Are there 3 heavens?

[Sanoy]

Here is a text that comes from the surrounding ANE material that may help in understanding how the ANE cultures saw the heavenly realms and planets. It comes from the Legend of Etana, which is a non Christian Babylonian text. He is a nimrod like character that climbs on the back of an eagle and flies through the heavens to get a plant.

"Once more the eagle flew one league into the air, and Etana looked down and saw that the land and rivers were greatly diminished. The eagle flew a second league into the air, and Etana looked down and saw that the land was very small and the rivers were tiny trickles. The eagle flew a third league into the air, and Etana looked down and could not see the land at all. He was sorely afraid, but still he clung tightly to the eagle until at last they arrived in the heavens.

Together they passed through the gates of Anu, Ellil, and Ea, and they made obeisance. Together they passed through the gates of Sin, Shamash, Adad, and Ishtar, and they made obeisance. They came to the throne of Ishtar, and she smiled upon them, and gave the plant of birth to Etana, and made known to him its use.

So basically Etana flys outside the atmosphere of earth and then goes through these 7 gates in heaven which is the same number of classical planets. The moon, Mercury, Venus, the sun, Mars, and Jupiter. It's hard to understand what they were thinking given our current cosmology but it might be best to view it as bubble realms rather than solar system rings. So the Jews may be adopting this same idea of seven linear heavens, in relation to the 7 classical planets. But since the planets were "wandering stars" (disobedient angels) they likely viewed the levels as simply a hierarchical division.

 

[Solomons Porch]

Nimrod tried to ascend like satan.

I think the earth is ours, not sure about the first heaven.

We can fly from place to place at about 40-50,000 ft.

Above that rockets or specialised jets.

What goes up must come down.

I will stop there or i'll end up putting my flat earth hat on

Nooooooooooo not that hat lol

 

[RaymondG]

That's cute
My heaven would totally be a farm
And yes no mean posters

Interesting......Most Christians seem to desire the golden gated community with people walking around with holy hangers in their shirts. But to each their own. I've instructed the angels to remove all hangers before allowing people to enter mine. The key is to not put heaven in a box. Eyes have not seen, nor ears heard....neither..............(you know the rest)

 

[I'm_Sorry]

Nooooooooooo not that hat lol

Its in the cupboard next to my tin foil hat

 

[Solomons Porch]

Its in the cupboard next to my tin foil hat

Awesome close call
I'm thinking of the Lord's prayer, when HE says let it be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Meaning that our spoken words penetrate three different heavens, as if invoking one or the other.

 

[Radrook]

The Bible speaks of three heavens:

1. First heaven - The firmament, Earths Atmosphere -which is the immediate sky, where the “fowls of the heaven” (Genesis 2:19; 7:3,23; Psalms 8:8, etc.), “the eagles of heaven” (Lamentations 4:19),

2. Second Heaven: Outer Space, the starry heavens (Deuteronomy 17:3; Jeremiah 8:2; Matthew 24:29).

3. Third Heaven or Heaven of Heavens: The place where God and his angels dwell. What Jesus called the “Father's house.” (Deuteronomy 10:14; 1 Kings 8:27; Psalms 115:16; 148:4). (1Kings 8:27) -

How many heavens are there and what is the third heaven Paul speaks of in 2 Corinthians 12

 

[ChristianFromKazakhstan]

In the bible you hear of being caught up into the third heaven, which SUGGESTS that there must be a 1st and a 2nd heaven for a 3rd to exsist.

What are your thoughts and do you have scripture and reference to back up your opinion?

I think, the most popular interpretation is that there are 3 heavens:

1) Atmosphere
2) Outer space
3) Paradise

So, when you fly in an airplane, you're in the 1st heaven, when you're in a space ship, you're in the 2nd, and when you die if you're in Jesus, then you're taken up to the 3rd heaven.

 

[Solomons Porch]

The Bible speaks of three heavens:
So in seeing that there are possibly 3 heavens, again to anyone that can bring clarity, is there a ruler of each of these, we "know" God rules the 3rd, so what about the 1st and the 2nd? And is there any scripture to suggest the rulership of each?
1. First heaven - The firmament, Earths Atmosphere -which is the immediate sky, where the “fowls of the heaven” (Genesis 2:19; 7:3,23; Psalms 8:8, etc.), “the eagles of heaven” (Lamentations 4:19),

2. Second Heaven: Outer Space, the starry heavens (Deuteronomy 17:3; Jeremiah 8:2; Matthew 24:29).

3. Third Heaven or Heaven of Heavens: The place where God and his angels dwell. What Jesus called the “Father's house.” (Deuteronomy 10:14; 1 Kings 8:27; Psalms 115:16; 148:4). (1Kings 8:27) -

How many heavens are there and what is the third heaven Paul speaks of in 2 Corinthians 12

 

[ChristianFromKazakhstan]

Oops, I answered without reading prior replies, didn't see same answer already given.

