Meaning of the Number "3" in the Bible

The following article was obtained from BibleStudy.org

Meaning of Numbers in the Bible - The Number 3     

The number 3 is used 467 times in the Bible. It pictures completeness, though to a lesser degree than 7. The meaning of this number derives from the fact that it is the first of four spiritually perfect numerals (the others being 7, 10 and 12). The 3 righteous patriarchs before the flood were Abel, Enoch and Noah. After the deluge there was the righteous "fathers" Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (later renamed Israel). There are 27 books in the New Testament, which is 3x3x3, or completeness to the third power. Jesus prayed three times in the Garden of Gethsemane before His arrest. He was placed on the cross at the 3rd hour of the day (9 a.m.) and died at the 9th hour (3 p.m.). There were 3 hours of darkness that covered the land while Jesus was suffering on the cross from the 6th hour to the 9th hour. Three is the number of resurrection. Christ was dead for three full days and three full nights, a total of 72 hours, before being resurrected on Saturday, April 8, just before sunset.

Appearances of the number three

There were only three individuals who witnessed Jesus' transfiguration on Mount Hermon. Those who saw Jesus' glory on the mount were John, Peter and James. The apostle Paul was an exceptionally well educated person. In three different occasions he quotes directly from Greek poets (Acts 17:28, 1 Corinthians 15:33 and Titus 1:12). He also was privileged to visit the location of God's throne, which is in the third heaven (2 Corinthians 12:2-4). The three words that appear only once in Scripture are Reverend (Psalms 111:9), Eternity (Isaiah 57:15) and Grandmother (2 Timothy 1:5). Only three people were allowed to ask God ANYTHING. They were Solomon (1 Kings 3:5), Ahaz (Isaiah 7:11) and, of course, Jesus Christ (Psalm 2:9). The three gifts given to Israel by God were his law, the land of their inheritance, and their calling (the world to come). The Bible only mentions the name of three angels (Michael, Gabriel and Lucifer).

How is the number 3 related to sex sins?

There are three places in the New Testament where sex sins are specially referenced. The first is in Romans 1:20-32, where certain people who reject God are given over to defile themselves in a variety of ways that includes homosexuality (male and female) and overall sexual immorality. The second mention of sex-related sins is in 1 Corinthians 5:1-13, where the apostle Paul must handle the problem of the local church allowing a member to openly commit incest. The third sex issue dealt with in the New Testament is in Revelation 2:19-25. A female who considers herself a prophetess within the Thyatira church, in the spirit of Jezebel, was teaching believers to commit sexual immorality and spiritual adultery.

Three in Prophecy

Next to seven, 3 is the most commonly found or referenced number in Revelation. An angel is charged to cry three woe's to those who live on earth to warn them of more trials to come (Revelation 8:13). The murdered bodies of the Two Witnesses will not be allowed to be buried but rather will lie openly in Jerusalem for three days before they are resurrected. Three unclean spirits will be allowed to deceive the whole world to FIGHT the returning Jesus Christ in what is called the battle of Armageddon (Revelation 16:13-16). The new Jerusalem, created by God for placement on a new earth, will be shaped like a square with three gates on each side (Revelation 21:13).

Additional info on the Biblical Meaning of 3

God is described, in the very beginning of the book of Revelation, as a Being "which is, and which was, and which is to come" (Revelation 1:4). There are 3 great periods of God's annual Feast days of worship. They are the Spring festivals (Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread), the Summer festival (Pentecost) and the Fall festivals (Feast of Trumpets, Atonement and Feast of Tabernacles).

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The following article was obtained from the website entitled, JesusAlive.cc

Q: What is the significance of the number 3 (three) in the Bible?

A: First off, let me begin by saying that I think we need to be careful about searching for hidden messages, meanings, or codes in certain significant numbers in the Bible. If you put the word "Numerology" in a Google search, what you get for a definition is: "The branch of knowledge that deals with the occult significance of numbers." Hence, "numerology" is associated with such things as the occult, the paranormal, astrology, paganism, divination, and wiccans." But, if we put "Biblical" in front of "numerology" ("Biblical Numerology"), this is then supposed to make searching for the significance of number meanings in the Bible acceptable. Now, I am not saying that there isn't some significance to certain numbers in the Bible, all I am saying is that we should be careful about trying to interpret what these meanings are. Ultimately, I believe God did have reasons for using certain numbers over and over in the Bible, but only He may know the true reasons. Having said this, I do think it is fascinating to see how many times certain key numbers are used over and over in the Bible. In six studies, we will be looking at how six of what I believe are the most key numbers in the Bible are used: 3, 6, 7, 10, 12, 40.

