Heaven
"Heaven(s)" is also a poetic synonym for sky. For other uses, see
Heaven (disambiguation).
Heaven is an
afterlife concept found in many
religions or
spiritual philosophies.
Those who believe in heaven generally hold that it (or
Hell) is the
afterlife destination of many or all humans. In unusual instances, humans have had, according to many testimonies and traditions, personal knowledge of Heaven. They presume this is for the purpose of teaching the rest of humanity about life, Heaven, and
God.
While there are abundant and varied sources for conceptions of Heaven, the typical believer's view appears to depend largely on his particular religious tradition. Various religions have described Heaven as being populated by
angels,
demons,
gods and goddesses, and/or
heroes (especially in
Greek mythology). Heaven is generally construed as a place of
happiness, sometimes
eternal happiness.
In ancient Judaism, the belief in Heaven and afterlife was connected with that of
Sheol (mentioned in Isaiah 38:18, Psalms 6:5 and Job 7:7-10). Some scholars asserted that
Sheol was an earlier concept, but this theory is not universally held. One later Jewish sect that maintained belief in a
Resurrection of the dead was known as the
Pharisees. Opposed to them were the
Sadducees who denied the doctrine of Resurrection (Matt. 22:23).In much of
Christianity, heaven is a return to the pre-fallen state of humanity, a second and new
Garden of Eden, in which humanity is reunited with God in a perfect and natural state of eternal existence. Christians believe this reunion is accomplished through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ in having died for the sins of humanity on the cross.
In Eastern religions (and some Western traditions), with their emphasis on
reincarnation and
moksha (liberation), the concept of Heaven is not as prominent, but it still is present. In
Buddhism, for example, there are several heavens, all of which are still part of
Samsara (illusionary reality). Those who accumulate good
karma will be reborn
[(but no soul actually goes through rebirth; see anatta)] in one of them. However, their stay in the heaven is not eternal — eventually they will use up their good
karma and will undergo a different
rebirth into another realm, as
humans,
animals, or other beings. Because Heaven is temporary and part of
Samsara, Buddhists focus more on escaping the cycle of rebirth and reaching
enlightenment (Bodhi). In the native
Chinese Confucian traditions Heaven (
Tian) is an important concept, where the ancestors reside and from which emperors drew their mandate to rule in their dynastic propaganda, for example.In
Hindu belief, likewise, heaven—called
Swarga loka—is seen as a transitory place for souls who did good deeds but whose actions are not enough for
moksha or merging (union) with Brahman.
The popular belief of most faiths is that one enters heaven at the moment of death. This, however, is
not part of the doctrine of all of Christianity (see
Swedenborgianism for a Christian related religion that
does have this doctrine). Some of Christianity along with other major religions maintain that entry into Heaven awaits such time as, "When the form of this world has passed away."
Two related and often confused concepts of heaven in Christianity are better described as the "resurrection of the body", which is exclusively of Biblical origin, as contrasted with "the immortality of the soul", which is also evident in the Greek tradition. In the first concept, the soul does not enter heaven until the last judgement or the "end of time" when it (along with the body) is resurrected and judged. In the second concept, the soul goes to a heaven on another plane immediately after death. These two concepts are generally combined in the doctrine of the double judgement where the soul is judged once at death and goes to a temporary heaven, while awaiting a second and final physical judgement at the end of the world. (*
JPII, also see
eschatology,
afterlife)
Footnote
The idea of Heaven as a physical place has existed since the dawn of religion and human civilization. In some early religions (such as the
Ancient Egyptian faith), Heaven was a physical place far above the Earth in a "dark area" of space where there were no stars, basically beyond the Universe. Departed souls would undergo a literal journey to reach Heaven, along the way to which there could exist hazards and other entities attempting to deny the reaching of Heaven.
One popular medieval view of Heaven was that it existed as a physical place above the clouds and that God and the Angels were physically above, watching over man. With the dawn of the
Age of Reason, science began to challenge this notion; however Heaven as a physical place survived in the concept that it was located far out into space, and that the stars were "lights shining through from heaven".
Several works of written and filmed
science fiction have plots in which Heaven can be reached by the living through technological means. An example is
Disney film
The Black Hole, in which a manned spacecraft found both Heaven and Hell located at the bottom of a
Black Hole.
