"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Hebrews 4:12

Some readers who follow "bible numbers" ministries might be thinking to themselves that I am just focusing on paganism in numerology, and that the so-called "ministry" they follow is really of God. No, I am talking about ALL so-called "preachers" or "evangelists" who focus on number equations in Scripture, who foolishly think that their "bible equations" are prophetic; they are practicing witchcraft and trying to make it "biblical," and in this teaching, I want to educate Christians about the scam, so they will not be conned into false doctrines.

As the years have gone by, I have thought of doing an exposé on numerology, but only recently have the number cults risen in widespread popularity, and so I could not put this off any longer because it is becoming quite dangerous. It is very easy for new Christians to fall prey to numerology's so-called "ministries," but if you look closely, they are void of any Biblical substance in their doctrine, and like most pseudo-Christian cults, only use the doctrines of Scripture when it is convenient for them to make their articles and videos seem like they are divinely inspired.

For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.
-Acts 20:29-31

To begin, let's look at a general definition of the word 'numerology':

numerology (n): the study of numbers, as the figures designating the year of one's birth, to determine their supposed influence on one's life, future, etc.
(See 'numerology', Random House Dictionary, 2022, [dictionary.com]; See also Collins English Dictionary, 10th Edition, William Collins Sons & Co, 2012)

The word 'numerology' (i.e. 'numer' [where we get the word numbers] + 'ology' [meaning "the study of"]) can be traced back to the 14th century in Europe, and it has been applied to many definitions. For example, 'numerology' has been used to refer to how publications were labeled, it has been used to refer to theater programs for musical numbers, and also for poetry. However, today, its most common usage surrounds the pagan practice of divination in the use of mathematics to imply religious meaning to numbers and equations.

The Online Etymology Dictionary (i.e. etymology is the study of word origins) says that the occultic meaning for numerology has been around since the early 1900s:
"'Study of the occult meaning of numbers, divination by numbers,' 1911, a hybrid from Latin numerus "a number" (see number (n.)) + Greek -logia (see -logy). A correct formation would be arithmology, from Greek arithmos "number." Related: Numerological; numerologist."
(See 'numerology', Online Etymology Dictionary, retrieved Feb 1, 2022, [https://www.etymonline.com/word/numerology])

To make sure readers understand this, the word 'occult' most often applies to a religious context, namely to the secrets of paganism and witchcraft:

occult (adj): hidden from the eye or understanding; invisible; secret; unknown; undiscovered; undetected; as the occult qualities of matter; the occult sciences are magic, necromancy, etc.
(See 'occult', American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828, retrieved Feb 1, 2022, [webstersdictionary1828.com])

So to summarize the definition of 'numerology' in the context of this teaching, it is a belief in mathematical divination. Let's make sure we define the word 'divination' as well:

divination (adj): the act of divining; a foretelling future events, or discovering things secret or obscure, by the aid of superior beings, or by other than human means
(See 'divination', American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828, retrieved Feb 1, 2022, [webstersdictionary1828.com])

The typical numerologist today believes that there are secret hidden mathematical codes in various places throughout the world, often in the dimensions, sequences, and times of people, places, and things. With this, also comes various religious interpretations of those numbers, and that is where the line is crossed into divination.

Numerology is the study of mathematical divination. In short, numerology is superstitious witchcraft.

Please do not misunderstand; there are certain mathematical equations that the Lord God has given us in nature that pertain to various elements with which we interact. For example, the Golden Mean ratio, the Fibonacci sequence, fractals (i.e. repeating shapes found in nature), etc. However, to imply direct religious communication from God out of these things, that He and/or His angels have spoken to mankind through them, is divination (i.e. paganism and witchcraft), and the Lord has made it clear to us that He hates such things.

Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
-Jeremiah 10:2

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
-Galatians 5:19-21

And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
-2 Kings 17:17

Before we begin to analyze specific arguments from numerology cultists, I want readers to understand that there is a lot of leaven (i.e. corruption) surrounding those who have the numerology philosophy (i.e. way of thinking). I found three similar corruptions in all the authors and preachers I found who taught numerology:

I frequently found that numerologists teach a false gospel on salvation and repentance. Read There is No Saving Grace Without Repentance & Why Millions of Believers on Jesus Are Going to Hell here at creationliberty.com for more details. I also commonly found numerologists using corrupt modern bible versions that dilute the Word of God. Read "Why I Use The King James Bible" here at creationliberty.com for more details. They would use lexicons and concordances for the justification of their doctrines, which is a highly deceptive method of interpretation of Scripture. Read "The Dangers of Using Lexicons and Concordances" here at creationliberty.com for more details.

If any readers are unfamiliar with these topics, I would highly encourage you to read up on them and gain understanding of the matter because this is more evidence we can use to detect the amount of leaven (i.e. corruption in doctrine) in these numerology "ministries." With that in mind, let's move forward and look at some numerology preachers to learn what they teach about numbers in the Bible.

Mark Lane is the owner of a blog called Bible Numbers for Life, and under the headline "Bible Number Meanings," he writes:
"Bible numbers apply to things God has made (Creation) and things God has said (Scripture). Bible numbers do not apply to man-made things: beware of superstition."
-Mark H. Lane, Bible Numbers for Life, retrieved Feb 2, 2022, [https://biblenumbersforlife.com]

When Lane opens by telling readers to "beware of superstition," this is how he is able to lure in new Christians that may not have much discernment. Superstition is generally defined as "false religion," but the following definition from Noah Webster's 1828 dictionary (which is based on the contextual definitions of the King James Bible) gives us a more expanded idea:

superstition (n): excessive exactness or rigor in religious opinions or practice; extreme and unnecessary scruples [small things] in the observance of religious rites not commanded, or of points of minor importance; excess or extravagance in religion; the doing of things not required by God, or abstaining from things not forbidden; or the belief of what is absurd, or belief without evidence
(See 'superstition', American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828, retrieved Feb 2, 2022, [webstersdictionary1828.com])

A more modern dictionary says the following:

superstition (n): a belief or notion, not based on reason or knowledge, in or of the ominous significance of a particular thing, circumstance, occurrence, proceeding, or the like
(See 'superstition', Random House Dictionary, 2022, [dictionary.com]; See also Collins English Dictionary, 10th Edition, William Collins Sons & Co, 2012)

In summary, a superstition is something that is a minor matter of unimportance that is given extreme religious significance, without using logic and evidence to support it. What we are going to see in this teaching is that Lane is preaching superstitious principles, and so the first thing he does is deceive his readers by telling them to "beware of superstition," which he knows will lead them to presuppose (i.e. before they have analyzed the evidence) that Lane's writings are not the ramblings of a superstitious man.

