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By Mark Farquharson
When someone mentions the heavens, they are offend talking about the place where Christ went, the place where the angels are. Most people would think that, when someone mentions the heavens, or heaven that is what they are talking about. Similarly in the bible where it mentions heaven or heavens most would think that is talking about this place.
However there is more than one heaven or heavens. When the bible mentions the heavens or heaven, it is not necessarily talking about this heaven. The sky is known as the heavens also. Thus when the bible mentions the heavens, it can be talking about the sky. Another place that is know as heaven is space, where the planets and stars are. Thus the next time you read heaven in the bible, it would be a good idea to understand what heaven it is getting at.
The word heaven or heavens in the Hebrew {Old Testament} is translated from the world “shamayim.” This a dual of the unused singular “shameh.” This comes from the unused root, which means to be lofty. Most of the time this seems to be translated “heavens.”
In the Greek {New Testament} the word “ouranos” is translated heaven. However there are variations on the Greek word. I will not go though the variations in this article. What is important to note is that some variations are translated “heaven” and others are translated “heavens.”
Creation of the First Heavens and Earth
Genesis 1:1 Created by the Elohim were the heavens and the earth. CLV
Some time after this the earth was destroyed by a deluge.
Genesis 1:2 Yet the earth became a chaos and vacant, and darkness was on the surface of the submerged chaos. Yet the spirit of the Elohim is vibrating over the surface of the water. {CLV}
This deluge was not the Flood in Noah’s day, it was actually before the week in Genesis 1. A bit more on this later. After which a new earth and new Heavens were created. What of the dwelling place of the Angels was this effected by the deluge? The heaven where the angels are I believe was unaffected by the deluge.
Creation of Second Heavens:
On day two of the Genesis 1 account the present heavens are created:
Genesis 1:6-8 And God said, Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it be a means of dividing, between waters and waters, And God made the expanse, and it divided between the waters that were under the expanse and the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. And God called the expanse, heavens. So it was evening—and it was morning, a, second day. {REB}
This expanse which is placed between the waters on the earth is called the heavens. The above waters encase this whole expanse. What then is this expanse that is called the heavens?
Genesis 1:14-15 And God said—Let there be luminaries in the expanse of the heavens, to divide between the day and the night,—and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years; yea let them be for luminaries in the expanse of the heavens, to give light on the earth. And it was so. {REB}
These luminaries are created in the expanse, that has water above and the earth below. Lets see what these luminaries are:
Genesis 1:16-19 And God made the two great luminaries,—the greater luminary to rule the day, and the lesser luminary to rule the night, also the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens,—to give light on the earth; and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. So it was evening—and it was morning, a fourth day. {REB}
God made the two great luminaries which are the Sun and the moon. He also created the stars. All of these luminaries were created in the expanse that was called the heavens, that was created on day two. That means the expanse is the universe which was created on day two. The stars are created on day four after the creation of the expanse. This may raise questions about the structure of the universe, that is not the focus of this study, please refer to my article: “The Real Structure of the Universe”
The expanse is also the sky:
Genesis 1:20 And God said—Let the waters swarm with an abundance of living soul, and, birds, shall fly over the earth, over the face of the expanse of the heavens. {REB}
On day five God creates the creatures to inhabitant the waters, and the birds to fly in the expanse.
Mathew 6:26 Look at the flying creatures of heaven, that they are not sowing, neither are they reaping, nor are they gathering into barns, and your heavenly Father is nourishing them. {CLV}
Mathew 8:20 And Jesus is saying to him, "The jackals have burrows, and the flying creatures of heaven roosts, {CLV}
Thus you have two heavens created on day two, the sky and the universe.
Where did Elijah and Enoch go?
2Kings 2:11 And it comes to pass, they are going, going on and speaking, and lo, a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and they separate between them both, and Elijah goes up in a whirlwind, to the heavens. CLV
Here when we read that Elijah went up in a whirlwind, it says he went to the heavens. This is correctly translated heavens. It is wrongly taught that he went to where the angels are, however it does not say he went to that heaven. This is why you have to understand which heaven it is talking about, because if you do not you can get it wrong. Here Elijah went up into the sky, he did not go to any other heavens. Elijah certainly did not go to outer space. Later we find out that he was still on the earth, because he send a letter to someone after this event {2Chronicles 21:12-13}. What happened here is that he was transport by this whirlwind to another place on the earth.