In the modern age of science and space flight the idea that Heaven is a physical place in the observable universe has largely been abandoned. Religious views, however, still hold Heaven as having a dual status as a concept of mind or heart, but also possibly still physically existing in some way on another "
plane of existence", or perhaps at a future time. According to science there are unobservable areas of the universe (everywhere beyond earth's
Particle horizon), although by their very nature it is not possible to observe them.
Religions that teach about heaven differ on how (and if) one gets into it. In most, entrance to Heaven is conditional on having lived a "good life" (within the terms of the spiritual system). A notable exception to this is the '
sola fide' belief of mainstream Protestantism, which takes emphasis off having lived a "good life" and teaches that entrance to heaven is conditional on belief and acceptance of Jesus Christ assuming the guilt of the sinner, rather than any other good or bad 'works' one has participated in.
Dual-covenant theology is a variant of this belief that exempts Jews from having to adopt Jesus as savior as a condition for entry to Heaven.Many religions state that those who do not go to heaven go to a place of punishment,
Hell, which may or may not be eternal (see
Annihilationism). A very few (the followers of
universalism) believe that everyone will go to Heaven eventually, no matter what they have done or believed on earth. Some religions believe in other afterlives.
The
Bahá'í Faith regards the conventional description of heaven (and hell) as a specific place as symbolic.
Instead the
Bahá'í writings describe heaven as a "spiritual condition" where closeness to God is defined as heaven; conversely
hell is seen as a state of remoteness from God.
, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, has stated that the nature of the life of the soul in the afterlife is beyond comprehension in the physical plane,
but has stated that the soul will retain its consciousness and individuality and remember its physical life; the soul will be able to recognize other souls and communicate with them.
For Bahá'ís, entry into the next life has the potential to bring great joy.
Bahá'u'lláh likened death to the process of birth. He explains: "The world beyond is as different from this world as this world is different from that of the child while still in the
womb of its mother."
The analogy to the womb in many ways summarizes the Bahá'í view of earthly existence: just as the womb constitutes an important place for a person's initial physical development, the physical world provides for the development of the individual
soul. Accordingly, Bahá'ís view life as a preparatory stage, where one can develop and perfect those qualities which will be needed in the next life.
The key to spiritual progress is to follow the path outlined by the current
Manifestations of God, which Bahá'ís believe is currently Bahá'u'lláh. Bahá'u'lláh wrote, "Know thou, of a truth, that if the soul of man hath walked in the ways of God, it will, assuredly return and be gathered to the glory of the Beloved,"
The Bahá'í teachings state that there exists a hierarchy of souls in the
afterlife, where the merits of each soul determines their place in the hierachy, and that souls lower in the hierarchy cannot completely understand the station of those above.
Each soul can continue to progress in the afterlife, but the souls development is not dependent on their own conscious efforts, but instead on the grace of God, the
prayers of others, and good deeds performed by others on Earth in the name of the person.
In Orthodox Christianity
The teachings of the
Eastern Orthodox and
Oriental Orthodox communions regarding the Kingdom of Heaven, or Kingdom of God, is basically taken from scripture, and thus many elements of this belief are held in common with other scriptural faiths and denominations. Some specific descriptions of this Kingdom as given in the canon of scripture include - (this list is by no means comprehensive):
*
Peaceful Conditions on a New Earth - Is. 2:2-4, 9:7, 11:6-9, 27:13, 32:17-18, 33:20-21, 60:17-18, Ez. 34:25-28, 37:26, Zech 9:10, Matt. 5:3-5, Rev. 21
*
Eternal Rule by a Messiah-King - Ps. 72, Jer 31:33-34, Zech 2:10-11, 8:3, 14:9, Matt 16:27, Rev 21:3-4
** an heir of David, Is. 9:6-7, 11:1-5
*
Bodily perfection - No hunger, thirst, death, or sickness; a pure language, etc. - Is. 1:25, 4:4, 33:24, 35:5-6, 49:10, 65:20-24, Jer. 31:12-13, Ez. 34:29, 36:29-30, Micah 4:6-7, Zeph. 3:9-19, Matt 13:43
*
Ruined cities inhabited by people and flocks of sheep - Is. 32:14, 61:4-5, Ez. 36:10,33-38, Amos 9:14
In Protestant Christianity
Historically,
Christianity has been divided over how people gain entry into Heaven. From the
16th to the late
19th century,
Christendom was divided between the
Roman Catholic view, the
Orthodox view, and
Protestant views.
