Abrahamic Heaven

## Shamayim

* {Biblical God}
* Jesus Christ
* Holy Spirit

**Shamayim**, also known as the **Abrahamic Heaven** or simply just **Heaven**, is the heaven of the Abrahamic religions and is the home-realm of God and His angels.

It is the first "true" realm in existence and the final afterlife of the most righteous of mortal souls.

## Overview

**Heaven** or **the heavens**, is a common religious cosmological or transcendent supernatural place where beings such as gods, angels, souls, saints, or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned, or reside.

According to the beliefs of some religions, heavenly beings can descend to Earth or incarnate and earthly beings can ascend to Heaven in the afterlife or, in exceptional cases, enter Heaven alive.

Heaven is often described as a "highest place", the holiest place, a Paradise, in contrast to hell or the Underworld or the "low places" and universally or conditionally accessible by earthly beings according to various standards of divinity, goodness, piety, faith, or other virtues or right beliefs or simply divine will. Some believe in the possibility of a heaven on Earth in a *world to come*.

Another belief is in an axis mundi or world tree which connects the heavens, the terrestrial world, and the underworld. Any place of existence, either of humans, souls or deities, outside the tangible world (Heaven, Hell, or other) is referred to as the *otherworld*.

## Summary

Shamayim serves as the dwelling place and the base of operations for the angels, as well as the final resting place for the most worthy and righteous souls, regardless of their species and religious beliefs. This is also the former home-realm of the demons and fallen angels before their banishment.

Angels are the eternal protectors of the realm and of the countless souls and living creatures inside it, in addition to being responsible for its maintenance. They are bound to the realm and while in this realm, they are always in their true form, though to ensure none of the souls are frightened, a glamour is placed so that they would appear in their human form to all non-celestials.

The realm radiates an endless amount of primordial light and ethereal energy, which the angels directly draw and transform into angelic power and magic. It is also the source of all light in existence, from the natural light from celestial bodies in the universe, magical light generated through Light Magic, or artificial light generated with technology. The holy sacraments performed by top-ranked exorcists directly draw their power from the realm, which empower them with the power needed to banish demons and cardinal devils.

Fallen angels, despite already banished from the realm by the Heavenly Council, are still capable of connecting to Shamayim's infinite ethereal energy under the mercy of God, who would always welcome back His children if only they ask.

## Appearance

Shamayim is the primordial world created by God and is considered by all to be the most glorious and ethereal place in existence, though its true appearance is beyond the comprehension of anyone but God, the Celestial Princes, and the Elder Seraphim. The realm appears different to anyone who sees it, though for reincarnated angels, it appears as a "swirling kaleidoscope of heavenly fire and absolute perfection, whose beauty is beyond mere mortal comprehension".

The realm is divided into seven different regions, or seven “heavens”, with each region being a realm in its own right and is estimated to be greater than any cosmos within the divine world. While angels are capable of teleportation anywhere within the realm safe for places where they are restricted from, they and visitors can also travel across the realm with a teleportation device called Jacob's Ladder.

## Inhabitants

Shamayim is the home-realm of God and His closest children and creations, the angels, as well as countless celestial creatures. This is also known for being the final resting place for the utmost righteous souls who have proven themselves to be worthy of eternal happiness in the realm of God, especially that of God's chosen people, who are saints and martyrs and prophets.

## Seven Heavens

### First Heaven

**Vilon** (ビロン, *Biron*) is the first region of Shamayim, located directly above the Outside and the Adam Kadmon beneath it, thus making it the nearest region of Shamayim to Earth and where prayers of followers of the Abrahamic faiths can be heard. This is where the Gates of Heaven are located, where the righteous souls who are granted entry are led to before being transported to the Third Heaven.

This region is likened to an endless ocean filled with holy water that sparkled beneath the ethereal light radiated from the angels' halos. Scattered across the regions are islands and continents, both located on the ocean and floating above in the sky, where countless celestial creatures make their homes. The largest of the island is **Araphel** (アラフェル, *Araferu*) and on it is a large temple-like complex where Adam, Eve, and other Primordial Humans had made it their home.

#### Pearly Gates

**Pearly Gates** (輝かしい門, *Kagayakashī Mon*) are a set of twelve celestial gateways located on Vilon where the souls of the righteous dead are led through in order to be properly purified so that they may enter Shamayim. The gates themselves are made from celestial gold and each gate is crafted from a single pearl. Prior to his disappearance, it is the job of St. Peter to guard the twelve gates as their judge, being the keeper of the keys of the kingdom, which gave him the authority to decide which soul can be accepted into Shamayim.

#### Purgatory Gates

**Purgatory Gates** (煉獄の門, *Rengoku no Mon*) are a set of four gates, each placed at a cardinal direction and were decorated with the statues of the Four Great Seraphs, with angelic soldiers guarding by the gates at all times. They connected Vilon with Purgatory and were built shortly after the Kuoh Treaty was signed so that the transferring of souls could be more efficient.

#### Silver City

**Silver City** (天国の銀の街シルバー・シティ, *Shirubā Shiti*) is the "capital city" of Shamayim, where the majority of Low-Class and Middle-Class angels reside. Despite being called a city, it is estimated to be roughly three times the size of the Eurasian continent, possibly even greater, and it is consisted of a wide-ranged complex area of glittering, soaring spires and sweeping buttresses. It pulses in a silver-white light, which gives it the moniker of "Silver City", and all the buildings and structures here are forged from *adamas* and Empyrean Steel.

