MEANING OF THE WORD “HEAVEN”: The Greek word from which heaven comes has the root meaning: “solid crystal” or “spatial expansion.” The origin of this word has to do with Water. r (Colin Brown: The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology; Volume 2: pages 188-1969
Colossians 1:16 For by Him the all things were created in the heavens (plural). Throughout the Word of God there are BASICALLY THREE HEAVENS or at least three heavens.
After the Angelic Conflict God cast all the fallen angels (those who chose to go with Satan) into the Deep (depths of the expanse of water) then God froze that water. Then as the Holy Spirit moved over the deep (Genesis 1:2) water covered the earth and way out there was yet another “heavenly ocean” (Brown, page 189) The vastness between these two great waters was called “HEAVEN” like a hollow sphere.
Look at Genesis 1:8 God called the expanse heaven. NASV in the margin firmament. The Hebrew word means an expanse, firmament, an extended surface. A vault that lies between that area of water around the earth and that heavenly ocean way out in space and the area, the vacuum. This word also comes from the root of ‘boundary” (The Complete Biblical Library Volume 4, page 414) or the boundary above, referring to these waters serving as a boundary above the earth – *yet below the heavenly ocean or the outer circle of water around all this space – this vacuum is called HEAVEN.
Lexicon definitions: The Complete Word Study Dictionary New Testament: heaven, sky, air. In the New Testament in a physical sense it means the over-arching, all embracing heaven beneath which is the earth and all that is therein. It is also used for that heaven where the residence of God is, called by the Psalmist “THE HOLY HEAVENS” A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Arndt and Gingrich) where they take some 4 full columns to discuss this word. [simply: heaven.] This is what is found in several of the Greek Lexicon..; the word heaven followed by pages discussing various aspects of heaven.
Old Testament Lexicons generally also start with a simple word “heaven” or “sky” and then also move on to various discussions concerning the word.
THE PLURAL HEAVENS
You will note in Colossians 1:16 For by Him the all things were created in the heavens (plural.) Throughout the Word of God there are basically three heavens or at least three heavens.
First Heaven is that portion of the sky immediately around the earth. That part we see just above the earth—clouds in First Heaven and this is the abode of birds of the air.
Second Heaven is what we see on a clear night, when we look way up into the vastness of the stars and celestial creations; This is the area of outer space like the galaxies. The far off space of the stars, many of course can be seen with the naked eye, but also multitudes require high powered telescopes to see.
The first Biblical reference is found in Genesis 1:14 Then God said let there be lights or luminaries in the expanse of the heavens (and one of these is the sun, others are planets, comets; Comets are luminous in contrast to satellites which are reflectors.)
There are no comets in our heaven (galaxy) but they exist in other galaxies But we do have meteors in our galaxy. Meteors enter our atmosphere at great velocity and it has been estimated that there are some 75 million meteors entering the earths atmosphere daily.
Chinese scientists tell us that an Asteroid is headed in the direction of earth with the force of 3 billion bombs, so if you do not have enough to worry about, here is something to add to your list; or…you can just TRUST God that He has a plan for this earth for at least 1000 and seven years.
As we read on in Genesis 1:14-18 and then God tells us one of their functions
14 to separate the day from the night and let them be signs and for seasons and for days and years.
15 And let them be for lights in the expanse (heaven) of the heavens to give light on the earth and it was so
16 God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also.
17 God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth,
18 and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good.
So the purpose for the solar system in the Second Heaven is given. We have five given functions.
1 To divide the day from the night –purpose of the sun.
2 For the discerning of times
3 For seasons—divisions of the year; winter, the season of dormancy, Spring the season of sowing and germination of seed. Summer the season of growth and maturity and Autumn the season of harvest.
4 For days and years, the rotation of the earth was the solar standard for determining time until 1940—called solar time but after 1940 we use a much more accurate measure called atomic time.
5 To give light to the earth
To give you some idea of just how vast this Second Heaven is, and all that it involves, let us look at how Astronomy measures the universe because we can go to billions of miles within our own solar system. The system for this measuring is in reference to how fast light travels. Light travels 186,000 miles per second; if you multiply that by 60, you can tell how many miles light travels in a minute: 11,160,000 mpm. You carry this out to a year and from this we have what astrologers call “light years”. One light year equals about 6 Trillion miles.
And beyond our system lies still more galaxies. With the naked eye we can observe 100,000 light years away, so to really think of just how big the Second Heaven is you have to think in terms of galactic clusters.
