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NASB | 2 Corinthians 12:2 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. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 2 Corinthians 12:2 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, [only] God knows--such a man was caught up to the third heaven. [Luke 23:43] |
Bible Question: What is this third heaven? |
Bible Answer: Please review Rev. 21:27,Luke 12:45-48 and Luke 12:45-(59) 1 Corinthians 3:15,1 Corinthians 15:41, -- Quite Simple the third Heaven is the abode of Elohim -The Father, Jehovah-The Son, and The Queen of Heaven. According thw works which a man does in this life so will his reward be. THere are many verses that can be sited to show the neccesity of works in salvation but that is another issue all together. The point in mentioning it though is that the three degrees of glory sited in 1 Corinthians 15 answers your question. At the ressurrection our works will determine or place or position in reference to God. Another words, He who has been the most righteous and whos sins can be covered under the merit of grace therefore being sinless will enter into the 'fulness of God's glory'----the third heaven which glory is as the sun in relation to the moon. Those who still have residual sins that cannot be covered under the merit of grace must walk through the atoning fire of purgatory or 'spirit prison' and that man will not be released "until he pays the tiniest penny" as Christ has said.This final purification of the elect is entirely different from the punishment of the damned.The purification is necessary because, as Scripture teaches, nothing unclean will enter the presence of God in heaven (Rev. 21:27) and, while we may die with our mortal sins forgiven, there can still be many impurities in us, specifically venial sins and the temporal punishment due to sins already forgiven. However that man cannot ever recieve of God's fullness but recieves the heaven which has the glory of the moon. And so on and so forth..."For in my father's house are many mansions" |