Are there different levels of Heaven? Are there three heavens?
The closest thing Scripture says to there being different levels of heaven is found in 2 Corinthians 12:2, “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows.” Some interpret this as indicating that there are three different levels of heaven: a level for “super-committed Christians” or Christians who have obtained a high level of spirituality, a level for “ordinary” Christians, and a level for Christians who did not serve God faithfully. This view has no basis in Scripture.
Paul is not saying that there are three heavens or even three levels of heaven. In many ancient cultures, people used the term heaven to describe three different “realms”—the sky, outer space, and then a spiritual heaven. Paul was saying that God took him to the “spiritual” heaven—the realm beyond the physical universe where God dwells. The concept of different levels of heaven may have come in part from Dante’s The Divine Comedy in which the poet describes both heaven and hell as having nine different levels. The Divine Comedy, however, is a fictional work. The idea of different levels of heaven is foreign to Scripture.
Scripture does speak of different rewards in heaven. Jesus said regarding rewards, “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done” (Revelation 22:12). Since Jesus will be distributing rewards on the basis of what we have done, we can safely say that there will be a time of reward for believers and that the rewards will differ somewhat from person to person.
Only those works that survive God’s refining fire have eternal value and will be worthy of reward. Those valuable works are referred to as “gold, silver, and costly stones” (1 Corinthians 3:12) and are those things that are built upon the foundation of faith in Christ. Those works that will not be rewarded are called “wood, hay, and stubble”; these are not evil deeds but shallow activities with no eternal value. Rewards will be distributed at the “judgment seat of Christ,” a place where believers’ lives will be evaluated for the purpose of rewards. “Judgment” of believers never refers to punishment for sin. Jesus Christ was punished for our sin when He died on the cross, and God said about us: “I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more” (Hebrews 8:12). What a glorious thought! The Christian need never fear punishment, but can look forward to crowns of reward that he can cast at the feet of the Savior. In conclusion, there are not different levels of heaven, but there are different levels of reward in heaven.
Certainly there are different rewards. But I am troubled by the author's silence about sin in the believer's life. The writer said, "these are not evil deeds but shallow activities."
Colossians 3:25 says that the one who does wrong, who is unjust or hurts and injures, will receive what he did wrong and there is no partially. It sounds like t i t for tat or quid pro quo, if you prefer.
Ephesians 6:8 presents it on the positive side. "Knowing that whatever each one does good, this he will receive from the Lord, whether slave or free." Again, there will be no discrimination in God's judgement.
And the context of 1 corinthians 3 does not reprove "shallow activities." The corinthians are carnal and fleshly. He could not speak to them as spiritual ones but as babies. Verse 3 says they walk and live according to human standards. It is so serious that he says they will suffer loss. But he assures them they will be saved, yet through fire.
If believers are only guilty of "shallow activities," then Paul and the other writers of the letters to believers wasted precious time telling them and us to put to death our sinful deeds(colossians 3:5).
We will receive wrong for the wrong we do, we will receive right for the right we do. But we will be saved, even when we suffer loss.
We all live for something. Parents may live for their children. Spouses may live for each other, and business owners may live for success. We say that we are “living for” something when that is the motivation for all we do. Living for Jesus means that pleasing Him is our highest aim (Colossians 1:10). Although we have dozens of lesser motivators, those filled with the Spirit of Christ are motivated primarily by His goals and His plans for their lives. When those plans collide with lesser goals, those who are living for Jesus follow His way and not their own (Proverbs 3:5–6).
The phrase living for Jesus can sound ethereal and idealistic. But Jesus warned that living for Him would be costly (Luke 14:26–33). The first disciples were willing to pay that price. They suffered tremendous persecution and even death in order to glorify God (Acts 5:41). Stephen was stoned (Acts 7:58–60), James was beheaded (Acts 12:2), and history records that all the apostles but John were also martyred. Even today, Christians around the world are beaten, robbed, tortured, and imprisoned simply because they live for Jesus.
Here is some of what living for Jesus means:
1. Living for Jesus means we have died to sin. Romans 6 is a beautiful description of a Christian who chooses daily to consider himself dead to sin and alive to Christ (verses 6–8). Being dead to sin means we no longer consider sinning against God a viable option. The decision was made when we bowed at the cross and were born again by grace through faith. Though we will still stumble at times, sin no longer masters us. Just as a corpse does not lust, covet, or gossip, those who are dead to sin do not heed temptation (Galatians 2:20).