However, Lane did not define what he means by "bible numbers," and because he did not do that, it leaves readers open to interpret for themselves what a "bible number" is or is not. However, as I continued to investigate his site, Lane has a segment called, "Revelation of God - In Bible Numbers," in which he gives more details:
"Do you believe in numbers? Are you sure? You can't see them. Yet, most of us assume numbers exist. We have used numbers all our lives to tell the time, to pay our bills, to measure our height, to make phone calls. Yet, numbers are spiritual in their very nature: they exist but you can't see them. Numbers are also perfect, what they say is exactly what they mean. There is no deviation or decay in the meaning of a number over time. Numbers never change with season or temperature, they always stay the same. Numbers are everlasting, from age to age the same. God is spiritual. He exists, but you can't see Him. God is perfect. There is no fault or imperfection in Him. God is everlasting. He always has been and always will be. How appropriate would it be for God to use something spiritual, perfect, and everlasting, like numbers, to describe for us other things that are spiritual, perfect, and everlasting. In fact, we believe that is precisely what God does."
-Mark H. Lane, "Intro," Bible Numbers for Life, retrieved Feb 2, 2022, [https://biblenumbersforlife.com/introduction]

This is a logical fallacy that is known as "false equivalence," which is a claim that because two subjects share some characteristics, therefore, they are equal. An equivalence fallacy looks like this:

Object 1 and Object 2 share characteristic X.
Therefore, Object 1 and Object 2 are equal.
This is sometimes known as a "comparing apples and oranges" argument. An example of false equivalence would look like this:

Apples and oranges are both fruits.
Therefore, apples and oranges taste the same.
Obviously, apples and oranges do not taste the same because, although they are both generally classified as fruit, they do not share the same characteristics. Now that we understand this fallacy, here is Lane's argument:

God is everlasting and numbers are everlasting.
Therefore, God and numbers are spiritual.
This is absurd on so many levels, it is difficult to know where to begin. First of all, numbers are not everlasting because we need to understand that mathematics only applies to the physical realm of creation.

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
-Matthew 24:35

Jesus specifically said that His Word would not pass away, meaning that His teachings would persist throughout all eternity. He did NOT say that mathematics would be everlasting, and though I know what Lane is trying to do here, we need to take this one step at a time, so put a pin in that thought because we will come back to it later.

It is true that numbers are an abstract concept (i.e. cannot be detected by sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch). We can write down symbols for numbers (e.g. 1, 2, 3, etc), and we can use objects to teach numerical concepts, but numbers themselves are an abstract concept, like reason and emotion. However, to claim that numbers are spiritual, because they cannot be detected by the senses, is a completely different argument that enters the realm of absurdity.

spiritual (n): pertaining to spirit or to the affections; pure; holy
(See 'spiritual', American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828, retrieved Feb 2, 2022, [webstersdictionary1828.com])

The word 'spiritual' can be used in the general sense of a non-material thing, but that is NOT the way in which Lane used the term. As we read, he is comparing numbers with God, claiming that God and numbers share all the same attributes, which means he is claiming that numbers themselves have spiritual attributes that carry divine messages.

What Lane does next is what nearly all numerology preachers do, namely, they refer to Revelation 13 for the justification of these things:

Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
-Revelation 13:18

Before I continue with Lane's argument, it should be understood by Christians that this verse cannot be fully understood yet, despite the fact that there are many churchgoers who believe they understand it. This is verse 18, which is the end of chapter 13, which is located AFTER the description of a beast (i.e. the context), which will be the final antichrist, who will do many seemingly wondrous miracles in the eyes of men.

God has told us that the final antichrist would make fire come down from heaven:

And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
-Revelation 13:13

God has also told us that the final antichrist would cause his symbol (whatever that will be) to come alive and speak to the people, and all those who would not recognize this image as a divine symbol of God would be killed:

And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
-Revelation 13:15

It needs to be noted that none of that is happening right now, which means the application of the number 666 (i.e. six hundred, threescore [3 x 20 = 60], and six) is going to be specifically used in that day. Thus, when we see this number being used as a symbol to represent something or someone, we should discern whether or not it concerns the descriptions of the final antichrist laid out for us in the Word of God, and if it does not, we can just note it and move on without having to dive into superstition.

Also, we need to note is that the Bible does NOT say that 6, nor 666, is the number of man. The Bible says that it is "the number of A man," meaning one man in particular, which is the final antichrist, the son of perdition.

Furthermore, we do not yet know that the number 666 as we use it in mathematics today will be the same in the final days as it is used now, or even if it is an angel's specific count of something in a different sense. The reason many churchgoers and preachers do not understand this is because they are assuming what the phrase "it is the number of a man" means.

For example, in Revelation 21, God tells us:

And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.
-Revelation 21:17

This indicates that the measurements used were according to the angel's height, based on how he appeared unto John and spoke to him, that is, in the form of a man. (Because angels do not naturally look like men; they are separate creations from men.) Please consider: How long is a cubit? A cubit can be any length depending on the size of a man, and has even changed from region to region depending on the man who was measured, so God could have instructed the angel to appear in any particular way so that his cubit (in his appearance of a man) would be the precise length God wanted it to be.

This means that the number 666 could change its meaning (to us) over time, not just in its written form, but also its substance. How that number might be displayed is anyone's guess at this point; only God knows, and only those who have the Spirit of God in that day will be able to affirm this for certain.

Therefore, for anyone to presume they understand the dimensions and application of 666 in the day the prophecy was foretold is simply foolish. However, it is not just foolish, it is dangerous because it spurs corrupt preachers to start creating false prophecies based on superstitions, and that brings us back to numerology.

"Consider the implication of the verse in Revelation 13:18. Scripture is saying wisdom and insight are capable of connecting a person in the Bible, in this case the beast of Revelation 13, with a number. The verse also suggests that man has a number. That number is not stated but we understand the number of man is six because man was created on the sixth day."
-Mark H. Lane, "Intro," Bible Numbers for Life, retrieved Feb 2, 2022, [https://biblenumbersforlife.com/introduction]

I have no problem with someone who has a theory about something, and I am open to listening to someone's ideas about a subject, but what I do have a problem with is when an author makes an assumption (without pointing out the assumption), and then deceives his viewing audience by continuing on with his argument as if his assumptions were automatically proven true. Lane did not provide ANY Scriptural evidence or justification for the claim that because man was created on the sixth day, therefore his number is six.

If you think I am just splitting hairs on this (i.e. I am just picking on minor details for no reason), then let's keep reading. Lane continues:
"Revelation 13:18 also suggests wisdom is capable of calculating with numbers. For example: 666 = 3 x 37 x 6. Three has the meaning 'God'. Thirty-seven means 'Chosen Servant'. Six means 'Man'. So, the meaning of 666 is related to the composition of the prime numbers that comprise it. By this logic, 666 could be translated using number meanings as 'The Man [who claims] to be God's Chosen Servant'."
-Mark H. Lane, "Intro," Bible Numbers for Life, retrieved Feb 2, 2022, [https://biblenumbersforlife.com/introduction]

So I first demonstrated that man is not automatically represented by the number six (as numerologists want us to assume) because of the misinterpretation of the text, on top of the fact that the text cannot be fully interpreted yet until the signs of the times appear. Lane did not provide any other Scripture to back up his argument, and neither do other numerologists because many of them copy from one another.

Though the number of the final antichrist does appear to be 666, where in the Bible does it say that the number three represents God? I do not care about anyone's superstitions or personal opinions; I want to know where (in the Bible) God has declared these things.

God is a Spirit: and they that worship him
must worship him in spirit and in truth.
-John 4:24

All spiritual matters must be interpreted by God because man cannot understand them without His help, and we need to remember that devils do everything they can to deceive mankind about spiritual matters. So if God has not declared a spiritual matter for us, then we should not follow it, and since Lane believes these numbers are "spiritual," but gives us no Scriptural instruction for them (neither a commandment to follow numbers, nor definitions from God on what those numbers symbolize), then we should depart completely from the superstitious practice of numerology.

Where did God declare that the number three symbolized Him? Where did God declare that the number 37 symbolizes a "chosen servant?" To answer those questions, Lane did not turn to the Word of God (as he so often claims in his writing), but rather, he turned to his own capability to calculate mathematical equations (i.e. "3 x 37 x 6"), or in other words, Lane worships his own brain.