We begin with the number "3." Those who assign meaning to this number generally say that it is one of 4 numbers, along with 7, 10, and 12, that symbolize perfection or completion. It is truly astounding to me how many times this number is used in a significant way in the Bible. I will list 33 here, but there are MANY more.

> There is a triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (1 Jn 5:7) (Mt 28:19) 

> God is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent.

> The Hebrew Bible is divided into three parts: the Torah ("teaching" or "law"), the Nevi'im ("prophets"), and the Ketuvim ("writings").

> Time is divided into the past, present, and future.

> Three sons of Adam are mentioned by name: Abel, Cain, Seth (Gen 4:1-2,25).

> All men are descended from the 3 sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, Japheth (Gen 9:18-19).

> There were 3 patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob/Israel.

> Three major feasts were to be celebrated: The Feast Of Unleavened Bread, The Feast Of Weeks (Harvest), The Feast Of Ingathering (Ex 23:14-16) (Ex 34:18-23) (Deut 16:16).

> Three items were contained in the Ark Of The Covenant: A pot of manna, Aaron's rod that had budded, and the 10 Commandments (Heb 9:4) (Ex 16:32-34) (Ex 25:16) (Num 17:4-10).

> Both the Tabernacle and Temple were divided into 3 sections: The Outer Court, the Holy Place, and the Holy Of Holies (Ex 26:33) (Ex 27:9).

> God told Isaiah to walk naked for 3 years as a sign against Egypt and Ethiopia (Isa 20:1-4).

> Three men were in the fiery furnace when a 4th man showed up, who most believe was a pre-incarnate Jesus (Dan 3:23-25).

> Jonah spent 3 days in the belly of the "great fish" (Jon 1:17) (Mt 12:40). When God released Him, he spent 3 days walking across Nineveh warning the people to repent (Jon 3:3).

> Daniel prayed 3 times a day (Dan 6:10.13). Paul was blinded for 3 days by Jesus (Acts 9:9), prayed 3 times for his "thorn in the flesh" to be removed (2 Cor 12:7-9), and was stranded on the island of Malta after his shipwreck for 3 months (Acts 28:11).

> Elijah stretched out his body over the widow's dead son 3 times, and he returned to life (1 Kin 17:21-22.)

> Moses was hidden by his mother for 3 months (Ex 2:1,3)(Acts 7:20)(Heb 11:23).

> Three men appeared to Abraham (2 angels and what is believed to be a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus) (Gen Ch. 18).

> The New Jerusalem will be surrounded by a great wall with 3 gates on each of 4 sides (Rev 21:13).

> God brought a famine for 3 years while David was king (2 Sam 21:1).

> God showed Peter in a vision 3 times that Gentiles would now be accepted (Acts 10:9-16).

> Left over meat from a vow or voluntary sacrifice had to be destroyed (burned with fire) on the third day (Lev 7:16-17) (Lev 19:5-7).

> Upon entering the Promised Land, if a fruit tree was planted, its fruit was considered unclean for 3 years (Lev 19:23).

*** Look at how many times the number "3" is associated with important events in Jesus' life on Earth.

> Jesus' earthly ministry was 3 years (See: Q: #180 - Point #4) (Lk 13:6-9: maybe?).

> He was tempted 3 times in the wilderness by Satan (Mt 4:1-11) (Lk 4:1-13).

> He went missing from His parents for 3 days when He was 12 years old (Lk 2:41-50).

> He had an inner circle of 3 men: Peter, James, and John (Mt 17:1) (Mk 9:2) (Lk 9:28) (Mk 5:37) (Lk 8:51) (Mt 23:37) (Mk 14:33).

> The sign over His head on the cross was written in 3 languages: Hebrew, Greek, and Latin (Lk 23:38) (Jn 19:20).

> He was resurrected on the third day (Mt 16:21) (Mk 8:31) (Lk 9:22) (Mt 17:22-23) (Lk 13:32)(Jn 2:19) (Mk 10:33-34) (Mt 27:63) (Lk 24:6-7) (1 Cor 15:3-4).

> He was crucified at the third hour (Roman time) (Mk 15:25).

