The Number ‘3’ as it applies to prophetic end times and the last days remnant (Part 1)

You are likely aware that certain numbers used in scripture carry additional, significant meaning beyond just our immediate understanding. The frequency of use of these numbers and the patterns associated with them can be helpful in understanding the context of particular stories and lessons that we read.

The number ‘3’ is one that is used across scripture with high frequency. In general terms, it is considered a number that represents completeness. Most notably, it is seen in the Trinity of God represented as three persons; the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Also recall that Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened” (Matt. 13:33).

There is much study that could be done about the number ‘3’ as it appears in scripture. For our purposes, I will discuss the primary themes and patterns we see as this number applies to end times prophetic events. More specifically, I will associate its meaning to last days events happening with the ‘Jacob’-Judah “small flock” remnant whose story I have described in detail on this site.

Within this scope, in this passage I will look at ‘3’ as a period of time as it may apply for this remnant in the last days. Since many prophecy teachers see the Prophet Daniel’s ‘70th week’ and what is referred to as the “Tribulation period” as a 7-year period, we know that as we approach the end of the end times and the Day of the Lord as these are addressed in much scripture that we are considering time in merely a matter of years. My personal opinion is that it is the ‘Jacob’-Judah remnant who represent the “fig tree generation” about which Jesus said would see all end times events come to pass.

For all of these reasons, when it comes to discussing these very last days, it is most practical to examine the time period associated with the number ‘3’ in terms of a period of years. Those familiar with the use of numbers in scripture realize the significant meaning of this particular number as it is used in expressions such as “in 3 days,” “on the third day,” “after three days,” “three days and three nights,” etc. We might also consider time periods given in scripture that are equivalent or roughly equivalent to 3 ½ years as these are seen in the prophetic books of Daniel and Revelation.

All of these are useful for attempting to understand the period of ‘3’ in terms of a period of years as it will apply to events of the last days. Upon review of this time period in scripture, the following general themes are observed, especially as they apply for the Lord’s people Israel:

• Escaping and journeying
• Deliverance, hiding and rest
• Sacrifice, offerings, teaching, etc.
• Conflict and judgments
• Blessings and restoration

In this and the following passage (Part 2), I will address each of these events commonly seen happening as it relates to a time period of ‘3.’ (In this current passage I will cover the first two events above and in Part 2 I will cover the remainder). Within each section, I will address how the same event might apply to the ‘Jacob’-Judah “small flock” remnant’s last days story.

Escaping and journeying

To begin, the number ‘3’ appears several times in the context of time periods associated with the people of Israel’s escaping and journeying. The original Patriarch Jacob signaled a division between he and his father-in-law Laban in his preparation to leave Syria and return back to his homeland. This was initially symbolized by Jacob separating his cattle. We are told at this time Laban set “three days journey between himself and Jacob” (Gen. 30:36). Shortly thereafter, Jacob gathered his wives, children and possessions to return to the land of Canaan. We are told, “And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was fled” (Gen. 31:22). Jacob felt the need to hastily escape a hostile situation and return to the land where his father Isaac remained.

Another well-known exodus situation in which we see the number ‘3’ is in Moses leading Israel out of Egypt. God told Moses to approach the king of Egypt and say, “The Lord God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God” (Ex. 3:18). When they repeated their intent to go on a three-day journey, Israel realized the importance of being released from Pharaoh so that they could go worship and “sacrifice to the Lord our God” (Ex. 8:27) and furthermore so that they would not be subjected to judgments of pestilence or the “sword.” After their eventual release by Pharaoh, he and his army pursued them after three days, somewhat similar to Laban pursuing Jacob above. Overall, from the time Israel departed Egypt, we are told that it was in the third month that they came into “the wilderness of Sinai” (Ex. 19:1).

