Which Heaven?
"I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—
whether in the body I do not know, or whether out
of the body I do not know, God knows—such a
one was caught up to the third
heaven."
2 Corinthians 12: 2
When you hear someone mention heaven, you could ask,
“Which heaven do you mean?” The question is reasonable
because the Bible mentions three different heavens.
In order of proximity to earth, the three heavens are, first,
the skies immediately above us—the domain of birds and
clouds (Genesis 1:20). The second highest heaven is the
vast universe beyond our atmosphere—the domain of
the
planets and solar systems (Genesis 1:14-17;
Psalm 8:3-4; 19:1-6).
The third heaven—the only one assigned a number—
is not an atmospheric realm but is the domain of God.
The first two heavens are visible to us on earth; the
third heaven is not.
This is heaven visited by the Apostle Paul, either in
person
or in a vision, where he heard “inexpressible
words” that apparently informed the mission to which
God had called him (2 Corinthians 12:4).
Eternity in the presence of God is the destination of
all who have placed their faith in Christ. Are you sure
that heaven is your ultimate
destination?
"I want to know one thing,
the way to heaven."
John Wesley
