HADES & THE THREE HEAVENS

God's Warrior · Posted: Tue May 23, 2006 11:12 pm Post subject: HADES & THE THREE HEAVENS

HADES & THE THREE HEAVENS
Author - Martha
Hades was the place where the souls and the spirits of all humans went until the cross. Sheol (Old Testament) and Hades (New Testament) are one and the same. In Sheol or Hades there were two compartments, one for the wicked and the other for the righteous – one for suffering and the other for comfort (Luke 16:22-23). The thief on the cross went to the comfort side, or Paradise, as promised by Christ (Luke 23:43). This is where Christ went upon His death (Acts 2:27,31). There He ministered to His people and led captivity captive (Ephesians 4:8-10), releasing and transporting them into the third heaven of 2 Corinthians 12:2. That is why Paradise is referred to as “up (Rev. 2:7; 2 Cor. 12:4). So presently, the comfort side of Hades (Paradise) has been emptied by Him who has the keys of death and Hades (Rev. 20:13).
Of course, the suffering side of Hades still teems with the wicked as the unregenerate continue to die day by day and are added to its population. They have joined the rich man of Luke 16:23 and will not come out again until The Great White Throne Judgment when they will meet Christ at their trial and be transferred to the final penitentiary of lost souls, Gehenna or the Lake of Fire (Rev. 20:13,14). Christ describes Hades 11 times in the New Testament: Matt. 11:23; 16:18; Luke 10:15; 16:22,23; Acts 2:27, 31; Rev. 1:18; 6:8; 20:13,14.

HEAVENS, FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD

Jesus spoke about two places in eternity, heaven and hell (Matt. 7:13,14,21; 25:41,46; Luke 16:22-24). Death is not a sad ending but a glorious beginning (John 14:1-6). Heaven is so real that God gives details concerning it location. His Word speaks of three heavens:
The first heaven is the atmosphere.
The second heaven is the stratosphere.
The third heaven is God’s holy hemisphere (2 Cor. 12:2,3).

It is upward and in the north. Elijah was caught up by a whirlwind into heaven (2 Kings 2:11; Psalm 48:2; 75:6; Isaiah 14:13, Acts 1:9).

Astronomers tell us there is an opening in the universe to get to this third heaven. It is in the north, in the constellation of “Swan”. Job 26:7 says, “He stretcheth out the north over the empty place”.