The Meaning of the Number Three in Scripture—Part 3—The Light of God's Truth, The Holy Spirit and Fruit

Introduction and Review

This is the third part of a series that examines the number three and how it categorizes themes in Scripture. The previous lesson examined how themes of dependability, strength, and truth are associated with this number. (Links to all articles in this series are listed at the end of this installment.)

This lesson will explore the connection between the light, God's Word, and the number three.

Georges de La Tour
Light is linked with God's Word, which illuminates the human soul. The image shows a lamp that uses oil, a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

Light

Light is the topic of the third verse of the Bible and the first command God spoke.

God said, “Let there be light."

— Genesis 1:3

This light also governs the first three days before the sun, moon, and stars arrive on day four. The beginning of the Gospel of John confirms this connection in verses 1-4 and appropriately titles this section in the NKJV as "The Eternal Word."

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. (Three occurrences of Word)

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. (verse 14 connects us with the "Word" and truth) And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

— John 1:1-4, 14

When the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness, Jesus quotes "It is written" three times in reference to God's Word.

“It is written,
‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”

— Matthew 4:4

“It is written again,
‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”

— Matthew 4:7

"It is written,
‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”

— Matthew 4:10

Luke puts them in a different order but sandwiches these events with three mentions of the Spirit (spiritual things are also categorized by the number three, more on this later). The first two are before the temptation.

Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.
— Luke 4:1

and ends the account with

Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee.
— Luke 4:14

Light is also strongly associated with the Word of God in the Book of Psalms.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
— Psalm 119:105

This link between Light and God's Word appears in Proverbs chapter six, where a father counsels his son on avoiding the pitfalls of adultery. It is excellent advice concerning our human relationships, but I think the message goes much deeper, showing us how to be faithful to God by staying near to Him in thought and obedience to His Word.

My son, keep your father’s command (Mitzvot),
And do not forsake the law (Torah/instruction) of your mother.
Bind them continually upon your heart;
Tie them around your neck.

1. When you roam, they will lead you;
2. When you sleep, they will keep you.
3. And when you awake, they will speak with you.

For the commandment is a lamp,
And the law a light;
Reproofs of instruction are the way of life

— Proverbs 6:20-23

Three is the number of solid spiritual things, as is numbered in what these commands and instructions will do. The light of God's Word, Commands, Laws, and Instructions is very real, substantially solid, and spiritual. In this proverb, God illustrates for us His loving commands and our faith in His goodness. Our belief is exhibited through our obedience. He uses the context of a parent-child relationship to communicate this idea.

The prophet Isaiah foretells the coming Messiah using the metaphor of light (oor - Hebrew) three times and of spraying or scattering light (zarach - Hebrew) three times.

Arise, shine (oor אור - Hebrew);
For your light (oor אור - Hebrew) has come!
And the glory of the Lord is risen (zarach זרח - Hebrew) upon you.
For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,
And deep darkness the people;
But the Lord will arise (zarach זרח - Hebrew) over you,
And His glory will be seen upon you.
The Gentiles shall come to your light (oor אור -Hebrew),
And kings to the brightness of your rising (zarach זרח - Hebrew).

— Isaiah 60:1-3

A Menorah

The Lamp in the Tabernacle of Moses

Light, the Word of God, and the number three are threaded together at the Golden Lampstand (Menorah), one of three pieces of furniture in the Tabernacle of Moses, which consisted of three parts (outer court, the holy place, and the holy of holies). This section's details have been borrowed from the book "The Tabernacle of Moses" by Kevin J. Connor. We will begin with the instructions for its making in the book of Exodus.

“You shall also make a lampstand of pure gold (tried, tested, and dependable, such is the Word of God - Ps 12:6); the lampstand shall be of hammered work. Its shaft, its branches,

1. Its bowls,
2. Its ornamental knobs, and
3. Flowers

shall be of one piece (3 in one). And six (3x2) branches shall come out of its sides: three branches of the lampstand out of one side, and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side. Three bowls shall be made like (three used three times)

1. almond blossoms on one branch,
2. with an ornamental knob
3. and a flower,

and three bowls made like

1. almond blossoms on the other branch,
2. with an ornamental knob
3. and a flower

—and so for the six branches that come out of the lampstand. On the lampstand itself four bowls (center) shall be made like

1. almond blossoms, each
2. with its ornamental knob
3. and flower. (third mention of these items)

And

1. There shall be a knob under the first two branches of the same,
2. a knob under the second two branches of the same,
3. and a knob under the third two branches of the same,

According to the six (3x2) branches that extend from the lampstand...It shall be made of a talent (3000 shekels) of pure gold.

