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Three
Kinds of "Heaven" in the Bible:
The Bible tells about three kinds of Heavens:
1. The First heaven:
The first heaven is the atmosphere, a material heaven, the physical
heavens of the sky and outer space, and it has its own hosts, like
birds, planets, stars. And that's just natural. (Gen Chapter 1)
2. The Second heaven:
The Second heaven is what Paul calls "the heavenly places"
in Eph.6:12, a spiritual heaven around us today, as Paul puts it:
"For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against
the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of
this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in
the heavenly places" (Eph.6:12).
3. The Third Heaven, our real Heaven!:
The Third Heaven, the one that Paul was caught up into and he heard
things and saw things there that could not be translated to the
natural world, the third heaven is that place where God Himself
dwells. "I know a man in Christ (Paul himself) who fourteen
years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the
body or out of the body I do not know--God knows. And I know that
this man--whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know,
but God knows-- was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible
things, things that man is not permitted to tell." (2Cor.12:1-4)
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PHOTO OF THE MONTH |
Tour
of the Relics of the Passion
(International Center
for Holy Relics)
www.HolyRelics.org
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| REFLECTIONS |
 “Jesus’
Baptism”
Why did Jesus, the sinless one sent from the Father in heaven,
submit himself to John’s baptism? John preached a
baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Luke
3:3). In this humble submission we see a foreshadowing of
the “baptism” of Jesus bloody death upon the
cross. Jesus’ baptism is the acceptance and the beginning
of his mission as God’s suffering Servant (Isaiah
52:13-15; 53:1-12). He allowed himself to be numbered among
sinners. Jesus submitted himself entirely to his Father’s
will. Out of love he consented to this baptism of death
for the remission of our sins. Do you know the joy of trust
and submission to God? 
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