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No.19.
Enoch the seventh from Adam.
Noah the eighth person.
pp. 75 - 80
The testimony of II Pet. 2: 4-6 and Jude 6, 7 leaves no room to doubt that there had
been a fall among the angels and this fall was associated with leaving an appointed
sphere. This sphere, oiketerion in the light of II Cor. 5: 1, 2, reveals the fact that angels
are not incorporeal spirits but, like the resurrection body of the believer, angels have
`spiritual bodies'.
We now proceed. Peter associates the sin of the angels with the deluge in the days of
Noah, and both Peter and Jude link the fall of the angels with the sin and destruction of
the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Peter speaks of Noah as `the eighth person', Jude
speaks of Enoch as `the seventh from Adam'. There is an evident connection between
these two patriarchs that calls for attention.
"Noah the eighth person." This according to classic usage means `Noah, with seven
others', and this is all that most commentators see in the reference. Noah is certainly not
`the eighth' in succession from Enoch who was `the seventh from Adam', it therefore
appears that some fuller meaning is to be attached to the enumeration by Peter, especially
when we remember that in his first epistle when speaking of Noah and the ark he says
`wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water' (I Pet. 3: 20).
The subject of Bible Numerics is a dangerous one for any who are likely to let their
imagination run riot, but this is no reason why the subject should be avoided; there are
too many incontrovertible evidences of its designed presence in the Scriptures for that.
Eight is the number of Resurrection, a new beginning. It is the octave in music, colour,
and days of the week. The number eight enters into the Gematria of the name Jesus, the
numerical value of its letters adding up to 888. In contrast with this, it will be observed
that Noah was 600 years old when the flood came upon the earth, and at the first stroke of
the 600th year `in the 601st year in the 1st month, the 1st day of the month' (Gen. 8: 13)
the waters of the Flood were dried. The numerical values of the names of Noah, Shem,
Ham and Japheth add up to 936, and if the name of Ham be removed (he was associated
with Canaan and the curse, Gen. 9: 22-26), the following is the result:
Noah
the letters of this name equal
58
Shem
equal
340
Japheth
equal
490
--------
888
We have therefore Noah the eighth person (II Pet. 2: 5); eight souls (I Pet. 3: 20) and
the numerical value of Noah, Shem and Japheth 888, all of which stress the idea of a
new beginning, a first day of a week, the octave.