Bible Questions Answered:
“What is pauls third heaven?...”
Paisley/ Surrey, Canada (British
Columbia)
Bible Text:
II Corinthians 11:16-33 KJV (Paul,
defends his faithfulness to the people of God. Be sure to read the
whole 11th & 12 chapters.)
16 I say again,
let no man think me a fool; if otherwise, yet as a fool receive me,
that I may boast myself a little.
17 That which I
speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in
this confidence of boasting.
18 Seeing that
many glory after the flesh, I will glory also.
19 For ye
suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.
20 For ye
suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a
man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the
face.
21 I speak as
concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit where in so
ever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also.
22 Are they
Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of
Abraham? so am I.
23 Are they
ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labors more
abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in
deaths oft.
24 Of the Jews
five times received I forty stripes save one.
25 Thrice was I
beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered
shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
26 In
journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in
perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in
the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in
perils among false brethren;
27 In weariness
and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in
fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
28 Beside those
things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of
all the churches.
29 Who is weak,
and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?
30 If I must
needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine
infirmities.
31 The God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore,
knoweth that I lie not.
32 In Damascus
the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the damascenes
with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me:
33 And through
a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his
hands.
It was against the nature of the Apostle to brag about himself, so in
II Corinthians 12:1-4, he speaks of himself in the third person. If
anyone had been a true teacher, it was the beloved Apostle Paul, who
had suffered and bled, in his great love for the Corinthian
believers.
It was at Lystra, that the Apostle was stoned. Many believe, as did
the Jews, that Paul was dead.
It was more than likely that, it was here, that the Apostle had his
heavenly visitation, described in the next verses. Yet God in His
mercy and love, sent Paul back to finish the work he was called to
do.
II Corinthians 12:1-4 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.
The
Third Heaven:
I Kings 8:27 KJV
(Solomon)
But will God indeed dwell on the
earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee;
how much less this house that I have builded?
II Chronicles
2:6 KJV (Solomon)
But who is able to build Him an
house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain Him?
who am I then, that I should build Him an house, save only to burn
sacrifice before Him?
II Chronicles
6:18 KJV (Solomon)
But will God in very deed dwell with
men on the earth? behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot
contain thee; how much less this house which I have built!
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
worshipeth thee.
Psalm 148:4 KJV
Praise Him, ye heavens of heavens,
and ye waters that be above the heavens.
Although there were
various views about the heavens, the one early believers settled on
was that, the atmosphere around the earth, was the first heaven. The
starry universe, with all its marvels, was the second heaven. And the
Third Heaven, was beyond the universe, and it was God's residence,
described in Revelation chapters 21 & 22.
(Some of you dear
friends ask that all scripture, please be listed, because you may not
have a Bible, so we will!)
Revelation
21:1-27 KJV
1 And I saw a new heaven and a new
earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and
there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new
Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride
adorned for her Husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of
heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will
dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall
be with them, and be their God.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears
from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow,
nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former
things are passed away.
5 And He that sat upon the throne
said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said unto me, Write: for
these words are true and faithful.
6 And He said unto me, It is done. I
am Alpha and Omega, The Beginning and The End. I will give unto him
that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
7 He that overcometh shall inherit
all things; and I will be His God, and he shall be My son.
8 But the fearful, and unbelieving,
and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers,
and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which
burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
9 And there came unto me one of the
seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last
plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee
the bride, The Lamb's wife.
10 And he carried me away in the
spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city,
the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
11 Having the glory of God: and her
light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone,
clear as crystal;
12 And had a wall great and high,
and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names
written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the
children of Israel:
13 On the east three gates; on the
north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three
gates.
14 And the wall of the city had
twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of
the Lamb.
15 And he that talked with me had a
golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall
thereof.
16 And the city lieth foursquare,
and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city
with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth
and the height of it are equal.
17 And he measured the wall thereof,
an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a
man, that is, of the angel.
18 And the building of the wall of
it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.
