The Number 40 

     Some numbers carry meanings beyond mathematics. Few are as common as the number 40. It occurs across time and cultures, marking the passage from one stage of life to another. 

     In the Bible, Noah's flood lasted 40 days and nights before the world emerged cleansed. Moses fasted for 40 days on Mount Sinai before receiving the law. Israelites wandered for 40 years before entering the promised land. The prophet Elijah journeyed 40 days to Mount Horeb. 

     In the New Testament, Jesus fasted 40 days in the desert before beginning his ministry and he appeared to his disciples for 40 days after his resurrection, before he ascended to heaven. 

     In each case, the number marks an interval that precedes a new beginning. 

     As for practical roots, 40 represents the fullness of testing, long enough to transform a person but not too long.

     The word "quarantine" is from the Italian for "forty days" - the period ships were once required to isolate during plagues. Human pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks. 

     From Scripture to folklore, politics and routine speech, the number symbolizes endurance, patience and renewal. 

Source: EPOCH TV