Also notice that Lane, like many other deceptive numerology preachers, uses phrases like "could be" in his interpretation. For example, he said, "By that logic, 666 could be translated using number meanings as 'The Man [who claims] to be God's Chosen Servant'," which means he has no idea and is just guessing based on a presupposition that he WANTS to believe, and wants YOU to believe because, if you believe it, you will think he is very knowledgeable.

At this point, I want to demonstrate to readers how easy it is to use mathematics to give numbers ANY interpretive meaning you want. For example, if we divide the alleged "number of man" (i.e. 6) by the number of the antichrist (i.e. 666 ÷ 6) we come up with 111, and you will notice that 1 + 1 + 1 = 3, and since Lane told us that the number three is the number of God, therefore, "By that logic, 666 could be translated" to mean, "The Antichrist is a Blessing to Mankind From God."

Of course, my interpretation is not true because it contradicts Scripture. However, whether or not it contradicts Scripture is irrelevant because the method by which the interpretation was created is NOT based on the doctrines of the Word of God (nor by any instruction He gave us), but rather, it is based on the interpretations of man, and his ability to put mathematical operators between scrambled numbers.

Lane continues to try to justify his occult numerology by cherry-picking phrases out of specific verses, and pay close attention because this will expose his deception:
"'To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna.' (Rev. 2:17)
'...turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you cry out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.' (Prov. 2:2-5)
We are familiar with mana (Exodus 16). It was the food that came miraculously down out of heaven to feed the people of God while they were on their wilderness journey. It sustained the people for 40 years, yet they did not know what it was. The Israelites collected mana in the cool of the morning. It was white and appeared like thin flakes on the ground. When the sun grew hot it melted away. The New Testament refers to mana as 'spiritual food' (1 Cor. 10:3). The Hebrew word for mana (Exodus 16:15) is spelled 'Mana' in the text and is composed of only two Hebrew letters Mem and Nun. Note: vowels don't appear as letters in Hebrew. The next Hebrew word in the lexicon is 'Manah', which is composed of three letters: Mem, Nun, and He. 'Manah' means 'count' or 'number'!!! Could the word 'Manah' have been shortened or abbreviated as 'Mana' in the Exodus text? The letter He, like our English letter H, has no sound, just a breath. The two words 'Mana' and 'Manah' sound almost the same."
-Mark H. Lane, "Intro," Bible Numbers for Life, retrieved Feb 2, 2022, [https://biblenumbersforlife.com/introduction]

Let's break down the mental-gymnastics performance we just read. The first thing we need to do is look at the Scripture:

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.
-Revelation 2:17

The hidden manna that is being referred to here is an analogy to the hidden manna that was spoken about in Exodus 16:31-36, which was the manna that fell from heaven and fed the Jews for 40 years in the wilderness. The analogy is that, in the final days of the antichrist on earth, the Christians will be driven into the wilderness, and the Lord Jesus Christ (who is the manna) will feed them knowledge, understanding, and wisdom with His Word.

I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
-John 6:51

So what Lane does next, I must confess, is likely the most ridiculous argument I have ever heard in all my days of ministry because he starts off by talking about manna in a Hebrew lexicon, which has nothing to do with numbers. Then, he goes to the next alphabetical word in the list (which may not be alphabetical in Hebrew, but only in the English spelling), which he claims is "manah," and he says that word means 'count' or 'number'.

Next, he suggests that the Bible (i.e. the preserved Word of God) has errors, and that the translators of Scripture "could have" (i.e. a suggestion without evidence) made a mistake, and they really meant to say that the Jews lived on numbers instead of bread. I am not sure I would have believed that someone wrote this argument if I had not read it myself from the source. The two words have no connection in Hebrew, but Lane refuses to understand or acknowledge that, and even if they did, it would still be irrelevant to the context.

Lane concludes by not directly saying that the word 'bread' should actually be interpreted to be "numbers" because he knows it would be insane to suggest such a thing based on absurd speculation with no evidence, so instead, he simply goes on to proclaim his belief in it anyway, and though it is almost unbelievable that he said this, read it yourself:
"We believe the hidden 'mana' is number meanings. In the same way the mana sustained the Israelites, the number meanings in Scripture sustains the over-comer in Christ (Rev. 2:17) as he or she travels through the spiritual desert of this world."
-Mark H. Lane, "Intro," Bible Numbers for Life, retrieved Feb 2, 2022, [https://biblenumbersforlife.com/introduction]

My jaw dropped when reading this because I was stunned. I had a hard time believing that someone actually wrote this with any hint of seriousness. I scrolled down to the bottom of the page because I was double-checking to see if there was some fine-print disclaimer about it being satire, but I found nothing.

This very method of using numbers and biased equations is a relatively new method for false prophets to gain a following, and they have made a lot of money on it. Worst of all, in the process of gaining selfish wealth and popularity, these false prophets have caused many to turn away from the Word of God, and away from those who preach the truth of Christ's doctrine sincerely.

To gain a better understanding of what I mean, let's take a look at one of those false prophets. In the spring of 2010, a man who went by the name "Uaz31" (i.e. he refused to give me his real name) wrote to inform me that my teaching about the age of the earth (i.e. that it is roughly 6,000 years old based on the dates of the genealogy in Scripture, see The Age of the Earth for more details) was wrong, and that a man named Harold Camping had been sent by God to fix this alleged error.

Here is part of Uaz31's email to me:
"Actually the man who came up with 6,000 year old creation was way off. Its [sic] amazing that nobody was [sic] corrected his work till now. Mr. Camping from Familyradio is where this info comes from. You can research the very careful work done on the timeline of history at familyradio.com. I suggest 'were [sic] almost there' 'adam when?' and 'time has an end' for detailed into. I think its [sic] 'Adam when?' that has the work done for creation. Its [sic] very well done and all from the Bible. The proofs that 2011 is indeed the last year are amazing and nothing like many of the claims made in past. We can know for a fact that May 21, 2011 is the rapture. There will be a world wide earthquake as mentioned in Revelation where the graves will be opened and bodies will litter the ground. Its [sic] going to be really bad for those who remain for the last 153 days."

For a fact? Let's see... 2011... it is now 2022... I am no math expert, but I think this "fact" has been proven wrong by now. At the time, I told "Uaz31" that what he was saying was a load of garbage because the Lord Jesus Christ informed us in Matthew 24:

But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
-Matthew 24:36

However, Uaz31 would not listen to the Scripture, and instead responded with a warning to me that the day would come "as a thief in the night for those who are not watching," which, based on the context of the rest of his letter, was his roundabout way of implying that I would suffer greatly and would end up in hell because I did not believe this false prophecy. The reason he believed that I was going to hell for not believing the prophecy is because that is what he was taught to say by "Mr. Camping from Familyradio."

The reason the day comes as a thief in the night is because those who are unbelievers (along with false convert churchgoers who do not take the Word of God seriously) will not be looking for these signs. They will not understand what is happening because they have not had their eyes opened by the Holy Spirit of God, but for those of us who are born again, it will not come to us a thief, but we will be ready for it because we understand the signs of the season.

This is why Jesus told us that the goodman of the house, who had foreknowledge, would wait and watch for the signs:

But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
-Matthew 24:43

The late Harold Camping was famous for his former role as a preacher on an American so-called "Christian" show (Open Forum with Harold Camping) hosted by his company, Family Stations Incorporated, more commonly known as Family Radio. He predicted the return of Christ and the end of the world on May 21, 2011, he was able to motivate many of his followers with that message, and well over $100 million in advertising costs were spent to preach Camping's prophecy.

