He is a man who was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago.

 

He is a man who was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago.

 

2 Corinthians 12:1–4: "It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord: I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven. And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows—how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to speak."

The Apostle Paul faced criticism from the Corinthian believers. Had he been enraged by their betrayal, he could have ruthlessly attacked them in his letters; instead, he consistently expressed his love and concern for them.

From chapter 10 through verse 18 of chapter 12, he explains various situations by comparing himself to the false teachers who had led the congregation astray. His motivation was the fear that misunderstandings regarding the gospel he preached might prevent the Corinthians from standing firm in their faith.

Paul states that if it would help them stand firm, he would willingly play the fool by boasting about himself, just as the false teachers did. While he felt compelled to reveal that he had experienced the very spiritual encounters others boasted of—and to an even deeper degree—he lamented the reality that forced him to resort to such boasting.

Paul described the mystical experience he had undergone fourteen years earlier—following his conversion on the road to Damascus—as if it had happened to someone else. Although the Apostle Paul received visions and revelations far more mysterious than the experiences the other apostles so proudly boasted of—specifically, visions and revelations from the "third heaven" (the Kingdom of God), a realm transcending human limits and defying verbal description—he did not brag about or broadcast this fact to others as false teachers did.

Regarding the "third heaven," people in the church sometimes simply define the first heaven as the visible sky, the second as outer space, and the third as the Kingdom of God. However, the Bible does not distinguish between the visible sky and outer space; both exist within the firmament. Paul’s reference to the "third heaven" was made in a spiritual sense; it signifies the Kingdom of God—the Kingdom of Heaven—that dwells within the human spirit.

 

Matthew 3:2 states, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand," introducing the terms "Kingdom of Heaven" and "Kingdom of God." Similarly, Matthew 5:3 says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven," implying that the Kingdom of Heaven is granted to those who repent.

In Greek, the phrase is *hē basileia tōn ouranōn* (ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν). *Hē basileia* means "kingdom," while *tōn ouranōn* is a plural noun with an article, signifying the Kingdom of God as it enters the hearts of the saints.

As for the term translated as "Kingdom of God," Acts 19:8 records: "And Paul went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the kingdom of God." The Greek phrase used here is *tēs basileias tou Theou* (τῆς βασιλείας τοῦ θεοῦ). It signifies the Kingdom of God ruled by God the Father—the "Kingdom of God" commonly referred to in church settings. The phrase *tou Theou* (τοῦ Θεοῦ) includes the definite article (*tou*), indicating God the Father; conversely, the absence of the article would denote Jesus Christ.

Therefore, the Kingdom of God must be examined from these two perspectives. The term translated as "Kingdom of Heaven" (*tōn ouranōn*) refers to the Kingdom of God established when a new temple is built within the believer's heart and ruled by *ho Logos* (the Word), who dwells therein. It is the very event of Jesus Christ descending into the believer's heart and proclaiming the Kingdom of God. Within the believer's heart, *ho Logos* constitutes the Kingdom of God—a kingdom ruled by *ho Logos* through the power of the Holy Spirit.

In Luke 17:20–21, the Pharisees asked when the Kingdom of God (*hē basileia tou Theou*) would come. Jesus replied, "The Kingdom of God does not come with observable signs, nor will people say, 'Here it is' or 'There it is,' for the Kingdom of God is within (*entos* [ἐντὸς]) you."

The word *entos* corresponds to "within" in English. Jesus told the Pharisees that the Kingdom of God was in their midst—meaning that Jesus Himself was the Kingdom of God. However, the Pharisees failed to understand His words. Although the Kingdom of God had drawn near, they could not see it because their spiritual eyes were closed.

Jesus Christ is the Kingdom of God (*hē basileia tou Theou*). Those who are in Christ become, as believers, the Kingdom of Heaven (*hē basileia tōn ouranōn*). The reason is that a new temple is established within the spirit of the saint, and Christ returns to dwell within that new temple.

The Kingdom of God signifies the unity—through the Holy Spirit—of God the Father (the First Heaven: *he basileia tou Theou*), Christ (the Second Heaven: the right hand of God), and the saints (the Third Heaven: the Kingdom of God within the spirit).

The First Heaven refers to the Kingdom of God where God the Father sits upon His throne; it is the realm where God the Father is present in Spirit. It is a realm that no one has ever seen, yet it can be known through Jesus Christ. 1 Timothy 6:16 states: "He alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see; to Him be honor and eternal power. Amen."

The Second Heaven is the Kingdom of Jesus Christ—the Kingdom of the Son, who is present clothed in a spiritual body. Colossians 1:12–13 says: "Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves."

The Third Heaven is referred to as the "new heaven and new earth" or the "Millennial Kingdom" (Heaven). Although the Kingdom of God is one, it is described in three parts. The First, Second, and Third Heavens are connected by the Holy Spirit and operate according to the Word of Jehovah God. While the Kingdom of God is essentially one, it appears to human eyes in three distinct forms due to the angels who sinned against it.

In the sense of the "third heaven," the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven to the saints is manifested as the resurrected Jesus Christ descending upon them from heaven in radiant light. Although Paul describes ascending to the third heaven, the third heaven actually descends to the saints in this manner. That radiant light is beyond words.