The Book of Numbers within the Pentateuch is the fourth book in the continuum depicting the path of exodus, from bondage to inheritance in the Land, from death to life. It naturally coincides with the creation narrative of days five and six, filling the habitable spaces with teeming life (see Blog 100). After the Creator separated His people from death (Egypt) through the Passover and seven days of unleavened bread, baptizing them to Himself (Moses) in a final escape through the Sea, He brought them seven weeks later into covenant marriage at His holy mountain. In Numbers 1-10, the divine establishment of Israel’s Camp to reflect YHWH’s enthroned Presence moving through the heavens was an outcome of the Sinai covenant¹. Numbers’ first (1-10) and third (26-36) sections begin with a census and record no deaths². The center text (11-25) narrates the death of the old generation and the new generation’s birth through a forty-year sojourn tabernacling with YHWH.

The seventy offerings of Sukkot (Numbers 29:12-34) occur after the second census, Zelophehad’s daughters’ inheriting and possessing the Land³ (see Blog 128), and the inauguration of Israel’s new leader Joshua by the new high priest, Eleazar. These offerings appear within a subsection of Numbers 26-36, Chapters 28-32, which present Israel’s Nazir vow completed in the Land, their conquest of Midian, and the acquisition of the Land⁴. Numbers 28-29’s focus on abundant whole burnt offerings at appointed times⁵ (depicting the Nazirite vow fulfillment requiring abundant offerings, grain, and wine) forms the function of cosmic order for perpetual life in the land (eternity) and makes visible God’s original purposes for creation⁶. This blog explores the meaning of Sukkot’s seventy bull offering configuration within its Book of Numbers context.

In reviewing the meaning of the burnt offering, the first and most frequent was the morning and evening continual burnt offering of two lambs, marking junctions of time at the coming in and going out of light, day one of creation. The new moons were marked with whole burnt offerings, as were the holy festivals within the months of light, day four of creation. Weekly burnt offerings on the Sabbath completed the cycle, day seven of creation. Whole burnt offerings are paired with time, the 1-4-7 movement of creation to its designed purpose, in which the sacred spaces of creation week become filled with life. Through the burnt offerings, Israel’s life in the land, each day, week, month, and year, stays fixed to His sovereign cosmic purposes, to His holiness and saving power⁷.

The whole burnt offering was the foundation of Israelite worship, the center of life with YHWH. Because these offerings were continually before the door of the Tent of Meeting, YHWH dwelt among Israel, teaching and guiding them. Each moment of life marked a consecrated time of interaction with the holy God. The burnt offerings signaled YHWH’s presence in the land where He had put His name and upon each Israelite blessed with His name. As the smoke of the whole burnt offering ascended into the heavens, so was each life transformed in an offering given to YHWH, ascending as a pleasing aroma to Him. It visibly represented “loving YHWH your Elohim with all your heart, life, and strength” (Deu. 6:5), human restoration to rule with God.

On the first day of Sukkot, the number of burnt offerings totaled thirty-one⁸. The number of bulls offered was thirteen, and one less was offered each day, so the seven-day total was seventy (13 + 12 + 11 + 10 + 9 + 8 + 7 = 70). Why seventy? Bible scholars give several explanations. Seventy nations were recorded in Genesis 10’s Table of Nations. Some call attention to the seventy persons of Israel who went down into Egypt. In the second census of Numbers, there were seventy clans of Israel listed to inherit the land (Ch. 26). The seventy whole burnt offering bulls within the third section of the Book of Numbers context favor the seventy redeemed clans of Israel in the land as a witness of YHWH’s saving hand to the nations.

