Photo by Bill Oxford
Amid the worst pandemic in modern history and on the day the International Monetary Fund warned that the global economy is likely to “experience its worst recession since the Great Depression,” the global population hit 7,777,777,777, according to the World Population Clock, prompting people to ask if God is sending a message to humanity.
The eye-popping number (seven symbolizes completeness, perfection, and wholeness – both negative and positive – in the Bible and, interestingly enough, the book of Revelation is built around the number seven) came as a growing number of Bible prophecy experts say the world is experiencing an acceleration in signs of the end times. “In the midst of world-shaking events, God still reminds us about His presence in the midst of darkness by giving us assurance in the form of His perfect number seven,” says retired U.S. Army Chaplain (Col.) David J. Giammona, an author and speaker and expert on the end times. “Only, He repeats it numerous times to ensure we get it.” 
Hong Kong skyline by Lok Yiu-Cheung
The 7,777,777,777th child was born on Wednesday, according to the World Population Clock, as recent polls show many ministers and much of the general public believe the coronavirus crisis and other world events are indications that the end times predicted by Jesus Christ and the prophets thousands of years ago are now upon us. A poll released last week by Lifeway Research found nearly nine in 10 pastors see at least some current events matching those Jesus said would occur shortly before he returns to Earth. Meanwhile, an earlier poll by McLaughlin & Associates found 44 percent of Americans say they believe the coronavirus outbreak and resulting economic meltdown is a "wake-up call for us to turn back to faith in God" and/or "signs of coming judgment." “We certainly live in a crazy time,” Josh Peck, founder of the Daily Renegade, wrote in an article accompanying a YouTube video titled, “Prophecy & RAPTURE? Population Now 7,777,777,777 (Sevens in History).” “The whole world is reeling from the … coronavirus, everyone is on lockdown, and it seems like civilization has ground to a halt. “Many have speculated if we are, in fact, living in prophetic times as our current situation is a first in human history. While all this is happening, the population of the world just reached the incredible number of ten sevens lined up in a row: 7,777,777,777. Is it a coincidence that we hit this prophetic number at this specific time? Probably, but … what if?” Meanwhile, Geoffrey Grider, editor in chief of the blog Now the End Begins, wrote that the population milestone could be a “great time for the pre-tribulation rapture of the church to take place.” While Jesus Christ told his disciples in Matthew 24:36 that no one knows the “day or hour” of His return to Earth – “not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” – He did urge us to watch, wait and be ready for His return. “You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him,” Jesus said in Luke 12:40. While there is no prophecy in the Bible about the global population hitting 7,777,777,777, the book of Revelation is filled with sevens – signifying both the blessings and judgments of God. 
For instance, there are seven “blesseds” in Revelation, including:
A close reading of Revelation, a biblical book written by the Apostle John that depicts the culmination of prophecies begun in the Old Testament and continued in the New Testament, reveals the entire book is built around the number seven. For instance, there are:
And this is only the book of Revelation. The Bible, which includes more than 700 references to the number seven, opens in Genesis with seven days of creation and climaxes with a book based on sevens that tells the story of the ultimate destiny of humanity, the world and even the universe. It seems seven is a favorite number of God. After all, there are seven days in a week, seven colors in the rainbow, and seven notes in Western music. “The number seven is one of the most significant in the Bible,” wrote Anna Pukas in her Daily Express article, “The magnificent 7: The meaning and history behind the world’s favourite number.” “After creating the world God rested on the seventh day and the seven-day week has been adopted by all human civilizations. “The word ‘created’ is used seven times in the Book of Genesis in reference to the making of the world. Seven also symbolizes the unity of the four corners of Earth with the Holy Trinity. Israel captured the city of Jericho after marching around it seven times, Solomon took seven years to build his temple, Job had seven sons and the Great Flood came seven days after Noah went into his ark. In the story of Joseph in Egypt there were seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine and Christ spoke seven words from the cross.” So, is the world population reaching 7,777,777,777 just a coincidence at a time when many experts believe biblical prophecies are moving into fulfillment stage, or is God, the Master Mathematician whose creation boils down to mind-boggling mathematical equations, telling us something? However, one answers that question, the number seven certainly has a rich history “going back to the beginning of time.” “While … I am not trying to initiate a new way to interpret Bible prophecy (nowhere in Scripture are we told to take note of the number of the human population as a way to determine where we are on the prophetic timeline), the convergence of events occurring during times of sevens is interesting, though admittedly probably coincidental,” Peck wrote. “There were many, many events occurring during these times of sevens (that) … didn't seem to coincide with anything of importance. On the other hand, the current population number has inspired at least one publication to wonder if this could be signifying a soon-to-come pre-tribulation rapture. As for myself, I tend to stay out of rapture debates as they tend to easily become contentious (I'm more of a ‘pray for pre, prepare for post’ kind of guy). However, as I'm sure you will be able to relate, all of this does have me wondering...what if?” 
Troy Anderson is the senior editor of GODSPEED Magazine, a Pulitzer Prize-nominated investigative journalist, bestselling co-author of The Babylon Code and Trumpocalypse, former executive editor of Charisma magazine, reporter at the Los Angeles Daily News, and a regular guest on numerous television and radio shows. He writes for Reuters, Newsmax, Townhall, and other media outlets. Discover more at his author website TroyAnderson.us, Prophecy Investigators, and Troy Anderson Literary Services. He lives with his family in Irvine, California.
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