2. Living for Jesus means we have only one God. This is the first commandment (Exodus 20:3), yet people can and do make gods out of anything. John Calvin rightly stated, “The human heart is an idol factory.” We recognize our false gods by asking ourselves a question: What is it that I am unwilling to lay on the altar? Whatever we refuse to give to God becomes our god. Living for Jesus means we continually search our hearts for idols that steal our time and affection away from total devotion to Him (2 Corinthians 11:3).
3. Living for Jesus means we diligently study His Word. Second Timothy 2:15 says, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” Correctly handling God’s Word is vital for one who wants to avoid deception and live as salt and light in this world (Matthew 5:13–16). Unless we know the heart of God, we will violate His standards and lead others to do the same. We discover His heart when we pursue the “whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27) and apply it regularly to our lives.
4. Living for Jesus means we use our gifts to serve God and others. We strive to live as Jesus lived. We study Him in the Scriptures and pattern our lives after His (1 Corinthians 11:1). He was kind, so we imitate His kindness. He gave unselfishly, so we set aside our preferences and devote our time, resources, and energy to His purposes (1 Corinthians 10:31). People who live for Jesus discover their spiritual gifts and utilize them to impact their world (1 Corinthians 12:7–11). Living for Jesus means we find our greatest fulfillment in serving Him. Pleasing Him is our reward (2 Corinthians 5:9).
5. Living for Jesus means we know where our real treasure is. People who live for Jesus are not as concerned about earthly treasures as is the rest of the world. While we are free to enjoy all God’s blessings in this life, Jesus made it clear that we are not to put our whole focus on them (Matthew 6:19–20). People who are living for Jesus focus on eternity and dedicate themselves to endeavors that have eternal significance. Worldly entanglements are temporary and seem like wasted time and effort. Our passion and energy are directed toward investing in the lives of others who will join us in heaven one day (Luke 10:2–3).
Becoming a Christian means we are choosing to live for Jesus instead of living for ourselves. He made His requirements clear: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). Carrying a cross means we are dying to our right to be our own boss. We cannot have two masters; Jesus will not share His throne (Luke 14:26–27; Galatians 1:10; Matthew 6:24). We either live for Jesus or for something or someone else. As we live for Jesus, He empowers us to live the godly lives we were created to live (1 Peter 1:16; Hebrews 12:14).
FOR FURTHER STUDY
Unburdened: Stop Living for Jesus So Jesus Can Live Through You by Vance Pitman
Biblically illiterate mooncakes is at it again with her copy and paste to do the thinking for her over and over again because its impossible for her to think for herself and therefore have a discussion here in this
forum! LOL!
Are there different levels of 'heaven'? Are there three 'heavens'?
Of course there is and the Bible tells us so in its complete context! There is the first 'heaven' of mostly WATER (70%?) of LEVEL (sea LEVEL!) earth (except for some land of mountains, hills and valleys, the other 30%?) that we dwell upon which is the mostly level earth. Then there is the sky of 'heaven' where the birds fly and the sun, moon and stars exist under the firmament of the enclosed earth! Finally the third and most important 'heaven' that Paul seen in vision, which is above the firmament that we cannot see physically yet and our Father YHWH is there, looking down on us but we cannot see Him physically yet but only in vision spiritually (2 Corinthians 12:1), the third 'heaven' that Paul was talking about to the Corinthians in verse 2!
So does Father YHWH dwell above us, above the firmament of the enclosed earth? YUP! Father YHWH is much closer than the majority of CULT 'churches' teach and of course the atheist secular 'science' world wants you to think earth is but a tiny speck of a 'orbiting planet' in a CULT believed 'solar system' in a vast >>>big bang evolutionary<<< HUGE 'universe' (that strangely littledavid believes in this same 'universe'!?) when the reality is the earth is the HUGE enclosed center piece of everything we see with our eyes!
Isaiah 40:22 - 'It is He (Father YHWH) that sitteth upon the circle (not a ball/sphere!) of the earth (above the firmament of the enclosed earth), and the inhabitants thereof are as
grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens (2nd heaven!) as a curtain (the firmament!), and spreadeth them out as a tent (encloser under the firmament!) to dwell in:'
Please note readers the Bible has TWO different definitions of 'ball' verses that of a 'circle' in the Strong's, they are not the same meaning and therefore a 'sphere' (modern word) is just another name for a 'ball'! Any artist will tell you, you can draw a circle on a piece of paper and look down at it, its a circle and its also flat, so therefore Father YHWH looks down upon the flat circle of the earth! You see how simple that is to understand but not for the indoctrinated in a secular athiest 'school' system, like tinydavid STILL believes in oddly enough!? Right?
