There is a place that many prophets in the Bible did not dare to speak of or describe. It is a hidden place above the first heaven we see and beyond the second heaven, where spiritual battles are fought between angels and demons. That place is called the Third Heaven, a place loved by many, but feared by others. It is so glorious that not even the apostle Paul dared to describe it. He was there; he was caught up to the third heaven and saw it, but when he returned, he could not utter a single word of what he beheld.
Do you know why? God himself commanded him to remain silent.
Subscribe right now to this channel, Biblical Code, because in this video, you’re going to discover what the third heaven is really like according to the Bible, and who lives there. You will hear real testimonies from people who were there and, most chillingly, learn why Paul was silenced and not allowed to reveal what he saw. Let’s begin.
Before delving deeper into this topic, we need to understand what the third heaven really means. Is there more than one heaven? The answer is yes, and the Bible gives us clues about it. Throughout the Scriptures, we are told about three distinct heavens.
The first sky is the sky we see, the atmosphere, the clouds, the place where birds fly, as mentioned in Genesis 1:20. The second heaven is outer space, the place where spiritual battles are fought. The third heaven is the spiritual heaven, the place where God dwells, where the angels, archangels, and other celestial beings are. Of course, that is where the throne of God is located, according to Psalm 11:4 and Isaiah 66:1.
However, few things in the Bible have generated as much mystery as this revelation. In his second letter to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul makes an enigmatic statement:
“I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body I do not know, or whether it was out of the body I do not know, God knows. And I know that such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows—how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.” (2 Corinthians 12:2-4)
This passage baffles many, but most scholars agree on one thing: Paul is talking about himself. He is describing a supernatural experience, a moment when he was taken by God beyond this world—not to the first heaven that we see, nor to the second heaven of spiritual battle, but to the third heaven, the place where the almighty God dwells.
Can you imagine having such a profound, glorious encounter that you can’t talk about it when you return? Paul not only saw the third heaven, but he also heard words that no human being is allowed to repeat. It was not just a vision; it was a heavenly and divine visit.
It is shocking that Paul, the very same one who wrote about the coming of the Antichrist, about the rapture, and about the resurrection, never wrote a single detail about what he saw in the third heaven. He left not a word about its appearance, not a description of the throne, nothing. Why? What did he see there that was so sacred and so delicate that God himself forbade him from sharing it?
Unlike the apostle John, who did receive permission to reveal what he saw in heaven in the Book of Revelation, Paul was silenced and kept quiet. When he tried to speak about it, he did so in the third person with deep humility, as if it were not even him. This reveals something profound to us. The third heaven is not merely a sight to behold; it is the holiest place in the universe. It is the throne of the eternal judge and the center of all spiritual authority, where time does not exist and where every word has eternal weight.
Pablo lived with that burden, carrying the memory of what he saw alongside the divine mandate to remain silent. Can you imagine keeping that experience inside without being able to share it? Put yourself in Pablo’s shoes. Could you handle it?
Another of the most unsettling questions is, where exactly is the third heaven? Is it a physical place with coordinates in the universe? Is it behind the galaxies? Is it a celestial planet?
The Bible does not place it as a point within the map of the cosmos, but rather as a place beyond all that has been created. In other words, the third heaven is outside the observable universe, beyond spacetime, and beyond even the spiritual dimension where the war between angels and demons takes place, which the Bible calls the second heaven.
The prophet Isaiah expressed it clearly:
“For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy…” (Isaiah 57:15)
God does not dwell in time, nor does He dwell in the physical plane. His throne is in eternity, far beyond the limits of the universe. King Solomon also understood this when he said:
“But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You…” (1 Kings 8:27)
He speaks of a celestial hierarchy: the physical heaven, the spiritual heaven, and the heaven of heavens, which is the third heaven. In other words, we are not talking about something symbolic, nor about a simple higher dimension. We are talking about a kingdom outside of time, completely outside of all corruption, where God reigns in his absolute fullness.