In 2011, a few days after the alleged prophetic day, The Atlantic reported:
"The bulk of the $100 million, [Matt] Tuter [of Family Radio] insists, came from selling off property (their KFTL television station and a FM station), although there appear plenty of people who donated their life savings to the cause. Tuter, whose family first got involved with the Family Radio organization when he was a baby, was also sure to clarify that 'I remember when the organization was normal!' Apparently, this was before Harold Camping became a Doomsday prophet. Tuter adds that Camping 'has actually made at least 10 predictions for the end times, though only a couple were announced publicly.'"
-Caitlin Dickson, "Harold Camping Spent Around $100 Million on Rapture Ads," The Atlantic, May 24, 2011, retrieved Sept 24, 2019, [theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/05/harold-camping-spent-100-million-on-rapture-ads/351034]

And though The Atlantic is a corrupt news organization, in this instance, their reporting was correct because Camping attempted to predict the rapture many times before his 2011 prediction. For example, in his book 1994?, Camping predicted the end of the world would take place in September of 1994, later changing that to December 25, 1994, and with a limited amount of historical research, we can confirm that the rapture did not happen Christmas of 1994.
(Read "Christmas: Rejecting Jesus" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)

Just to demonstrate how much money Camping's company was rolling in at the time, even after the very expensive advertising campaign, Camping's company was still worth over $70 million. Camping's message was broadcast on more than 150 radio stations in the United States, and many more in other countries, which means he influenced millions of listeners across the world.
(See International Business Times, "Harold Camping's Family Radio Worth $72m," May 21, 2011, retrieved Sept 24, 2019, [ibtimes.com/harold-campings-family-radio-worth-72m-285245]; See also The Telegraph, "Judgement day: Who is Harold Camping?" May 20, 2011, retrieved Sept 24, 2019, [http://bit.ly/2mVNpDf])

Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
-Proverbs 16:18
(Read "The Biblical Understanding of Pride" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)

Camping's listeners seemed to be extremely impressed with his predictions because he claimed to use science and math to supposedly "prove" his prediction. As a young man, Camping earned his Bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the University of California, and being lifted up in the pride of his heart, he believed his own intellect would lead him to the truth: "I looked at all the scientific data I could find, like carbon-14 dating or potassium-argon dating." -Harold Camping, quoted by Associated Press, "Rapture movement predicts end of the world," July 30, 2015, retrieved Sept 24, 2019, [youtu.be/FUSCVxAzYnE?t=2m01s]

For any readers who have spent some time studying the Bible, you may have noticed that Jesus did NOT say, "No man knoweth the day or hour, unless he discovereth the secrets of Carbon-14 and Potassium-Argon dating." Camping's claim to the study of C14 and K-Ar dating is incredible and absurd, and if any readers do not understand that, check out "The Carbon Dating Game," which exposes the fallacies of carbon dating, why it is scientifically unreliable at best (and a complete scam at worst), and also concerning potassium-argon dating, read "Lies of Evolution: K-Ar Dating" here at creationliberty.com.

O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:
-1 Timothy 6:20

So how did Camping come up with May 21, 2011? The following bullet points are the process Camping used to calculate the date. Some readers may have a hard time believing this is what Camping actually taught, but I encourage you to go do the research and look this up for yourself because this is exactly what Harold Camping taught:

Camping claimed that 5 was the number of atonement, 10 was the number of completeness, and 17 was the number of heaven. How he came to that conclusion, I cannot say; I can only confirm that the Bible does not teach us such things, nor does the Bible teach us to use these numbers in mathematical equations to discover divine secrets (i.e. divination). If you calculate (5 x 10 x 17), it equals 850, and if you calculate 850 x 850, it equals 722,500. Christ was crucified April 1, 33 A.D., and 1,978 years later is April 1, 2011. Take 1,978 and multiply that by 365.2422, which is the number of days in a solar year, and that equals 722,449. If you subtract 722,449 from 722,500 you are left with a difference of 51. If you calculate 51 days from April 1, you get May 21. Add 1978 years to 33 A.D., and you come up with the year 2011, and so Camping concluded the end of the world would be on May 21, 2011.

Although it may seem like a joke, this is precisely how Camping created his false prophecy, and I want to remind readers that this is a form of divination, and again, it is an abomination in the sight of God. (i.e. God hates it with the utmost hatred.) As we read earlier from Uaz31, a dedicated follower of Harold Camping, he knew "for a fact that May 21, 2011 is the rapture," and he would not listen to reason, which resulted in millions of people around the world falling for the same deception.

Camping said:
"Five times 10 times 17 is telling you a story. It's the story from the time Christ made payment for your sins until you're completely saved. I tell you, I just about fell off my chair when I realized that."
-Harold Camping, quoted by iPost, "Harold Camping's Calculation on the Doomsday - How Will You Challenge It?" The Christian Post, retrieved Sept 24, 2019, [ipost.christianpost.com/post/harold-campings-calculation-on-the-doomsday-how-will-you-challenge-it]

To demonstrate the absurdity of the argument, I will use the same method these corrupt numerologists are using to preach a different message that they would not like. The numbers 5 x 10 x 17 equals 850, and if you add in the 153 fish Peter caught (representing Christians who will be saved because of the preaching of the fishers of men - John 21:11), but you subtract the number 4 (which, according to Numerology Nation, is supposed to represent the elements of the world which God will destroy), you get 999, and if you flip that upside down, you get 666, which means the rapture is really a lie of Satan!
(See Numerology Nation, "5 Secrets of Number 4 in the Bible," retrieved Feb 3, 2022, [https://numerologynation.com/numerology/biblical/number-4])

Of course, that is completely absurd, but this is what numerologists do. There is really nothing more to it than that. It is a steaming pile of divination, sitting in a bowl of mathematics, with a few maraschino cherry-picked phrases of Scripture put on top so you think it is somehow Biblical.

Not only did Camping claim to know the date of the rapture (which is impossible according to Jesus Christ), but he also claimed to know the exact location where the first catastrophic event would begin; specifically, Christmas Island. If you were paying close attention, you can probably deduce what he was trying to do. Camping combined part of his false 1994 prediction of the event taking place on Christmas, and instead claimed that it would all start on an island called "Christmas," so anyone who researched his previous failed rapture predictions would think he had some credibility.

As a side note, Christmas Island is part of the Republic of Kiribati in the Pacific Ocean, which is supposed to be the world's farthest forward time zone, which means they are the first to experience the new year on January 1st according to our modern calendar and atomic clock:
"As such, according to Camping's prophecy, an Earthquake would rip through the time zones in a wave as the local time hit 6 P.M. beginning with Christmas Island. However, Christmas Island as well as the rest of the New Zealand region experienced no such event."
-International Business Times, "Christmas Island: Harold Camping's Doomsday Truth Serum," May 23, 2011, retrieved Sept 24, 2019, [ibtimes.com/christmas-island-harold-campings-doomsday-truth-serum-285543]

Essentially, Camping claimed that God was going to operate according to man-made time zones. How did he know that? We will have to accept that some questions will never be answered because, as far as I know, he never said why.

