# 3 ~ TWO & THREE ~ THE MEANING OF BIBLE NUMBERS ~ 10-15-11
Today we’ll continue to look into the meaning of Bible numbers, last time we talked a little about the number TWO mostly in the Old Testament, and so today Lord willing we’ll point out it’s meaning in many places in the New Testament.
Matthew 7: also have numerous mentions of (two’s) in verse 3 the man with the mote, and the man with the beam.
In verses 13 and 14 the strait gate and the wide gate; the narrow way and the broad way; the way which leads unto life, and the way which leads unto destruction.
In verse 17 the good tree and the corrupt tree, in verses 24-27 the wise man and the foolish man- the house built on the rock, and the house built on the sand--- the house which stood, and the house which fell.
The Lord Jesus makes use of the number “two” in His parables many times, as for instance in the--- TWO debtors, the tares and the wheat, the rich man and Lazarus, the Pharisee and the publican, the 2 sons of Matthew 21:28.
As I said before, the Devil is a divider, he’d like to divide every family, every church, every nation, and he is the destroyer.
If a nation turns away from the True and Living God, all other ways and gods are of the devil.
We desperately need Christian’s leaders in our country.
Psalm 9:17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.
Psalm 144:15 ---happy is that people, whose God is the LORD.
Psalm 33: Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD.
The number two is also to be found in a great number of things which are in PAIRS, that’s to say, that one may teach concerning the other by way of contrast or difference.
The TWO Sons: Matthew 21:28-31 But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. 29He answered and said I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. 30And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. 31Whether of them twain did the will of his father?
Luke 15:11 THE PRODICAL SON: And he said, a certain man had two sons: 12And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.
In addition, let me say, if you’ll read that entire parable you find the second son complaining.
----------THE NUMBER THREE----------
Let me say 1st of all, that there are (4) numbers that are said to be numbers that relate to perfection and completion, each of these are different than the other three. In addition, the four numbers are,--3—7—10 –12.
Three is the first of four perfect numbers. --Three denotes divine perfection; --Seven denotes spiritual perfection; --Ten denotes orderly perfection, and twelve denotes governmental perfection.
All things that are especially complete are stamped with this number three.
God's attributes are three: omniscience, (knows all) -- omnipresence, (every place at one time) and omnipotence. (He’s all powerful)
There are three great divisions completing time--past, present, and future.
Three is the number associated with the Godhead, for there are "three persons in one God."
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Three times the Seraphim cry, Holy, Holy, Holy--one for each of the three persons in the Trinity.
Isaiah 6:3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
The living creatures also in
Rev. 4:8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
Three times is the blessing given in Numbers 6:23- 24 --
The LORD bless thee and keep thee (the Father); --The LORD make His face shine upon thee; and be gracious unto thee (the Son); --The LORD lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace" (the Holy Spirit).
Each of these three blessings is two-fold, so that there are two members in each, while the name Jehovah (LORD) occurs three times.
Notice--This marks the blessing as Divine in its source.
It came not of merit of man; grace was its origin and peace was its result.
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The First Occurrence of the Number Three is found in
Genesis 1:13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.
"The third day" was the day on which the earth was caused to rise up out of the water, symbolical of that resurrection life which we have in Christ, He arose on the THIRD day.
So three is a number of RESURRECTION, for it was on the third day that Jesus rose from the dead. -- This was Divine in operation, (remember #3 is the perfect number of DIVINITY)
Once again; Three denotes divine perfection; --Seven denotes spiritual perfection; --Ten denotes orderly perfection, and twelve denotes governmental perfection.
And (3) is Divine in its prophetic foreshowing in the person of Jonah –3 places
Matthew 12:39-40 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: 40For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
Luke 11:29 And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet.
Jonah 1:17 Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. In addition, Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
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It was the third day on which Jesus was "perfected"**
Luke 13:32 And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox,**(HEROD) Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.
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It was at the third hour (9- O clock-3 x 3) He was crucified; and it was for three hours (from the 6th to the 9th hour--12 until 3—3 hours) that darkness shrouded the Divine Sufferer and Redeemer.
The "loud voice" at the end of those “twice three hours”,
Matthew 27:46 And about the ninth hour (3 o’clock) Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
This shows completely that nothing of nature, nothing of the light or intelligence of this world, could give help in that hour of darkness.
This shows us (mankind) our total weakness and failure in the matter to help save our selves. It proves to mankind our incapacity to help in delivering ourselves from our natural condition?
With the light at the ninth hour, 3 o’clock **(3x3) came the Divine declaration, "It is finished." three words in our English.
Divinely finished, completed, and perfected, (remember the #3 is to do with DIVINE COMPLETENESS).
His finished work on the cross in paying our sin debt made it possible that now there is no such darkness for those who have died in and with Christ.
Light uninterrupted light, shines upon all who are in Him; now its uninterrupted sunshine.
That three hours' darkness testifies to our complete ruin, and our complete salvation, and shows that His people are "complete in Him.
1st John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Col. 2:9-10 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 10And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
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In addition, to do with the Divine perfections of Christ, let’s notice the many marks and seals of this completeness.
1st John 5:7-8 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one
The three years of His seeking fruit testifies to the completeness of Israel's failure.
Luke 13:7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? (Why should it waste the ground?)
Jesus said, "it is written" 3 times in Matthew 4: when He was being tempted by Satan.
This shows that the Word of God is the perfection of all ministries.
The Divine testimony concerning Him was complete in the threefold voice from Heaven-
Matthew 3:17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Matt.17:5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
John 12:28 Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.
He raised THREE from the dead during His earthly ministry. The widow’s son, Jairus’s daughter, and Lazarus.
He is THE WAY, THE TRUTH, And THE LIFE.
The inscriptions on the Cross in three languages show the completeness of His rejection by Man.
The Divine completeness of the Shepherd's care is seen in His revelations as—
The "Good Shepherd" in His death--
John 10:14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
The "Great Shepherd" in resurrection--
Hebrews 13:20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep,--
The "Chief Shepherd" in glory—
1st. Peter 4:5 Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.
There’s a lot connected to this number (3) so next time we’ll see what else we can find to do with the number three.