The book of Job gives us another clue:
“They are higher than heaven—what can you do? Deeper than Sheol—what can you know? Their measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea.” (Job 11:8-9)
Did you notice? The highest sky cannot be measured. This is not due to a limitation of technology, telescopes, or science, but because it does not belong to this plane. Some theologians describe it as a realm outside of natural laws, a place that can only be accessed by divine will. You don’t get there in a spaceship, and you don’t get there by meditating; you only get there if God decides to reveal it.
The apostle John experienced it when he wrote:
“…behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, ‘Come up here…'” (Revelation 4:1)
That door wasn’t physical; it was an invitation to enter a reality that doesn’t belong to this world. The third heaven is essentially the seat of the kingdom of God. As we shall see later, there sits the throne from which the whole world will be judged.
If the third heaven is the most glorious place in the universe, then an inevitable question arises: Who lives there? What beings live in that realm? What happens in that space that even the apostle Paul did not dare to describe?
The most powerful answer is also the simplest: God dwells there. Not as an idea, nor as an impersonal force, but as the living, personal, almighty God, the same one who said:
“Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool.” (Isaiah 66:1)
That throne is not in a temple made by human hands; it is on high, in the third heaven. In Revelation 4, John was taken to that place, and the first thing he saw was this: a throne was set up in heaven, and One sat on the throne. The One seated is God, resplendent as jasper and carnelian, surrounded by a rainbow like emeralds, and before him a sea of crystal like transparent glass.
Around him, twenty-four elders prostrate themselves and worship. These heavenly beings throw down their crowns and proclaim without ceasing:
“Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!” (Revelation 4:8)
There are also the four living beings full of eyes that represent the fullness of divine knowledge and eternal vigilance. These are beings who do not rest day or night and who do not tire of glorifying Him, because the atmosphere of the third heaven is pure adoration, absolute justice, and endless glory.
But God is not the only one who dwells in that place; there is also His Son, Jesus, who sat down at the right hand of the Father. Christ is at the right hand of God interceding for us, as stated in Romans 8:34. He is no longer on a cross, and He is not in a tomb; He is enthroned in majesty as the eternal King in the third heaven.
With Him are the angels—not just a few, but thousands upon thousands. As John wrote:
“Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne…” (Revelation 5:11)
These include angels of different ranks: seraphim, cherubim, messengers, guardians, and heavenly armies. And let’s not forget something else: there, too, are the souls of the righteous who have already departed. Hebrews 12:23 calls them the spirits of just men made perfect, who are already in the heavenly Jerusalem.
So, who lives there? The glorious and eternal God the Father, Jesus Christ the enthroned King, millions of adoring angels, and indescribable celestial beings. All of them exist in an environment where there is no corruption, no sin, and no darkness. It is a place where every thought vibrates with holiness, where every sound is worship, and where the presence of God is not merely perceived—it is lived. If that is the place where the Creator dwells, then we can easily understand why Paul, after being there, could no longer look at this world the same way.
Of all the amazing things the Bible reveals, few are as mysterious as this. Paul was taken up to the third heaven, but he was not allowed to speak about what he saw. Why? Why would God allow one of the greatest apostles in history to see the place where He dwells and then forbid him from sharing it?
Listen again to what the text says: he was caught up to paradise, where he heard ineffable words that man is not permitted to utter (2 Corinthians 12:4). Pablo doesn’t say he didn’t want to speak; he says he wasn’t given the opportunity and was not authorized. The words he heard do not even exist in human language.
This reveals something very profound: not everything that God shows can be communicated. There are revelations that are reserved only for those who enter, mysteries that can only be understood when one treads on the sacred ground of the third heaven.
Even the apostle John, who did describe heaven in Revelation, received a similar warning. In Revelation 10:4, it says:
“Now when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, ‘Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them down.'”
Did you notice? There are secrets of heaven that not even the last apostle was allowed to reveal. With Pablo, it was even more radical. He went to the third heaven, to the very heavenly paradise, and he didn’t write a single detail. He didn’t describe colors, he didn’t mention angels, and he didn’t speak of the throne; he only mentioned ineffable words.
