Heaven
What and where is heaven? Heaven is where God currently
resides and it's somewhere "up there". We know that there
are at least three levels of heaven. The first being the
atmosphere around the earth...the "heaven" that we
breathe in every day, the second being the "heaven" that
we see each day...the one that holds the sun, moon and
stars, and the third being the one that God calls His home.
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
(Gen. 1:1). Notice He created more than one. :0)
"I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago--whether in
the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God
knows--such a man was caught up to the third heaven." (2
Cor. 12:2).
He "...was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible
words, which a man is not permitted to speak." (Vs. 4).
"...But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven..."
(Gen. 22:11).
"He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the
earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God
were ascending and descending on it." (Gen. 28:12).
" Then the Lord said to Moses, "Tell the Israelites this: 'You
have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from
heaven...' " (Ex. 20:22).
These verses, along with many others, speak of the third
heaven...the heaven that God calls home.
"And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky
to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as
signs to mark seasons and days and years, and let them
be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the
earth." And it was so. God made two great lights—the
greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern
the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the
expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the
day and the night, and to separate light from darkness."
(Gen. 1:14-18).
"And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the
moon and the stars—all the heavenly array..." (Deut. 4:19).
These verses, and many others, speak of the second
heaven...the one that separates our home from God's.
"But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take
possession of is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks
rain from heaven." (Deut. 11:11).
resides and it's somewhere "up there". We know that there
are at least three levels of heaven. The first being the
atmosphere around the earth...the "heaven" that we
breathe in every day, the second being the "heaven" that
we see each day...the one that holds the sun, moon and
stars, and the third being the one that God calls His home.
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
(Gen. 1:1). Notice He created more than one. :0)
"I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago--whether in
the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God
knows--such a man was caught up to the third heaven." (2
Cor. 12:2).
He "...was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible
words, which a man is not permitted to speak." (Vs. 4).
"...But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven..."
(Gen. 22:11).
"He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the
earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God
were ascending and descending on it." (Gen. 28:12).
" Then the Lord said to Moses, "Tell the Israelites this: 'You
have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from
heaven...' " (Ex. 20:22).
These verses, along with many others, speak of the third
heaven...the heaven that God calls home.
"And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky
to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as
signs to mark seasons and days and years, and let them
be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the
earth." And it was so. God made two great lights—the
greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern
the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the
expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the
day and the night, and to separate light from darkness."
(Gen. 1:14-18).
"And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the
moon and the stars—all the heavenly array..." (Deut. 4:19).
These verses, and many others, speak of the second
heaven...the one that separates our home from God's.
"But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take
possession of is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks
rain from heaven." (Deut. 11:11).
"Now the springs of the deep and the floodgates of the
heavens had been closed, and the rain had stopped falling
from the sky." (Gen. 8:2)
And these verses, along with many others, speak of the first
heaven...or the one we live in.
"To the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest
heavens, the earth and everything in it." (Deut. 10:14).
Just a friendly reminder that you (and everything that you
believe is yours) belongs to God! :0)
We know heaven is up there somewhere, because the voice
of the Lord comes down. He looks down on us from
heaven...which He can't do unless He's up to begin with.
"Look down from heaven, your holy dwelling place..." (Deut.
26:15). (As it's His holy dwelling place, we know it's His
home.)
And our prayers and cries go up to Him.
"...and the outcry of the city went up to heaven." (1 Sam.
5:12).
And, don't forget, the "man was caught up to the third
heaven." (2 Cor. 12:2).
Aside from all of this...what many of us might call the simple
stuff about heaven...there is so much other stuff that can be
said about it that many books could be written on the
subject. For instance, there are many things here on earth
that are simply lesser copies of the real things which are in
heaven.
"They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of
what is in heaven." (Heb. 8:5).
There are all kinds of activities going on there that we
humans are generally unaware of.
"Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood
at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the
prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the
throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers
of the saints, went up before God from the angel's hand.
Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the
altar, and hurled it on the earth..." (Rev. 8:3-5).
"But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me
twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes,
came to help me..." (Dan. 10:13).
heavens had been closed, and the rain had stopped falling
from the sky." (Gen. 8:2)
And these verses, along with many others, speak of the first
heaven...or the one we live in.
"To the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest
heavens, the earth and everything in it." (Deut. 10:14).
Just a friendly reminder that you (and everything that you
believe is yours) belongs to God! :0)
We know heaven is up there somewhere, because the voice
of the Lord comes down. He looks down on us from
heaven...which He can't do unless He's up to begin with.
"Look down from heaven, your holy dwelling place..." (Deut.
26:15). (As it's His holy dwelling place, we know it's His
home.)
And our prayers and cries go up to Him.
"...and the outcry of the city went up to heaven." (1 Sam.
5:12).
And, don't forget, the "man was caught up to the third
heaven." (2 Cor. 12:2).
Aside from all of this...what many of us might call the simple
stuff about heaven...there is so much other stuff that can be
said about it that many books could be written on the
subject. For instance, there are many things here on earth
that are simply lesser copies of the real things which are in
heaven.
"They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of
what is in heaven." (Heb. 8:5).
There are all kinds of activities going on there that we
humans are generally unaware of.
"Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood
at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the
prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the
throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers
of the saints, went up before God from the angel's hand.
Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the
altar, and hurled it on the earth..." (Rev. 8:3-5).
"But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me
twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes,
came to help me..." (Dan. 10:13).
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