Friday, October 31, 2014
Insight on the Scriptures Vol.2 P. 574-577
Some reference works present the view that Jesus was referring to a paradise location in Hades or Sheol, supposedly a compartment or division thereof for those approved by God. The claim is made that the Jewish rabbis of that time taught the existence of such a paradise for those who had died and were awaiting a resurrection. Regarding the teachings of the rabbis, Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible states: “The Rabbinical theology as it has come down to us exhibits an extraordinary medley of ideas on these questions, and in the case of many of them it is difficult to determine the dates to which they should be assigned. . . . Taking the literature as it is, it might appear that Paradise was regarded by some as on earth itself, by others as forming part of Sheol, by others still as neither on earth nor under earth, but in heaven . . . But there is some doubt as respects, at least, part of this. These various conceptions are found indeed in later Judaism. They appear most precisely and most in detail in the mediaeval Cabbalistic Judaism . . . But it is uncertain how far back these things can be carried. The older Jewish theology at least . . . seems to give little or no place to the idea of an intermediate Paradise. It speaks of a Gehinnom for the wicked, and a Gan Eden, or garden of Eden, for the just. It is questionable whether it goes beyond these conceptions and affirms a Paradise in Sheol.”—1905, Vol. III, pp. 669, 670.
Even if they did teach such a thing, it would be most unreasonable to believe that Jesus would propagate such a concept, in view of his condemnation of the non-Biblical religious traditions of the Jewish religious leaders. (Mt 15:3-9) Likely the paradise truly familiar to the Jewish malefactor to whom Jesus spoke was the earthly Paradise described in the first book of the Hebrew Scriptures, the Paradise of Eden. That being so, Jesus’ promise would reasonably point to a restoration of such earthly paradisaic condition. His promise to the wrongdoer would therefore give assured hope of a resurrection of such an unrighteous one to an opportunity to life in that restored Paradise.—Compare Ac 24:15; Re 20:12, 13; 21:1-5; Mt 6:10.
A Spiritual Paradise. Throughout many of the prophetic books of the Bible, divine promises are found regarding the restoration of Israel from the lands of its exile to its desolated homeland. God would cause that abandoned land to be tilled and sown, to produce richly, and to abound with humankind and animal kind; the cities would be rebuilt and inhabited, and people would say: “That land yonder which was laid desolate has become like the garden of Eden.” (Eze 36:6-11, 29, 30, 33-35; compare Isa 51:3; Jer 31:10-12; Eze 34:25-27.) However, these prophecies also show that paradise conditions related to the people themselves, who, by faithfulness to God, could now “sprout” and flourish as “trees of righteousness,” enjoying beautiful spiritual prosperity like a “well-watered garden,” showered by bounteous blessings from God because of having his favor. (Isa 58:11; 61:3, 11; Jer 31:12; 32:41; compare Ps 1:3; 72:3, 6-8, 16; 85:10-13; Isa 44:3, 4.) The people of Israel had been God’s vineyard, his planting, but their badness and apostasy from true worship had caused a figurative ‘withering away’ of their spiritual field, even before the literal desolation of their land took place.—Compare Ex 15:17; Isa 5:1-8; Jer 2:21.
This undoubtedly provides the key for understanding Paul’s description of the vision (evidently had by him, since it forms part of his defense of his own apostleship) referred to at 2 Corinthians 12:1-7. Caught away to “the third heaven” (see HEAVEN [Third Heaven]), the vision viewer entered “paradise” and heard unutterable words. That this paradise envisioned could refer to a spiritual state among God’s people, as in the case of fleshly Israel, can be seen from the fact that the Christian congregation was also God’s “field under cultivation,” his spiritual vineyard, rooted in Christ Jesus and bearing fruit to God’s praise. (1Co 3:9; Joh 15:1-8) As such it had replaced the nation of Israel in God’s favor. (Compare Mt 21:33-43.) Paul’s vision, nevertheless, must logically have applied to some future time, so as to constitute a ‘revelation.’ (2Co 12:1) An apostasy was due to set in among the Christian congregation and was already working in Paul’s day; it would result in a condition like that of a field over sown with weeds. (Mt 13:24-30, 36-43; Ac 20:29; 2Th 2:3, 7; compare Heb 6:7, 8.) So, Paul’s paradise vision would not reasonably apply while such was the case but would evidently relate to the time of “the harvest season” when the genuine Christians would be gathered by the angelic reapers and would enjoy rich blessings and spiritual prosperity from God.