Roman Catholics believe that entering
Purgatory after death cleanses one of one's
sins and makes one acceptable to enter Heaven. This is valid for "venial sins" only. Many within the
Anglican Church also hold to this belief, despite their Protestant history. However, in
Oriental Orthodox Churches, it is only
God who has the final say on who enters Heaven. In the
Orthodox Church, Heaven is understood as union and communion with the Triune God. Thus, Heaven is experienced by the
Orthodox both as a reality inaugurated, anticipated and present here and now in the divine-human organism of the Christ's Body, the Church, and also as something future
In the
Protestant traditions, entry into Heaven depends upon the Christian receiving God's grace through
faith in
Jesus. Protestant theology holds strongly that when Jesus died on the cross, he took upon himself the punishment for the world's sins. In contrast with the Catholic position (affirmed and described at the
Council of Trent in the 16th century), most Protestants hold that salvation is obtained "sola gratia, sola fide" - by the grace of God alone, through faith in Christ alone - not through living a good life or through belonging to a particular church organisation. Therefore, any person who sincerely has faith in Christ and asks for God's forgiveness will automatically be granted forgiveness for their sins and has the assurance of going to Heaven.
The Protestant tradition is divided into many different strands of thought, though most positions today can be categorised broadly as either
Calvinist or
Arminianist.
Calvinism argues that entry into Heaven has already been
predetermined by God - that all those who are Christians have in fact been chosen from the beginning of time to be saved. Faith in Christ is still essential, but the reason why a Christian has faith is because God has chosen them beforehand.
Arminians hold a modified form of this doctrine. In this case, a person can choose to have faith in Christ out of their free will and is not compelled to by divine power. A detailed examination of the differences between these two protestant strands of thought are examined in their respective articles. Many critics of Protestant theology see a contradiction between the idea that a person obtains salvation through choosing to put his/her faith in Christ, and the idea that God predestined those who would enter heaven. However, neither the
Apostle Paul nor
Polycarp seemed to see a paradox between the true God's sovereignty and mankind's ability to perceive and choose. Many Protestants hold that both ideas are taught clearly in the Bible; they teach that eternal salvation in Heaven with God is a supreme free gift
divine grace made available to "whosoever will" trust in the Lord Jesus Christ alone for His full payment.
While these divisions still exists within the Protestant church, since the early
20th century few Protestant churches have adopted a Universalist approach.
Although
Protestants believe that eternal life, entering heaven, is granted by placing one's faith in
Christ alone, they still generally believe that people who have lived blatantly evil lives will be denied entry to heaven. It is believed by some that it is insufficient to simply verbally express a belief in Christ, but one must also live by His teachings and live a good and decent life. The definition of belief does come into play. For example, the Bible says that even the demons "believe" in Jesus yet they will not be in heaven. True belief is one who confesses their sins and acknowledges that it is only through
Christ dieing for their sins that they can have
Salvation and spend eternity in heaven. Blatant disobedience to God and living an evil life is seen by some Protestants as evidence that a person was never really sincere in making a confession of faith in Jesus Christ, and by other Protestants as evidence that a person has 'fallen away' from their original confession of faith. Hebrews 6 is used to support the contention a "saved" person can fall away while others point to John 10 where Jesus says no one can snatch a believer from God's hand which would include Satan and themselves. The distinction between Catholic theology and Protestant theology here is that Catholism teaches that one can enter heaven by having faith in Christ and also living a good and decent life, while most streams of Protestant theology contend that salvation is by
divine grace (alone) through
faith (i.e. trust, alone) in the person and work of Jesus, alone, and that one who is truly a believer in Jesus will want to change their ways and walk in a more holy life.. See also
Salvation.
