QUESTION MARK - © Tamás Gerencser | Dreamstime.comMany people believe they are going to heaven when they die but the Bible describes three heavens, not just one.

The critical question for them: "to which heaven are you going?"

The first heaven mentioned in Scripture is the sky: the abode of birds, kites, and airplanes.  Genesis 1:20, Job 12:7, and Psalm 8:8 (among many other verses) speak of this first heaven.

The second heaven described in Scripture is "outer space": the abode of the sun, the moon, and the stars. Genesis 15:5, Deuteronomy 4:19, Psalm 8:3 all mention this second heaven.

The third heaven Scripture addresses is the spiritual realm that is the abode of G-d and angels. Ephesians 1:20 says that the Father has raised Messiah from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places. Paul tells us about a man who visited this third heaven in 2 Corinthians 12:2-4. Many scholars believe that Paul was speaking modestly of himself and his (possible) death in Acts 14:19.

It is to this third heaven that most people expect to go when they die. The good news is that everyone gets to go to heaven (everyone comes before the throne of G-d for judgment- Psalm 11:4, Romans 14:10). The bad news is that not everyone gets to stay there (Luke 12:5).

Please note that nowhere in the Bible are "seven heavens" described or mentioned.  Although the Talmud and Islam both teach that there are seven heavens, Scripture only directly speaks of these three.

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Today is

Yom Shishi, 11 Nisan, 5784

Friday, April 19, 2024

 

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