The Number 5 Symbolizes Rebirth

by Stephen Otto

The following are examples of the number 5 symbolizing a new birth or rebirth in the Scriptures:

• On the 5th day of creation- God caused the waters to abound with sea creatures. Water is a symbol of rebirth.

• The laver- was the 5th station of the tabernacle (Ex. 30:17-21, 38:8), where the priests washed their hands and feet before offering sacrifices or entering into the tabernacle. Again, water symbolizes rebirth.

• The first four books of the Old Testament- Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers, had a rebirth in the Book of Deuteronomy. 

• The first four books of the New Testament- Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, had a rebirth in the Book of Acts.

• In Daniel, chapter 2- the prophet described a large statue (Dan. 2:32-33) that consisted of four metals,  symbolizing four kingdoms. The head of the statue was made of gold, its breast and arms were silver, its belly and thighs were brass, and its legs were made of iron (Dan. 2:32-33). The feet had ten toes, symbolizing the rebirth of two kingdoms, each composed of four metals. "Its feet [were] partly of iron and partly of clay" (vs. 33). Verse 35 adds, “Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together."

• In Daniel chapter 7- four beasts ascended from the sea: a lion, a bear, a leopard, and a “dreadful and terrible” beast, which had a rebirth in the 5th composite beast in Revelation 13:3, which states, "And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast."

• The first four signs of Yeshua’s return in Matthew chapter 24- false messiahs, wars and rumors of war, famines, and pestilences (vv. 4-7), which resulted in a martyrdom of saints, had a rebirth in the fifth sign of Yeshua's return (vv. 9-28). The rebirth included false messiahs and false prophets (v. 24), the great tribulation (v. 21),  the abomination that lays waste (v. 15), and death (v. 9).

• The first four seals of Yeshua's return in Revelation chapter 6 - the white horse, the red horse, the black horse, and the pale horse, which account for the first four seals of Revelation- had a rebirth in the 5th seal of Revelation. In speaking of the four horsemen, John wrote, “…Authority was given to them over one-fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword, with famine, with death, and by the wild beasts of the earth” (Rev. 6:8). After this, Yeshua opened up the fifth seal and revealed that there would be a second martyrdom of saints, “…who would also be killed even as they were …” (Rev. 6:11). Here, just as the four horsemen led to the first martydom of saints, the second martydom was "killed" by a rebrth of the four horsemen during the all-inclusive fifth seal. (This prophecy corresponds to the first four signs of Yeshua’s return in Matthew chapter 24 above).

• Yeshua was likely nailed to a stake with four nails- one nail for each extremity. And it is also probable that a fifth nail was used to fasten a plaque to the stake, which read, “YESHUA OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS” (Matt. 27:37; John 19:18-22). The fifth nail was symbolic of Yeshua's rebirth through his resurrection.