While reading the meditations, I've noticed 3 or 4 times a mention of a third heaven that St. Paul visited. I've never heard about this before. It may be mentioned in Revelations which I have never read all the way thru. Has any one heard of this before?
4 comments:
Carol, I did a quick search of a couple reputable sites and here is what I found. Does this help?
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QUESTION. In the Second Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians, it states, "And I know that such a person - whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows - was snatched up into the third heaven and heard things that are not to be told, that no mortal is permitted to repeat." [2 Cor. 12:3-4] What did Saint Paul mean by the third heaven? Does that mean that there are three heavens? ANSWER: In modern versions of the Holy Bible, the "third heaven" has been replaced with the word "Paradise" which is what Saint Paul was referring to. In the days of Saint Paul, the space between ourselves and the stars was viewed as the first heaven. The space that contains the stars and the planets was viewed as the second heaven. Above these two areas, where God dwells (Paradise), was viewed as the third heaven. As can be appreciated, this does not mean that there are three heavens. The different heavens as used in the days of Saint Paul represented different areas, one being further away than the previous one.
(SOURCE: http://www.catholicdoors.com/faq/qu144.htm)
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BIBLE FOOTNOTES [2 Cor. 12: 1-4] …….. The third heaven . . . Paradise: ancient cosmologies depicted a multitiered universe. Jewish intertestamental literature contains much speculation about the number of heavens. Seven is the number usually mentioned, but the Testament of Levi (2:7-10; 3:1-4) speaks of three; God himself dwelt in the third of these. Without giving us any clear picture of the cosmos, Paul indicates a mental journey to a nonearthly space, set apart by God, in which secrets were revealed to him. Ineffable things: i.e., privileged knowledge, which it was not possible or permitted to divulge.
(SOURCE: http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/2corinthians/2corinthians12.htm)
Thanks, Ruth, for looking for and clarifying this.
Thanks so much, Ruth, for doing your homework once again. I never know where to look for things. I'm not very knowledeable when it comes to computers.
I enjoyed the challenge and I learned something in the process. I appreciate that the question was posted. Blessings to all.....
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