Lent and the Number 40 in the Bible

This year, Lent runs from February 14 (Wed) to March 30 (Sat), the day before Easter Sunday. The season of Lent is a period spent to devoutly observe the sufferings of Christ in preparation for Resurrection Sunday. The early church, following Jesus’ ascension, found it of utmost importance to baptize those who had repented and accepted Jesus. At that time, baptism was seen as a new birth and was regarded as the most significant event in a believer’s life. Initially, baptisms were held whenever possible, but gradually, they began to be held around Easter. Therefore, believers would spend a designated period in devout preparation for their baptism ceremony. In the early 2nd century, this period lasted about two to three days. Through the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, the period of 40 days was established to reflect the scenes of repentance and renewal throughout the Bible, that were related to the number 40, during important moments in redemptive history. Thus the 40-day period of Lent is directly linked to the biblical significance of the number 40 found throughout the Bible.

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1. The duration of Noah’s flood was 40 days (Gen 7:4, 12, 17).

Genesis 7:12 The rain fell upon the earth for forty days and forty nights 

2. After the water receded and the mountaintops became visible, Noah waited 40 days before opening the window of the ark (Gen 8:5-7).

Genesis 8:6-7 Then it came about at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made; and he sent out a raven, and it flew here and there until the water was dried up from the earth. 

3. Isaac lived 40 years before meeting his wife (Gen 25:20).

Genesis 25:20 and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife.

4. Joseph spent 40 days embalming his father Jacob with spices to prevent decay (Gen 50:3).

Genesis 50:3 Now forty days were required for it, for such is the period required for embalming. And the Egyp- tians wept for him seventy days.

5. Moses’ life was centered around the number 40:

• Moses’ period from birth to visiting his Hebrew brethren, 40 years (Acts 7:23) • From then to encountering the burning bush, 40 years (Acts 7:30)

• The timeframe of his mission, 40 years (Acts 7:36)

Acts 7:36 This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness for forty years

6. Moses’ three periods of intercessory prayer for the Israelties, each lasting 40 days and nights:

• First time: March 8th (Sun) to April 17th (Thu), 1446 BC (fasting, Exod 24:18; Deut 9:9)

Exodus 24:18 Then Moses entered the midst of the cloud as he went up to the mountain; and Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.

• Second time: April 18th (Fri) to May 28th (Tue), 1446 BC (Deut 9:25-27)

Deuteronomy 9:25 “So I fell down before the Lord the forty days and nights, which I did because the Lord had said He would destroy you.”

• Third time: May 30th (Thu) to July 10th (Mon), 1446 BC (fasting, Exod 34:28; Deut 9:18)

Exodus 34:28 So he was there with the Lord for forty days and forty nights; he did not eat bread or drink water. And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.

7. 40 days of the spies exploring the land and 40 years of the Israelites wandering in the wilderness (Exod 16:35; Num 13:25, 14:33-34; Deut 2:7, 8:2; Acts 13:18; Heb 3:9, 17 etc.).

Exodus 16:35 And the sons of Israel ate the manna for forty years, until they came to an inhabited land; they ate the manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan.

Numbers 14:34 In accordance with the number of days that you spied out the land, forty days, for every day you shall suffer the punishment for your guilt a year, that is, forty years, and you will know My opposition.

Deuteronomy 8:2 And you shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, in order to humble you, putting you to the test, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.

8. The maximum number of strikes permitted for punishment, by law (Deut 25:3; 2Cor 11:24).

Deuteronomy 25:3 “ He may have him beaten forty times, but not more, so that he does not have him beaten with many more lashes than these, and that your brother does not become contemptible in your eyes.”

9. The period of peace during the time of Judges, when Othniel, Deborah, and Gideon ruled, was 40 years for each ruling judge (Judg 3:11, 5:31, 8:28).

Judges 3:11 Then the land was at rest for forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

Judges 5:31 “May all Your enemies perish in this way, Lord; But may those who love Him be like the rising of the sun in its might.” And the land was undisturbed for forty years.

Judges 8:28 So Midian was subdued before the sons of Israel, and they did not lift up their heads anymore. And the land was undisturbed for forty years in the days of Gideon.

10. Three kings each reigned for a period of 40 years over a unified Israel:

• Saul (Acts 13:21)

• David (2 Sam 5:4; 1 King 2:11, 1 Chr 29:27)

• Solomon (1 Kgs 11:42; 2 Chr 9:30)

Acts 13:21 Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.

1 Kings 2:11 Now the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years: in Hebron he reigned for seven years, and in Jerusalem he reigned for thirty-three years.

1 Kings 11:42 So the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years.

11. Elijah reached Mount Horeb after forty days (1 Kgs 19:8).

1 Kings 19:8 So he arose and ate and drank, and he journeyed in the strength of that food for forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God.

12. Joash, the 8th king of Southern Judah, ascended to the throne through the high priest Jehoiada, and ruled for 40 years (2 Kgs 12:1, 2 Chr 24:1).

2 Kings 12:1 In the seventh year of Jehu, Jehoash became king, and he reigned for forty years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Zibiah of Beersheba.

13. Jonah warned that Nineveh would be destroyed in 40 days

Jonah 3:4,10 Then Jonah began to go through the city one day’s walk; and he cried out and said,“Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” … 10 When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it.

14. For 40 days, Ezekiel lay on his right side and bore the sins of the southern kingdom of Judah (Ezek 4:6).

Ezekiel 4:6 “When you have completed these days, you shall lie down a second time, but on your right side, and bear the wrongdoing of the house of Judah; I have assigned it to you for forty days, a day for each year.”

15. 40 years until Egypt, after its destruction, repented and rose again as a weak nation (Ezek 29:10-16).

Ezekiel 29:12-13 “So I will make the land of Egypt a desolation in the midst of deserted lands. And her cities, in the midst of cities that are laid waste, will be desolate for forty years; and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them among the lands.” ‘For this is what the Lord GOD says: “At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples among whom they were scattered.”

16. Jesus was tempted in the wilderness for 40 days (Matt 4:2; Mark 1:13; Luke 4:1).

Mark 1:13 And He was in the wilderness forty days being tempted by Satan; and He was with the wild beasts, and the angels were ministering to Him.

17. 40 days after His resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples and spoke to them about the kingdom of God until His ascension (Acts 1:3).

Acts 1:3 To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of things regarding the kingdom of God.

The number 40 that appears in the Bible in these 17 instances is of significant importance. It presents a period of time that must be endured for the dawning of a new era, a new work. We must hold onto the teachings at the start of “40” and keep them until the end. Only then can we enter the new era, completely separate ourselves from our past sinful image, and receive the new work prepared for us by God (Acts 7:36; Hebrews 3:9, 14; 1 Tim 5:12; 1 John 2:24). Today, with worship so accessible online, we live in a time of crisis where, with just a flick of a finger, we can leave worship and fall for the world. As we stand as individuals alone before God, let us achieve victory in the year 2024 by bearing the fruits of repentance, renewal, and godliness during these 40 days of Lent.

Written by Rev. Timothy Jung
Illustrated by Myungjin Hong
Translated by Sharon Byun

*This post can also be read in 'Champyungan'. (http://champyungan.com)