“So God created man in His own image…Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So, the evening and the morning were the sixth day.” Genesis 1:27,31
The Bible contains many numbers that are often multiples of three: God’s trinitarian nature (3-in-1), twelve disciples, twelve tribes of Israel, Jesus rose from the tomb on the third day, and more. Another number is six. It is first mentioned in Genesis 1, when God created man on the sixth day.
“Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Thus, the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day, God ended His work which He had done.” (Genesis 1:31-2:2)
According to Bible scholars, the number seven typically signifies completion or perfection, especially of God. Therefore, the number six, being just one shy of seven, often signifies imperfection. More specifically, it refers to the imperfection of man and the sin and weakness he has.
As we all know, Adam went on to eat the forbidden fruit in the garden and broke the connection between heaven and man, allowing sin to enter the earth. Man’s weakness in sin is why the number six is called the “number of man.” But God in His faithful love always seeks to restore us.
Ruins of Jericho
Joshua and Jericho
The sixth chapter of Joshua is where we read that Joshua and the Israelites marched around Jericho once a day for six days with seven priests each carrying a trumpet (remember, seven means perfection). It was on the seventh day that the people were to march around Jericho seven times with the priests blowing the trumpets so the city walls would fall.
God commanded the Israelites to march for six days to prove their imperfect ability to demolish Jericho. But on the seventh day, God in His power destroyed the city so that He alone would receive the glory. Only God is perfect, and only He can perform perfect miracles. It is not by man’s power but by the hand of God alone.
A Precursor of Rest
God’s fourth commandment tells us to work for six days and rest on the seventh (Exodus 20:8, Exodus 31:12-17). God may have given us this commandment because He knows we, in our imperfection, cannot continually work seven days a week. Some of us try, but there are consequences, and God wants to spare us of them.
God also commanded the Israelites to harvest their land for six years and then let it rest the seventh year. The seventh year is called the Year of Jubilee. God’s command is not just pure agricultural genius, it illustrates God’s power to restore His creation after man’s imperfect handling of it.
(Related: God also uses the Year of Jubilee as a time of forgiveness of property debts and for giving slaves their freedom. See the story of Jacob here.)
Other Mentions of Six
Not every mention of six in the Bible indicates man’s imperfection. Many times it has a different meaning, if any at all. Here are a few to consider.
- Jesus turns six pots of water into wine at a friend’s wedding (John 2:6).
- Moses and Joshua went up to Mount Sinai where the glory of the Lord rested on them for six days before God called Moses to enter the cloud’s midst for forty days and nights (Exodus 24:16-18).
- The gold lampstand for the holy tabernacle had six branches coming off it (Exodus 25:32.) Remember that Jesus said He is the vine and we are the branches (John 15:5), which means the lampstand represents Jesus, and the six branches represent man and his imperfection.
- Boaz gave Ruth six ephahs of barley to take home (Ruth 3:15). The original Hebrew does not indicate how much an ephah weighs, but it may have been as much as 200 pounds, far too much for Ruth to carry especially in her shawl. So, it was likely six seahs of barley weighing approximately 60-80 pounds, which was twice what Ruth was normally gleaning.
- The Levites had six cities of refuge for accused murderers to stay in until they could have their case heard before the congregation in judgment. Three were in Israel and three were in pagan Canaan (Numbers 35:9-15).
- Seraphim angels have six wings: two for covering the face, two for covering the feet, and two for flying (Isaiah 6:2).
- Six days after Jesus told the disciples of His second coming, He took Peter, James, and John up a high mountain to witness His transfiguration (Matthew 17:1, Mark 9:2). Matthew does not often mention numbers, so the number six here seems to be significant.
- The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary to announce she would give birth to Jesus when her cousin was already in her sixth month of miraculous pregnancy (Luke 1:26).
- Jesus was asked six times to show signs that prove He is the Son of God (Matthew 12:38, 16:1, 24:3; Luke 11:16; John 2:18, 6:30. See also Mark 8:11, 13:4).
