137,720 Greek words in the original NT text

The original New Testament text identified? There are thousands of source documents for the New Testament, but there are thousands of minor variations in those ancient documents. Dr Alan Bunning has compiled a text using computer analysis and comparing more of the oldest source manuscripts than ever previously examined. Using his text, and after analysing two disputed passages in Mark 16 and John 8, we believe that the original New Testament text is now identified. The claim is substantiated by the identification of an underlying mathematical design in the text.

Original New Testament text identified?

We believe the original New Testament text is identified on this website: LivingGreekNT.org. The text is confirmed by evidence of an underlying numeric structure.... a feature that could not have occurred by chance, and could not have been contrived by men.

To start ... there are 260 chapters in the NT. 260 is 26 x 10. 26 is the numeric value of the OT word (spelled YUD HEH VAV HEH in Hebrew) that represents the name of the LORD. Jesus is the LORD.

In Hebrew thought, 10 is the full manifestation of an idea. 26 x 10 … the full manifestation of the revelation of Jesus is contained in the 260 chapters of the books of the NT.

Now ... in the first 130 chapters there are 88,760 Greek words. In the last 130 chapters there are 48,960 Greek words. Total for the 260 chapters: 137,720.

This (88,760) is 40 x 7 x 317. This (48,960) is 40 x 8 x 153. And this (137,720) is 40 x 11 x 313.

The result seems to be by design … men writing as they were "moved by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:20-21).

40 is a number that shows up frequently in the plain text of the Bible.

  • Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights
  • There were 40 days from Jesus’ death and resurrection to His ascension to heaven.
  • At the time of the flood it rained for 40 days and 40 nights
  • Moses was 40 years in Egypt and 40 years in Midian, and he led the Israelites for 40 years in the wilderness
  • Moses was 40 days and 40 nights on Mt Sinai receiving the Law
  • The spies were in Canaan for 40 days
  • David reigned for 40 years over Israel
  • Solomon reigned for 40 years over Israel

These are a few of the many references in the Bible to 40. They are literal, but they are obviously also symbolic. They indicate a period of testing ... something pre-ordained by God.

In the OT, the first verse (Genesis 1:1) has seven words in the original Hebrew. And Genesis 1:1 is a key to numeric structure in the Bible. In the NT, the first verse (Matthew 1:1) has eight words in the original Greek. And Matthew 1:1 is also a key to the numeric structure.

“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” In Greek: ΒΙΒΛΟΣ (314) ΓΕΝΕΣΕΟΣ (1268) ΙΗΣΟΥ (688) ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥ (1680) ΥΙΟΥ (880) ΔΑΥΕΙΔ (424) ΥΙΟΥ (880) ΑΒΡΑΑΜ 145

In Greek, as in Hebrew, every letter of the alphabet has a numeric value. ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥ (Christ) is value 1680 ... a number divisible by 40. ΥΙΟΥ (the Son), mentioned twice, is 880 ... a number divisible by 40. The two middle words in the verse ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥ ΥΙΟΥ (Christ, the Son) add up to 2560, which is 40 x 8 x 8

Back to the number of words in the New Testament ... 40 must be here by intent.

Now, this number ... seven. Seven shows up frequently in the plain text of the Bible.

  • There were 7 days of creation.
  • In the 7th year, Hebrew slaves were set free
  • There are 7 feasts of the LORD, and each of the two main feasts are celebrated for 7 days.
  • 7 priests with 7 trumpets went ahead for 7 days, and on the final day Israel marched 7 times around Jericho, before the walls fell down.
  • In the NT, in the book of Revelation, there are ... 7 churches and 7 spirits before the throne
  • 7 golden lampstands
  • 7 stars being 7 angels
  • 7 torches of fire
  • 7 seals
  • 7 horns and 7 eyes of the Lamb
  • 7 trumpets
  • 7 thunders
  • the dragon has 7 heads and 7 crowns
  • 7 golden bowls
  • 7 plagues

The 7 here (40 x 7 x 317) seems to be by design.

This number ... 8. There were 6 days of creation, and a 7th day of rest. The 8th day indicates a new beginning.

Jewish males are circumcised on the 8th day.

Jesus rose from the grave on the 8th day, by Jewish reckoning ... the day after the Sabbath.

Eight symbolizes new birth, new beginnings. And our attention is drawn to a sequence in the Bible … 6, 7, 8.

We’ll return to this number (11) shortly.

This number ... 317. 317 is the 66th prime number. There are 66 books in the Bible … OT and NT ... presenting the complete revelation of God.

In the first verse of the NT (Matt 1:1), the second word is ΓΕΝΕΣΕΟΣ ... “the book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ ...” ΓΕΝΕΣΕΟΣ has a numeric value of 1268, which is 2 x 2 x 317 ... and 317 is the 66th prime number. Even if it is not immediately apparent when we see the number 317, something important is being highlighted.

This number ... 153. 153 is the number of large fish caught by the disciples when they followed Jesus’ instructions. (John 21:6,11). The number of fish (153) is literal and specific, but it's surely also symbolic.

In the 8 words in Matt 1:1, the four middle words are ΙΗΣΟΥ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥ ΥΙΟΥ ΔΑΥΕΙΔ ... “Jesus Christ, son of David”. The numeric value of the four words is 3672, and this number is divisible by 153.

Also, the first and last words are ΒΙΒΛΟΣ and ΑΒΡΑΑΜ ... 314 and 145 ... The combined numeric value is 459, and that is 153 x 3.

