The Third Heaven
and
Paradise
"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 [seized upon, carried away -- Strong's #726, harpazo] to the third heaven. And I know such a man -- whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows -- how he was caught up [carried away -- Strong's #726, harpazo] into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter." -- 1 Corinthians 12:2-4, New King James Version.
2 Corinthians 12:2-4 is often presented as proof that paradise is in heaven. But does this scripture actually say that? Our studies have
shown that every time the word "paradise" is used in the Bible, it refers either to the original
paradise in the Garden of Eden, or the paradise to be restored in the age to come.
In 2 Corinthians 12:2-4 the apostle Paul states that he was seized [Strong's #726, harpazo] into
the third heaven and to paradise. What is this "third heaven?" The Bible elsewhere answers this.
The apostle Peter tells us that "by the word of God the heavens were of old, the earth standing
out of the water and in the water: whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water,
perished." (2 Peter 3:5, King James Version) Thus the first heaven and the first earth passed away
in the flood of Noah's day. Peter continues: "But the heavens and earth, which are now, by the
same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of
ungodly men." (2 Peter 3:6, KJV)
Here we have the second heaven and the second earth. But Peter further tells us: "Nevertheless
we, according to his promise, look for a new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwelleth
righteousness." (2 Peter 3:13, KJV) So from this we can see that the apostle Paul was seized in
time to the third heaven, the "new heaven," and paradise, "the new earth."
They are not referring to new planets, nor to
heavens ranged one above another, as many have supposed,
but to the third of three great periods of time,
beginning with man's creation and extending into the
illimitable future. The first of these periods, termed the
first heavens and earth -- the old order of things -- passed
away with the deluge of Noah's day. The second period,
"the heavens and the earth which are now," the present
order of things, are reserved of God to pass away with
a great symbolic fire of trouble -- revolution, etc. -- which
will utterly destroy the present spiritual powers and the
present social arrangements. -- 2 Peter 3:6,7; Galatians 1:4;
Zephaniah 3:8,9.
The third great period is to be a "world without end,"
under divine administration. This will be the third
heavens and the third earth, or the new heavens and the
new earth, which will differ from the present condition
of things in that they will be righteous; whereas the
present arrangement is imperfect, unrighteous. The "new
heavens" is not of this world, but will consist of the new spiritual ruling powers of the future -- Jesus and the saints who have been chosen in this age. (Daniel 7:22,27; Luke 1:32,33; 12:32; 22:29; 2 Timothy 2:12; John 18:36; 1 Corinthians 6:2,3; Hebrews 12:28; James 2:5; 2 Peter 1:11; Revelation 1:6; 3:21; 5:10; 20:4,6) The present heavens consist of the nominal religious
systems which, while claiming Christ for their
Head, nevertheless bow in a very large degree to Antichrist,
"the god of this world," "the prince of this world,"
"who now worketh in the children of disobedience," and
who is captivating and blinding the whole world, with
the exception of the few whose eyes of understanding
have been opened, who are under special blessing and
leading, who are taught of God -- the Little Flock, "heirs of the Kingdom."--Ephesians 2:2; 2 Corinthians 4:4.
"THE PARADISE OF GOD"
It is to this new heavens and new earth condition, this
Paradise of God, that Revelation 21:1-4,22-27 speaks of. As
the "new heavens" do not mean a new place for God's
Throne, so the "new earth" does not mean another planet.
The "new heavens" are a new condition, the spiritual
power and control of Christ and His glorified Church;
so the "new earth" means a new social order on this
planet -- "the new heavens and earth"--constituting the
world to come -- "wherein dwelleth righteousness." (2 Peter 3:10-13.)
The declaration of our lesson is that the former
heavens and the former earth -- which are now -- will then
have passed away and will be no more. All present institutions
are to perish utterly in the great Time of
Trouble with which this Age is very shortly to end.
Addendum
Someone have objected that because Paul uses the word "up", that he is not referring to a future kingdom. As it reads in most translations, it does appear that he was caught "up" to a place in that same day, not a future time. The same expression is used both in 2 Corinthians 12:2, referring to the third heaven, and also in 2 Corinthians 12:4, referring to paradise. Does this prove that the third heaven and the paradise were actually up above us, somewhere in the far realms of heaven? We answer, no, but why do we say this?