- Later, Jesus was found innocent by six different men: Pontius Pilate, Pilate’s wife, King Herod, Judas Iscariot (after the devil left him), one of the thieves hanging on a cross next to Jesus, and the Roman centurion guarding Him during the crucifixion (Luke 23:14, 15, 41, 47; Matthew 27:3, 19).
The Number of the Beast
Because the number six can represent imperfection, we have to talk about what is known as the number of the beast—666. The apostle John writes in Revelation 13:18,
“Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.”
Notice there are three sixes. Remember that God is three in one, or perhaps 111 for illustrative purposes. Since God is a perfect holy trinity, then Satan—the beast—is perfectly unholy and evil, and Satan will display his evil power in the last days of the Tribulation period.
In the book of Revelation, God reveals the beast’s power to John as a prophetic warning about the extent of his evil nature and the destruction he will spread:
- He will break his covenant with Israel and set up an image of himself in Jerusalem’s temple in what the Bible calls the abomination of desolation (Revelation 13:14-15; 17:14)
- He will set up a global paganized religion (Revelation 17:1-18)
- He and his allies will wage war against Israel (Daniel 11:40-45; Joel 3:9-17; Zechariah 14:1-3; Revelation 16:14-16)
- He will restrict the buying and selling of goods to those who do not take his mark, 666 (Revelation 13:16-17)
- He will behead anyone who refuses to submit to him (Revelation 20:4)
These are only some of the terrible things he will do. For these reasons, God warns us to pay attention to the signs of His return when He finally defeats the beast, gathers His children, and establishes His eternal kingdom on the earth.
What’s Most Important
It is very important is that believers should not analyze every single number in the Bible or get caught up in what some call “angel numbers,” which is false teaching. But if there is anything we can learn from looking at the number six, perhaps we should notice how it shines a spotlight on man’s weaknesses while also highlighting God’s power to restore what once was lost.
But, let us not lose sight of what is always most important of all: God’s grace is eternal, His love is true, He is forever faithful, and He will stop at nothing to show us.
Thanks Gina for this information about number 6 because it came to me as i was preparing my today sermon and everything in the resources i was using had 6 as a number i became curious but at least am okay now
Glad I could help. Blessings to you and your ministry.
Thank you for your teaching. I felt God calling me to 6 mins of silence for six days and then on the 7th Day to pray in the Holy Ghost. I decided to explore what 6 means and then I found your teaching. It was very enlightening.
God Bless you.
I think I am in training.
I wish you many blessings wherever God leads you. Thanks for stopping by.
Thanks for reading, everyone. You bless me just as much! -Gina
Am so glad I read this its very informative I hope u send more info soon
Am blessed may God give you more insight. Thk you
Nice and explicit. Good job and God bless you please.
Thank you for such great info. You pointed out from the Bible. I had a dream or vision not sure what to make of it. I saw something in the sky and two things (some sort of force) coming down really fast besides it I yelled out number 6!! Woke up, went back as sleep and again I pointed up yelling NUMBER 6!!!! Woke me up it was so intense prayed and found your post when searching biblical meaning for 6. If you have any input let me know. Thank you and God bless you.
Wow! That’s some dream! I’m afraid I have nothing to add, though. As the famous Sigmond Freud said, sometimes a dream means nothing. Who knows why you were yelling “number 6”? It would seem more likely that you are/were dealing in something that end in the number 6, like a grocery receipt perhaps? Or maybe you’re thinking about a half dozen of something? If you’ve been under stress lately, your mind is very sensitive to suggestions from the real world. Unless God has appointed you as His new prophet, I wouldn’t think much of it. Just chalk it up to a weird dream. Hope that helps. Sorry for the delayed response. I pray you have the merriest of Christmases.
