The Meaning of the Number Three in Scripture—Part 5

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

Introduction and Review

This is the fifth part of a series that examines the number three and how it categorizes themes in Scripture. The previous lesson continued with spiritual things, the Trinity and covenant themes associated with this number. (Links to all articles in this series are listed at the end of this installment.)

This lesson will explore the spiritual act of prayer and its association with the number three.

Jean Leon Gerome: Solomon's Wall, Jerusalem (the Wailing Wall)

The Three Hours of Prayer

Evening and
morning and at
noon

I will pray and cry aloud,
And He shall hear my voice.

— Psalm 55:17

Prayer is primarily a spiritual activity. In Jewish tradition, there are three hours of prayer that date back to biblical times.

... when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.
— Daniel 6:10

Paul gives us three elements of prayer in his letter to the Philippians.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by

prayer and
supplication, with
thanksgiving,

let your requests be made known to God.

— Philippians 4:8

Tunnels of Time
fdecomite

Hours of Prayer

The first hour of prayer was at nine (3x3) a.m. when the Temple gates opened. It was the third hour after sunrise. The rising sun symbolizes the idea of a daily resurrection. A quote from Chabad.org about these morning prayers is in an article titled "Shacharit Morning Prayers Rise and Climb."

The sun has risen; a new day beckons.
It’s time to climb a ladder, to ascend to the heavenly spheres and fortify our sensitivity for G‑d and spirituality. After this daily booster, we descend, equipped to tackle the day and the struggles it will present.
This hour of prayer was known as the Shacharit. Shacar, according to Gesenius, is a Hebrew word meaning to break forth as the light of dawn, to break in, to pry and seek. What an appropriate description of prayer.

The modern tradition came with the idea of awakening through progressive steps, likened to climbing the rungs of a ladder. The first rung is praising the Almighty God, Master of the Universe. It includes a recitation of Psalm 30 (3 x 10), which begins with resurrection language and the concept of going up.

I will extol You, O Lord, for You have lifted me up,
And have not let my foes rejoice over me.
O Lord my God, I cried out to You,
And You healed me.
O Lord, You brought my soul up from the grave;
You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.

— Psalm 30:1-3

"Pit," as we shall see later, represents a death. Healing and resurrection will connect throughout the remainder of this article. This particular hour is mentioned explicitly in the opening of the Book of Acts and concerns the Holy Spirit.

When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance ... Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day.
— Acts 2:1-15

Mark records that it was at this time that Jesus went to the cross, which also would have been the time of the morning sacrifice.

Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him.
— Mark 15:25

The second hour of prayer was at 3 p.m. It was also the time of the second sacrifice of the day, consistent with the belief that this was the hour Christ died at 33 (3 x 11) years of age. This hour was known as Minchah, meaning "gift offering" and the "hour of confession."

The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour.
— Acts 10:9

Another spiritual event took place at this hour of prayer, including healing and a type of resurrection that will be discussed later in this article.

Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth (3 x 3) hour.
— Acts 3:1

How interesting that, in association with the gift offering, Peter tells the lame man asking for alms the following.

“Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.
— Acts 3:6

Between the first and second hours of prayer, three hours of darkness covered the land. From the 6th to the 9th hour, Jesus was suffering on the cross.

Now, when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.
— Mark 15:33

The third hour of prayer is called Maariv, which means "the evening," and begins at sundown.

The Altar of Incense and Prayer

The Altar of Incense, also known as the Golden Altar, symbolized the people's prayers rising to God. It was the third piece of furniture in the Holy Place. It was three feet high and burned three types of fire: wood on the top, coal in the middle, and perpetual fire from the ashes at the bottom. The prayers of the saints are mentioned three times in Revelation.

Now, when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

— Revelation 5:8

Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.

— Revelation 8:3

And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand.

— Revelation 8:4

The Psalmist prayed the following.

Let my prayer be set before You as incense,
The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

— Psalm 141:2

Interestingly, incense is mentioned three times in Luke chapter 1, forming a literary sandwich centered on prayer.

A) So it was that while he (Zechariah) was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.
— Luke 1:8-9

Central Axis) And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.
— Luke 1:10

A) Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
— Luke 1:11

This information is borrowed from the Agape Bible Study website in Michael Hunt's article "The Hours of Prayer for the Old Covenant Church in the 1st Century AD."

Tears and Prayer

Tears, based on the proteins contained in them, can be prayers in and of themselves. Here, we will focus more on this concept and its relationship with the three. First, there are technically three types of tears.

1. The first type of tears is called Basal tears, consisting of three layers:

1. The mucous layer lubricates
2. The aqueous coating repels bacteria and protects the cornea.
3. The third layer is called the lipid layer, which keeps the iris smooth. And keeps the other layers from evaporating

2. The second type of tears is reflex tears, which wash away harmful substances and particles and contain more antibodies.

3. The third type of tears is emotional tears, which contain higher levels of stress hormones.

All of these properties can be seen as analogous to the functions and benefits of prayer and vision.