Another three-day journey of Israel’s tribes and armies later on was when they departed Mt. Sinai, “journeying unto the place of which the Lord said, ‘I will give it to you,’” as spoken by Moses to his father-in-law (Num. 10:29). Upon departing, they carried the ark of the covenant and followed a “cloud of the Lord” by day. Their initial, short-term goal was to “search out a resting place” (Num. 10:33). They needed rest from enemies and strangers while they journeyed in the wilderness. In addition to the cloud overhead, another supernatural sign of receiving assistance from God was how the enemy would be staved off upon Moses merely raising his arms.

As another, final example of and precedent for a three-day journey of Israel while amidst enemies, when their tribes were newly traveling through the promised land in Joshua’s day they found themselves among peoples living in the land who deceived Joshua into making a covenant to live among them. This was at the time we are told, “And the children of Israel journeyed, and came unto their cities on the third day” (Josh. 9:17). Joshua, his troops and subsequent Judges of Israel would have to fight many battles to assume the holy land.

Escaping and journeying of the last days ‘Jacob’-Judah “small flock” remnant

It is clear that Israel remnants, both the ‘Jacob’-Judah “small flock” and the larger house of Israel will be forced to escape, “flee,” and “come out of” last days ‘Babylon.’ The ‘Jacob’-Judah “small flock” remnant in ‘Babylon’-U.S. will flee from ‘Babylon’s kings and princes. They will escape into the wilderness (i.e. ‘Jacob’ goes into the wilderness, the ‘Daughter of Zion’ is instructed to go to “the field,” etc.), somewhat analogous to ancient Israel’s trip into the wilderness after escaping the Pharaoh and his armies. In some ways, it will also be similar to the original Patriarch Jacob escaping Laban while in Syria. (Recall that there is a last days ‘Syria’ or ‘Kingdom of Damascus’ represented by people groups within the mingled people in ‘Babylon’-U.S. overall).

For the “small flock” remnant’s initial escape, however, we are not given in scripture a direct indication of a time period of ‘3’ (years, months, etc.) for their removal. I have described previously on this site that they will likely be removed suddenly at the beginning of the Day of the Lord. This will be due to the nature of the onset of this time period, which Jesus said would be like the Days of Lot and the Days of Noah. This appears to be the time when the ‘Restrainer’ will be “taken out of the way,” or when ‘Jacob’ will be “saved out of” the time of “Jacob’s trouble.” In the book of Hosea, where the Lord indicates that he will “return to his place” in the end times, he says that he will be “as a lion” to Ephraim and “as a young lion” to Judah and will “tear and go away” when there is no one else to deliver this remnant that he rescues. Similarly, the Lord says in the book of Amos:

• “As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear; so shall the children of Israel be taken out that dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed, and in Damascus in a couch.” (Am. 3:12)

While this deliverance for the “small flock” remnant will be sudden, it is possible that it could happen in a literal three-day time period based on precedent, although we do not have direct indication of this in scripture.

I will discuss the necessity for the “small flock” remnant’s deliverance to a safe place of hiding in the next section, particularly due to their spiritual “birthings.” In the meantime, their deliverance will be for reasons similar to those for Israel coming out of ancient Egypt; that is, realizing the need to be delivered out of God’s impending judgments. In the last days, these will again include famine, pestilence, the “sword” of war,” along with many others. I have described on this site that partial judgments will come at the hands of the ‘Assyrian’ and his armies who will besiege, invade and plunder ‘Babylon’-U.S. The ‘Assyrian’ and his partners are also a spiritual kingdom enemy aligned against the ‘Jacob’-Judah “small flock” remnant who reside therein.

