Heaven

The Abrahamic Skyland (Art by Gustave Dore)

### Aliases

Abrahamic Heaven, Heavens, Paradise, Paradiso, The Afterlife, The other place, Golden Shore, Himmel, New Jerusalem, Celestial City, Golden City, Holy City, Silver City, Word of the Voice, Pleroma, Heaven of Heaven, Skyland, Abrahamic Heavens, Pure Heavens, Seven Heavens, High Heavens, the High Place, Celestia, Jannah, the Ten Heavens, Tengoku, Thy Kingdom

## Details

### Notable Inhabitants

God, Angels, Deities, Aeons, Virtuous Souls

### Located within

World Tree

**Heaven**, also known as **Shamayim**, the most holiest of the realms created and ruled by God as a cosmological or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit commonly written in religious works.

## Overview

It is an ageless, ethereal, holy realm created by God, intended to be the home-realm for both himself and his children, as well as a few selected pagan deities and supernatural beings.

It is normally believed that divine beings can descend to earth or incarnate through avatars, and that earthly beings can ascend to heaven in the afterlife or, in exceptional cases, enter heaven alive, as was the case with Enoch and Elijah. Yesh created the kingdom of Heaven as a multiverse for Him to rule alongside His messengers and angels. Shortly after the creation of mankind, Paradise became a final resting place for good humans. Heaven is the opposite kingdom to hell, where injustice prevails instead of justice, after all, it is in Hell where everyone pays for the crimes they commit during their lives, not in Heaven or on Earth.

Heaven is often described as a "high place", the purest, holiest and most divine place in the entire alpha multiverse, a veritable infinite Paradise composed of seven dimensional layers, in contrast to Hell, the "low places", and accessible universally or conditionally by earth beings according to various standards of divinity, goodness, piety, faith or other virtues or right beliefs or simply the Will of God.

Some believe in the possibility of a Heaven on Earth in a World to Come, as it was in the Garden of Eden when Heaven and Earth were one. The center of Heaven is the New Jerusalem, and it is said that it can only be reached through Salvation through Christ's mercy, not by works (for no one is truly good but God), not by faith (for even Satan and his demons believe in God and His existence) and not by money (because salvation cannot and does not need to be bought; salvation is free, that's why it's called grace, undeserved favor), just by the pure grace and mercy of Jesus Christ.

## Description

Heaven is divided into dimensional layers with each layer transcending the other at the dimensional level. In a dream, Jacob sees angels ascending and descending a ladder that started in Heaven and ended on Earth, Kabbalists interpret this dream of Jacob as the angels traversing the different levels of existence, from the highest to the lowest. There are about seven heavens (perfect number) that make up a single structure known as "Heaven of Heaven" or "Pleroma", each layer of the Heaven is infinitely large in size.

Heaven is described primarily in physical terms as a universally vast place, possessing an infinite amount of planets, with each one existing as a pocket dimension, with each soul having an entire planet for them to live in and fulfill their dreams. It is even stated in various texts that immortal life in Heaven is happy, without negative emotions. The inhabitants will rejoice in the company of their parents, spouses and children.

To be worthy of entering Paradise, good deeds, prayers or beliefs are not enough for a person to be saved, only a true heartfelt repentance for one's sins and doing good to others without ulterior motives can help a person reach the kingdom of God. But in the end, salvation will depend on the mercy of Christ and God towards sinners who are so undeserved of grace. It has been said that the lowest level of Heaven, the first, is already a hundred times better than the greatest life on Earth. The highest level is the seventh Heaven. The houses are built by angels for the occupants using solid gold. Children or babies do not go to Hell, but go straight to Heaven to die, because children do not commit sins due to their innocence; they do not know what is right and wrong, they are pure and harmless, having done no harm to anyone. No wonder, Jesus Christ mentions that the kingdom of heaven belongs to little children, and only those who are like little children entered the kingdom of God.

