Audio Download

“Divine Order In Creation And Scripture” – Part 6

“For where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there am I in the midst of them” (Mat 18:20)

[Study Aired September 3, 2026]

In this study we’ll look at more phrases in God’s word that use the numbers ‘two and/or three’ side by each.

There are eleven verses in the KJV bible that use the phrase “two or three”, and last week we looked at the only two red letter verses that discuss these numbers together, in (Mat 18:16, Mat 18:20). Those verses are very revealing as they show us what it takes for the body of Christ to be spiritually established with God’s word in us, “after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.”(1Pe 5:10), and how Christ as the author and finisher of our faith, must be in the midst of that process, “at that day” in order for this to be accomplished (Jhn 14:20-21).

Mat 18:16  But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.

Mat 18:20  For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Jhn 14:20  At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
Jhn 14:21  He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

If we do a search for verses with the words ‘two’ and ‘three’ in them, it broadens the results to fourteen matches, and (Mat 18:16, Mat 18:20) still remain the only two red letter verses with those words being used together.

One other area of red letter scripture that I did not include in the study last week includes the word “thrice” as opposed to “three” (Mrk 14:30).

Mrk 14:30  And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice.

The principle point that was being made for us through this section of Peter’s life, is that judgement is upon the body of Christ that is represented by the word “thrice”, which is a judgement that makes it possible for us to be received of God as we come to see the hypocrisy of our own flesh, vis-a-vis the chastening and scourgings that God administers to His children so that we can learn to forsake ungodliness and worldly lusts (Heb 12:6-9, Tit 2:11-12).

Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

Tit 2:12  Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

It takes a life long process of judgement upon God’s people so that we can go unto perfection on the third day (Luk 13:32, Mat 24:13), and that judgment brings us to see our own self righteousness that opposes God (2Th 2:7-8), our own sin filled nature that denies Christ thrice (3), and can only cease from sinning (1Pe 4:1) through Christ’s deliverance as the true witness (2) and author and finisher of our faith, who tries our faith (2Ti 2:9-13, Php 2:12-16, 1Pe 1:7), and delivers us from ourselves, despite ourselves so we can, in the final analysis, be found with His righteousness and not our own (Jhn 8:31-32, Jhn 8:36, Jhn 15:5, Php 3:9).

2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity (Ezk 33:13) doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

2Ti 2:11  It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: (Gal 2:20)
2Ti 2:12  If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: (We all, including God’s elect, deny him “thrice”)
2Ti 2:13  If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself. (Jhn 18:9, Rom 8:35-39)

Jhn 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

Jhn 8:36  If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Jhn 15:5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

This parable that unfolds with Peter denying Christ becomes a very critical event in his life for us to consider as it reminds us that we all, as God’s elect, come to naturally deny Christ thrice, but if we are His body, Christ will not deny his own flesh and bones the victory (Eph 5:30), the conquering of sin that He has promised will be given the bride of Christ (Rev 19:7), at the hands of a fit man who has us bound to the altar, to the glory of God (Lev 16:21, Psa 118:27).

Eph 5:30  For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

Rev 19:7  Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

Lev 16:21  And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:

Psa 118:27  God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.

It is Christ who is in the midst of our lives, represented by the number two, is the true witness and hope of glory within us who gives us the ability to endure that chastening grace that every son must receive in this life (Heb 12:6). This grace and faith process is happening in the midst of the church (Mat 12:40), represented by the fiery furnace (1Pe 4:12, 1Pe 4:17, 1Jn 4:17) that three men, Shadrach Meshach and Abednego, encountered with Christ the true witness (2) in their midst (Rev 3:14, Col 1:27).

1Pe 4:12  Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

Rev 3:14  And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

There is a correlation with God’s grace (5) that becomes evident when the numbers ‘two’ and ‘three’ are being discussed. Looking at the following verses below, we’ll see how they connect with the sum of His word.

This first verse in (Deu 17:5-6) is an old covenant witness that our old man of sin must be put to death by grace through faith (Eph 2:8) for having worshipped other gods, “And hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded” (Deu 4 17:3).

