When a coroner or forensic medical examiner is trying to determine the time of death of a recently deceased individual, I understand that he applies the "rule of three." This refers to the opinion that death usually occurs three minutes without air, three days without water, or three weeks without food. It is interesting how often this rule of three, or at least the number three occurs in our modern world. We have the "three strikes and you're out" rule in baseball; there is a similar "three strikes and you're out" rule for repeated violations of the law; high school students are given three trials to pass a proficiency exam in order to graduate; prospective amateur radio operators are allowed three trials to pass the FCC amateur radio license exam; prospective lawyers are allowed three trials to pass the bar exam; even children are familiar with the three little pigs and the three blind mice. Evidently there is some significance in the psychology of the number three in our society.
This significance also pervades the Holy Scriptures with many references to the number three. The Godhead or Trinity is composed of three individuals, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; Jonah spent three days in the belly of the fish; Jesus spent three days in the tomb after His crucifixion; Elijah predicted three years of drought; three angels were sent to destroy Sodom; three angels announced to Abraham and Sarah the birth of their son Isaac; Noah had three sons; Job had three sons and three daughters and three friends; there were three cities of refuge in Israel; there are three unclean spirits like frogs that gather the nations to the Battle of Armageddon; there are the three angels of Revelation chapter 14; and of course the three kings of the Orient bearing gifts to the Christ Child. These are a few examples of the biblical "rule of three."
Probably the best known biblical application of the "rule of three" is found in 1 Cor. 13:13, "Now abideth faith, hope, and love..." Paul emphasizes that these are the most important gifts out of a long list; the gift of prophecy,the gift of understanding secrets, the gift of knowledge, the gift of generosity are all important, but they are all inferior to faith , hope, and love. Perhaps we could apply this "rule of three" to a corresponding triplet, justification, salvation, and glorification; we are justified by faith; we are sanctified by hope; and we are glorified by love. The disciple John tells us, "For there are three who bear witness in heaven; the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness on earth; the Spirit , the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one" (1 John 5:7,8 NKJV). Yes, the Spirit of truth, the water of baptism, and the blood of the atonement are the essentials for salvation, the essential "rule of three."
