The Earth with the Milky Way and Moon, by Wladyslav T. Benda.
If third heaven is another dimension, as some christians assume, why is it that Paul, when he speaks about third heaven, says that he was caught away EVEN to the third heaven? That is what the greek text says, it uses the word heos, which means "even, until, unto, as far as, how long, till, hitherto, up to, while" 1 - hardly a word one would use to describe a transportation into some other dimension. The word even, in connection with the mention of three heavens, as the three heavens themselves, suggests that one comes after another. It doesn't suggest two literal interpretations, and then one allegorical. That would break all rules of interpretation and understanding, to use both literal and allegorical meaning in such an expression.
Think again.
Furthermore, even suggests a distance, and a long distance, in opposition to the two first heavens. It's like Paul is describing a journey to outer space, and that is what I think he really experienced. He must have seen the first heaven, then the second, and so, even the third. If he had been taken to another dimension, why would he speak of three distinct places? And again, why use the same expression for two different dimensions - meaning the first two in our three wellknown dimensions, and then the same expression, just added by the number three, for going into a complete other existence? I don't think I have ever heard any scientist, when speaking of other dimensions, referring to first going through the atmosphere and the starry heaven. That would make no sense. Absolutely not. With the word even, Paul reveals, and explains, that he went through three expanses, three literal heavens, and that the third one was at a far distance from the other two. Just what we would expect if he was going through the atmosphere, then through the solar system, and then after a vast distance, reaching some other star in the galaxy. Even to the third heaven.
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1 2 Cor. 12:2.
Strong's no. G2193.
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