Bible Thesaurus: Heaven

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Thesaurus

Mid-heaven (3 Occurrences)
Mid-heaven. Midheaven, Mid-heaven. Midian . Multi-Version Concordance
Mid-heaven (3 Occurrences). Revelation 8:13 And ...
/m/mid-heaven.htm - 7k

Heaven's (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Heaven's (1 Occurrence). Matthew 19:12 For there
are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother's ...
/h/heaven's.htm - 6k

Heaven (653 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary. (1.) Definitions. The phrase "heaven and earth" is used
to indicate the whole universe (Genesis 1:1; Jeremiah 23:24; Acts 17:24). ...
/h/heaven.htm - 72k

Starry (14 Occurrences)
... the orders which the Lord had given them, they made for themselves images of metal,
and the image of Asherah, worshipping all the stars of heaven and becoming ...
/s/starry.htm - 10k

Contain (19 Occurrences)
... Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens can't contain you; how much less this house
that I have built! (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). ...
/c/contain.htm - 13k

Arch (24 Occurrences)
... Revelation 10:1 And I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven, clothed
with a cloud; and an arch of coloured light was round his head, and his face ...
/a/arch.htm - 15k

Shouldst (61 Occurrences)
... Deuteronomy 4:19 And lest thou shouldst lift up thy eyes to heaven, and when thou
seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven...
/s/shouldst.htm - 25k

Seas (40 Occurrences)
... Nehemiah 9:6 You are Yahweh, even you alone; you have made heaven, the heaven of
heavens, with all their army, the earth and all things that are thereon, the ...
/s/seas.htm - 18k

Voices (76 Occurrences)
... Acts 4:24 And they, upon hearing the story, all lifted up their voices to God and
said, "O Sovereign Lord, it is Thou who didst make Heaven and earth and sea ...
/v/voices.htm - 29k

Baal (94 Occurrences)
... from that of "lord." The Babylonian Bel-Merodach was a Sun-god, and so too was the
Can Baal whose full title was Baal-Shemaim, "lord of heaven." The Phoenician ...
/b/baal.htm - 53k

Bible Concordance

Heaven (653 Occurrences)

Matthew 3:2 "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!"
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 3:16 Jesus, when he was baptized, went up directly from the water: and behold, the heavens were opened to him. He saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming on him.
(Root in WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 3:17 Behold, a voice out of the heavens said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."
(Root in WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 4:17 From that time, Jesus began to preach, and to say, "Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand."
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 5:10 Blessed are those who have been persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 5:12 Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 5:16 Even so, let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 5:18 For most certainly, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not even one smallest letter or one tiny pen stroke shall in any way pass away from the law, until all things are accomplished.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 5:19 Whoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments, and teach others to do so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever shall do and teach them shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 5:20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, there is no way you will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 5:34 but I tell you, don't swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God;
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 5:45 that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 5:48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 6:1 "Be careful that you don't do your charitable giving before men, to be seen by them, or else you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 6:9 Pray like this:'Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 6:10 Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 6:14 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
(Root in WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 6:20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don't break through and steal;
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 6:26 See the birds of the sky, that they don't sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren't you of much more value than they?
(Root in WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 6:32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
(Root in WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 7:11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 7:21 Not everyone who says to me,'Lord, Lord,' will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 8:11 I tell you that many will come from the east and the west, and will sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven,
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 8:20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the heaven 'have' nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
(ASV BBE DBY YLT)

Matthew 10:7 As you go, preach, saying,'The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!'
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 10:32 Everyone therefore who confesses me before men, him I will also confess before my Father who is in heaven.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 10:33 But whoever denies me before men, him I will also deny before my Father who is in heaven.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 11:11 Most certainly I tell you, among those who are born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptizer; yet he who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 11:12 From the days of John the Baptizer until now, the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 11:23 You, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, you will go down to Hades. For if the mighty works had been done in Sodom which were done in you, it would have remained until this day.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Matthew 11:25 At that time, Jesus answered, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you hid these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to infants.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 12:50 For whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother."
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 13:11 He answered them, "To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it is not given to them.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 13:24 He set another parable before them, saying, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field,
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 13:31 He set another parable before them, saying, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field;
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 13:32 which indeed is less than all seeds; but when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the heaven come and lodge in the branches thereof.
(ASV BBE DBY YLT)