Heaven is an especially interesting doctrine in Christian thought, which has the resurrection of the body dominating the concept of afterlife. The intermediate state (between death and the resurrection) is unclear in Christian thought (see the article on
psychopannychism). However the final state of believers is in an incorruptible, resurrected, and new body, living in the
New Jerusalem, which descends from Heaven to the Creation. The person was never meant to be disembodied. Death is not a natural part of life, but was allowed to happen after
Adam and Eve disobeyed
God (see
original sin) so that mankind would not live forever in a state of
sin and thus a state of separation from God. The Greek "hê basileia tou ouranou", usually translated as "the
Kingdom of Heaven", is indeed more literally "the rule of the skies", with "the skies" a codeword for
God.
Jehovah's Witnesses reject the idea of heaven as the final hope and home for humanity; in their view only a few people including the Apostles (John 14:1-3; Rev. 5:9,10; 14:1-5) will go to Heaven to rule the remainder of good people (including
David and
John the Baptist), who will inherit the Earth to live forever (
Beatitudes - Matt. 5:5 -; Acts 2:34; Rev. 21:3-5).
Christadelphians believe that all who are saved will live on Earth for eternity after the resurrection.
Many believe that the "wealth" of heaven is nonmaterial; its blessings are forever, and cannot be tarnished, destroyed or taken away. Some of these will be enjoyed by redeemed people after death such as enjoying the actual presence of God (Rev 22.3-4) and the absence of pain and sorrow (Rev 21.4), while some are enjoyed in the present life, such as peace (Ph 4.7) and joy (Jn 16.22).
In Catholic Christianity
In
Catholicism Heaven is the physical Realm of God, His Mother, the
angels and the
Saints. According to the doctrine of
Assumption of the Virgin Mary, the
Virgin Mary "having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory", which implies that heaven must have some facility to support human bodies as well as souls.
The
Catholic teaching regarding Heaven is found in the
Catechism of the Catholic Church: "Those who die in God's grace and friendship and are perfectly purified live forever... This perfect life with [God]....is called heaven. [It] is the ultimate end and fulfilment of the deepest human longings, the state of supreme, definitive happiness." The Catholic Church teaches that only those baptized by water, blood, or desire may enter heaven who have died in a state of grace may enter heaven.
Upon dying, each soul goes to what is called "the particular judgement" where its own afterlife is decided (i.e. Heaven after Purgatory, straight to Heaven, or
Hell.) This is different from "the general judgement" also known as "the
Last judgement" which will occur when
Christ returns to judge all the living and the dead.
It is a common Roman Catholic belief that
St. Michael the Archangel carries the soul to Heaven. The belief that
Saint Peter meets the soul at the "Pearly Gates" is an artistic application of the belief that Christ gave Peter, believed by Catholics to be the first
Pope, the keys to Heaven.
As Heaven is a place where only the pure are permitted, no person who dies in a state of sin can enter Heaven.
"Those who die in God's grace and friendship and are perfectly purified live for ever with Christ. They are like God for ever, for they "see Him as he is," face to face." (
Catechism of the Catholic Church §1023)
"Those who die in God's grace and friendship imperfectly purified, although they are assured of their eternal salvation, undergo a purification after death, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of God." (Catechism of the Catholic Church §1054)
If one were
baptized validly and then died, one would go directly to heaven (in the Roman Catholic belief, the sacrament of
baptism dissolves the eternal and temporal punishment of all sins). If one never committed a mortal
sin and were absolved of all his venial sins just before death, one would go directly to Heaven.
Most people who enter Heaven do so through
Purgatory (or "place of purification"). In Purgatory, a soul pays off all temporal punishment one deserved for the sins he committed in life. This does not always happen though. If one receives the sacrament of
Confession validly, as well as gains a plenary indulgence, and dies, one would directly go to heaven. There are many ways to get an indulgence, in various Papal decrees or publications [
1][
2]. To receive a plenary indulgence, one must receive the sacrament of Confession validly, do one's penance, validly receive Communion, say some specified number of
Our Father s,
Hail Mary s and
Glory Be to the Father s for the intentions of the Pope, and then perform some act of gaining the indulgence. Of course, one must remain free from all sin, mortal and venial, while doing all these things.
