In 1 Kings 8:27-53, Solomon identifies heaven as God’s dwelling place. In Isaiah 6:1, Isaiah has a vision of God sitting on his throne, high and exalted. In Psalm 11:4, Psalm 103:19, and Isaiah 66:1 we read that God’s throne is in heaven. While eventually it came to be thought of as a spiritual place, it was still ‘up there,’ higher than the other heavens. This third level of heaven is beyond the sun, moon, and stars. Heaven as the Dwelling of Godįor the ancients, the third level of heaven was the dwelling place of God, or the gods. These heavens were visible to humans, but beyond the reach of the birds that flew through the sky. This passage is referring to the celestial bodies, especially the sun. In Psalm 19:1-6, David’s psalm begins by expressing the glory of God revealed in the heavens. In ancient Hebrew thought, the heavens consist of everything that is ‘up there.’ The sky is ‘up there.’ But God’s throne is also ‘up there,’ beyond the stars ( Job 22:12). I suspect that is because there was not a clear distinction between the two in the Hebrew mind. But they also refer to the supernatural realm of God. This word is defined as “sky, air, firmament, any area above the earth heaven(s), the place of sun, moon, and stars heaven, in which God dwells.” Like šāmayim, this word is used in a variety of ways.īoth of these words refer to the physical realm that we live in. In the New Testament, the Greek word ouranos is the primary word translated as heaven. The NIV Word Study Dictionary defines this word as “region above the earth: the heavens: place of the stars, sky, air heaven: the invisible realm of God.” As you can see, it has a variety of usages. In the Old Testament the Hebrew word šāmayim is the primary word translated as heaven. But what does the Bible itself have to say about heaven? Definition of Heaven What is heaven? And what is heaven like? These are common questions.
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