Topical Bible: The Jews: Their Vast Numbers

◄ The Jews: Their Vast Numbers ►

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The Jewish people, often referred to as the Israelites or Hebrews in the Bible, have a significant presence throughout the biblical narrative. Their vast numbers are frequently highlighted in Scripture, underscoring both their physical presence and their spiritual significance as God's chosen people.

Biblical Promises and Fulfillment

The promise of vast numbers for the descendants of Abraham is a recurring theme in the Bible. In Genesis 12:2, God promises Abraham, "I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing." This promise is reiterated in Genesis 15:5, where God tells Abraham, "Look at the sky and count the stars, if you are able. Then He declared, 'So shall your offspring be.'" The imagery of stars in the sky and sand on the seashore (Genesis 22:17) is used to convey the innumerable descendants that would come from Abraham.

The fulfillment of this promise begins with the growth of the Israelites in Egypt. Exodus 1:7 states, "But the Israelites were fruitful and increased abundantly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them." Despite the oppression they faced, their numbers continued to grow, demonstrating God's faithfulness to His covenant with Abraham.

Census and Population Growth

The Book of Numbers provides detailed accounts of the population of the Israelites during their wilderness journey. Numbers 1:46 records that the number of men aged twenty and above, able to go to war, was 603,550. This figure does not include women, children, and the Levites, indicating a much larger total population. The census in Numbers 26, taken near the end of the wilderness period, shows a similar count, reflecting the sustained growth and stability of the Israelite population despite the challenges they faced.

Prophetic References

The prophets also speak of the vast numbers of the Jewish people. Hosea 1:10 declares, "Yet the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be measured or counted." This prophetic vision not only reaffirms the promise made to Abraham but also points to a future restoration and blessing for the people of Israel.

New Testament Acknowledgment

In the New Testament, the apostle Paul acknowledges the vast numbers of the Jewish people and their significant role in God's redemptive plan. Romans 9:27 quotes Isaiah, saying, "Though the number of the Israelites is like the sand of the sea, only the remnant will be saved." This highlights both the physical multitude of the Jewish people and the spiritual remnant that remains faithful to God.

Historical Context and Continuation

Throughout history, the Jewish people have maintained a distinct identity, often marked by their significant numbers and influence. Despite periods of persecution and dispersion, they have continued to fulfill the biblical promise of being a numerous and enduring people. The modern state of Israel and the global Jewish diaspora testify to the ongoing fulfillment of God's promises regarding their vast numbers.

In summary, the vast numbers of the Jewish people are a testament to God's faithfulness and the fulfillment of His promises. From the patriarchal era through the biblical narrative and into modern times, the Jewish population has played a central role in the unfolding of God's plan for humanity.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Genesis 22:17
That in blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is on the sea shore; and your seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Numbers 10:36
And when it rested, he said, Return, O LORD, to the many thousands of Israel.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Jews.
... by the sword in battle, besides vast numbers who perished ... necessary to issue an edict
for their banishment, to ... As the Jews have generally been the bankers and ...
//christianbookshelf.org/hayward/the book of religions/jews.htm

The Death of Salome. The Cities which Herod and Philip Built. ...
... Hereupon the Jews, as it were at one signal, fell down in vast numbers together,
and exposed their necks bare, and cried out that they were sooner ready to be ...
/.../chapter 9 the death of.htm

That Whereas the City of Jerusalem had Been Five Times Taken ...
... nation ever came thus to destroy the Jews at any of ... till this time, but came now
upon their apostasy from ... that in any other nation such vast numbers should be ...
/.../chapter 10 that whereas the.htm

The Jewish Rebellions
... Those Jews who did not believe St ... out into mad rebellion again, and perished in vast
numbers, till they ... Peter had warned them) by their own fleshly lusts, which ...
/.../kingsley/discipline and other sermons/sermon xv the jewish rebellions.htm

The Restoration of the Jews.
... so long predicted came in all their terrible reality ... Vast numbers of the inhabitants
were killed; many more were ... all the public treasures of the Jews, the gold ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/abbott/cyrus the great/chapter ix the restoration of.htm

How the Zealots when they were Freed from the Idumeans, Slew a ...
... And indeed many there were of the Jews that deserted ... was this, that the rich purchased
their flight by ... Along all the roads also vast numbers of dead bodies lay ...
/.../chapter 6 how the zealots.htm

Jews.
... Yet the Jews seem to stand still in this vast and general ... from the wilderness, were
evidently not much more than three; and their census, according to ...
//christianbookshelf.org/hayward/the book of religions/jews 2.htm

The Great Slaughters and Sacrilege that were in Jerusalem.
... [4] This destruction of such a vast quantity of ... city, after all, had not these seditious
Jews been so ... Josephus here justly styles, "The nerves of their power.". ...
/.../chapter 13 the great slaughters.htm

St. Bernard (Ad 1091-1153)
... were disposed to fall on the Jews of their own neighbourhood ... of saving the lives
of many Jews, but brought ... came of the crusade except that vast numbers of lives ...
/.../chapter xi st bernard ad.htm

How Moses Made War with the Ethiopians.
The Antiquities of the Jews. ... from the Egyptians, because Moses was to be their general ...
the multitude of serpents, [which it produces in vast numbers, and, indeed ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 10 how moses made.htm