Caught Up to the Third Heaven 2 Corinthians 12:2

Paul the apostle told the church members in Corinth, “It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord”, and in chapter twelve and verse two of Second Corinthians, Paul shared how he was, “caught up to the third heaven” where we read:

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.

The verse begins, “I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago,...” Paul began with the words, “I knew” which means “Paul saw, perceived, noticed and discerned” “a man” or “a male human being” “in Christ” which refers to the anointed One, the Messiah and the Son of God” “above fourteen years ago” or “more than fourteen years prior to the current time”. Paul referred to himself as he remembered a spiritual experience he encountered fourteen years prior to writing these words.

The verse continues, “(whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knows;)”. Paul began with the word, “whether” which means “if” “in the body” or “within the physical body or corpse”, “I cannot” which means “Paul was not able to” “tell” or “see, perceive, notice or discern”: “God” which refers to the Godhead bodily and trinity which is comprised of God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit” “knows” or “sees, perceives, notices and discerns”. Paul shared concerning a time when he had an “out of body experience” which he could not perceive but knew God could.

The verse goes on to say, “ such an one caught up to the third heaven.” Paul added the words, “such an one caught up” which means “this kind or sort seized, carried off by force or snatched out or away” “to the third heaven” or “to the third region above the sidereal heavens, the seat of order of things eternal and consummately perfect where God dwells and other heavenly things”. Paul knew he was “snatched away” to the “third heaven” where God and other eternal spiritual beings dwell.

When we meditate upon these words of Paul, we see how he knew he was taken to “the third heaven”, however, he wasn't certain whether he was in or out of his body. Jesus Christ has the ability through the Holy Spirit of God to move a person's spirit from the earthly natural world to the “spiritual world” where heaven exists. Paul had this “vision and revelation”, and he desired for the church members in Corinth to know about it. The plan of salvation is “eternal and everlasting” through Jesus Christ, and Paul was able to experience this world before his physical death.

Next time Paul tells the church members, “I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: ” and more, so read ahead, and we shall join together then,

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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