"Lord Jesus Christ," "God," "Holy Ghost," in 2 Cor. 13:14. "God the Father," "the Spirit," "Jesus Christ," in 1 Peter 1:2. "One Spirit," "one Lord," "one God and Father," in Eph. 4:4, 5, 6.
The revelation of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, One God, Three in One, gives the highest value to this number Divine perfection.
So soon as the Lord Jesus Christ took His place publicly as the obedient Man in practice at His baptism, then the Father's voice is heard from heaven declaring Christ His beloved Son and the Spirit of God descends upon Him. The Trinity then stands fully revealed. This is not the place to do more than point out the fact of the Trinity; but the triple character of the Godhead is a truth in the Word, before which it is a creature's privilege to bend in simple and delighted adoration.
Creative action is ascribed in the Text, to each of the three Persons. "To us there is but one God, the Father, of [out from] whom are all things" (1 Cor. 8:6). "By him [the Son] were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him" (Col. 1:16). "By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens" (Job 26:13).
In some passages, perfection in the presence of God appears to be connected with number 3, while in still more places abundance of testimony appears to be signified by it. Probably both are found in the appointment "three times in a year shall all thy males appear before Jehovah thy God in the place which he shall choose" (Deut. 16:16). This would be action complete before God, and at the same time it would be a full witness to the claims of God brought home to Israel's generations. The former thought seems to be in our Lord's words, "the third day I shall be perfected" (Luke 13:32). The third hour, they crucified Him.
The following will illustrate how full witness is connected with 3:
1 John 5:8. The Spirit, the water and the blood are the full witness to grace on earth.
Acts 10:16. Three times the sheet was let down to Peter.
Luke 13:7. The owner sought fruit 3 years on his tree, and then was satisfied to cut it down.
The inscription on the cross was in 3 languages.
Three days search was made for Elijah, before they were satisfied that he could not be found (2 Kings 2:17).
Three times Israel declared "all that the Lord hath said will we do" (Ex. 19:8, 24:3, 7).
Joab took 3 darts and thrust through Absalom's heart, to make sure his death (2 Sam. 18:14).
The threefold temptation of our Lord gives full witness to the perfection of His obedience.
Three times a voice came from heaven as God's special witness to Christ (Matt. 3:17, 17:5, John 12:28).
"Grapes," "pomegranates," and "figs" were brought by the spies to attest the quality of "the land" (Num. 13:23).
Resurrection has been attached to 3, because our Lord was raised on the third day; and this was foreshadowed in Jonah; but unless further instances of this can be found, probably the continuance underneath until the third day will find its true meaning in full witness to our Lord's subjection to the power of death.
So the duration of darkness for 3 hours shows fully the isolation of the Spotless Victim from all that was of Nature, when God dealt with Him as "made sin." Does the reader accept for himself the testimony of those 3 hours? They testify how nothing human and nothing of the light of the intelligence of this world could be permitted to intrude for any semblance of share in the mighty work which the Lord only could perform. Do you receive that? Do you own your personal incapacity to aid in retrieving yourself from your own lost condition? For, when the 3 hours were passed, then followed the Divine declaration, "It is finished," and now as the effect uninterrupted sunshine flows on, even the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, grace in full, eternal light upon your soul, as surely as you own that darkness—its need and testimony—the love, all yours and all forever; for the barrier of righteous claim is now surmounted and removed by Him who was able single-handed to take up all the question of sin and lay it down again, settled forever, for God and for faith.
Reader, Believest thou this?
Israel's 3 days journey into the wilderness would be full witness to their separation from everything of Egypt to worship Jehovah.
Are not "Ahiman, Sheshai and Talmai" the full expression of, and witness to, the giant power of the enemy? See Num. 13:22 &c.
In 1 Sam. 10:2 on the minor matter of the asses, 2 men were to meet Saul and were enough to satisfy him that the asses were found; but in v. 3, 3 men carrying 3 kids and 3 loaves of bread and 1 bottle of wine should meet him, and in verse 5 "a company of prophets" also proving to Saul, "when these signs," three, "are come unto thee" that "God is with thee."