James Tissot
Brooklyn Museum

Ask, Seek, and Knock

Luke, chapter eleven, opens with our topic.

And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray ...

— Luke 11:1

Following this question, Luke delivers the Lord's prayer in three sections, with the first section in three clauses.

1. And he said unto them, When ye pray, say,

(1) Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
(2) Thy kingdom come.
(3) Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.

2. Give us day by day our daily bread.

3. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive everyone that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

— Luke 11:2-4

Jesus's tutorial on prayer is immediately followed by a parable on persistence in prayer that includes the number three and resurrection language. Notice that rise is used three times in this portion of Scripture.

And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;
For a friend of mine, in his journey, has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.
And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot

1. rise and give thee. I say unto you, Though he will not
2. rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity (begging -maybe even nagging), he will
3. rise and give him as many as he needs

— Luke 11:5-8

Jesus explains the goodness of God and His willingness to answer our prayers.

If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or
If he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?
Or if he shall ask for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?

— Luke 11:11-12

He caps off this teaching with the connection of prayer and the giving of the Holy Spirit.

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
— Luke 11:13

Jesus prayed three times in the Garden of Gethsemane

Prayer and the Garden of Gethsemane

Just before His crucifixion, Jesus retreated to the Garden of Gethsemane with three of His disciples.

Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee (James and John according to Mark) He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.

1. He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

2. Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.

3. So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. Then He came to His disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going (Luke says Rise and Pray. See, My betrayer is at hand.”

— Matthew 26:36-46

Jesus prayed three times and made it abundantly clear that His strength to do God's will was drawn from being in communion with God through prayer when He rebuked His disciples for sleeping rather than praying. He explained that their ability to resist temptation hinged upon it. Luke's account of this event informs us that when Jesus prayed, a heavenly being appeared.

Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.
— Luke 22:43

It is Peter He predominantly admonishes, and it is Peter who will later deny Him three times after the rooster crows three times. After Jesus's death, Peter is reinstated in a threefold manner. This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead.

1. So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah do you love Me more than these?”He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”
2. He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah do you love Me?”He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”He said to him, “Tend My sheep.”
3. He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?”
And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep (third time is mentioned three times)
— John 21:14-17

This Garden scene hearkens back to another Garden in Genesis, chapter three, involving man's fall based on three temptations.

... when the woman saw that the tree was good for food,
that it was pleasant to the eyes,
and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate.

— Genesis 3:6

Between these two gardens was a wilderness involving three temptations and three scriptural rebuttals recorded in the three Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Matthew's account begins with the following.

Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit (Mark) Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

1. If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”

2. Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”

3. Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”

Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

— Matthew 4

The emphasis in this account is on fasting and prayer. Just after His baptism, Jesus fasted for forty days. The Spirit and the angels of God strengthened Him. It also might be observed that the phrase "It is written" is used three times in this account, again substantiating the truth and dependability of God's Word.

How fitting that the Hebrew word for "garden" is "gan (גן) " and begins with a gimel (ג). The other letter of this word is a nun (נ), which, pictographically, depicts perpetual life. So we could say that a garden is a place that lifts up life or living things—what a lovely picture of prayer.

The Garden of Gethsemane Event by James Tissot
Brooklyn Museum

John 17—More In the Garden

John chapter seventeen, in its entirety, records three prayers that Jesus prayed.

for himself,
for his disciples,
and for all believers

The first prayer opens with the heavenly theme of three.

Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven.
— John 17:1

These mentions, along with three other uses of eternity, one in the past tense, are also connected to the themes of the number three.

... that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him.
And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent
O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

— John 17:2-3

"Truth" and "sanctify/sanctified, noted three times in the second section, referred to His disciples.

Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.
— John 17:17-19

The third section of Jesus's prayers, addressed to all believers, speaks of a united trio: the Father, Jesus, and believers. There are six that can be organized by theme into two groups of three. The first group speaks of the unity of Jesus and the Holy Heavenly Father. The second is the believers united in Christ.

Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.
— John17:11
1. “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; (1) that they all may be one, (2) as You, Father, in Me, (3) and I in You;
2 . that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.
3. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one ...
— John 17:20-22

The twenty-third verse unites all three: Jesus, the Father, and believers.
1. I in them,
2. and You in Me;
3. that they may be made perfect in one,

and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

— John 17:23

James Tissot
Brooklyn Museum

Peter James and John

The Garden of Gethsemane account is one of three events in which three of the twelve disciples are present. A second instance occurs just after Jesus returns from his deliverance trip across the lake. When He arrives back on the other side

... one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.” So Jesus went with him.

— Mark 5:22-23

The woman with the issue of blood interrupts this scene with her need for healing, and Jesus heals her then and there.

While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?”
As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.” And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James ... Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.”
Luke adds, "Then her spirit returned." Immediately, the girl arose and walked.
— Mark 5:35-37

Sources used for all parts of this series can be found in Part 20, the final installment.