셋째 하늘 이란?

Bible speaks of three different heavens. Genesis 1:1 says that God created “the heavens”—plural. The first heaven is the atmosphere around the earth. In describing the rain that brought on the Flood of Noah’s time, Genesis 7:11 says “the windows of heaven were opened.” Commenting on the extent of the water, verse 19 says “all the high hills under the whole heaven were covered.”

The second heaven is commonly referred to as “outer space.” Exodus 32:13 is one of many references to “the stars of heaven.” Stars are not in the skies from which the rain falls, but in the space beyond our atmosphere. Nehemiah 9:6 also refers to space as heaven: “You alone are the Lord; you have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host [the planets and stars].”

A “third heaven” is mentioned in 2 Corinthians 12:1-4. Paul also called it “Paradise” in verse 4. That word is from the Greek word for park or garden—not just any park or garden, but a magnificent one. It’s the same word used in the standard Greek translation of the Old Testament, the Septuagint, to mean the Garden of Eden.

사도바울이 셋째하늘 이라고 표현한것을 볼때 시간과 공간과 질량이 존재하는 두번째 하늘(Universe)을 의미하지 않는다고 보아야한다.  따라서 표현할 수 없는말을들은 셋째하늘은 시공간의 지배밖의 장소,  이를테면 하나님이 거하시는 곳(place)을 의미 할 수 있다.  우린 하나님이 일곱개의 하늘을 창조했는지 모른다. (유대교의 주장처럼) 그러나 성서는 3개의 하늘은 설명한다. 그중의 마지막하늘? 이 여기에 등장한다.  우리 성경연구생은 사도바울이 언급한  "낙원"이 예수그리스도께서 임종직전에 말씀하신 그"낙원"인지 알지 못한다. 대부분의 기독교인들은 이"낙원"을 하늘에 있는것으로 설명한다.  희랍어 70인역에 기초한 2001번역은 다음과 같다. 여기표현에보면 하나님의 낙원이라고 표현하지 않았지만  "셋째하늘"  이라고 표현했기 때문에  우린 이곳이 영자들(천사들)이 존재하는 우주밖의 영역이라고 보는것이다.

2 I know of a man in the Anointed One who was caught away some fourteen years ago (whether [it happened] in the body or out of the body – only God knows) into the third heaven. 3 Yes, I know such a man (whether [it happened] in the body or apart from the body – only God knows) 4 who was caught away into a paradise where he heard unspeakable things that are illegal for a man to discuss.

Revelation 4:2 reveals that God’s throne is in heaven, but which one? Obviously, God’s throne is not in the sky where the clouds are and the birds fly—the first heaven. Nor is it in the visible confines of outer space—the second heaven. Putting this reference together with what Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians, we discern that the third heaven, then, must refer to the location of the throne of God.