— Exodus 25:31-40

The original Tabernacle Menorah may have had a tripod base. The one depicted in the "Arch of Titus" has a double hexagonal (6, 3 x 2 -triangle) base that would have given it even more stability.

Rashi, a medieval French Rabbi, said the Menorah's base, "yerekh" (ירך) in Hebrew, means a plate with three legs. The branches were pictured as three semicircular branches on both sides of the central shaft.

The Tabernacle Menorah was titled the pure (ceremonially, morally, and ethically clean - unmixed, unalloyed) Menorah three times.

... the table and its utensils, the pure gold lampstand (Menorah) ...
— Exodus 31:8
... the pure gold lampstand (Menorah) with its lamps (the lamps set in order), all its utensils, and the oil for light
— Exodus 39:37 He shall be in charge of the lamps on the pure gold lampstand before the Lord continually.
— Leviticus 24:4

The light of His truth is stable and can be trusted!

The light of the Menorah is fueled by three elements:

oil,
wick,
and flame.

This particular lamp burned oil, not wax candles. This distinction is important because oil is a type of the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, and will be a significant theme in this study. Oil is associated with anointing and empowering in the Bible and the Word of God.

Jesus said

... the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

— John 6:63

This statement followed a discussion of Christ as Manna (the Table of Bread in the Tabernacle). Manna is an image of His Word.

Olive Tree in Israel
Lehava Taybe via the PikiWiki - Israel free image collection project

The Eternal Olive Tree

Olive oil was explicitly used in the Menorah. Olive oil symbolizes the Holy Spirit, linking us with the number three. An excellent, recommended read on this topic is "God's Lamp: Man's Light" by John D. Garr, Ph.D., who offers the following thoughts:

"The Jewish people have long believed that the menorah originally represented the tree of life ... the tree of life also represented the Torah, the wisdom of God's Word. Solomon declared ...

" Happy is the man who finds wisdom ... She is a tree of life ...

— Proverbs 3:13,18

Revelation also makes this connection.

Blessed are those who do His commandments (Torah/Word of God), that they may have the right to the tree of life.
— Revelation 22:14

The olive tree was considered an "eternal" tree because of its longevity. Today, olive trees are claimed to be over 3000 years old. Garr also comments on this.

" ... even when the trunk of an olive tree is cut down, new life springs forth from its roots."

— John D. Garr

The eternal is also a concept captured and categorized by the number three.

The Dark Side of Eternal Things

The number three strongly symbolizes things that are eternal and unchanging, including the dark side of eternity.

A scene in the New Testament involves the disciples being concerned about other people who were casting out demons (dark spirit beings -Mark 9:38-39) in Jesus's name. Jesus makes it clear that this was to be encouraged. In the following discourse, he contrasts how sensitive the faith issue is. Jesus warns about the eternal consequences of causing "little ones" to stumble and lose faith.

And whoever causes one of these little ones who believe to stumble, it would be better for him if, with a heavy millstone hung around his neck, he had been cast into the sea.

— Mark 9:42

This warning is substantiated with a thrice-repeated phrase.

For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.

“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.

1. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched— where

‘Their worm does not die
And the fire is not quenched.’

2. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched—where

Their worm does not die
And the fire is not quenched.’

3. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hellfire—

where ‘Their worm does not die
And the fire is not quenched.’

— Mark 9:42-47

This thrice-repeated phrase originates in the book of Isaiah, which captures the culmination of all history into eternity and addresses those who transgress against Him. It is a transgression to lead others astray from their faith in God.

“For as the new heavens and the new earth
Which I will make shall remain before Me,” says the Lord,
“So shall your descendants and your name remain.
And it shall come to pass
That from one New Moon to another,
And from one Sabbath to another,
All flesh shall come to worship before Me,” says the Lord.

“And they shall go forth and look
Upon the corpses of the men
Who have transgressed against Me.
For their worm does not die,
And their fire is not quenched.
They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.”

— Isaiah 66:22-24

Each of the Mark chapter nine triplets involved three things: hands, feet, and eyes. What we do, where we go, and how we see things should be rooted in the eternal things above. Each has eternal consequences. Matthew's rendition of cutting off eyes, hands, and feet includes several examples of offending details. (Matthew 5:27-48) Jesus talks about murder, hatred, lust, and adultery.

