And I knew such a man, ( whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)
Paul was taken in holy vision to the third heaven, which is Paradise, and he could not tell whether it was in the body or out of the body, but God knew. There he was shown the beauty and glory of heaven and heard things he was not permitted to make known or utter. Those truths were withheld because they would have been misapplied and could not have been understood or comprehended. God opened this vision before him to prepare him for his extensive missionary work to the Gentiles. It did not lead him to boast or exalt himself, but he walked humbly and let all that was shown to him mold the messages he bore to the churches.
Vision and Its Revelation
Paul was taken in holy vision to the third heaven, also called Paradise, where he was shown a glimpse of heaven's beauty and glory and of celestial things. The vision revealed glorious scenes and revelations of divine glory, bringing him into close communion with God. After returning to earthly consciousness he could not adequately describe the wonderful scenes he had seen, but he kept their image in his soul.
Paradise is the New Jerusalem. The heaven containing God's temple is distinct from other places or things in Scripture also called heaven.
He could not tell whether the experience was in the body or out of the body; God knew. It was a true visionary state in which a person is wholly unaware of surrounding things and lost to everything around him while God communicates through angels, with no danger of mistake. Ordinary religious exercises, by contrast, can be shaped and adulterated by prior opinions and knowledge and by unhealthy excitement, and implicit confidence cannot be placed in them.
There he saw and heard things that are not lawful to utter and that he was not permitted to make known or speak. He was shown great truths and enrapturing scenes of celestial things. Those truths were withheld because those who heard them would have misapplied them and made a misapplication of the great truths presented, and because they could not have understood or comprehended them. What was revealed was too much to tell, so he tells only a tiny fraction, not one-hundredth or one-thousandth part of what he saw. When he returned to consciousness of earthly things he found it impossible to describe what had passed before him, but he kept the wonderful picture in his soul. This proves that the Lord Jesus can communicate spiritual truths that no human words can adequately express, while the brightness of the celestial world and the splendor and joy of the Christian's hope make the heart glow within yet can only be feebly portrayed.
The experience brings the eternal world within range of the mind's eye, with the curtain of heaven withdrawn to reveal its treasures and living glories, yet even then a person can grasp only a notion of the infinite, eternal weight of glory. Mysteries hidden for ages were revealed to him there, as much as he could bear of God's workings and of His dealings with human minds. The hidden mystery is the plan foreknown before the creation of the world to be carried out upon the defection of any of the high intelligences of heaven, with an offering prepared in the eternal purposes to do the very work God has done for fallen humanity. He was told he must preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and light was to be given to the Gentiles, and this giving of light to the Gentiles is that mystery hidden for ages.
Purpose and Effect on Paul
God brought Paul into close communion and close connection with Himself and opened before his enraptured vision a glimpse of the beauty and glory of heaven to prepare him for his extensive and important missionary work to the Gentiles. He had received his commission from God while praying in the temple, with his broad missionary field presented before him with remarkable distinctness. The vision gave preparation for the broad work God had commissioned him to do.
Being received into the third heaven was a great honor from God. After that honor an affliction was sent to buffet him so he would walk humbly with God and not be lifted up in his own estimation. Spiritual privilege calls for humility and may be followed by severe trial. God prepares His people for temptation by giving before a great trial a more than usually clear revelation of His presence and compassion and love, with strength sufficient for the trial.
The heavenly experience did not lead him to boast or trust himself or to exalt himself. With humility he called himself less than the least of the saints. He recognized the need for constant watchfulness and self-denial. He continued pressing toward the prize of God's calling in Christ, showing that he had not already attained perfection and that sanctification is a lifelong work.
Though he did not directly tell what he had seen in vision, all that was shown to him molded the messages he bore to the churches. Those great truths were withheld from direct speech because those who heard them would have misapplied them and could not have understood or comprehended them. The revelation left a lasting impression ever with him that shaped his understanding and presentation of Christian life, character, and duty to God and of the obligation due from man to God. That lasting impression enabled him to give a correct representation with power that was from God and not from man. All his writings, letters, admonitions, and appeals bear a heavenly character, with the sure word of prophecy in all his instruction. He spoke little of these special revelations and did not dwell on them at all times when speaking to the people.
The vision was one of several visions received during his ministerial labors and of many visions of heaven in the heavenly courts. He was exalted above the other apostles by the revelation of Christ at his conversion and by these later visions, in which he saw and heard many things not lawful for a man to utter, yet he still labored with his hands as a tentmaker. His eyes that had looked upon Christ remained afflicted, yet the Lord often gave him visions of heavenly things.
His view of eternal scenes, with his knowledge, his eloquence, and his miracles, would all prove unavailing, a defeat and a dishonor, if the church for whom he labored should prove inefficient and unfaithful through any failure of his duty toward them. His hope of heaven grew dim when he contemplated the church receiving the mold of the human instead of the divine. The vision calls for waking up and wanting a home in heaven at the cost of everything here, speaking a word in season and working to convert souls in places like San Francisco and Oakland.
