I once wondered why there are twelve apples in a dozen. Upon thinking about it, I realized that I didn't have a clue why there are twelve of anything in a dozen, but I have a guess---and it's found in the Bible.

The Bible lists many things as twelves. For instance:

Genesis 17:20, "...twelve princes shall he [Ishmael] beget."
Genesis 35:22, "...the sons of Jacob were twelve."
Matthew 10:1, "And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples..."
James 1:1, "James...to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting."
Revelation 12:1 "...on her head a crown of twelve stars."

One scholar suggests that in ancient times the number 12 was taken to mean completeness. That sounds good until you read in another place where another scholar says the number 7 means completeness. It's all speculation. Maybe the reason the number 12 is so abundantly used in the scriptures is simply because Jacob had 12 sons. It's probably just that simple.

Out of the original 12 tribes the nation of the Hebrews was formed. It's only logical that after that things would be occurring in twelves. In Leviticus 24:5 we read, "And thou shalt take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes..." These cakes, called the shewbread, represented the 12 tribes and were part of the sanctuary service. Numbers 13 tells of 12 spies chosen to search out the land (one from every tribe). And so the list of 12's continues, many of which are in some way tied back into the original 12 tribes of Israel.

However, when we turn to the New Testament, the emphasis changes. There are no longer 12 tribes that exist as a political group. The kingdom of Israel is dead and gone, conquered by numerous wars with powerful neighbors. Only memories of the Israelite's ancestry survives. In New Testament times, people still trace their families back to certain tribes, but the tribes no longer exist as a unit. So, when Jesus chooses the founders of a new spiritual Israel, he chooses 12 apostles. These then become the representatives of the New Testament church. Likewise when we turn to Revelation 12:1 we read of a woman with 12 stars in her crown. In general commentators have applied this symbol to either the 12 patriarchs or the 12 apostles or both. Further on in Revelation we read in chapter 21 of the New Jerusalem as having 12 foundations named after the twelve apostles and 12 gates named after the twelve tribes. And so goes the references to the number 12 throughout the entire Bible.

Whether referring to the literal 12 tribes of old or the spiritual Israel of today, the mystery of the number 12 seems not to be a mystery at all. If God had willed for Jacob to have had 14 sons, would there be 14 apples in a dozen? Maybe so.

Blessings in your study of God's Word!

Marvin Hunt

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Blessings!
Marvin Hunt

Http://www.biblehistory.com

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