Good morning. In my sermon message this past Sunday, I referred to the apostle Paul’s statement in 2 Corinthians 12:2-4 relating to his incredible experience in a spiritual journey. Paul doesn’t know whether his experience occurred purely as a spiritual endeavor, or if he participated in the event on a physical level. He doesn’t know, and he doesn’t seem to care all that much. The reality of the experience was very certain, and it moved him in mighty ways. In the passage Paul says: I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows—and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter.
His reference to himself in the 3rd person is not at all unusual as a teaching device in the ancient Greek form. He clarifies in later verses that he is indeed speaking of his own experience.
I thought that it might be interesting for today’s thought to consider what he meant by “the third heaven” and by “paradise”.
People have sometimes run amok with speculation regarding this “third heaven”, but it really isn’t that difficult. The ancients referred to heaven in three ways. The first was “terrestrial heaven”. This is the span within the atmosphere. The first heaven was used to say things like “the rains fall from the heavens”. The second heaven is the “celestial heaven”. This is the realm of the universe, the planets, and all the stars that shine. The second heaven was used to say something like, “heaven is alight with the shining of the stars”. The third heaven is the place of God, and therefore eternity. It is the “heavenly realm” where the heavenly beings surrounding the throne of God abide. The third heaven would be used to say, “God is in heaven, and angels surround His throne”.
Think of it this way: A jet pilot can take you through the first heaven. An astronaut is needed to take you through the second heaven. But only Jesus can take you to the third heaven.
As for the reference to “paradise”, it is a word that we transliterate, meaning we take it directly from the Greek language. The word in Greek is “paradison”. The Greeks also transliterated the word from the Persians. In the Persian language paradise literally means, “a walled garden”. It was the place where the highest king spent time with those worthy of his attention. Much of that Persian reference to paradise, and therefore the Greek reference to paradise, came directly from the Book of Genesis, where we know it as “the garden of Eden”. This is where the King of Kings, God himself, would stroll with Adam and Eve in the cool of the evening. Sharing with them His love and friendship. This was before the destruction of sin.
Paul tells us of the time fourteen years earlier when God chose to bring him to His side in the heavenly realm. It was God’s will that Paul witness heaven firsthand. The glory of heaven was amazing, but Paul couldn’t talk about it. That was saved for another who God would choose to bless with such an experience. His name was John, and he wrote of it in the Book of Revelation.
The third heaven, the paradise of God, something to think about.
Vern