1. Use of "Heaven" in the Bible
The Old Testament has no comprehensive term
for the universe, which is designated as heaven and
earth; although in the wisdom of
Solomon and II Maccabees it is called
"world" (WM. of Sol. i. 14,. and
often;
II Macc. vii. 9, 23,
and often).
This term is employed in the New Tes
tament with the same connotation
(John xvii. 5,
xxi. 25;
Acts xvii. 24;
Rom. i. 20;
of. ". the foundation
of the world," Matt. xiii. 35, xxv. 34; Luke xi.
50;
John xvii. 24;
Eph. i. 4;
Heb. iv. 3, ix. 26;
I Pet. i. 20;
Rev. xiii. 8).
In other passages, how
ever, "world" implies the dwelling-place of man
kind as defiled with sin and
death, and with Satan
for its lord instead of God. The phrase "
heaven
and earth " is accordingly retained to denote the
universe
(
Matt. v. 18;
Mark xiii. 27;
Luke xii. 56;
Acts iv. 24;
James v. 18;
cf.
Eph. i. 10;
Col. i. 16, 20;
II Pet. iii. 7, 13;
Rev. xxi. 1).
In a physical
sense heaven denotes the place of the stars and
constellations
(
Gen. i. 14;
Jer. xxxiii. 22;
Matt. xxiv. 29;
Heb. xi. 12;
Rev. vi: 13, etc.) and of the
clouds
(
Gen. i. 9;
Deut. xxviii. 23;
Pa. cxlvii. 8;
Matt. xxiv. 30;
etc.), and its power and phenomena
influence the earth
(
Job xxxviii. 33;
Matt. xvi. 2-3;
James v. 18).
Beneath the heaven lies the earth
(
Job ii. 2;
Prov. viii. 28),
which'it encloses so as to
form a unity (Eccl. i. 13;
Luke xvii. 24;
Acts ii. 5;
Col. i. 23):
The heaven is a "firmament"
(
Gen. i. 6, 8;
Pa. xix. 1), which is supported by the, moun
tains as pillars
(
Job xxii. 14).
With the heaven is
conjoined the earth, thus forming the cosmos
which
will pass away to make place for a new heaven and
a new earth, where righteousness shall dwell (Ps.
cii. 26; Ise. xiii. 13;
Joel ii. 30-31;
Luke xxi. 33;
II Pet. iii. 7, 10;
Rev. vi. 12-14).
Heaven is, moreover, the throne of God
(Ps.
ii. 4;
Isa. Ixvi. 1;
Ezek. i. 1;
Matt. v. 34;
Acts vii. 49;
Heb. viii. 1),
and in heaven is the
2. Heaven divine temple (Isa. vi.;
Rev. xi. 19),
the Abode which is the prototype of the earthly
of God. sanctuary
(Ex. xxv. 40;
Acts vii. 44;
Heb. viii. 5).
It is the dwelling-place
of God
(II Chron. xx. 6;
Pa. cxv. 3;
Eccles. v. 2),
who looks from heaven upon the earth (Pa. xiv. 2;
Isa. Ixiii. 15;
Lam. iii. 50),
and speaks from thence
(Deut. iv. 36;
Neh. ix. 13);
so that words spoken
from heaven are eternal in their validity
(Heb. xii. 25),
since what comes from heaven comes from God
and is binding
unconditionally on the earth and on
man
(Matt. xxi. 25-26;
Mark i. 11;
Luke iii. 22;
John iii. 13).
All deeds done on earth, and espe
cially the forgiveness of sins by Christ, bear a dis
tinct
relation to heaven or to God
(Matt. ix. 6
as
compared with xvi. 19), who hears prayer while he
is in heaven
(I Kings viii. 30
sqq.;
II Chron. vi. 25
sqq.;
Neh. ix. 27-28;
Ps. xxxiii. 13;
Luke xi. 13;
etc.). When the exaltation and absolute sovereignty
of God are to be emphasized, he is termed "the God
of heaven"
(Gen. xxiv. 7;
Neh. i. 4-5;
Pa. xcvi. 5),
who reveals from heaven his wrath against iniquity
(Rom. i. 18;
I Thess. iv. 16;
II Thess. i. 7-8).