> He predicted Peter would deny Him 3 times (Mt 26:34) (Mk 14:30) (Lk 22:34) (Jn 13:38). Peter then denied Jesus 3 times (Mt 26:69-75) (Mk 14:66-72) (Lk 22:54-62). Later, Jesus restored Peter by asking him if he loved Him 3 times (Jn 21:15-17).

> He raised 3 people from the dead (Lk 7:11-15) (Lk 8:41-42,49-56) (Jn 11:1-44).

> He prayed to the Father 3 times in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mt 26:36-46) (Mk 14:32-42).

> Jesus is: 1. The Way, 2. The Truth, 3. The Life (Jn 14:6).

Who's ? Right: Top Ten Creatures in the Bible

10 The Bee — according to Holy Scripture, Israel is a land flowing with honey (Exodus 3:8). Its dry climate, its rich abundance and variety of aromatic flowers, and its limestone rocks render it particularly adaptable for bees. In the Old Testament, it mentions "a land flowing with milk and honey" thirteen times, which are referenced in the Books of Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel. During antiquity, honey was a major article of export (Genesis 43:11; Ezekiel 27:17). Bees are spoken of in the Bible as a term of comparison for "a numerous army relentlessly harassing their enemies". Debôrah, the Hebrew name for bee, was a favorite name for women. The most notable was a prophetess and the fourth Judge of pre-monarchic Israel who was the only female judge mentioned in the Bible. As Deborah prophesied, a battle was fought (led by Barak), and Sisera, who was a commander of the Canaanite army of King Jabin of Hazor (Judges 4-5), was completely defeated. The Biblical account of Deborah ends with the statement that after the battle, there was peace in the land for 40 years. (Judges 5:31). All the different species of bees, known by the names of bombus, nomia, andrena, osmia, megachile, anthophora, are widely spread throughout modern-day Israel.

9 Leviathan — one of the mysterious creatures mentioned in the Bible, scholars and theologians have compared it to a sea monster (referenced in the Books of Job, Psalms and Isaiah), a demon (referenced by St. Thomas Aquinas), a crocodile or hippopotomus (as suggested in Revised Standard Version of the Bible) and a dinosaur (touted by Earth Creationists). Leviathan can also be used as an image of Satan, endangering both God's creatures—by attempting to eat them—and God's creation—by threatening it with upheaval in the waters of Chaos. Peter Binsfeld likewise classified Leviathan as the demon of envy, as one of the seven Princes of Hell corresponding to the seven deadly sins. Leviathan became associated with, and may originally have referred to, the visual motif of the Hellmouth, a monstrous animal into whose mouth the damned disappear at the Last Judgement, found in Anglo-Saxon art from about 800 AD, and later all over Europe. The Leviathan of the Book of Job is a reflection of the older Canaanite Lotan, a primeval monster defeated by the god Hadad. Parallels to the role of Mesopotamian Tiamat defeated by Marduk have long been drawn in comparative mythology, as have been wider comparisons to dragon and world serpent narratives such as Indra slaying Vrtra or Thor slaying Jörmungandr, but Leviathan already figures in the Hebrew Bible as a metaphor for a powerful enemy, notably Babylon (Isaiah 27:1). This particular creature is mentioned six times in the Bible (Job 3:8, Job 40:15–41:26, Amos 9:3, Psalm 74:13–23, Psalm 104:26 and Isaiah 27:1).

8 Behemoth — the description of this animal has long puzzled the biblical commentators. Many of them now agree that it represents the hippopotamus; it might possibly correspond as well to the rhinoceros. This certain beast mentioned in Job 40:15–24 is generally translated as "great beasts". Other theories taken into consideration are identities that range from a mythological creature to an elephant or buffalo. Some Young Earth creationists believe it to be a description of a dinosaur. Metaphorically, the name has come to be used for any extremely large or powerful entity. Since the 17th century AD there have been many attempts to identify Behemoth. The reference to Behemoth's "tail" that "moves like a cedar" presents a problem for most of these readings, since it cannot easily be identified with the tail of any animal. Biologist Michael Bright suggests that the reference to the cedar tree actually refers to the brush-like shape of its branches, which resemble the tails of modern elephants and hippopotamuses. Some have identified the cedar as a Behemoth's penis, since the Hebrew word for "move" can also mean "extend", and the second part of the verse speaks of the sinew around his "stones". The Vulgate seems to endorse such a reading by using the word "testiculorum". Russian-language speakers have used the cognate word бегемот (begemot) to refer to the hippopotamus from third quarter of the 18th century. Even the description of this creature leaves one imagination wide open.