Matthew 13:33 He spoke another parable to them. "The Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, until it was all leavened."
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 13:44 "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found, and hid. In his joy, he goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 13:45 "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who is a merchant seeking fine pearls,
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 13:47 "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a dragnet, that was cast into the sea, and gathered some fish of every kind,
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 13:52 He said to them, "Therefore, every scribe who has been made a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who is a householder, who brings out of his treasure new and old things."
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 14:19 He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass; and he took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, broke and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples gave to the multitudes.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 15:13 But he answered, "Every plant which my heavenly Father didn't plant will be uprooted.
(Root in WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 16:1 The Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing him, asked him to show them a sign from heaven.
(WEB KJV ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 16:2 But he answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, 'It will be' fair weather: for the heaven is red.
(ASV YLT)

Matthew 16:3 and in the morning, 'It will be rough weather to-day, for the sky is red and murky.' You learn how to distinguish the aspect of the heavens, but the signs of the times you cannot.
(Root in WEY ASV BBE YLT)

Matthew 16:17 Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 16:19 I will give to you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven; and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven."
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 18:1 In that hour the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?"
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 18:3 and said, "Most certainly I tell you, unless you turn, and become as little children, you will in no way enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 18:4 Whoever therefore humbles himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 18:10 See that you don't despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 18:14 Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 18:18 Most certainly I tell you, whatever things you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever things you release on earth will have been released in heaven.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 18:19 Again, assuredly I tell you, that if two of you will agree on earth concerning anything that they will ask, it will be done for them by my Father who is in heaven.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 18:23 Therefore the Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king, who wanted to reconcile accounts with his servants.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 18:35 So my heavenly Father will also do to you, if you don't each forgive your brother from your hearts for his misdeeds."
(Root in WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 19:12 For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother's womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the Kingdom of Heaven's sake. He who is able to receive it, let him receive it."
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 19:14 But Jesus said, "Allow the little children, and don't forbid them to come to me; for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to ones like these."
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 19:21 Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me."
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 19:23 Jesus said to his disciples, "Most certainly I say to you, a rich man will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven with difficulty.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 20:1 "For the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who was the master of a household, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 21:25 The baptism of John, where was it from? From heaven or from men?" They reasoned with themselves, saying, "If we say,'From heaven,' he will ask us,'Why then did you not believe him?'
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 22:2 "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king, who made a marriage feast for his son,
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 22:30 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are like God's angels in heaven.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 23:9 Call no man on the earth your father, for one is your Father, he who is in heaven.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 23:13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
(KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 23:14 "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men; for you don't enter in yourselves, neither do you allow those who are entering in to enter.
(WEB)

Matthew 23:22 He who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him who sits on it.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 24:29 But immediately after the oppression of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken;
(Root in WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
(KJV ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT RSV)

Matthew 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
(KJV ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT RSV NIV)

Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
(WEB KJV ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 24:36 But no one knows of that day and hour, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 25:1 "Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went out to meet the bridegroom.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 25:14 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
(KJV WBS)

Matthew 26:64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
(KJV ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 28:2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
(KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 28:18 Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Mark 1:11 And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
(KJV ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Mark 4:4 and it came to pass, in the sowing, some fell by the way, and the fowls of the heaven did come and devour it;
(YLT)

Mark 4:32 yet when it is sown, groweth up, and becometh greater than all the herbs, and putteth out great branches; so that the birds of the heaven can lodge under the shadow thereof.
(ASV BBE DBY YLT)

Mark 6:41 He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed and broke the loaves, and he gave to his disciples to set before them, and he divided the two fish among them all.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Mark 7:34 Looking up to heaven, he sighed, and said to him, "Ephphatha!" that is, "Be opened!"
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Mark 8:11 The Pharisees came out and began to question him, seeking from him a sign from heaven, and testing him.
(WEB KJV ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Mark 10:21 Jesus looking at him loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me, taking up the cross."
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Mark 11:25 Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father, who is in heaven, may also forgive you your transgressions.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Mark 11:26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your transgressions."
(WEB KJV WEY BBE DBY WBS YLT)

Mark 11:30 The baptism of John-was it from heaven, or from men? Answer me."
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Mark 11:31 They reasoned with themselves, saying, "If we should say,'From heaven;' he will say,'Why then did you not believe him?'
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Mark 12:25 For when they will rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Mark 13:25 the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken.
(Root in WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Mark 13:27 And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.
(KJV ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Mark 13:31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
(WEB KJV ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Mark 13:32 But of that day or that hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Mark 14:62 And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
(KJV ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Mark 16:19 So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Luke 1:78 Because of the loving mercies of our God, by which the dawn from heaven has come to us,
(BBE NIV)

Luke 2:13 Suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army praising God, and saying,
(Root in WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Heaven

There are four Hebrew words thus rendered in the Old Testament which we may briefly notice.