Additionally, using the chiastic lens of the spring and fall holydays, the sum⁹ of whole burnt offerings for the seven days of unleavened bread was seventy (14 bulls, 7 rams, 49 lambs), and for the seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles was 182 (70 bulls, 14 rams, 98 lambs). All the sums are multiples of seven. By comparing Unleavened Bread’s burnt offerings with Sukkot’s, the number of rams and lambs doubles in the fall, and the number of bulls is multiplied by five (14 × 5 = 70 bulls). Adding the spring’s burnt offering total to the fall’s seven-day feast (symbolic of the exodus beginning and its end) is 252, 7 × 36, completeness (7, rest) about the Tabernacle (36, ohel). In perspective, the total number of whole burnt offerings for all seven holydays equals 289, 17², the seventh prime number squared, saying the victorious power of YHWH’s firstborn (289)¹⁰.

Why is the number of bulls offered each day decreased by one? Why not ten on each of the seven days of Sukkot? On Sukkot’s first day, thirteen bulls were offered. In the Numbers census, twelve tribes were numbered, and the tribe of Levi was set aside as a substitute for their firstborn, dedicated to serving YHWH at the Tabernacle, making thirteen tribes. On the seventh day of Sukkot, seven bulls were offered. Seven speaks of completeness, Sabbath, and rest. So, the arc of the bull offerings shows Israel’s thirteen tribes reaching a state of new creation, in Eden perfection, the purpose of creation, and a witness of YHWH’s power to save. If the descending number of bulls each day is multiplied (13 × 12 × 11 × 10 × 9 × 8 × 7), the sum is a cosmic figure, meaning that the creation itself is liberated through an exodus from the bondage of decay (Rom. 8:18-22, see Fun Factors below). The bull’s whole burnt offering arrangement points to the fulfillment of YHWH’s desire for humanity and creation, to remember the way of the exodus, of His bringing us to Himself.

Takeaway:
In a profound way, the number of descending whole burnt bull offerings at the Feast of Tabernacles in context celebrates the liberation of Israel, the nations, and the entire universe from the bondage of decay to life everlasting. The command to remember the way that YHWH let His people out of Egypt into their inheritance in the Land is to memorialize daily our necessary connection to Him and His sacrifice for us so that we might live and rule with Him in holiness.

Fun Factors:
Num. 29:12-34 has 1072 letters, 4 × 67, in 230 words, 6² + 7² + 8² + 9², 2 +…+ 21, totaling 80713, 213² + 188², 213 = 3 × 71; 188 = 4 × 47. 188 = the beauty of YHWH, Psa. 27:4; 90:17.

The product of the number of bulls 13 × 11 × 10 × 9 × 8 × 7 is 8648640, 2⁶ x 3³ × 5 × 7 × 11 × 13; 864 is the sun’s diameter number. This solar number is repeated 864, 864, then multiplied by 10, indicating the complete order of the sun’s life-giving light. Dividing by two yields 4324320. As the sun’s radius number, 432 represents the melody of God’s heart in bringing us out of bondage to death, as expressed by Isaiah 64:5, וְנִוָּשֵֽׁעַ׃, “How then can we be saved?” (432), and Isaiah 53:5, שְׁלוֹמֵ֙נוּ֙, “[for] our peace,” (432). The 432 song answers that we are saved by His taking upon Himself our iniquities so that we may be healed and live without death in wholeness of life with Him.

The product 8648640 ÷ 4 = 2162160, 2160 is the moon’s diameter number in miles, and one month of years of the Precession of the Equinox, 25920 ÷ 12 = 2160 years. And divided by two again, 8648640 ÷ 8 = 1081080, 1080 is the moon’s radius number. In Hebrew, 18 is the sum of life, chi.

If the number of bulls offered each day of Sukkot is squared and added, the sum is 728, 13² + 12² + 11² + 10² + 9² + 8² + 7²; the digits of 728 multiplied equal 112, the sum of “YHWH Elohim” and if 728’s digits are added, the sum is 17, the number of victory. If the number of bulls is cubed and added, the sum is 7840, 13³ + 12³ + 11³ + 10³ + 9³ + 8³ + 7³, or 84² + 28² (84 = 12 × 7; 28 = 4 × 7). The digit product of 784 is 224, 2³ + 3³ + 4³ + 5³, and the sum of 784’s digits is 19, the Metonic time cycle.