The Four Heavens (2)

2 Corinthians 12 Background

2 Corinthians 12 was written in ___________ AD

The phrase _____________ in 2 Corinthians 12 is the same phrase Paul used to describe the ____________ in 1 Thessalonians 4.

Paul was _______ allowed to ___________ or __________ about the experience.

The First Heaven (Genesis 1 & Genesis 2)

Physically, the first heaven was created by God to be the ___________ of man, and before God created man, He created a domain that could sustain man including all of the earth’s processes.

The first heaven, the first domain, was created to sustain man ____________, and God gave ______________ over it to man, His treasured creation.

The Second Heaven (Psalm 8:3, Isaiah 13:10)

Physically, the second heaven refers to those things outside of our _________________, but it also has a spiritual meaning. (Ephesians 2:2) _____________, as the prince of the air, has been allowed to have authority in this realm. (Ephesians 6:10-12)

Behind every government, there is a __________ spirit sent by the prince of the air to control the governments of man. (Daniel 10: 13, 20) (Matthew 4:8-10)

_______________, when being tempted, did not question Satan’s authority to tempt Him with the kingdoms of the world.

There are ________________ forces at work on this planet. (2 Kings 6:15-17) (2 Kings 19:35)

Do you want some reassuring news? Even though Satan has some authority, he does not have ___________ authority that only belongs to God, and even though Satan might be working in the governments of man, it is God who is ultimately pulling all the strings. (Habakkuk 1:5)

The Third Heaven

The third heaven is beyond the scope of man. It is where God ________ and __________. (Isaiah 66:1), (Isaiah 40:22), (Hebrews 7:26)

Make absolutely no mistake about it. it is God who __________ in the first, second, and third heavens. He has allowed _____________ some authority, but Satan is not __________________.

The thing that puzzles me is that ___________ has access to the third heaven. (Job 1:6-7) (Revelation 12:10)

What does Satan do in the third heaven? He _____________ Christians of their sins, but dear Christian friend, for every accusation he hurls our way, we have an ______________ (Hebrews 7:25)

Why is Satan allowed access to the third heaven? I cannot answer definitively, and no Bible expositor can, but I believe the reason is connected to the manner in which Lucifer was created. (Ezekiel 28:14-19)

Lucifer was a ______________ cherub which means he had authority that the other angels did not have. There is some biblical evidence to that. (Jude 1:6) Ezekiel does say Lucifer was an anointed cherub. Only God can anoint; so, it is obvious that God had a specific purpose for Lucifer but because of sin, Lucifer became Satan and was no longer Lucifer. (Revelation 20:10)

The Fourth Heaven

The “fourth” heaven is the ___________ home for all the saints. It is the place Jesus promised that He was going to prepare. (John 14:3)

Even though the third heaven is the place where God rules and dwells, it has something in common with the first two heavens that makes it unworthy to be our eternal destination.

______________ has left his corrosive hand-prints on the first three heavens. (Genesis 3:1, Ephesians 2:2, Job 1:6,7, Revelation 12:10, & Isaiah 14:12-13)

Satan will not have any access to our eternal homes.

Here is where you must understand the principle of redemption found throughout the Bible.

Adam and Eve were created perfectly but had to be redeemed by a covering that only _______could provide.

You and I are made perfect before God with a sacrifice that only ________ could provide.

The earth was created perfect, and it can only be made perfect by ________. (Revelation 20:9-10, 2 Peter 3:9-10)

When God purifies this planet, ________ will no more be an issue because this earth will be like the Garden of Eden before the Slimy Serpent slipped in and you and I, if you are saved, will be like Jesus. (1 John 3:2-3)

What about you? Are you going to the place Jesus is preparing? Are you going to the place God is preparing for Satan and the other demons that rebelled against God? If you want to go where Jesus is going to be, you must follow Jesus to get there. You do that by admitting that you are a sinner, by asking God to forgive your sins through Jesus, by believing that Jesus Christ died for your sins and was resurrected on the third day, and by confessing your decision before man and committing yourself to Him.