It is evident, however, that the restoration prophecies recorded by the Hebrew prophets include elements that will also find a physical fulfillment in the restored earthly Paradise. There are features, for example, in Isaiah 35:1-7, such as the healing of the blind and the lame, that did not have a literal fulfillment following the restoration from ancient Babylon, nor are they fulfilled in such a manner in the Christian spiritual paradise. It would be inconsistent for God to inspire such prophecies as those of Isaiah 11:6-9, Ezekiel 34:25, and Hosea 2:18, with the intention that they have only a figurative or spiritual meaning, without having a literal fulfillment of these things in the physical experiences of God’s servants.
Eating in “the Paradise of God.” Revelation 2:7 mentions a “tree of life” in “the paradise of God” and that eating from it would be the privilege of the one “that conquers.” Since other promises given in this section of Revelation to such conquering ones clearly relate to their gaining a heavenly inheritance (Re 2:26-28; 3:12, 21), it seems evident that “the paradise of God” in this case is a heavenly one. The word “tree” here translates the Greek word xy′lon, which literally means “wood,” and in the plural could refer to an orchard of trees. In the earthly Paradise of Eden, eating of the tree of life would have meant living forever for man. (Ge 3:22-24) Even the fruit of the other trees of the garden would have been life sustaining for man as long as he continued obedient. So, the partaking of “the tree [or trees] of life” in “the paradise of God” evidently relates to the divine provision for sustained life granted to the Christian conquerors or the 144,000 (Revelation 7:4), other texts showing that they receive the prize of immortality and incorruptibility along with their heavenly Head and Lord, Christ Jesus.—1Co 15:50-54; 1Pe 1:3, 4.
2 Corinthians 12:2-4
So just what is the Third Heavens?
The Jews spoke of three heavens. The first heaven consisted of the earth atmosphere where the clouds and birds were. The second heaven was where the sun, stars, and moon was. The third heaven was the dwelling place of God. When Paul said he was caught up to the third heaven (2 Cor. 12:2), they said he was referring to the very dwelling place of God.
On a side note, the Mormons (in my opinion) erringly teach that the three heavens consist of telestial, terrestrial, and celestial. They divide them into compartments dwelt by people after they die. There are various reasons that this cannot be a proper explanation. One brief explanation that this doesn't appear to be a proper explanation is because of the condition of the dead. Ecclesiastes 9:4-6 says: (4) There is hope for whoever is among the living, because a live dog is better off than a dead lion. (5) For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing at all, nor do they have any more reward, because all memory of them is forgotten. (6) Also, their love and their hate and their jealousy have already perished, and they no longer have any share in what is done under the sun. It was Jehovah that said in the garden of Eden that failure to be obedient to His instructions would result in death, Satan countered that by saying, "you positively will not die, but you will be like God!" Life in any form whether on earth or in the heavens would mean that Satan told the truth and that Jehovah God was the liar, which we know is not the truth. Genesis 2:16-17, 3:1-5. So you see, death is a punishment for disobedience, not an extension of life as Satan suggested.
Now, back to the discussion on the Third Heavens - At 2 Corinthians 12:2-4 the apostle Paul describes one who was “caught away . . . to the third heaven” and “into paradise.” Since there is no mention in the Scriptures of any other person having had such an experience, it seems likely that this was the apostle’s own experience. Whereas some have endeavored to relate Paul’s reference to the third heaven to the early rabbinic view that there were stages of heaven, even a total of “seven heavens.” However, this view finds no support in the Scriptures. As we have seen, the heavens are not referred to specifically as if divided into platforms or stages, but, rather, the context must be relied upon to determine whether reference is to the heavens within earth’s atmospheric expanse, the heavens of outer space, the spiritual heavens, or something else. It therefore appears that the reference to “the third heaven” indicates the superlative degree of the rapture in which this vision was seen. Note the way words and expressions are repeated three times at Isaiah 6:3; Ezekiel 21:27; John 21:15-17; Revelation 4:8, evidently for the purpose of expressing an intensification of the quality or idea.