Interestingly, even before that, He discusses how we are to be the salt of the earth. It is the blatant transgression of the "Christ-follower" that leaves the world with a bad taste in their mouth and potentially destroys their faith. This issue in Matthew is addressed much later in the book, and hands and feet are discussed. In this case, He addresses the issue of pride, competition, and trying to be the greatest. These things do not encourage faith nor give God a good name to the watching world.

"... since man was driven out of Paradise, it (The Word of God) is for fallen man the tree of life"— M.A. Zimmerman, "Studies in Genesis."

The Menorah and the Tree of Life

The Menorah is also long associated with the Tree of Life, first mentioned in Genesis 2. In its construction, it looks like a tree. The phrase "Tree of Life" appears three times in Genesis.

The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

— Genesis 2:8-9

Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever.

— Genesis 3:22

So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

— Genesis 3:24

"Tree of life" is used three times in Revelation as well.

"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”’
— Revelation 2:7
In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life ...
— Revelation 22:2
Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life ...
— Revelation 22:14

Genesis and Revelation are the bookends of the entire Word of God.

The Arch of Titus and its inscriptions.

The Menorah, Israel's Resurrection, and the Arch of Titus

In 70 AD, the Roman emperor Titus besieged the city of Jerusalem. He destroyed it, and what is estimated to be over a million people perished, most of them Jews. The temple was burned and destroyed. The remaining Jews were dispersed throughout the world, an event that is known as the diaspora.

In commemorating this victory, in 81 AD, Titus's brother, Domitian, had an arch of triumph designed to display the spoils of this conqueror. This event was engraved on the inner arch. One stand-out item was the Menorah.

In the year 1948, Israel was reestablished, or could we say resurrected in a day, and the Jewish people began to return to their promised land after nearly 2000 years.

Who has heard such a thing?
Who has seen such things?
Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day?
Or shall a nation be born at once?
For as soon as Zion was in labor,
She gave birth to her children.
Shall I bring to the time of birth, and not cause delivery?” says the Lord.

“Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb?” says your God.
“Rejoice with Jerusalem,
And be glad with her, all you who love her;
Rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn for her;
That you may feed and be satisfied
With the consolation of her bosom,
That you may drink deeply and be delighted
With the abundance of her glory.”

— Isaiah 66:8-10

Israel selected the Menorah as its emblematic identification during its reestablishment as a nation. However, because no one was sure exactly what it looked like, they relied on the arch of Titus's carved emblem. How ironic that the symbol of their death and destruction would also become a symbol of their rebirth and resurrection. Isaiah fittingly prophesies the following statement.

Indeed, He says,

‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant
To raise up the tribes of Jacob,
And to restore the preserved ones of Israel;
I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles,
That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.

— Isaiah 49:6

A Little Bit of Math

The Menorah consisted of a central shaft with three branches on each side. Sixty-six bowls, knops, and flowers ornamented the shaft and branches and were separated into three groups. The main shaft contained 12 (3 x 4) of these bowls, knops, and flowers (3)—3 x 12 equal 27 or (3 x 3 x 3) on each side. Adding one side with the middle shaft included (12 + 27) equals 39 (3 × 13). This is the exact number of books in the Old Testament. This calculation leaves 27 on the other side, the precise number of books in the New Testament. The total number of Bible books is 66, the same as the number of bowls, knops, and flowers on the lamp.

If we add the three parts of the blossoms (bowl flower and knop), treating each set as a single unit, the total number of blossoms is 22. If you took all 66 books of the Bible and rolled them up three times equally, there would be 22 books in each roll. These 22 blossoms are distributed on seven branches. 22/7 equals pi, the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter.

π or pi is a mathematical expression of the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter. It is approximated as 3.14159 ... infinitely. Infinite things can be expressions of eternal things. If we rounded this number, it would be 3.

These seven lamps are mentioned 3 times in Revelation. (1:12, 1:20 and 2:1)

The Spirit and the Menorah

The sevenfold Spirit of God corresponds to the Menorah's branches. Each fold is described in three sections connected to a central stem. The image above shows how three arches are connected to the central stem.

There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse,
And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.
The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him (central stem)
The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, (first arch)
The Spirit of counsel and might, (second arch)
The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord (third arch).

— Isaiah 11:1-2

Nine Attributes of the Fruit of the Spirit

As it concerns the number three, another layer of understanding derived from this connection is that nine (3x3) is the number of the fruit of the Spirit.