7 Dove — the dove is mentioned in the Bible more often than any other bird (over 50 times); The dove is first spoken of in the record of the flood (Genesis 8:8–12); later on we see that Abraham offered up some in sacrifice, which would indicate that the dove was very early domesticated. In fact several allusions are made to dove-cotes, with their "windows" or latticed openings. But in antiquity as well as now, besides the legions of pigeons that swarm around the villages, there were many more rock-doves, "doves of the valleys", as they are occasionally termed (Ezekiel 7:16; Song of Solomon 2:14; Jeremiah 48:28), that filled the echoes of the mountain gorges with the rustling of their wings. The metallic lustre of their plumage, the swiftness of their flight, their habit of sweeping around in flocks, their plaintive coo, are often alluded to by the different sacred writers. The dark eye of the dove, encircled by a line of bright red skin, is also mentioned; its gentleness and innocence made it the type of trust and love, and, most naturally, its name was one of the most familiar terms of endearment. Jesus spoke of the dove as a symbol of simplicity; the sum of its perfections made it a fitting emblem for the Holy Spirit.

6 Lion — now extinct in Israel and in the surrounding countries, the lion was common there during the BC era. Mentioned in the Scriptures, in one form or another, the lion is alluded to 130 times. It represents the classical symbol of strength, power, courage, dignity, and ferocity. The Lion of Judah is the symbol of the Hebrew tribe of Judah (one of the 12 Tribes of Israel). According to the Torah, the tribe consists of the descendants of Judah, the fourth son of Jacob. The association between Judah and the lion, can first be found in the blessing given by Jacob to his son Judah in the Book of Genesis. The Lion of Judah is also mentioned in the Book of Revelation, as a term representing Jesus, according to Christian theology. During the 8th century BC, artwork was commissioned by Solomon in the decoration of the temple and of the king's house. The craft and ferocity of the lion, on the other hand, caused it to be taken as an emblem of Satan (1 Peter 5:8) and of the enemies of the truth (2 Timothy 4:17). In a mythological sense, the roar of a lion is considered as the voice of a Goddess. According to pagan belief, a lion's roar stops you, it is a terror that shakes you up and draws you into something beautiful. When referring to the 1000 year reign of Christ on earth, a favorite saying is that the lion will lay down with the lamb; however, there are no biblical passages that refer to the lamb and the lion lying down together. Isaiah 11:6 states, "And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the kid, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them."

5 Dragon — the word “dragon” appears 21 times in the Old Testament (King James Version). The Psalmist jubilantly declared, “Praise the LORD from the earth, you dragons, and all deeps:” (Psalm 148:7). The author of the book of Revelation repeatedly makes mention of the dragon, by which he means "the old serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, who seduceth the whole world" (Revelation 12:9). According to the ancients, the dragon represented a monstrous winged serpent with a crested head and enormous claws, and regarded as very powerful and ferocious creature. Modern Bible translators, who were dubious about having dragons (which they believed to be mythical) in the Bible, prefer the jackal interpretation. The Hebrew word for jackal is “tan” and the plural is “tanim.” So there is a similarity. Ezekiel 32:3 talks about netting a dragon and subsequently hauling it up onto the land. Ezekiel 29:3 refers to inserting hooks into the dragon’s jaws to draw it into the open field where the carnivorous animals would feed on its carcass. Another translation infers it is the name of some unknown creature inhabiting desert places and ruins (Job 30:29; Psalms 44:19; Isaiah 13:22; 34:13; 43:20; Jeremiah 10:22; Micah 1:8; Malachi 1:3). In the New Testament the word "dragon" is found only in Revelation 12:3-4; 12:7; 12:9; 12:16-17, and is used metaphorically to describe "Satan."