Camping also claimed that these earthquakes would trigger giant tsunamis which would be a hundred times bigger than mega-tsunamis. That would make the waves about 10 kilometers tall, and he claimed they would sink most of the United States (and the rest of the world) under water, but of course, being blinded by his pride, Camping skipped over God's promise that He would never flood the world again to destroy all the people:

And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.
-Genesis 9:15

Sadly, with their trust and hopes in Camping's lies, millions around the world expected the rapture to happen on May 21, 2011. Thousands of people put all their savings (and some invested all their retirement funds) into advertising for this rapture campaign, while others got into a lot of unbiblical credit card debt, leaving many families ruined, suffering, and heartbroken in the aftermath.

Another interesting fact is that most of Family Radio's (i.e. Harold Camping's) employees did not believe in his predictions because they were so obviously absurd:
"[Not] even all of his own employees are convinced that the world is ending on Saturday. In fact, many still plan on showing up at work on Monday. 'I don't believe in any of this stuff that's going on, and I plan on being here next week,' a receptionist at their Oakland headquarters told CNNMoney. A program producer in Illinois told us, 'We're going to continue doing what we're doing.'"
-Brock Keeling, "Family Radio Employees Don't Believe In Saturday's Rapture," SFiST, May 20, 2011, retrieved Sept 24, 2019, [sfist.com/2011/05/20/even_family_one_church_employees_do]

After May 21st, Camping did what nearly every other false prophet has done over the past two centuries, he pushed back his prediction six months, making his new prediction Oct 21, 2011, which he claimed was based on the 153 fish number I mentioned earlier in my mock example. This is a common pattern among false prophets that stretches across many different religious cults, and I document some of this in my exposé, "Corruptions of Christianity: Jehovah's Witnesses," and also in my free-to-read book, Corruptions of Christianity: Seventh-day Adventism here at creationliberty.com.

I remember watching a documentary on Camping, and I heard some clips from his Open Forum show a few days after his May 21st prophecy failed. One of the callers, a man who was very angry with Camping, said, "Now I don't have nothing. I was putting my hopes in you." I am glad he said that because that is exactly the problem, and I say unto Christians: Stop putting your trust in men, and start trusting what the Lord Jesus Christ tells us.

Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.
-Jeremiah 17:5

When the Bible says that men are making "flesh his arm," it is referring to when a man injures himself, and needs a shoulder to help him walk. Of course, there is nothing wrong with getting help when you have a physical injury, but the context of this verse is speaking of spiritual matters, and so when men lean on other men for their help concerning spiritual issues (instead of relying on God's Word), that is when they are cursed, meaning that evil (i.e. in the context of hardship and suffering) will come upon them, just as it did with the followers of numerologist Harold Camping.

Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
-2 Timothy 4:2-5

Two weeks after the failed prophecy, Camping had a stroke and took a month off to heal, and later that fall, October 21st came and went without any sign of a rapture, and on November 1, 2011, Camping resigned from his position at Family Radio. Two years later, he took a fall in his home and died from the injuries.

Some news outlets published Camping's so-called "apology," and I put that word in quotations for a good reason because even though they were all reporting that he supposedly "repented" of his wrongdoing, to this day, I have not seen Camping's confession of his sin, namely his pride and his lies. After listening to his interview, there is only one thing I heard him apologize for, and that was teaching people to turn against anyone who said they did not believe in Camping's teaching (i.e. he taught them to accuse those who spoke the truth of being fake Christians, just as Uaz31 did to me), but that apology is not grief and godly sorrow (i.e. repentance) of his sin.
(See Jennifer LeClaire, "Harold Camping Repents for Rapture Prophecies," Charisma News, Oct 31, 2011, retrieved Sept 25, 2019, [charismanews.com/us/32239-harold-camping-repents-for-rapture-prophecies]; LeClaire is also a false prophet, and I cover more on her in my Psychology: Hoodwinked by the Devil, which is free-to-read here at creationliberty.com.)

Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.
-1 Peter 3:16

Because of that, it is almost certain that Harold Camping is in hell today because he rejected the Gospel of Salvation in Jesus Christ, and do not misunderstand, Camping did NOT end up in hell because of his lies and divination through numerology, but rather, it is because he rejected the repentance and remission of sins that Jesus Christ taught us (Luke 24:44-47), while he claimed to be of Christ under false pretenses. If any readers want to learn why that is the case, I highly recommend reading my short, free-to-read book here at creationliberty.com called Why Millions of Believers on Jesus Are Going to Hell.

But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
-James 4:6

Pride blinds people to the truth of a matter, and that is why it is so dangerous to get involved in numerology. It is a religious cult that builds up the pride of men by teaching them mathematical divination (i.e. witchcraft), to believe they have a special power or gift of "sight" that allows them to see secret "Bible codes" that are hidden to the ordinary person, but that pride blinds them to the danger that is in front of them.
(Read "The Biblical Understanding of Pride" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)

Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
-Proverbs 16:18

And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?
-Luke 6:39

Now that we have seen some examples of it, I want to switch gears again and go to the foundation of numerology. Earlier, I mentioned a website called Numerology Nation, which is owned and operated by a woman named Emma, and while she is obsessed with numerology, unlike churchgoers, she is quite a bit more open and honest about it:
"In a nutshell, numerology can be described as the mystical study of core numbers. Studying and calculating digits and number sequences isn't a recent phenomenon. Like astrology, it has been an art form observed for centuries, with ancient Babylonian practices paving the way for Chaldean numerology and the Kabbalistic studies of Jewish mysticism scrutinizing the appearance of recurring numbers within the Old Testament. Numerology pushes the idea that one can draw different life meanings from the appearance of specific core numbers, letters, symbols, and number combinations. Through a numerology reading, you can recognize the subliminal patterns and spiritual significance of the Universe, predict your future, and discover yourself in a new light."
-Emma, "The Complete Guide To Numerology: Your Key Questions, Answered," Numerology Nation, retrieved Feb 4, 2022, [https://numerologynation.com/numerology]

As far as I know, no one argues against the fact that there are mysteries in Scripture that are unexplained, but mystics are people who believe that they have discovered the truth behind those mysteries through the use of occult methods:

mysticism (n): the beliefs, ideas, or mode of thought of mystics; a doctrine of an immediate spiritual intuition of truths believed to transcend ordinary understanding, or of a direct, intimate union of the soul with God through contemplation or ecstasy; obscure thought or speculation
(See 'mysticism', Random House Dictionary, 2022, [dictionary.com]; See also Collins English Dictionary, 10th Edition, William Collins Sons & Co, 2012)

Mysticism is emotionally-charged speculation.

Only God can reveal the mysteries of Scripture, and when He chooses to reveal them, He typically does so in a straight-forward manner, as we have seen through many examples in the Bible. However, numerology is the belief that those mysteries can be discovered through ordinary means of intellect, by the power of man instead of the power of God.

Emma's comparison between numerology and astrology is very accurate because they both rely on the same methods, they both use the same techniques, and both come to the same conclusions. Churchgoers who go to numerology for knowledge are no different than those who read horoscopes because both concepts are vague, pagan interpretations of signs and symbols of this world. They are both divination (i.e. witchcraft) that was born out of paganism, and the so-called "Christian" numerologists are simply following in the footsteps of the Jewish mystics who came before them.

