Heaven
Introduction
Eternal paradise. This is where everyone wants to go, because have you seen the other options? It's pretty much a no-brainer. Although the ideas of what heaven looks like vary from text to text, generally it's portrayed as a beautiful place where your deceased loved ones are, with no pain, suffering, or troubles. Heaven is also said to be the home of the angels, and of God himself. There's nothing more to ask for. However, the location of heaven itself has never been solidly established.
Eternal paradise. This is where everyone wants to go, because have you seen the other options? It's pretty much a no-brainer. Although the ideas of what heaven looks like vary from text to text, generally it's portrayed as a beautiful place where your deceased loved ones are, with no pain, suffering, or troubles. Heaven is also said to be the home of the angels, and of God himself. There's nothing more to ask for. However, the location of heaven itself has never been solidly established.
Heaven is a Garden
Possibly the earliest representation of heaven was the garden in which Adam and Eve lived. (7) The New Testament mentions a sinner who repents for his sins, and is immediately let into paradise, a place filled with beautiful trees, sweet-smelling fruits, and blossoming flowers. Although this is pretty vague, and could just mean he's been invited to one amazing private garden party, it's been repeatedly interpreted to mean that it was, in fact, The Garden.
The circular idea of it appealed to many; the living may be barred from entering paradise, but welcoming Jesus into your heart will open the doors to heaven after death. (7)
Possibly the earliest representation of heaven was the garden in which Adam and Eve lived. (7) The New Testament mentions a sinner who repents for his sins, and is immediately let into paradise, a place filled with beautiful trees, sweet-smelling fruits, and blossoming flowers. Although this is pretty vague, and could just mean he's been invited to one amazing private garden party, it's been repeatedly interpreted to mean that it was, in fact, The Garden.
The circular idea of it appealed to many; the living may be barred from entering paradise, but welcoming Jesus into your heart will open the doors to heaven after death. (7)
Or Maybe in the Sky?
Another, more common idea, is that heaven exists within the sky. This mostly comes from the words Samayim and Ouranos, which were used very often in the Bible (around 500 times), and both refer to "the heavens". The words were used interchangeably to describe the sky, the home of God, and the land which he oversees.
Because nobody bothered to give each word a specific definition, two ideas arose concerning the location of heaven. One was that heaven exists around us, and is formed by the good deeds performed by people. Although this idea is simple and offers a nice and spiritual explanation, it doesn't provide as satisfying a reward as the second explanation does. The second idea is that heaven is located in the sky. It offers a sense of mysticism and wonder that enticed more people to adhere to the Christian faith. The idea can also be helped along by the Greek location Mount Olympus; the Greek gods were believed to reside at the peak of the mountain. The sense of grandeur that came with the idea of living near the sky could have influenced the Christian ideas about heaven. (8)
Another, more common idea, is that heaven exists within the sky. This mostly comes from the words Samayim and Ouranos, which were used very often in the Bible (around 500 times), and both refer to "the heavens". The words were used interchangeably to describe the sky, the home of God, and the land which he oversees.
Because nobody bothered to give each word a specific definition, two ideas arose concerning the location of heaven. One was that heaven exists around us, and is formed by the good deeds performed by people. Although this idea is simple and offers a nice and spiritual explanation, it doesn't provide as satisfying a reward as the second explanation does. The second idea is that heaven is located in the sky. It offers a sense of mysticism and wonder that enticed more people to adhere to the Christian faith. The idea can also be helped along by the Greek location Mount Olympus; the Greek gods were believed to reside at the peak of the mountain. The sense of grandeur that came with the idea of living near the sky could have influenced the Christian ideas about heaven. (8)