Jed's "444" Reference From 'The Bachelorette,' Explained

Hannah B.'s Bachelorette season came to a, shall we say, unconventional end. After she found out that Jed was still dating a woman literally the night before he came on the show (though he insisted she wasn't his girlfriend), the newly engaged couple had a big, on-camera conversation about it. After weeks of rumors, we finally got to hear Jed's side of the story, and spoiler alert: it was not great. But one detail that had Bachelorette viewers especially confused: what is 444? Hannah said Jed texted "I love you 444" to the woman he was seeing, but didn't explain what it meant.

If you're looking for answers, it appears to be a reference to Christianity. When Jed's "ex" Haley Stevens spoke to Us Weekly back in June about their relationship, she also shared screenshots of some text messages between herself and Jed. One of them shows Jed texting, "I love you! Don't forget that. Everything is always working out 444." He continued, "It all adds up. Meditate, pray, center yourself in positive energy!" According to Haley, this text was sent right before he had to give up his phone while filming the show.

As you can see, the text also mentions praying, so it makes sense that Jed would reference a number that is significant to some Christians. Plus, as has been made clear this season, Hannah's Christian beliefs are very important to her, so it checks out that she'd get the reference and not have to ask Jed for clarity — to use Luke P.'s favorite word.

There are a few interpretations of the significance of 444. A number of websites explain that spotting the number means angels are communicating with you, possibly in response to your prayers, and giving a sign that you are being protected or supported. The website Dreaming and Sleeping explains that it could represent a way of telling someone not to worry, that the person seeing it will achieve success, and that they should turn to their spirituality. It could also reference the length of Jesus' ministry, as explained by BibleStudy.org. Thought Catalog also has a very long list of other potential reasons for its significance.

Basically, it's a strong number that has to do with being watched over and being at peace, and all the other things Jed was getting at in his text.

In pop culture, you may have heard the number before. Jay-Z titled his 2017 album 4:44 after coming across the number himself. The rapper told iHeartRadio, "I woke up, literally, at 4:44 in the morning, 4:44 a.m., to write this song. So it became the title of the album and everything. It's the title track because it's such a powerful song, and I just believe one of the best songs I've ever written." He didn't say anything about religious significance, but there is a lot of evidence of the importance and power of the number four in his and Beyoncé's life.

Now that everyone who was tweeting for answers knows what 444 means in Jed and Hannah's case, it makes it just that much more heartbreaking that she had to see these texts and everything that they represented.