4 Lamb — this creature is typically featured as a sacrificial animal throughout the bible. To the Jews the lamb is called the "Paschal Lamb" during Passover: the ewe was both a commemoration of the deliverance from the bondage in Egypt, and a prophetic figure that would be sacrificed to free His people from their slavery to sin and death.  In Christianity, the lamb represents Jesus Christ, as both suffering (crucifixion) and triumphant (resurrection), and referred to as the "Lamb of God". This particular name, "Lamb of God", is mentioned 31 times in Bible: twice in the Old Testament/Torah and 29 times in the New Testament (with 27 of those listed in the book of Revelation). The Jewish Passover sacrifice (Paschal Lamb) was mandated for Jews and Samaritans to ritually slaughter a lamb on the eve of Passover, and eat on the first night of the holiday with bitter herbs and matzo. The Christian religion believes the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus represents a new Passover, and therefore He is the Lamb [of God] for the new Passover (John 1:29). In the King James version [of the Bible] the word - 'lambs' appears 81 times; the word - 'lamb' appears 105 times; and, the word - Lamb's appears twice. It is interesting to note that lambs eventually grow up to be sheep and the word 'sheep' appears 187 times in the Bible, more than any other creature throughout the holy scriptures. 

3 Unicorn  — a biblical creature that is mentioned only nine times in the Old Testament/Tanakh books of Numbers, Deuteronomy, Job, Psalm and Isaiah. Most modern readers have trouble with the definition of a unicorn as the word infers something mythological. Yet, a single-horned feature is not uncommon for the Creator's animal design (such as the rhinoceros and narwhal). The Bible/Tanakh describes unicorns skipping like calves (Psalms 29:6), travelling like bullocks, and bleeding when they die (Isaiah 34:7). According to archaeologists associated with the Assyrian period, the biblical unicorn could have possibly been the auroch (a wild ox known to the Assyrians as "rimu"). The aurochs horns were symmetrical and often appeared as one horn in profile. Fighting rimu was a popular sport for Assyrian kings during antiquity. Tiglath-Pileser I (who ruled during the 11th century BC) boasted of slaying the auroch in the Lebanese mountains. Whether this creature had one horn or two horns, the Bible describes it as an animal of great ferocity and strength, as well as untamable. And it definitely was not the mythological horse, with a single horn sticking out of its head, that authors and artists brought to life through their literary writings and artwork.

2 Ass (Donkey) — the word "ass" in scripture refers to the donkey, and appears approximately 87 times in the King James Bible. The Gospels of Matthew and Luke relate a story of Mary riding upon an ass during the journey to Bethlehem and Egypt, but the top tale about a donkey appears in Numbers 22:21-38. The story begins with Balaam leaving with the princes of Moab, which made the Creator angry. He sent an angel to block his way, but Balaam did not see him. However, his ass did. Three times the donkey stepped aside from the angel and each time the animal was disciplined and rebuked by Balaam. The angel opens the animal's mouth and the words flowed out in reprimand of her master, as well as questioning Balaam's loyalty... Upon the third time of striking his faithful animal, the angel of the Lord made himself known to Balaam, charging him “Why have you struck your ass these three times?" And Balaam said to the Angel of the Lord, “I have sinned, for I did not know You stood in the way against me." Balaam's attention was now held in fear, for he knew he had angered the Creator. Then the Angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but only the word that I speak to you, that you shall speak.” (Numbers 22:32-35).  So Balaam went with the princes of Moab and did as the angel bidded him to do. Surely the relationship between man and beast was forever changed after such a celestial episode, as well as Balaam learning the Creator sees, hears and knows all.

1 Serpent — is commonly associated with a snake, especially in the Garden of Eden narrative. Many scholars claim the snake originally had legs before the "fall of man", but when looking at Genesis 3:13–15, there is no direct indication that the serpent had legs, only that its curse would be “on your belly you shall go.” In Deuteronomy 32:33, it speaks of a snake's deadly venom and in the book of Job it declares the wicked as sucking the venom of péthén, in punishment whereof the food he takes shall be turned within him into the gall of this poisonous reptile (Job 20:14 & 16). The viper is almost always portrayed as a loathsome creature, directly associated with poison and craftiness. Snakes show up in various verses throughout the Bible: in Pharoah's court (Exodus 7:12), in the wilderness (Numbers 21:7), on the island of Malta (Acts 28:3) and, according to the revelation of Jesus, the serpent was thrown down to earth, along with his angels (Revelation 12:9). As amoral creatures, snakes are not "evil" [in themselves], but the viper can be used as a handy metaphor for evil in many passages scattered throughout the Hebrew and Christian Bibles. Jesus was quoted as saying, He had come to save us all from the serpent’s bite: “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him” (John 3:14–15; cf. Numbers 21:6–9). This is a direct reference that Jesus will one day return and save mankind from the serpent's bite. The serpent (snake) gets plenty of attention in the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) and is mentioned over 80 times in the Christian Bible.