Define

• Hebrew word: שָׁמַיִם (šāmayim, plural form meaning "heavens")
• Greek word: οὐρανός (ouranos, singular or plural "heaven/sky")

Location:

• Biblical:
  • Where YHWH god is, where he rules from
    • God's abode (2 Cor 12:2 distinguishes "third heaven")
  • Used as directional meaning above

Significance:

• First mention: Genesis 1:1 – "In the beginning God created the heaven [שָׁמַיִם] and the earth."
• Last mention: Revelation 21:1 – "And I saw a new heaven [οὐρανὸν] and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea."
• Symbolic:
  • God's dwelling place (Deut 26:15; Ps 11:4),
  • the expanse above earth (Gen 1:8),
  • the realm of celestial bodies (Gen 1:14–17),
  • and ultimate renewal in the eternal state (Rev 21:1–2);
  • often denotes divine authority, glory, and judgment.
• Major Events:
  • Creation of the firmament separating waters (Gen 1:6–8).
  • Windows of heaven opened in the flood (Gen 7:11; 8:2).
  • Manna from heaven (Exod 16:4; Ps 78:23–24).
  • God's voice from heaven at Jesus' baptism (Matt 3:17; Mark 1:11).
  • Jesus ascended into heaven (Acts 1:9–11).
  • Vision of heaven opened and the throne of God (Rev 4:1–2).

Related Words

• Reign of the Heavens
• Kingdom of Heaven
• Kingdom on Earth
• Kingdom of God

Additional Info:

• Biblical authors thought of Heaven as Where Yah/God is, or as the area above the earth.
• Heavens is plural all throughout Genesis
  • Gen-01#v6 defines this as the expanse between the waters under the expanse and the waters above the expanse.
  • Gen-01#v9 - the waters under the heavens are collected in one place to reveal dry land.
  • Gen-01#v14 - the luminaries (sun, moon, stars) are in the expanse of the heavens.
  • Gen-01#v17 - birds fly above the earth on the face of the expanse of the heavens.
• Hebrew שָׁמַיִם appears ~420 times in OT (always plural);
• Greek οὐρανός appears ~270 times in NT;
• Final vision depicts new heaven without sea, sun, or night (Rev 21:1, 23; 22:5).

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