Michael Youssef - The 3 Heavens
Most Christians, I'm talking about Christian believers, I'm not talking about people outside, I'm sure some of those too, but don't really think about heaven much. It's not something you've been thinking about all day, it's not something you think about even occasionally. We might think of heaven when we go to a funeral or a graveside service, and think about heaven for a moment, think about the question of eternity and so forth, but few days later, we're back into our treadmills of life and forget all about it. But for those of us who love Jesus, those of us who know the Lord Jesus, know that heaven is our forever home. And that is why we must know everything that God's Word told us about heaven.
The first thing that God wanted his believers to know, is that heaven is not a vague notion, as some people would want us to believe. That heaven is not that ghostly place somewhere in the clouds, that heaven is a physical place. In fact, the word "topos" in Greek, it's a physical location. Heaven is a breathtakingly beautiful place, and therefore, studying about heaven, planning for heaven, focusing on heaven, should be our greatest motivation for living this life. It could be the greatest motivation imaginable for living everyday life here on earth. As a matter of fact, all of the apostles, if you read their lives very carefully, every one of them, they lived, they worked, they served, and most of them, not all of them, most of them were martyred while they were gazing at heaven.
For example, the apostle Peter said in 2 Peter 3, he said, "When the day of the Lord comes, heaven and earth will be destroyed by the fire of God's judgment". And then he continues. He said, "We'll be looking forward to the new heaven and the new earth, where righteousness dwells". Now, I'm going to tell you a whole lot more in the next message about the new heaven and the new earth, it's very, very important to understand the difference between the new heaven and the new earth, that the Bible talks about from the third heaven of today. Listen to the rest of 2 Peter 3, after he says this, he said, "So then," so then, can you say that with me. "Dear friends, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless, and at peace with God".
C.S. Lewis, in his book, "Mere Christianity," and if even though it's an apologetic for the non-Christian to understand the Christian faith, it's one of the great books that I would know, on the subject in his book, "Mere Christianity," he makes the point, he said that, "That the hope of heaven is the greatest motivator for living boldly for Christ in this life". And then he continues to talk about, he said, "If you read history, you will find that Christians who did the most in the present world, were the ones who were thinking the most about the one to come". And then he goes on to give examples from history, but I will not go into this.
So where are these three heavens which are going to give way to the new heaven and the new earth? First of all, the first heaven. The first heaven is not where God is, that's not where God is. The first heaven actually is the devil's domain. Ephesians chapter 6, verse 12, I know we often quote it and constantly we quote it to each other, and we remind each other where there was a great, great, great anchor. "Our struggle is not against the flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, against the spiritual forces of evil," where? "In the heavenly realm," in the heavenly realm.
Let me explain this. In Ephesians 3:10, before 6:12, which I just read, in chapter 3, verse 10, mark it down so you can read it when you go home. There, the apostle Paul explains God's intentions. He said, what is God's... does God have intentions? Yes, what are his intentions? That through the church, listen carefully, that through the church, that's not the local church, you're talking about the church of Jesus Christ, that is the elect of God from every language, tribe, and nation. That through the church, the believers, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known, to whom? The rulers and authorities in the heavenly place. When you comprehend this, when you really get it inside of you, you will never find yourself in the dumps again. Or if you find yourself in the dumps, as I do occasionally, you're not going to stay there but a couple of minutes.
If you filled your mind with what the apostle Paul is saying here. Regardless of the circumstances, regardless of the issues that we face, regardless of the challenges that we experience. I'm getting ready to become a Pentecostal and shout right now. Because I know what that means. It means that our faithfulness to God demonstrate to Satan, and all of his demons, that God is true, and God is right, and that his judgment against Satan is righteous and just. I want to explain-ify to you. When your focus is on obeying biblical truth, not modifying them and changing them to fit the culture. When you take your faithfulness to God seriously, then you are saying to Satan, Satan, God is true and you are not. You will never again think that it doesn't matter whether you obey the Word of God or not.
Why, because your obedience to the Word of God sticks your finger in Satan's eye. Glory to God. Beloved, listen to me, you and your faithfulness to God is an exhibit A before Satan and his demons. Your faithfulness proves that God is right and the demons are wrong. So where is that first heaven located? It's right here all around us. We can't see it, we can't hear it, but it's all around us, it's invisible around us. We live in the first heaven. The first heaven includes the invisible domain all around us. It is the unseen realm where the battle is raging between God's angels and Satan's demons. That raging battle that you cannot see and you cannot hear, but has enormous influence on our lives and on the events of the world.
This is a personal feeling right now, that we are seeing Satan and his demons unleashing upon our society, venom like I have never seen in my life before. And I've seen a lot. The reason for that is that when God is rejected, when God is rejected, when God is rejected, demons are unleashed. But those who are born again are only too aware of the spiritual battle in this first heaven, and don't ever forget, don't ever forget, don't ever forget, please don't ever forget that we are promised victory. Through obedience to the Word of God and through faithfulness to Jesus. How do you get that? By spending time and intimacy with Jesus. And through boldly sharing the good news of Jesus.
That's the first heaven. What about the second heaven? The Bible speaks about the second heaven as the universal celestial heaven. Psalm 19 opens with these words, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the skies proclaim the work of his hand". Sometimes when you look up at the night sky, or you look at pictures taken from an orbit space telescope, you are seeing the second heaven. Please hear me right. The second heaven, where the stars and the galaxies are, they are the oldest preachers testifying to the power of God. They are God's silent preachers, and here's the good news, here's the good news. They never tire, praise God. They never tire of proclaiming the glory of God, day and night, day and night. They are testifying that our God is the God of power and might, that our God is the God of the supernatural, that our God is the God of miracles, that our God is the Lord, not only of our planet, but of the whole universe.
