5.2.1 The Three Ordered Stages of the Growing Period
The universe unfolds and manifests God’s original internal nature and original external form based on mathematical principles. Hence, we can infer that one aspect of God’s nature is mathematical.
God is the one absolute reality in whom the dual characteristics interact in harmony; therefore, He is a Being of the number three. All created beings, having been conceived in the likeness of God, manifest their existence, movement and growth through a course of three stages.
The four position foundation, which is God’s purpose of creation, was to be completed through a three-stage process : the origin in God, the marriage of Adam and Eve, and the multiplication of children. In order to establish the four position foundation and carry on circular movement, a being must first perform the three-stage origin-division-union action and fulfill the three object purpose, with each position engaged in interaction with the other three.
It is like what is needed for something to stand firm: it must be supported by at least three points. Accordingly, everything reaches perfection by passing through three ordered stages of growth : the formation stage, the growth stage and the completion stage.
In the natural world, many things appear in threes. It contains three kingdoms: mineral, plant and animal. Matter exists in three states: gas, liquid and solid. Most plants are composed of three parts: roots, branches or stems, and leaves. Animals consist of head, body and limbs. There are also many examples of the number three in the Bible.
Human beings could not fulfill the purpose of their existence because they fell without completing the three stages of the growing period. Hence, in their renewed efforts to realize their purpose, human beings must pass through these three stages. |