Sir Godfrey Gregg OHPM
Grand Commanding Officer
The Number 12
The number 12 has been thought to represent the number of God’s government. The ancient people recognized 12 lunar cycles corresponding loosely to 12 months in the year, and they divided the day and the night into 12-hour periods. They went on to organize the stars into the 12 signs of the Zodiac, and from their observations of the wanderings of the 7 planets through the 12 houses of heaven was born astrology.
The Bible tells that Jacob-Israel had 12 sons (Genesis 35:22-27) and that each of these became the founder of one of the Twelve Tribes of Israel, the people of God (Genesis 49:28).
Jesus chose Twelve Apostles (Matthew 10:2-4) for the beginnings of the Church.
There were 24 classes of priests and Levites (1 Chronicles 24:4) and 48 Levitical cities (Numbers 35:7).
And again in the Book of Revelation, the number 12 becomes very important when symbolizing the salvation of God’s people. There are 24 elders around the throne of God and 144,000 of the saved (Revelation 4:4; 7:4). The perfection of the new Jerusalem is seen in its 12 gates, each “a single pearl,” and 12 foundations, each adorned with jewels. Its circumference is 12,000 furlongs, and its walls are 144 cubits high (Revelation 21:10-21; Ezekiel 48:30-35).