Now imagine this: a man who received heavenly revelations about the end of the world, about the coming of Christ, and about the Antichrist, yet remained absolutely silent when it came to the third heaven. What did Paul see? What did he hear? What made his very soul tremble?
Some believe it was out of humility, while others think it was a test of obedience. Perhaps it was because the world is not yet ready to know that level of glory. When God silences a prophet, it is not because there is nothing to say; it is because what was seen was too holy to be shared. That teaches us a great lesson. The third heaven is not a subject of idle curiosity; it is a place of reverence, a place so high that even the most highly revealed man of the New Testament was not allowed to speak of it.
If Paul was silenced by God, who are we to treat this subject lightly? Perhaps God allowed Paul to leave us only a clue so that whoever truly longs for that heaven may seek it not with their eyes, but with their heart.
Although the Bible jealously guards the secrets of the third heaven, throughout history there have been surprising testimonies from people who claim to have seen that place. We are not just talking about ancient prophets, but ordinary people, humble believers, pastors, children, and even people who were declared clinically dead and came back.
Some describe it as a glorious kingdom full of living light. Others speak of music that cannot be explained, of aromas that do not exist on earth, and of such an intense feeling of peace that they no longer wanted to return. They all agree on one thing: the third heaven is not a dream. It is more real than this earth.
These are real testimonies. While we cannot personally confirm them all, the truth remains that God has done this before. He took Paul, He took John, He took Ezekiel, and He took Isaiah. Why couldn’t He continue revealing it to whomever He wants? Is this possible today? Yes, but it does not depend on human merit, nor on mystical experiences, nor on rituals. It depends solely on God’s sovereign will, because the third heaven is not conquered; it is received.
Here are two testimonies from people like you and me who were taken up to the third heaven.
Candis Smithman, a well-known Christian minister, shared a supernatural experience she had during a deep time of prayer and fasting, in which, according to her own words, she was raptured in the spirit to the third heaven. She describes the moment this way:
“I was taken to a place in the spirit where I had no sense of my personal consciousness, no consciousness at all.”
In that state, Candis recounts that she completely lost track of who she was as an individual. She had no memory of her name, her body, or her human identity. Only one thing was absolutely clear: she was completely united with God.
“I didn’t even remember who I was as a person. I was totally and completely in unity with God, in perfect communion. It was a place where I could only recognize Him, not myself.”
She states that at that moment, there was no time or physical space, only the glorious awareness of God’s presence. It was such a pure, supernatural reality that she couldn’t even think about going back. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity in that dimension, God ordered her to return. When she came to, she could barely speak, and her body was trembling. The experience was so sacred and profound that for several days she struggled to express in human words what she had experienced. In her own words, what she experienced cannot be explained with earthly logic, and she affirms that from that day on, her perception of heaven and God changed forever.
Now hear the following testimony. A believer shared on Reddit an experience he had after being clinically dead for several minutes. Although at first he doubted what he had experienced, over time he understood that what he had seen was not a hallucination, but a divine visit. He explains:
“God only allows someone to be taken to heaven for a specific purpose. And I was honestly too terrified to present myself before Him, even though I was right outside His throne room.”
He did not enter, but he felt such an overwhelming, glorious, and powerful presence that he could not sustain himself spiritually. He writes that his spirit trembled when he was near the place where God was. The most shocking thing is that he tried to convince himself that it had all been just his imagination, but something inside him wouldn’t leave him alone.
“Even such an experience can easily be dismissed as a product of an active imagination. I know because that’s what I tried to do myself, but God wouldn’t let me go. It’s something I can’t explain in words, but it’s as if it haunted me everywhere in a different dimension, until I accepted that it was real.”
Since then, his spiritual life changed completely. He could no longer live as before, and he could not ignore that he had been just one step away from the eternal throne of God. Although he did not see faces or speak with angels, he says that the light, the holy awe, and the pure love he perceived cannot be compared to anything on earth.
“I didn’t see many things; I only saw an intense light that wasn’t blinding, a giant pure white space. That’s what I remember, but what I felt inside me marked me forever.”
