A Figure that Signifies Foundation
We’ve covered the numbers three and seven in the Bible. Let’s now look at the number twelve. It occurs frequently but mainly references two parallel concepts: Jacob’s twelve sons and Jesus’s twelve disciples.
We can consider the number twelve as foundational in the Bible. Twelve is the basis for government in both the Old and New Testaments.
Twelve Tribes
Jacob—also known as Israel—has twelve sons. They come from four different women. They are Leah and Rachel—his wives—and their two maids: Zilpah and Bilhah.
The twelve sons become the twelve tribes in the nation of Israel. Though this simple reference carries a bit of confusion, it’s still convenient to view them as twelve tribes.
The twelve tribes are the foundational basis for the nation of Israel. We also see the number twelve repeated throughout the law of Moses, representing Jacob’s twelve sons and the twelve tribes throughout their religious practices.
Twelve Disciples
Just as the basis for the nation of Israel stems from its twelve tribes, the foundational structure of Jesus’s church is his twelve disciples. This nicely parallels the Old Testament and extends it in a fresh way in the New Testament.
The gospel writers often talk about the twelve apostles or twelve disciples. Three of the accounts even lists them. Yet the names don’t match exactly. We’re left to speculate why.
Whether the number of twelve is literal or figurative, the reality is that Jesus’s disciples formed the structural basis for his church.
Twelve in Revelation
The number twelve also shows up in the book of Revelation.
There are twelve gates which represent the twelve tribes (Revelation 21:12) and twelve foundations which represent Jesus’s twelve apostles (Revelation 21:14).
In addition, there are twelve stars on the woman’s head (Revelation 12:1) and twelve angels (Revelation 21:12). There are twelve pearls (Revelation 21:21) and twelve crops (Revelation 22:2).
Each one of these occurrences of the number twelve simultaneously connects our future in heaven with the past as seen in both Jacob’s sons and Jesus’s disciples.
Other Occurrences of the Number Twelve
Not only did Jacob have twelve sons, which formed the nation of Israel, but his uncle Ishmael likewise had twelve sons, which also formed twelve tribes (Genesis 25:12-18).
What’s interesting is that both Jacob and Ishmael are descendants of Abraham. God promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations (Genesis 17:4-6 and Romans 4:17-18). These two sets of twelve tribes form two of Abraham’s “many nations.”
As an aside, the number twelve is also foundational in our calendar, with twelve months in a year (1 Kings 4:7 and Revelation 22:2).
The Number Twelve in the Bible
In all these references, we see the number twelve as foundational in the Old Testament, the New Testament, and our future in heaven. They connect with each other.
We will do well to marvel at God’s plan each time we encounter the number twelve in the Bible.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo Christianity and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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