SPECIAL TOPIC: THE HEAVENS

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE HEAVENS AND THE THIRD HEAVEN

In the OT the term "heaven" is usually PLURAL (i.e., shamayim, BDB 1029, KB 1559; see SPECIAL TOPIC: HEAVEN). The Hebrew term means "height." God dwells on high. This concept reflects the holiness and transcendence of God.

In Gen. 1:1, the PLURAL , "heavens and earth," has been viewed as God creating

the atmosphere above this planet
a way of referring to all of reality (i.e., spiritual and physical)

From this basic understanding other texts were cited as referring to levels of heaven: "heaven of heavens" (cf. Ps. 68:33) or "heaven and the heaven of heavens" (cf. Deut. 10:14; 1 Kgs. 8:27; Neh. 9:6; Ps. 148:4). The rabbis surmised that there might be

two heavens (i.e., R. Judah, Hagigah 12b)
three heavens (Test. of Levi 2-3; Ascen. of Isa. 6-7,9; Midrash Tehillim on Ps. 114:1; Talmud b. Hagigah 11b)
five heavens (III Baruch 11:1)
seven heavens (R. Simonb. Lakish; Ascen. of Isa. 9:7)
ten heavens (II Enoch 20:3b; 22:1)

All of these were meant to show God's separation from physical creation and/or His transcendence. The most common number of heavens in rabbinical Judaism was seven. A. Cohen, Everyman's Talmud (p. 30), says this was connected to the astronomical spheres, but I think it refers to seven being the perfect number (i.e., days of creation with seven representing YHWH's rest in Genesis 2:2).

Paul, in 2 Cor. 12:2, mentions the "third" heaven (Greek ouranos) as a way of identifying God's personal, majestic presence. Paul had a personal encounter with YHWH!