Paul was taken in holy vision to the third heaven, which is Paradise, and he could not tell whether it was in the body or out of the body, but God knew. There he was shown the beauty and glory of heaven and heard things he was not permitted to make known or utter. Those truths were withheld because they would have been misapplied and could not have been understood or comprehended. God opened this vision before him to prepare him for his extensive missionary work to the Gentiles. It did not lead him to boast or exalt himself, but he walked humbly and let all that was shown to him mold the messages he bore to the churches.
Vision and Its Revelation
Paul was taken in holy vision to the third heaven, also called Paradise, where he was shown a glimpse of heaven's beauty and glory and of celestial things. The vision revealed glorious scenes and revelations of divine glory, bringing him into close communion with God. After returning to earthly consciousness he could not adequately describe the wonderful scenes he had seen, but he kept their image in his soul.
Paradise is the New Jerusalem. The heaven containing God's temple is distinct from other places or things in Scripture also called heaven.
He could not tell whether the experience was in the body or out of the body; God knew. It was a true visionary state in which a person is wholly unaware of surrounding things and lost to everything around him while God communicates through angels, with no danger of mistake. Ordinary religious exercises, by contrast, can be shaped and adulterated by prior opinions and knowledge and by unhealthy excitement, and implicit confidence cannot be placed in them.
There he saw and heard things that are not lawful to utter and that he was not permitted to make known or speak. He was shown great truths and enrapturing scenes of celestial things. Those truths were withheld because those who heard them would have misapplied them and made a misapplication of the great truths presented, and because they could not have understood or comprehended them. What was revealed was too much to tell, so he tells only a tiny fraction, not one-hundredth or one-thousandth part of what he saw. When he returned to consciousness of earthly things he found it impossible to describe what had passed before him, but he kept the wonderful picture in his soul. This proves that the Lord Jesus can communicate spiritual truths that no human words can adequately express, while the brightness of the celestial world and the splendor and joy of the Christian's hope make the heart glow within yet can only be feebly portrayed.
The experience brings the eternal world within range of the mind's eye, with the curtain of heaven withdrawn to reveal its treasures and living glories, yet even then a person can grasp only a notion of the infinite, eternal weight of glory. Mysteries hidden for ages were revealed to him there, as much as he could bear of God's workings and of His dealings with human minds. The hidden mystery is the plan foreknown before the creation of the world to be carried out upon the defection of any of the high intelligences of heaven, with an offering prepared in the eternal purposes to do the very work God has done for fallen humanity. He was told he must preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and light was to be given to the Gentiles, and this giving of light to the Gentiles is that mystery hidden for ages.
Purpose and Effect on Paul
God brought Paul into close communion and close connection with Himself and opened before his enraptured vision a glimpse of the beauty and glory of heaven to prepare him for his extensive and important missionary work to the Gentiles. He had received his commission from God while praying in the temple, with his broad missionary field presented before him with remarkable distinctness. The vision gave preparation for the broad work God had commissioned him to do.
Being received into the third heaven was a great honor from God. After that honor an affliction was sent to buffet him so he would walk humbly with God and not be lifted up in his own estimation. Spiritual privilege calls for humility and may be followed by severe trial. God prepares His people for temptation by giving before a great trial a more than usually clear revelation of His presence and compassion and love, with strength sufficient for the trial.
The heavenly experience did not lead him to boast or trust himself or to exalt himself. With humility he called himself less than the least of the saints. He recognized the need for constant watchfulness and self-denial. He continued pressing toward the prize of God's calling in Christ, showing that he had not already attained perfection and that sanctification is a lifelong work.
Though he did not directly tell what he had seen in vision, all that was shown to him molded the messages he bore to the churches. Those great truths were withheld from direct speech because those who heard them would have misapplied them and could not have understood or comprehended them. The revelation left a lasting impression ever with him that shaped his understanding and presentation of Christian life, character, and duty to God and of the obligation due from man to God. That lasting impression enabled him to give a correct representation with power that was from God and not from man. All his writings, letters, admonitions, and appeals bear a heavenly character, with the sure word of prophecy in all his instruction. He spoke little of these special revelations and did not dwell on them at all times when speaking to the people.
The vision was one of several visions received during his ministerial labors and of many visions of heaven in the heavenly courts. He was exalted above the other apostles by the revelation of Christ at his conversion and by these later visions, in which he saw and heard many things not lawful for a man to utter, yet he still labored with his hands as a tentmaker. His eyes that had looked upon Christ remained afflicted, yet the Lord often gave him visions of heavenly things.
His view of eternal scenes, with his knowledge, his eloquence, and his miracles, would all prove unavailing, a defeat and a dishonor, if the church for whom he labored should prove inefficient and unfaithful through any failure of his duty toward them. His hope of heaven grew dim when he contemplated the church receiving the mold of the human instead of the divine. The vision calls for waking up and wanting a home in heaven at the cost of everything here, speaking a word in season and working to convert souls in places like San Francisco and Oakland.