Avalon Chronicles # 16 "The Three Heavens"
Allen Clark's Sites www.combatfaith.com www.combatfaith.blogspot.com
Linda and I just returned Saturday night from fifteen days in England and I was prepared to write several messages about our incredible trip. However, those messages must await another day. I awakened Sunday morning languishing in my chair after a fitful jet-lagged night when I had finally gotten to sleep after twenty one hours. I looked out the ceiling to floor window of our living room and saw a very interesting view. At one level in the sky there were large white billowy clouds racing west to east, not just slowly, but at a fast pace. At a higher level in the sky there were small clouds moving very slowly seemingly unperturbed by the movements at the lower alttude. Then at an even higher altitude the sun was beaming down bequeathing on us earthlings its perpetual warmth and light.Then the large clouds became very gloomy as if they were being darkened by storms.
As I contemplated the contrasts in the skies the recollection of Paul or the person he knew being caught up to the third heaven as recounted in 2 Corinthians 12:2 came to my mind. I had never especially thought much about it, but if Paul envisioned or experienced a third heaven, then what about the first and second heavens? My search produced the following on the First Heaven (source: www.newtestamentprayer.org): "The First Heaven (is where) birds dwell, (and) Satan dwells as prince of the power of the air since the cross (the crucifixion of Jesus). The Second Heaven "(is) Where Satan and fallen angels first fell to and demons are fighting for now (and) angels fly and do battle." (Rev. 12: 4-12, 14: 6,7). We live in the spiritual realm of "...the place of human habitation, also where Satan prowls, and will be cast down to in the end times." Obviously my back yard and my home (where birds and squirrels fly and scamper about) are my place of human habitation and as do we all, in this realm, I face the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil on a daily basis. The two levels of clouds I witnessed were indicative of the second heaven where the good angels are calmly watching to do battle with the demon spirits who are represented by the darkened clouds rushing madly across the sky, perhaps awaiting the opportunity to rain down the torrential downpours of bad weather or awaiting openings to attack us mere mortals, buffeted by the travails and temptations of our daily lives.
Then serenely and perpetually in the great highest Heaven above, as represented by the sun, our Father God watches over all, blanketing the atmosphere at all levels with His abiding warmth and caring and love. Despite all the warring spirits above and our challenges and turmoils where we live at our level we can look up and know with great assurance that our Father is always there to calm the storms of the skies and our own torments, tribulations, and trials. We need only be faithful enough to ask for help and know that He will answer.