19 And the foundations of the wall
of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The
first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a
chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;
20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth,
sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a
topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the
twelfth, an amethyst.
21 And the twelve gates were twelve
pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the
city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
22 And I saw no temple therein: for
The Lord God Almighty and The Lamb are the temple of it.
23 And the city had no need of the
sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did
lighten it, and The Lamb is the light thereof.
24 And the nations of them which are
saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do
bring their glory and honour into it.
25 And the gates of it shall not be
shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
26 And they shall bring the glory
and honour of the nations into it.
27 And there shall in no wise enter
into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh
abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in The
Lamb's book of life.
Revelation
22:1-21 KJV
1 And he shewed me a pure river of
water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God
and of The Lamb.
2 In the midst of the street of it,
and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which
bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and
the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
3 And there shall be no more curse:
but the throne of God and of The Lamb shall be in it; and His
servants shall serve Him:
4 And they shall see His face; and
His name shall be in their foreheads.
5 And there shall be no night there;
and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for The Lord God
giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
6 And he said unto me, These sayings
are faithful and true: and The Lord God of the holy prophets sent His
angel to shew unto His servants the things which must shortly be
done.
7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is
he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
8 And I John saw these things, and
heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship
before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
9 Then saith he unto me, See thou do
it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets,
and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
10 And he saith unto me, Seal not
the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.
11 He that is unjust, let him be
unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he
that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy,
let him be holy still.
12 And, behold, I come quickly; and
My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall
be.
13 I am Alpha and Omega, The
Beginning and The End, The First and The Last.
14 Blessed are they that do his
commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may
enter in through the gates into the city.
15 For without are dogs, and
sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and
whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
16 I Jesus have sent Mine angel to
testify unto you these things in the churches. I am The Root And The
Offspring Of David, and The Bright And Morning Star.
17 And The Spirit and the bride say,
Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst
come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
18 For I testify unto every man that
heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add
unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are
written in this book:
19 And if any man shall take away
from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his
part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the
things which are written in this book.
20 He which testifieth these things
saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
21 The grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ be with you all. Amen.
Paradise, today is
in the third heaven (a subject in itself).
Luke
23:43 KJV (Jesus,
promised the repentant thief on the cross.)
And Jesus said unto him, Verily I
say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with Me in paradise.
(But, they didn't stay there.)
Ephesians 4:8-10
KJV
8 Wherefore He saith, When He
ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto
men.
9 (Now that He ascended, what is it
but that He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
10 He that descended is the same
also that ascended up far above all heavens, that He might fill all
things.)
Ephesians 4:8-10
NLT
8 That is why the Scriptures say,
“When He ascended to the heights, He led a crowd of captives
and gave gifts to His people.”
9 Notice that it says “He
ascended.” This clearly means that Christ also descended to our
lowly world.
10 And the same one who descended is
the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that He might
fill the entire universe with Himself.
Paradise (Luke
16:19-31), was caught up to the third heaven. (This is further
explained in my soon to be released book on Amazon Kindle called....
“SALVATION-we are not afraid!”)
In heaven is the
tree of life, and the river of life.
Revelation 2:7
KJV
"...To him that overcometh will
I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the
paradise of God. And also
Revelation 22:1-5 KJV.
Dear friend, have
you received The Savior? Will your eternal home be heaven?
John 14:1-6 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.
4 And whither I go ye know, and the
way ye know.
5 Thomas saith unto Him, Lord, we
know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
6 Jesus saith unto Him, I am The
Way, The Truth, and The Life: no man cometh unto The Father, but by
Me.
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.
Philippians 3:20
KJV
For our conversation is in heaven;
from whence also we look for The Savior, The Lord Jesus Christ:
I Peter 1:3,4
KJV
3 Blessed be the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath
begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead,
4 To an inheritance incorruptible,
and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
Revelation 22:14
KJV
Blessed are they that do His
commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may
enter in through the gates into the city.
Acts 2:21 KJV
And it shall come to pass, that
whosoever shall call on the name of The Lord shall be saved.