Genesis 5:22-24 And walking is Enoch with the Elohim, after his begetting Methuselah, two hundred years. And begetting is he sons and daughters. And coming are all the days of Enoch to be three hundred and sixty-five years. And walking is Enoch with the Elohim. And not found is he, for taken was he by the Elohim. {CLV}
It does not say that Enoch ever went to any of the heavens, or that he was even lift up of the earth. Elohim, God took Enoch and he was not found, but God did not take him to heaven. When God walked with Adam in Genesis, Adam was on the earth, Adam was not in heaven and Enoch was walking with God before he was taken. Thus it is telling us that God took Enoch away to some place on the earth that was away from other people, because he could not be found. Enoch was supernatural taken to some other place on earth. In Hebrews 11, Enoch is listed as one of those having died in faith, not being requited with the promises, thus Enoch did died.
John 3:13 And no one has ascended into heaven except He Who descends out of heaven, the Son of Mankind Who is in heaven." {CLV}
When Christ come to the earth in the first coming, which was well after the time of both Elijah and Enoch, Christ was the only one who had ascended to heaven. Thus both Elijah and Enoch had not gone to heaven.
Heaven the dwelling place of the Angels
The angels have a place that they are in, and it is not the sky, or outer space. When Christ went to heaven he did not go into the sky or outer space, he is not in one of those places now.
Jude 1:6 Besides, messengers who keep not their own sovereignty, but leave their own habitation, He has kept in imperceptible bonds under gloom for the judging of the great day." CLV
These messengers, angels left their place of habitation. This tells us that the angels do have a place of habitation, a place where they dwell.
Mark 13:32 Now concerning that day or hour no one is aware - neither the messengers in heaven, nor the Son - except the Father." CLV
The messengers, angels are in heaven. Where are they, in the sky or in outer space, or is there another heaven? Thus the angels dwell in another heaven. I believe this heaven was created when the first heavens and earth were created. However it was not effect by the deluge that happened before the week in Genesis 1.
Wages and Treasure in heaven
Luke 6:23 You may be rejoicing in that day, and frisk, for lo! your wages are vast in heaven, for according to the same manner did their fathers to the prophets." CLV
Mark 10:21 Now Jesus, looking at him, loves him, and said to him, "Still one thing you are wanting. Go. Whatever you have, sell, and be giving to the poor, and you will be having treasure in heaven. And hither! Follow Me, picking up the cross." CLV
There is treasure in heaven, this is not the sky or outer space, the treasure is not there. Thus for the one who has faith, the treasure awaits in heaven.
Christ comes from heaven
John 6:38 for I have descended from heaven, not that I should be doing My will, but the will of Him Who sends Me." CLV
This is also the place that Christ came from, when he came to the earth. Thus he existed in heaven before he was born on the earth.
Christ is now ruling from heaven
Mark 16:19 The Lord, indeed, then, after speaking with them, was taken up into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God." CLV
1Peter 3:22 Who is at God's right hand, being gone into heaven, messengers and authorities and powers being subjected to Him." CLV
Christ is in heaven, but he is not in outer space or in the sky. Thus Christ is now in heaven and the messengers and authorities and powers are subject to him.
However is this place just heaven or is it heavens? Is there more than one heaven where the angels dwell. Mostly it seems to be refer to as heaven, not heavens.
What is the Celestial?
The concordant version of the bible mentions this place it translates as the Celestial. Other versions use the word heavenly. The Greek word is “epouranion,” but the word for heaven in the Greek is “ouranos”. This of course is a different word meaning “above the heavens.” Now one could think it is referring to outer space as this is above the heavens, the Sky. One could indeed think that outer space is above the sky. However as I explained earlier, outer space is also refer to as heaven {Hebrews 11:12}. Which means one could think about it as above outer space. Is the Celestial outer space or is it somewhere else?
John 3:12 If I told you of the terrestrial and you are not believing, how shall you be believing if I should be telling you of the celestial? CLV
Is Jesus talking about outer space? Of course he is not talking about outer space, what would be the point of that.
