Generally, the dwelling-place of God and the angels, and in traditional Christianity the ultimate eternal destiny of the redeemed, there to reign with Christ in glory. In the Bible, it is usually conceived as high above the Earth. In modern theology, the emphasis is more on the quality, transformation, or fulfilment of life, the fully-revealed presence of God, and the perfection of the divinehuman relationship, than on a place.
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.
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 Persian Zoroastrianism and subsequently 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). 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.
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. 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.
The popular belief of most faiths is that one enters heaven at the moment of death. 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)
Location
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. 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. Wright, in tracing the concept of Heaven back to its Jewish roots, see Earth and Heaven as overlapping or interlocking. Heaven is known as God's space, his dimension, and is in fact neither a place you could get to with a spaceship or is just a state of mind. This belief states that Heaven is where God lives and reigns whilst of course being active and working alongside people on Earth. One day when God restores all things, Heaven and Earth will be forever combined into the 'New Heavens' and 'New Earth'. If we are not simply going to be snatched away in Heaven, but Heaven will be joined with Earth in the New Creation, then we who populate it, need to be doing everything we can to preserve God's creation until that day.
Getting into Heaven
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). These religions also state that someone must repent (turn back) from sin in order to get to heaven.
A notable exception to this is the 'sola fide' belief of mainstream Protestantism, which takes emphasis off having lived a "good life" and teaches instead 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 will go to a place of punishment, Hell, which may or may not be eternal (see Annihilationism). Some religions believe that other afterlives exist in addition to Heaven and Hell, such as Purgatory. One religion, universalism, believes that everyone will go to Heaven eventually, no matter what they have done or believed on earth.
In the Bahá'í Faith
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; 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 hierarchy, 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 Christianity
Historically, Christianity has been divided over how people gain eternal life.
Roman Catholics believe that entering Purgatory after death cleanses one of one's sins and makes one acceptable to enter Heaven. However, in Oriental Orthodox Churches, it is only God who has the final say on who enters Heaven. In the Eastern 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 to be perfected in the future.
In the Protestant traditions, eternal life depends upon the Christian receiving God's grace (unearned and undeserved blessing stemming from God's love) through faith in Jesus' death for their sins and his resurrection.
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. 36:10,33-38, Amos 9:14
In Protestant Christianity
The intermediate state (between death and the resurrection) is unclear in Protestant Christian thought (see the article on psychopannychism), but the following is generally concluded about the eternal life which Jesus promised those who believed in him:
The term Heaven (which differs from 'The Kingdom of Heaven' see note below) is applied by the Biblical authors to the realm in which God currently resides. Eternal life, however, occurs in a renewed, unspoilt and perfect creation (presumably full of plants, animals and stunning landscapes), which can be termed Heaven since God will choose to dwell there permanently with his people. 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. John's vision recorded in Revelation describes a New Jerusalem which comes from Heaven to the new earth, which is a seen to be a symbolic reference to the people of God living in community with one another. 'Heaven' will be the place where life will be lived to the full, in the way that the designer planned, each believer 'loving the Lord their God with all their heart and with all their soul and with all their mind' and 'loving their neighbour as themselves'(adapted from Matthew 22:37-38) - a place of great joy, without the negative aspects of earthly life.
(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.)
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 (unearned favour) of God alone, through faith in Christ alone - not through living a good life or through belonging to a particular church organisation.{See Ephesians, chapter 2, verses 8 and 9) Therefore, any person who sincerely has faith in Jesus and asks for God's forgiveness will automatically be granted forgiveness for their sins and has the assurance of eternal life. 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.
Whilst it is easy to conclude that there is 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. While these divisions still exists within the Protestant church, since the early 20th century few Protestant churches have adopted a Universalist approach (the idea that all will enter Heaven).
Jehovah's Witnesses reject the idea of heaven as the final hope and home for humanity; 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.
Jesus said to store up treasure in heaven, rather than on earth. Many believe that this "wealth" of heaven is nonmaterial;
Seventh-day Adventist
The Seventh-day Adventist understanding of heaven is based on Biblical writings which set out the following:
That heaven is a real place where God resides. That God sent His Son, Jesus Christ to earth to live as a human being, but who "perfectly exemplified the righteousness and love of God. That Christ promises to return as a Saviour at which time He will resurrect the righteous dead and gather them along with the righteous living to heaven. It is at this point that heaven is established on the new earth.Latter-Day Saints
The view of heaven according to the Latter-Day Saint movement is based on Section 76 of the Doctrine and Covenants.
Before the Last Judgement, spirits separated from their bodies go either to Paradise or to Spirit Prison based on their merits earned in life.
After the resurrection and Last Judgement, people are sent to one of four levels:
The Celestial Kingdom is the highest level, with its power and glory comparable to the sun.In Catholic Christianity
In Catholicism Heaven is the 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. The Catholic Church teaches that only those baptized by water, blood, or desire may enter heaven and those who have died in a state of grace may enter heaven. 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. 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"). If one receives the sacrament of Confession validly, as well as gains a plenary indulgence, and dies, one would directly go to heaven.
Many people believe they need to gain many plenary indulgences so they will not have to spend as much time in purgatory.
In Hinduism
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.
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. 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).
In Islam
The concept of heaven in Islam is similar to that found in Judaism and Christianity. 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! 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.
In Judaism
While the concept of heaven (malkuth hashamaim מלכות השמים - 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. 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 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; 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; 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; 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 Rehua
The Māori believe these heavens are supported by pillars. In one Tahitan legend, heaven is supported by an octopus.
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.
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