7 Levels Of Heaven In The Bible

[Regino Meriweather]

Inmythological or religious cosmology, the seven heavens refer to seven levels or divisions of the Heavens. The concept, also found in the ancient Mesopotamian religions, can be found in Judaism and Islam; the Christian Bible does not mention seven levels of heaven. Some of these traditions, including Jainism, also have a concept of seven earths or seven underworlds both with the metaphysical realms of deities and with observed celestial bodies such as the classical planets and fixed stars.[1]

Beliefs in the plurality of the heavens were not restricted to the belief in seven heavens. Ancient near eastern cosmology largely accepted the existence of three heavens. In Jewish cosmologies (albeit absent from the Hebrew Bible), the number of heavens could range from 3 to 365, with 7 being the most popular figure.

The notion or belief in a cosmos structured or tiered into seven heavens likely originates or derives from the seven visible heavenly bodies (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, the moon, and the sun).[2]

Each of the seven heavens corresponds to one of the seven classical planets known in antiquity. Ancient observers noticed that these heavenly objects (the Moon, Mercury, Venus, the Sun, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn) moved at different paces in the sky both from each other and from the fixed stars beyond them. Unlike comets, which appeared in the sky with no warning, they moved in regular patterns that could be predicted.[3] They also observed that objects in the sky influenced objects on Earth as when movements of the sun affect the behavior of plants or movements of the Moon affect ocean tides.

The understanding that the heavens can influence things on Earth lent heavenly, magical properties to the number seven itself, as in stories of seven demons, seven churches, seven spirits, or seven thrones. The number seven appears frequently in Babylonian magical rituals.[13] The seven Jewish and the seven Islamic heavens may have had their origin in Babylonian astronomy.[1]

In general, the heavens is not a place for humans in Mesopotamian religion. As Gilgamesh says to his friend Enkidu, in the Epic of Gilgamesh: "Who can go up to the heavens, my friend? Only the gods dwell with Shamash forever". Along with the idea of seven heavens, the idea of three heavens was also common in ancient Mesopotamia.[14]

The Second Book of Enoch, also written in the first century CE, describes the mystical ascent of the patriarch Enoch through a hierarchy of Ten Heavens. Enoch passes through the Garden of Eden in the Third Heaven on his way to meet the Lord face-to-face in the Tenth (chapter 22). Along the way, he encounters vividly described populations of angels who torment wrongdoers; he sees homes, olive oil, and flowers.[18]

The New Testament does not refer to the concept of seven heavens. However, an explicit reference to a third heaven appears in the Second Epistle to the Corinthians, penned in Macedonia around 55 CE. It describes the following mystical experience:

Over the course of the Middle Ages, Christian thinkers expanded the ancient Mesopotamian seven-heaven model into a system of ten heavens. This cosmology, taught in the first European universities by the Scholastics, reached its supreme literary expression in The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri. The idea of seven heavens is carried over into the esoteric Christian cabala.[20]

The Quran and Hadith frequently mention the existence of seven samāwāt (سماوات), the plural of samāʾ (سماء), meaning 'heaven, sky, celestial sphere', and cognate with Hebrew shamāyim (שמים). Some of the verses in the Quran mentioning the samaawat[21] are Q41:12, Q65:12 and Q71:15. The seven heavens are not final destinations for the dead after the Day of Judgment, but regions distinct from the earth, guarded by angels and inhabited by souls whose abode depends on their good deeds (fasting, jihad, Hajj, charity), with the highest layer, the closest to God.[22][23] According to Quran and Hadiths, each of the skies has its own Qibla or a structure which became direction of prayer, similar to Kaaba of the mortal world, where the Qibla of highest heaven called Bayt al-Ma'mur. while the Qibla building for the lowest sky is called Bayt al-Izza.[24][25][26]

There are two interpretations of using the number "seven". One viewpoint is that the number "seven" here simply means "many" and is not to be taken literally (the number is often used to imply that in the Arabic language).[32] But many other commentators use the number literally.