One or two groups of threes are added for study: Gideon's 300 men were divided into 3 companies (Judg. 7:16), Abimelech's people also (Judg. 9:43), David's army, the same (in 2 Sam. 18:2), the Philistine spoilers (in 1 Sam. 13:17). Saul put the people into 3 companies (1 Sam. 11:11). "The Chaldeans made out three bands" (Job 1:17). A triple guard of "soldiers," "horsemen" and "spearsmen" at the third hour of the night, escorted Paul down to Caesarea (Acts 23:23).
Another distinct group is: Our Lord's triple prayer in Gethsemane. Paul's triple prayer (2 Cor. 12:8). Daniel prayed 3 times daily (Dan. 6:10). And David says, "Evening, and morning, and at noon will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice" (Psa. 55:17). Was this the full expression of dependence?
"I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6).
Jordan was divided 3 times (Josh. 3-4, 2 Kings 2:8,14). (Note: Egyptians did not cross Jordan at Jacob's funeral.)
The precious stones are 3 times enumerated: at creation in Ezek. 28:13, at the giving of law in Ex. 28, and in connection with the glory (Rev. 21).
A 3-fold claim is made upon us to "walk worthy" "of the vocation" (Eph. 4:1), "of the Lord" (Col. 1:10) and "of God" (1 Thess. 2:12).
Three characters of "crown" are mentioned in the New Testament. The crown of "life," of "righteousness" and of "glory."
"Eξουσια" title, or authority, is 3 times ascribed to God: in Luke 12:5, Acts 1:7 and Jude 25.
Our Lord, as Shepherd, is styled "good" in John 10:14, "great" in Heb. 13:20, and "chief" in 1 Peter 5:4.
He has a triple character as "Son": "Son of God," "Son of David," and "Son of Man." He is also Prophet, Priest and King.
"Gold, and frankincense, and myrrh" were brought to Him by the wise men (Matt. 2:11).
His genealogy in Matt. is divided into three fourteen's.
Three times in Scripture is the glory of God said to be shown. By the heavens in Psa. 19:1, in Moses' face (Ex. 34:29 & 2 Cor. 3:7), and again, "in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Cor. 4:6).
In Eph. 1 the praise of God's glory is connected with counsel in eternity in v. 4-6, with time now, v. 12, and with full future blessing in v. 14.
The Old Testament was divided into the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms (Luke 24:44).
The dragon, the beast and the false prophet will be Satan's trinity of evil (Rev. 13).
7:4), "O earth, earth, earth" (Jer. 22:29), "Overturn, overturn, overturn" (Ezek. 21:27), beside the ascription "Holy, holy, holy" (Isa. 6 and Rev. 4).
Faith, hope and love, are connected in 5 places. Esther fasted 3 days. Daniel mourned 3 weeks. Saul fasted and was blind 3 days (Acts 9:9). Sapphira died 3 hours after Ananias.
Ezra dwelt in tents 3 days at Ahava, and rested 3 days at Jerusalem (Ch. 8:15, 32). Nehemiah also (Ch. 2:11).
Paul reasoned 3 months at Ephesus, for 3 Sabbaths at Thessalonica, abode 3 months in Greece, took 3 ships for his journey to Rome, cast out "tackling" on third day of storm, was courteously lodged 3 days by Publius, was 3 months at Melita, 3 days at Syracuse, was met at the Three Taverns and rested at Rome 3 days before he called the Jews together. "Thrice was I beaten with rods"... "thrice I suffered shipwreck" (2 Cor. 11:25).
Noted threes of people include:
Shem, Ham, Japheth
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob
Gershon, Kohath, Merari
Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar
Joab, Abishai, Asahel
Saul, David, Solomon
Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego
Noah, Daniel, Job (Ezek. 14:14)
Peter, James, John
Cain, Balaam, Core
David had 3 mighty men, out of 30 chief (2 Sam. 23:13).
2 Cor. 12:2 tells of "the third heaven."
"Mene, Tekel, Peres" was God's solemn witness to Belshazzar and "In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain" (Dan. 5:30). Reader! What shall be to you the result of God's solemn witness now: "the Spirit, the water and the blood"? Shall it be "life unto life" or "death unto death"?
Many 3's class, more or less distinctly, as above, but the number 3 invites much further study.