The
American Wisdom Series
Presents
Pamphlet #4008
My note: Third
heaven and earth 2
Peter 3:5,7 and 2 Cor.. 12:2
What's
This About a Third Heaven?
Peter
taught us, in 2 Peter, about three heavens. And
three earths.
(Let's
count them!)
2 Peter 3:1 This second epistle,
beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds
by way of remembrance:
2 That ye may be mindful
of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the
commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:
2 Peter 3:3 Knowing this
first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their
own lusts,
4 And saying, Where is the
promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue
as they were from the beginning of the creation.
5 For this they willingly
are ignorant of, that by the word of God the (1st)
heavens
were of old, and the (1st)
earth
standing out of the water and in the water:
6 Whereby the world that
then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
Editors Note: This is not Noah's
Flood! The heavens didn't perish in Noah's flood. Read pamphlet #1003
7 (2nd)
But
the heavens and the (2nd)
earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto
fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
8 But, beloved, be not ignorant
of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and
a thousand years as one day.
9 The Lord is not slack concerning
his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward,
not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord
will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass
away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat,
the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
11 Seeing then that all these
things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all
holy conversation and godliness,
12 Looking for and hasting
unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall
be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
13 Nevertheless we, according
to his promise, (3rd)
look for new heavens and a (3rd)
new
earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing
that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in
peace, without spot, and blameless.
15 And account that the longsuffering
of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according
to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
16 As also in all his epistles,
speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood,
which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other
scriptures, unto their own destruction.
17 Ye therefore, beloved,
seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away
with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
Paul
taught us, in II Corinthians, about a third heaven.
(Paul
was taken to the third heaven which is still future)
II Corinthians 12:2 I knew
a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot
tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) (3rd)
such
an one caught up to the third heaven. (probably
in the spirit/out of the body)
3 And I knew such a man,
(whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)
4 How that he was caught
up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for
a man to utter.
John
taught us, in Revelations, about a heaven yet future and a earlier heaven
which the KJV translators mistakenly called the first. They
apparently had the same problem many of us today have, i.e. We let preconceived
ideas interfere with our judgment.
(We
know John is speaking of the 2nd and 3rd not new and first as King James
translators mistakenly state)
Revelation 21:1 And I saw a (3rd)
new
heaven and a new earth: (2nd)
for
the first heaven and the first earth were
passed away; and there was no more sea. (see
verse 4 commentary below)
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem,
coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her
husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying,
Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them,
and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be
their God.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their
eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither
shall there be any more pain: for the former things
are passed away.
The word "first" used here
is the Greek word "protos"
and is the same word translated "former"
in verse 4.
Note: The Living Bible does translate
"present"
instead
of "first"
in
Rev. 21:1.
So the heaven and earth that pass
away in this verse is the one prior to the "new"
one which comes into existence
"after" the lake of fire,
i.e. the present earth age that
we are in now, the 2nd earth age.
5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold,
I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are
true and faithful.
6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and
Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst
of the fountain of the water of life freely.
7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things;
and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable,
and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all
liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone:
which is the second death.
Rev.
21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first(?) heaven and
the first(?) earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.(bad
translation here in KJV)
We know from 2 Pet. 3 that
there are three heaven and earth ages.
We also know from 2 Corinthians
12:2 that Paul was caught up to the third heaven.
It is the same earth but three different "ages" because
the earth itself "abideth forever" (Eccles. 1:4).
(1st) The
"world that then was" (Gen 1:2), prior to the foundation of this earth
age,
was totally destroyed. It perished at the overthrow of
Satan.
(2nd) This
one will perish at his destruction!
(3rd) And
so the 3rd earth age will be for all eternity.
The planet itself will be set
back on its proper axis and correct orbital path.
The actual seas will be dried up and the water will return
to the canopy from whence it came.
The earth will once again be the most beautiful paradise
in the universe
(the wackos have it all wrong for this is the true greenhouse
effect).
And our Father will call it Home!
John Rhine's Notes about Genesis/Creation
Pamphlet
#7008
See also #7015
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