The Meaning of Numbers: The Number 17

The meaning of the number 17 In the Bible is that of "overcoming the enemy" and "complete victory." God overcame the sins of rebellious humans when he began to flood the earth through rain on the 17th of the second Hebrew month. Noah's ark and its eight passengers rested on the mountains of Ararat on the 17th of the seventh month (right in the middle of God's annual Holy period known as the Feast of Tabernacles).

Jesus Christ gained a complete victory over death and the grave when God resurrected him near sunset on Nisan 17 (Saturday, April 8, 30 A.D.).

In the book of 1Corinthians the thirteenth chapter, the seventeenth mention of the word 'love' comes when the apostle Paul states that it is the greatest gift of all (1Corinthians 13:13). God's unending love (John 3:16) is truly victorious over all things. Those who stay faithful to God to the end of their lives will gain the victory over the grave when they are miraculously brought back to life (see 1Corinthians 15).

Daniel 7's beasts have seven heads and ten horns, for a total number of 17. They represent world-ruling powers from Daniel's time to the Second Coming of Jesus. The devil's end-time system (Revelation 13) will have seven heads and ten horns, which totals 17.

All mankind will very soon obey and worship the devil and the Beast power. They will war against those who have faith in Jesus and keep the commandments, thus achieving a victory (though short-lived) against God's people (Revelation 13:1 - 8).

True Christians, however, will gain the ultimate victory over God's adversaries when he resurrects them back to life (Revelation 15:2; 20:4). One of the major themes of the Day of Atonement (commonly referred to as Yom Kippur), which occurs in the seventh Hebrew month on the tenth day, is the binding of Satan (see Revelation 20). Thus, 10 plus 7 equals the number 17, which testifies to Christ's perfect overcoming of Satan.

Appearances of the number seventeen

No Bible books contain exactly seventeen chapters. Leviticus 1, 3, Joshua 3, 1Samuel 7, 1Chronicles 14 and other chapters have seventeen verses. Revelation is noteworthy in that it has three chapters of this size.

Rehoboam, son of Solomon and the very first king of Judah after the kingdom split in 930 B.C., reigned for 17 years (930 to 913 B.C.).

The book of James has material from seventeen Old Testament books. The book of 1Corinthians has 17 direct quotations from the Old Testament.

One of the longest names found in the word of God, containing seventeen letters, is Chushanrishathaim (Judges 3:8).

Number 17 and our standing with God

In Romans 8:35 the apostle Paul asks a simple question which is "What shall separate us from the love of Christ?" (HBFV). He extends his question a little more by asking if the following seven things could separate us, which are tribulation, persecution, distress, nakedness, famine, the sword or any other danger.

Paul then tells us ten things that cannot get between our God and us. These are life, death, principalities, powers, angels, things present or to come, depth, height or anything created. Thus, we have 7 + 10 = 17, representing a Christian's perfect and eternal standing with God through Christ.

Additional info on Biblical Meaning of 17

Psalm 83, verses 6 to 11, lists seventeen enemies of Israel. Seven of these God destroyed in the past. The other ten foes will soon try to destroy the Israelites and "cut them off from being a nation." The Psalm, written by Davidic priests, beseeches the Eternal to treat Israel's future enemies like those in the past.

The seven enemies of Israel God destroyed in the past are the Midianites, Sisera, Jabin, Oreb, Zeeb, Zebah and Zalmunna. The future confederation prophesied to be against God's chosen are Edom, Ishmaelites, Moab, Hagarenes, Gebal, Ammon, Amalek, Philistines, Tyre and Assyria. This makes for 17 total foes vanquished by the Eternal!