The Three Heavens - Part 2

I wrote a brief description about the Three Heavens in November 2012 that can be found here in its entirety. I have had a lot of responses to it and many more expressing their curiosity about the heavens. I've decided to expand the article a bit more as the other one was a briefing. I will use parts of my original article and add a great deal more to it, along with using a few of the pics found in the post because they are helpful in the description. Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." It did not say HEAVEN, it said HEAVENS!! Plural. More than one....our journey begins.

Let's first start with the diagram that I found during my research for the first post. It basically sums up the established structure of the heavens which is found in Genesis 1.

The Established Structure of the Three Heavens

Genesis 1:6-8, "Then God said, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters." 7 Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so. 8 And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day."  The creation of the firmament is associated with the placement of some kind of structure. God desires that a firmament be created in the midst of the waters. What is a firmament? The Hebrew word used here is: raqiyae: a) an expanse - example: the visible arch of the sky. In English we have the definition: firmament: a) The expanse of the heavens; sky. The key word in each of the definitions is expanse. Creating a space that would divide the waters into two groups: beneath, one vast ocean of water and above, the clouds filled with water. On the second day of creation, the Lord God actually "divided" the waters (notice it is plural - waters) of the great "deep" into two parts with the "firmament" in the midst. So, according to Genesis 1:10, both the waters that were upon the face of the Earth and the waters that He placed ABOVE the firmament He called "Seas." Genesis 1:10, "And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good." This is very important for us to understand. We know the waters here on Earth are called "Seas" in the Bible, but there's also another "Sea" that's spoken of in the Scriptures; one that is above the firmament. (A special side note here: Notice the word "Sea" is capitalized at Genesis 1:10 in the KJV and NKJV Bible). Anytime something is capitalized that would otherwise be a normal written word, we need to take note of its importance. This is no exception. So, exactly where is "ABOVE" the firmament? During the seven days of the Genesis regeneration, the Lord God clearly defined the Three Heavens.

The first heaven is the Earth's atmosphere: Genesis 1:10, "And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good." 

The second heaven is the vast expanse of the physical universe - outer space, the Stellar Heaven, as we now call it: Genesis 1:14, "Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years;" Interestingly enough, these two heavens actually constitute a continuum which is called the "firmament," and collectively, this firmament is called "Heaven": Genesis 1:8, "And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day."

The Third Heaven is above this upper "Sea," and this higher sea is below the Throne of God, His dwelling place: Revelation 4:6, "Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back." So then therefore, this particular "Sea" that is above the firmament is understood to be above the known physical universe. Revelation 4:1-2 states "After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, "Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this." Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne." Since the sun, moon and stars are "in" the firmament, this "Sea" MUST be above them. I know this is difficult for the world of science of man and humanity to even fathom, but it's a cosmology Scriptural fact. It represents a firm and impassable barrier between the world of man (below) and the abode of our Living, Loving God Almighty (above). Everything, and I do mean everything, that we ever needed to know about the heavens, the firmament and the creation is found in God's inerrant, God-breathed Word. It's Truth has remained, and WILL remain, untouched. It can never be rebuked or refuted. AMEN!

Here are some additional verses in the Bible which refer to this particular Sea:
Psalms 148:4, "Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, And you waters above the heavens!"
Rev 4:6, ""Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back." This is the sea John saw in his vision.
Revelation 21:1, "Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea." This is a present "sea" of separation that will not exist any longer when God destroys the old world. Once God destroys the old work, He will make all things new again after the 1,000-year Kingdom of Heaven reign and the final judgment that will follow.
Exodus 20:11, "For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it." The sea that is referenced in this verse is a reference to the sea established ABOVE the firmament, NOT to any sea on the Earth's surface. The heaven and Earth are set apart as separate and distinct entities. The "sea" is also. That particular sea above the firmament wasn't made until the second day of Genesis. Let's look at that scripture again, as quoted above, for the truth to back that up: Genesis 1:6-8, "Then God said, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters." 7 Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so. 8 And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day."

