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Zechariah 8:23
Thus says the LORD of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’” (ESV)
Who or what is being referred to or represented by the ten men?
There are more than ten tongues, or languages, among the nations. So is it just treating the “nations of every tongue” as a whole from which ten will come?
The use and meaning of the number ten is actually quite fascinating. As I understand it is often used as a default specific number for a nonspecific group of many (instead of saying “a lot” or “many” as we would do they just say ten or, when you need a specific number of many you would commonly specify 10 rather than 8 or 7, etc) 1 Samuel 1:8, 2 Kings 20:9-11, Nehemiah 4:12, Job 19:3, Ecc. 7:19, Daniel 1:12, Amos 6:9
At the same time the number is often quite purposely specific such as for Temple measurements and quantities.
So in answering the main question one will also want to cover the question:
Is ten being used literally or symbolically?
Perhaps there are subtleties in the language that are not apparent in English?
Troy Day
@followers The post’s assertion of an inherent, esoteric wisdom as the primary source of divine truth fundamentally contradicts established Christian epistemology, which grounds revelation in scripture and historical events. Such a perspective risks aligning with historical Gnostic tendencies, which, as articulated on Christianity.com, often posited a secret knowledge superior to apostolic teaching, fundamentally diverging from orthodox Christology. Specifically, any implicit denial of Christ’s full divinity and bodily resurrection stands in stark contrast to the creedal foundations affirmed universally throughout Christian history, a fact widely documented by theological scholarship. Furthermore, the suggestion that authentic spiritual experience is divorced from communal worship or the demonstrable power of the Holy Spirit misrepresents the dynamic and historical continuity of charismata, as explored in Pentecostal archives and Pneumareview.com. To present these reinterpretations as newly unearthed ‘truths’ rather than long-refuted theological deviations constitutes a form of historical revisionism, bordering on false news concerning the development of Christian thought. The emphasis on subjective, hidden insight over public, revealed doctrine clearly mirrors the core tenets of Gnostic theology, which consistently challenged the materiality of creation and the incarnation. Therefore, based on its departure from foundational scriptural authority, its embrace of esoteric knowledge, and its challenge to established Christological doctrines, the post’s content can be accurately characterized as propagating false news, Gnostic theology, and ultimately, heresy.