1Corinthians 15:47-49 The first man was out of the earth, soilish; the second Man is the Lord out of heaven." Such as the soilish one is, such are those also who are soilish, and such as the Celestial One, such are those also who are celestials." And according as we wear the image of the soilish, we should be wearing the image also of the Celestial." CLV
Here the Celestial is refer to as heaven, which tells us that it is one of the heavens. The heaven it is referring to is the dwelling place of the angels.
Hebrews 12:22-24 But you have come to mount Zion, and the city of the living God, celestial Jerusalem, and to ten thousand messengers, to a universal convocation, and to the ecclesia of the firstborn, registered in the heavens, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the just perfected, and to Jesus, the Mediator of a fresh covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling which is speaking better than Abel." CLV
This celestial has ten thousand messengers, clearly these messengers are not in outer space, they do not dwell there. This city is the new Jerusalem that descends out of heaven in Revelation 21:2. Thus Celestial is referring to this heaven where the angels are.
Do you go to Heaven When you Die?
Most churches teach that when someone dies they go to heaven or hell depending on wether or not they have chosen Christ or not. I do not want to get to side tracked here. However I would say they are completely wrong, there is no hell, and you do not make any choice. Hell is a mistranslation, of about three words which have different means. Not to get into all that here, but no one will be going to hell and no one will be annihilated. As for there being a choice, there is none to make, there are a number of passages that support predestination, that is basically God has chosen. However this is all part of his plan, the rest of mankind do not miss out, but they do have to go through a purifying process, which is the Lake of Fire, not hell.
Now to briefly go over what happens when someone dies. While no one goes to hell, since it does not exist, no one goes to heaven either. A person is made up of a body, a soul and a spirit. When someone dies their body is buried or burned usually. The soul is the persons thoughts and feelings which cease when you die. While the spirit goes back to the Father. However that does not mean you exist in heaven with out a body. You are actually asleep, thus when Christ describe someone who had just died as being asleep he was right. Those who are dead will be awoken at the resurrection of the dead. Those who are Christ will be awoken first, then the rest of mankind to face the judgement.
When Christ died he did not go to heaven, or anywhere else, he was dead, and thus was asleep. It was God his Father who awoken him, if not he would still be dead.
What of the criminal going to paradise?
Luke 23:42-43 And he said to Jesus, "Be reminded of me, Lord, whenever Thou mayest be coming in Thy kingdom." And Jesus said to him, "Verily, to you am I saying today, with Me shall you be in paradise." {CLV}
The criminal has not gone to paradise, not yet. He is dead like everyone else who has died. At the time of the resurrection he will go to paradise and be with the Lord.
In the Greek text there is no punctuation, which means it is up to the translator where the comma goes. In a number of translations the comma has be put before the word ‘Today’. It then reads “Verily, to you am I saying, today with Me shall you be in paradise." This has lead people to incorrectly believe that the criminal was going to paradise that day to be with the Lord. This is clearly incorrect because not even Christ went to paradise on that day. However by placing the comma after the word ‘today’, we get a more accurate translation. Thus the Lord promised the man that day that he would have a place in the kingdom.
There is a lot more about death in the article: What is Death
What is Paradise?
About three times in the New Testament there is this place mentioned that is called paradise. As you have just read the criminal will one day be with the Lord in paradise.
Revelation 2:7 '"Who has an ear, let him hear what the spirit is saying to the ecclesias. "'"To the one who is conquering, to him will I be granting to be eating of the log of life which is in the center of the paradise of God."'"
All the chosen will one day soon be in paradise, but where is this?
2Corinthians 12:2-4 I am acquainted with a man in Christ, fourteen years before this, (whether in a body I am not aware, or outside of the body, I am not aware - God is aware) such a one was snatched away to the third heaven. " And I am acquainted with such a man (whether in a body or outside of the body I am not aware - God is aware) that he was snatched away into paradise and hears ineffable declarations, which it is not allowed a man to speak. " {CLV}
In the above passage Paul was saying that he was acquainted with a man who had gone to paradise. The man he was acquainted with was himself. Now he was not sure if he had gone in his body, or out of his body, that is been transported there in body, or spiritually gone there. Whatever he heard there he was not allowed to speak off.
