In the Bible, heaven can mean two different things. First, it can mean the sky above us, where we see clouds, birds, and stars. Second, it can mean God's special home (a spiritual place where God lives).
The original Hebrew word for heaven is interesting because its dual form suggests there might be two heavens. Some scholars think this could point to the two different meanings we just discussed: the physical heaven (the sky) and the spiritual heaven (where God is). However, others think this word form was just an old way of writing about more than one thing.
Heaven in the Old Testament
The Sky and Weather
The Old Testament writers viewed the physical heavens (sky) as a “firmament,” an arch above the earth supported on foundations and pillars (2 Samuel 22:8). Rain fell through its doors (Psalm 78:23).
Psalms 8 and 19:1–6 are descriptions of heaven. The Old Testament describes heaven as the region of:
The clouds (Psalm 147:8)
Winds (Zechariah 2:6)
Rain (Deuteronomy 11:11)
Thunder (1 Samuel 2:10)
Dew (Deuteronomy 33:13)
Frost (Job 38:29)
It is also the location of destructive forces like:
Hail (Joshua 10:11)
Fire and sulfur (Genesis 19:24).
The New Testament continues this description of the sky as where the weather happens, with clouds and storms (Matthew 16:2; Luke 4:25). The sky is also where birds fly (Luke 9:58).
Space and the Heavenly Bodies
The Israelite idea of the heavens includes space, which consists of the universe. The heavenly bodies in the heavens were seen as God’s creations which did not have their own power. These include:
The sun
The moon
The planets
The stars (seen as lights in the expanse of the sky; Genesis 1:14; 15:5)
They were not worthy of worship because God made humans superior to them. The Israelites were not allowed to worship these heavenly bodies (Exodus 20:4) or the gods and goddesses who represented them (Jeremiah 44:17–25). They were also not allowed to try to tell the future through the stars (Isaiah 47:13). This lack of belief made the Israelites unique. Israel believed the heavenly bodies were made by God, while other nations worshiped them.
The Three Heavens
The Bible talks about the "highest heaven" (Deuteronomy 10:14; also see 1 Kings 8:27; Psalms 68:33; 148:4). Some older translations like the King James Version use the phrase "heaven of heavens" instead. This was their way of translating an ancient Hebrew expression that emphasizes the most important heaven where God lives.
In one of his letters, Paul wrote about being taken up to "the third heaven" (2 Corinthians 12:2). Some people have connected this with ancient Greek ideas about three different levels of heaven. The Roman Catholic Church in the Middle Ages also taught about three heavens:
A heaven for water and air (called Coelum Aqueum in Latin)
A heaven for the stars (called Coelum Sidereum in Latin)
A heaven for God's throne (called Coelum Empyreum in Latin)
People who believe in this idea think of the three heavens as:
Space, where we see the sun, moon, and stars
The highest heaven where God lives and where believers go after death
Heaven in the New Testament
Jesus and Heaven
Jesus taught that heaven is where God lives (Matthew 6:9). While Jesus was on earth, he often said that he had come from heaven (John 3:13; 6:33–51). Three times, God's voice spoke from heaven to confirm what Jesus said (Matthew 3:16–17; 17:5; John 12:28).
Worship in Heaven
Heaven is where the true holy place of worship exists. The tabernacle that was built on earth was just a copy of this heavenly one (Hebrews 8:1–5). This is the heaven Paul wrote about when he mentioned "the third heaven" (2 Corinthians 12:2). Sometimes when the Bible uses the word "heaven," it is actually referring to God himself (compare Matthew 23:22; Luke 15:18).
Jesus's Return from Heaven
After Jesus went up to heaven, angels told his followers that he would come back from heaven someday (Acts 1:6–11). The apostle Paul later wrote about this in his letters (1 Corinthians 15:1–11; Ephesians 4:7–16; 1 Timothy 3:16). This teaching became an important part of what Christians believe, as shown in the Apostles' Creed (an early statement of Christian beliefs).
The New Testament often talks about Jesus being in heaven with God. This is a key part of the good news about Jesus. The Bible teaches that Jesus is now at God's right hand (in the place of highest honor), where he prays for those who believe in him (Hebrews 7:25; compare Mark 14:62).
Citizens of Heaven
Paul teaches that when Jesus returns from heaven, he will change believers' bodies to be like his own glorious body (Philemon 3:20–21). Believers need these heavenly bodies because they are citizens of heaven.
When the Bible talks about believers being "citizens of heaven," it means they are like people who live in one country but follow the laws of their home country (Acts 22:28). This means that Christians should follow God's ways as shown in the Bible, even when the world follows different standards.
Heavenly Blessings
God has joined believers with Christ and tells them to "strive for the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God" (Colossians 3:1). Christ blesses his followers from heaven “with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 1:3). The expression “in the heavenly realms” is only used in Ephesians (Ephesians 1:3, 20; 2:6; 3:10; 6:12). This teaches us that spiritual blessings are not just for the future. Believers can experience them now through faith. This is why the Bible says believers are already sharing in the "heavenly calling" (Hebrews 3:1; 6:4).
The Future of Heaven
While believers wait for Jesus to return, they look forward to a new heaven and a new earth, with a new Jerusalem. The Bible says this will be a wonderful place where there will be no tears, sadness, pain, death, or darkness, because Jesus, the Son of God, will be there (Revelation 21:1–4, 27; 22:1–5). There will be no marriage in this new life after death (Luke 20:27–38).
In the Old Testament, two people went directly to heaven without dying:
Enoch (Genesis 5:22–24; Hebrews 11:5) and
Later, Paul wrote about visiting the third heaven, and John was also called up to heaven (Revelation 4:1), which God plans to fill with people (compare Revelation 19:1). All believers will eventually live in heaven with new resurrection bodies. They will receive these bodies when Jesus comes back for them (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17; Revelation 19:1–4). At that time, Jesus will also give special rewards to his followers (Matthew 5:12; 1 Corinthians 9:25; 2 Corinthians 5:1; 2 Timothy 4:8; James 1:12; 1 Peter 1:4; 5:4; Revelation 2:10; 4:10).