Properties of the number 3

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Symbolism

• Number representing the Holy Trinity, it is also the number of the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity. Furthermore, the number 3 being associated to the triangle by its geometrical form, the Holy Spirit is also linked to the triangle and with reason: the clairvoyant Ann-Catherine Emmerick perceived the Holy Spirit as the Eye of God in the center of a triangle.

• Number of the man because this one is composed of a body, a soul and a spirit. According to the Book of rites (Li-ji) the man, intermediary between the sky and the earth, also corresponds to the number three.

• Symbol of the compass.

• Perfect number according to Chinese.

• A favorable number associated to the childbirth and to the birth.

• Sacred number of the woman in the Mayas.

• For the Egyptians, 3 is the number of the cosmos that comprises three elements: sky, earth and "duat" (zone surrounding the intermediate worlds between the earth and celestial spirits).

Bible

• By three times in his last speech to the apostles Jesus prays in order that they become One like Him and the Father are One. (Jn 17,11-23)

• By three times in Gospels the Father gives a testimony to his Son: during his Baptism on the edge of the Jordan (Mt 3,17); on the Thabor during the Transfiguration (Mt 17,5); and to the Temple during the last Passover, in presence of the Gentiles come to make the knowledge of Jesus (Jn 12,28).

• Three times in the Gospels Jesus resuscitates a dead boby: the girl of Jairus (Lk 8,54); the son of the widow of Nain (Lk 7,14); and Lazarus (Jn 11,43).

• The three great temptations of Jesus in the desert. (Lk 4,2)

• By three times in the Gospels Jesus announces his passion.

• Joseph and the Virgin Mary lost the Jesus Child during three days, to finally find him at the Temple. (Lk 2,46)

• Jesus fell three times when carrying his cross.

• The three witnesses of the Transfiguration of Jesus: Peter, John and James. Those are the same apostles who were witnesses to his agony.

• The three years of the public ministry of Jesus-Christ.

• The Three Magi that visited Jesus Child, offering to the mother three presents: the gold, the frankincense and the myrrh. (Mt 2,11)

• Number of persons who were crucified on the Calvary including Jesus, symbolizing the three manners to accept the cross. (Jn 19,18)

• The three hours of darkness on all the earth, from midday to three o'clock, when Jesus was nailed on the cross. (Mt 27,45)

• By three times the apostle Peter renounces Jesus and by three times also he affirms his love for Him. (Lk 22,56-65; Jn 21,15-19)

• The triple visions of Peter. (Act 10,16)

• The Virgin Mary remained three months with Elizabeth for the birth of John the Baptist.

• The three terrestrial witnesses: the Spirit, the water, the blood. (1 Jn 5,8)

• The three theological virtues: the Faith, the Hope and the Charity.

• The three attributes of the Christ: I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.

• The three persons that were thrown in the furnace of fiery fire under the order of the king Nabuchadnezzar: Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego. (Dn 3,19)

• Samson trifles at Delilah three times. (Jg 16,15)

• Under the reign of David, a famine lasted three years. (2 S 21,1)

• By three times, Elijah laid down on a child, then he returned him to life. (1 K 17,21)

• Three friends converse with Job. (Job 2,11)

• The three just of Ezekiel: Noah, Daniel and Job. (Ezk 14,14)

• The three towns of refuge. (Dt 19,2)

• Moses is hidden three months after his birth. (Ex 2,2)

• The three days road's to do in the desert for Hebrews. (Ex 3,18 and 15,22)

• The three annual pilgrimages to Jerusalem. (Ex 34,23)

• The three days of fast of the Jews of Suse. (Is 4,16)

• The three daily prayers and the three weeks of mourning of Daniel. (Dn 6,11 and 10,2)

• The Old Testament reports that Yahweh, by three times, asked some peoples to construct his three Temples:

• Moses: 13th century before J.-C. (Ex 25,8)
• Solomon: 975-932 before J.-C. (1 K 5,17)
• Ezekiel: 6th century before J.-C. (Ez 40)



• The three days while Jonah remained in the belly of the fish. (Jon 2,1)

• The three mysterious men visiting Abraham. (Gn 18,2)

• The three sons of Noah: Shem, Ham and Japheth. (Gn 6,10)

• The three floors of the Ark of Noah. (Gn 6,16)

General

• Jesus receives the baptism of John the Baptist at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, he dies on April 3 at 3 o'clock in the afternoon (and by 3 times will be repeated the earthquake which will follow his death), and resuscitates 3 days after to 3 o'clock in the morning.

