Dream symbols: Number 3 and what it means

The biblical and spiritual meaning of 3 in dreams and visions, what that means in practice, with real dreams and life application examples.

Are you dreaming of number 3? What does the number 3 symbolize?

What does number 3 mean spiritually, and from a biblical perspective?

This article explores the biblical meaning of number 3 and what that could mean in a dream or vision, with real dreams and life application examples.

I approach dream interpretation from a biblical perspective. My belief is that our dreams can come from God, and understanding them is best understood within the context of an ongoing relationship with Him.

Firstly, if you have just come across this post and are new to dream interpretation, it is worth mentioning that dreams are symbolic in nature. You might find it helpful to read the following article: Understand your dreams: A bible-based introduction to dream language. Plus, see my FREE ultimate guide to Interpreting Dreams from God.

Secondly, remember that dreams are personal, so the meanings that I suggest may not apply to your specific dream. But please feel free to use my ideas as a springboard to thinking and praying about dreams yourself. Don’t take my ideas as gospel, but rather let them help you start to think metaphorically.

The meaning of 3

An online search for the meaning of number 3 will lead to many results. There are articles expanding on the spiritual meaning of number 3, the meaning of number 3 in the bible, the Hebrew meaning of 3, and much, much more.

But all this information can be quite confusing when faced with a dream.

We can be left wondering, ‘Why is God using 3 in my dream? What does it really mean in practical terms?’

As a lifelong follower of Jesus and bible teacher, I have reviewed thousands of my dreams to see how God was using them and what happened in real life afterwards.

This article is a result of researching the biblical meaning of number 3, plus reviewing my own dreams with hindsight to see why God used 3 in those dreams.

Dreaming of number 3

Number 3 can appear in dreams in many ways, for example: money and prices, dates, time periods, distances, weights, age 3, road numbers, flight numbers, house numbers, and so on.

The way that the number 3 appears makes a difference to its meaning. Also, we must consider whether the number is being used in a positive or negative context in our dream.

Here are some common ways that the number 3 could be used symbolically in dreams:

• Number 3 representing the biblical meaning.
• Number 3 as a timing indicator.

Meaning of number 3 in the bible

The bible uses numbers in a consistent way to convey certain meanings. This is not the same as numerology. We are simply considering how the number 3 is used symbolically in the bible – and seeing if that is relevant to our dream.

The number 3 as divine completion

In general, the number 3 represents something complete, solid, and whole – like a three-dimensional object.  Spiritually speaking, in the Scriptures, it symbolizes divine completion and wholeness.

In the bible, 3 represents divine completion.

Here are some examples:

• The men of Israel had to appear before the Lord in Jerusalem three times a year (Exodus 23:14).
• Joshua commanded the Israelites to prepare provisions for crossing the Jordan river in 3 days’ time (Joshua 1:11).
• Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights (Jonah 1:17).
• Peter disowned Jesus 3 times (Matthew 26:34).
• Peter affirmed his love for Jesus 3 times (John 21:17).
• Jesus rose again on the third day (Acts 10:40).
• In 2 Corinthians 12:8 Paul says that he pleaded with God three times to take away the ‘thorn in his flesh’. The implication is that after asking three times, Paul accepted God’s answer.

We can see from these examples that the number 3 can represent a complete number of times or a completed period of time – as God determines complete.

Real dream examples: Number 3 meaning divine completion

Dream	Meaning
I dreamed I was looking at a cliff edge, but when I got closer I saw it was actually made up of a series of three smaller edges/drops to negotiate.	In hindsight, these were literally three main transition stages I would need to go through. But it was also also symbolic, promising a time in the future when the transition God was taking me through would be complete.
I dreamed I was revising maths but the light was dingy except by the front window. At one point I discovered three sets of keys I had left in my car.	Revising maths was shifting (revising) my thinking. Things were unclear (dingy light). But in the future (front) things would become clear. 3 keys symbolised complete clarity from God in that area.
I dreamed my friend Claire was coming to bring her children round in three hours time.	Claire means ‘light’ or ‘clarity’, so her coming indicated a time when revelation would come from God. 3 hours indicated the fulness of God’s timing. The children represented new revelation.

The number 3 as the presence of God

This divine completion aspect of 3 is primarily seen in the fulness of God himself: He is three-in-one, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is complete and whole.