The conclusion of the passage makes it clear that Paul is, indeed, referring to himself as the man “caught up to the third heaven,” but he uses the third person rhetoric to distance himself from the appearance of actual boasting.
The context does not suggest that “the third heaven” refers to the atmosphere around our globe, nor to outer space or to any parallel universes, as postulated by astrophysicists. The Bible often uses the number three to represent emphasis, intensity, or added strength. (Ecclesiastes 4:12; Isaiah 6:3; Matthew 26:34, 75; Revelation 4:8) Thus, what Paul saw in vision was elevated or exalted. It was spiritual.
Some have described the heavens into 3 categories, stages or divisions:
The First Heaven: Earth Atmosphere
•Deut. 11:17--Then the LORD's anger will burn against you, and he will shut the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce . . .
•Deut. 28:12--The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands.
•Judges 5:4--"O LORD, when you went out from Seir, when you marched from the land of Edom, the earth shook, the heavens poured, the clouds poured down water.
•Acts 14:17--"Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; . . .
The Second Heaven: Outer Space
•Psalm 19:4, 6--In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun . . . It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; . . .
•Jeremiah 8:2--They will be exposed to the sun and the moon and all the stars of the heavens which they have loved and served . . .
•Isaiah 13:10--The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light.
The Third Heaven: God's Dwelling Place But then later clarified as being God's kingdom ruled by Jesus as the place where Paul visited in vision.
•1 Kings 8:30 (phrase repeated numerous times in following verses)--then hear from heaven, your dwelling place . . .
•Psalm 2:4--The One enthroned in heaven laughs; The LORD scoffs at them.
•Matthew 5:16--In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
•1 Kings 8:27--"But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you.
•Deut. 10:14--To the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it.
This "third heavens" event that seems to date to this period is described at 2 Corinthians 12:2-5. Saul said: ‘I know a man in union with Christ who, fourteen years ago was caught away to the third heaven, into paradise, and heard unutterable words which it is not lawful for a man to speak.’ Apparently, Saul was talking about himself. Since he wrote this in about 55 C.E., 14 years earlier would take us back to 41 C.E., in the middle of the “silent years.” That vision doubtless gave Saul unique insight. In describing "paradise" this must refer to the earth in the New System since "paradise" is an earthly term, it has never been used to describe the conditions of the heavens!
Q: Was it to equip him as “an apostle to the nations”? (Romans 11:13)
Q: Did it affect the way he later thought, wrote, and spoke?
Q: Did the years between Saul’s conversion and his call to Antioch serve to train and mature him for future responsibilities?
Whatever are the answers to such questions, we can be sure that when Barnabas invited him to help spearhead the preaching work in Antioch, zealous Saul was fully qualified to fulfill the assignment.—Acts 11:19-26.
Hopefully more information will be brought out in articles yet to be issued.
The Jews spoke of three heavens. The first heaven consisted of the earth atmosphere where the clouds and birds were. The second heaven was where the sun, stars, and moon was. The third heaven was the dwelling place of God. When Paul said he was caught up to the third heaven (2 Cor. 12:2), they said he was referring to the very dwelling place of God.
On a side note, the Mormons (in my opinion) erringly teach that the three heavens consist of telestial, terrestrial, and celestial. They divide them into compartments dwelt by people after they die. There are various reasons that this cannot be a proper explanation. One brief explanation that this doesn't appear to be a proper explanation is because of the condition of the dead. Ecclesiastes 9:4-6 says: (4) There is hope for whoever is among the living, because a live dog is better off than a dead lion. (5) For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing at all, nor do they have any more reward, because all memory of them is forgotten. (6) Also, their love and their hate and their jealousy have already perished, and they no longer have any share in what is done under the sun. It was Jehovah that said in the garden of Eden that failure to be obedient to His instructions would result in death, Satan countered that by saying, "you positively will not die, but you will be like God!" Life in any form whether on earth or in the heavens would mean that Satan told the truth and that Jehovah God was the liar, which we know is not the truth. Genesis 2:16-17, 3:1-5. So you see, death is a punishment for disobedience, not an extension of life as Satan suggested.
