The number three has profound symbolic meaning in the Bible, representing fundamental spiritual concepts like the Trinity and divine perfection. This essay will explore some of the key ways this number is used and its theological implications.
Foundations in the Godhead
The preeminent role of three emerges first and foremost from the nature of God as understood in Scripture:
- God eternally exists as three persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – while remaining one God. This is the seminal doctrine of the Trinity.
- Each person of the Trinity serves unique but interconnected roles. For example:
- God the Father creates and sustains all things
- The Son becomes human to redeem creation
- The Spirit applies salvation and sanctifies
- The eternal love and cooperation between the three persons provides the ultimate model for unity and community.
This Trinitarian understanding of God is the basis for three’s special status in Scripture. Since God designed reality around His triune nature, the number becomes somewhat of His “signature,” weaving itself through concepts that reflect His attributes.
Completeness and Perfection
In ancient languages like Hebrew, saying something three times expresses intensity, emphasis, completeness, and superlativity. The multiple repetition escalates or elevates the concept.
We see this when God’s supreme holiness is emphasized in Scripture:
Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts (Isaiah 6:3)
Likewise with Christ’s triune prayer in Gethsemane:
And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26:39)
Concepts underscored three times often represent a divine ideal – the most whole, consummate demonstration of that principle.
Structuring Time and Events
Patterns of three frequently structure the timing of key events in Scripture:
| Event | Pattern of Three |
|---|---|
| Jesus’s death and resurrection | 3 days |
| Jesus’s ministry on Earth | 3 years |
| Second coming predictions | After 3 days |
Grouping events or movements into three stages gives them a satisfying sense of completion while highlighting their thematic continuity.
Reinforcing Fundamental Concepts
When truths are repeated three times in Scripture, it cements their weight and authority:
- Abraham was promised the land of Canaan for himself, his offspring, and his offspring’s offspring
- The Sermon on the Mount lists 3 topics for kingdom hearts: righteousness, provision, and judgment
- Ezekiel cries out “Woe” against rebellious Israel three times
Numerical Symbolism
In numerology, three signifies:
- Harmony – it combines stability (2) with novelty (1)
- Wisdom – the triad of intellect, emotion and application
- Growth – the beginning, middle and maturity of life
So patterns of three linguistically affirm concepts as grounded in reason, fully developed, and working as part of an orderly system.
Trinitarian Blessing
One of the most recognizable Trinitarian benediction in Scripture says:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (2 Corinthians 13:14)
Each person contributes their unique role:
- Grace comes through Christ’s atoning sacrifice
- Love is perfected in God the Father
- Fellowship with God is made possible by the Spirit dwelling in believers
These rich Trinitarian implications make three a bedrock biblical number, built into its very revelation of God Himself.
Objections and Alternate Theories
Some contest leaning heavily on numerical symbolism in Scripture analysis. They offer two main objections:
1. Imagining secret meanings:
Critics warn against succumbing to “parallelomania” and imaginatively projecting ideas onto numbers without substantive evidence.
2. Imposing outside systems:
Others argue against forcing external methods like gematria (Hebrew numerology) onto Scripture rather than letting its symbols arise contextually from within the biblical worldview.
While these concerns have validity, the manifold Trinitarian meanings around three seem less speculative since they stem internally from the texts’ presentation of God and His designs in history centered on the Incarnation of Christ.
Regardless of debates, the resonant symbolic energy of three throughout the Bible – especially amplified around concepts of divinity and consummation – remains an inductive reality.
Conclusion
In the Bible, the number three lives as more than a numerical value. Through patterns and repetitions, it takes on theological significance as what theologian Fred Sanders calls the “root metaphor” of Scripture – telling the dynamic story of the one God in three persons, ordering creation around His triune glory.