For though I might
desire to boast,
I will not a fool;
for I will speak the truth.
But I refrain, lest
anyone should think
of many above what he
sees me to be
or hears from me.
And lest I should be
exalted above measure
by the abundance of
the revelations,
a thorn in the flesh
was given to me,
a messenger of Satan
to buffet me,
lest I be exalted
above measure.
2 Corinthians 12: 6
-- 7
The
context, in the verses of Chapter 12 one through seven give warrant that
validates that Paul when speaking of knowing about a man who saw visions and
was in Paradise is that man. Verse
seven gives weight to this position when Paul speaks about himself having above
measure an abundance of revelations and then being given a thorn in the flesh
so that he would not become overly exalted.
This foreign given so that no one else will hold him upon a pedestal and
exalt him above what he is and was an apostle of Jesus Christ and nothing
more. Paul was a humble man but also
could be a man who would address things directly and call a spade a spade and
not for any other reason than to ensure the churches not to fall prey to false
teaching. Maybe you to have a foreign
that God has allowed so that you also will not become exalted so that people
look upon you rather than to look upon Jesus Christ. Yet, we need to answer this question about what Paul said in
regards to Paradise and the third heaven.
The Hebrews enumerated more than one heaven: "Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, in the spirit
will return to God who gave it" (Ecclesiastes 12: 7). The writer of Ecclesiastes earlier in his
writing and speaking about the condition of men and of animals that as one dies
in returns to the dust of the ground so surely does the other and then gives
this information: "Who knows the
spirit of the sons of men, which goes up for and the spirit of the animal,
which goes down to the earth" (Ecclesiastes 3:21)? This explicit reference to the Third Heaven
is synonymous with the word paradise.
Some would point to the Greek word translated "caught away",
and not "caught up" that this possibly reflects some Jewish beliefs
that Paradise was somewhere other than the uppermost heaven. This Greek word: άρπαγεντα, is a participle
and is aorist2, singular accusative and this word has a meaning to have been seized,
taken away by force, snatched away, and metaphorically it also had
carries the meaning of seizing one with a avidity, eagerly, appropriately, to
transport hastily.
In other words, at a point in time this event occurred so it can be
easily understood that this one, this man, was snatched away caught away to
the third Heaven and the word "to" tells us that he was taken to this
particular place which was not on earth and tells us that it was the Third
Heaven. So what is this Third
Heaven? There is a parallelism here in
this passage equating the Third Heaven with Paradise and is the traditional
destination of redeemed humans and the general connotation of the term
"Heaven." A question is that
must be understood is: there were super apostles who held to this Jewish
tradition in regards to Paradise and the Third Heaven, and were teaching this
to the Corinthians. Paul was addressing
this conflict and whether or not Paul adhered to this Hebrew tradition: there
is and has been much debate over the apostle Paul and Judaism and will not
address the debate at this point in time. A third concept of Heaven,
also called shamayi h'shamayim (שׁמי השׁמים or "Heaven of
Heavens"), is mentioned in such passages as Genesis
28:12, Deuteronomy
10:14 and 1 Kings 8:27 as a distinctly spiritual realm
containing (or being traveled by) angels and God. Much
discussion has resulted due to the ambiguity of the term shamayim in the
Hebrew Bible, and the fact that it's a plural word, give "heavens"
various interpretations regarding its nature. The structure of the heavens is a
recurring theme throughout the Bible. It is reinforced (in typology) throughout
the Bible. For example, it is likened to the floors of a building, which we
call "stories" and, sure enough, the
same word is even used in the KJV Bible. It is used to describe the design of
the heavens: "[It is] he that buildeth his
stories in the heaven, and hath founded his troop in the earth; he that calleth
for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The
LORD [is] his name." (Amos 9:6 KJV). This pattern
of three used throughout Scripture is a good study to do but we must not allow
ourselves to speculate, rather to understand that the use of the word
"three or third" in reference to Heaven or Paradise is a reference to
the most Holy Place and in a sense, not that God is an individual and has a
body as we do, is a place where God resides.
This is a place for our spirit goes and waits until God calls His bride
home with the coming on the Last Day by the Only Begotten Son Jesus
Christ. Paul did not allow either
tradition in regards to Heaven or Paradise, in to the revelations whereby being
in heaven, third Heaven, and not being able to speak of such things, did not
allow this to detract him and may cause for him to attempt to hold a superior
position. Paul knew that he was simply
an apostle of Jesus Christ and his work, and also our work, is to bring the
Gospel to our world as he did to his. A
final note: do not be detracted or start to follow a "rabbit trail"
that is numerology let me have fallen prey to and have attempted to find some
mystical meaning by numbers. That
simply is not scriptural and Christians are to avoid such things. Now I will continue to bring light upon the
Scripture in our next blog.
Walk prudently when you
go to the house of God;
and draw near to hear rather than to give sacrifice of
fools,
for they do not know
that they do evil.
do
not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart
utter anything hastily
before God. For God is in heaven,
and you on earth; therefore let your words be few.
Ecclesiastes
5:1 -- 2
You are a messenger of
God
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