Biblical meaning of numbers in dreams (2024)

How to approach numbers in dreams, what they could mean from a biblical and spiritual perspective as dream symbols, and what that means in practice.

If you are interested in dreams, sooner or later you will want to know what certain numbers mean.

Why is there a specific time, for example? Or why is something a particular price?

This article explores how to approach numbers in dreams, what they could mean, plus a summary of the biblical meaning of common numbers and infographics.

I approach dream interpretation from abiblical perspective. My belief is that ourdreams can come from God, and understanding them is best understood within the context of an ongoing relationship with Him.

Contents

• Introduction to numbers in dreams
• What could numbers symbolise in dreams?
  1. Numbers representing the biblical meaning
  2. Numbers as timing indicators
  3. Numbers representing bible verses and chapters
  4. Numbers representing Strong’s numbers
  5. Personal meaning of numbers
• Different ways numbers can appear in dreams
• Meaning of specific numbers in dreams
  • Variations, multiples, and combinations of numbers
• Numbers in everyday life
• Conclusion
  • Infographics

Firstly, if you have just come across this post and are new to dream interpretation, it is worth mentioning that dreams are symbolic in nature. You might find it helpful to read the following article: Understand your dreams: A bible-based introduction to dreamlanguage. Plus, see my FREE ultimate guide to Interpreting Dreams from God.

Secondly, remember that dreams are personal, so the meanings that I suggest may not apply to your specific dream. But please feel free to use my ideas as a springboard to thinking and praying about dreams yourself. Don’t take my ideas as gospel, but rather let them help you start to think metaphorically.

Introduction to numbers in dreams

Numbers are one of the most searched for dream elements; they can be intriguing, a complete mystery, or simply confusing. We inherently feel that they are important – and that’s because they are!

It is always worth paying attention to numbers in dreams, so make sure to note them down as soon as you wake up – otherwise it’s easy to forget them. See Essential information to record when writing down your dreams.

Note numbers down as soon as you can after waking up.

Numbers can appear in dreams in many ways, for example:

• Numbers of objects
• Money and prices
• Dates, times, and time periods
• Distances, weights, and other measurements

Plus, there are many more possibilities, such as road numbers, flight numbers, house numbers, and so on. Numbers can even just appear on their own – in word or numeral form.

So, what do numbers mean? How can we approach interpreting them?

What do numbers mean in dreams?

Many articles have been written on the meaning of numbers in dreams, and there are some good online resources on the biblical meaning of numbers. But, despite that, it can be hard to know what that means in practice, or how to respond.

I have been interpreting my own dreams for more than 15 years in the light of my relationship with God. In writing this article, I have reviewed many dreams to see how the numbers were used in each of them, and to see how they relate to living a life of faith.

The suggested meanings of numbers in this article are based on a biblical perspective combined with experience from reviewing real dreams.

This article focuses on how to approach numbers in dreams, what type of thing they could represent, and what that means in real life terms.

Considering the whole dream context

Like any dream symbol, there are usually several potential meanings to be considered for each number when interpreting it in a dream, even from a biblical perspective.

Therefore, it is always important to consider the number in the context of the whole dream.

• In longer dreams, there are usually other symbols and colours which can be crossmatched to confirm the number meaning. Also compare them with other dreams from around the same time.
• The number meaning should align with the whole dream action and message.
• Consider whether the number is being used in a positive or negative context.

Numbers can be treated in the same way as any other symbols. I have written more about dream symbols in general in the following article: 10 clues for understanding dream symbols.

In the next section we will consider some considerations that are specific to numbers.

What could numbers symbolise in dreams?

I have found that God is generally consistent in the way he uses numbers. However, nothing is absolute with dreams. We always need to pray and listen to the Holy Spirit to confirm the meaning.

I have identified five common ways numbers can be used in dreams, which are unpacked below. These can be used as potential ideas to consider. The following indicators can help confirm when we have found the right meaning:

• The witness of the Holy Spirit when a meaning resonates in our spirit.
• When the meaning ties in with the whole dream message.
• When the meaning ties up with the things God has been speaking to us about recently.

1. Numbers representing the biblical meaning

It is commonly known that the bible uses numbers in a consistent way to convey certain meanings. This is not the same as numerology which has occult associations. Rather, we are simply considering how numbers are used symbolically in the bible – and seeing if that is relevant to our dream, as we would for any other dream symbol.

Number in Scripture by E.W. Bullinger is still one of the definitive resources on this subject, even though it was first written more than a century ago. A free pdf version is available at this link, and I recommend reading it if you want to explore numbers further.

My knowledge of numbers in Scripture initially came from the teaching of the late John Paul Jackson, the founder of Streams Ministries. His understanding largely correlates with Bullinger’s book above.