In Paradise there is absolutely no crime, evil, sin or temptation, as it is completely devoid of any negativity on a conceptual level. Many demons fear the denizens of Heaven, more specifically God and his angels, and flee from them at first sight, and even humans can instill fear in demons. A demon stated that for them to invade heaven would be complete madness and suicide, as they tried it once and failed miserably. Only the most powerful denizens of Hell could invade Heaven if they possessed the power to do so.

However, entities such as Lucifer and Satan can enter Heaven as they were once inhabitants within Paradise.

## Sectors of Heaven

### Pearly Gates

Pearly gates is an informal name for the gateway to Heaven. They are white or wrought-iron gates in the clouds, guarded by a judge, believed by some Christians to be Saint Peter (the keeper of the "keys to the kingdom"). Those not fit to enter heaven are denied entrance at the gates, and descend into Hell. In some versions of this imagery, Peter looks up the deceased's name in a book, before opening the gate.

### Vilon

Governed by Archangel Gabriel, Vilon is the first Heaven and the closest dimensional layer to the Human Realm, it is a fifth dimensional realm full of incredible wonders and beautiful beings. It is here where the angels observe the movements of the stars like planets and stars and the great galaxies, observing if the Universe is in order and in harmony.

### Raki'a

Dually controlled by Zachariel and Raphael, Raki'a is the second Heaven and a six-dimensional realm. It's a world as beautiful as the last, it's here where the souls of people who haven't paid for all their sins in life are judged by the angels to decide whether to go to the third heaven or hell. It sometimes get confused with Purgatory.

### Shehaqim

Shehaqim, under the leadership of Anahel, is the third Heaven, formed by three dimensions greater than the four of the universe, a colossal, beautiful garden made from Enochian Brass and radiates a white-gold aura of light and holiness. Several floating islands could be seen in the distance, serving as the residences of famous holy people along with Zebul. It is in the third heaven where the Savior rests with the other saints and angels. Azrael, the Archangel of Death can be found here. He and his subordinates, colloquially known as the Angels of Death, are responsible for separating the soul from the body of the dead and will lead virtuous to heaven and sinners to hell.

### Ma'on

The fourth heaven is ruled by the Archangel Michael, and according to Talmud Hagiga 12, it contains the heavenly Jerusalem, the Temple, and the Altar.

The Fourth Heaven is filled with fortresses, castles and ramparts, with some cherubim living here.

The Prophet Enoch is resident here, sometimes the archangel Cassiel, the "Angel of Tears", can be also found here.

### Machon

The Fifth Heaven is where the Song-Uttering Choirs reside and sing throughout the Seven Heavens.

Fifth Heaven is filled with angelic cities, built and administered by seraphim, with glittering cathedrals, towering towers and beautiful palaces. For a long time it was considered the capital of angels.

Aaron, the elder brother of Moses, is resident here. Maalik, the angel guardian of Hell, responsible for fighting the demonic forces and preventing demons and sinners from leaving Hell, can sometimes be found here. Maalik never smile.

### Daqua

The sixth heaven falls under the jurisdiction of Sachiel. The Prophet Moses is resident here.

### Araboth

Araboth, under the leadership of Cassiel, is the seventh Heaven (sometimes believed to be the third) and a nine dimensional realm where the ophanim, cherubim, seraphim, and the hayyoth are located. This is the holiest of the seven heavens because it houses the Throne of God attended by the Seven Archangels. The Throne of God is surrounded by four cherubim who guard the throne and is surrounded by several seraphim; Underneath the throne itself lies the abode of all unborn human souls.

### Empyrean

Empyrean, also known as the Empyrean Heaven, is the said to be the highest transcended realm in the spheres of Heaven itself, and is the abode of God Himself.

## Trivia

* The Jewish Merkavah and Hekhalot literature was devoted to discussing the details of these heavens, sometimes in connection with traditions relating to Enoch, such as the Third Book of Enoch.
* In the Talmud, it is suggested that the upper part of the universe is made up of seven heavens.