Bible Questions Answered: Heaven-The Third

Bible Questions Answered:
What is this nirvana Paul talks about, in Corinthians?
Nachum/ Pune, India

Text:
II Corinthians 12:1-5 KJV
1 It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.
2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to
the third heaven.
3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)
4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

II Corinthians 12:1-4 NLT
1 This boasting will do no good, but I must go on. I will reluctantly tell about visions and revelations from the Lord.
2 I was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether I was in my body or out of my body, I don’t know-only God knows.
3 Yes, only God knows whether I was in my body or outside my body. But I do know
4 that I was caught up to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell.

Many believe that the Apostle Paul, at Lystra, was stoned to death.

Acts 14:1,2;5,6;19,20 NLT
1 "...Paul and Barnabas went to the Jewish synagogue and preached with such power that a great number of both Jews and Greeks became believers.
2 Some of the Jews, however, spurned God’s message and poisoned the minds of the Gentiles against Paul and Barnabas.

5 Then a mob of Gentiles and Jews, along with their leaders, decided to attack and stone them.
6 When the apostles learned of it, they fled to the region of Lycaonia—to the towns of Lystra and Derbe and the surrounding area.
7 And there they preached the Good News.

19 Then some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowds to their side. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of town, thinking he was dead.
20 But as the believers gathered around him, he got up and went back into the town. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.

If indeed he had been, it was at this time, that he had his revelation of heaven.

The word of the Lord speaks of three heavens...

The First Heaven:
The atmosphere above the earth.

Job 35:5 KJV
Look unto the heavens, and see; and behold the clouds which are higher than thou.

The Second Heaven:
The starry universe.

Genesis 1:14-18 KJV
14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.
16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: He made the stars also.
17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,
18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.

Deuteronomy 17:3 KJV
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;

The Third Heaven:
God's house.

John 14:1-3 KJV
1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me.
2 In My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Deuteronomy 26:15 KJV
"Look down from thy holy habitation, from heaven..."

I Kings 8:27,30 KJV
"...and hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place..."

II Chronicles 30:27 KJV
"...and their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to His holy dwelling place, even unto heaven."

Nehemiah 9:6 KJV
Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.

Isaiah 66:1 KJV
Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool: where is the house that ye build unto Me? and where is the place of My rest?

Luke 11:2 KJV
And He said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.

II Corinthians 5:1 KJV
For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

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Bible Lessons: Heaven