From the General Grand Council of Cryptic Masons International Education Committee
On the Number 7
By Illustrious Companion Benjamin Williams

The Number 7
Photo Credit: pngplay.com

Illustrious Companion Benjamin Williams is a Past Master, Past Excellent High Priest, Past Grand Orator of the Grand Lodge of Colorado, and serves as the Department Commander for the Northwestern Department Grand Encampment of Knights Templar of the United States of America and and the Grand Encampment Education Development Committee.

The Pythagoreans called it the Vehiculum of Man\’s Life. Four parts to the body, and three parts to the soul. The four parts of the body are bones, muscle, flesh, and nerves. The three powers of the soul are rational, irascible, and concupisciple (neshima, ruach, nefesh). \”The number 7, therefore, because it consists of three, and four, joins the soul to the body, and the virtue of this number relates to the generation of men, and it causeth man to be received, formed, brought forth, nourished, live, and indeed altogether subsist.\”

• A man grows into the stages of life in 7 year increments. The BBC has made a documentary, called \”Seven Up\”, following seven people from the age of 7, and checking in with them every 7 years.
• 7 days divide the week, just as the prism divides light into 7 visible colors (at frequencies of 10-4 to 10-7 nm).
• Our age is 70 years.
• There are 7 lampstands before the throne of God (Rev. 1:20).
• \”In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month came the word of the LORD by the prophet Haggai…\” (Haggai 2: 1) instructive of the rebuilding of the Temple.
• \”But this you must not be ignorant of, that the number 7 hath a great communion with the cross.\”
• 7 liberal arts and sciences.
• 7 entrances into the mind (two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, and the mouth).
• 7 modes in music. 7 tones in the musical scale.
• 7 is the number the Pythagoreans gave to Pallas, as it is the first prime that the multiples thereof (i.e., 7) when doubled sum outside the decade. It is \”unfruitful\”. Pallas Athena sprung asexually from the head of Zeus, in the Greek myths.
• David praises God 7 times a day for his righteous judgments. (Psalms 119: 164.)
• Cain was revenged sevenfold. (Gen. 4: 15).
• Isaiah mentions 7 gifts – spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, strength, knowledge, holiness, and fear of God. (Is 11: 2.)
• Enoch was the 7th man from Adam.
• 7 days in the tabernacle during the 7th month. (Lev. 23: 42.)
• 7 rivers of Egypt, 7 seals, 7 marks, 7 horns, 7 eyes, 7 spirits of God, 7 angels with 7 trumpets, 7 horns of the dragon, 7 heads of the dragon, 7 diadems.
• 7 hills of Rome
• 7 deadly sins.
• 7 men heralded by Angels – Ismael, Isaac, Samson, Jeremiah, John the Baptist, James the Brother of Jesus, and Jesus who was called Christ.
• 7 wisdoms (James 3: 17), 7 virtues (II Peter 1: 5-7).
• God rested on the seventh day of creation.