3 (Three)
Symbolic treatment of this number in the corpus
Bullinger · Jones
The number three stands in the corpus for divine fullness and perfection. Bullinger regards it as the first of four perfect numbers — the only one that expresses a complete structure of beginning, middle, and end. Jones connects it to the threefold division of the human person (spirit, soul, and body) and to the three feasts that together encompass the fullness of redemption.
Biblical References
| Reference | Context |
|---|---|
| Deut. 19:15 | Two or three witnesses establish a matter fully |
| John 10:14-15 | The Good Shepherd — first of three shepherd titles |
| Heb. 13:20 | The Great Shepherd in the resurrection — second title |
| Matt. 28:19 | Threefold baptismal formula: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit |
| Lev. 23:4-44 | Three appointed feasts: Passover, Pentecost, Tabernacles |
| Rev. 1:4 | Greeting from the seven Spirits and from Jesus Christ |
Symbolism in the Corpus
E.W. Bullinger
Bullinger designates three as “the number of divine perfection” and identifies it as the first of four perfect numbers (three, seven, ten, twelve). Three is the smallest number that expresses fullness: a beginning, a middle, and an end. As biblical evidence he points to the structure of the New Testament: twenty-seven books (three cubed) and twenty-one epistles (three times seven). The third day as the resurrection day of Christ illustrates the principle of divine perfection reaching its completion. 1
Stephen E. Jones
Jones describes three as the number of “Divine Fullness, Perfection,” derived from the Hebrew letter Gimel. He writes: “Because the law establishes truth on the testimony of two or three witnesses (Deut. 19:15), the number three can be considered a complete testimony. Two witnesses are sufficient to establish truth, but three brings completeness, clarity, and form.” The three shepherd titles of Christ — Good Shepherd in death (John 10:14-15), Great Shepherd in resurrection (Heb. 13:20), and Chief Shepherd in glory (1Pet. 5:4) — show how three spans the full christological reality. The three principal feasts (Passover, Pentecost, Tabernacles) complete the threefold nature of humanity: spirit, soul, and body (1Thess. 5:23). 2