Many people believe they need to gain many plenary indulgences so they will not have to spend as much time in purgatory.Many Catholic dissenters claim that if one is actually detached from all
sin, one doesn't need the indulgence anyway.
In Seventh-day Adventism
The
Seventh-day Adventists believe that Heaven is a place being prepared by Jesus Christ. They believe that those who have died in Christ immediately do not go to Heaven but rest in the grave until His Second Coming, and at that time the redeemed dead and living Saints will be raised to be caught up with Him in the air (according to 1 Thessalonians) to take them to Heaven for a thousand years. At the end of that millennium, the Holy City will come down back to Earth where those who have taken the name of Christ will be protected during the battle of
Armegeddon.
In Hinduism, with its emphasis on
reincarnation, the concept of Heaven is not as prominent. While heaven is temporary (until the next birth), the permanent state that Hindus aspire to is
Moksha. Moksha is seen as the soul's liberation from the cycle of life and death, a re-establishment in one's own fundamental divine nature and may include union with or joining God.
Entry into heaven (
swarga loka) or hell (
Naraka) is decided by the Lord of death
Yama and his
karmic accountant,
Chitragupta, who records the good and bad deeds of a person during his lifetime. It must be noted that Yama and Chitragupta are subordinate to the supreme Lord
Ishwara (
God) and work under his direction. Entry into heaven is only dependent on ones actions in the previous life and is not restricted by faith or religion. The ruler of heaven, where one enjoys the fruits of ones good deeds, is known as
Indra and life in that realm is said to include interaction with many celestial beings (gandharvas).
The concept of heaven in
Islam is similar to that found in Judaism and Christianity. The
Qur'an contains many references to an afterlife in Eden for those who do good deeds. Heaven itself is commonly described in the Qu'ran in verse 35 of Surah Al-Ra'd: "The parable of the Garden which the righteous are promised! Beneath it flow rivers. Perpetual is the fruits thereof and the shade therein. Such is the End of the Righteous; and the end of the unbelievers is the Fire, wherein a person dwells forever." Since Islam rejects the concept of
original sin, Muslims believe that all human beings are born pure and will naturally turn to God, but it is their environment which influences them to choose ungodly ways of life. In Islam, therefore, a child who dies automatically goes to heaven, regardless of the religion of his or her parents. The highest level of heaven is
Firdaws (فردوس), which is where the prophets, the martyrs and the most truthful and pious people will dwell.
While the concept of heaven (
malkuth hashamaim מלכות "שמים - The
Kingdom of Heaven) is well-defined within the
Christian and
Islamic religions, the
Jewish concept of the afterlife, sometimes known as "olam haba", the world to come, seems to have been disputed between various early sects such as the
Sadducees, and thus never set forth in a systematic or official fashion as was done in Christianity and Islam. Jewish writings refer to a "new earth" as the abode of mankind following the resurrection of the dead. Judaism does, however, have a belief in Heaven, not as a future abode for "good souls", but as the "place" where
God "resides".
One popular Jewish belief is that everyone goes to "hell" immediately after death to be purged of their sins. After finishing its term in this place of punishment, the soul goes on to heaven to be rewarded for all the good deeds that the bearer of the soul committed during his or her lifetime.
In Kabbalah Jewish mysticism
Jewish mysticism recognizes
seven heavens.
In order from lowest to highest, the seven Heavens are listed alongside the
angels who govern them and any further information:
#
Shamayim- The first Heaven, governed by Archangel
Gabriel, is the closest of heavenly realms to the Earth; it is also considered the abode of
Adam and Eve.#
Raquia- The second Heaven is dually controlled by
Zachariel and
Raphael. It was in this Heaven that
Moses, during his visit to Paradise, encountered the angel Nuriel who stood "300 parasangs high, with a retinue of 50 myriads of angels all fashioned out of water and fire." Also, Raquia is considered the realm where the fallen angels are imprisoned and the planets fastened (Rf: The Legends of the Jews I, 131, and II, 306)#
Shehaqim- The third Heaven, under the leadership of Anahel, serves as the home of the
Garden of Eden and the
Tree of Life; it is also the realm where
manna, the holy food of angels, is produced (Rf: The Legends of the Jews V, 374). The
Second Book of Enoch, meanwhile, states that both Paradise and Hell are accommodated in Shehaqim with Hell being located simply " on the northern side."#
Machonon- The fourth Heaven is ruled by the well-known Archangel
Michael , and according to
Talmud Hagiga 12, it contains the heavenly Jerusalem, the Temple, and the Altar.#
Machon- The fifth Heaven is under the administration of
Samael, an angel referred to as evil by some but is merely a dark servant of God to others.#
Zebul- The sixth Heaven falls under the jurisdiction of
Zachiel.#
Araboth- The seventh Heaven, under the leadership of
Cassiel, is the holiest of the seven Heavens provided the fact that it houses the Throne of Glory attended by the Seven Archangels and serves as the realm in which God dwells; underneath the throne itself lies the
abode of all unborn human souls. It is also considered the home of the
Seraphim, the
Cherubim, and the
Hayyoth.
