14 is a symbol of hands and connections across generations and sacrifice

This symbol shows up in the temple baptistry

There is a large octagon on the ceiling and within the octagon are linked circles. There are 14 on each side.

The number 14 shows up in two very symbolic places in the scriptures.

The first is in the generation of Jesus Christ.

This is the very first chapter of the New Testament starting in the first verse (emphasis added):

1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;

3 And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;

4 And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon;

5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;

6 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;

7 And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa;

8 And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias;

9 And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias;

10 And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias;

11 And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon:

12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel;

13 And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor;

14 And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud;

15 And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob;

16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.

I know, it is really easy to skip over the genealogies in the scripture, but there is some fascinating stuff in here.

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generation

In this context the word generation is not the group of people with a similar birth year, like Boomers or Gen X.

In this case, it means more like the genealogy of Jesus. Who are the forbearers that generated Him?

One thing that I notice is that there are 4 women included in the genealogy besides Jesus' mother, Mary.

This did not include the famous matriarchs like Sarah, Rebecca or Leah.

These were women who were outsiders to Israel. They all had questionable stories. Yet, none of these women were condemned for their actions.

Images from Picryl

Thamar's lineage is not spelled out, but she is generally believed to be a Canaanite.

Her first two husbands died and she became pregnant with her father-in-law, Judah, after impersonating a harlot.

Rachab is from Jericho. She is one of the few survivors of the Israelite attack. She is spared because she protected the Israelite spies.

She was a harlot.

Ruth is a Moabite woman. She first married an Israelite, then follows her mother-in-law back to Israel when he died.

The scriptures are vague about the story of laying down at Boaz's feet and spending the night.

Bathsheba is the wife of Uriah the Hittite, so likely she is a Hittite, too.

She is involved an extra-marital situation. (Her consent is never addressed in the scriptures, but David is held to blame.)

I suspect that these women were included to soften the fact that Jesus' mother, Mary was not married when Jesus was conceived.

It also shows us that even Jesus Christ came from these flawed stories.

Anyone who has looked at their family tree will find some sort of "unconventional" relationships.

There is a long list of names of who begat whom.

Then it concludes with the groupings of 14.

First is 14 generations from Abraham to David

Then 14 generations from David to Babylon

Then 14 generations from Babylon to Christ.

Matthew is up to something here. If you count up the generations it is not 14x3=42 but it only adds up to 41.

Also, if you compare the genealogy here with the royal line it looks like Matthew has skipped a few.

He seems to be massaging the actual genealogy here a bit to make his point. His point is 14,14,14.

So what is significant about that?

Samuel Anoints David - Picryl

In Hebrew, David is spelled דוד daleth vav daleth.

This has a numeric value of 4+6+4= 14

Matthew's audience clearly has a Jewish background. This gospel contains the most quotes from the Old Testament and the most evidences of the fulfillment of Messianic prophecy.

So, connecting Jesus to David fits with the message of his gospel.

Jesus is the fulfillment of the messianic prophecies about the son of David.

So, the number 14 becomes a symbol of genealogy and linking generations together.

In a sense we are adopted as children of Jesus Christ.

In Jesus' day an adoption into a royal family provided a path to inheritance and succession. A prominent case was the Emperor of Rome. Augustus was the adopted son of Julius Caesar and succeeded him as the Emperor.

So, if I am adopted by Jesus, I am heir to the royal line from David and the priestly line from Abraham.

David and Abraham are especially pointed out. There are special covenants that apply to both.

Those covenants apply to us as Jesus' heir.

Abrahamic covenant

The Abrahamic covenant is recorded in Genesis 12. And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

Davidic covenant

The Davidic Covenant includes this promise, “thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.”

Jechonias's curse

Matthew kind of gives us a clue here by leaving out his name in the summary. Instead he says, "the carrying away into Babylon."

This was the curse from the prophet Jeremiah (22:30) : Thus saith the Lord, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah.

Yet, Jechonias repents and the curse is lifted. I think that is why Matthew includes only an oblique reference to him.

So, 14 reminds us of the genealogy of Jesus.

And this reminds us of our own genealogy and our genealogy as adopted children of Jesus.

14 also represents hands

In Hebrew the number 14 has the numerical representation as 10+4 yod + daleth. יד

This spells "yad" in Hebrew which is the word for hand. See Blue Letter Bible H3027

This word is used in the Bible 1,615 times.

(Sometimes "hand" 14 is connected with "power" 28 like in Nehemiah 1:10 Now these are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power, and by Your strong hand.)

Look and Learn

Among some scholars there is a tradition that the 14 joints of the hand indicate the name and number yad

I'm not big into stuff that seems coincidental, but have included this for completeness.

So putting two hands together makes a new Hebrew word ידיד (yadid) or friend.

14+14= 28

Two hands makes power.

schmector.com

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14 is the number of the Passover lamb.

The Passover was so significant that God instructed His people to restart their calendar.

Exodus 12

This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you... they shall take to them every man a lamb... Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year:.. And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it...For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt...And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.

According to John, Jesus was crucified on this same day. John calls it "the preparation of the Passover:"

14 And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!

15 But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Cæsar.

16 Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away.

17 And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:

18 Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.

In Summary:

Picryl

14 represents the generations of Jesus that link back to David and Abraham.
14 represents hands
14 represents the Passover lamb and our Savior's sacrifice.

I suppose all of this converges on this moment.

"Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands"

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