If, by the grace of God, any practicing numerologist is reading this, and is terribly offended that I call their "Bible codes" a practice of divination that is no different than reading pagan horoscopes, then please read Emma's explanation of how numerology works:
"Numerology states that certain numbers are closely linked with particular traits or themes and are hence capable of providing insights into one's personality and finding out what the future holds for him/her."
-Emma, "The Complete Guide To Numerology: Your Key Questions, Answered," Numerology Nation, retrieved Feb 4, 2022, [https://numerologynation.com/numerology]

Here is a modern dictionary definition of the word 'horoscope':

horoscope (n): a diagram of the heavens, showing the relative position of planets and the signs of the zodiac, for use in calculating births, foretelling events in a person's life, etc; a prediction of future events or advice for future behavior based on such a diagram
(See 'horoscope', Random House Dictionary, 2022, [dictionary.com]; See also Collins English Dictionary, 10th Edition, William Collins Sons & Co, 2012)

In a nutshell, pagans who practiced divination developed a system for telling the future, which is based on a lot of faulty logic that I will not cover in this teaching. Then, pagans who falsely claimed they were of Christ, started applying those same divination practices to the Bible, to create an abomination even greater than the pagans because it attempts to associate God with witchcraft.

I want to make a note here to remind Christians that I am not arguing against the fact that witches and Satanists use numbers and symbols (or even numbers for symbols) in the occult. However, Christians ought not to use the methods of witches and Satanists in some sort of divination numbers battle; rather, we ought to use the doctrines and wisdom of the Word of God to expose such demonic practices.

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
-1 Corinthians 2:12-13

To give an example, let's look at what happened when Paul, who had the miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghost, encountered a woman who had a spirit (i.e. a devil) of divination within her:

And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel [a young, unmarried woman] possessed with a spirit of divination [a demonic spirit] met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: [i.e. they used her to turn a large financial profit] The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour. And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,
-Acts 16:16-19

This is quite fascinating because the damsel of divination was following Paul and his companions, speaking the truth about them, namely, that they were the servants of the most high God, and they were showing people the way of salvation in Jesus Christ. She did this for a few days, but notice that Paul was grieved over the matter because he knew that, even though she spoke the truth in this instance, she was corrupt inwardly, and could lead new born again Christians down the path of the occult if they believed the corrupt devil who was possessing her, which is why he commanded the devil out of her.

Please do not misunderstand, this does NOT automatically mean that everyone who uses numerology is possessed by a devil, even though that might be the case for some people. I am simply pointing out that when faced with those who were using divination, the Holy Spirit (who is God) rebuked it, and so the example that has been set for us by God is that divination is evil, so we should sanctify ourselves from it.

Emma goes on to say:
"Therefore, through numerological analysis, different numerologists can help an individual understand his world better, assist him in finding his heart's desires, and enable him to discover his true purpose in life."
-Emma, "The Complete Guide To Numerology: Your Key Questions, Answered," Numerology Nation, retrieved Feb 4, 2022, [https://numerologynation.com/numerology]

So essentially, what so-called "Christian" numerologists are doing is trying to use numbers to understand the Bible, and help them find God's purpose for their life. This is nonsense, because numeral integers do not create philosophical understanding, and also because numerologists are going through a using a faulty, roundabout method of essentially trying to do what the Bible has already done by teaching us the doctrines of Jesus Christ.

If we boil it down to the basics, numbers are very basic building blocks of data allows us to see order in the laws of nature that God created, and helps us to create order and structures in accordance to those laws of nature. However, numbers do NOT carry doctrinal meaning and interpretation; rather, it is people that put doctrinal meaning and interpretation into numbers, according to their own preconceived beliefs, which is why numerology is mysticism and divination.

Though we have read some ridiculous arguments, I want readers to understand how deep the insanity goes, and how far out of touch with reality a man can become when he dives head-first into the ocean of numerology. For example, Canadian author Dean Coombs has a blog called "1260d," in which he claims (and I kid you not) that God uses the Olympics to teach people, and that Jesus Christ won the 700th Olympiad:
"Ever since the 2004 Olympics in Greece, the Lord has used the symbolism of the Olympics to spur His people on to run the race and win the prize. I have written many posts about this. Today, to finish the sign from two years ago, Eliud Kipchoge won the marathon. Eliud is a type of Christ and he overwhelmingly won. Eliud means, 'My God be praised'."
-Dean Coombs, "Jesus wins the 700th Olympiad," Aug 8, 2021, retrieved Feb 8, 2022, [https://1260d.com/2021/08/08/jesus-wins-the-olympic-race]

Once again, I double checked to make sure there was no fine print at the bottom of the page warning readers that it was all satire. Dean wrote this in all seriousness. I will do my best to summarize Dean's argument across his "many posts" about this topic because it is wildly unorganized, and difficult to follow.

Dean cherry-picked Revelation 3:11, which says:

Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast,
that no man take thy crown.
-Revelation 3:11

However, Dean is using the corrupt NIV (New International Version), which uses the words "victor's crown." Dean then spent a year searching for "signs on earth" concerning a "victor's crown," even though he had no indication that there were any signs for this, nor what they would look like even if they existed.
(See Dean Coombs, "Hurricane Laura: The Victory Lap," Aug 8, 2021, retrieved Feb 8, 2022, [https://1260d.com/2020/08/25/hurricane-laura-the-victory-lap])

Dean claimed he found the signs in hurricanes, specifically Hurricane Dorian and Hurricane Lorenzo, and he took the names as prophetic, even though they were just names that meteorologists gave them. He said that because Dorian means "gift" and Lorenzo means "the one who wears a laurel wreath," therefore, without any contextual or meaningful evidence, he concluded it was a sign of Revelation 3:11.

Dean then said:
"And then followed sign after sign, all along this theme of the runner who wins the race, as in the Olympic games."
(See Dean Coombs, "Hurricane Laura: The Victory Lap," Aug 8, 2021, retrieved Feb 8, 2022, [https://1260d.com/2020/08/25/hurricane-laura-the-victory-lap])

Again, I know this sounds unbelievable, so please check out the references for yourself. Dean then renamed 'coronavirus' to "crown-virus," and claimed that Jesus used Covid-19 to demonstrate His power.

In another article (which he connected via link), Dean pointed out that the Olympics had been held every four years since 776 B.C., and the next Olympics (presumably the summer Olympics, because if he mentioned the winter Olympics it would not match the math on his "prophecy" timing) would be in 2025, which he claimed is a significant year. The following is his conclusion, and it is so absurd, I had to quote him directly so you can read it for yourself:
"It's interesting that 2025 is not only the 70th jubilee (70 x 49) from when Israel entered the Promised Land, but 2025 is also 2800 years (70 x 40) from the first Olympics in '776 BC'. 40, 49 (7 x 7), and 70 are all important numbers in the Bible. Or, another way of saying it is that if the Olympics had continued unabated from 776 BC until AD 2021 inclusive, this year would have been the 700th Olympiad! The marathon is the climax and conclusion of the Olympics. 'Eliud' overwhelmingly wins the '700th' Olympiad! 'Praise God'; the Alpha, and Omega!"
-Dean Coombs, "Jesus wins the 700th Olympiad," Aug 8, 2021, retrieved Feb 8, 2022, [https://1260d.com/2021/08/08/jesus-wins-the-olympic-race]

There is one gigantic problem with this: It is ALL conjecture. There is no evidence for this, and there is nothing in Scripture that even remotely hints at any of this being true.

conjecture (n): the formation or expression of an opinion or theory without sufficient evidence for proof
(See 'conjecture', Random House Dictionary, 2022, [dictionary.com]; See also Collins English Dictionary, 10th Edition, William Collins Sons & Co, 2012)

Notice also that he said it "would have been" the 700th Olympiad, meaning that it was not, so why is he making a big deal out of it, even when it did not fit into his original prediction? He does this only because he believes the number seven is religiously significant for his divination, so he draws these conclusions, not based on evidence, but based on his presupposition.

