The Number Three

[Beck]

Well I haven't done much in the study of Gematria, but would rely on other's that have studied in this field. What I would like to know and get a better understanding of is how in particular is the number 3 used in the bible. Such as to what is the meaning behind something that has mentioned of 3. Case in point is what should be understood when Elijah called for the sacrifice and altar be poured with water not once, nor twice, but three times.




1 Kings 18:31-34
31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the Lord came, saying, Israel shall be thy name:
32 And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.
33 And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.
34 And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time


As I notice that it is said that Elijah took 12 stone which symbolized the 12 tribes of Israel. Might we also assume that Elijah also used the number of barrels and how many times these barrels of water as being symbolically of something? This is where my question comes form in how the number 3 is being used. I have found that the number 3 is 'divine perfection', but what does that really means?.

[Richard Amiel McGough]

Well I haven't done much in the study of Gematria, but would rely on other's that have studied in this field. What I would like to know and get a better understanding of is how in particular is the number 3 used in the bible. Such as to what is the meaning behind something that has mentioned of 3. Case in point is what should be understood when Elijah called for the sacrifice and altar be poured with water not once, nor twice, but three times.



1 Kings 18:31-34
31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the Lord came, saying, Israel shall be thy name:
32 And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.
33 And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.
34 And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time


As I notice that it is said that Elijah took 12 stone which symbolized the 12 tribes of Israel. Might we also assume that Elijah also used the number of barrels and how many times these barrels of water as being symbolically of something? This is where my question comes form in how the number 3 is being used. I have found that the number 3 is 'divine perfection', but what does that really means?.

Hey there Beck,

Interesting question. We know the meaning of the 12 stones since the text tells us. As for the symbolic meaning of four barrels filled three times? It certainly was not beyond the ken of the men who wrote the Bible that 3 x 4 = 12. So there could be a connection. I don't know.

But there is a prominent use of the Number 3 in Scripture. The idea of "three days" is very common. It was on the "third day" that Abraham offered Isaac. Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days, and that was a picture of Christ in the grave three days. Paul asked three times to have his thorn removed. And on and on. It's used so much in so many contexts it is hard to derive a meaning that way.

In my studies, I compared the Ten Commandments, the Seven Days of Creation, the Seven Seals of the Apocalypse, the Trinity, the meaning of the third Hebrew letter Gimel, and so on to derived the symbolic meaning of the Number 3. I was pretty satisfied with using the Third Person of the Trinity as the nexus of meaning. You can read about it in this excerpt from Chapter 3 of the Synopsis of the Twenty Two Spokes in the Bible Wheel book:

http://biblewheel.com/Wheel/Spokes/Gimel_Spirit.asp

[Beck]

Richard, I'm glad you brought up those other three usages. That is where I was going, but wanted to used 1 kings to establish some type of usage. I never saw the 4 x 3 = 12 that is nice, if that's what is being employed which seems reasonable.

What is your thought on it being 'divine prefection'? It seems that there is four numbers of prefection. #3, 7, 10 and 12 I think if I remember correct.

[Richard Amiel McGough]

What is your thought on it being 'divine prefection'? It seems that there is four numbers of prefection. #3, 7, 10 and 12 I think if I remember correct.
You are correct that Christian numerologists describe those numbers as "numbers of perfection" , but it seems pretty meaningless to me. Numerologists in general are pretty stupid, and Christian numerologists tend to double down on stupid. It's not very meaningful to class 1/3 of the numbers between 1 and 12 as "numbers of perfection"! :doh:

Each Number defines a Numerical Category that subsumes the whole set of related concepts. For example, the Numerical Category defined by the Number 2 is very easy to discern. The meaning is first derived from geometrical archetypes like Duality, Division, Reflection and Image. The "dividing line" is the second geometric construct (the first being the point corresponding to the Number 1). We then look at the ordered lists in Scripture and Theology and compare with the meaning of the Second Letter Bet (initial of the word Ben = Son = Second Person) and develop a very coherent table of correspondences (from my Spoke 2 article The Dividing Line (http://biblewheel.com/Wheel/Spokes/Bet_Division.asp)):



The Numerical Category defined by the Number Two


Second Person

The Son of God, Word of God, Image of God


Second Psalm

Thou art my Son, this day I have begotten thee. - Only passage to be referenced by number in Scripture.


Second Day
Division of the waters


Second Book
Division of the waters of the Red Sea and the declaration of Israel as God's Son


Second Commandment
No graven Images


Second Seal
Horseman with Sword - the instrument of Division.


Second Geometric Construct
The Line - the root of the symbols of the Rod and the Sword, which in turn symbolize the Word.



Thus we see how the Numerical Category defined by the Number 2 relates to archetypes, geometry, theology, the ordered lists in the Bible, and even the order of the canon itself. It's really quite amazing to me even now as an unbeliever. Something very significant and of high intelligence is going on "under the surface" in the Bible even though the top level text is filled with errors, absurdities, contradictions, moral abominations and all sorts of confusion.

[Beck]

Wow. That's pretty deep. My only concern is if for example 'two' as a double vision (Genesis 41:32) is used as to establish. Such also is used in Daniel's visions which parallel in chapter 2, 7 and 8. That double vision is give to make Daniel understand and to confirm that the vision is true and that it would happen as said. Such as also saying Verily, Verily.... How does 'three' work in any workable understanding? Say for instance Christ in the grave for three days---why not seven which is also prefection.


I can only assume that the week (7)of passover having passover on the fourth day of the week allowing for 3 days until the beginning of the next week.

[Richard Amiel McGough]

Wow. That's pretty deep. My only concern is if for example 'two' as a double vision (Genesis 41:32) is used as to establish. Such also is used in Daniel's visions which parallel in chapter 2, 7 and 8. That double vision is give to make Daniel understand and to confirm that the vision is true and that it would happen as said. Such as also saying Verily, Verily.... How does 'three' work in any workable understanding? Say for instance Christ in the grave for three days---why not seven which is also prefection.


I can only assume that the week (7)of passover having passover on the fourth day of the week allowing for 3 days until the beginning of the next week.

The number 2 is the number used to establish things by witnesses. In the mouth of two or three witnesses. Christ sent out the seventy two by two. The Two Witnesses of Revelation. The "double dream" exemplifies the same thing.

I don't have any immediate intuition about the "three days" in the grave. I would have expected the number 4 since it is the number of death (and birth). Lazarus dead four days. The first birth and first death are in Genesis 4. Check out my article here (http://biblewheel.com/InnerWheels/Genesis/Genesis04.asp). There is a strong nexus around this number. But there's probably a good reason for the number 3 in that context. Maybe relating to the lack of permanence of his death. The numbers 3 and 8 relate to the resurrection.

There is also the strange tension that the Bible sometimes says the resurrection happened "on the third day" and other times "after three days" which would mean "on the fourth day." And it's hard to even get three full days from the Gospel accounts.