Thank you so much for replying but unfortunately for sum reason the txt came out funny so I tried the best I CLD to make it out but it keeps popping up on my phone so I thought I might ask of you wld consider resending? Thx you GodBless. Ex T
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i am a born again christian and i keep seeing the number six literally everytimee i pick up my phone to look at the time or anytime i look at a clock its like 11:06 or 5:06, and its been happening even before i was saved as well. 6 months before i got saved i was seeing the number 6 literally all the time. then i was saved in January 2019. i just dont know what this is!!
You’re the second person to tell me this. Very odd. I don’t know what it is either, but I doubt it’s some kind of omen or anything of a spiritual nature. I wouldn’t put any stock in it. Sorry I can’t be more helpful. Thanks for reading and God bless!
Me too I have been seeing this 6 every time in my device when picking phone for sometime starting this year..is there a word from God
I wonder, after reading this blog, if you see the number 6 in the time regularly perhaps it is Holy Spirit drawing your attention to the moment. He may be saying that you are trying to do things in your own strength that only He can do and asking you to look to him (6 is man imperfection etc and 7 is God’s perfection, completion and him doing it) or it may be a reassurance that you are almost at a rest/completion season.
That is a very interesting take on it. I can’t rule it out. Who can know what goes on in God’s mind? I appreciate your perspective, thank you.
Hmm. That’s crazy every time I’m in prayer and reading the word and praising God I see the number 7 repeatedly and when I fall off and I’m not in the word or praising God o start to see the number 6 that’s no coincidence I don’t believe in those this definitely means something!!
Very interesting article. Speaking to man’s sin and imperfection, we are called to put on 6 pieces of armor to fight our battles. I too think we ought not give numbers too much emphasis, but this follows perfectly what you are saying.
Pam
How interesting is it that I found this post and inquired you about the #6 on the 13th day of the month? Even more phenomenal is that as I was txtn this to you, a profit called w/a message declaring “God is w/you and will go b4 you and win this battle”. Amazing
Thank you for explaining this. This really helped me to more deeply understand The Word.
Bless you.
Pattie-Lynn
You’re so welcome, Pattie-Lynn. It’s all in His service. Thanks for stopping by.
Mrs.Gina, thx you so much for your God given enlightenment on this subject. It is my prayer that you maybe can help me to decide the best way to handle and/or view this subject matter .?? School started back this week and my daughter comes home to tell me that her class # is 6! This # is connected to her and all that she does in relation to school for the entire year My heart dropped and while it may seem silly to most, it isn’t silly to me. I just have this deep, pit of the tummy dark feeling. What is your take on it? What would you do if it was your daughter and how would you handle it? Thx you a million times over for takn the time to think about it and getting back to me . Sister in Jesus , Ashley
Hello Ashley! I have three children, so I know what you mean about worrying about your kids. However…I’ll be honest and say I don’t see any concern here that your daughter is class #6. Presumably, her class is the sixth one out of a certain number of classes in her grade. I worked in our local elementary school in the past, and I know the administration and teachers usually have a way of keeping things organized and on schedule. It appears to be the same way at your daughter’s school. I wouldn’t worry about it. Just because 6 is the assigned number doesn’t foretell any doom, I don’t think. But if it concerns you enough, take it straight to the Lord and pray over it. He can do far more than anyone. You might pray for your daughter’s protection, for her guidance and wisdom, and that she would feel His presence as she moves through her day. We could all use that, couldn’t we? I hope that helps and that your daughter has an amazing year. God bless you for loving your family so much.
Thank you this was a perfect explanation. The Lord has perfected your imperfection to explain and teach on this subject. HalleluYAH! Meaning you wrote out this teaching to shed light that came from the gift inside of you and through God you were able to perfectly exhort, and teach on this subject. If you would have done it any other way or out of Gods will it wouldn’t have been as successful in the perfect teaching of his word. What man cannot do in his own strength God can do. He strengthens us in our weakness. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. We in our imperfection try to make things perfect, trying to be perfect believers in Christ, trying to perfectly teach on God’s word, trying to be perfectly righteous, etc., etc. But it is only through God where we can obtain perfection. God Bless and again Thank You for sharing. To God be the Glory!
