Third Heaven

The Third Heaven, also known as "Sagun" or "Shehaqim", [ [http://www.sarahsarchangels.com/angelofday/angels2.html Angels A-Z] at [http://www.sarahsarchangels.com/ sarahsarchangels.com] ] is a spiritual division of the universe within Judeo-Christian cosmology. In some traditions is it considered the abode of God,Henry, Matthew, http://www.ccel.org/ccel/henry/mhc6.viii.xiii.html "Commentary on the Whole Bible Volume VI (Acts to Revelation)": Second Corinthians Chap. XII] , Public domain, Library of Congress call no: BS490.H4, at [http://www.ccel.org/ Christian Classics Ethereal Library] ] and in others a lower level of Paradise, commonly one of seven.Ginzberg, Louis (1909) [http://www.sacred-texts.com/jud/loj/loj103.htm "The Legends of the Jews"] , Chapter 1, at [http://www.sacred-texts.com/index.htm sacred-texts.com] ]

References in the Bible

The Old Testament

References to distinct concepts known as "Heaven" occur in the very earliest books of the Old Testament.Henry, Matthew, http://www.ccel.org/ccel/henry/mhc6.viii.xiii.html "Commentary on the Whole Bible Volume VI (Acts to Revelation)": Second Corinthians Chap. XII] , Public domain, Library of Congress call no: BS490.H4, at [http://www.ccel.org/ Christian Classics Ethereal Library] ] The first use of the word heaven, in Genesis 1:9 and 20 refers to the atmosphere over the earth in which birds fly. The second, mentioned in Genesis 1:14, is the setting for the celestial lights, later identified (Genesis 1:16) as the sun, moon and stars.

A third concept of Heaven, also called "shamayi h'shamayim" (ם‎שמי‎ה‎ שמי: the "Heaven of Heavens") is mentioned in such passages as Genesis 28:12, Deuteronomy 10:14 and 1 Kings 8:27 as a distinctly spiritual realm containing (or being traveled by) angels and God Himself. [van der Toorn, Becking, van der Horst (1999), "Dictionary of Deities and Demons in The Bible", Second Extensively Revised Edition, Entry: Heaven, pp. 388-390, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, ISBN 0-8028-2491-9]

Due to the ambiguity of the term "Heaven" as it is used in the Old Testament books, and the fact that the word in Hebrew, "shamayim", (ם‎שמי‎) is plural, a number of interpretations have been offered for various texts involving its nature, notably the assumption of the prophet Elijah.

The New Testament

An Epistle of the Apostle Paul, included in the New Testament, contains an explicit reference to the Third Heaven. In a letter to the Corinthian church he writes, "I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knows;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knows;) How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter." (2 Corinthians 12:2-4)

The apparent parallelism of the passage equates the Third Heaven with "Paradise"Henry, Matthew, http://www.ccel.org/ccel/henry/mhc6.viii.xiii.html "Commentary on the Whole Bible Volume VI (Acts to Revelation)": Second Corinthians Chap. XII] , Public domain, Library of Congress call no: BS490.H4, at [http://www.ccel.org/ Christian Classics Ethereal Library] ] the traditional destination of redeemed humans and the general connotation of the term "Heaven" in mainstream Christianity. [ [http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/heaven-location.html "Is heaven located in the northern sky?"] at [http://www.christiananswers.net/ christiananswers.net] ]

References in other Hebrew literature

Location and geography

In the Pseudopigraphal Book of the Secrets of Enoch, the Third Heaven is described as a location "between corruptibility and incorruptibility" (2 Enoch 8:5) containing the Tree of Life, "whereon the Lord rests, when he goes up into paradise." (verse 3) Two springs in the Third Heaven, one of milk and the other of honey, along with two others of wine and oil, flow down into the Garden of Eden, which is also located there. (verse 6)

In contrast with the common concept of Paradise, 2 Enoch also describes a place of torment existing in the Third Heaven, "a very terrible place" with "all manner of tortures" in which merciless angels torment "those who dishonour God, who on earth practice sin against nature," including sodomites, sorcerers, enchanters, witches, the proud, thieves, liars and those guilty of various other transgressions. (2 Enoch 10:1-3) In the Slavonic version of the "Greek Apocalypse of Baruch", also known as 3 Baruch, the author is shown a Phoenix, and a dragon residing there is said to eat the bodies of "those that have spent their lives in evil." [ [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=329&letter=B Baruch, Apocalypse of] at [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/ jewishencyclopedia.com] ] [ [http://www.carm.org/lost/3baruch.htm "3 Baruch"] at [http://www.carm.org/ The Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry] ]

In "The Legends of The Jews" by Louis Ginzberg, this third division of Paradise is said to be, like the other six, "twelve myriads of miles in width and twelve myriads of miles in length," built of silver and gold, and containing "the best of everything there is in heaven."Ginzberg, Louis (1909) [http://www.sacred-texts.com/jud/loj/loj103.htm "The Legends of the Jews"] , Chapter 1, at [http://www.sacred-texts.com/index.htm sacred-texts.com] ]

Residents

Aside from the redeemed, the transgressors and various angels mentioned in the Bible and other Hebrew literature, a number of specific figures and spirits are mentioned as residing in the Third Heaven. These include, by source,

*The "Apocalypse" attributed to James:Davidson, Gustav (1967), "A Dictionary of Angels, Including The Fallen Angels", Entry: Third Heaven, p. 288, Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 66-19757] :*John the Baptist

*"The Legends of The Jews" by Louis Ginzberg: [http://www.sacred-texts.com/jud/loj/loj103.htm "The Legends of the Jews"] , Chapter 1, Louis Ginzberg, (1909) at [http://www.sacred-texts.com/index.htm sacred-texts.com] ] :*Abraham:*Isaac:*Jacob:*Moses:*Aaron:*the Israelites of the Exodus:*the kings of Judah (notably David, but "with the exception of Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, who presides in the second division, over the penitents")

References in Islam

According to Islamic legend, Muhammad's journey into Paradise included an admission to the Third Heaven by the angel Gabriel, in which he met Joseph, who received him warmly. [ [http://muslim-canada.org/miraj_dictionaryofislam.html Mi'raj] at the [http://muslim-canada.org/ Canadian Society of Muslims Website] ]

Islamic tradition also places Azrael, the angel of death, in the Third Heaven.Davidson, Gustav (1967), "A Dictionary of Angels, Including The Fallen Angels", Entry: Third Heaven, p. 288, Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 66-19757]

ee also

*Celestial kingdom
*Empyrean
*Heaven
*Paradise
*Seventh Heaven

References

External links

* [http://www.crivoice.org/thirdheaven.html What is the "third heaven"] , Douglas Ward, 2006 at [http://www.crivoice.org/index.html The Voice]
* [http://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/2Cr/2Cr012.html#top 2 Corinthians, Chapter 12] (KJV) at [http://www.blueletterbible.org blueletterbible.org]
* [http://www.piney-2.com/ApocEnoch2.html "The Book of the Secrets of Enoch - II"] at [http://www.piney-2.com/ The Bible and History]