Animals, Colors, Metals, Numbers and Signs in Scripture.

Nine – Spiritual Fruit

The bible number nine is associated with the subject of spiritual fruit.  The words, fruit or fruits, appear in the book of Genesis exactly nine times.  Galatians chapter 5, verse 22 gives us the nine-fold fruit of the Spirit: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."

In Lev 25:22 we read, "And ye shall sow the eighth year, and eat yet of old fruit until the ninth year; until her fruits come in ye shall eat of the old store."  The land was to lie fallow during the seventh year.  Next, the children of Israel were to sow the land in the eight year and finally eat of the new fruit of the land in the ninth year.  Notice the order in which things were done.  The number seven is associated with completions.  The number eight is associated with new beginnings.  The number nine is associated with fruit.  The work of redemption is completed in the covenant work of the Lord Jesus Christ.  We have a new beginning in the new or spiritual birth.  Finally, having been redeemed and having been born of the Spirit, we are to bear the fruit of the Spirit (new fruit of the land). 

Next, we notice in the following scriptures the timing of the coming of the word of the Lord is associated with the number nine:

    1.  Ezek 24:1 "Again in the ninth year, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying…"

    2.  Hag 2:10 "In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying…"

    3.  Hag 2:18 "Consider now from this day and upward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, even from the day that the foundation of the LORD'S temple was laid, consider it."

    4.  Zec 7:1 "And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, even in Chisleu."

It is through the word of the Lord that God's children are made able to bear and manifest the nine-fold fruit of the Spirit: 2 Tim. 3:16, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."  Through the study and application of the scriptures, we bear fruit to the glory of God: John 15:8, "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples."

Through the following verses of scripture, we see a mighty work accomplished bringing forth great fruit and it was associated with the ninth hour:

    1.  Mat 27:45 "Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour."

    2.  Mat 27:46 "And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"

    3.  Mark 15:33 "And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour."

    4.  Mark 15:34 "And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"

    5.  Luke 23:44 "And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour."

It was here at the ninth hour that Jesus also said, "It is finished."  Jesus had finished the work of redeeming his people from their sins: John 12:24, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit."  Jesus likened himself to a corn of wheat that falls into the ground and dies.  Jesus died on the cross and bore a bumper crop immeasureable of elect redeemed people.

Finally, in the following verses we see the fruitfulness of prayer in the lives of God's people:

    1.  Acts 3:1 "Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour."

    2.  Acts 10:3 "He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius."

    3.  Acts 10:30 "And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing." 

The ninth hour was called the hour of prayer.  At the ninth hour in response to the prayers of Peter and John, the Lord healed a man who had been lame on both feet from his birth.  Likewise, when Cornelius had fasted and prayed in his house at the ninth hour, the Lord gave answer to Cornelius' prayer and arranged that the gospel door would be opened to the Gentiles.  Certainly, these are examples of the fruitfulness of the effectual fervent prayers of God's people.