Heaven (2.) Meaning of words in the original, (a) The usual Hebrew word for "heavens" is _shamayim_, a plural form meaning "heights," "elevations" (Gen. 1:1; 2:1). (b) The Hebrew word _marom_ is also used (Ps. 68:18; 93:4; 102:19, etc.) as equivalent to _shamayim_, "high places," "heights." (c) Heb. galgal, literally a "wheel," is rendered "heaven" in Ps. 77:18 (R.V., "whirlwind"). (d) Heb. shahak, rendered "sky" (Deut. 33:26; Job 37:18; Ps. 18:11), plural "clouds" (Job 35:5; 36:28; Ps. 68:34, marg. "heavens"), means probably the firmament. (e) Heb. rakia is closely connected with (d), and is rendered "firmamentum" in the Vulgate, whence our "firmament" (Gen. 1:6; Deut. 33:26, etc.), regarded as a solid expanse. | _shamayim_, a plural form meaning "heights," "elevations" Gen 1:1 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Gen 2:1 1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. | | _marom_ is also used as equivalent to _shamayim_, "high places," "heights" Ps 68:18 18 When you ascended on high,
you led captives in your train;
you received gifts from men,
even from the rebellious—
that you, O LORD God, might dwell there. Ps 93:4 4 Mightier than the thunder of the great waters,
mightier than the breakers of the sea—
the LORD on high is mighty. Ps 93:4 (KJV) 4The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea. Ps 102:19 9 "The LORD looked down from his sanctuary on high,
from heaven he viewed the earth, Ps 102:19 (KJV) 19For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the LORD behold the earth; | | galgal, literally a "wheel," rendered as heven, "whirlwind" Ps 77:18 18 Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind,
your lightning lit up the world;
the earth trembled and quaked. Ps 77:18 18 The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind;
The lightnings lit up the world;
The earth trembled and shook. Ps 77:18 (KJV) 18The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven: the lightnings lightened the world: the earth trembled and shook. | | shahak, rendered "sky", plural "clouds", means probably the firmament Deut 33:26 26 "There is no one like the God of Jeshurun,
who rides on the heavens to help you
and on the clouds in his majesty. Deut 33:26 (KJV) "There is no one like the God of Jeshurun,
Who rides the heavens to help you,
And in His excellency on the clouds. Job 37:18 (KJV) 18 With Him, have you spread out the skies,
Strong as a cast metal mirror Ps 18:11 11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—
the dark rain clouds of the sky. Ps 18:11 (KJV) 11 He made darkness His secret place;
His canopy around Him was dark waters
And thick clouds of the skies. | | rakia is closely connected with (d), and is rendered "firmamentum" in the Vulgate, whence our "firmament", regarded as a solid expanse Gen 1:6 6 And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." Gen 1:6 (KJV) 6And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. Deut 33:26 26 "There is no one like the God of Jeshurun,
who rides on the heavens to help you
and on the clouds in his majesty. Deut 33:26 (KJV) "There is no one like the God of Jeshurun,
Who rides the heavens to help you,
And in His excellency on the clouds. | (3.) Metaphorical meaning of term. Isa. 14:13, 14; "doors of heaven" (Ps. 78:23); heaven "shut" (1 Kings 8:35); "opened" (Ezek. 1:1). (See 1 Chr. 21:16.) | Isai 14:13-14 13 You said in your heart,
"I will ascend to heaven;
I will raise my throne
above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. [a] 14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High." Isai 14:13-14 (KJV) 13For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 1 Chr 21:16 (KJV) 16And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the LORD stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces. | | Ps 78:23 23 Yet he gave a command to the skies above
and opened the doors of the heavens; | | 1 Kings 8:35 35 "When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and when they pray toward this place and confess your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them, 1 Kings 8:35 (KJV) 35When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou afflictest them: | | Exek 1:1 1 In the [a] thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. Exek 1:1 (KJV) 1Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. | (4.) Spiritual meaning. The place of the everlasting blessedness of the righteous; the abode of departed spirits. (a) Christ calls it his "Father's house" (John 14:2). (b) It is called "paradise" (Luke 23:43; 2 Cor. 12:4; Rev. 2:7). (c) "The heavenly Jerusalem" (Gal. 4: 26; Heb. 12:22; Rev. 3:12). (d) The "kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 25:1; James 2:5). (e) The "eternal kingdom" (2 Pet. 1:11). (f) The "eternal inheritance" (1 Pet. 1:4; Heb. 9:15). (g) The "better country" (Heb. 11:14, 16). (h) The blessed are said to "sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob," and to be "in Abraham's bosom" (Luke 16:22; Matt. 8:11); to "reign with Christ" (2 Tim. 2:12); and to enjoy "rest" (Heb. 4:10, 11). | "Father's house" John 14:2 2In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. John 14:2 (KJV) 2In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. | | "Paradise" Luke 23:43 43Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." 2 Cor 12:3-4 3And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— 4was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell. Rev 2:7 7He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. | | "The heavenly Jerusalem" Gal 4:26 26But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. Heb 12:22 22But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, Heb 12:22 (KJV) 22But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, Rev 3:12 12Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. Rev 3:12 (KJV) 12Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. | | "Kingdom of heaven" Matt 25:1 1"At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. James 2:5 5Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? James 2:5 (KJV) 5Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? | | "Eternal kingdom" 2 Pet 1:11 11and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. | | "Eternal inheritance" 1 Pet 1:3-4 3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 1 Pet 1:3-4 (KJV) 3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Heb 9:15 15For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. Heb 9:15 (KJV) 15And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. | | "Better country" Heb 11:14-16 14People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. Heb 11:16 (KJV) 16But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. | | The blessed are said to "sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob," and to be "in Abraham's bosom" (Luke 16:22; Matt. 8:11); to "reign with Christ" (2 Tim. 2:12); and to enjoy "rest" (Heb. 4:10, 11) Luke 16:22 22"The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. Luke 16:22 (KJV) 22 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. Matt 8:11 11I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. Matt 8:11 (KJV) 11 And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 2 Tim 2:12 12if we endure,
we will also reign with him.
If we disown him,
he will also disown us; 2 Tim 2:12 (KJV) 12If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: Heb 4:10-11 10for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. 11Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience. Heb 4:10-11 (KJV) 10For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. 11Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. | In heaven the blessedness of the righteous consists in the possession of "life everlasting," "an eternal weight of glory" (2 Cor. 4:17), an exemption from all sufferings for ever, a deliverance from all evils (2 Cor. 5:1, 2) and from the society of the wicked (2 Tim. 4:18), bliss without termination, the "fulness of joy" for ever (Luke 20:36; 2 Cor. 4:16, 18; 1 Pet. 1:4; 5:10; 1 John 3:2). The believer's heaven is not only a state of everlasting blessedness, but also a "place", a place "prepared" for them (John 14:2). | "life everlasting," "an eternal weight of glory" 2 Cor 4:17 17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 2 Cor 4:17 (KJV) 17For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; | | an exemption from all sufferings for ever, a deliverance from all evils (2 Cor. 5:1, 2) and from the society of the wicked (2 Tim. 4:18) 2 Cor 5:1-2 Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, 2 Cor 5:1-2 (KJV) 1For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: 2 Tim 4:18 18The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 2 Tim 4:18 (KJV) 18And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. | | bliss without termination, the "fullness of joy" for ever Luke 20:36 36and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God's children, since they are children of the resurrection. 2 Cor 4:16,18 16Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 1 Pet 1:4 4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 1 Pet 5:10 10And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 1 John 3:2 2Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. | My next desired reading: 1 Cor 14 |
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