The fruit of the Spirit is

1. love
2. joy
3. peace,
4. longsuffering
5. kindness,
6. goodness,
7. faithfulness,
8. gentleness
9. self-control.

— Galatians 5:22-23

Jesus refers to the responsibility of the believer, empowered by the Holy Spirit, to exhibit His light when He discusses the Beatitudes, which contain heavenly themes. This discourse mentions Heaven three times, within nine (3 x 3)"blesseds."

1. Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

2. Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.

3. Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth.

4. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.

5. Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.

6. Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.

7. Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.

8. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

9. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

— Matthew 5:3-10

He then says a few verses later.
A) “You are the light of the world.

B) A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.

central axis: Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand,

B) and it gives light to all who are in the house.

A) Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

— Matthew 5:14-16

The literary structure of the above passage is revealing. Viewing this through the parallel themes that echo on both sides of the central axis yields a beautiful revelation. The A's unified theme is that we are supposed to be light and are obligated to display it. The B's reveal that we are to be like a city on a hill, giving light to all who are in the house. The central axis drives home the point that we must not dampen the light of God in our lives through prideful works of the flesh.

Paul also ties these things together in his letter to the Ephesian church, summarizing light, the Spirit, and fruit, and offering three reasons to walk in the light, with a beautiful application.

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth).
— Ephesians 5:8-9

He concludes the section on light with three things.

“Awake, you who sleep,
Arise from the dead,
And Christ will give you light.

— Ephesians 5:14

An Old Testament connection to this thought is when Abram was 99 (3 x 33) years old, and Sarai was 90 (3 x 30). God told Abram the following.

I will make you exceedingly fruitful.
— Genesis 17:6

Their ages are mentioned three times. At this point, their names are changed to Abraham and Sarah. The name change significantly adds the Hebrew letter "hey" to each of their names. This particular letter connects with the sound a breath makes when exhaled and occurs twice in God's very own name. Breath and Spirit are synonymous in Scripture. God's "breath" and Spirit enable them to be fruitful. After this conversation, Abraham is visited by three men who begin preparing the way for the promised son's birth.

More On the Nine (3 x 3) Attributes of the Fruit of the Spirit

Galatians chapter 5:22-24 records nine fruits of the Spirit. C.I. Scofield, a Bible scholar and commentator, categorized them for us into three sets of three.

Christian character is not mere moral or legal correctness, but the possession and manifestation of nine graces:

love, joy, peace--character as an inward state;

long suffering, gentleness, goodness--character in expression toward man;

faith, meekness, temperance--character in expression toward God.

Taken together they present a moral portrait of Christ, and may be taken as the apostle's explanation of Gal 2:20 "Not I, but Christ," and as a definition of "fruit" in Jn 15:1-8 This character is possible because of the believer's vital union to Christ Jn 15:5 1Cor 12:12,13 and is wholly the fruit of the Spirit in those believers who are yielded to Him. Gal 5:22,23.

The Old Testament presents the fruit of the Spirit as given by grace.

And when ye shall come into the land, and shall have planted all manner of trees for food, then ye shall count the fruit thereof as uncircumcised: three years shall it be as uncircumcised unto you: it shall not be eaten of.

— Leviticus 19:23

The above verse depicts that fruit is of the Spirit and mentions three years. Fruit trees were the third created herbage and made on the third day.

But in the fourth year all the fruit thereof shall be holy to praise the Lord withal.
And in the fifth (number of grace) year shall ye eat of the fruit thereof, that it may yield unto you the increase thereof: I am the Lord your God
— Leviticus 19:23-25

Eating the fruit in the fifth year symbolizes God's grace to give us His fruit. Jesus tells a parable that centers on this same concept.

He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that, you can cut it down
— Luke 13:6-9

The first three years were for tree and fruit maturation, and in the fourth year, the fruit was to be the Lord's, but it had not produced any at all. How interesting that this event immediately follows.

Now, He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen (3x3x2 or 9x2) years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God
— Luke 13

Since the beginning, fruit spoke of something that God caused to be produced. The produce of the field represented the works of man. The two stories progressively show us that fruit production depends on God. We cannot produce fruit through our own works, nor can we, in any way, raise ourselves up. Both are works of the Holy Spirit.

The next portion of Scripture tells us that obedience and dwelling in God's territories are necessary to bear fruit. Notice the ninth-year mention.

