Thank you so much for your reply!
To what extent do you find it valuable, and where does it go astray?
I find the original study which was published in the peer-reviewed journal Statistical Science in 1994 to be very engaging. Here is the article as it was originally published: StatSci-Equidistant Letter Sequences in the Book of Genesis And here is the home page to that website which explains the history of the research, the contention and the response.
IMHO, it has gone astray because of the commercialization. People are profoundly interested in being able to predict the future – crystal balls, Jane Dixon, horoscopes, etc. But the point of the ELS is not to predict the future but to reveal the authenticity of the Torah by looking at the past. For instance, ELS queries of specific rabbis leads to their birth date and date of death. ELS queries of important historical events reveal the players, etc.
I read somewhere that the mathematicians were outraged at the commercialization because the Torah expressly speaks against such sooth-saying – that it is against God’s will and thus will not lead to fruition anyway. Nevertheless, the book The Bible Code became a top-seller as did the various related books and software by other authors.
Isaac Newton evidently believed the Scriptures contained a code which unlocks the secrets of the universe. Certainly, the Jewish tradition believed the same. And thanks to modern computer technology they have revealed as much in the ELS of the book of Genesis in 2 dimensions. The researchers (I understand) wish to expand this to the whole Pentateuch and higher dimensions.
And speaking of the Pentateuch and Scriptures – there is another mathematical structure within the Scriptures – including the New Testament – which also speaks to divine authorship. Freeper Seven_0 brought the information to the Standing in Awe thread. Here is an excerpt:
The scripture divides into five pentateuchs, Five in scripture divides into 4+1, so there are four in the old testament and one in the new testament. Each of the pentateuchs further divides into 4+1 as do Paul's two pentateuchs.
Each pentateuch has the same basic structure. I will make a few comparisons for you since time is short. Once you see a few you will find they are endless, you can always find more. In fact it has turned out to be a wonderful mnemonic, as I have organized the scripture in my mind.
Compare Exodus with Acts, each is a number two. in the first you see the natural man leaving Egypt. in the second you see the spiritual man leaving the city, which is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt.
Look at Deuteronomy and Revelation, each a number five. In the first you see the natural man about to recieve the Earthly inheritance, in the second, you see the spiritual man about to recieve the spiritual inheritance.
There is a parallel between "Ezra, Nehemiah, and Ester" and "Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi," all books of the captivity.
NOTE: THIS IS EXCERPT B from the last part of chapter 2 of GRANT JEFFREY’S THE SIGNATURE OF GOD ref’d above. . . . a little something else to get the naysayer’s energized and . . . well . . . anyway . . . have at it crew.
Why Did God Hide This Information Until This Century?
Possibly, the Lord hid this incredible revelation of His divine authority and authorship of the Scriptures until a generation would arise in the last days that would be primarily a generation of skeptics 1 and unbelievers who would require such scientifically, verifiable evidence to convince men that the Bible is true. [Qx paragraphing here]
In addition, the prophet Daniel foretold that "knowledge shall be increased" in the last days and that the secrets of God would finally be unsealed. Daniel was told to "seal the vision until the end." As we approach the apocalyptic days when all of these prophecies will be fulfilled it is consistent a that God would allow His servants to lift the veil and share His secrets to this final generation. [1 Surely you jest, Bro Jeffrey! SKEPTICS???? REALLY???? SURELY NOT on Free Republic’s religion forum???? Perish the thought! AT LEAST it wouldn’t be worse than in the end times era culture in generally—would it??? What a surprise!]
A careful examination of the evidence for divine inspiration demonstrated in the mathematical patterns and the words hidden beneath the text of Scriptures in this chapter reveals the true author of the Holy Scriptures. When comparing two documents or two devices a judge will look for similarities of design and pattern to determine if one creator is responsible for the creation of the two items. [Qx paragraphing]
In a similar manner, the same mathematical patterns revealed in the Scriptures are also found in the rest of the physical creation proving that God is the author of both. The prophet Daniel reveals that one of the angelic messengers sent to him to prophesy about coming events of the last days is called • "Palmoni" in the original Hebrew text, which means "the numberer of secrets" or "the wonderful numberer." In the English translation of Daniel 8:13-14 we find the angel's name was translated as "that certain saint."[Qx paragraphing]
We are informed that Palmoni told Daniel the precise time of the duration of the defilement of the Temple sanctuary. "How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." As I showed in my earlier book, Armageddon—Appointment with Destiny, this prophecy points to the final cleansing of the Temple sanctuary in our generation. This same angel Palmoni, the "numberer of secrets" declares to the prophet Daniel, "For at the time appointed the end shall be" (Daniel 8:19). [Qx paragraphing]
Just as the number seven is found repeatedly hidden beneath the text of Scripture we find the same number used repeatedly by the Creator in His physical creation of the universe and its inhabitants. There are precisely seven colors in the light spectrum that merge together to form light. The study of music again reveals that there are exactly seven musical ly whole tones in the scale. Every eighth musical note creates a new higher octave repeating the pattern of seven tones. The seven colors correspond to the seven musical notes. [Qx paragraphing]
In another manifestation of design, the whole human body is effectively renewed at the cellular level every seven years. By the end of seven years, almost every single cell of our flesh, organs, and bones will be replaced with new cells manufactured according to an incredibly complex genetic program in our DNA. Our blood pulse rate slows down noticeably every seven days throughout our life. The gestation cycle to produce a baby takes 280 days (7 X 40). Our lives are marked with the number seven as God commanded us to rest every seventh day and noted that our life expectancy is seventy years (7 x 10). [Qx paragraphing]
Almost all of the animals have gestation periods that are multiples of seven: lion = 98 days; sheep = 147 days; hens = 21 days; ducks = 28 days; cats = 56 days; dogs = 63 days.
The number "seven" in Hebrew is derived from the root word [Hebrew text] meaning "to be full, satisfied, or have enough of" while another meaning of the root is "to swear"or"to make an oath." [Qx paragraphing]
We find "seven" appearing on the surface of the biblical text, as well as in prominent places, including the seven spirits or manifestations of God (Isaiah 11:2); the seven-fold blessing | of Abraham (Genesis 12:2-3); God's seven-fold covenant with Israel (Exodus 6:6-8); and the marvelous design of sevens I found in the Book of Revelation. John describes seven groups of seven in his Apocalypse, including: 7 churches, 7 seals, 7 trumpets, 7 vials, 7 personages, 7 dooms, and 7 new things. A profound and mysterious pattern of sevens runs through the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation both on its surface text as well as hidden deep beneath the Hebrew and Greek letters. The consistency of these remarkable patterns reveals the common authorship behind all sixty-six books of Holy Scripture.
Just as an expert's examination of a disputed document can reveal the unmistakable signature and character of the original writer, the mathematical and textual phenomenon explored in this chapter prove conclusively to any open-minded reader that the text of Scripture contains the genuine signature of its author—God. Four thousand years ago, Moses wrote these words under the inspiration of God's Holy Spirit: "The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law” (Deuteronomy 29:29). The evidence in this chapter reveals once more the signature of God revealed in the pages of the Scriptures.