romans 4:16). The source of grace and faith is found in Avraham and expressed by the works of Avraham.

Yochanan 8:39
"They answered, and said unto him, Avraham is our father. Yahshua saith unto them, If ye were Avrahams children, ye would do the WORKS of Avraham."

God's gift of grace is found in the seed of the woman, or His Word. Contained within the seed of the grace of God is the works of Avraham. Now Go! Be fruitful and multiply. This is the same words YHVH spoke to all of His creation. I give you the seed by My grace. It cannot be earned. But contained within My seed are My works ordained from the foundation of the world. This is the testimony of our God expressed so beautifully in the ark of the covenant, which is the testimony or witness of our Creator.

Sh'mot 25:21-22
"And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee. And there I will MEET with you and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel."

The ark of the testimony paints for us the same repetitious picture given from the beginning. The mercy seat, where the sprinkled blood of the sacrifice lies, contains within it the commandments of our Creator. The testimony of our Creator is first seen in His mercy, but contained within this gift from YHVH is His Torah that prepares us for life. Messiah Yahshua is no less the walking, breathing, living ark of YHVH.

The idea of preparation is also seen in the Hebrew word chamash, the word for five. Chamash means to prepare or be ready. Five is an expression of preparedness as a result of receiving his mercy and grace. Is it just a coincidence that we denotatively call Torah, the FIVE books of Mosheh? Grace prepares you for Torah and Torah prepares you for life. David, in preparing for Goliath, took up FIVE smooth stones. To prepare and perfect the saints for ministry we are given FIVE GIFTS, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers (Ephesians 4:11-12). The narration of the preparation and building of the tabernacle in Sh'mot is filled with fives and multiples of fives that are too numerous to mention. In Mattityahu 25, there are FIVE virgins who are PREPARED when their Master comes. Noach found GRACE in the eyes of YHVH, and then PREPARED an ark, in which few, that is eight souls, were saved by water (1 Kefa 3:20). The anointing oil was prepared with FIVE ingredients in Sh'mot 30:23-25. God's unearned gift of grace is given to prepare us for our ultimate glorification. This process of glorification happens from YHVH's point of view in FIVE steps. For whom He did FOREKNOW, He also did PREDESTINATE, and whom he did predestinate, them He also CALLED; and whom He called, them He also JUSTIFIED, and whom He justified, them He also GLORIFIED (Romans 8:29-31). Below are just a few examples of the use of the number FIVE.

  • 5 Levitical offerings - burnt, peace, sin, trespass and meat.
  • The book of Tehillim is divided into 5 sections in the Hebrew scriptures.
  • 5 loaves feed 5000 people in Yochanan 6:1-10.
  • There are 5 women in Yahshua's geneaology.
  • Yochanan wrote 5 books.
  • In describing the true remnant in Romans 11:5-6, grace is mentioned 5 times and work is mentioned 4 times.
  • In the Greek text of the Brit Chadashah, the Ruach HaQodesh or Spirit of God is called the comforter 5 times.
  • The Messiah is called 5 things in Yesha'yahu 9:6 - Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasing Father, The Prince of Peace.
  • There are 5 porches at Bethesda: Yochanan 5:2.
  • 5 voices heard in the kingdom: the voice of joy, the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, the voice of the bride, and the voice of them who shall say, Praise YHVH of hosts, for YHVH is good. Yirmeyahu 33:10-11.
  • Yochanan 3:16 is syncopated into 5 sections - (1) for God so loved the world (2) that He gave His only begotten Son (3) that whosoever believes in Him (4) should not perish (5) but have everlasting life.
  • Grace is first mentioned the 5th time Noach's name appears: B'reshith 6:8.
  • Grace is first mentioned in the book of Ruth the 5th time Ruth's name appears: Ruth 2:2.
  • The next time grace is mentioned in Ruth is the 5th time Boaz appears.
  • Grace is first mentioned in the book of Sh'mu'el Alef the fifth time David's name appears: Sh'mu'el Alef 16:22.
  • Our high priest of Ivrim 7:26 is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens.
  • There are 5 sacrifices in the covenant made with Avraham in B'reshith 15:9.
  • The fact that we are 'peculiar' appears 5 times in Sh'mot 19.
  • The Levites were the 5th camp.
  • The gematria of grace in the Greek is 725 (5x145).

Shalom Alecheim!