Deu 17:6  At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.

That process of judgement begins upon the elect who are first to be judged in this life (1Pe 4:17) and through that judgment are prepared as the two witnesses who are given power in this age to judge the whole world within us (2Co 13:5, Rev 11:2-3) and, in time, will judge all the world without (1Co 6:3, Mat 22:29-30 , Oba 1:21).

Rev 11:2  But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.
Rev 11:3  And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

1Co 6:3  Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

Mat 22:29  Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.
Mat 22:30  For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.

The witness has to be given first, which shows us that we are worthy of death, just as it was given to Peter, who represents God’s elect, that denied Christ as all flesh does. The word must go forth to stone our old man but only after the witness is given “at the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses”. Our blessing is to be judged now and not have to experience the “second death”, lake of fire, great white throne judgement (Rev 20:6). Our idea of judgement in the flesh is not accompanied with mercy, but through Christ that all changes (Jhn 8:7).

Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Jhn 8:7  So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

[It is the sinless body of Christ that is raised in the first resurrection who will be given the honour to judge angels [“He that is without sin among you”], and an accounting will be given of all, their own words that will judge them in that day (Mat 12:37). We don’t throw old covenant stones, rather we use God’s word to convict the world, showing mercy toward them in doing so, as God has done and is doing to us today. Joseph illustrates this judgement with his brothers that is a process that takes time.(Gen 50:15)]

The witness that the two witnesses give to the world will not return void and will serve to show all carnal minds in time how we cannot keep His commandments and die with Christ unless God’s spirit is within us (Col 1:27). Salvation comes after the witness is given during the thousand year reign of the saints, after Gog and Magog who symbolizes all the world, come up against the camp of the saints (Rev 20:8) to then be devoured by fire (Rev 11:3, Isa 55:11, Psa 127:1). That physical destruction is a shadow of the spiritual judgement that will happen to all of humanity in the lake of fire (Rom 1:20).

The next verse, (Deu 19:15), is another way of saying what scripture says in this verse (2Pe 1:20). Again something cannot be established unless there are multiple witnesses of it which brings us back to these two verses we’ve looked at  before, (Mat 18:16, Mat 18:20).

Deu 19:15  One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.

2Pe 1:20  Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

This next verse, (Jos 7:3), is a parable of how it is only through Christ that the process of judgement upon our sinful nature can be accomplished (1Sa 17:47)

Jos 7:3  And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few.

1Sa 17:47  And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’S, and he will give you into our hands.

This next verse, (2Ki 9:32), talks about the death of Jezebel who symbolizes the Babylonian churches we come out of, as well as our old man that must be destroyed. Her death is at the hand of two or three eunuchs who represent the elect of God that are eunuchs for the kingdom’s sake, not bearing children or false doctrine in this life anymore, and overcoming Babylon (Jezebel), via a process of judgement upon her [two or three eunuchs] (2Ki 9:33). Again ‘two’ mentioned to remind us that only Christ can give us victory over this deceived world that we are in but not of (2Co 6:17, Jhn 17:15-17).

2Ki 9:32  And he lifted up his face to the window, and said, Who is on my side? who? And there looked out to him two or three eunuchs.
2Ki 9:33  And he said, Throw her down. So they threw her down: and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses: and he trode her under foot.

2Co 6:17  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
2Co 6:18  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Jhn 17:15  I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
Jhn 17:16  They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Jhn 17:17  Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

In this chapter of Isaiah, we find the next verse we will look at, (Isa 17:6), where the city of Damascus, Israel and Syria are used as a type of our old man that must be judged. For the purpose of our study, I just want to point to the numbers in this verse, and once again we see that they point to judgement upon God’s people, the remnant, who are being saved by grace through faith (Eph 2:8).

Isa 17:6  Yet gleaning grapes shall be left in it, as the shaking of an olive tree, two or three berries in the top of the uppermost bough, four or five in the outmost fruitful branches thereof, saith the LORD God of Israel.