Wherefore ye shall do my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; and ye shall dwell in the land in safety.
And the land shall yield her fruit, and ye shall eat your fill, and dwell therein in safety.
And if ye shall say, What shall we eat the seventh year? (Sabbath and Jubilee Sabbath) Behold, we shall not sow, nor gather in our increase:
Then I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years.
And ye shall sow the eighth year, and eat yet of old fruit until the ninth year.
— Leviticus 25:18-22

This faith in His grace is expressed in terms of rest (Sabbath and Jubilee)

For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.
— Hebrews 4:11-12

The divine judgments of Jeremiah 51
The Fall of Babylon: Cyrus the Great defeating the Babylonian army (1831). Mezzotint by John Martin

Nine's (3x3) Connection With Judgment

Most connections with the number three and some of its multiples have thus far been positive. However, the number nine has a negative aspect (3 x 3). The theme of fruit production remains the same, but sometimes, it comes with the idea of fruit produced by evil doings that result in judgment.

An excellent example of this is found in Jeremiah chapter 51, during God's confrontation with Babylon. In this chapter, God declares nine shatterings (exact Hebrew word occurrences) included in His judgment. Some scholars believe that the instrument God used to shatter Babylon, and with whom God spoke, was Cyrus, the Persian King who defeated them.

He says, “You (most likely King Cyrus) are My instrument of shattering, My weapon of war;
And with you, I shatter nations,
And with you, I destroy kingdoms.
With you, I shatter the horse and his rider,
And with you, I shatter the chariot and its rider,
And with you, I shatter man and woman,
And with you, I shatter old man and youth,
And with you, I shatter choice man and virgin,
And with you, I shatter the shepherd and his flock,
And with you, I shatter the farmer and his pair of oxen,
And with you, I shatter governors and prefects.

But I will repay Babylon and all the inhabitants of Chaldea for all their evil that they have done in Zion before your eyes," declares Yahweh.
— Jeremiah 51:20-24

The judgment/repayment/fruit is confirmed in the last verse.

A second example is given in Jeremiah chapter 52. In this case, the metal copper helps us connect the number nine to the fruit of judgment. Copper in the Bible symbolizes judgment. In the Old Testament Tabernacle, copper was only used for the furnishings related to judgment. The Altar of Sacrifice was the first furnishing where the animal suffered the sinner's judgment. The second furnishing was the water basin used for judging and cleansing oneself of defilement. In the following portion of Scripture, we will see the term copper used nine times.

At Riblah, the king of Babylon slaughtered Zedekiah’s sons before his eyes and also slaughtered the Judean commanders. Then he blinded Zedekiah and bound him with bronze (copper) chains ...
Now the Chaldeans broke into pieces the bronze (copper) pillars for the Lord’s temple, the water carts, and the bronze (copper) reservoir that were in the Lord’s temple, and carried all the bronze (copper) to Babylon. They took the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, sprinkling basins, dishes, and all the bronze (copper) articles used in the temple service. The commander of the guards took away the bowls, firepans, sprinkling basins, pots, lampstands, pans, and drink offering bowls, whatever was gold or silver.
As for the two pillars, the one reservoir, and the bronze (copper) bulls under the water carts that King Solomon had made for the Lord’s temple, the weight of the bronze (copper) of all these articles was beyond measure. One pillar was 27 feet tall, had a circumference of 18 feet, was hollow—four fingers thick— and had a bronze (copper) capital on top of it. One capital, encircled by bronze (copper) latticework and pomegranates, stood 7½ feet high
— Jeremiah 52:10-11, 17-23

A couple of other nines in connection with Jeremiah and the theme of judgment occur earlier in the chapter.

Now it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem and encamped against it; and they built a siege wall against it all around. So the city was besieged until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. By the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, the famine had become so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land ... So they took the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, and he pronounced judgment on him.
— Jeremiah 52:4-5, 9

A final note that keeps us linked with the number nine and its relationship to the number three's themes is that judgment is divine. It comes from the God of Heaven alone.

The Fruit of the Womb

Human Gestation—Fruit of the Womb

Human gestation is a nine- (3x3) month-long process. Some impressive "threes" associated with pregnancy in the Bible begin with its first occurrence in Genesis.

And it came to pass, about three months after, that Judah was told, saying, “Tamar, your daughter-in-law, has played the harlot; furthermore, she is with child by harlotry.

— Genesis 38:24

Judah was the tribe that God had assigned to bring forth the Messiah King. How could this happen with no descendants? Judah had married a foreign wife and birthed three sons, two of whom died for their rebellion. Judah refused to give Tamar his third son to carry on the family name, as was the custom of their time. So she took matters into her own hands and disguised herself as a harlot, slept with Judah, and bore him a child. The book of Ruth highlights her faithfulness during the blessing of their marriage.

