Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things,
that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of
his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.
Isaiah 40:26
Figurate Numbers are numbers that can be represented as a regular array
of points, such as a triangle,
square, or pentagon. Such numbers figure prominently in Scripture and are a
highly significant part of its divine design.
I am greatly indebted to Vernon Jenkins for his pioneering work in this area. His
introduction to this topic and its relation to Scripture is well worth reading.
Another excellent introduction - from a purely mathematical point of view - may be found in the
Figurate Number article on
MathWorld site.
Many of the significant numbers found in Scripture are members of geometric number sequences. For example,
the entire Canon is divided into segments that contain 5, 12, or 22 Books. As discussed below, these three
numbers of the second, third, and fourth terms of the Pentagonal Number Sequence. An excellent site
that has a huge searchable database of such number sequences is found at
The On-Line Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences 

The nth Triangular Number is the sum of all the numbers from 1 to n. It is represented
as T(n). For example, the number of fish caught in John 21 is the seventeenth triangular number:
T(17) = 1 + 2 + ... + 16 + 17 = 153
This relation has been known and meditated upon since at least the 5th century when Augustine commented on it in his
his Tractate 122 on John 20:30-21:11.
Notation Change: When I first designed this website,
I denoted triangular numbers with the heuristic "Sum(n)" to remind the
non-mathematically trained reader that the nth triangular number is formed by summing the integers from 1 to n.
But I have since come to realize that every extra symbol clutters the equations, and so have decided to change
the notation to the simpler and standard "T(n)." Readers therefore may encounter triangular numbers represented either
as T(n) or Sum(n) until I have completed the update.
Triangular Numbers appear frequently in Scripure. Here are a few
of the more obvious, with their associated concepts:
Index |
Value |
Associated Concepts |
1 |
T(1) = 1 |
All geometric numbers begin with the value "1" which is therefore called the "trivial case." |
2 |
T(2) = 3 |
The Trinity: The Spirit (3) proceeds from the Father (1) and the Son (2). This manifests with great clarity on
Spoke 3 as discussed on pages 164-5 of the Bible Wheel book, reproduced online here. |
3 |
T(3) = 6 |
Creation of Man and Cosmos: Six = 600 = Cosmos. Six is a "perfect number" in that
1 + 2 + 3 = 1 x 2 x 3 = 6. It is profoundly integrated with the
Creation Holograph as well as Spoke 6 of the Bible Wheel. |
4 |
T(4) = 10 |
Number of the Ten Commandments and base of the Bibical numerical system.
It is profoundly integrated with Spoke 10 of the Bible Wheel. |
7 |
T(7) = 28 |
The Number of words (7) and letters (28) of the Creation Holograph (Genesis 1.1)
which sums to 2701 = T(73)! [See below] |
11 |
T(11) = 66 |
The Number of Books in the Wheel, and the value of the word Wheel itself:
Wheel
Galgal |
= 66 |
|
19 |
T(19) = 190 |
The Index and the Value are related through this fundamental identity from Genesis 3:
Rib
Tsalo |
= 190 = T(19) = T(Eve) |
|
23 |
T(23) = 276 |
The Number of souls saved in Paul's shipwreck (Acts 27.37) |
24 |
T(24) = 300 |
The Value of (Ruach Elohim, The Spirit of God).
This is an extremely profound relationship. |
32 |
T(32) = 528 |
The KEY to the Bible = T(32)! (Note: The Hebrew for Heart is Lev = 32) |
36 |
T(36) = 666 |
The Number of the Beast (Rev. 13.18). |
43 |
T(43) = 946 |
The Spirit = T(43) (Note: The Hebrew word for "Greatness" is Gadol = 43.
This is the primary role of Holy Spirit - to magnify the Father and the Son. |
73 |
T(73) = 2701 |
The sum of Genesis 1.1, the Creation Holograph. It is expressible as a very simple
combinations of elements from the
Holographic Generating Set: 2701 = | |