Heaven is an explanation of the concept of heaven, based on the Holy Scriptures, the Bible.
What is the Root Concept of Heaven?
Heaven is the residence of God. It is a place above where we live, and that concept is that the higher a person is, the more glorious he is and the more honor they have. A person “below” another is a morally low person or a person who simply has a lower status in life, or their fortunes are poorer.
Heaven exists because God exists. It is his house, his throne. If God exists, and He does, then he has to have a throne or place wherein He functions as God. Heaven is that concept.
Paul mentions in 2 Corinthians 12:2 the concept or phrase “third heaven”. Within Greek thought of the time, the Greeks divided reality into three heavens (with earth being a separate concept, and the underworld of death and punishment being another concept).
The earth is not part of heaven. The air above where men walk and where the birds fly is the first heaven, and the stars and beyond are the second heaven, and the third heaven is where God lives with the saints and the good angels.
Where is Heaven?
If we can take a little liberty here, we know where the first and second heavens are. The third heaven is probably more like another dimension (which the word dimension is a corrupt word for us to use because science fiction has implanted so many unbiblical concepts into that word that I hesitate to use it), or another place outside of earth, hell, and the first and second heavens.
In general, we cast this concept into a spiritual realm. In general, it is “up”. Angels who can move between the third heaven and earth, come to earth and when they return they go up. Jacob’s ladder is a way up.
What is Heaven? What does it represent?
Heaven is a concept that combines God and salvation. It is a place where saved people go to live forever. In the teachings of the Bible, heaven is where God is. At the present, it is up. But it is not like behind the moon. No man can get to heaven in a spaceship. It is beyond man’s ability. But at some point in the future, God promises to make a new heaven and a new earth, and the throne and “courtroom” of God will descend on this new earth, and heaven will be on earth.
See our definition of Hell
To see further explanations on heaven, follow these links.
- Doct28 What will heaven be like?
- doct03 Do Heaven & Hell really exist?
- doct04 Hell and Heaven, Hades, & Paradise
- eva11 What happens after I die?
- bs53 The Hope of the Christian
- bs44 The Blessing of God’s Presence
- pc45 Christian Facing Eternity
Works on Heaven in Different Formats
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