May your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring which the Lord will give you from this young woman.
— Ruth 4

Ruth is also named in the Royal Genealogy of Jesus Christ in the Book of Matthew.

Another pregnancy in the New Testament came with some misunderstandings.

Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus
— Luke 1:30-31

Mary was not married at the time. Does the one foretell the circumstances of the other? In the following scene, notice the concepts of arising, leaping, the Holy Spirit, fruit, and the trustworthiness of God's word—all elements of this study and the number three.

Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! ... Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord ... And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.”
— Luke 1:39-42,45

Elizabeth's name is mentioned three times in this discourse and nine times in the chapter.

Mary sings a song of praise that includes nine things that God has done.

And Mary said:

“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

1. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
2. For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him, from generation to generation.
3. He has shown strength with His arm;
4. He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
5. He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
6. And exalted the lowly.
7. He has filled the hungry with good things,
8. And the rich He has sent away empty.
9. He has helped His servant Israel,

In remembrance of His mercy,

As He spoke

1. To our fathers,
2. To Abraham and
3. to his seed forever.”

— Luke 1:46-55

The Old Testament Tabernacle took nine months to construct. That Tabernacle was the replica and shadow of the Christ who would come and Tabernacle in human flesh and dwell among us.

And the Word became flesh, and did tabernacle among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of an only begotten of a father, full of grace and truth.
— John 1:14

Nine (3x3) Gifts of the Spirit

In Paul's second letter to the Corinthians, he names nine gifts of the Spirit and acknowledges God in three forms:

Spirit,
Lord,
and God.

There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.
And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:

for

1. to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit,
2. to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit,
3. to another faith by the same Spirit,
4. to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit,
5. to another the working of miracles,
6. to another prophecy,
7. to another discerning of spirits,
8. to another different kinds of tongues,
9. to another the interpretation of tongues.

But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

— I Corinthians 12:4-11

There are also seven occurrences of "Spirit" in this portion of Scripture. Think once again of the seven lights atop the lampstand. Fruit and gifts are the work of the Spirit that fuels our ability to shine. Paul continues this theme in Ephesians.

But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore, He says:

1. “When He ascended on high,
2. He led captivity captive,
3. And gave gifts to men.”

... And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers

— Ephesians 4:7-8,11

He then gives three purposes for these gifts.

1. for the equipping of the saints
2. for the work of ministry,
3. for the edifying of the body of Christ

— Ephesians 4:12

Paul also discusses gifts of the Spirit in Romans chapter twelve. He lists behaviors of Spirit-led believers. He begins the discourse with three "let us" statements.

Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us,

1. let us use them: if prophecy,
2. let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry,
3. let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

— Romans 12:6-8

The human eye is a light receptor. It illustrates how the light of God's Word illuminates our souls and enables us to see the things of God.

Holy Spirit—Vision—and the Number Three

Our understanding and ability to see, as it concerns the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit, the third member of the Trinity, is required to assist.

... when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth.

— John 16:13

Sight or revelation, interestingly, is threefold - physical, mental, and spiritual. Thomas Newberry, English Bible Scholar and writer, agrees with this in the following statement from his book "Types in the Levitical Offerings."

"The eye gazes on the type, reason may form its conclusions, but the Holy Ghost alone can communicate the mind of God concerning truths contained in it ... but as the spirit of man alone knows the inward thoughts of man, so these deep, wondrous thoughts of God can only be communicated to us by the Spirit of God Himself. Moreover as the Word of God endures forever, and the heavens and the earth may pass sooner than one jot or tittle of the laws, may fail, we have in these types, in all their minuteness of detail, a record for eternity imprinted by the Spirit of God on the pages of the eternal Word, for the instruction of the inhabitants of heaven and the universe, throughout countless ages of eternity ... "

— Thomas Newberry

Gimel, the third letter of the Hebrew Aleph-bet, is represented by a camel and can symbolize, in some ways, the Holy Spirit. The Hebrew word for revelation is "galah" and begins with a gimel. One intriguing feature of a camel related to the numbers three, Spirit, and vision is that it has three eyelids. Two of them have eyelashes, but the third, innermost one is a thin layer that acts like a windshield wiper, clearing the eye as the camel traverses a windy, dusty, vision-distracting climate. The Holy Spirit serves all of these functions so that we might see, with utmost clarity, the things of God.