Sins which require the vengeance of God cry to
heaven
(Gen. iv. 10;
I Sam. v.12;
Luke xv. 18, 21),
and, in like manner, he who prays turns toward
heaven
(Mark vi. 41;
John xvii. 1;
etc.), since God
is exalted above all the earth
(Ps. lxviii. 15;
Dan. iv. 23)
and his will is manifested from heaven
(Deut. iv. 36),
his holy mandate being absolute (Deut.
xxxiii.,26; Pa. lvii. 3; lxxxix. 2). The
designation
of God as " my father," " your father which is in
heaven," and the like in Matthew and Mark
(Matt. v. 16, 45, 48;
Mark xi. 25;
etc.) is intended to
inspire confidence in his goodness, especially as he
is represented as saying: "For as the
heavens are
higher than the earth, so are my
ways higher than
your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts"
(Isa. Iv. 9). Hence God is besought to rend the
heavens (Isa. Ixiv. 1), and a sign from heaven is
desired to prove .the Messiahship of,Jesus
(Matt. xvi. 1,
cf. xxiv. 30;
Luke ix. 54).
The ascension of
Christ to heaven symbolizes his exaltation to divine
honor and glory
(Luke xxiv. 51;
Acts i. 9-11;
cf.
John iii. 13;
Heb. iv. 14;
I Pet. iii. 22),
and necessitates unconditional obedience and recognition on
the part of man (cf.
Acts ii. 34-31f
with
Eph. i. 2022;
Phil. ii. 9-11).
Yet God is by no means restricted to heaven, and
I Kings viii. 27
expressly declares: "The heaven
and heaven of heavens can not contain thee." In
Christ, therefore, there is access to God through
faith
(Rom. v. 2;
Eph. ii. 18).
God is present
throughout the world (Pa. cxxxix; Jer. xxiii.!23-24 ),
but his earthly congregation is in a special sense his
"habitation"
(Eph. ii. 22)
and his temple
(I Cor. iii. 6).
As contrasted with the earth, heaven represents
a higher and eternal order
(Matt. vi. 20;
Mark x. 21;
Luke xii. 33;
II Cor. v.1;
Phil. iii. 20;
3.
Heaven
Col. i. 5;
Heb. x. 34;
I Pet. i. 4).
It
the is, therefore, the place of the prototype
Symbol of the earthly symbolic ordinances of
and salvation
(Ex. xxv. 40;
Acts vii. 44;
Source of
Heb. viii. 5),
and from it come the
Salvation. actual means of salvation
(John vi. 51;
I Cor. xv. 47
sqq.). It is the abode of
the true and eternal means of salvation (Matt. v.12;
Col. i. 5;
I Pet. i. 4),
as well as of the righteous who
have been perfected
(Heb. xii. 23;
comp.
Luke x. 20)
and of the angels and "ministering spirits" who
are to appear on the earth at its renewal
(Mark xii. 25;
Luke ii. 15;
Rev. xxi. 1
sqq.). It thus becomes
evident that the "kingdom of God" is regarded as
situated in heaven
(Dan. ii. 44;
cf.
Pa. ciii. 19), so
that Matthew terms it the "kingdom of heaven"
(Matt. iii. 2).
It is present on earth wherever its
boons, which are righteousness and peace and joy
in the Holy Ghost
(Rom. xiv. 17),
are possessed by
man,
but it will not be revealed in all its glory until
the power of evil is annihilated
(Matt. vi. 10, 13).
Thus it was heaven to which Christ was exalted
together with those who were raised with him
(Eph. ii. 6;
Col. iii. 1-4),
and it is there that they
have their citizenship
(Phil. iii. 20).