The simple fact that Jesus, Himself, passed THROUGH the heavens gives much evidence that there are more than one heaven as evidenced in Hebrews 4:14 saying, "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession." There are three heavens, entirely distinct from each other. Let's explore them in a little more detail.

Heaven on Earth

Carry Your Cross to Heaven!

Let's explore the heavens by order. The 1st Heaven is the Earth or Atmospheric Heaven. The atmospheric heavens include the air that we breathe as well as the space that immediately surrounds the earth. The first heaven consists of the clouds and the atmosphere, the heavens above us, until we come to the stars. The technical term for this is the "troposphere." It extends about twenty miles above the earth. The space above this is called the "stratosphere." The atmosphere (air) where we live here on earth. Our body identifies with this atmosphere, and we experience it with our five earthly (bodily, physical) senses – eyes, nose, mouth, ears, and touch. This is the heaven that we are most in touch with; that we experience the most. The Scripture uses the term heaven to describe this area. In Deuteronomy 28:12, it says, "The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow." And another good reference is Judges 5:4, "LORD, when thou went out of Seir, when thou marched out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water." One last reference of many in the Bible is Matthew 6:26, "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather in barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them." God loves to build and create. His only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, is a Carpenter. God wanted a place where all of His creation could run to Him and enjoy Him; praise Him and seek Him. He wanted a place where His children could call "home" and where His children could walk with Him. So, since He created the Creation, so too, did He create a "house." He called it the heavens and the earth. The Bible likens the heavens and the earth to a house with different levels and chambers, or as we would call them, "stories." The heavens are the upper chambers of God’s household. The earth is the lower chamber of His house. The first heaven. This is simply where we live and where we breath.

Psalms 78: 23-23 "Yet He had commanded the clouds above, and opened the doors of heaven, had rained down manna on them to eat, and given them of the bread of heaven." The expression "doors of heaven" or "windows of heaven" involved our atmosphere. Descriptions used of this heaven is from where God would provide food or rain. Genesis 7:11-12: "the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was on the earth forty days and forty nights." Genesis 8:2: "The fountains of the deep and the windows of heaven were also stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained" Malachi 3:10 Says the LORD of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it."

Amos 9:5-6, "The Lord God of hosts, He who touches the earth and it melts, And all who dwell there mourn; All of it shall swell like the River, And subside like the River of Egypt. v6) He who builds His layers in the sky, And has founded His strata in the earth; Who calls for the waters of the sea, And pours them out on the face of the earth-The Lord is His name."

The 2nd Heaven is the Celestial Heaven or Outer Space (Stellar Heaven) or the starry heavens (Deuteronomy 17:3; Jeremiah 8:2; Matthew 24:29). It includes the sun, moon, and stars. The second heaven is above us and has influence on our soul – mind and emotions. Colossians 1:16 "For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him." Then in Deuteronomy 4:19, "And take heed, lest you lift up your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, you feel driven to worship them and serve them, which the Lord your God has given to all the peoples under the whole heaven as a heritage." The Scripture speaks of heavenly spheres beyond that which is visible from the earth. Our physical eyes can't see this heavenly sphere. This is called the heaven of heavens. Satan was expelled from the third heaven and is now on the earth among us, but he rules from the second heaven. Ephesians 6:12 says, "we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." Notice it says "places" as in plural? Luke 10:18 makes another reference to Satan falling from heaven, "And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven." The psalmist wrote, "Praise Him, you heaven of heavens and you waters above the heavens!" Psalm 148:4!!

