HEAVEN IS ALL AROUND US

[angels4u]

Names of Heaven and Importance,

in the Bible

In the New Testament In the Old Testament

Three Kinds of "Heaven" in the Bible

Heaven (Anglo-Saxon heofon, O.S. hevan and himil, originally himin), is the dwelling place of God and the eternal joyful abode of the blessed dead, a spiritual state of everlasting communion with God, a place or condition of utmost happiness... the term Heaven has come to designate both the happiness and the abode of just in the next life.

Paradise (Greek, paradeisos), is the same as Heaven, mentioned three times in the Bible: Lk.23:43, 2 Cor.12:3, Rev.2:7... Heaven is mentioned Dozens of times in the Old and New Testament.

Glory (Latin), "La Gloria" (Spanish), the king of glory (Ps.24:7), crown of glory (I Pet.5:4)

The New Jerusalem, The holy City of Jerusalem (Rev.21:1-2, 10).

1- In the New Testament:

The Bible is filled with references to Heaven, giving different names and expressions:

- Paradise Lk.23:43; 2 Cor.12:3; Rev.2:7... in 3 places

- The new heaven, the new Jerusalem (Rev.21:1-2).

- The holy city of Jerusalem (Rev.21:10).

- The king of glory (Ps.24:7), Crown of Glory (I Pet.5:4)

- The place of Abraham, in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Lk.16:19-31).

- Heaven is the dwelling place of God: Mt.5:16; 45; 6:1... (Gen.19:24; Deut.10:14; 1K.22:19; Ps.11:4)

- Jesus came down from heaven: Jn.3:13; 31; 6:38; 1Cor.15:47

- Jesus ascended into heaven: Mk.16:19; Lk.24:50; Jn.20:17; Act.1:3-9; Eph.4:10; 1Pet.3:22

- Jesus will return from heaven: Mt.10:23; 16:27; 19:28; 25:31; Act.1:11; 1Thess.4:13-18; 2Thess.1:7; 2 Pet.1:16; Rev.1:7; 20:11; 22:20

- Heaven our home: Mt.5:12; 2Cor.5:1-5; Phil 3:20; Col 1:5; 1Pet 1:4

- Christ will take us to heaven: Mt 24:31; Jn.14:2-3; 1Thess.4:16-17; 2Thess.2:1

- Heaven intended for all mankind: 1Tim.2:4

- Not easy to attain: Prov.11:28; Mk.10:23-25; 1Cor.6:9; 1Pet.4:18

- We should strive to attain heaven: Col.3:1; Heb.13:14

- Our bodies must first be changed: 1Cor.15:50-51; 1Thess.4:13-17

- Degrees of happiness in heaven: Mt.20:21; Jn.14:1-3

- St. Paul taken to third heaven: 2Cor.12:2

Other names of Heaven in the NT:

the kingdom of heaven (Matt.5:3)

great reward (Matt.5:12)

life (Matt.7:14)

life everlasting (Matt.9:16)

the kingdom of the Father (Matt.13:43)

the joy of the Lord (Matt.25:21)

eternal life (Matt.25:46)

the kingdom (Matt.25:34)

the kingdom of God (Mk.9:46)

the kingdom of Christ (Luk.22:30)

the house of the Father (Jn.14:2)

incorrupt crown (I Cor.9:25)

inheritance of Christ (Eph.1:18)

crown of justice (2Tim.4:8)

crown of life (James 1:12)

the holy place (Hebr.9:12)

eternal inheritance (Hebr.9:15)

Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem (Hebr.12:22)

The new heaven, the new Jerusalem (Rev.21:1-2).

The holy city of Jerusalem (Rev.21:10).

the City (Rev.22:2-3)

heaven and heavens: in dozens of places:

Mt.3:16, 5:12,18,34, 6:9, 11:23, 16:1,2,19, 19:21, 21:25, 28:18

Mar.1:0, 16:19, Luk.4:25, 9:54, 10:20, 12:33, 12:56, 15:7, 24:51, Jn.1:51, 3:13, 6:31,32

Acts 3:21, 4:12, 7:49,56, 22:6

2Cor.5:1, 12:2, Eph.1:10, 3:15, 4:10, Phil.3:20, Col.1:16, 1Thes.1:10, 4:16, Heb.1:0,9:24, 10:34, 12:23,

Jam.5:12, 1Pet.1:4, 3:22, 2Pet.3:10,13, 1Jn.5:7, Rev.6:14, 12:7, 21:1-3

2- In the Old Testament:

- "I know that my Redeemer lives, and that he will stand upon the earth at last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! I will see him for myself. Yes, I will see him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought!" (Job 19:25).