The ‘Jacob’-Judah “small flock” remnant’s initial removal will be a sudden escape representing merely the beginning of their long journey back to the holy land. Within this journey, I discuss a time period of ‘3’ associated with their deliverance and hiding in the following section. It is after they have been delivered and been in hiding that there will come another need for escape. In this case, we are given a period of ‘3. ’This is the sign in the book of Revelation (Chapter 12) of the woman “clothed with the sun,” with the “moon at her feet,” and she is surrounded by 12 stars while giving birth to the man-child. The man-child is “caught up” to his throne, and the woman and her remnant we are told flee (“fly”) away from the dragon that will be expelled out of heaven. We are told that her remnant flees to the wilderness to be “nourished” for a period of days equivalent to 3 ½ years. This is the same time that the dragon gives power to the beast i.e. (for 42 months).

This latter escape and journeying in the final time period within the Day of the Lord can be seen as similar to the last period of ‘three’ applying to Moses’ people’s journey after departing Mt. Sinai described above. With their armies, Moses and his people were told to travel three days with the ark and to search out resting places. There is a hint in scripture and then a subsequent fulfillment of increased conflict with surrounding enemies once they left from the Sinai wilderness and traveled near or through neighboring lands. This post-Sinai conflict might be at least roughly considered as a parallel to the increased conflict in the last part of the Day of the Lord when the Anti-Christ is on full-display. In a multitude of ways, God will fight for and protect his faithful servants in the last days as they journey and come closer to the doorstep of the “land of milk and honey.” Of course, Israel’s larger remnant around the world will also be fleeing the enemy and wandering during this latter time period amidst heavy turmoil and persecution.

Deliverance, hiding and rest

As I addressed above, the history of Israel’s need to escape, journey and flee enemies to move closer to their final resting place occasionally required stops along the way. Periodic stops will be the result of deliverance, and for the purpose of both rest and preparation in order for them to continue.

Practically speaking, first and foremost, Israel’s people historically had to be hidden to find refuge from their enemies. We have notable examples of this in scripture. At the time the Pharaoh of Egypt set his sights on killing firstborn Hebrew children, Moses’ Levite mother hid him for three months. In Joshua’s day, Rahab the harlot in Jericho helped Israel’s spies by advising them to hide themselves from the king. She told them to go and abide in a nearby mountain for three days. Many are also familiar with David’s flight from King Saul. He planned with his ally Jonathan, Saul’s son, to go to a predetermined hiding place in a field to wait for further instructions. David would do this after three days. Ironically, later on after King Saul, Jonathan and Israel’s armies were defeated by the Philistines, a self-identified escapee out of the “camp of Saul” came to David seeking refuge. We are told that this took place on the third day (1 Sam. 30:1). In one more irony, when David’s rebellious son Absalom fled from David and his armies, we are told that he went to a place called Geshur and was in refuge there for three years (2 Sam. 13:38).

Once Israel had been delivered or they were at rest, then they were able to regroup and plan to move forward in their journey. A good example of this was the Joshua-led Israelites who were at the doorstep of the Promised Land. After Joshua was commissioned by God, he told the people, “Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the Lord your God giveth you to possess it” (Josh. 1:11). After three days, the officers commanded the people to proceed after the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord and cross the Jordan.

As an individual example, prior to his own journey to Nineveh, Jonah was in the belly of a large fish for three days and three nights. This was a deliverance from a boat on the stormy seas and his position as an Israelite who had rebelled against God and found himself among fearful Gentile mariners who decided to cast him overboard in an attempt to still the seas. Jonah returned to God at this time. After the fish spit him out, God reiterated his instructions for Jonah to travel to Nineveh. Jonah’s journey to this Gentile city was three days.

We see a few other individual examples of Israelites using a period of ‘3’ to prepare themselves to meet adversaries or Gentile rulers. I mentioned Moses being hidden as a baby in the last section; we are told that during this three month period he was “nourished,” and we know that he was shortly thereafter delivered out of the river by Pharaoh’s daughter. In another example, Daniel and his friends Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, seen as knowledgeable, wise children of exiled Israel were “nourished” for three years by the king of Babylon so they would be prepared to stand before him. In the following kingdom of the Medes and Persians, Esther asked Mordecai to gather Jews in the town to fast without food or drink for three days and nights while she did the same prior to the dangerous act of approaching the Gentile king.

