Number 7 in Christianity
The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit
The Seven gifts as defined by Saint Thomas Aquinas. The first four gifts deal with the intellect. The last three gifts deal with the will towards God.
Wisdom
The ability to see God at work in our lives.
Understanding
The ability to comprehend how to live as followers of Jesus.
Counsel
The ability to use right judgment, to know the difference between right and wrong.
Fortitude
The gift of courage. To overcome fear and take risks as a follower of Jesus.
Knowledge
The ability to understand the meaning of God's Revelation.
Piety
The gift of reverence, to have deep respect for God and the Church.
Fear of the Lord
The fear of separating oneself from God.
"The Annunciation" 1434 Painter: Jan van Eyck. The Seven gifts of the Holy Spirit descend on the Virgin Mary on seven rays of light from the upper window. National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
There are seven sacraments in the Catholic Church
set by the Council of Trent (1545-63).
Baptism
Confirmation
Eucharist
Penance
Anointing of the sick
Holy Orders
Matrimony
The Seven Deadly Sins were the teaching of early Christians to educate their followers. The list was used by among others, Pope Gregory and of Dante in his work "The Divine Comedy" 
lust
gluttony
greed
sloth
wrath
envy
pride
Number Seven in the Bible
Seven is mentioned countless times in the Bible. “Then the Lord said to him: Not so! If anyone slays Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold”. Genesis 4:15 Elisha aids the dead boy back to life. Na'aman, the leper, dipped himself seven times in the Jordan and was cleansed. 2 King 5:14
Cain is protected
The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.
2 Kings 4:35
Ruth is worth more than seven sons. Ruth 4:15
After Moses fled from Egypt, he stayed in the land of Midian. The priest of Midian had seven daughters. He gave Moses his daughter Zipporah.
"I commanded you, you shall eat unleavened bread for seven days at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt." Exodus 23:15
The seventh Day
"And on the seventh day God finished his work. -and he rested on the seventh day. So God blessed the seventh day" Genesis 2: 2-4
"The Lord has given you the sabbeth therefore on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days; remain every man in your place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day. So the people rested on the seventh day" Exodus 16:29-30
“Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals..” Genesis 7:2 “and seven pairs of birds of the air..” Genesis 7:3 “For in seven days I will send rain upon the earth..” Genesis 7:4 “He waited another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark; and the dove came back in the evening, and lo, in her mouth a freshly plucked olive leaf” Genesis 8:10-11 “Then he waited another seven days, and sent forth the dove; and she did not return to him anymore.” Genesis 8:12 The taking of Jericho
Noah and the Number Seven
Seven priests with
seven trumpets
walked around the city walls seven times on
the seventh day.
Joshua chapter 6
The Seven Nations “and you shall not go out from the door of the tent for seven days, until the days of your ordination are completed, for it will take seven days to ordain you.” Leviticus 8:33 Miriam was the sister of Aaron and Moses. Aaron and Miriam complained that Moses had a Cushite wife. They also questioned his exclusive authority. For this God punished Miriam. She turned “white as snow” and had to live in seclusion outside the camp for seven days. Numbers chapter 12.
"When the Lord your God brings you into the land which you are entering to take possession of it, and clears away many nations before you,
the Hittites, the Gir´gashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Per´izzites, the Hivites, and the Jeb´usites, seven nations greater and mightier than yourselves,.." Deuteronomy 7:1
Consecration of the Priest Lasted Seven Days
Aaron was the brother of Moses. Aaron became the first High Priest of the Israelites. Aaron and his sons became the first priests in a consecration that lasted seven days.
Miriam Isolated for Seven Days
Seven Years for Love
Jacob had just arrived at his uncle Laban's home. By the well he met his cousin, Rachel.
He fell in love with her and asked his uncle for her hand in marriage. His uncle agreed to let Jacob marry Rachel after he had worked seven years in his duty.
"Jacob loved Rachel; and he said, "I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel." Genesis 29:18
When the seven years were up, Laban deceived Jacob. Jacob found he had been tricked into marrying Leah, the older sister of Rachel.
Laban then agreed to let Jacob have Rachel for his second wife, if he worked another seven years for his uncle. Jacob ended up being married to both Leah and Rachel.
Leah and Rachel. 1855
Jacob bowed seven times
Jacob returned to Canaan to meet with his twin brother, Esau. He was worried that Esau was angry. Jacob bowed to the ground seven times in front of Esau. As it turned out, Esau did not bear any grudges against his brother. Their reunion was happy and emotional. Genesis, chapter 33.
Seventh Year
"For six years you shall sow your land, but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat." Exodus 23:10
The Dream
Of course there is also the well known story of Pharaohs dream about the seven fat cows and seven thin cows. The seven thin cows ate up the seven fat cows.
He also dreamt of the seven full and good ears growing on one stalk and the seven thin ears which swallowed up the seven good ears.
Josef interpreted the dreams and told of the seven good years to be followed by seven years of famine.
Genesis chapter 41
They realized they were not able to solve the riddle and threatened his wife to tell the answer, if not they would burn her and her father’s house. Samson’s wife begged Samson to share the secret with her. “She wept before him the seven days the feast lasted; and on the seventh day he told her. She passed the answer on to the Philistines. The riddle was “Out of the eater came something to eat. Out of the strong came something sweet.” Judges 14:14 Seven Locks of Hair Seven Demons
Seven Days to Solve the Riddle
Samson was the man with enormous strength. He once killed a lion with his bare hands. He later found bees and honey in carcass of the lion. Samson made a wager with the Philistines during a feast. If they could solve a riddle in seven days he would give them 30 linen garments and 30 festal garments, if not they had to give him 30 linen and 30 festal garments.
