The Number Three in the Bible

Peter DeHaan

1 day ago

Significant Recurring Numbers in the Bible

As we read Scripture, we come across some reoccurring numbers. They are three, seven, twelve, and forty. Let’s consider the number three in the Bible.

As we look at the number three in the Bible, we can see it as a sign of completion, wholeness, and perfection.

Here are some significant areas to consider.

God

In the Bible, we see God as Trinity, as three persons in one. Though Scripture never actually uses the word Trinity, we see God represented in the Bible as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28 :19, 2 Corinthians 13:14, Titus 3:4-6, 1 Peter 1:2, 1 John 3:21-24, and many more).

The three-person Godhead we read about in the Bible is complete, whole, and perfect.

Us

As the pinnacle of God’s creation, we also exist in three parts. We are body, soul, and spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

Our body is what is seen and known. Our spirit is what is unseen and unknown to many. Our soul—consisting of our mind, will, and emotions—links our body and spirit.

With our body we connect to people. With our spirit we connect to God.

Interestingly, this verse lists these three elements in the opposite order, as in spirit, soul, and body.

This helps us realize that our spirit is more important to God than our body. Our spirit will live on into eternity. Our body will one day die in decay. It will end. Our spirit will not.

Jesus’s Resurrection

Another time we see the number three in the Bible relates to Jesus’s death and then rising from the dead. He was dead for three days and then rose again. He predicted this (Mark 8:31). That’s exactly what happened (1 Corinthians 15:3-5).

Through his sacrificial death on the cross, Jesus died for all our sins, both past and future. Through his resurrection, Jesus proved that he overcame death. When we follow him as his disciple, we, too, will overcome death.

In this way, Jesus restores us into fellowship with God.

Jonah

When Jonah disobeyed God and tried to run away, he ended up getting a three-day time-out in the belly of a large fish. When Jonah realized the folly of his actions and repented, the fish spat him out onto dry land.

In this way, Jonah was figuratively dead for three days and then restored. Matthew sees this as a forward look to Jesus’s three-day death and subsequent resurrection (Matthew 12:40).

In this way, Jonah’s life was both symbolic and prophetic to foreshadow Jesus’s work to save us.

Holy, Holy, Holy

Isaiah had a vision of worship in heaven, praising God as holy, holy, holy (Isaiah 6:3). Centuries later, John had a similar vision of God receiving praise as being holy, holy, holy (Revelation 4:8).

We see the repetition of holy as emphasizing just how holy God is.

We might also wonder if this threefold repetition connects with a threefold nature of God, with each utterance of holy praising one member of the Trinity: the Father is holy, the Son is holy, and the Spirit is holy. Holy, holy, holy.

Other Times We See the Number Three in the Bible

The number three occurs over three hundred times in Scripture. Though many of these verses have little spiritual significance, others are worth noting.

The third day of creation is when life first appeared on the earth (Genesis 1:9-13). Though God didn’t create people until the sixth day, the first signs of life— vegetation—came on the third day.
Noah had three sons (Genesis 6:10). Since all the other inhabitants of the Earth died during the flood, we are all descendants of Noah and his three sons.
Abraham had three supernatural visitors (Genesis 18). Though he first identifies them as three men, the Bible later clarifies that one of them is the Lord. Could these three visitors be the Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?
These examples are just in the book of Genesis. There’s more.
Three hours of darkness when Jesus dies (Matthew 27:45).
Peter’s vision repeats three times (Acts 10:16). This repetition is also for emphasis and helps him realize that this is a word from God.
Paul teaches us about three key virtues: faith, hope, and love (1 Corinthians 13:13).
Three testimonies about Jesus: the spirit, the water, and the blood (1 John 5:6-8).