Given examples above, the period of ‘3’ appears to be a time during which one can contemplate or prepare one’s mind. The Apostle Paul, several times in his journeying stayed at a place for a period of three days. As an enemy of the Jews, a couple of times he waited out of sight from them for this same time period of ‘3’ (days, months). When ancient Judah King Reheboam was asked by northern tribes to re-consider his father Solomon’s heavy-handed governing style, he asked them to approach him again after three days so that he could consult with others. In another example of respite, the northern kingdom’s wicked King Ahab who was strongly rebuked by the Prophet Elijah was granted a period of peace without war with Syria for three years because God saw that he had humbled himself.

Deliverance, hiding and rest of the last days ‘Jacob’-Judah “small flock” remnant

In the first section of this passage I discussed the initial, sudden escape of the ‘Jacob’-Judah “small flock remnant out of the theater of direct conflict in the Day of the Lord. It appears that they will go into the wilderness or a “field” to get out of harm’s way. Their deliverance may be represented as follows:

• “Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.”(Is. 26:20)

Their escape will be after their fighting in the unconventional spiritual kingdom war that I have often described on this site. I have surmised how it will likely be the results of their resistance and exposure of the adversary’s tactics that will kick off events of the Day of the Lord. They will have fought in the ‘Babylon’-U.S. theater of conflict. This is the ‘west’ (relative to the land of Israel) where the sun sets, and where Ephraim was located among the tribes around the Tabernacle. Last days ‘Ephraim’ is within ‘Babylon’-U.S. and ‘Jacob’s Judah-centric “small flock” remnant are among them. The meaning behind the sun’s setting in scripture is associated with saving, release and rest from enemies. The sun’s setting turns into the moon’s rising. A deeper Hebrew meaning of the moon in Hebrew is associated with resting, silence and quietness, as well as repairing and renewing.  

While events of Israel’s remnant’s end times deliverance and hiding will be very similar to those in the biblical past that were associated with a time period of ‘3,’ a period of ‘3’ is again not explicitly stated in scripture for these last days events. There is one particular period of ‘3,’ however, that might be of interest. When asked about the end times, Jesus talked about a “wicked generation” that will only be given one sign; he described the sign of Jonas and referred to the end times Son of man who will spend three days and three nights in the “heart of the earth.” If this is a sign about the end times, then we might consider whether this hiding occurs prior to or after the onset of the Day of the Lord. Regardless, the end times Son of man who Jesus is referring to here will be as the Spirit of truth, about whom we are told the world (i.e. unbelievers) “cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him…” (Jn. 14:17). It could be that Jesus was also referring to this last days Son of man when he said, “The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it” (Luke 17:22). Overall, the last days person who represents the Holy Spirit will be hidden. A common theme observed in scripture is the Lord warning that he will “hide his face” from his people Israel in particular in the end times.

Otherwise, for the hastily delivered ‘Jacob’-Judah “small flock” remnant who will go into some wilderness setting at the beginning of the Day of the Lord, there are no definitive periods of time given in scripture. However, their surrounding environment and human needs will be the same as those of ancient Israel while in a similar situation of exile and semi-captivity. I will discuss the need for this remnant’s sanctification as well as God’s surrounding judgments in Part 2. In the meantime, this remnant will be coming out of conditions of “hard bondage” in ‘Babylon’-U.S. They will likely be looking for a place of rest from enemies such as Moses and his people were. They will also be looking for “nourishment” such as baby Moses was given, and later Daniel and his friends, as described above. This will help as they find themselves in a holding pattern at the beginning of the Day of the Lord, and will certainly be looking for the Lord’s guidance for future direction in their journey. This will be their state of affairs in the first part of the highly tumultuous Day of the Lord. It is a time period that could be approximately three years in length.

