Hebrew concept of heaven

• The earth is flat
• Heaven is above the earth
• Hell is under the earth
• God and the angels are in heaven.
• The dead are in hell -- the pit.
• Heaven rests on pillars -- foundation.
• II Samuel 22:8. "Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations of the heavens trembled."
• Proverbs 8:27, 28. "When he established the heavens, I was there...when he made firm the skies above."
• Job 26:11. "The pillars of heaven tremble."
• 1. Plurality of heavens
• Deuteronomy 10:14. "Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens."
• Nehemiah 9:6. "Thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host."
• 2. The Hebrews believed in seven heavens -- God's throne was in the seventh heaven.
• Psalm 11:4. "The Lord's throne is in heaven."
• I Kings 8:49. "Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place."
• 3. Paradise was regarded as the third heaven.
• II Corinthians 12:2. "I know a man in Christ who...was caught up to the third heaven."
• 4. The second heaven was the abode of evil spirits and fallen angels.
• Ephesians 6:12. "Against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."
• 5. But heaven was not sensuous like the heaven of Islam.
• Mark 12:35. "When they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven."
• 6. God fills all heaven
• II Chronicles 2:6. "Heaven, even highest heaven cannot contain him."
• Jeremiah 23:24. "Do I not fill heaven and earth? says the Lord."
• 7. Heaven -- the residence of Deity
• Deuteronomy 26:15. "Look down from thy holy habitation, from heaven, and bless thy people."
• Revelation 11:19. "Then God's temple in heaven was opened."
• 8. Heaven was associated with atmospheric phenomena
• Genesis 1:8. "And God called the firmament Heaven."
• Genesis 7:11. "The fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened."
• Exodus 16:4. "Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Behold, I will rain bread from heaven.'"
• II Samuel 22:14. "The Lord thundered from heaven."
• 9. War in heaven
• Revelation 12:7. "Now war arose in heaven."
• Isaiah 14:12. "How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn."
• Luke 10:18. "'I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.'"
• 10. As related to Astronomy
• Jeremiah 33:22. "As the host of heaven cannot be numbered."
• Psalm 19:1. "The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork."
• 11. Guardian angels are stationed in heaven
• Matthew 18:10. "I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father."
• Genesis 22:15. "And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham...from heaven."

Sheol -- the pit

Hades is the Latin word for Sheol, the Hebrew underworld of the dead.

• 1. Hebrew concept of Hades -- The Greeks thought of Hades as a place of activity. The Hebrews thought it was a place of inactivity.
• Psalm 94:17. "If the Lord had not been my help, my soul would soon have dwelt in the land of silence."
• 2. Sheol had four levels
• 1. The abode of martyrs. These martyrs were sure of a resurrection.
• 2. The level of the righteous. They also were sure of resurrection.
• 3. Level of prosperous sinners. These had a chance of salvation.
• 4. The level of poor sinners. Not much hope for them. Poverty and sickness were indications of God's frown.
• 3. Hebrews thought that the dead might possibly come back to earth.
• I Samuel 2:6. "The Lord kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up."
• I Samuel 28:11. "Then the woman said, 'Whom shall I bring up for you?' He said, 'Bring up Samuel for me.'"
• 4. State in Sheol
• Job 14:21. "His sons come to honor, and he does not know it."
• Psalm 115:17. "The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any that go down into silence."
• Ecclesiastes 9:10. "There is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol."
• 5. Fire connected with Sheol
• Deuteronomy 32:22. "For a fire is kindled by my anger, and it burns to the depths of Sheol."
• Revelation 20:14. "Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire."
• 6. Sheol -- destiny of the wicked
• Psalm 9:17. "The wicked shall depart to Sheol."
• Proverbs 7:27. "Her house is the way to Sheol."
• Matthew 10:28. "Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell."
• Luke 12:5. "Fear him who...has power to cast into hell."
• 7. The "Pit" means hell
• Ezekiel 31:16. "I cast it down to Sheol with those who go down to the Pit."
• 8. Deliverance from hell
• Revelation 1:18. "And I have the keys of Death and Hades."
• Psalm 86:13. "Thou hast delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol."
• 9. The two resurrections
• John 5:29. "And come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment."

This was the Hinnom valley, where there may have been a sanctuary of Molech, where human sacrifices were offered. (Jeremiah 7:31)

• A. It was defiled by King Josiah (II Kings 23:6)
• B. Gehenna is often used as a synonym for Hell.
• C. The Jews thought the souls in Gehenna might somehow be purified by fire -- they held ideas somewhat like those of the Catholic concept of purgatory.
• D. This concept is also suggested by Jesus' preaching to the spirits in prison. I Peter 3:19. "In which he went and preached to the spirits in prison."