If I'm reading this right, does this give a somewhat accurate example of what you mean by 0 is not a number?
"Zero is not a number, it is a placeholder."
"Nothing is not something, it is the lack of."
Of course, there would be zero pencils if there were 50 boxes containing no pencils in each box, and you could say that the lack of pencils is a meaningless detail, because 50 boxes with 0 pencils also means 50 boxes with 0 amount of *list of all objects in existence*.
So 50*0=? when 50 is the value of boxes and 0 is the value of pencils is a meaningless equation because 0 is also the value of pretty much anything (unless you do say there are some other things in each box)
The absence of something means there is no presence, so zero amount of something means there is no amount of something, because it is simply not there, thus zero is meaningless?
If that's what you're saying I can see where you're coming from, but having only passed Geometry as the highest math class as of yet, I am open to anyone to refute me on this.