What are the first and second heavens in Scripture?
Scripture speaks of three heavens. The first heaven is the atmosphere around us, the area where birds fly. The second heaven is what we call space, the area of the moon and the stars. Thus the first is the immediate sky; the second is outer space.
Les explains that Scripture speaks of three heavens. The first heaven is the area around us, the atmosphere where birds fly; that is why the Bible speaks of the fowls of heaven. The second heaven in Scripture is the area of what we call space—the area of the moon and the stars and what have you. He then points ahead to 2 Corinthians, likely chapter 12, where Paul refers to what, a further heavenly distinction beyond these first two.