One other, similar event we might consider for this remnant in the Day of the Lord has to do with their “spiritual birthings” and possible actual birthings, as their Judah-centric remnant “takes root down downward” as in King Hezekiah’s remnant’s day. As to “birthings” as they may apply to or be symbolic for end times events, I described this in detail in prior passages on this site. Meanwhile, recall that the Prophet Isaiah said about these:

• “Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion.” (Is. 8:18)

In prophetic language in the book of Isaiah (whose name means ‘Yahweh is salvation’) applicable for the end times, his persona as a kind of last days ‘Jacob’ describes his children as signs. The sequential birthings of his latter two sons, Immanuel and Mahershalalhashbaz are of special interest. According to the text in Isaiah (Chapters 7 & 8), these birthings occur at a time that kings (of Israel and Syria) Isaiah abhors will be forsaken in Immanuel’s infancy and “the land” will be plundered by the ‘Assyrian’ during the time Isaiah’s next son Mahershalalhashbaz is still a baby.

This brief summary of birthings of Isaiah’s children and their signs, assuming both occur in succession to the same woman (“prophetess”), possibly suggests or symbolizes that the ‘Jacob’-Judah “small flock” remnant’s birthings may occur over an approximate 3-3 ½ year timeframe. The apparent capture of kings and plundering of the land of ‘Babylon’-U.S. where this last days remnant resides as signaled by Isaiah is consistent with much other scripture about these same events that will occur in the land during this general time.

Furthermore, as it applies to the hiding of this remnant and their “taking root,” it would be practical to assume that the Lord’s enemies in the spiritual kingdom war would want to discover any “spiritual birthings” of his children. Recall that the adversary fundamentally desires their own kingdom apart of the God of Israel and his people. Also recall that Moses had to be hidden from Pharaoh who went after Israel’s firstborn. Later, Mary and Joseph had to flee Herod who was after Hebrew children two years or younger and take baby Jesus to Egypt. We can assume that the last days ‘Jacob’-Judah “small flock” will be sought in a similar manner.

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In summary of this current passage, the strong historical pattern of the Lord’s people needing to escape, journey and hide from adversaries is apparent. In prophetic scripture related to the end times, they will do this again. While these events commonly occurred historically in a time period of ‘3,’  as they will occur in the end times we can only refer to them in very general terms with respect to a time period. For example, the ‘Jacob’-Judah “small flock” remnant’s initial deliverance into the wilderness and their time of respite will occur in the first part of the Day of the Lord, which may generally equate to the first half of what many refer to as the final seven-year Tribulation period. Their second “fleeing and journeying” event will begin according to the sign of the woman described above based on Revelation, Chapter 12, which leaves 3 ½ years remaining in the Day of the Lord.

Meanwhile, during this same time period, some of Israel’s remaining larger remnant around the world will begin to awaken, flee and wander. For this larger remnant, they will especially awaken as the Anti-Christ becomes openly aligned and committed against them. This escape and journey of the larger remnant of Israel will also generally align with the last (3 ½ years) of the Day of the Lord.

Gentile believers over the course of the Day of the Lord will also awaken, albeit quite a bit earlier than Israel’s large remnant. It is possible that there may even be Gentiles among the Christ-believing ‘Jacob’-Judah “small flock” remnant initial gathering. Regardless, many Gentiles will come to understand the story of the “small flock” remnant of these Jesus Christ-faithful early on. This remnant’s plight and message that becomes will reassure Gentiles in their faith. And I have provided scripture on this site that assures Christ believers that the Lord knows who they are and will protect many saints during the Day of the Lord. Having said this, however, we are also told that there will be martyred saints during this last time, presumably including both Gentiles and those of Israel.

In Part 2, I will cover the remainder of events occurring in a time period of ‘3’ and how these may apply to Christ-believing remnants in these last days.

Grace & Peace,

Lion’s Lair (LL)

Personal salvation in Jesus Christ alone