• On the image of the Holy Shroud on which is represented the Holy Face of Jesus, on his face, we see to appear a casting of blood in form of "3". This mark is the testimony that the Very Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, have participated perfectly in the Holy Sacrifice of the Very Holy Victim.

• The three divine principles: light, heat and life.

• According to visions' of Maria Valtorta, God would have created originally three perfect beings: Adam, Eve and Mary.

• The three great ecstasies of the Virgin Mary during her life: at the moment of the conception, the birth of Jesus and during her Assumption, according to visions' of Maria Valtorta. Always according to her, the Virgin Mary entered an ecstatic sleep during three days before her Assumption.

• The three statuses of the Virgin Mary: Mother, girl and wife.

• The Virgin Mary was three years old when her parents brought her to Jerusalem to receive in the Temple the blessings of the priests.

• The Rosary of the Virgin Mary corresponds to the recitation of three rosaries.

• The trip of the Holy Family in Egypt lasted three years.

• The three phases of evolution by which the soul passes: the creation, the new creation and the perfection, according to the teaching of Jesus in visions of Maria Valtorta. In the Celtic religion, it is question also of the three cycles of the soul representing its stages of evolution: Anouf, material cycle; Abred, cycle of expiation; and Gwynfid, cycle of felicity.

• The three worlds or "clothes" of the Father: "I have", "I am", "I become".

• By three times the Christ will come on the Earth, according to visions of Maria Valtorta.

• According to the book "Document of Damas" from the writings of the library of Qumran, three types of traps are tended by Satan to catch Israel: the lust, the richness and the profanation of the sanctuary.

• The inscription "Jesus the Nazarene, the king of Jews" on the cross of Jesus would have been written in three different languages.

• At the age of three, saint Joseph received from God the perfect use of the reason, an infused science, a sublime prayer and growing virtues, according to visions' of Mary Agreda.

• The three porticoes of the Saint Peter basilica, in Rome, which are respectively dedicated to the three saints: Peter, John, James. That of right-hand side (by entering) dedicated to saint James, is called "the door of gold". The tradition wants that the Pope opens solemnly this door every 25 years - 1925, 1950, 1975, 2000...

• In the Koran, chapter III verse 36, it is written: "Zechariah tells: Lord, gives me a sign as guarantees your promise. Here is the sign, answered the angel: during three days you will speak to the men only by signs".

• The number three is used often in the Greek mythology. They had 3 residences - sky, earth, hell -, 3 graces - Aglae, Euphrosine, Thalie -, 3 judges of hell - Minos, Eaque, Rhadamante -, 3 furies - Alecto, Megere, Tesiphone -, 3 park - Clotho, Lechesis, Atropos -, 3 Gorgones - Meduse, Euryale, Stheno -, 3 heads of the dog Cerbere, etc.

• The three types of universe: matter, astral (mental or soul) and spirit.

• The three virtues which accompanied the goddess Venus: Games, Graces and the laughs.

• The three acts of the existence: the Birth, the Life and the Death.

• According to the Cabal, the man would be composed of three souls: Nefesh, Rouah and Neshamah. The universe that the Cabal call Aziluth is shared in three worlds: Asiah, Jezibah and Briah, which are parallel with these three divisions of the man.

• The three levels of comprehension of a sacred text: literary, symbolic (or allegorical) and esoteric.

• The three sacred sounds: the A, the M and the N, and the three sacred currents: the sacred current of the life, the sacred current of the sound and the sacred current of the light.

• The three degrees of the druidic priesthood: soothsayer, poet and druid.

• Three Yasatas are appointed to the judgement of dead in the Persia: Mithra representing the light, Craosha, the tradition, and Rashnu, the justice.

• The paradise of Avesta is divided into three areas: Humata, area of the good thoughts, Hukhta, area of good words, and Huvarishta, area of the good deeds.

• The three esoteric sexes: the male, the female and the androgyne.

• The Sinai mount has three summits, of which the highest culminates with the saint Catherine monastery.

• The three primary colors (blue, yellow and red) with which it is possible to obtain all the colors.

• The three is a triangular number because three points laid out randomly form naturally a triangle.

• The three keys of the Music: sol, F, and C.

• Anniversary of marriage: leather's wedding.

Occurrence

• The number 3 is used 523 times in the Bible.

• In the Bible, 20 numbers are used 3 times. Among them there are the numbers 45, 65, 77, 98, 123, 160, 172,180, 36000 and 144000.

• The number 3 is used 20 times in the Koran.

• The words energy and sex are used 3 times in the Bible. And John will write, on behalf of the Christ, three times in the Revelation: "I am the alpha and the omega". (Rv 1,8; 21,6 and 22,13)

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Last modification: December 19, 1998

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