It tell us that paradise is the third heaven. The Lord, Christ is now in the third heaven. That is All the chosen will one day be in heaven with the Lord. However the rest of mankind will get to paradise one day, however not at the same time as the chosen who will get to paradise first.
The CLV also mentions paradise one time in the Old Testament. However this is not talking about heaven where Christ is now, this is actual a forest or park.
Nehemiah 2:8 and a letter unto Asaph, keeper of the paradise that the king has, that he give to me trees for beams [for] the gates of the palace that the house has, and for the wall of the city, and for the house into which I enter;' and the king gives to me, according to the good hand of my Elohim upon me. {CLV}
Other translations use park or forest, and this is the case, for a letter was to go to the keeper, to acquire trees for beams.
Kingdom of the Heavens
There is also the Kingdom of the Heavens, however that is not the focus of this study. It is Heavens and not heaven, but I do not know why that is at this point. However I would point out that it is not waiting in the sky or in outer space, thus it descends from heaven the dwelling place of the angels.
Revelation 3:12 '"The one who is conquering, him will I be making a pillar in the temple of My God, and he may be coming out nevermore, and I will be writing on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which is descending out of heaven from My God, and My new name." CLV
Revelation 21:2 I perceived the holy city, new Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband." CLV
If you want to read more about the kingdom refer to the article: The Coming Kingdom
The Three Sets of Heavens & Earth
1 The Heavens of Old
Genesis 1:1 In a beginning Created by the Elohim {God} were the heavens and the earth. {CLV}
The first set of heavens and earth is created.
Genesis 1:2 Yet the earth became a chaos and vacant, and darkness was on the surface of the submerged chaos. Yet the spirit of the Elohim is vibrating over the surface of the water. {CLV}
This first set is destroyed become chaos, waste and vacant. There is debate about whether the earth was created in that form, or it became chaos, waste and vacant. The first earth actual was destroyed becoming waste. This happened before the week in Genesis 1. Then sometime after the recreation started.
2 Peter 3:5-6 For they want to be oblivious of this, that there were heavens of old, and an earth cohering out of water and through water, by the word of God; through which the then world, being deluged by water, perished. CLV
Before the present heavens, there were a heavens of old. This heavens of old was I believe very different to the current structure of the universe that we have today. Some relate this deluge to the flood in Noah’s day, however after the flood new heavens were not created. Thus it must be talking about a different deluge. After the deluge new heavens and a new earth were created. While the Flood in Noah’s day effect the surface of the earth, it did not completely destroy the earth, which is what happen at the time of the earlier deluge.
2 The Present Heavens and earth
On day two of the Genesis 1 account the present heavens are created:
Genesis 1:6-8 And God said, Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it be a means of dividing, between waters and waters, And God made the expanse, and it divided between the waters that were under the expanse and the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. And God called the expanse, heavens. So it was evening—and it was morning, a, second day. {REB}
This expanse which is placed between the waters on the earth is called the heavens. As explained earlier this is the sky and the universe.
2 Peter 3:7 Yet the heavens now, and the earth, by the same word, are stored with fire, being kept for the day of the judging and destruction of irreverent men. CLV
The present earth and heavens are going to be destroyed by fire. That is the sky and the universe along with the earth will be destroyed by fire. There will be a whole new universe and earth in the future. The dwelling place of the angels will not be destroyed by this fire.
3 The Future Heavens and earth
2 Peter 3:13 Yet we, according to His promises, are hoping for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness is dwelling." CLV
Revelation 21:1 And I perceived a new heaven and a new earth, for the former heaven and the former earth pass away, and the sea is no more." CLV
After the earth and the heavens are destroyed by fire there will be a new heavens and a new earth. That is there will be a new earth, with a new sky and a whole new universe. This new universe and new earth will not be destroyed.
Conclusion
Next time you read heaven or heavens in the bible, just make sure you know which heaven it is talking about.
Copyright © Mark J Farquharson 2009. Version 1 September 2009. Version 2 an updated on version 1, 16 June 2010. Version 3, major update on version 2, August 2011.
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