• Matthew 28:19 (NIV) Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
• In Genesis 18 we read that The LORD appeared to Abraham. We then read that Abraham saw three men and bowed down before them, indicating that God’s presence was somehow manifest in these three men.

Therefore, dreaming of the number 3 points to the presence of God in the real-life area that the dream element is representing.

Along with the number 7, the number 3 is a foundational dream symbol which usually points to God being in that thing.

Occasionally, in a negative context, 3 might represent a counterfeit of God – i.e. something that appears to be of God but isn’t, such as a religious spirit or idea. (See also the colour white).

Real dream examples: 3 as God or a counterfeit of God

Dream	Meaning
I dreamed I was filled with the Holy Spirit 3 times in the night. The first time I resisted it.	The 3 times was promising fulness of the Spirit in an area of my life, which I was resisting at the time of dreaming. (This was a journey God took me on).
I dreamed I was putting a child called Simeon to bed in my childhood house. There were three beds in the room	Simeon means ‘listening’ or ‘hearing’. My childhood house confirms this dream was about me. Beds are often about dreams. So this was encouraging me that I was hearing God right through my dreams at that point.
I dreamed I was getting 3 large snakes down the stairs and out of the house. This was a negative context of 3.	Snakes are usually lies or deceptions. So I was believing something that appeared to be of God (3 snakes) but actually was not. It would take me a series of steps/shifts in thinking (stairs) to realise the truth.
I dreamed I had to choose between 3 old boyfriends, but I wasn’t sure I wanted any of them. This was a negative context of 3.	Ex boyfriends can represent ideas we should have left behind. 3 indicated that I was believing an idea that seemed to be of God, but it was actually not God.

The number 3 as complete witness

The number 3 can also be used in dreams to symbolise complete witness or agreement.

Two points form a line, but when a third point is added it triangulates the position. A two-legged stool won’t stand up – but add a third leg and the stool is solid. In the same way, the number 3 completes the witness.

• Ecclesiastes 4:12 (NIV) Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
• Deuteronomy 19:15 (NIV) A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
• Matthew 18:20 (NIV) [Jesus said] “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
• 1 John 5:7-8 (NIV) For there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.
• In Acts 10, Peter had a famous vision of a sheet descending. He saw the sheet three times (Acts 10:16). He would have understood 3 times to mean that God was in this vision and the message was certain.

In this context, when something repeats twice in a dream (or we dream something twice), we can understand it to be confirmation, and often that is enough. The same is true for seeing two things or the number 2. But when we see something three times, it is established by God and can be completely relied upon; God is in it, and God will do it.

The number 3 in a dream can also be witness or agreement – in the sense that our thinking is aligned with God’s. In that type of dream, agreeing with God (3) is often contrasted to agreeing with our own ideas (2 or 6).

Real dream examples: 3 symbolising divine witness/agreement

Dream	Meaning
I dreamed there were individual pieces of paper laid out for people to take with 3 words on each. But other people were picking up old words from the floor and reusing them.	The 3 words indicated God’s living word. I should seek God’s personal word, rather than relying on things he has said to other people in the past. (This dream also confirmed my What3Words illustration, see link below).
When I was working as a pharmacist I dreamed I had a prescription to dispense at 3 times a day, but it would normally have been twice a day. I decided to trust the doctor and dispense it as 3 times a day.	This was when I first start learning about dreams. God was saying I would have to trust him (3/trust doctor), and not what I had previously been taught about dreams.
I dreamed I was arguing with someone. I wanted to have 3 groups and they wanted 2 groups. In the end I acknowledged that we both wanted 3 groups but it wold have to be 2 groups for now.	This was depicting an internal conflict, alerting me that there was an area where my thinking wasn’t yet aligned with God’s (2 now), but that situation would shift in the future (3 in future).

Meaning of numbers linked to 3

Extra zeros can emphasize a number or add magnitude/weight to it, such as 30, 300, and 3000.

Repeated digits can also bring emphasis and confirmation, such as 33 and 333.

Biblical meaning of 30

The number thirty has a specific meaning in the bible. It usually means the start of ministry.

• Genesis 41:46, NIV Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh…
• 1 Samuel 13:1, NIV Saul was thirty years old when he became king…
• 2 Samuel 5:4, NIV David was thirty years old when he became king…
• Luke 3:23, NIV Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry.

