The Number 23

I haven’t seen it, so I don’t know much about the worldview issues in the scary-looking new Jim Carrey movie The Number 23. From the trailer, it basically looks like Carrey is either psychotically obsessed with the number or his connection to the number represents some spiritual connection to the devil.

Either way, New Line is marketing the film, in part, by trying to get potential viewers to start freaking out about that number in their own lives. (And, strangely, to start drinking Dr. Pepper. Coincidence?)

I clicked on a web-page widget for the movie that asks you to put in personal info (name, address, pets, etc.). I entered a bunch of bogus data and, shockers, it’s all related to the number 23. Except, of course, it’s very silly. Check out how the number 24 is oddly mathematically connected to 23. Spooky!

Your first name is Douglas. D is the 4th letter in the alphabet
4 = 2 * 3 - 2

Your middle name is James. J is the 10th letter in the alphabet
10 = 2 + 3 + 2 + 3

Your last name is Whatnot. W is the 23rd letter in the alphabet
The number 23!

The last four digits of your cell phone is 6458. 6 + 4 + 5 + 8 = 23.
The number 23!

The number of siblings you have is 2.
2 = 2^3 - 2 * 3

The number of pets you've had is 1.
1 = 2 * 3 - 2 - 3

You and I and New Line’s marketing interns all know that any relationship these numbers have to our own lives is completely coincidental. It’s exactly how horoscopes usually work: tell people a few general things that might happen for them on a given day and if one or two come close, they’ll start to believe that coincidence is the same as real supernatural guidance.

I was surprised to learn from a nationwide survey commissioned by WisdomWorks a few years ago that 79% of teens had consulted a horoscope, 53% thought they “might be true," and 24% (!) said horoscopes are probably mostly true. What’s the big deal? Our spiritual enemy uses things like horoscopes to a) get us to start trusting in false spirits and b) to trust less in God for our spiritual direction. Whether the info is simply bogus or demonically-inspired, why give Satan that kind of influence in your life?

Want to dig deeper into this topic? Check out Mark’s book Don’t Buy the Lie. You’ll find the key to sorting supernatural truth from deception on page . . . 23! (Really. Look it up.)