The Numbers Seventeen and One Hundred Fifty-Three

The number three is what I would call the primary resurrection number. If you haven't yet, you may want to read about it in the study Resurrection on the Third Day. There are two other numbers that I have learned are specially associated with resurrection; the numbers 17 and 153. The number 17 first came to my attention through study of the number 153 and then later through my study of the timing of the Bride theft. These numbers 3, 17 and 153 are mathematically related to each other as seen in the equation 3 x 3 x 17 = 153, which can also be expressed as 3² x 17 = 153. Seventeen is further related to 153 because the sum of the first seventeen numbers equals 153. 1+2+3+4+5+...+17 = 153

Truth is expressed through God's creation in many ways, among them is what we call mathematics. It is a language given to communicate attributes of the Creator and His creation to man.

One Hundred Fifty-Three

The remarkable number 153 is brought to light in (The Secret Resurrections of) John 21.

Logically, if the account is merely a nice story about a historical event the mention of the exact number of fish is pointless. But nothing, my friend, NOTHING in the Bible is trivial! There is meaning in this number and it relates perfectly to the context in which it appears! This is a resurrection scenario presented in a fishing allegory. The number 153 is linked to resurrection if for no other reason than the fact of its appearance there.

The capacity of the jars referred to in the wedding at Cana account referenced in the "Third Day" study has been calculated by Stephen Jones (God's Kingdom Ministries) using two different methods. Each method results in a total volume of 153 units! Those six stone jars filled with water were miraculously turned into wine by the Lord Y'shua. This miraculous transformation symbolized resurrection as the water representing this flesh life was turned into wine representing the eternal spirit life, and that, on the third day, of course!

It is a fact that the gematria of the Hebrew for "HaPesach" is 153. It means "the Passover," which is synonymous with the first of the three resurrection harvest feasts referenced in Deuteronomy 16:16. "HaPesach" == chet samekh peh heh == 8 + 80 + 60 + 5 = 153

Turning to more complex mathematics, a very interesting feature of 153 relates it very specially with the number three. (The Pattern and the Prophecy - by James Harrison - p. 94-95) Consider the following passage.

In this passage you can see that the number of those of whom the Lord will say are His people is given as the third part. Mathematically, the third part of all numbers can be expressed as being those that are evenly divisible by three. For example, the numbers 3,6,9,12...903...1776... are in this set. James describes what he calls the Trinity Function. It is a means of transforming numbers used to gain some further insight into the Great Mathematician's language. To apply the Trinity Function, sum the cubes of each digit in a number, then sum the cubes of the digits in that result, and the next and so on until the result does not change any further. If you apply this Trinity Function, you will see that, with few exceptions, the third part of all numbers transforms to the number 153!

Examples:

We can express the process more simply in this notation: 1776 >> 903 >> 756 >> 684 >> 792 >> 1080 >> 513 >> 153

Try a few others. The number can have as many digits or as few as you please.

3 >> 27 >> 351 >> 153

6 >> 216 >> 225 >> 141 >> 66 >> 432 >> 99 >> 1458 >> 702 >> 351 >> 153

375 >> 495 >> 189 >> 1242 >> 1080 >> 513 >> 153

So, with a few exceptions like 370, 371 and 407 (many thanks to Anne Hamilton for pointing these out) the third part of all numbers transforms to 153. I would call this a resurrection transformation.

To quote James Harrison: "Mathematics mirrors reality."

This image of the net was scanned from James Harrison's book. It shows a net catching fish as the third part of all numbers.

Seventeen

We have observed how seventeen is a significant factor in the number 153. The number 17 is related to the number 3 as it is the other most visible factor in 153, given that 153 = 17 x 9, and 9 is 3 x 3 or 3^2. Beyond that 17 relates to the number 3 by being what I call a "nested thirds" number. It is the third of a series doubly applied. Consider the following representation of three weeks or three sets of seven units in sequence. Within the third set of sevens, the third unit is number 17 of 21.

Thus, the number 17 is related to three in the context of weeks, being a doubly applied or nested third. Stated another way, seventeen is the third of the third.

This number is linked in scripture to resurrection. It is the day of the month on which the Lord rose from the dead, having been slain as the Paschal lamb on the 14th day of the month and raised to life on the third day. It is also the day of the month the flood of Noah's day began, lifting the ark off the surface of the ground. It was also the day of the month that ark came to rest once again on the ground. The flood was a baptism symbol, and a death and resurrection symbol.

You may wonder why it is that, if three is indeed the resurrection number, the Lord was not also raised on the third day of the month and on the third day of the week. I have no answer for whys of many kinds, but I do believe that the many complex legal requirements pertaining to his death and what He accomplished by it were each met with precision. He was raised on the third day of the third set of seven days counted from the beginning of the month, which was the seventeenth day of the month. He was also raised on a third day of the week, being raised up on the seventh day Shabbat. Remember, the seventh day IS a third day according to the second Adam count. (See Resurrection on the Third Day -- The Seventh Day is a Third Day) Finally, of course, he was raised on the third day from His death.

In Italian culture, the number 17 is considered unlucky, very much how many in this western culture consider the number 13 to be unlucky. The reason for this is because the Roman numeral for 17 is XVII, which can be changed anagramically to VIXI. In Latin VIXI translates to "I have lived." Or, in the perfect tense: "My life is over." This is fascinating because that is how it is with resurrection. The old life is over and the new life begins!

The number seventeen has some unique geometrical features. A hypercube cut along 17 faces unfolds into a three-dimensional cross. There are exactly 17 two-dimensional space (plane symmetry) groups.

The number seventeen is mathematically linked to the numbers seven and three, being the seventh prime number, the third Fermat prime and also the third Stern prime.

I'd like to quote from "The King James Code" by Michael Hoggard. "As we will see in the following analysis, the number seventeen overwhelmingly represents the completion of time and change or transformation. Simply put, it represents the change that will take place at the end of time." Now I'm not validating that author's conclusions, but there are some good insights and observations made that are worth repeating here. What I see in 17 is the transition from flesh to spirit. Hoggard references what I know as the Infinity Code as promoted by Al Neal, where a number's meaning is able to be observed in the Bible in the chapter so numbered. In Genesis 17, you will find a very crucial event taking place. The covenant is made between God and Abram, with the promise of Isaac given, the consequent changing of his and Sarai's names and the establishing of the circumcision. From that which is after the flesh - to that which is after the spirit - transition! Time's up for the flesh. Time has arrived for the spirit.