Such kind words! Thank you so much. May God bless you as well.
Hello people
Thks, it was simple and easy to understand. Keep it up. Bless u.
Thanks, Rachel! May God bless you as well.
This article was very helpful and offered understandable explanations.
I’m so glad I could bless you. Thanks for stopping by!
I’ve been seeing 66 for a while, your explanation is good, but still I don’t know what this might personally mean for me.
To be honest, I don’t either. But as I’ve told others, I wouldn’t put too much emphasis on it. But if it’s bothering you enough, you need to take your concerns to God and ask Him. He is the way, the truth, and the life. He holds all the answers. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth of it to you, if there is any. God bless you. Thanks for reading.
I have been seeing now for several moths this year: 111 or 222 or 333 or 444, or 555, or 11:11. I have been praying about it and my carnal mind says it’s a wake up call but I’m still praying about it for God to show me the meaning specifically.
Isaiah 66
My birthday is October if God allows me to see it in 2019. I really enjoyed reading that from top to bottom. What i loved most about it is knowing that God is willing and ready to restore my relationship with him. That is why i love God so much.
Hi my name is Jana about four years ago I was in bed, I don’t no if this was a dream or a vision, but I was laying on my back in on my bed looking at the ceiling and I saw a fiery number 6 being being drawn, the flames coming off this number 6 were a fluorescent green and orange and just before the 6 closed I woke up this was about 4 in the morning then I went back to sleep, and saw the capital building crumble to the ground it wasn’t an explosion it was just crumbling to the ground and it looked like it was around twilight and then I woke up again and now it was like 5 a clock these dreams or vision were like an hour apart,like I said this was about four years ago it was like the 6 was being drawn with an invisible finger and I’ll never forget the flames coming off it, I’ve been trying to figure this out for years can you help me?6
Hi Jana. I wish I could answer your question, but God has not given me the gift of interpreting dreams like Joseph did. Please consider that it may have been just a bad dream and that’s all. But I highly suggest you pray about it. God is the only one who can give you the answers you need. Perhaps He was trying to warn you of something to come, but I have no way of knowing. Please take it God. In Him is the way and the truth. I’m so sorry I couldn’t help you. Praying God blesses you in this.
Hi, Jana. I am fascinated by your dream/vision. I don’t typically focus on numbers or colors much, as I’ve known people who were led away from the centrality of Jesus by chasing after peripherals such as these. However, it is undeniable that the Lord speaks through numbers and colors, so I don’t want to just write them off, or else I would be writing off a way in which the Holy Spirit speaks. Truthfully, I’m for anything— even the super weird— as long as Jesus is glorified.
That being said, I believe that the Lord may have been communicating to you that the sixth year of His Grand Harvest is coming to a close soon. Your role in this season is two-fold: 1) Orange (representing the POWER of listening to, hearing, seeing, and doing the Mind of Christ.) Orange is a combination of RED, the fiery mercy of God, and YELLOW, the oil of grace set ablaze.
2) Flourescent Green (the operational power of grace at work to perform miracles in His Name). Electric green is especially representative of the life that comes through electric intimacy with the Bridegroom, and includes the supernatural peace that accompanies that revelation.
Though governments and there capitals are destined to falter and crumble, your connection with the Lord will increase until the Day of His return, and many will be discipled to Him because of His mercy, grace, and peace at work in you and through you by intimacy with His Presence.
Blessings to you, sister! If all of that doesn’t resonate with you, that’s okay. I’m still learning to hear His voice more and more each day, but sometimes my spiritual radio dial is off by a few degrees, so I get static interference. LOL!
Hi Jana,
Amazing dream or vision.
It came to my mind right away January 6 2021 and what happened in DC.
May God bless you!
God have mercy on us!
i was born on the 6th.i’m the 6th child in my family .also was bornin 1961.am i doomed to imperfection?
Haha, no, I don’t think so, at least not any more than sin can make you. If you’re covered by the blood of Jesus, you’re good.