I personally know a pastor who claims he had sort of an out-of-body experience one night during intensive prayer. He says he was taken by God to visit the 3rd heaven. So he tells in great detail about his travel up there. One thing that impressed me most, is he claims that he was 100% all love there, and all communication with the people he met there was telepathical. After that he keeps saying, it's not just that you have to love, you have to become love.

 

[Solomons Porch]

3 And hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded; Deuteronomy 10:14
who?
2 And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth. Jeremiah 8:2



Rulership (powers) 2nd heaven (?)
and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: Matthew 24:29)

 

[Solomons Porch]

all communication with the people he met there was telepathical. After that he keeps saying, it's not just that you have to love, you have to become love.

I can agree with this in my spirit

 

[Dkh587]

i believe this is what the 3 heavens are

 

[Ron Gurley]

Somebody figgered it out

Three Heavens | Learn The Bible

 

[ChristianFromKazakhstan]

I can agree with this in my spirit

But then when I hear such stories, I am filled with skepticism... Could it be hallucination? I mean, is it a genuine true experience or bogus? I really don't know.

 

[Solomons Porch]

But then when I hear such stories, I am filled with skepticism... Could it be hallucination? I mean, is it a genuine true experience or bogus? I really don't know.

True, but the telepathic part strikes home to me, due to how He speaks to me personally, and also, bible states He knows our thoughts from afar

 

[miknik5]

In the bible you hear of being caught up into the third heaven, which SUGGESTS that there must be a 1st and a 2nd heaven for a 3rd to exsist.

What are your thoughts and do you have scripture and reference to back up your opinion?

Genesis 1 and Revelation 21 back up three heavens"

 

[ChristianFromKazakhstan]

True, but the telepathic part strikes home to me, due to how He speaks to me personally, and also, bible states He knows our thoughts from afar

I agree. Still, if there are elements in an experience that are true, does it mean the whole experience is true? Maybe yes, but there is absolutely no verifiable proof. As always, everything in these matters is left up for individual faith...

 

[Radrook]

God is the ruler of the entire reality that he created. The rulership allowed in opposition to him it is limited both in its dimensional distance and its time and the rulers and supporters, are on death row.

With this in mind let’s consider the following:

The heaven where God resides is referred to as his throne indicating the central location from which he governs.

Isaiah 66:1 ►
New International Version
This is what the LORD says: "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool....

Matthew 23:22

And he who swears by heaven swears by God's throne and by the One who sits on it.

John 4:20

https://www.christianforums.com/john/4-20.htm

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The spirit realm from which Satan his demons operate is referred to as a heavenly realm, or wicked heavens, against which Christians must struggle as Paul mentioned and others describe as being destroyed and replaced. It is presently restricted to Earth.

Ephesians 6:12
New International Version
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

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The other heaven is the firmament or Earth's atmosphere which functions in keeping us alive.

 

[NothingIsImpossible]

Been around nearly 40 years and never once have I heard anyone teach theres more then one heaven. I'm not even sure where anyone would get that idea. Its just called "heaven", not "Section one of heaven" or "Floor 2 of heaven". People are probably thinking to much about this subject. If you look deep enough you can find lots of things. Hence its usually called a conspiracy for a reason.

 

[Vicomte13]

In the bible you hear of being caught up into the third heaven, which SUGGESTS that there must be a 1st and a 2nd heaven for a 3rd to exsist.

What are your thoughts and do you have scripture and reference to back up your opinion?

Sticking strictly with the Scripture, there is no heaven at all, there is only ha'shammayim in Hebrew, and ouranos in Koine Greek. Both of these words have the same meaning. The Hebrew is plural, and it means "skies". The Greek is singular, and it means "sky".

So, while we think in terms of the atmosphere, and then "outer space", and finally "Heaven", where God lives, and presumably on another "plane of existence" (another imaginary and completely extra-biblical idea), the Old Testament speaks exclusively of "the skies", while the NT speaks exclusively of "the sky".

Paul speaks of knowing someone taken up into "the third sky", but that's all we know.

So, the best you probably extract is that the skies above can be divide into three, and that's it. Nothing more is given.