### Second Heaven

**Raki'a** (ラキア, *Rakia*) is the second region of Shamayim and is where the angels' most elite army known as the Heavenly Host live. Aside from them, other military groups of Shamayim also employed here and fight each other in mini-battles every day to hone their skills, and this is also where the angels gather to observe and fasten the stars.

The region is covered in a dome of eternal darkness, decorated with stars, planets, constellations, nebulae, and galaxies that are both recognizable and non-recognizable by humans. There is only one piece of land here, which is a giant disk-like floating continent drifting amid the sea of stars, roughly hundreds of times as large as our universe, whose terrain shifts constantly and is filled with death-traps that not even the Elder Seraphim could easily detect.

Beneath Raki'a is **Araqlun** (アラクルン, *Arakurun*), the dungeons where high-ranked angels that the Heavenly Council couldn't afford to banish and transform into fallen angels are kept. According to Islamic myths, Araqlun is also where John the Baptist and Jesus Christ dwell.

### Third Heaven

**Ma'on** (マオン, *Maon*) is the third region of Shamayim and is the "Heaven" shown in popular media, being an endless plot of land floating above on white clouds. This is where the righteous souls ascended to after living a virtuous and worthy life, and is the home of many biblical figures such as Joseph, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, and the Israelists of the Exodus and the kings of Judah (with the exception of Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah).

The region has no accurate appearance because it's always changing from one form to another to fit the perception of an eternal paradise of the righteous souls within the region. However, for the angels and visitors, it resembles a long white corridors with infinite doors, each door lead to a single soul's vision of a heaven perfectly crafted to suit their desires.

#### New Jerusalem

**New Jerusalem** (ニュー・エルサレム, *Nyū Erusaremu*). also known as **Zion**, **Utopia**, or the **Heavenly Jerusalem**, is the center of Ma'on. It is the holy city that appeared in Ezekiel's prophetic vision of a city centered on the rebuilt Holy Temple, the Third Temple, in addition to being featured in the Book of Revelation alongside the "new heavens and a new earth". This place is also known as Utopia, a perfect world where there is no sin or strife or conflict, the perfect state of the world before the original sin.

It is located on top of a luminous hill of precious stones. surrounded by a large outer wall made of rubies with twelve large gates, each has the names of the twelve tribes of Israel are written on the gates. Inside the city, it is further separated into seven smaller walls, with each wall engraved with scenes from biblical narratives, such as the seven days of creation, the fall of Lucifer and his angels, the tale of Adam and Eve and their banishment...

The center of New Jerusalem is a large hill made of bronze called **Qaydum** (ケーダム, *Kēdamu*), which is decorated with giant mirrors and scrying pools so that the souls can use them to observe the living people on Earth. Under the right circumstances and for the right reasons, the souls can also ask the angels who routinely guarding Qaydum and patrolling New Jerusalem to bless their living friends and family, either with health, fertility, or good fortune in general.

### Fourth Heaven

**Shehaqim** (シェハキム, *Shehakimu*) is the fourth region of Shamayim and is where all the resources used by the realm are produced, as well as the place where the legend of Adam and Eve began with the Garden of Eden. The entire region resembles a luxurious garden that are at least several times as large as the mortal world, surrounded within a cage made of brass called the **Ma'una** (マウナ, *Mauna*), and from afar one could see the personal abodes of several people, including the house of Enoch and the palace of the angel Castiel.

### Fifth Heaven

**Makhon** (マコン, *Makon*) is the fifth region of Shamayim and is a futuristic city formed of skyscrapers, laboratories, and factories. This is where the forces of the angels are located, the place where all of Heaven's weaponry, technology, and other equipment are created and developed. Located in the far east of the region is a silver building called **Di'a** (ディア, *Dia*) where Aaron holds court over the deceased prophets. The private abodes of the Archreapers are also located here.

### Sixth Heaven

**Zebel** (ゼベル, *Zeberu*) is the sixth region of Shamayim and the base of operations of the Heavenly Council, consisting of the Four Great Seraphs, the Elder Seraphim, and all the younger seraphim. Meetings are held in **Daqua** (ダクァ, *Daku~a*), which is one of the most beautiful castles in Shamayim, with "lofts full of noxious dew, magazines stocked with storms, and cellars holding reserves of smoke".

The high-ranked angels live in the realm in palaces made out of gold and decorated with garnets and rubies, and gates leading to the personal domains of the Seven Princes are also located here, guarded by celestial automaton-like guards.

### Seventh Heaven

**Araboth** (アラボス, *Arabosu*), also known as the **Empyrean** or the **Throne Room of God**, is the seventh and most mysterious region of Shamayim. This is where the Throne of God is located, as well as where the various systems that govern over Creation are kept, such as the Holy Miracle System or the Sacred Gear system. After God had become inactive after the Great War ended, Michael and Gabriel had the place sealed away and only reopen it upon God's awakening.

## Trivia

* While there are multiple Heavens depending on different mythologies, when one talks about Heaven without specifically mentioning which mythology it belonged to, the word "Heaven" will be automatically understood as Shamayim, or the Heaven of the Abrahamic faiths.
* It's implied that Shamayim have some form of consciousness of its own.
* Similar to Purgatory and the Underworld, angels are invincible and cannot be killed by any of their weaknesses as long as they are in Heaven.
	+ Unlike the two realms above, however, this is something the Four Great Seraphs only implemented after the Great War, as there are still many monuments and remains of death lingered in the areas where the Heavenly War and the Celestial War happened.
* The realm has a system to help prevent angels from falling. When activated, it surrounds the angel in a barrier of light filled with Enochian hieroglyphs.