What are some examples of gematria decoding?

Gematria is an ancient form of numerology that dates back to antiquity. It associates numerals, or numbers, with words or concepts. Gematria can be used to decode hidden messages in texts or artwork, as well as to gain insight into the deeper meanings of words and phrases. It is commonly used in Jewish mysticism and spirituality, but has also been employed by early Christians, Islamic theologians and Cabalists.

One classic example of gematria decoding refers to the first letter of each book of the Old Testament:

'Bereshit' (בראשית - Genesis). This can be decoded as follows:

B=2; R=200; Sh=300; I=10; T=400

Add all these up and you get a total of 912 – representing the number of words contained in each book of the Old Testament.

Another example can be found in rabbinic literature, where gematria is used to interpret various biblical verses. For instance, a four letter word 'emet' (אמת) meaning 'truth' has a numerical equivalent of 441, which also happens to allude to the verse found in Proverbs 8:8 that reads, "All who love me will know my truth (Heb 6:15)." In other words, gematria interprets this passage as saying that those who love God will seek out his truth (Heb 8:8).

Gematria can also be applied to decode mystical symbols or images within books or works of art. For instance, one powerful image found in Renaissance painting is 'the Staircase to Heaven' which depicts souls taking a stairway up into heaven. The number associated with this staircase is 421, which uses Gematria decoding corresponds with the verses from Psalm 73:13-14 which reads: "My steps have held fast"; it was written for me that I should walk along His path (Heb 74). Thus, this image symbolizes man's journey towards God and his spiritual destination – heaven itself.

Finally, even names can be decoded using Gematria by looking at the numerical equivalents associated with their letters. As an example, if we take Isaac Newton's full name – Isaac Barrow Newton - its numerical equivalent would be 56 because adding up all the letters gives us (I = 9) + (S = 60) +(A =1) +(C = 3) +(B =2)+ (A=1)+(R = 200)+(R = 200)+(O = 70)+ (W=50)= 546 –which when divided by 10 gives 56. Therefore 56 could possibly mean something important about Newton's destiny or character when seen through a mystic lens.

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