These meanings have also borne out in my own experience. Over the past 15 years I have faithfully interpreted my dreams daily, and then reviewed my interpretations with hindsight. I found that the numbers in my dreams made sense when I interpreted them in the light of the meanings suggested by John Paul Jackson – although I have slightly adjusted some of my understanding along the way.

I believe that the God who we read about in the bible is the same God who speaks through dreams – and that he is generally consistent in the way he uses numbers. Therefore, I always start by considering any potential biblical meaning.

There is a summary of the biblical meaning of common numbers later in this article.

2. Numbers as timing indicators

Numbers in dreams can be timing indicators. However, this can be hard to establish at the time of dreaming, and often can only be confirmed with hindsight – once the time in question has passed!

This can be frustrating, and means we must walk out our dream journey within the context of a personal relationship with God. Read more on how to approach timing in dreams in the following article: Timing factors of dreams.

Here’s what that could look like:

Numbers of objects can relate to periods of time. We have some good examples of this in the life of Joseph and the dreams he interpreted for other people.

• In Genesis 40:9-13, Pharaoh’s chief cupbearer dreamed of three branches bearing grapes, which he squeezed into Pharaoh’s cup. This was prophetic about the cupbearer’s pending release from prison and reinstatement. The three branches represented three days: The cupbearer was restored to his former office three days later.
• In Genesis 40:16-19, Pharaoh’s chief baker dreamed of three baskets of bread eaten by birds. This was prophetic about his coming death. The three baskets represented three days, and he was hanged three days later.

In the above dreams, serving Pharoah with fresh food and drink was a daily activity for the dreamers. That was the clue to why the numbers represented days.

• In Genesis 41:1-4, Pharaoh dreamed that seven healthy fat cows came out of the Nile and grazed in the grass, followed by seven gaunt cows which ate up the fat cows. This was prophetic of a severe famine that was coming. The seven fat cows represented seven years of plenty, and the seven thin cows represented seven years of famine.
• In Genesis 41:5-7, Pharaoh dreamed of seven plump ears of grain, followed by seven thin ears which swallowed up the plump ears. The seven plump ears of grain represented seven good crop harvest years, and the seven thin ears of grain represented seven years of famine.

The Nile has an annual flood cycle (first dream), and the crops also have an annual cycle (second dream). That was the clue to why the numbers represented years.

I dreamed my Bluetooth speaker was on a public serving counter, but I had to turn it off until 5pm.

The background to this was that God had been showing me some things, and I had been asking him how long until I could share them with others. The 5pm could have meant many things, but, with hindsight, it turns out that it symbolised five years; I had to process them personally for five years before I could share.

Here are some other ways numbers can point to specific timings:

Numbers could represent physical ages. I.e., the number in the dream could point to things that will happen during the year when we are that age. This is more likely if we recognise the age as being one coming up in the next few years or so.

I recently dreamed about the number 54 which corresponds to my age next year. I understood that it was indicating that the dream was about things that would happen during that year.

Numbers can relate to specific years. This is more likely if they correspond to years that are coming up soon. For example, 24 could be about 2024. Numbers might even relate to decades, such as in the following dream:

I dreamed I was driving down the M20, and although it was quiet at the start, there were road works all the rest of the way along to the end. I had this dream on New Years Eve, 2019, so I could see that this dream was about the coming decade (the 20’s) and the ‘work’ God was going to do in my life. It did indeed start out ‘quiet’ as we were in lockdown!

3. Numbers representing bible verses and chapters

Numbers in dreams can point to specific bible passages and scriptures.

Numbers can refer to chapters of the bible. This is particularly true for larger numbers that don’t have an obvious general meaning in Scripture.

The first line of a chapter is often the key, although sometimes the whole chapter is relevant.

Here are some ideas of how to explore this possibility and clues to look out for:

• Well-known bible passages: Look for numbers that correlate to well-known bible chapters.
  • 91 could be Psalm 91
  • 53 could be Isaiah 53
• Personal favourites: Look for numbers that link to chapters in the bible that God has been recently speaking to you about personally, or that are key life chapters for you.
• Song numbers: Hymn or song numbers can point to Psalms (which were originally songs).
• Look for clues: Sometimes there are clues in the dream, such as the name of a bible book hidden in there.
• Search for options: Carry out a search through the bible for bible chapters with that number. This is easier for larger numbers as there are not so many books with that number of chapters!

I dreamed about the number 45. Someone had recently given me a ‘word’ about Psalm 45 and writing. The first line of that psalm is, ‘My tongue shall be the pen of a ready writer’. That’s what the dream was about.

I dreamed I brought a size 16 dress from Roman (a shop). This turned out to be Romans 16, which made sense in relation to what was going on in my life.

Numbers can point to specific bible verses. Sometimes this is easier to spot than others!