As we read on in Genesis 1:14-18 and then God tells us one of their functions: 14 to separate the day from the night and let them be signs and for seasons and for days and years. 15 And let them be for lights in the expanse (heaven) of the heavens to give light on the earth and it was so 16 God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also. 17 God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good.
Virgo, for example, is a cluster of several thousand galaxies, not just a star but a cluster of galaxies, and it is 50,000,000 light years away. The Milky Way, for example, is simply a series of galaxies. The Big Dipper, well when you look at the big dipper with your girlfriend you are looking 650,000,000 light years away. Another very important reason for the design of the Second Heaven was for the purpose of special signs and wonders and miracles, some of the great events of history.
Such events as the “SIGNS AND WONDERS” associated with Joshua’s Long Day, the Exodus, the Cross and, of course, the heavenly signs at the Second coming of JESUS CHRIST. There are no such signs for the Rapture of the Church. Now, remember there is yet a Third Heaven beyond the second.
The Third Heaven we cannot see – it is way out there as the abode of God. Where the Throne of God is; the garden of stones… This is where JESUS CHRIST is sitting right now at the right hand of God.
Now all this about the Second Heaven may not be all that important to you right now, but if you, as a believer in JESUS CHRIST die before the Rapture I want to give you some idea of how far your soul will travel to be with the Lord. Also what is going on in the Second Heaven is not all that important to us right now in the Church Age, but it will become significant in eschatology; that is... during and at the end of the Tribulation and the return of JESUS CHRIST to the earth. Much of this celestial activity is covered in the book of Revelation.
1. The Third Heaven is the dwelling of God. Now, of course, God is omnipresent, but there is a place where He reveals Himself in the Second Person of the Godhead, JESUS CHRIST. This is a real place with a real location in the Third Heaven.
2. This is where the throne of God is located. Psalm 11: 4 The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD’S throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. God, even JESUS CHRIST can look down from the Third Heaven and view everything going on, on the earth. Psalm 103: 19 The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all. (He rules over all the angelic authorities in the Second Heaven and on earth.)
3. This is also called the DWELLING PLACE OF GOD 2 Chronicles 6:21 “Listen to the supplications of Your servant and of Your people Israel when they pray toward this place; hear from Your dwelling place, from heaven; hear and forgive.
4. The Third Heaven is the dwelling place of the Third Member of the Godhead, God the Holy Spirit, Matthew 3:16, and the Holy Spirit is called the heavenly gift, Hebrews 6:4.
5. This is also called the Kingdom of Heaven, Matthew 4:17.
6. JESUS CHRIST in his Resurrected Body ascended through the first and Second Heaven and at this very moment is seated at the right hand of God in the Third Heaven. So the Resurrected Body of JESUS CHRIST is there, which reveals that this is a real literal place.
7. The Third Heaven is extremely important to the believer in the Church Age living in the period called the mystery.
(1) First this is the place of your Second birth. John 3:3 speaks of being born from above This is very important in the thinking of every believer. In your first birth, you were born here on earth, cosmos, but in your second birth you are from above, that is the Third Heaven.
(2) And your citizenship is in the Third Heaven. Philippians 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; It is amazing how many Christians get so caught up in this world, when we are not from this world. We are ambassadors for Christ here on earth, our citizenship is in the Third heaven.
And we do not look for great blessings from this world but from the Third heaven at the coming of JESUS CHRIST. One day JESUS CHRIST will rise up in His Resurrected Body from the throne in the Third Heaven and travel through all the Second Heaven and as He approaches earth, a trumpet will sound and every believer will rise up and meet Him in the air. Until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
1 Thessalonians 4:15-18
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
So at the Rapture we will meet the Lord in the First Heaven, in the clouds.
(3) The Third Heaven is the location of the source of all Divine blessing, the abode of God is the sphere of all our blessings. Colossians 1:5 and Ephesians 1: 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, John 3:27 John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven. Ephesians 1: 3 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, John 3:27 John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven.
(4) In Colossians 1:5 we saw the hope laid up for you in heaven.
(5) Our inheritance is stored in the Third heaven for us, 1 Peter 1:4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
(6) In the Angelic Conflict the Third heaven is very important for it is here that the victory of JESUS CHRIST will take place. Ephesians 1: 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
(7) This is the place of your Eternal Security, that you are saved forever in JESUS CHRIST. Ephesians 2:6 and raised us up with Him, (at the point of Faith in JESUS CHRIST as Savior) and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
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