I do know the environment that Paul lived in at the time. There was a struggle for the christian identity. You had many different ideas leveraging for dominance. The Christianity that we see today was not so cut and dried. The Jew's, the Egyptians and also the Pagan's had what you call the "Mysteries" only a few special religious persons could attain to this high religious state they actually had to be trained, after attending the mystery schools they could go out and help others spiritually. What is of interest to me is the Third Heaven the Third Heaven was a concept taught during the awakenings called the Mysteries. Jesus most certainly had to have been a graduate of the Mysteries. You should study the first 200 years of Christianity this study will wake you up to the real facts of Christianity not the facts that the Catholic Church wanted the world to know and taught by every Christian church ever since including the JW's. You should read first the book called "The Jesus Mysteries" by Timothy Freke & Peter Gandy but Only read this book if you want to know the real facts of the early Christians. This book is life changing.
Open your mind Paul had to be referring to the concept that the readers of that day already know of the third heavens or he would of explained what it was so as not to confused the Third Heaven to a teaching that was Pagan. The reason he did not exspain it further was the reader already know what the Third Heaven was. If I told you I was transferred into a 'Confession Booth' you would know exactly what I was talking about. Paul had to be referring to the concept that people already know at that time. I will not tell you what they thought at Paul's time the Third Heavens was you need to look beyond what you have been told.
I know that JW answer to the Third heaven. Your response sounded almost exactly how I would have responded ten years ago. At Paul's day they believed that there were actually seven heavens.
I'll give you something to think about have you ever looked at the sons of the true God "Osiris-Dionysus" lived hundreds of years before Jesus.
They were born from a Virgin
Born in cowshed on Dec 25th
Baptised to represent rebirth for people
Turned water into wine at a marriage ceremony
Rode triumphantly into town on a Donkey waving Palm branches
Had twelve apostles
Healed the lame, blind etc...
Raised the Dead
Apostles broke bread and drink wine to represent Osiris-Dionysus body and blood
Crucified for our sins on Easter time
Raised on the third day by God
Followers await for their return to judge mankind.
There are more the seven such GOD MEN or as we call them Christ's that are said to have lived before Jesus. Each one did at least some of the exsact miracles credited to Jesus. Matter of fact not even one of Jesus life's story's was first done by him. Everything was first done by one of these seven Christ that lived before him. Certainly makes a person think does it not. Why was Jesus so unimaginative he could not come up with an original action or thought? Why did he copy pagan Christ's?