The remnant is being typified by these small numbers representing the grace and faith needed upon our old man [2 or 3 berries = 5], which represent His judgement that is also expressed by the numbers 4 and 5, which add up to 9. For a more in-depth study on this judgement of our old man, please see the following done by Mike Vinson nine years ago:

iswasandwillbe.com/prophecy-of-isaiah-isa-171-7-damascus-shall-be-a-ruinous-heap/

This next verse has surrounding context that shows the stubbornness of our hearts and minds that doesn’t want to return unto God despite his ‘judgments. He wants to restore what the palmerworm has taken away “yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD”. So this “two or three” being spoken of is an example of grace and faith that is rejected and despised (Rom 2:3-4).

Amo 4:8  So two or three cities wandered unto one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.

Rom 2:3  And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?
Rom 2:4  Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

In the next verse we will focus on “two or three” firkins of wine that filled the “six waterpots of stone” at the Cana wedding feast. ‘Six’ is the number of mankind, and the process by which we are being saved is through the sanctification of those waterpots symbolized by water turning into wine, God’s word, which must fill us “after the manner of the purifying of the Jews”, which purifying is symbolic of our being sanctified in this age by God’s word (Jhn 17:17).

It’s two or three firkins a piece in every pot, which witnesses that Christ must completely fill our lives as the author and finisher of our faith (Heb 12:2, Php 1:6). The three sixes that make up the mark of mankind 6.6.6. must be overcome by Christ (2) who grows in us when we are part of a miraculous process of judgement in this life, represented by the first miracle of Christ and a parable of what is going to happen in the lives of the bride of Christ first [Christ (2) x process of judgement (3) = 6]

Jhn 2:6  And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.

These verses remind us that when God’s grace and faith are working in our lives we are going to be learning to do things decently and in order. Numbers in the bible establish the fact that we serve a God who does all things decently and in order. Any man or prophet of God gives witness to Christ being in the midst of their lives by the numbers 2 and 3 being mentioned.

1Co 14:27  If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.

1Co 14:29  Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.(Mat 18:16, Mat 18:20)

As Christ was sent so are we sent to each other today and eventually to all the world (Jhn 20:21). We are coming in the name of the Lord (Psa 118:26), and as mentioned before, God’s word can only be established through just judgment which can only manifest by our committing our lives unto Him as unto a faithful creator (Jhn 5:30, Jhn 15:5, 1Pe 4:19)

Jhn 5:30  I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

2Co 13:1  This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.

Jhn 15:5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

In this next entry, we see that there is safety in a multitude of counsellors, and an accusation against an elder should not happen unless there are two or three witnesses (1Ti 5:19).

1Ti 5:19  Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.

Again, the 2 or 3 reminds us that it must be coming from someone who the Lord (2) is working with and saving by grace through faith (5) in this age through a process of judgement (3). It is qualified in this instance that their must be 2 or 3 witnesses, but the point remains that those witnesses must have no guile and need to be disciples indeed, bearing fruit that gives evidence that they are such men (Luk 6:44, Heb 13:7). Our detractors will ask why their multitude of counsellors is not accepted and ours is, and the answer lies in looking for which of the two parties is being obedient to the commandments of God, and not speaking heretical doctrine (1Jn 4:5-6, 1Co 11:19). The person who is not speaking heresies is the one who is being judged in this age and is being saved by grace through faith, making it possible to bring forth good fruit [2+3=5]

1Jn 4:5  They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
1Jn 4:6  We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

1Co 11:19  For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.

This last entry of our study, (Heb 10:28), is a type and shadow statement saying that those who are not being judged by Christ today, a judgement typified by the law of Moses, will die without being shown the mercy that is upon those who are being saved today by grace through faith [2+3=5].

Heb 10:28  He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:

If we are in that blessed and holy first resurrection, those that we judge will see their old carnal nature die by being judged by 2 or 3 witnesses, which represents the elect and the process of judgement that will be administered at that time, mercy ruling over the judgement that we have already endured (1Co 6:3, Jas 2:13, Rom 11:30-31).

1Co 6:3  Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

Jas 2:13  For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

Rom 11:30  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.