With times and prices the numbers are written in a way that makes it easy to read as a bible verse. For example:

• £3:16 could be John 3:16
• The time 12:02 could be Romans 12:2

There are many ways these could appear in a dream, and we need some creativity and the witness of the Holy Spirit to spot them.

I dreamed I went to Marks and Spencer’s (commonly known in UK as ‘Marks’) to buy milk for £3:21, which I thought was expensive. With hindsight, I could see that this referred to Mark 3:21. I subsequently experienced some things that were like what happened in that bible passage, and the expense pointed to the personal cost involved.

4. Numbers representing Strong’s numbers

Sometimes numbers in dreams can refer to Strong’s numbers.

Strong’s has assigned each word in the original biblical manuscripts a number. These are listed in Strong’s Concordance and can be used to look up the meaning of that word in the original language.

• The Greek words are numbered G1 to G5624
• The Hebrew words are numbered H1 to H8674

These can easily be investigated by an online search for the Strong’s meaning of specific numbers.

I have only ever had one dream where the number turned out to be a Strong’s number, and I knew it was the right interpretation because the meaning exactly tied in with what I felt God was saying to me at that time in real life.

I know other people who have this meaning of numbers more commonly.

I would explore this option if other potential meanings of numbers don’t seem to fit, or for larger 3-digit or 4-digit numbers which are more common for Strong’s numbers.

5. Personal meaning of numbers

And finally, numbers can also have personal meanings.

They could be linked to something significant for us and drawing attention to that part of our life. For example:

• Significant date numbers like birthdays and anniversaries
• Significant road and house numbers, such as the number of a childhood home.
• Other significant numbers such a sports team position number we played.

I have found that God also speaks through these numbers in real life (see signs in everyday life). The above types of details in our life may seem random, but they are probably not! So, if a personally significant number appears in a dream, it might be that God is showing you why that number was chosen for you and what he was saying through it.

It might be that the number is linked to a special interest we have. For example:

• Some people are interested in the numerical value of Hebrew letters, and for those people that could define their meaning in the dream.
• A mathematician might see interesting patterns and significance in certain numbers.

It is usually obvious if a number has a personal meaning in a dream, because the number jumps out at us!

Different ways numbers can appear in dreams

Numbers can appear in a variety of formats in our dreams. Sometimes the way it appears doesn’t really matter, it is just a way for the number to feature in the dream and convey a message or confirm a theme.

But sometimes the way the number appears can give extra insight.

Prices: These might indicate some kind of personal price/sacrifice is involved, or about ‘counting the cost’. What we feel about the price can help identify the meaning, for example, if we feel something is too expensive, we are probably not yet willing to do what is necessary.

Dates and times: These could be timing indicators. Or the number might be giving insight about the time/season the dream is about.

Distances and roads: These numbers could link to our life journey. They could be about timings of that journey or give insight about the nature of the journey.

Meaning of specific numbers in dreams

Here is a summary of common numbers in dreams and what they could mean from a biblical perspective. These meanings have all been tried and tested in my own dreams over the past fifteen years.

These meanings are not set in stone, but rather suggested ideas to help get you thinking metaphorically. They might mean something different in your dream.

I have included links to other symbols that might help confirm the meaning if they appear in the same dream, or in other dreams around the same time.

1: The number one is the number of unity and the one, true, all-sufficient God. I have found it to commonly represent making God the focus of my attention (as in the ‘one thing’). It could symbolise being first in order, time, priority, or significance. In a negative context, it could represent being alone or self-sufficient rather than dependent on God.

2: The number two is most often about witness or agreement. It can indicate that we are agreeing with an idea (either positive or negative) or give confirmation of something. This might be by being repeated twice, two objects, or a couple (e.g. a married couple) appearing in a dream. It could also be about multiplication (or division). It could be the number of man (male and female) when compared with the number of God (three).

See also weddings.

3: Three is the number of the triune God. It is a foundational dream symbol and almost always indicates that the associated part of the dream – and what it represents – is of God. (Only if very obviously negative, it might represent a counterfeit of God). It points to wholeness and completeness, like a cube. It is the ultimate witness/confirmation of something. If two means something is confirmed, three means it is certain; it is established by God; if it is prophetic, God himself will do it and it does not depend on us.

See also the colour gold, rock and stone.

4: The number four points to the created world and natural things, which could be positive or negative depending on the context. It is very helpful for discernment in a dream, because it can highlight when something is of natural origin (usually human/of man) rather than divine/heavenly (which would be three or seven).

See also the colour brown, wood.

5: Five is the number of grace, favour, and anointing from the Holy Spirit.

See also the colour red, the colour silver.

6: The number six is usually linked to humanity and man’s works. It gets its main meaning from being not yet seven (seven represents spiritual perfection). In a dream, I have found that six usually indicates that we are still in mid-process; in other words, it’s not the end of the story. Often things seem upside down before we receive God’s promise or things are complete; six is that time! It could also indicate that things (like our ideas) are not yet in line with God’s, so we should wait and seek him further.

