The Monarch Butterfly—An Illustration of Transformation—And the Number Four

  There is nothing insignificant in God's universe. Everything that He has made has a meaning and a purpose. There is not a curl in a cloud, or a curve in a leaf, or a tint on a blossom, but has a reason for it, and speaks of its origin. ~ H. Macmillan The Reason For Studying the Number Four I hope to demonstrate in this writing how the Monarch butterfly's life cycle and transformation process parallel transformative processes in creation, the human heart, and Biblical text. This will also be an exhaustive study of the number four as it categorizes these same concepts throughout Scripture. The first sections of this installment focus heavily on the number four's connection to the transitory, naturally created realm. The Scriptural context will follow. Where It All Began Every year, it is a great joy and educational opportunity for my grandchildren and me to observe the Monarch butterfly's life cycle. It is no less than a miraculous process to behold. We are blessed to l...

Part 1 of this series introduced the origins of this study and explained how the number four relates to transformation. The Monarch butterfly was shown to be an exquisite example. This second part of the series will take a closer look at how this concept translates in the created world.  Winjen Dominicus Van's Allegory of Creation Four's Relationship to God's Word and Creation Before I continue discussing the phases of development of the Monarch butterfly, it is relevant to start with the importance and meaning of the number four in nature and in God's Word. Of course, these are always consistent with each other, especially considering that the Word and Wisdom of God created the world. F.W. Grant, a late 1800s Bible Scholar, also made this connection in his book The Numerical Bible. "Why should not a law of numbers pervade the Scripture also, and link God's Work and His Word together ..." According to Dr. Noah Hutchings, the number four is mentioned about ...

  Introduction and Review Part 1 of this series introduced the origins of this study and explained how the number four relates to transformation. The Monarch butterfly was shown to be an exquisite example. The second part of the series took a closer look at how this concept translates in the created world. This third part of the series will examine how human development is in concert with all of God's creation and categorized by the number four. "God created me and you to live with a single, all-embracing, all-transforming passion, namely, a passion to glorify God by enjoying and displaying His Supreme excellence in all spheres of life." — John Piper "Don't Waste Your Life" The Human Body—The Crown of God's Creation The human body has four main building blocks.  hydrogen carbon nitrogen and oxygen There are also four primary systems of the human body. circulatory digestive nervous and respiratory The fourth day of the Formation of a human being inside th...