Now to the total number of words in the Greek text of the NT ... 137,720 ... which is expressed as: 40 x 11 x 313. To express this in a different form ... 40 x 11 x (12 squared + 13 squared). 12 squared is 12 x 12 which is 144. 13 squared is 13 x 13 which is 169. 144 plus 169 is 313.

So here we have another sequence ... 11 x (12 sq + 13 sq) ... 11 12 13. It's a sequence that shows up in the Bible.

There were 12 tribes of Israel, and there were 12 apostles in the NT. When the tribe of Benjamin was nearly wiped out, the Israelites contrived a way to ensure that all 12 tribes were preserved (see Judges 20 and 21).

When Judas was lost, the remaining 11 apostles had two possible replacements. They didn’t take both. They cast lots and only one was chosen (Acts 1). It was apparently important that the number of apostles was exactly 12.

Yet, by a certain count, 12 was temporarily reduced to 11. In the NT when Judas was lost, and in the case of Israel when the tribe of Levi was set apart for the LORD and received no inheritance of land.

Yet, by another count, 12 did become 13 when the two sons of Joseph (Manasseh and Ephraim ... see Gen 48) were brought to the fore and each was to be treated as a full son of Jacob. And, in the NT, 12 became 13 when the LORD chose Paul to be an apostle “as one abnormally born” (1 Cor 15:8)

11 briefly ... 12 tribes and 12 apostles ... later, 13 tribes and 13 apostles. 11 12 13

With that in mind, we examine the prime number 313. A prime number is a whole number that is divisible by itself and by 1 only. 313 starts a sequence, a sequence that leads to the prime number 373. Why is 373 significant? Jesus is called the ΛΟΓΟΣ, the Word (John 1:1). The numeric value of ΛΟΓΟΣ is 373.

The sequence is: 313, 353 and 373, and these are the 11th, 12th and 13th palindromic prime numbers ... 11 12 and 13.

What is a palindromic prime number? It's a prime number, a number divisible by itself and by 1 only, and it is also a number that is a palindrome. A palindrome is a number that reads the same forwards and backwards.

The sequence 313, 353 and 373 are the 11th, 12th and 13th palindromic primes.

Now it gets really interesting. In mathematics there is a category of prime numbers known as palindromic wing primes. A palindromic wing prime is a prime number ... divisible by itself and by 1 only. It is a palindrome. It reads the same forwards and backwards. And it is a number where all digits, except the middle digit, are the same.

For example, 11311. The middle digit is unique. The digits on both sides are the same. There aren't many palindromic wing primes. Our example, 11311 is only the 16th palindromic wing prime.

The very first palindromic wing prime is 101, and 101 is the 26th prime number. 26 is the numeric value of the Hebrew word (YUD HEH VAV HEH) that represents the name of the LORD.

101, the first, and 313 353 and 373 are the 6th, 7th and 8th palindromic wing primes.

Now we see a tie in to the first verse of the Bible. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Gen 1:1). In Hebrew: בראשית ברא אלהים את השמים ואת הארץ

Seven words. There is a middle word, and three words on each side of the middle word. 3 1 3.

The middle word has two letters. Two is the first prime number, and it is a unique prime number because it is the only prime number that is an even number. The word is untranslatable. In Hebrew grammar, the word points to the direct object. It is spelled את ... the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Jesus said, He is the first and the last, the alpha and the omega. Alpha and omega ... the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet.

There are five middle words with a total of 18 Hebrew letters. 18 in Hebrew thought indicates life, because the Hebrew word חי, meaning life, has a numeric value of 18.

There are two words bracketing the 5 middle words. There are 10 letters in the two words. 10 in Hebrew thought indicates full manifestation. Here, the full manifestation of life ... with Jesus, the alef tav, at the center.

Every letter of the Hebrew alphabet has a numeric value. The value of these two outer words is 913 and 296 ... total 1209. And 1209 is 31 x 3 x 13. 31 3 and 3 13.

The total value of all the words in Genesis 1:1 is 2701, which is 37 x 73. 3 7 7 3. Note: 3 letters here and 7 letters here … 7 letters here and 3 letters here. 3 7 7 3

Also, in this middle block of 18 letters, 3 letters and 5 letters, 5 letters and 3 letters. 3 5 5 3. These are all palindromes.

The value of these two words is 999. The value of these 3 words is 999. The value of these 3 words is 888. And the value of these 3 words is 777.

We get the name of Jesus from this word in the Greek of the New Testament ... ΙΗΣΟΥΣ. The numeric value of ΙΗΣΟΥΣ is 888.

These numbers are also palindromes.

Break the numbers down to their prime numbers. 999 is 37 x 3 x 3 x 3. 888 is 37 x 3 x 2 x 2 x 2. 777 is 37 x 3 x 7. Each of these breakdowns starts with 37 and 3. 3 7 3.

As we pointed out before, the New Testament says that Jesus is the Word ... the ΛΟΓΟΣ. The numeric value of ΛΟΓΟΣ is 373.

The total number of Greek words in the original New Testament text is 137,720. This is: 40 x 11 x 313. And 313 starts a sequence of prime numbers ... 313 353 373. And the sequence leads to Jesus, the Word (373), and the numbers are revealed in the very first verse of the Bible, and that verse points to Jesus ... who, the Bible says, is the Creator. (John 1:3, Colossians 1:16, Hebrews 1:2).

And Jesus is the LORD. And Jesus is the LOGOS. Jesus, the Alpha and the Omega, the Alef and Tav.

Jesus, the first and the last. Jesus, the beginning, the middle and the end.

The New Testament, and indeed the whole Bible ... all of Scripture ... is all about Jesus.