7: Seven is another foundational number in dreams. It indicates completeness, fulfilment, and spiritual perfection. It is a strong indicator that the associated part of the dream – and what is represents – is of God. It can be a great confirmation of being in alignment with God, or point to a time in the future when that aspect of our life journey will be complete; if we have been through a refining process, it is over.

8: Eight is the number of new beginnings (coming after seven) and can symbolise something new that is going to start, or a new phase of our journey. Eight can also represent the five-fold ministry gift of teacher.

9: The number nine is linked to harvest and judgment. Judgment is about having a true (i.e. Godly) evaluation of ourselves or a situation. Harvest is linked to that and is about results and fruit (whether positive or negative). So, nine could be a promise that we will receive the long-awaited fruit of our life choices and efforts. Or it could be pointing to internal motives being revealed and consequences being experienced. Nine can also represent the five-fold ministry gift of evangelist.

See also the colour orange.

10: Ten is the number of divine order, but it can also represent a journey. I have found it most commonly indicates that we will have to go through some kind of journey/process to receive the associated things in the dream. It might also point to the future end of a journey (for example arriving at 10am). Ten can also represent the five-fold ministry gift of pastor, and the associated pastoring/nurturing attributes.

11: Eleven is the number of change and transition (an in-between place). Eleven can also represent the five-fold ministry gift of prophet.

12: The number twelve is usually linked to heavenly-appointed government and spiritual authority on the earth. Twelve can also represent the five-fold ministry gift of apostle.

13: Thirteen is usually linked to rebellion against God. For example, it could be false authority (not twelve), or refusing to obey God. It could indicate that we are about to follow a plan/idea which is not of God.

30: The number thirty is usually linked to the start of a ministry, or stepping into our true calling.

40: Forty is usually about a preparation time, or wilderness (transition) time. This could be a time of testing like Jesus went through in the desert, or a time preparing us to enter into our calling/destiny.

1000: A thousand usually represents a huge number, beyond count.

Variations, multiples, and combinations of numbers

Sometimes variations, multiples, and combinations of numbers can appear.

• Extra zeros can emphasize a number or add magnitude/weight to it (e.g. 7, 70, 700).
• Repeated digits can also bring emphasis and confirmation (e.g. 7, 77, 777).
• Three repeated digits can indicate a totality, certainty, or completeness (e.g. 888 could be resurrection, as in a complete new beginning).
• Doubles of numbers can be important (e.g. 14 [7×2] could be double anointing).
• All kinds of multiples and additions of numbers might be relevant. There are many ways these can be interpreted, so we must be careful not to go off on tangents or place too much weight on unclear meanings. Sometimes it is revealed in the dream itself how these number combinations are made up.

Numbers in everyday life

In addition to dreams, God regularly speaks through everyday events and signs in real life. Numbers are one of the most common ways this happens. This might be through seeing repeating numbers on clocks, cars, price tags, plus anything else with numbers on.

• Seeing repeated numbers all the time could just meaning that ‘things are lining up’; but the meaning of the numbers could be important. The same principles apply as interpreting those numbers in dreams.
• The time on the clock when we wake up can also be significant, so it’s worth noting down if we see it immediately on waking from a dream. I usually only think about it if it grabs my attention, if it is a notable number (like 2:22, 6:00 exactly), or if I recognise it as a bible verse (like 3:16).

Usually, these everyday signs will serve as confirmation of the messages in our dreams and the things we feel God has been saying to us. All these things can be crossmatched for confirmation.

As I finished this paragraph, I looked at my computer clock and the time was 14:14 on 14^th! The timing was perfect, so, I will certainly take the sign seriously and pray about the number 14 in relation to the other things God has been speaking to me about.

Conclusion

We have seen how numbers are foundational dream symbols, and how important it is to note them down as soon as we wake up.

Numbers can symbolise various things in dreams, for example, they could represent:

• The biblical meaning
• Timings and time periods
• Bible verses and chapters
• Strong’s numbers
• Personal meanings

We have considered the biblical meaning of numbers one to thirteen, plus some others. Sometimes multiples and combinations of numbers are relevant to their meaning.

Some closing thoughts:

• Numbers in a dream could represent various things. The above pointers should give you a good starting point.
• I believe that only God can tell us what a particular number means in a specific dream, so try praying through the dream.
• Consider the atmosphere of the dream, and whether the number is being used in a positive or negative sense.
• In addition to the meanings that I have shared, remember that it could mean something personal or culturally significant to you, that isn’t mentioned here.

And finally… have fun investigating the numbers in your dreams! If this article has helped you interpret a dream, please do like this post or leave a comment!

Infographics

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