Plus, the Levites started priestly service between 25 and 30 years of age. So, 30 in a dream or vision can be about a ministry /calling, and 25 can symbolise the start of training for that ministry.

10 is often linked to a spiritual journey, so 30 (10×3) suggests that the journey /training has been completed and we are ready for ministry.

Another number along with the 30 can give more details, and this commonly happens with times. For example, 10:30 might be the start of a journey to prepare for ministry; 6:30 might mean not yet ready for ministry, and 8:30 could be a potential new ministry. (See numbers in dreams).

Number 3 as a timing indicator

The number 3 in a dream can also be a timing indicator.

Three objects representing a time period

Three objects in a dream could relate to three periods of time, such as 3 days, 3 months, or 3 years, depending on the context.

We have a great example of this in the bible, in the life of Joseph and the dreams he interpreted for other people while he was in prison:

• In Genesis 40:9-13, Pharaoh’s chief cupbearer dreamed of three branches bearing grapes, which he squeezed into Pharaoh’s cup. This was prophetic about the cupbearer’s pending release from prison and reinstatement. The three branches represented three days: The cupbearer was restored to his former office three days later.
• In Genesis 40:16-19, Pharaoh’s chief baker dreamed of three baskets of bread eaten by birds. This was prophetic about his coming death. The three baskets represented three days, and he was hanged three days later.

In the above situations, serving Pharoah with fresh food and drink was a daily activity for both dreamers. That was the clue to why the 3 objects represented 3 days in both dreams.

There are no hard and fast rules for time periods, but some common symbolisms are as follows:

• 3 hours can represent 3 periods of time, e.g., 3 months.
• 3 days can represent 3 years.
• 3 months can represent 3 seasons, ages, or cycles.

Timing factors in dreams can be hard to establish at the time of dreaming, and often can only be confirmed with hindsight – once the time in question has passed!

Number 3 on a clock (e.g. 3am, 3pm)

The number 3 can appear as a time, such as dreaming of 3am or 3pm. This could represent:

• Something happening in March (3^rd month).
• The time when God intervenes, acts, speaks, etc.
• The time when God initiates something (e.g. 3am).
• The time when God completes something (e.g. 3pm).
• Confirming that God is in the thing happening at that time in the dream (biblical meaning).

As I have reviewed my own dreams, I have found the last four types of meanings (i.e. based on the biblical meaning) to be the most common.  

In other words, the timing is less likely to be about specific time periods or dates, and more likely to be about the biblical meaning of the number 3.

Real dream examples: 3 as time periods and timing indicators

Dream	Meaning
I dreamed I was serving food in a large casserole dish. Then I switched to a small dish. After that I switched to a medium sized dish.	In hindsight these 3 dishes turned out to be 3 periods of time serving in ministry: A long period of one thing, then a short period of another thing, then a medium period of another.
I dreamed I was in a queue to see the main show at 3pm. I had to move position to a place with less people to get a better view. I was thinking that this show was the main thing, the thing we came for.	A queue is about waiting. So this dream was saying I must wait on God’s timing (i.e. 3pm) for the main thing he wanted to show me. (With hindsight, moving position was about taking a sabbatical to seek God).
I dreamed I was booked in to do a course at 3:30pm the next day. I was getting ready to leave for a long drive home.	The next day was referring to the following year, which turned out to be difficult because I had to lay down my old ministry (30=ministry). The 3 part confirmed that God was in that choice, and it would be part of my destiny (journey home).

Conclusion: Number 3 meaning

We have seen that the most common meaning of the number 3 in a dream is the spiritual and biblical meaning: Divine completion, the presence of God in something, or complete witness.

Occasionally, in a negative context, 3 might indicate something that appears to be God but is actually a counterfeit.

The number 3 can also appear in dreams in other formats, such as times, distances, prices, and ages. These might have other meanings, depending on the dream context.

Here are a few closing thoughts:

• The number 3 in a dream could represent any number of things. The above ideas should give you a good starting point. 
• I believe that only God can tell us what the number 3 means in a specific dream, so it’s worth asking Him!
• Consider the atmosphere and context of the dream to see whether the number is being used in a positive or negative sense.
• In additional to the meanings that I have shared, remember that the number could mean something personal or culturally significant to you, that isn’t mentioned here.

And finally… enjoy interpreting those dreams of number 3! If this article has helped you interpret a dream, please do like and share this post!