The human eye is an organ of sight designed to receive light. This process of receiving light illustrates how revelation works in the human soul. The eye consists of three layers: fibrous tunic, vascular tunic, and nervous tunic. In human vision, the retina contains three types of color receptor cells or cones. Newberry also comments on the "meat" or "meal" offering mentioned in Leviticus chapter two and its connection to these ideas.

"The ..."Gift offering," ... is a beautiful type, similar to that of the manna representing Christ as the Gift of God in a threefold point of view.

First, as the gift of the Father. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son" (John 3:16); again, "My Father giveth you the true bread from heaven" (John 6:32)

Secondly, as Christ's gift for the Church, for "Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself for it" (Eph. 5:25)

Thirdly, the gift of the Holy Ghost, for He takes of the things of Christ and reveals them unto us; He makes Christ ours, so that the individual believer can say, "He loved me, and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:20)

The threefold purpose of the Holy Spirit is

Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come,

He will convict the world of sin,
and of righteousness,
and of judgment:
of sin, because they do not believe in Me;
of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more;
of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

— John 16:7-11

Third Letter of the Hebrew Aleph-Bet

As mentioned in the above section, the third letter of the Hebrew Aleph-Bet is "gimel (ג)," represented by a camel. The Hebrew word for a camel (gamal גמל) is closely related and shares the very same letters.

The first three mentions of the word camel concern the wealth and riches of the first three patriarchs:

Abraham (Genesis 12:16),
Isaac (Genesis 24:10)
and Jacob. (Genesis 30:43).

"The Camel itself is an excellent metaphor of the Holy Spirit who carries the children of God through the dry desert of this world. He sustains us, nourishes us, and gives us all we need in our earthly pilgrimage. He weans and ripens (another use of gamal גמל) the children of God as we grow into spiritual adulthood. Desert-dwelling Bedouins call the camel the Gift of God because their entire substance - food, drink, clothing, fuel, and travel - depends on it."

— "The Bible Wheel" Richard Amiel McGough

A camel can drink up to 30 (3x10) gallons of water in 15 minutes. Water, by molecule, made up of three atoms (two hydrogens and one oxygen), can be another symbol of the Holy Spirit. A camel also has three eyelids and three stomachs.

Salt transport by a camel train on Lake Assale (Karum) in Ethiopia
Lef Nake

The Pictograph Interpretation

"Gimel-ג ", the third letter of the Hebrew Aleph-Bet, represents a camel, which is a bestower of blessings and benefits. The Holy Spirit can also reflect this concept. A camel traverses through the wilderness to bestow benefits. Just as the Holy Spirit is a bestower of Christ to man. We see this at the beginning of the creation narrative.

1. The earth was without form, and void;
2. and darkness was on the face of the deep.
3. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

— Genesis 1:2

We can see a vast wilderness of nothingness, dark and deep, and the Spirit of God brooding over it. It is the Spirit of God that will initiate the benefits and blessings of form and function to God's creation.

A camel is noted for kneeling and lifting up. The Spirit of God raised Jesus from the dead and bestowed upon us the treasures from above. Resurrection and its association with the number three will be noted later.

Therefore, being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.
— Acts 2:33

The following are additional benefits bestowed.

God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
— Acts 10:38

This next verse ties together the Hebrew Aleph-Bet's first three letters, showing us a facet of God.

Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
— Romans 5:5

It is

The Love of God the Father (Aleph א) poured into our hearts
through His Son (Bet ב)
by the Holy Spirit (Gimel ג)

who was given to us (bestowed upon us).

John witnesses this in his experience of heaven in the throne room of God's presence, where the living creatures issue their triple cry of

“Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God Almighty,
Who was and is and is to come!

— Revelation 4:8

Jesus likens the Holy Spirit to living water in a discussion with the woman at the well.
James Tissot
Brooklyn Museum

The Holy Spirit—Living Water

There are three mentions of "Living Water" in the Scriptures. The first two occurred during Jesus' conversation with the woman at the well and are connected with the concept of eternal life.

A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.
Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.
Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?”
Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”
— John 4:7-13

Later in this conversation, Jesus also links all these with things connected with the Holy Spirit.

