What and where is Heaven?

Shabbat shalom, friends.

This is usually difficult for a believer to swallow because it goes against the training one usually receives in most if not all churches today: The “heaven” is the “SKY” and in particular, the “ATMOSPHERE” of our planet!

The Greek word in the NT that is translated “heaven” is most often “ouranos.” There is an adjective form, translated “heavenly,” that is formed from this word, “epi” (meaning “above” or “upon”) + “ouran-” +  “-ios” (meaning “of” or “belonging to”) = “epouranios.” Therefore, the word means “of or belonging to above ouranos.” This Greek word is used in just 20 places in Scripture. Most of the time it is translated as “heavenly” or “heavenly things,” but a few times it is translated “celestial” and once as “high”:

Matt. 18:35; John 3:12; 1 Cor. 15:40 (twice); 15:48 (twice); 15:49; Eph. 1:3; 1:20; 2:6; 3:10; 6:12; Phil. 2:10; 2 Tim. 4:18; Heb. 3:1; 6:4; 8:5; 9:23; 11:16; and 12:22.

Matt. 18:35

35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
KJV

John 3:12

12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
KJV

Eph. 1:3

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
KJV

Eph. 1:20-21

20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
KJV

Eph. 2:6

6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
KJV

Eph. 3:10-11

10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
KJV

Eph. 6:12

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
KJV

Phil. 2:10-11

10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
KJV

2 Tim 4:18
18 And 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.
KJV

Heb. 3:1-2

1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;
2 Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.
KJV

Heb. 6:4-6

4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
KJV

Heb. 8:5

5 Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.
KJV

Heb. 9:23

23 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
KJV

Heb. 11:16

16 But 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.
KJV

Heb. 12:22-24

22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
KJV

Most of these just use the word and contribute little to understanding what the word means, but the ones in 1 Cor. 15 are interesting:

1 Cor. 15:35-49

35 But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?
36 Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:
37 And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:
38 But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.
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.
42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:
44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
KJV

(This is all from the Englishman’s Concordance found in PC Study Bible V5 by Biblesoft.)

Verses 40 and 41 are key: After talking about “celestial” (epouranios) bodies in verse 40, Paul gives us the example of actual “celestial bodies” of the sun, moon, and stars in verse 41! And, we’ve already learned that “epouranios” means “of or belonging to above the “ouranos!” So, if the sun, moon, and stars are bodies “belonging to [a place] above the “ouranos,” what does that mean about “ouranos?” Simply, it means that “ouranos” has to be below the place where the sun, moon, and stars exist! We call that place “outer space” today or more simply “space.” Well, from our perspective, what is below “space?” OUR ATMOSPHERE!

Now, add to this Yeshua`s words in Matt. 16:1-4:

Matt. 16:1-4

1 The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven.
2 He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red.
3 And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of thesky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?
4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.
KJV

Now, what I find VERY telling is that each of the four words highlighted above – heaven, sky, sky, and sky – are translations of the SAME WORD, “OURANOS!” The P’rushiym and Ts’duqiym asked Him for a “sign from ouranos,” and He gives them WEATHER WISDOM! That has to do with our atmosphere!

So, if the “first heaven” that passed away was the “first atmosphere,” then the “new heaven” would be a “new atmosphere” for the “new earth!”

I spent extra time on this because this is so foundational to the understanding of other Scriptures, particularly passages of prophecy.

I'm going to add a "little" to this post. Paul talked about a "third heaven" in 2 Cor. 12:1-4:

2 Cor 12:1-4
12 It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.
2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.
3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)
4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
KJV
Did you know that Peter talked about "third heavens" as well?

2 Peter 3:3-13
3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water (the flood), perished:
7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
KJV

I believe this is the "3rd heaven" to which Paul was referring in 2 Cor. 12:1-4, the New Heaven or the New Atmosphere around the 3rd earth.

Also, note that Paul called it "paradise." This is one of those transliterated words that was not fully translated. Here's what Strong's Greek and Hebrew Dictionaries have to say about it:

NT:3857 paradeisos (par-ad'-i-sos); of Oriental origin [compare OT:6508]; a park, i.e. (specifically) an Eden (place of future happiness, "paradise"):
KJV - paradise.
OT:6508 pardeec (par-dace'); of foreign origin; a park:
KJV - forest, orchard.
(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
It's a "park of trees" or an "orchard," just as gan-`Eeden (the garden of Eden) was! We'll see how this is applicable about the New Jerusalem soon.

In the Messiah's love,
Retrobyter