Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-10-14
THE NUMBER SEVEN.

The number seven has always been re-
gsrded as number of special Importance
or significance, the feeling in this respect
amounting sometimes to superstition. And
it is not to be wondered at when we con.
slider the great events Of history and of life
with which this number is inseparabiy con.
nected. II is used in the Bible frequently,
as q symbol of mysterious things, 1t was
also thus used among the prominent ancient
nations, namely, the Persians, Indians,
Egyptians, Greeks Romans, etc. 1t is
said that the reason for this number being
preferred above Others is that it consists of
three, the sides Of triangle, and four, the
sides OF square. We cannot say whether
this is true. More probably it has an as.
Economical beginning and If SO then it may
be established in the order of things as a
special number by the Creator of the stars.
Thus there are seven planets mot counting
the eartb), Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter,
Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. The earth was
made in seven days, or seven periods of
! time, and the seventh day was hallowed.
Every seventh year was sabbatical, and
the jobel.year was ushered in by the
seven times seventh year. There were
three festivals which lasted seven days
! each-passah, festivals OF weeks and tab
ernacles Between the first and second of
| these feasts were counted seven weeks.
The first day of the seventh month was a
holy couvocation. The days of purifca.
ton, according to the Levitical laws, were
seven. Seven days were allotted to the
celebrations of weddings and to the mourn.
ing for the dead. A great many articles
alluded to in the Old and New Testaments
add to cur interest in this number. Thus
we have seven churches, seven stars, seven
candlesticks, seven spirits, seven trumpets,
and seven horns, and seven eyes of the
lamb. The second time the dove was sent
out of the ark il was seven daye after the
| first time. Phsroah dreamed that he saw
seven lean ard seven full ears of corn, seven
lean and seven fat kline. When Peter
asked the Savior how often he should for.
give one who sinned against him, whether
till seven times, Jesus answered 81 say
not unto thee, until seven times, but until
seventy times seven."
When we come to secular matters, we
| find that the number seven was held sa.
cred by the Greeks to Opollo and Dionysos,
who, according to Orphic legends, were
torn into seven pieces. The Pythagoreans
also made much use of the number, calling
it by various proper names, as Athene,
pialstcs, IEc virgin
unbegotten and unbegetting Il. e. not OBJ
tanned by multiplication, Dionysos, Rex,
etc. So we have also the "seven sacra.
ments, the "seveu free arts, the seven
wise men," and tie "seven dolores of the
Blessed Virgin Mary" the latter festival
Commemorative of the seven incidents in
the life of the Virgin, instituted by Pope
Benedict NIL in 1925. THere were the
seven sleepers, the heroes of the celebrated
legend. Also the seven wonders of the
world, namely, the Pyramids of Egypt,
the Hanging Gardens OF Babylon, the
Temple of Diana at Ephesus, the Statue of
Jupiter at Athens, the Mausoleum at Hall.
carnassus, the Colossus at Rhodes, and the
Pharos at Alexandria. We have also had
the bloody seven years war" the "seven
wise masters" the " seven wise men" and
the "seventh day Baptists y and every
body knows, OF course, and may believe as
much of it as he has mind to, that the
seventh son of the seventh gon possesses
certain marvellous gifts and powers, with
which we ordinary mortals have never been
endowed, and which we can only enjoy in
a secondary way by having the rheuma.
tism or some other ailment rubbed out of
us by the magnetic hand of one Of these
fortunate individuals.