So the false teacher of this article says - 'Paul is >not< saying that there are three 'heavens' or even three levels of heaven' when that is EXACTLY what he is saying! Then this CULTIST 'teacher' claims and believes in secular 'science' that says 'outer space' (LOL!) exist (just like tinydavid does, trusting in atheist secular teachings oddly enough!? ), just because the secular atheist say it does and then somehow READS it all into the Bible as the 3 'heavens' are NOW really just 'spiritual heavens' and are not real!!!??? Oh boy, what a false teacher!
I agree with OhioGrace when he said - 'But I am troubled by the author's silence about sin in the believer's life' and also partly where OhioGrace says 'We (Christians) will receive wrong for the wrong we do, we will receive right for the right we do.' But where I respectfully disagree with OhioGrace is when he said - 'But we will be saved, even when we suffer loss.' while continuing to sin and what will be the 'reward' for that???? Talk about 'shallow activities' of a Christian!!!???
Finally the 'shallow' author and CULT false teacher here in this copy and paste thread says and sounds just like the old Richard (pathetic7744) the false 'teacher' did LONG AGO NOW on this forum, when he said you can earn rewards, when the Bible only says the REAL reward is HEAVEN above the firmament encloser of earth that counts, and the saints will TOSS their crowns at His feet when He breaks thru that firmament encloser of earth, because they know they did not earn them, it was really ALL BY THE POWER OF FATHER YHWH that they were able to do good rewards/works (that is their reward!) on earth to begin with!
The CULT teacher here speaks of 'stubble' of some that are worthy of 'rewards' but fails to say its the WICKED that will become 'STUBBLE' burned in a one day made lake of fire! Even those claiming to be 'christians' who take the mark of the beast (Rev. 14:9-11; 19:20b) and therefore suffer the plagues also, the wrath from YHWH (Rev. 16:2), to forfeit there salvation unto DEATH! So much for the once saved always saved (OSAS) doctrine, right readers? DEATH is what the reward is (for taking the mark) and for being WICKED and UNRIGHTEOUS, right?
So who is it that becomes burned 'STUBBLE' in a one day made lake of fire unto ashes, when they pay (are rewarded!) for their sins unto themselves, to feel YHWH's wrath come judgment day?
Job 21:18-20; 30 - 'They are as >'stubble'< before the wind, and as >chaff< (ashes when burned!) that the storm carrieth away. 19. God layeth up his iniquity for his children: he rewardeth him, and he shall know it. 20. His eyes shall see his >destruction,< and he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty. 30. That the wicked is reserved to the day of >destruction< (DEATH!)? they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath.
Isaiah 47:14 - 'Behold, they shall be as >'stubble';< the >>>fire shall burn them;<<< they shall not deliver themselves from the >power of the flame:< there shall not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit before it.'
Joel 2:5 - 'Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like >>>the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth<<< the >'stubble',< as a strong people set in battle array.
Obadiah 18 - 'And the house of Jacob >shall be a fire,< and the house of Joseph >a flame,< and the house of Esau >for 'stubble',< and they shall kindle in them, and >>>devour them;<<< and there >>>shall not be any remaining<<< (alive!) of the house of Esau; for the Lord hath spoken it.
Nahum 1:10 - 'For while they be folden together as thorns, and while they are drunken as drunkards, they shall be >devoured as 'stubble'< fully dry (like a HOT fire would DEVOUR its FUEL to burn fully dry!).
And the ultimate kill shot to the false doctrine of 'eternal torment' preached by littledavid is Malachi 4:1 - 'For, behold, the day cometh, that >>>shall burn as an oven;<<< and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be >'stubble':< and the day that cometh shall >>>burn them up<<< (not exist anymore!), saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall >>>leave them neither root nor branch.<<<
The false teacher here even speaks of 'wood' but what does the Bible say of the WICKED that become like 'wood' AND 'stubble' in a fire until ashes?
Psalms 83:13-14 - ' O my YHWH, make them like a wheel; as the >'stubble'< before the wind. 14. As the >fire< burneth a >'wood'<, and as the >>>flame setteth the mountains on fire;<<<'
What does Paul mean when he says they will suffer loss, but yet they will be saved? Would you call their wrong deeds, not evil deeds but, "shallow" activities? How does that fit with Paul's description of their divisiveness? How bad is it that they live like men, according to human standards? What does it mean when he says they are fleshly/carnal?
The judgement seat of Christ will be a time of reward for obedient believers. It will be a time of loss for disobedient believers. But they will be saved. That is what the passage says, isn't it?
