QUESTION: What of seven heavens?

ANSWER: The Jews and Moslems speak of seven heavens, but the Bible does not. Paul says he was caught up into the third heaven (II Corinthians 11:2). The third heaven clearly refers to the highest heaven where God dwells (11:4). The second heaven then would be those heavens in which are the sun, moon, and stars; the area which is often referred to as “outer space.” The first heaven would include the atmosphere in which we now live up to “outer space.”