Except for being used of various specific gardens (Deuteronomy 11:10; 1 Kings 21:2; etc.), the word paradise, is used in the Bible to refer to: (a) the garden of Eden, "the garden of God" (Genesis 2:8-15; Ezekiel 28:13), i.e., the perfect abode of Adam and Eve while sinless; (b) the symbolic paradise of God from which the overcomers of this age are symbolically given fruit from the tree of life (Revelation 2:7 -- compare Ezekiel 28:13;
31:8,9); (c) the earth after the kingdom is set up on it, as and after its
curse of sin and death is increasingly removed (Revelation 22:1-3, compare
Genesis 2:9, 10; 1 Corinthians 15:26), and it becomes increasingly (Daniel
2:35) "like the garden of Eden" (Ezekiel 36:35), i.e., Paradise Lost becomes
Paradise Regained, which new earth was seen in vision and prophecy together
with the third, the new heaven-the spiritual control of Christ (2
Corinthians 12:1-4; 2 Peter 3:6, 7, 12, 13; Revelation 21:1-3)-that will
supplant the spiritual control of Satan, "the god of this world." -- 2
Corinthians 4:4; Galatians 1:4; Ephesians 2:2.
Of the three above Biblically-mentioned paradises, (a) was destroyed long
before Jesus' death, (b) is only a symbolic representation of (a) given to
the overcomers of this age; (c) is still future; hence all refer back to or
forward to the earthly paradise and none of these refer to a place where
Jesus was to go when he died. Additionally on the third day thereafter Jesus
stated that He had not yet gone to be with his Father (John 20:17), nor did
He go there until until he ascended. -- Acts 1:3-11.
2 Corinthians 12:2: I know a man in Christ, who, fourteen years ago, whether in the body, I know not, or out of the body, I know not, God, knoweth, such a one as this, caught away, as far as the third heaven;
2 Corinthians 12:3: And I know such a man as this, whether in the body or apart from the body, I know not, — God knoweth,
2 Corinthians 12:4: How that he was caught away into paradise, and heard unspeakable things, which it is not allowable for a man to utter:
-- Rotherham
2 Corinthians 12:2
oida anthrwpon en christw pro etwn dekatessarwn
I HAVE KNOWN MAN IN CHRIST BEFORE YEARS FOURTEEN,--
1492_5 0444 1722 5547 4253 2094 1180
eite en swmati ouk oida eite ektos tou
WHETHER IN BODY NOT I HAVE KNOWN, OR OUTSIDE OF THE
1535 1722 4983 3756 1492_5 1535 1623 3588
swmatos ouk oida ho theos oiden
BODY NOT I HAVE KNOWN, THE GOD HAS KNOWN,--
4983 3756 1492_5 3588 2316 1492_5
harpagenta ton toiouton hews tritou ouranou
HAVING BEEN SNATCHED AWAY THE SUCH (ONE) UNTIL THIRD HEAVEN.
0726 3588 5108 2193_5 5154 3772
2 Corinthians 12:3
kai oida ton toiouton anthrwpon eite en swmati
AND I HAVE KNOWN THE SUCH MAN,-- WHETHER IN BODY
2532 1492_5 3588 5108 0444 1535 1722 4983
eite chwris tou swmatos ouk oida ho theos
OR APART FROM THE BODY NOT I HAVE KNOWN, THE GOD
1535 5565 3588 4983 3756 1492_5 3588 2316
oiden
HAS KNOWN,--
1492_5
2 Corinthians 12:4
hoti heerpagee eis ton paradeison kai eekousen
THAT HE WAS SNATCHED AWAY INTO THE PARADISE AND HE HEARD
3754 0726 1519 3588 3857 2532 0191
arreeta rheemata ha ouk exon anthrwpw
UNSAYABLE SAYINGS WHICH NOT LAWFUL (THING) TO MAN
0731 4487 3739 3756 1832 0444
laleesai
TO SPEAK.
2980
-- Westcott & Hort Interlinear, as obtained from the Bible Students Library
CD
Thus we need to seed that the idea of "up" is supplied by translators, probably because in their minds they associated both the third heaven and paradise with Greek mythology, as adopted and adapted by traditional Judaism and Christianity. It is not actually part of what Paul said.
http://bible.crosswalk.com/Lexicons/Greek/grk.cgi?number=726
-- See our studies:
Yahweh's Plan of the Ages
http://reslight.net/ages.html
Mankind's Course to the Day of Judgment.
http://reslight.net/course.html
The Thief in Paradise
http://reslight.net/thief.html.
Hope of Life After Death
http://reslight.net/life.html
Updated: March 21, 2003
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