In short, he vaguely connects names he finds randomly in the media, even though there is no evidential or prophetic connection that can be drawn (Scriptural or otherwise) between hurricanes and a long-distance runner. From there, he uses number equations to get it to add up to the date that he wants, which is the same mathematical sleight-of-hand we saw from Harold Camping earlier.

Why did Dean only start the calculation from the date when Israel entered the Promised Land? Why not instead start the date from when Solomon's Temple was built? It is quite simple: Because he needs the numbers to work out to a certain date to make his prophecy fit where he wants it to fit, and false prophet diviners like this always want their "prophetic" numbers to add up to roughly a time frame that is a few years in front of them, so they can still be alive to reap the benefits of fame they hope for.

So Dean keeps switching the dates, numbers, and equations around until he finds something that matches what he is presuppositionally looking for. This is nothing more than a demonstration of the adaptable nature of arithmetic, meaning that there are many methods of equations that can be used to come up with the answer you want.

Furthermore, what specifically in this so-called "prophecy" helped anyone understand the doctrines of Scripture more clearly? What about this was edifying to anyone who has been born again in Christ? This divination garbage is not only useless, but it is also dangerous because it leads people into practicing witchcraft, and it serves no one except Dean Coombs because he gathers a following, and builds up his pride that he is a prophet, when he would be much more accurately described as a devilish medium or psychic.

There are also many problems with Bible codes, which are claimed to be hidden messages in the Bible that are revealed by creating a matrix of Hebrew text of the Torah or prophetic books, and looking for hidden words in them. I sure some readers who might be offended by this because they believe Bible codes are different from numerology, but that is simply not the case, and in fact, I would say the Bible codes are MORE deceptive than numerology.

Many years ago, I was given a book called, The Bible Codes, by Michael Drosnin, and I never read it because I had no interest. However, when doing research for this article, I decided to pick it up to take a look at it, and after reading it for two minutes, I found some massive holes in its logic, which can quickly disprove its validity.

The Bible codes method sets up a matrix like the following, which is from an old computer program designed to look for hidden words in the text:
To understand the problem with this, let's take a look at a simple example. For this teaching, I created a word search puzzle, and I would encourage readers to work on it for a bit to find a few words. Only use words that are three or more letters: These are letters I randomly generated from randomwordgenerator.com. I started at the top left, and worked my way across to the right until I ran out of room, then started on the next line, but for this example, I made a rule that I would try to make sure I had at least two vowels per line to simulate structured words and/or sentences.
(See Random Word Generator, "Random Letter Generator," retrieved Feb 9, 2022, [https://randomwordgenerator.com/letter.php])

I did not know if this would work very well or not, but surprisingly, some words were fairly easy to find. Though some readers can probably find more than I did, here is what I found after a quick search:
Here are the words in a list:

Noun Rub Bird Birds Fat Coup Ropy (something that resembles a rope) Rude Pod Buy

Next, I expanded the matrix by increasing the size of the puzzle. I kept all the letters in the same order from the original puzzle, but I simply increased the width by one column, now let's see how many words we can find:
After working on it for a few minutes, here is what I found:

Hut Bod (Short form of 'Body') Bird Birds Noun Coup Rai (Algerian Music) Rude Pod Keb (Egyptian Religion) Dye

In the original puzzle, I found 10 words, and in the matrix-expanded puzzle, I found 11 words. The original puzzle lost three words in the expanded puzzle, and the expanded added in four new words. Just by simple reasoning, we can see that if we change the dimensions of the page boundaries, it changes the words.

Remember, I only added one column to the matrix; imagine how many other combinations could be made, and how many words would be added or lost, if we added or subtracted many columns or rows. This is how easy it is to manipulate data to impress a viewing audience into assuming it is true, when in fact, it is a scam.

Some readers may argue that the Bible codes concept also did counting of numbers, not just word searches. So, for example, they would count every 14th letter, and see what kind of messages they could find by skipping letters. However, those who believe this is a legitimate practice do not understand that this can be done with just about any large book in existence, so let's take a closer look.

In The Bible Codes, Drosnin begins his first chapter with a sensational story about a mathematician who found the name of Yitzhak Rabin (an Israeli statesman) in his algorithm, and that he also found it connected with the words 'assassin' and 'will assassinate'. Drosnin attempted to warn Rabin in 1994, and in 1995, Rabin was assassinated.

Of course, at first glance, readers might be thinking this is legitimate because, after all, these calculations were done at Harvard with peer reviews, and Rabin was actually assassinated soon after it was discovered. Furthermore, Drosnin claims that other assassinations were predicted:
"That should not be ignored, because the assassinations of Anwar Sadat and both John and Robert Kennedy are also encoded in the Bible—in the case of Sadat with the first and last names of his killer, and the date of the murder, and the place, and how it was done."
-Michael Drosnin, The Bible Codes, Simon & Schuster, 1997, p. 15, ISBN: 0684810794

Drosnin went on to say:
"And I went to Harvard and Yale and Hebrew University to meet with three of the world's most famous mathematicians. They all confirmed that there is a code in the Bible that reveals the future."
-Michael Drosnin, The Bible Codes, Simon & Schuster, 1997, p. 16, ISBN: 0684810794

Sounds convincing, does it not? It did sound convincing to a lot of people, gaining a lot of popularity after the devilish Oprah brought Drosnin onto her show in 1997 to push this propaganda, and while foolish churchgoers converted to numerology because of what they saw on TV, I would encourage readers to look at ALL the facts before jumping to conclusions.

A reporter for Forward (an American Jewish newspaper) wrote an article exposing The Bible Codes, and he pointed out that mathematicians have used the same Bible code algorithms on man-made books, and have gotten similar results:
"Barry Simon of the Caltech mathematics department has shown that any sufficiently large text will have similar letter patterns in it. Famously, the same algorithms used in the Bible Codes yielded similarly 'prophetic' results when used on Hebrew translations of 'War and Peace.' Indeed, when, in 1997, popular author Michael Drosnin (who wrote a book on the subject) challenged critics to find the same 'prophecy' regarding the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin in 'Moby Dick' as Bible Codes folks had found in the Bible, Australian computer scientist Brendan McKay did just that, and for good measure he found letter arrangements predicting the assassinations of Trotsky, Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr."
-Jay Michaelson, "Bible Codes a Lie That Won't Die," Forward, May 31, 2012, retrieved Feb 9, 2022, [https://forward.com/culture/157033/bible-codes-a-lie-that-won-t-die]

This is a simple concept of averages, meaning that if you keep entering random values into a system, the values will occasionally spit out something that could be interpreted to have meaning. In the crossword puzzles I created above, I kept rolling random letters, and eventually, words started to appear on their own, and depending on the combination of letters, names can form, and if you add in random numbers, dates and times can also start to form.

The real question is how those things are supposed to be interpreted, and the purpose that people give to those interpretations. For example, why is it that so many churchgoers are giving divine interpretations to the random letters and numbers coming out of the Bible, but not giving divine interpretations to the letters and numbers coming out of Moby Dick? If they believe that Moby Dick is divinely inspired, the public will think they are crazy, but if they were to acknowledge that Moby Dick has the same "codes" as the Bible, then logically, they would have to acknowledge that their interpretations can be drawn from any writing based on how you pre-set the arithmetic, which would make the Bible "codes" meaningless, and thus, they are philosophically stuck between a rock and hard place.