In the creation stories of
Polynesian mythology are found various concepts of the heavens and the underworld. These differ from one island to another. What they share is the view of the universe as an egg or coconut that is divided between the world of humans (earth), the upper world of heavenly gods, and the underworld. Each of these is subdivided in a manner reminiscent of
Dante's
Divine Comedy, but the number of divisions and their names differs from one Polynesian culture to another.
Māori
Among the Māori, the heavens are divided into a number of realms. Different tribes number the heaven differently, with as few as two and as many as fourteen levels. One of the more common versions divides heaven thus:#
Kiko-rangi, presided over by the god
Toumau#
Waka-maru, the heaven of sunshine and rain#
Nga-roto, the heaven of lakes where the god
Maru rules#
Hau-ora, where the spirits of new-born children originate#
Nga-Tauira, home of the servant gods#
Nga-atua, which is ruled over by the hero
Tawhaki#
Autoia, where human souls are created#
Aukumea, where spirits live#
Wairua, where spirit gods live while wating on those in #
Naherangi or Tuwarea, where the great gods live presided over by
RehuaThe Māori believe these heavens are supported by pillars. Other Polynesian peoples see them being supported by gods (as in Hawai'i). In one Tahitan legend, heaven is supported by an octopus.
Tuamotus
The Polynesian conception of the universe and its division is nicely illustrated by a famous drawing made by a Tuomotuan chief in 1869.
Here, the nine heavens are further divided into left and right, and each stage is associated with a stage in the evolution of the earth that is portrayed below.
The lowest division represents a period when the heavens hung low over the earth, which was inhabited by animals that were not known to the islanders. In the third division is shown the first murder, the first burials, and the first canoes, built by
Rata. In the fourth division, the first coconut tree and other significant plants are born.
Sources: :*R.D. Craig,
Dictionary of Polynesian Mythology (Greenwood Press: New York, 1989), 57;:*J.L. Young, "The Paumotu Conception of the Heavens and of Creation",
Journal of the Polynesian Society, 28 (1919), 209-211.
*
Afterlife*
Asgard*
Astral projection*
Elysium*
Eschatology*
Exaltation (Mormonism)*
Hell*
Islamic eschatology*
Jannah*
Kingdom of Heaven*
Limbo*
Mag Mell*
Meaning of life*
Nirvana*
Out-of-body experience*
Purgatory*
Pure Land Buddhism*
Soul Society*
Summerlands*
Svarga*
The Divine Comedy*
Utopia*
Vaikuntha*
Valhalla
*
Facts About HeavenAn Audio Sermon about Heaven
*
Heavenby Sylvania Christian
*
Catechism of the Catholic Church "I believe in Life Everlasting" Explanation of Catholic teaching about Heaven, Hell & Purgatory
*
Famous Quotes on Heaven*
Salvation Versus Liberation, A Buddhist View of the Paradise or Heavenly Worlds*
Everlasting Life in Paradise according to Qu'ran Seven Steps rising to the heavens
*
Christian Theological Views of Heaven*
Personal Accounts (NDEs & Visions) of Heaven *
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy entry on Heaven and Hell*
Heaven from
In Our Time (BBC Radio 4)*
"Are You Good Enough to Go to Heaven?" tract by
Ray Comfort of
Living Waters Publications.
*
Easton's Bible Dictionary, WordNet and Collaborative International Dictionary: Bible