OhioGrace! SERIOUSLY!? You are siding with the author of this article, that is DESPERATELY trying to 'teach' the O.S.A.S. false doctrine (not found in the Bible!) when he tries to cover sin up by saying its, QUOTE - these are not evil deeds but shallow activities with no eternal value' and sweeps sin under the rug as 'shallow activities' for sin!? Really OhioGrace??? Is not
the Bible clear that sin is SIN, it requires DEATH (not 'eternal torment' as false teacher tinydavid 'teaches' and those two words are NEVER found together in the Bible! ) then, and those committing the CONTINUAL sins, rather claiming to be 'christians' or not, are going to PERISH in the one day made lake of fire outside the New Jerusalem City (Rev. 21:2; 20:9,10) where it all takes place come judgment day for the LOST , as well as satan and his evil angels (i.e. verse 10 again!) and brought to ashes! Right OhioGrace?
Now OhioGrace, you ask, QUOTE - 'What does Paul mean when he says they will suffer loss, but yet they will be saved?' and did you not read where, in the MUCH misleading article where it said, QUOTE - 'Only those works that survive God’s >>>refining fire<<< have eternal value and will be worthy of reward.'??? So actually the reward is HEAVEN, right?
So you bring up 1 Corth, chapter 3 and imply that Paul is saying even though the Corinthians are obviously sinning (verse 3 -envying, strife and divisions among them! ) and you think they will be saved, in the kingdom some day if they KEEP on doing those things? Or like you said and interpret Paul meaning as - 'they will suffer loss, but yet they will be saved?' Really OhioGrace??? Nobody is going to heaven kicking and screaming while continuing to live in sin and THAT IS THE LOSS! Right?
OR OR OR is the CONTEXT to all of Paul's letters as to speaking POSITIVELY/ENCOURAGMENT to the Corinthians (in this letter) that they will NOT continue to have 'envy, strife and divisions' among them and THEREFORE they will NOT 'suffer loss' BY FAITH, 'but yet they will be saved' because they corrected, repented of their fighting!!!??? Hmmmmm... Its all a part of the symbolic 'refiners fire' that goes on in a believers life here on earth also then, helping them to DIE to the old sinful nature, as Paul was addressing the Corinthians about, when
they were CERTAINLY 'carnal and fleshly' and they were acting like immature 'babies' as you imply. They were certainly NOT 'shallow activities' then, were they? They were also 'walking and living according to (going back to PAGAN) human standards' and your right it was 'so serious' but OhioGrace, if they >>>CONTINUED<<< on in fighting, can they be in the kingdom someday when they ignore the 'refiners fire' by Father YHWH's set apart HOLY SPIRIT that He communicates to us today with and to them all then by???
So in conclusion Father YHWH by His set apart HOLY SPIRIT, can by our will with His will together, REFINE us by the symbolic FIRE and 'assures' us then in the end, we 'will be saved, yet through' the symbolic 'FIRE'!!! You see?
Finally OhioGrace, you posted, QUOTE - 'The judgment seat of Christ (Actually sitting on the right hand of Father YHWH!) will be a time of reward for obedient believers. It will be a time of >>>loss for disobedient believers. But they will be saved.<<< (??????????) That is what the passage says, isn't it?'
OhioGrace! How can they be 'believers' when they are 'disobedient' ??? That would then make GRACE a DISGRACE! Right? Is that not a contradiction to the definition of a TRUE BELIEVER in the Bible and its CONTEXT??? So 'they will be saved' while being 'disobedient believers' and sin allowed in heaven OhioGrace??? REALLY??? So obviously that's NOT what the passage says as you think, in light of and to the CONTEXT of Scripture then also as a whole, let alone Paul's letter here to the Corinthians, right?
Father YHWH is much closer than the majority of CULT 'churches' teach and of course the atheist secular 'science' world wants you to think earth is but a tiny speck of a 'orbiting planet' in a CULT believed 'solar system' in a vast >>>big bang evolutionary<<< HUGE 'universe' (that strangely littledavid believes in this same 'universe'!?) when the reality is the earth is the HUGE enclosed center piece of everything we see with our eyes! 
Any artist will tell you, you can draw a circle on a piece of paper and look down at it, its a circle and its also flat, so therefore Father YHWH looks down upon the flat circle of the earth! 
Right?
), just because the secular atheist say it does and then somehow READS it all into the Bible as the 3 'heavens' are NOW really just 'spiritual heavens' and are not real!!!??? 
Oh boy, what a false teacher! 
Even those claiming to be 'christians' who take the mark of the beast (Rev. 14:9-11; 19:20b) and therefore suffer the plagues also, the wrath from YHWH (Rev. 16:2), to forfeit there salvation unto DEATH! 
So much for the once saved always saved (OSAS) doctrine, right readers? 
Or like you said and interpret Paul meaning as - 'they will suffer loss, but yet they will be saved?' 
Right? Is that not a contradiction to the definition of a TRUE BELIEVER in the Bible and its CONTEXT???