Properties of the number 48

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Symbolism

• According to R. Allendy, "it is the ratio of the initiation, 8, with the natural law of the Cosmos, 40". Product of 4 x 12, it would express the development of the mutual relations in the nature. And as product of 7 x 8, it would show the holiness found in the payment of Karma.

• J. Boehme sees there the symbol of the "divine Humanity".

• Represent "the spiritual man uniting himself to the divine power 8 and 7 to be delivered of his material obstacles", according to Claude of Saint-Martin.

Bible

• Forty eight was the total number of towns for the Levites in Israelite territory, with their pasture lands. (Jos 21,41)

General

• The 48 petals of each of the two petals of the Ajna Chakra located between the two eyebrows.

• The Earth - and all what constitutes it - would be submitted to 48 laws, according to Ouspensky. The caucasian G. Gurdjieff claims the same thing by asserting that the Earth would be submitted to 48 forces by taking account of the Sun, the moon, the planets, all the worlds and the Absolute. In the same way, according to Samael Aun Weor, the terrestrial man lives in a world subjected to 48 laws. But "below us, under the surface of the Earth, exist worlds of 96 and 192 forces and several others, that are enormously more complicated and terribly materialists, and where one does not remember even more than the Will of the Absolute exists." With the involution of the souls, their life becomes more complicated with an increasingly large number of laws. Conversely, through the "Revolution of the Conscience", the evolving souls are released themselves from the 48, the 24, the 12 and finally from the 6 laws to enter at the end in the Absolute.

• The ancient peoples recognized 48 constellations, grouped in bands of 24 each one, in the two hemispheres.

• In the ancient measure of length, the cubit counted 48 "fingers".

• Here is a magic square of sixteen boxes, bases 48, containing only the numbers 8, 16 and 24.

                                 24  0  0 24
                                  8 16 16  8
                                 16  8  8 16
                                  0 24 24  0
  

Occurrence

• The number 48 is used 2 times in the Bible.

• The four Gospels and the Revelation use on the whole 48 different numbers, which are: 1 to 12, 14, 15, 18, 24, 25, 30, 38, 40, 42, 46, 50, 60, 72, 77, 80, 84, 99, 100, 144, 153, 200, 300, 500, 666, 1000, 1260, 1600, 2000, 4000, 5000, 7000, 10000, 12000, 20000, 144000 and 200000000.

• The word queen is used 48 times in the Bible - 44 times in the OT and 4 times in the NT.

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Last modification: December 19, 1998

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