Now, back to the discussion on the Third Heavens - At 2 Corinthians 12:2-4 the apostle Paul describes one who was “caught away . . . to the third heaven” and “into paradise.” Since there is no mention in the Scriptures of any other person having had such an experience, it seems likely that this was the apostle’s own experience. Whereas some have endeavored to relate Paul’s reference to the third heaven to the early rabbinic view that there were stages of heaven, even a total of “seven heavens.” However, this view finds no support in the Scriptures. As we have seen, the heavens are not referred to specifically as if divided into platforms or stages, but, rather, the context must be relied upon to determine whether reference is to the heavens within earth’s atmospheric expanse, the heavens of outer space, the spiritual heavens, or something else. It therefore appears that the reference to “the third heaven” indicates the superlative degree of the rapture in which this vision was seen. Note the way words and expressions are repeated three times at Isaiah 6:3; Ezekiel 21:27; John 21:15-17; Revelation 4:8, evidently for the purpose of expressing an intensification of the quality or idea.
The conclusion of the passage makes it clear that Paul is, indeed, referring to himself as the man “caught up to the third heaven,” but he uses the third person rhetoric to distance himself from the appearance of actual boasting.
The context does not suggest that “the third heaven” refers to the atmosphere around our globe, nor to outer space or to any parallel universes, as postulated by astrophysicists. The Bible often uses the number three to represent emphasis, intensity, or added strength. (Ecclesiastes 4:12; Isaiah 6:3; Matthew 26:34, 75; Revelation 4:8) Thus, what Paul saw in vision was elevated or exalted. It was spiritual.
Some have described the heavens into 3 categories, stages or divisions:
The First Heaven: Earth Atmosphere
•Deut. 11:17--Then the LORD's anger will burn against you, and he will shut the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce . . .
•Deut. 28:12--The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands.
•Judges 5:4--"O LORD, when you went out from Seir, when you marched from the land of Edom, the earth shook, the heavens poured, the clouds poured down water.
•Acts 14:17--"Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; . . .
The Second Heaven: Outer Space
•Psalm 19:4, 6--In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun . . . It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; . . .
•Jeremiah 8:2--They will be exposed to the sun and the moon and all the stars of the heavens which they have loved and served . . .
•Isaiah 13:10--The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light.
The Third Heaven: God's Dwelling Place But then later clarified as being God's kingdom ruled by Jesus as the place where Paul visited in vision.
•1 Kings 8:30 (phrase repeated numerous times in following verses)--then hear from heaven, your dwelling place . . .
•Psalm 2:4--The One enthroned in heaven laughs; The LORD scoffs at them.
•Matthew 5:16--In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
•1 Kings 8:27--"But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you.
•Deut. 10:14--To the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it.
This "third heavens" event that seems to date to this period is described at 2 Corinthians 12:2-5. Saul said: ‘I know a man in union with Christ who, fourteen years ago was caught away to the third heaven, into paradise, and heard unutterable words which it is not lawful for a man to speak.’ Apparently, Saul was talking about himself. Since he wrote this in about 55 C.E., 14 years earlier would take us back to 41 C.E., in the middle of the “silent years.” That vision doubtless gave Saul unique insight. In describing "paradise" this must refer to the earth in the New System since "paradise" is an earthly term, it has never been used to describe the conditions of the heavens!
Q: Was it to equip him as “an apostle to the nations”? (Romans 11:13)
Q: Did it affect the way he later thought, wrote, and spoke?
Q: Did the years between Saul’s conversion and his call to Antioch serve to train and mature him for future responsibilities?
Whatever are the answers to such questions, we can be sure that when Barnabas invited him to help spearhead the preaching work in Antioch, zealous Saul was fully qualified to fulfill the assignment.—Acts 11:19-26.
Hopefully more information will be brought out in articles yet to be issued.
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