One of the most incredible observations about the year 2014 are its numbers, twenty and fourteen. Ordinary, numbers are something I identify with dollars and cents, Excel spreadsheets, and how fast or slow my retirement fund is growing. But, as I consider the implications of this New Year, it makes me smile when I remember thirty years ago, 2014 would have been the title of a science fiction movie. Any year beginning with the number twenty was almost inconceivable to me—until my second grandchild was born in the year 2000.

Now that I am embarking not only on the year 2014, but also my fifty-something birthday, looking closer at the meaning of this year and my anticipation of what it will bring became dramatically more important. So I did something I don’t normally do and researched the meaning of the numbers twenty and fourteen from a biblical perspective.

The Number Twenty – 20

The number twenty means expectation or expectancy. This is based that on the premise that twenty-one is divisible by seven, which is the number of completion, and that the number twenty is expecting for something to be completed.

However, twenty also means redemption or the process of redeeming. The biblical support for this is in Exodus 26:20. In the book of Ruth, Boaz, the kinsman-redeemer is noted 20 times. This relates Boaz to Christ who is our redeemer. To encapsulate both theories: We have redemption (which is complete through the blood of Jesus) with great expectation of what God will set before us in the year 2014.

 The Number Fourteen – 14

The second numerical value in the year 2014 is the number fourteen. I could easily say as several scholars have that the meaning of fourteen is simply double the completed work and leave it at that. However, the number one is too powerful not to consider its implications.

The number one means unity; it also denotes the oneness of God. Deuteronomy 6:4 says, “Listen, Israel: Yahweh is our Elohim. Yahweh is the only God” (Names of God Bible). “The Lord our God is one Lord” (KJV). The number one specifically directs our attention to the Most High God and his supremacy!

Looking at the second part of fourteen, the number four, it represents God’s creative works, especially works associated with the earth. Therefore, we have unity in one God who is not only the creator of the earth, but He will also work out in us inspirational, artistic, inventive and innovative ways to do what He has called and equipped us to do in 2014! What an awesome God we serve!

Fourteen – Digging Deeper

However, I do not want to ignore the number fourteen, because its meaning is particularly significant. The Hebrew word for this number is yod-daleth, which means open door. One biblical scholar elucidated that, “It pictures a release or deliverance from the prison with the opening of the door.” Therefore, this establishes fourteen as the number of release and deliverance!  Hallelujah! In God we have deliverance and we are released from past demons, enemies, illnesses and mental afflictions.

Putting it All Together

In summary, the prophetic word for the year 2014 is: We have redemption with great expectation of what God will set before us; we have unity in one God who is not only the creator of the earth, but will also work out in us inspirational, artistic, inventive and innovative ways to do what he has called and equipped us to do; In God we have supernatural deliverance and release from aliens, something or somebody who does not belong, in our lives.