Genesis 1:14-17, "Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; v15) and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. v16) Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. v17) God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth," In these passages, we see the two words firmament and heaven mentioned once again and although the definition of firmament remains the same, there is also something new that's being added to a particular region of space right outside of the atmosphere. Here we come across the same word shameh in Hebrew but its definition has now been modified to include the vast expansion of planets and stars, etc, that will be injected through the distinct creative acts of God, and God alone. The Hebrew word, shameh can be defined as "shameh: to be lofty; such as the sky in this sense: 2) the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve." The English definition stays the same as written above as a part of the region above and surrounding the earth. The word used specifically in English for this particular region is simply called "outer space." Interestingly enough, in the Greek, the definition of heaven follows the English usage: ouranos: a) the sky. So in essence, it includes both the atmosphere and the region where the stars abound! The second heaven is the starry heavens, and it's where our atmosphere ends. It's the part of the heavens where the sun, moon, and stars are firmly fixed in orbit. The stars are seemingly endless when we look at them through our earthly eyes. The distance between all of them is staggering! It's no wonder the Bible states in Psalm 19:1, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork." In ancient times, people were in complete awe of the starry expanse and for good reason. They used to lay on their rooftops to watch and gaze into the starry heavens. Today we know just how immense this really is with the advancement of technology and the expansion of our abilities scientifically. Amazing!

The Levels of Heaven

Now let's move on to the 3rd Heaven! That is the dwelling place of God the Father. The home of God! The third heaven is where God rules from. This is where God and the holy angels (and creatures) and spirits of just men dwell. It's called the "heaven of heavens." (See Deuteronomy 10:14; 1 Kings 8:27; Psalms 115:16; 148:4) It's the highest location of the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Heaven. This is the heaven that Satan was thrown out of. The third heaven is where God’s angels reside, and it is the present location of the New Jerusalem. This is found in Revelation 21:2, "Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." The third heaven is where one receives revelation from God. Revelation 4:1-2 states "After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, "Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this." Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne." The Bible is clear that God cannot be limited to any one geographical place. "But will indeed God dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You." 1 Kings 8:27. Yet Scripture also teaches us that there is a certain geographical place where God resides. It is also a designated heaven. The writer to the Hebrews said in Hebrews 8:1, "The point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven." We know that God is in complete control of ,and rules over, the third heaven, and He can also rule over the first and second heavens as He wills. He does, in fact rule over ALL three, but He also allows others, us and Satan, to have dominion over the first and second heavens. Genesis 1:26 tells us, "Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." Then we're told clearly in Genesis 1:28, "Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." 

The first Adam gave his dominion away to Satan, but the Second Adam gives it back to His people. In 1 Corinthians 15:45-47, "And so it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. v46) However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. v47) The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven." 

Luke 10:18-19, "And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you."

The word Heaven appears 550 times in the Bible. The first mention is Genesis 1:1 right in the very beginning of the Word! And because it's the residence of God with the people of God (Revelation 21:3) Jesus taught us to pray, "Our Father, which art in heaven" as we see in Matthew 6:9! When Jesus ascended into Heaven, the angel’s last words were in Acts 1:11, "who also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven." Later, Paul wrote of being lifted into the third heaven, apparently a place of revelation or superior insight. The believers will be raptured, or evacuated - caught up, into the air at the Lord’s return. A day we should ALL be looking forward to! Jesus said in John 14:2, "In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you." Jesus Himself calls the third heaven His Father's house! The eternal Heaven, the highest above all heavens, the place where God rules, is the actual presence of God. It's the ultimate salvation, because when we have this everlasting union with God, all of our sins, and everything that is not in conformity to God, is banished forever from His presence. Made pure. Made white as snow. Matthew 28:18, "And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth." 

The throne of God is there–the place of authority, where He rules and reigns as King forever.
The heavens were established as a right of rule. The third heaven is way beyond the space and stars and where no man has seen by telescope or the most advanced technological inventions. They were created as invisible environments (atmospheres) where one must live in spirit to experience them. There are invisible creatures that also live in the heavens – God’s angels and Satan’s fallen angels. The whole point of the heavens is to establish a right of rule (dominion). Man has been given the right of rule (self-control)  in the 1st and 2nd heavens through God's power in Jesus' name. The only way to fully experience these rights is to repent, be born again, die to self and accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior!



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