As to 2 Cor. 12:2 "..caught up (Acts 8:39 "..Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more.." he reappeared at Azotus (Ashdod)) to the third heaven (These raptures, visions, revelations, had two degrees: first he was caught up to the "third heaven," and from there to "paradise," which seems to indicate an inner recess of the third heaven - Luke 23:43 at the crucifixion; Rev. 2:7 the tree of life in the midst of the paradise of God. St. Paul was permitted to "hear" the things of paradise, but to see also in some degree the things in the third heaven. Whether he was in his body he knew not. The "first heaven" is that of the clouds, the air; the "second," that of the stars, the sky; the "third" is spiritual as in Eph. 4:10 "He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens..")."
2 Cor. 12:4 "How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter."
I will not delve into this subject any deeper but intend to encompass its contents later in Chapter Four which begins a study of heaven.
The reason for the flood possibly caused by man's wickedness in the eyes of God in one way or another. As man evolved to more elaborate biochemical pathways it enabled them to utilize a greater variety of organic compounds free in the environment. This means that organisms themselves alter the environment, for example, their respiration, which would have been fermentative in the absence of molecular oxygen, releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. At one time the planets' atmosphere was an oxidizing one, and the layer of ozone (O3) that formed and effectively screen out the ultraviolet radiation from the sun, allowed very little high energy radiation from reaching the earth's surface. Therefore, living organisms, once they arose, changed their environment in a way that destroyed the conditions that had existed before. Whether there was enough population during this time frame in history is questionable.
Noah was the link between men and the Elohim, he had three sons, Shem, Ham and Japeth. The Elohim returned to the earth and gave Noah instructions.