"Samson and the lion" Altarpiece in Klosterneuberg, Austria.
The Philistines yearned to find out how Samson got his strength. They offered to pay Dililah eleven hundred pieces of silver for the secret to Samson’s strength. She was Samson’s lover.
Dililah learned his strength came from his seven locks of long uncut hair.
"Samson and Dililah" Rubens 1609 National Gallery, London
When Samson was asleep on her lap she called for a man to shave off the seven locks of hair. Samson immediately lost all his strength. Judges chapter 13 -16
"-and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out.." Luke 8:2
Forgive 70 X 7 times
“Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times? Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven:” Matthew 18:21-22
Number Seven In the "The word of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands" Revelation 2:1
Book of Revelation
Seven Stars and Seven Golden Lamp Stands
Seven Spirits of God
"The word of him who has the seven spirits of God and seven stars".
Revelation 3:1
Seventh Angel Mystery of God fullfilled
"The trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God, as he announced to his servants the profets, should be fullfilled." Revelation 10:7
"The seventh angel poured his bowl into the air, and a great voice came from out of the temple, from the throne saying "It is done!". Revelation 16:17
"The Seventh Angel of the Apocolypse"
Metropolitian Museum of Art. New York City
Seven Last Plagues
"Then came one of the seven angels who had seven bowls full of the seven lasts plagues.." Revelation 21:9
The Seven Thunders
"And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down." Revelation 10:4
The Seven Seals – The Lamb Breaks the Seven Seals
Seven Seals
"And I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals" Revelation 5:1
Revelation 6:1-2 Revelation 6:3 Revelation 6:5-6 Revelation 6:7-8 Revelation 6:12-17 Revelation 6:12-17 and Revelation 7:1-17 Revelation 8:1-6
The first seal;
a white horse and its rider with a bow appear. He is given a crown. He went out conquering and to conquer.
The second seal:
a red horse and its rider appear. He is given a great sword. He takes peace from the earth so that men should slay one another.
The third seal:
A rider on a black horse appears. He had a balance in his hand and he brings famine. Oil and wine are not harmed.
The fourth seal:
A pale horse appears and its rider’s name was Death and Hades followed him. They were given the power over a fourth of the earth.
The fifth seal:
The souls of those who had been slain for the word of God cry out for vengeance.
The sixth seal:
There was a great earthquake. 144 000 are sealed, out of every tribe of the sons of Israel. A great multitude of people from every nation come to worship God.
The seventh seal:
there was silence in heaven for half an hour. Seven angels are then given trumpets and a new series of seven starts with the blowing of the seven trumpets.
Seven Angels sound
Seven Trumpets
"Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God and seven trumpets were given to them". Revelation 8:2
Revelation 8:7 Revelation 8:9 Revelation 8:10 Revelation 8:12 Revelation 11:1-14 and the Ark of the Covenant was seen in God’s temple in heaven. A woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and on her head a crown of twelve stars appears. She is with child. Satan is thrown down to earth. The beast of the sea arrives. The beast of the earth appears. This second beast forces people to worship the first beast. 144,000 people with his Father’s Name on their forehead are seen by John on Mount Zion.
The first angel blew his trumpet,
and hail and fire followed. A third of the earth was burnt up; and a third of the trees and grass was burnt up.
The second angel blew his trumpet,..
and a third of the sea became blood. A third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
The third angel blew his trumpet
and a great star fell from heaven. The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died of the water, because it was made bitter.
The fourth angel blew his trumpet,
and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of their light was darkened; a third of the day was kept from shining.
The fifth angel blew his trumpet,
… then from the smoke came locusts on the earth; they were told not to harm the grass or any green growth, but only those of mankind who have not the seal of God upon his foreheads; They were allowed to torture them for five months.
Revelation 9:1-12
The sixth angel blew his trumpet;
the four angels who were bound at the great river of Euphrates are released. An army of 200 million men kill a third of mankind. The seven thunders are sounded. John eats a little scroll, tasting sweet in the mouth, but bitter in the stomach. Two witnesses have the power to prophesy for one thousand two hundred and sixty days. They will then be killed and their bodies will lie in the street for three and a half days. Then they will come back to life.
The seventh angel blew his trumpet
Revelation 11:15-19 and Revelation 12:1-17and Revelation 13:1-18 and Revelation 14:1-5
“and out of the temple came seven angels with the seven plagues” Revelation 16:6
Revelation 16:2 Revelation 16:3 Revelation 16:4 Revelation 16:8 Revelation 16:10 Revelation 16:12 Revelation 16:17-21
The first angel poured his bowl
on the earth, and fowl and evil sores came upon the men who bore the mark of the beast and worshipped his image.
The second angel poured his bowl
into the sea, and it became like the blood of the dead man, and every living thing died that was in the sea.
The third angel poured his bowl
into the rivers and fountains of water, and they became blood.
The fourth angel poured his bowl
on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch men with fire.
The fifth angel poured his bowl
on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was in darkness.
The sixth angel poured his bowl
on the great river of Euphrates, and its water was dried up.
The seventh angel poured his bowl
into the air… there were flashes of lightning, peals of thunder, a great earthquake such had never been seen since men were on the earth… The great city was split into three parts … and great hailstorms…
"I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns.
The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and bedecked with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her fornication; and on her forehead was written a name of mystery:
"Babylon the great, mother of harlots and of earth's abominations."
And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of saints and the blood of martyrs of Jesus."
Revelation 17: 3-6
"The Whore of Babylon" 1809 William Blake - British Museum, London
"This calls for a mind of wisdom: the seven heads are seven hills on which the woman is seated; there are also seven kings..." Revelation 17: 9