Long before prophets, priests, and apostles, and evangelists, long before the Word of God was even written down, the stars proclaiming the glory of God. They're proclaiming the power of his personality, and that is why God created the humankind upright. The animals walk on four, or slither on the ground, but we are created, not only because we are created in God's own image, but we are created upright so we can look up to the heavens, and see the glory of God. Romans chapter 1, verse 20. The apostle Paul makes the point, let me read it to you, "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities, his eternal power and his divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse".
Those silent preachers in the second heaven, they speak loudly, they speak clearly of the glory of God. They are the gospel written in the stars. Anyone who rejects God after beholding the glories of the wonders of the second heaven is without an excuse. That's what the apostle Paul said. The heaven declares the glory of God, but listen to me, please, the heavens cannot contain the glory of God. It can only reflect it, why? Because he's infinitely wise, he's infinitely loving, he's infinitely powerful, he's infinitely creative. And so the second heaven can only reflect his glory, can only declare his glory, and yet, and yet, and yet, God leans down and listens to the prayers of the least among us. What a God we worship, what a God we worship. It's high time that born again believers no longer be intimidated by the doubters and the skeptics.
Well, finally I've come to the third heaven. Place I can't wait to go to. This is what the Scripture described as paradise. This is the place that Jesus promised the thief on the cross, the repentant sinner on the cross next to him. This is what he promised him. He said, "Today, you will be with me in paradise". And this is the place that the apostle Paul was taken to, where he saw with his own eyes and heard with his own ears some amazing things. There he saw and heard things that, not only inexplicable, but he was not allowed or permitted to speak about. But also, the third heaven is where all the believers who have departed our shores are right now with Jesus.
The third heaven or paradise is not the new heaven that the Scripture talks about. The new heaven will be revealed only after the old heaven has been rolled away. Again, come prepared next message, I'm going to tell you all about it. But to whet your appetite here, in Revelation 21:1, "Then I saw the new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there was no longer any sea". Most of you know these following facts, some may not, but I'll tell you anyway. That 71% of the earth's surface is covered with water. There are also water and the vapor in the atmosphere and the moisture in the soil, there's also water in the plants, and the animals, and the human beings.
And that is why scientists are always, whenever they were looking for life in the Moon, or Mars, or whatever, any of the planet that they want to colonize, the first thing they do is they look for water. Why? Because in order to establish human bases there, any planet, they need to find water to support life. But in the new heaven, in the new earth, we don't need water, because we have glorified, resurrected bodies. Please listen to me, the third heaven or paradise, though it is filled with indescribable, wondrous, and beauty according to the apostle Paul and John, it is not even close to being as wonderful as the new heaven that is going to be revealed with the coming of Jesus.
And the third heaven right now is where our Lord Jesus Christ is, our great high priest, interceding on our behalf with God the Father. And that is why Jesus wanted us to pray, "Our Father," who's where? Who's where? He speaks those words to help us recognize the reality of heaven. In 1 Timothy chapter 2, verse 5, we are told that there is one God, one mediator between God and man, the man Jesus Christ. And Hebrews tells us, "Therefore he is able to completely save those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for him".
The Gospel of John chapter 17, this incredible high priestly prayer where our Lord Jesus Christ, prays for the believers in the future, for all the time to come, he's praying not just for his disciples, but he's praying for you, he's praying for you, he's praying for you, he's praying for you, he's praying... Oh beloved friends, he's praying for us in the high priestly prayer in John 17 as a sample of what he's doing now in the third heaven. It is thrilling beyond measure for me to know that Jesus is interceding for us. Praying for us with the God the Father in the throne room of God, right now, right now. But that's not all.
The third heaven looks down, it looks down on the second heaven and the first heaven. God is looking down on the second heaven and the third heaven. God the Father is looking down at that ancient serpent of old, Satan, and he's saying, in effect, Satan, don't ever forget, don't you ever forget that I'm in charge of the highest heaven. That you are defeated by my Son on the cross. That your throne is my footstool. That your days are numbered. That you can roam the earth but for a limited time. Soon, I will bind you with chain and throw you in the lake of fire.
And here's the thing that breaks my heart and caused me to work every waking moment. There are many human souls that will end up in that abyss with Satan. Why do you think I do everything possible to gather the ends of the earth, that by God's power and God's grace, many would be rescued from hell. And I pray right now, that every believer at the sound of my voice, every believer at the sound of my voice, is doing all you can in these last days to rescue friends, family members, or neighbors, and telling them about the miracle of salvation in your life. You don't need a seminary degree for that.
Proverbs 11:30 says, "He who wins souls is wise". Another translation said, "The one who is wise wins souls". Be wise, be loving, and be bold, and do all you can to rescue the perished. You might be experiencing some sort of tug of fear about what's around the corner. Let me tell you something, if you have not settled the matter of your eternity, I'm glad you have some fear.
The good news is, you can settle the matter now, you can settle the matter today, this very moment. But those who have not settled that matter, they need to do it, the times are urgent, but for those, I imagine the majority here, have settled this, you're born again, you know and you love Jesus. You are assured of heaven. Listen to me, please, you have no reason to fear whatsoever. For the moment when you close your eyes in death, the third heaven is awaiting you. Jesus coming back with those who have gone before us, and those who are gonna be on the earth at that time of the return of Christ, and those who are gonna come with him, they both are gonna be united and entering by being ushered by Jesus himself into the new heaven.