God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
— John 4:24

The Third Mention of Living Water

The third occurrence of "Living Water" is found in John chapter seven and is brought forth during an appointed observance known as the Feast of Tabernacles, which involved both lights and living water. This event included a ceremony in which the priests would go to the Pool of Siloam and get pitchers of water. They poured the water into a silver funnel that stood high above the altar, then let it flow down to the pool. In Biblical terms, flowing water is considered living water. This activity illustrated living water flowing down from a heavenly source.

On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
— John 7

The Holy Spirit in Creation

We have already studied the association of the number three with spiritual things at great length. We have also seen how the Holy Spirit, the third member of the Trinity, is strongly represented by this number. In the opening chapter of Genesis, we see the Holy Spirit hovering over the face of the waters.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.

— Genesis 1:1-3

The Hebrew word translated as "hovering" is mirachaphet פתֶחֶ֖רַמְ. At its root, this word describes a hen that broods over her nest of developing chicks inside their eggs. This word is, interestingly, only used three times in Scripture. (Genesis 1:2, Deuteronomy 32:11, and Jeremiah 23:9). Each clutch of eggs generally has twelve (3 x 4) eggs. Three, in combination with four, depicts the Holy Spirit brooding over the natural creation.

In nature, hens typically brood for 21 days (3 x 7), or about 3 weeks. The number seven is a kingdom number, so in combination, we see the Spirit of God brooding over the developing creation kingdom.

We also see the Trinity within these first three chapters of Genesis. In his book Studies in Genesis, M.A. Zimmerman identifies each member and gives the application.

First, the Spirit of God broods or hovers over the face of the waters, and then God said.' The Spirit prepares the way for the Word, by which all things are made. So it is also the sinner's experience. The Spirit broods upon us and prepares the way for the Word, which dispels the darkness and brings light and life. The Father, the Spirit, and the Word; these three: the Triune God revealing Himself in Creation, as He reveals Himself daily in like manner in the re-creation of the sinner.

The Bible Wheel.com

2 Corinthians—The Third Epistle

The material in this section will be borrowed from the Revelations of Richard Ammiel McGough once again. We looked at the Bible wheel earlier in this series. It was discussed how the 66 books of the Bible could be rolled up three times and divided into 22 sections, or spokes, of a wheel. Each spoke was headed with a letter of the Hebrew aleph-bet. Gimel, the third letter of the aleph-bet, was shown to image the Holy Spirit. Also, each spoke contained three books of the Bible. The third spoke contained the third Epistle, which is II Corinthians, written by Paul. The other two are Leviticus, the third book of the Bible, and Lamentations, the third Megillah (scroll), which we will look at later.

2 Corinthians fits the patterns and themes of this topic perfectly. Chapter three of II Corinthians begins with the Spirit of the living God in the third verse.

... clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.

— 2 Corinthians 3:3

Chapter three ends with three mentions of "Spirit" in its final two verses.

Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
— 2 Corinthians 3:17-18

The book begins with the repetitive use of the word "comfort," understood in the context of other Scriptures as an attribute and work of the Holy Spirit. This repetition begins in verse three.

Blessed be the
1. God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and
2. God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by
3. God, for as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.
Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings that we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation.
— 1 Corinthians 1:3-6

Notice the three mentions of God in this section, along with the concentrated use of consolation and comfort. This connection between comfort and the Holy Spirit appears in John 14, when Jesus comforts His disciples.

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
... I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it sees him not, neither knows him: but ye know him; for he dwells with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you ...
... But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world gives, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid ... Arise, let us go hence.
— John 14:1,16-18,26-27,31

We also see this connection with the theme of resurrection, along with three mentions of deliverance and a note about prayer.

... we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who

delivered us from so great a death, and does
deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still
deliver us, you also helping together in prayer for us ...

Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

— 2 Corinthians 1:9-11,21-22

As represented by the camel in the Hebrew letter gimel, the Holy Spirit traverses through the desert world and is the bestower of gifts unto men and the producer of fruit. 2 Corinthians is filled with these similar themes. Below are the number of occurrences of particular words related to this, as used in this specific book.

"Abound (3), abounded, abounds, abundance (5), abundant (4), abundantly (4), benefit, bestowed (2), bountifully (2), bountifulness, bounty (2), cheerful giver, dispersed abroad, distributed, he hath given to the poor, liberal distribution, no lack, rich (3), receive the gift, sufficiency (2), sufficient (4), supplied, supplies, supply (2), the gift bestowed upon us, the riches of their liberality, treasure, unspeakable gift"

— The Bible Wheel Spoke Three Gimel

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

— 2 Corinthians 9:15

The book ends with the following.

This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established ... Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete.