Why Seven?

MATTHEW 18:21-35

BY: ALGER PRAJES

“21 THEN CAME PETER TO HIM, AND
SAID, LORD, HOW OFT SHALL MY
BROTHER SIN AGAINST ME, AND I
FORGIVE HIM? TILL SEVEN TIMES?

MATTHEW 18:21 (KJV)

Why Seven?
Joshua 6:2-4 NIV

2 Then the LORD said to
Joshua, “See, I have
delivered Jericho into
your hands, along with its
king and its fighting
men. 3 March around the
city once with all the
armed men. Do this for six
days. 4 Have seven priests
carry trumpets of rams’
horns in front of the ark.
Why Seven?
 JESUS SAITH UNTO HIM, I
22 

SAY NOT UNTO THEE, UNTIL

SEVEN TIMES: BUT, UNTIL
SEVENTY TIMES SEVEN.”

MATTHEW 18:22 (KJV)

 Matthew 18: 23-35 NKJV
23Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a
certain king who wanted to settle accounts with
his servants. 

24And when he had begun to settle accounts, one

was brought to him who owed him ten thousand
talents. 

25But as he was not able to pay, his master

commanded that he be sold, with his wife and
children and all that he had, and that payment
be made.
26The servant therefore fell down before him,
saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I
will pay you all.’ 

27Then the master of that servant was moved

with compassion, released him, and forgave
him the debt.
28“But that servant went out and found one of his
fellow servants who owed him a hundred
denarii; and he laid hands on him and
took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what
you owe!’ 
29So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and
begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and
I will pay you all.’ 

30And he would not, but went and threw him into

prison till he should pay the debt. 
 DEBTORS COMPARISON

DEBTOR 1 DEBTOR 2

10,000 talents 100 denarii

Beg to be forgiven Beg to be forgiven

Cancelled debt Put to prison

What is the most
accurate
computation?
 What is a
Denarius?

The denarius a Latin
pronunciation with plural
as dēnāriī was the standard 
Roman silver coin from its
introduction in the 2nd Punic
War in 211 BC
 The word dēnārius is
derived from the Latin
dēnī "containing ten", as its
value was originally of
10 assēs. The word for
"money" descends from it in
Italian (denaro), in Spanish
(dinero).
 Matthew 20:1-16

1 Denarius = 1 day
salary

12 hours daily
routine

1 week = 6 days
work

1 year = 52 weeks
 50 X 6 = 300
days/denarii

100 denarii = 4
month of work
 What is a
Talent?

The Hebrew term for

"talent" was kikkār,
meaning a round gold or
silver disk, or disk-
shaped loaf. In the Greek
language, the word comes
from tálanton, a large
monetary measurement
equal to 6,000 drachmas
or denarii
 How Heavy
was a Talent?

The talent was the

heaviest or largest
biblical unit of
measurement for
weight, equal to
about 75 pounds
or 35 kilograms.
 2 Samuel 12: 29-30 KJV

 29And David gathered all the

people together, and went to
Rabbah, and fought against it,
and took it. 
30And he took their king's
crown from off his head, the
weight whereof was a talent of
gold with the precious stones:
and it was set on David's head.
And he brought forth the spoil
of the city in great abundance. 
 Revelation 16: 21 KJV

21And there fell upon

men a great hail out of
heaven, every stone about
the weight of a talent: and
men blasphemed God
because of the plague of
the hail; for the plague
thereof was exceeding
great.
1 year work = 300
days/denarii

300 x 20 years =
6,000 denarii

6,000 denarii = 1
talent

20 years X 10,000
talents = 200,000
years
How much is 100 denarii in dollars?

13.78 x 8 = $110
20.625 x 4 = $82.5

USA Regular Pay =

$192.50

$192.50 X 100 =
19,250.00 us dollar
How much is 10,000 Talents?

$192.50 X 300 =
57,750.00 us dollar

57,750.00 x 200,000 =
$11,550,000,000.00
11.55 billion
No. Name Net worth Age Nationality Source of Wealth
(USD)

1 Jeff Bezos 122 billion 55 United States Amazon

2 Bill Gates 96.5 billion 63 United States Microsoft
3 Warren buffett 82.5 billion 88 United States Berkshire Hathaway
4 Bernard Amault 76 billion 70 France LVMH
5 Carlos Slim 64 billion 79 Mexico America Movil
6 Amancio Ortega 62.7 billion 82 Spain Inditex, Zara
7 Larry Ellison 62.5 billion 74 United States Oracle Corporation
8 Mark Zuckerberg 62.3 billion 34 United States Facebook
9 Michael Bloomberg 55.5 billion 77 United States Bloomberg
10 Larry Page 50.8 billion 45 United States Alphabet Inc
 DEBTORS COMPARISON

DEBTOR 1 DEBTOR 2

$11.55 billion $19.2 thousand

Beg to be forgiven Beg to be forgiven

Cancelled debt Put to prison

 Matthew 18: 31-35 NKJV

31So when his fellow servants saw what had

been done, they were very grieved, and came
and told their master all that had been done. 
32Then his master, after he had called him, said
to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all
that debt because you begged me. 
33Should you not also have had compassion on
your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’

34And his master was angry, and delivered him

to the torturers until he should pay all that was
due to him.

35“So My heavenly Father also will do to you if

each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his
brother his trespasses.”
 What God wants us to learn from
this Parable?
His forgiveness is limitless

We need to forgive others before He will forgive us

No sin huge enough not to be forgiven

There are no borders of God’s forgiveness

The pardon granted by this king represents a divine
forgiveness of all sin. Christ is represented by the king,
who, moved with compassion, forgave the debt of his
servant. Man was under the condemnation of the broken
law. He could not save himself, and for this reason Christ
came to this world, clothed His divinity with humanity,
and gave His life, the just for the unjust. He gave Himself
for our sins, and to every soul He freely offers the blood-
bought pardon. “With the Lord there is mercy, and with
Him is plenteous redemption.” Psalm 130:7.  COL 244.3
“But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your
Father forgive your trespasses.” Matthew 6:15. Nothing can justify
an unforgiving spirit. He who is unmerciful toward others shows
that he himself is not a partaker of God's pardoning grace. In God's
forgiveness the heart of the erring one is drawn close to the great
heart of Infinite Love. The tide of divine compassion flows into
the sinner's soul, and from him to the souls of others. The
tenderness and mercy that Christ has revealed in His own precious
life will be seen in those who become sharers of His grace. But “if
any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.” 
Romans 8:9. He is alienated from God, fitted only for eternal
separation from Him.   COL 251.1