This testimony fits perfectly with what Paul experienced: partial access, controlled revelation, and necessary silence. Not everyone is ready to see the third heaven, but those who touch it never become the same again. If you were one of the chosen ones and had a supernatural experience like this, share it in the comments.
So far, we have talked about a glorious, holy, and mysterious place—the third heaven, where God dwells, where Christ reigns, and where millions of angels worship without ceasing. But you might be wondering, what does that have to do with me? Will I ever be able to see that place?
The answer is shocking: yes. I do not say that out of mere emotion, but because of a biblical promise. Jesus said in John 14:2-3:
“In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”
Where is Jesus now? He is seated at the right hand of the Father in the third heaven. If He promised to take us to where He is, then our ultimate destiny is not this corrupt land. Our destiny is eternal, and it is up there.
In Revelation 21, John describes a future heavenly vision:
“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away… And I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God…”
Then he adds something amazing:
“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:1, 2, 4)
That is not a metaphor; it is a real promise for all who have been washed by the blood of the Lamb. The third heaven is not a consolation prize; it is the final home of the redeemed. It is a place where corruption does not enter, where sin does not exist, where there are no diseases, and where eternity does not hurt—it is thoroughly enjoyed.
Paul understood this well, which is why he wrote:
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18)
Can you imagine living in a place where time no longer matters? A place where the colors never fade? A place where the sounds are not thunderous, but completely perfect? A place where your body is glorified, and where there is no more fear, guilt, or sin? That is the true destiny of God’s children. Although today we live in a world full of chaos, one day we will cross that spiritual border, and when our eyes are opened, we will see what Paul saw. Only this time, no one will silence us.
After hearing all that the Bible reveals about the third heaven, and after imagining its glory, its peace, its beauty, and its holiness, it is natural that many wonder, will I be able to enter there?
The truth is that not everyone will do it. Although the third heaven was prepared by God, it was not prepared for the rebels, nor was it designed for those who loved the world more than their Creator. Revelation 21:27 is very clear on this matter:
“But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.”
I repeat, only those whose names are written in the Book of Life will enter. That means you do not get in through religion, you do not get in through good works, and you do not get in simply by attending a church or by being a morally good person. You enter solely by having been washed by the blood of Jesus, by having surrendered your life to the Lord, and by having believed, obeyed, and walked with Him.
Jesus said it with tears in his eyes:
“Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name…?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'” (Matthew 7:22-23)
It is tough, but it is fair, because the third heaven is not a spiritual hotel; it is the throne room of the holy God, and no one who loves sin will be able to stand in His presence.
Perhaps now you understand why Paul was silenced, why access is so restricted, and why words are insufficient to describe it. It is not a tourist destination; it is the place of final judgment and eternity.
But there is also great hope, because as long as you are alive, the door remains wide open. If today you decide to turn your heart back to Christ, and if you sincerely repent, your name can be written in that book. When the day comes, when the heavens open and everyone appears before the throne, God will not look at your mistakes. He will see His Son in you and say:
“Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.” (Matthew 25:21)
Today, we have crossed together the veil of the visible to glimpse, even if only a little, the most glorious mystery of the Scriptures: the third heaven. We discovered that it is not a myth or a metaphor, but a real place where God dwells, where Jesus reigns, and where millions of angels worship eternally. We saw why Paul was caught up and why he could not speak of what he saw. We heard powerful testimonies from people who were there and understood that only those whose names are written in the Book of Life will enter.
Now I want to ask you a direct question: Were you one of the chosen ones? Has God ever taken you in a vision, in a dream, or in spirit to the third heaven? If you had a supernatural experience, share it with us in the comments. We want to read your testimony and together glorify God for what He continues to reveal.
If you wish to continue learning about the hidden mysteries of the Bible, I invite you to explore our exclusive Bible coding material—a revealing guide where we unravel symbols, prophecies, and secrets that few teach. By making a voluntary donation to the channel, you can receive this special resource and support our content. Access the link in the description or the pinned comment to get it right now.