One modern interpretation of "heavens" is that all the stars and galaxies (including the Milky Way) are all part of the "first heaven", and "beyond that six still bigger worlds are there," which have yet to be discovered by scientists.[32]

The Gnostic text On the Origin of the World states that seven heavens were created in Chaos by Yaldabaoth below the higher realms, and each of them are ruled over by an Archon. During the end times, these heavens will collapse on each and the heaven of Yaldabaoth will split in two, causing its stars to fall upon the Earth, therefore causing it to sink into the Abyss.[33]

In the Coptic Apocalypse of Paul, the apostle Paul ascends through the lower Seven Heavens. At the seventh heaven, he meets an old man who opens the gate to the realm beyond the material universe, and Paul then ascends to the eighth, ninth, and tenth heavens.[34]

In Mandaeism, a series of maṭartas, or "toll houses," are located between the World of Light (alma ḏ-nhūra) from Tibil (Earth). The term maṭarta has variously been translated as "watch-station",[35] "toll-station",[36] "way-station", or "purgatory". Maṭartas are guarded by various uthras (celestial beings from the World of Light) and demons. In the Ginza Rabba, seven maṭartas are listed and described in Chapter 3 in Book 5 of the Right Ginza. However, the number of maṭartas is not always seven; Book 6 of the Right Ginza (also known as the "Book of Dinanukht") lists six, and Chapter 4 in Book 1 of the Left Ginza lists eight.[37] Alternatively, the Seven Heavens can also be seen as corresponding to the Seven Planets, who form part of the entourage of Ruha in the World of Darkness.[37]

The Apostle Paul refers to the third heaven in 2 Corinthians 12:2. He says he was caught up in the third heaven; he could not tell if it was in or out of the body, but he did see paradise. He also mentions that God gave him a thorn in the flesh so that he would not become arrogant due to his visions. God did give him the grace to endure.

The Divine Comedy is a long narrative poem, which Dante wrote in the first person describing his fictitious journey into Inferno (hell), Purgatorio (purgatory), and Paradiso (heaven). The Roman poet Virgil, representing the highest level of human knowledge, guides Dante through all of hell and most of purgatory. Dante is also guided by Beatrice who has a strong resemblance to a historical Beatrice of his time period. She is his guide through the end of purgatory of most of paradise. Saint Bernard of Clairvaux guides Dante through the final portions of paradise. Saint Bernard represents contemplative mysticism or the practice of being aware of God or the Divine. It also has to deal with insight or spiritual intuition.

In The Divine Comedy, there are seven terraces or levels of purgatory. These correspond to the seven deadly sins. Each terrace purges a sin until the sinner has corrected themself and is now able to advance to heaven. Purgatory is not a biblical doctrine. The Bible tells us to seek God while He may be found. The Bible also tells us that we will be judged once we leave this earth.

In this narrative poem, there are celestial spheres of heaven. I would like to remind you again that this is a work of fiction and not meant as a literal description of heaven. The structure of paradise is based on four cardinal virtues and three theological virtues. According to Dante, the seven lowest spheres of heaven center around cardinal virtues Prudence, Fortitude, Justice, and Temperance. The first three spheres deal with deficient of these cardinal virtues.

Literary critiques describe The Divine Comedy as an allegory. Each large division of the poem or canto can contain many different meanings. Dante referred to the poem as a comedy because, in his period, comedies had happy endings. Tragic poems were of a more serious nature. Do some research and you be the judge. I will just have to receive heaven by faith and be content with where God places me. It would be cool to have your mansion down the street from the tree of life though.

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39 All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. 40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.

To my knowledge, neither the Catholic church nor most protestant denominations believe in multiple "levels" of Heaven. (Of course the Catholic church believes in Purgatory, which is a third locality, distinct from both Heaven and Hell). However, many Christians do believe in varying degrees of reward in Heaven (and possibly varying degrees of punishment in Hell). There are many verses used to defend this view. One popular one is Matthew 16:27:

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