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4) The third Heaven
Paul was a Jew and he would not be referring to a pagan concept. What might he mean by this? As a third heaven is no-where else referred to we need to understand what Paul would have known.
The First Heaven: The dwelling place of Yahweh
There is actually a second heaven referred to on a number of occasions, which shows us what is meant by the first heaven.
Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the LORD'S thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is. (Deuteronomy 10:14)
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 preserve them all; and the host of heaven worship thee. (Nehemiah 9:6)
The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD'S: but the earth has he given to the children of men.(Psalm 115:16)
In this 'heaven of heavens' there are the stars, and the dwelling place of Deity. Jewish visions of the throne of Yahweh in heaven are about this first heaven.
Again he (Micaiah the prophet) said, Therefore hear the word of Yahweh; I saw Yahweh sitting upon his throne, and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left. (2Chronicles 18:18)
Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel: And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness. (Exodus 24:9-10)
These visions are clearly experienced on earth, but they are a “picture” of the first heaven which is given to humans. These heavens where God dwells are above another heavens, the ones over the earth.
The second 'Heavens' are the atmosphere
The atmosphere is described as Yahweh's throne, or beneath him,
Thus says Yahweh, 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? (Isaiah 66:1)
Let them praise the name of Yahweh for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven. (Psalm 148:13)
Yahweh dwells in the first heaven above the heaven, which is in turn is above the earth. In this second heaven there are clouds and water,
Who covers the heaven with clouds, who prepares rain for the earth, who makes grass to grow upon the mountains. (Psalm 147:8)
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? (Isaiah 40:12)
These were the heavens created in Genesis. There are also many verses speaking of clouds and birds in these heavens. So what is the third heaven? To a Jew who knows his scripture there is one other heaven.
The Third Heaven
The third heaven relates to high things of the earth and to visions. Things on the earth are also called things 'under heaven'
And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith. (Eccl. 1:13)
For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shines unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day. (Luke 17:24)
On earth where God rules in the nations, and gives power to empires to rule nations, these empires are described as in heaven!
And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court, And said, “O LORD God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the nations? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee? (2Chron 20:5-6)
While Yahweh is in heaven, he rules over the kingdoms of the nations. Nehemiah says the Jewish people were cast into this heaven of the nations when they sinned.
Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commanded thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations: But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there. (Nehemiah 1:8-9)
Nehemiah understood the Jews would be taken from ruling places among the nations and brought to Jerusalem. Nehemiah himself was a ruler, a cupbearer, to no less than the king of the whole known world. And he asked for leave from this exalted post to build the walls of Jerusalem.
Isaiah speaks a lot of these political heavens. The destruction of Babylon, the great empire that destroyed Judah, is described as coming from the end of heaven. But this destruction is due to the Medes.
The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: the LORD of hosts musters the host of the battle. They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the LORD, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land. (Isaiah 13:4-5)
A far country is equal to the 'end of heaven'. The end of Babylon is quite pragmatic and literal where, “Babylon, the glory of kingdoms..shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah” (Isaiah 13:19) which we can see even today. This king of Babylon had exalted himself to heaven,
For you have said in your heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: (Isaiah 14:13)
The 'heaven' was in the sides of 'the North' which means it has a geographical location on earth.
Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, yet from me shall spoilers come unto her, says Yahweh. (Jeremiah 51:53)
It is thou, O king, that art grown and become strong: for thy greatness is grown, and reaches unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth. (Daniel 4:22)
Three prophets speak the same prophetic language speaking of Babylon as a mighty empire as being in heaven. Jeremiah the speaks of Israel having been in heaven.
How has the Lord covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger, and cast down from heaven unto the earth the beauty of Israel, and remembered not his footstool in the day of his anger! (Lamentations 2:1)
Idumea that great Nabatean kingdom that gave the world Petra raised itself up also, is described as 'in heaven'.
My sword shall be bathed in heaven: behold, it shall come down upon Idumea, and upon the people of my curse, to judgment. (Isaiah 34:5)
Idumea was judged (and conquered by the Romans) and now is a desert as prophesied.
The successor to Grecia also under Alexander the great is described as coming to heaven.
It waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them. (Dan 8:10)
Jesus also speaks of Capernaum in exactly the same way,
And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shall be thrust down to hell. (Luke 10:15).
Capernaum was indeed the pride of the Roman Empire in the region, but it is now a ruin, that had to be dug out of the soil.
If the Medes came from “the end of heaven” so to do the Jews who have returned to Israel, and also too the faithful,
If of thine be driven out unto the outmost of heaven, from there will Yahweh your God gather you, (Deuteronomy 30:4)
And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven. (Mark 13:27)
This high ruling place, this 'heaven', is on the earth, and Paul speaks of it being populated by thrones,
For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: (Col 1:16)
Jesus, Paul and the prophets are all happy to speak of nations as being in heaven when they rule others. This is a third heaven. It is under the second heaven, which is the atmosphere, which is in turn is under the first heaven, which is where God dwells.
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Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God. (1 Corinthians 4:5)
This may be one of the most misunderstood passages of the Bible. Paul is notorious for long sentences of connected thoughts, and this is part of a complex wide ranging thought which lasts 2 chapters, and includes what seems opposite advice:
But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person. (1 Cor. 5:11-13)
As I was thinking to write this article, having just read Psalm 46 as I do each year on that day, on January 25th a Bible was found untouched after a tornado hit Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
We have been given many time periods to prophetic events in the Bible. Many people think it too hard, and do not make an effort to understand them. However, if they were not to be understood, why were they given? And the Bible says the wise shall understand (Daniel 12:10).
In the light of the findings of science, how literally do we take what the scriptures say about the power of the God of the Bible, Yahweh Elohim (literally He who will become Mighty Ones)? Science at its best is a measurement of observable and repeatable phenomenon wrapped up in explanations which abound in analogy. There is no doubt in the benefit of investigating phenomena of the natural world. The surprising thing is that the more we investigate natural phenomena, the more it fits the explanations recorded over 2000 years ago.
The God of Israel is approachable and reasonable. He often speaks directly to his people. The following will seek to understand a passage where he speaks via the prophet Amos which has a few variant translations.
