Paul says he was taken up to it. What is it? Are there any other mentions of other "heavens?" Why did he have such an experience? Was this due to his apostleship? What implications does his experience have for us? I'm completely clueless on this. Anyone got any thoughts?
What is the Third Heaven?
- Thread starter Myson
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Jack K
Puritan Board Doctor
Just as we use the word heaven not only for the dwelling place of God, but also to mean the sky or outer space, so did the ancients:
First heaven - the sky, where the clouds are.
Second heaven - outer space, where the sun, moon, and stars are.
Third heaven - the invisible place where God dwells.
Paul uses third heaven to specify which he means. Based on what the rest of Scripture tells us about heaven, it seems most likely that Paul had a vision of heaven. But Paul himself reports that he is unsure what exactly happened, so perhaps it felt like a bodily experience.
First heaven - the sky, where the clouds are.
Second heaven - outer space, where the sun, moon, and stars are.
Third heaven - the invisible place where God dwells.
Paul uses third heaven to specify which he means. Based on what the rest of Scripture tells us about heaven, it seems most likely that Paul had a vision of heaven. But Paul himself reports that he is unsure what exactly happened, so perhaps it felt like a bodily experience.
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