Introduction
In biblical literature, the concept of the “three heavens” is a fascinating aspect rooted in ancient Jewish cosmology. This article delves into each of these heavens, providing scriptural references and interpretations to offer a clear understanding of this theological framework.
First Heaven: The Atmospheric Heaven
The first heaven is the sky or the atmosphere where birds fly and clouds form. It’s the realm directly above the earth, which we see and experience daily. Biblical references include:
- Genesis 1:20: “And God said, ‘Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.’”
- Jeremiah 4:25: “I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.”
Second Heaven: The Celestial Heaven
The second heaven refers to outer space where celestial bodies like the sun, moon, and stars reside. It is beyond the atmospheric heaven and includes all astronomical phenomena. Key biblical references are:
- Deuteronomy 17:3: “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.”
- Psalm 19:1: “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handwork.”
Third Heaven: The Divine Heaven
The third heaven is considered the dwelling place of God, angels, and the righteous after death. It is a spiritual realm beyond the physical universe. The apostle Paul references this in his epistles:
2 Corinthians 12:2: “I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth); such an one caught up to the third heaven.”
Revelation 4:1-2: “After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
