II Corinthians 12:2
"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 knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven."
Let me start with a disclaimer: We’re going to examine how this world is set up according to the Bible. We will run several Scriptures, and as we do that, think in terms of a circle—not a flat structure, but a layered, circular arrangement. Imagine a bullseye, with different sections inside. This will help visualize the three heavens and everything under them.
The Third Heaven: God's Dwelling Place
The third heaven is the highest point in this structure. It is God’s dwelling place, where believers will one day be worshiping and praising Him.
2 Corinthians 12:2 states:
"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 knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven."
The third heaven is specifically numbered, which means there must be a second and first heaven below.
Biblical Descriptions of the Third Heaven
1 Kings 8:30 confirms:
"And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: and hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place: and when thou hearest, forgive."
Hebrews 8:1-2 states:
"We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man."
Acts 7:55-56 records Stephen’s vision: "But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God."
Hebrews 9:24 calls the third heaven "the presence of God":
"For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us."
The third heaven is where the throne of the majesty is and where we will cry, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty!"(Revelation 4).
The Second Heaven: The Celestial Heaven
The Bible doesn’t use the exact term "second heaven," but it describes a realm of the sun, moon, and stars—also called the stellar heaven or outer space.
Matthew 24:29 says:
"Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken."
This cannot be the third heaven because God’s dwelling place is not shaken. This is the realm of the sun, moon, and stars.
Deuteronomy 4:19 warns against idolatry related to the celestial realm:
"And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them."
God placed the sun, moon, and stars in the second heaven, but mankind has long turned them into objects of worship instead of worshiping the Creator.
The First Heaven: The Atmospheric Heaven
The first heaven is the sky, where birds fly, clouds form, and rain falls.
Deuteronomy 11:17 states:
"And then the Lord's wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain."
James 5:18 adds:
"And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit."
The first heaven is the atmosphere, where God controls the weather.
The Earth: The Created Land
Genesis 1:10 states: "And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good."
The earth is the foundation of all life and the place God gave to mankind.
Under the Earth: The Deep and the Sea
Exodus 20:4 warns: "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth."
Psalms 107:23-24 refers to "the wonders in the deep."
Under the earth’s surface is the sea, the deep waters, and great oceans.
Hell: The Place of Torment
Psalm 55:15 declares: "Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell."
Hell is always described as beneath.
Proverbs 15:24 adds: "The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath."
Numbers 16:30-33 recounts how Korah and his followers were swallowed alive into the pit.
Paradise: Abraham’s Bosom
Luke 16:22-26 tells of Lazarus and the rich man:
Lazarus was carried into Abraham’s bosom.
The rich man lifted up his eyes in hell.
A great gulf was fixed between them.
Before Christ’s resurrection, paradise was in the heart of the earth.
Jesus said in Luke 23:43: "Today shalt thou be with me in paradise."
But after Christ’s resurrection, paradise was moved.
2 Corinthians 12:4 states: "How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words."
Paradise was relocated to the third heaven!
A Biblical Understanding of the Universe
From the top down, the Bible describes:
The Third Heaven – God’s dwelling place.
The Second Heaven – The sun, moon, and stars.
The First Heaven – The sky and atmosphere.
The Earth’s Surface – Where we live.
The Deep – The waters under the earth.
Hell – The place of torment.
Paradise – Formerly in the heart of the earth, now relocated to heaven.
Everything in Scripture lines up perfectly, and we must let the Bible correct us—not correct the Bible!