For example, a mathematics professor at Australian National University ran the "bible codes" software on Moby Dick to see what he could find, and the following image is just one of many examples he found: (See Brendan McKay, "Assassinations Foretold in Moby Dick!" Australian National University, retrieved Feb 23, 2022, [http://users.cecs.anu.edu.au/~bdm/dilugim/moby.html])

The above example is supposedly "prophesying" the assassination of John F. Kennedy. He also found the assassinations of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, President Rene Moawad, Soviet exile Leon Trotsky, Martin Luther King Jr., Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss, Princess Diana, Abraham Lincoln, and indeed, they also found the aforementioned Yitzhak Rabin, who Michael Drosnin and his followers claimed was divine prophecy that came straight from the Word of God.
(Read Wolves in Costume: Martin Luther King Jr." here at creationliberty.com for more details on MLK's communist political position, fornication, adultery, and antichrist doctrines.)

Some people have gone so crazy over numerology, that they actually believe that Moby Dick is divinely inspired, and contains the prophecies of God. After everything we have learned so far in this teaching, should you be surprised? I believe the author of the ANU research paper explains it best:
"Once you learn Drosnin's rules (none) and the method (a bit of messy programming) you can find things like this anywhere. The reason it looks amazing is that the number of possible things to look for, and the number of places to look, is much greater than you imagine."
(See Brendan McKay, "Assassinations Foretold in Moby Dick!" Australian National University, retrieved Feb 23, 2022, [http://users.cecs.anu.edu.au/~bdm/dilugim/moby.html])

I would not be surprised in the least if someone could use the "bible codes" software on this article that I wrote and find so-called "prophetic messages" in it. However, whether or not something is prophetic is always based on the presuppositional beliefs of the person doing the interpreting, and how far they desire to push the limits of computational mathematics to get what they want to find, which means that numerology is subjective (i.e. based on the opinions and feelings of the interpreter), rather than objective (i.e. based on the observable facts alone).

(Click Image for Larger View)

In June of 1997, an issue of Newsweek Magazine was published that promoted The Bible Code book. In their article, Drosnin said that if what we have already seen above was discovered, he would switch sides and believe that his theories were baseless: "When my critics find a message about the assassination of a prime minister encrypted in Moby Dick, I'll believe them." -Michael Drosnin, quoted in Newsweek, June 9, 1997 However, to date, I have found no evidence that Drosnin repented of his false teaching. I have also found no evidence (or any other public statement) of him recanting his book, nor any efforts he has made to stop the printing of new copies of it, because new copies are still available today on Amazon with an almost five-star rating.

So from a philosophical perspective, numerology is nonsense, but what is worse is that Drosnin lied to maintain his book sales, since he was already making a ton of money off of it after being promoted in major magazines like Newsweek and TIME. In the first chapter of his book, Drosnin wrote about these matrix "crossword puzzles," and he said:
"In experiment after experiment, the crossword puzzles were found only in the Bible. Not in War and Peace, not in any other book, and not in ten million computer-generated test cases."
-Michael Drosnin, The Bible Codes, Simon & Schuster, 1997, p. 26, ISBN: 0684810794

However, the following author points out:
"As it turns out the same principal [sic] was used by David E. Thomas on War and Peace, Moby Dick, the Supreme Courts [sic] 1987 ruling of Edwards v. Aguillard, and other works. Using the sequential step distance technique the analysis proved just about any thing one wants to find can be found by varying the sequences... In just the opening pages of War and Peace there are over six puzzles linking 'Hitler' and 'Nazi.'"
-Nelson L. Price, "Bible Code: Exposed," Mar 10, 2006, retrieved Feb 22, 2022, [https://www.nelsonprice.com/bible-code-exposed]

In fact, in one study I read about, there were 60 instances in the book of Genesis that linked together "code" and "bogus." This creates a catch-22 (i.e. a situation presenting two equally undesirable alternatives), in which those who believe that the Bible code is legitimate must then also accept that the Bible code is bogus.

bogus (adj): not genuine, counterfeit, sham
(See 'bogus', Random House Dictionary, 2022, [dictionary.com]; See also Collins English Dictionary, 10th Edition, William Collins Sons & Co, 2012)

Ultimately, many churchgoers have willingly given themselves over to the belief that supernatural/divine communication can be achieved through the naturalistic means of a secret decoder ring called computer science. Again, this is divination, and I will just use a modern dictionary to make sure that readers can understand the basic concept of what these words mean:

divination (n): the practice of attempting to foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge by occult or supernatural means
(See 'divination', Random House Dictionary, 2022, [dictionary.com]; See also Collins English Dictionary, 10th Edition, William Collins Sons & Co, 2012)

Numerology is divination through occult practices:

occult (n): of or relating to magic, astrology, or any system claiming use or knowledge of secret or supernatural powers or agencies
(See 'divination', Random House Dictionary, 2022, [dictionary.com]; See also Collins English Dictionary, 10th Edition, William Collins Sons & Co, 2012)

When people start using mathematics to reveal what they claim to be secret or hidden knowledge in the Bible, they are using occult divination. This should be abhorrent to Christians, but sadly, there are millions of people claiming to be of Christ who are following the teachings of corrupt preachers and false prophets who are using occult divination to gain preeminence and a paycheck.

And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
-1 Timothy 6:8-11

This corruption has widely spread to many church buildings around the world, but remember that this is not an isolated problem that has only appeared in the past century. This is a problem that stretches back thousands of years because mankind has been practicing divination for a long time.

In His Word, God has clearly stated that these diviners are liars, and that He did NOT send them to preach such nonsense:

Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.
-Jeremiah 14:14

They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The LORD saith: and the LORD hath not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word.
-Ezekiel 13:6

The one thing that all Christians should remember is that Jesus Christ did not use such methods, nor did His apostles who wrote the New Testament down for us. When Jesus Christ preached the truth, they did not pull out their calculators to see if they could find hidden messages.

Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing.
-John 18:20

The real secrets that are going to be revealed in the final Day of Judgment are the secrets of men, in which they hold sin in their hearts, while trying to justify themselves with false doctrines.

In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
-Romans 2:16

Christ's apostles preached the truth of God's Word and lived charitably for their brethren and neighbors. They did NOT need sensationalism to gain a listening audience because even though that might be a quick way to gain popularity, it is not the kind of attention that will gain converts to Jesus Christ.

The ONLY way a man can be converted to Jesus Christ is through the hearing of the law to understand his own corrupt and wretched state, that he might come to repentance (i.e. grief and godly sorrow) of his sin, and through his tears of sorrow, cry out to Jesus Christ for help. Jesus Christ and His apostles set that example for us by what they taught, and there is no other path to salvation.

But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
-Galatians 3:23-24

Whereas we Christians uphold the Word of God as the light to our path, numerologists, and those who follow them, uphold calculators as their god.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
-Psalm 119:105

Few will be open to hearing this message, and will depart from the occult divination known as numerology. Most will simply claim that they are not numerologists, and will continue in their divination practices, but for those who will hear the truth of these matters, and may want to learn more about the true Gospel of Jesus Christ, specifically what He taught about Salvation in Him, I would encourage you to take a look at Why Millions of Believers in Jesus Are Going to Hell, which is free to read here at creationliberty.com. (The audio teaching is also available by clicking the green audio button at the top of the page.)

If you know someone who claims to be of Christ and has fallen victim to numerology's corrupt philosophy, please share this with them in the hopes that they might know the truth of God's Word, and be freed from the shackles of the Devil.

And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.
-2 Timothy 2:24-26

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