Is John 3:13 contradictory? None have seen heaven?

Usually when we find a ‘contradiction’ in Scripture, it’s a prompt to dig a little deeper.
Some of the most interesting discoveries I’ve encountered have come about through this very process. I think the explanation behind this particular statement is actually quite simple – and that Jesus himself gives a few clues. Let me qualify that.

What is 'heaven'?

The word(s) translated as “heaven” in English in our Bibles are actually in reference to multiple locations; that is, there is a first, second and third heaven. Paul hints at this in 2 Corinthians 2:12: “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know--God knows”, but the text that is the real crux is located in Genesis 1. In Genesis, God divides heaven FROM heaven – creating the 1st heaven (our atmosphere, “the sky”) and the 2nd heaven (space). The Third Heaven is where God’s throne is located, and is likewise the place Jesus referred to when He said “I go to prepare a place for you… that where I am, there you may be also.”

With that in mind, it would pay to look a little more closely at the stories of Enoch and Elijah.

In regards to Enoch, the Biblical stories of his ‘translation’ don’t actually specify that he was taken to heaven at all.
Genesis 5 says:

“21 Enoch lived sixty-five years, and begot Methuselah. 22 After he begot Methuselah, Enoch walked with God three hundred years, and had sons and daughters. 23 So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. 24 And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him”
The only other Biblical references to Enoch (Luke 3:37, Hebrews 11:5 and Jude 1:14-15) do not clarify his ‘translation’ any further, except to say that he was indeed translated (raptured, “caught up”). This might suggest that he was lifted bodily from the earth, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that he was taken to the third heaven.

As far as Elijah is concerned, he being caught up to heaven are not in reference to the Third Heaven, where the throne of God is, but simply a reference to Elijah being caught up into the sky in a heavenly chariot. The Hebrew term used here is “haš•šā•ma•yim”, which indicates the heavens (plural), and is used in Scripture to refer to any of the three heavens. While this term is inspecific, taking the broader context of Scripture (including John 3:13), we can see that Elijah couldn’t possibly have been taken to the third heaven, because “no one has ascended to heaven…. save the Son of Man”. It seems unlikely, too, that it was the second heaven (space), but simply the first - which is to suggest that he was simply caught up in the sky, before being taken to his ultimate destination (paradise).

Some have argued that Scripture is dealing with near-death experiences in this case. I'd disagree here, in that I believe that Elijah most definitely did leave earth – Scripture plainly states that he did, with Elisha witnessing the fact – and I don’t believe that these were mere near-death experiences (in fact, they can’t be, as Elijah didn’t write the book of 2 Kings, and wasn’t around afterward to detail the events – and an NDE is intensely personal, and wouldn’t be an experience Elijah could share with Elisha, much less Jeremiah, who is traditionally considered to be the author of that book).

So, has anyone actually seen heaven, other than Jesus?

In the quoted verse (John 3:13) Jesus says that "no one has ascended into heaven...", and I suspect the tense here is important, because at that point, prior to His death and resurrection, nobody had. This isn't to suggest that nobody had ascended at all (as we've clarified already, Elijah was certainly lifted up into the sky), but specifically that nobody had ascended into the Third Heaven.

Is that still the case now, though?

I would suggest that the experiences of those who claim to have gone to heaven can potentially be valid in Biblical terms, (note: I can't speak specifically for Don Piper, not having read his book), but are not necessarily so. I'll explain. We know that, prior to Christ, the souls of the dead went to Sheol, the “place of the dead”, which is described most vividly in Luke 16 (the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus). For this reason, no man, woman or child who lived before Jesus Christ would or could have "ascended" to the third After Christ, though, He being the firstfruits, those who are saved and who die in Christ Jesus are taken directly to heaven (Philippians 1:23, 2 Corinthians 5:8, among many verses that detail this fact). It is therefore not inconceivable to think that AFTER Christ, there may very well be some who have, either physically or through visions, glimpsed heaven in their own near death experiences... but, being subjective experiences, they must always (always!) be subjected to the only litmus test we have: the Word of God.

This, really, is the bottom line: that, as in all things, we must “test the spirits, to see if these things are from God.” Every claim, every near-death experience or story regarding the heavenly realms can, and must be tested according to Scripture to see if they hold up against the scrutiny of God’s Word – bearing in mind, as always, that the hour is late, and that the enemy is working overtime seeking to deceive even the very elect.

Hopefully I’ve answered this question to the best of my ability – but no doubt if you keep digging in Scripture, you’ll find more clues that give you the answer that you’re looking for. The more I read, the more I learn, and the more I discover that the depth of God’s Word is truly limitless. Be a Berean!

Good question, John.  It's my undersanding that Sheol is split into two places.  I'm not quite sure I understand that whole thing.
Now, Moses is another story.  He died but according to the book of Jude, Michael and Satan fought over the body of Moses and God Himself buried Moses where no one can find.  It's even hidden from Satan. What purpose Satan had in mind is anyones guess.  I have my own speculations as to why.

In a nutshell, my thought was that Satan could have wanted to use him as the antichrist (in a sense) to deceive Israel. He would want to embody him.

Your thinking?

I don't want to get off topic but do you think that Moses and Elijah will be the two witnesses?  I can see how people think that way and I tend to lean toward that thinking too because both of them appeared with Jesus in the Transfiguration.
However, are there exceptions to Hebrews 9:27 ?  I mean, poor Moses would have to die twice but so did Lazarus. Bummer.

I've read that view before.  Interesting and intriguing. 

Well, your thought is an interesting possibility.  Obviously, we know it would have to have been something concerning Israel.  I mean, who else would they look up to and follow?  Moses, appointed by God, was a great leader.