- "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them 7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea". (Isaiah 11:6-9)

- "And in this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. 7 And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations. 8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it." (Isaiah 25:6-8)

- "The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. 20 Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended." (Isaiah 60:19)

- "I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes." (Hosea 13:14)

Other quotations of Heaven in the OT:

- Gen.1:1, 11:4, 28:12, - Ex.20:22, - Dt.10:14, 30:12

- 1K.8:27, - 2Chr.2:6, 6:18, - Nehem.9:6, - Job 15:15, 22:12, 22:14, 26:11, 37:18, 38:33

- Psalms 8:3, 11:14, 19:1, 33:6, 50:6, 73:25, 89:6, 102:19,25, 103:11, 104:2, 108:4, 115:6, 139:8, 146:6

- Is.34:4, 40:12,22, 51:6, 55:9, 64:1, 65:17, 66:1,22 - Jer.10:2, 23:24, 31:37, Ez.32:7

There is a Heaven, God will bestow happiness and the richest gifts on all those who depart this life free from original sin and personal mortal sin, and who are, consequently, in the state of justice and friendship with God.

Three Kinds of "Heaven" in the Bible:

The Bible tells about three kinds of Heavens:

1- The First heaven:

The first heaven is the atmosphere, a material heaven, the physical heavens of the sky and outer space, and it has its own hosts, like birds, planets, stars. And that's just natural.

Very tangible, yes. No matter how far out the Hubbell Space Telescope goes and how it maps the stars, it's never going to find the real Heaven of our eternity on the other side of the moon. It's just a physical reality.

2- The Second heaven:

The Second heaven is what Paul calls "the heavenly places" in Eph.6:12, a spiritual heaven around us today, as Paul puts it: "For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Eph.6:12).

In this dimension of the Spirit, there are both angelic forces and godly forces, as well as demonic forces and powers.

This second heaven, spiritual atmosphere, that is cohabited by both good and evil, is a very, very small part of the cosmos. It really just surrounds this earth, the only rebellious and sinful place in the whole cosmos.

3- The Third Heaven, our real Heaven!:

The Third Heaven, the one that Paul was caught up into and he heard things and saw things there that could not be translated to the natural world, the third heaven is that place where God Himself dwells. "I know a man in Christ (Paul himself) 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. And I know that this man--whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows-- was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell." (2Cor.12:1-4)

And the third Heaven isn't the same as the second heaven, because, remember, Lucifer, who used to be in the third Heaven, was cast from Heaven, and yet, everyone would acknowledge that Satan still inhabits the spiritual dimension. God cannot abide with evil, so there's no evil presence in the third Heaven.

[Dad Ernie]

Greetings Angels,

It appears you believe that the 2nd Heaven might otherwise be known as a "spiritual heaven", perhaps the abode of Abraham's Bosom. Have you considered these verses:

Genesis 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

1 Kings 8:27 But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?

1 Chronicles 16:31 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: and let men say among the nations, The LORD reigneth.

1 Chronicles 27:23 But David took not the number of them from twenty years old and under: because the LORD had said he would increase Israel like to the stars of the heavens.

2 Chronicles 2:6 But who is able to build him an house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him? who am I then, that I should build him an house, save only to burn sacrifice before him?

2 Chronicles 6:18 But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built!

2 Chronicles 6:33 Then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for; that all people of the earth may know thy name, and fear thee, as doth thy people Israel, and may know that this house which I have built is called by thy name.

2 Chronicles 6:39 Then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive thy people which have sinned against thee.

Nehemiah 9:6 Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.

ALSO,

1 Corinthians 15:44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

In this chapter we see that Paul is speaking of the "natural" creation which can be understood as including the near earth heaven, and the heaven containing the stars. Then there is the "spiritual" heaven wherein is the throne of God and an area we call "Abraham's Bosom", also the abode of the "principalities and powers".

Blessings,

Dad Ernie

[angels4u]

The Second heaven:

The Second heaven is what Paul calls "the heavenly places" in Eph.6:12, a spiritual heaven around us today, as Paul puts it: "For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Eph.6:12).

In this dimension of the Spirit, there are both angelic forces and godly forces, as well as demonic forces and powers.

This second heaven, spiritual atmosphere, that is cohabited by both good and evil, is a very, very small part of the cosmos. It really just surrounds this earth, the only rebellious and sinful place in the whole cosmos.

Ernie, don't you think it could be like what is mentioned above?

There is a war in the heavenly realms and its all around us we do fight against spiritual powers and wickedness in the heavenly places.

But I'm open for correction if I'm wrong, I never studied it too much,

Thanks,Angels