Nikola Tesla’s contributions to modern science and technology are indisputable, wireless electricity, the AC motor and radio all trace back to his brilliance. Yet one of his most enigmatic beliefs remains less discussed: Tesla’s spiritual obsession with the numbers three, six and nine.
In a video by Off the Kirb Ministries, Joe Kirby takes a look at Tesla’s interesting method by which he lived, and the connection he had to this particular set of numbers.
“This is pretty bold, even for Tesla,” Kirby says. “I mean, the man did help invent radio, remote control, the AC motor and even wireless electricity. So when he says something like that, I think we’re at least curious to know why.”
Tesla didn’t simply admire these numbers; he lived by them with near-religious devotion. “He’d walk around a building three times before entering, he’d stay in hotel rooms only divisible by three,” Kirby explains. “He used 18 napkins, which is three times six, to wipe down his cutlery before eating. I mean, these are proper rituals.”
The fascination wasn’t just superstition. Tesla reportedly said, “If mankind could understand the significance of three, six and nine, they would have the keys to the universe.”
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Kirby points to the repetition of these numbers in nature and physics. “Atoms have three main components: protons, neutrons and electrons. Light splits into three primary colors: red, green and blue. DNA’s genetic code is read in triplets called codons,” Kirby says. “And don’t forget: human pregnancy lasts nine months. There are nine essential amino acids. Nine keeps popping up.”
Kirby continues, “the structure of a sunflower seed follows the Fibonacci sequence, which often loops back to nine when reducing the numbers to a single digit.”
More than coincidence, Tesla believed this triad was the underlying structure of the universe, a divine fingerprint. “They’re not just in sequence—it’s like they’re outside the pattern, not part of the material loop but floating above it somehow,” Kirby claims. “A bit like an invisible framework holding everything together without being seen.”
The video then takes a spiritual turn, asking: If numbers contain such mysteries, what does that say about their origin?
“A wiser man than me once said, ‘Mathematics is just thinking God’s thoughts after Him,’” Kirby states. From there, he presents God not just as a creator, but as a divine accountant.
“He counts the stars,” he says, referencing Psalm 147:4. “He counts the number of hairs on your head. He even collects all of our tears in a bottle.”
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Yet, he adds, there is one thing God chooses not to count: forgiven sin. “The Bible says, ‘Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,’” Kirby explains. “If your sin has been forgiven… the Lord stops counting your sins.”
In a universe filled with patterns, precision, and mystery, it’s no wonder a mind like Tesla’s was captivated by the hidden structure behind it all. But beyond the numbers and geometry lies something even greater—a Creator who not only designed the cosmos with intentional beauty but also invites each of us into relationship. The real key to the universe may not just be found in understanding patterns, but in knowing the One who created them.
Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.