Rakia , Authorized Version, firmament. [FIRMAMENT]
Shamayim . This is the word used in the expression "the heaven and the earth," or "the upper and lower regions." (Genesis 1:1)
Marom , used for heaven in (Psalms 18:16; Isaiah 24:18; Jeremiah 25:30). Properly speaking it means a mountain as in (Psalms 102:19; Ezekiel 17:23)
Shechakim , "expanses," with reference to the extent of heaven. (33:26; Job 35:5) St. Paul's expression "third heaven," (2 Corinthians 12:2) had led to much conjecture. Grotius said that the Jews divided the heaven into three parts, viz.,
The air or atmosphere, where clouds gather;
The firmament, in which the sun, moon and stars are fixed;
The upper heaven, the abode of God and his angels, the invisible realm of holiness and happiness the home of the children of God.

ATS Bible Dictionary

Heaven

In the Bible, means primarily the region of the air and clouds, and of the planets and stars, but chiefly the world of holy bliss above the visible heavens. It is called "the third heaven," "the highest heaven," and "the heaven of heavens," expressions nearly synonymous. There holy beings are to dwell, seeing all of God that it is possible for creatures to see. Thither Christ ascended, to intercede for his people and prepare for them a place where all shall at length be gathered, to go no more out forever, Ephesians 4:10 Hebrews 8:1 9:24-28.

In this life we can know but little of the location and appearance of heaven, or of the employments and blessedness of its inhabitants. The Scriptures inform us that all sin, and every other evil, are forever excluded; no fruits of sin will be found there-no curse nor sorrow nor sighing, no tear, no death: the former things are passed away.

They describe it figuratively, crowding together all the images which nature or art can supply to illustrate its happiness. It is a kingdom, an inheritance: there are rivers of pleasure, trees of life, glorious light, rapturous songs, robes, crowns, feasting, mirth, treasures, triumphs. They also give us positive representations: the righteous dwell in the presence of God; they appear with Christ in glory. Heaven is life, everlasting life: glory, an eternal weight of glory: salvation, repose, peace, fullness of joy, the joy of the Lord.

There are different degrees in that glory, and never-ceasing advancement. It will be a social state, and its happiness, in some measure, will arise from mutual communion and converse, and the expressions and exercises mutual benevolence. It will include the perfect purity of every saint; delightful fellowship with those we have here loved in the Lord, Matthew 8:11 17:3,4 1 Thessalonians 2:19 4:13-18; the presence of Christ, and the consciousness that all is perfect and everlasting.

We are taught that the body will share this bliss as well as the soul: the consummation of our bliss is subsequent to the resurrection of the body; for it is redeemed as well as the soul, and shall, at the resurrection of the just, be fashioned like unto Christ's glorious body. By descending from heaven, and reascending thither, he proves to the doubting soul the reality of heaven; he opens it door for the guilty by his atoning sacrifice; and all who are admitted to it by his blood shall be made meet for it by his grace, and find their happiness for ever in his love. See KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

(1.) Definitions. The phrase "heaven and earth" is used to indicate the whole universe (Genesis 1:1; Jeremiah 23:24; Acts 17:24). According to the Jewish notion there were three heavens,

(a) The firmament, as "fowls of the heaven" (Genesis 2:19; 7:3, 23; Psalm 8:8, etc.), "the eagles of heaven" (Lamentations 4:19), etc.

(b) The starry heavens (Deuteronomy 17:3; Jeremiah 8:2; Matthew 24:29).

(c) "The heaven of heavens," or "the third heaven" (Deuteronomy 10:14; 1 Kings 8:27; Psalm 115:16; 148:4; 2 Corinthians 12:2).

(2.) Meaning of words in the original,

(a) The usual Hebrew word for "heavens" is shamayim, a plural form meaning "heights," "elevations" (Genesis 1:1; 2:1).

(b) The Hebrew word marom is also used (Psalm 68:18; 93:4; 102:19, etc.) as equivalent to shamayim, "high places," "heights."

(d) Hebrews shahak, rendered "sky" (Deuteronomy 33:26; Job 37:18; Psalm 18:11), plural "clouds" (Job 35:5; 36:28; Psalm 68:34, marg. "heavens"), means probably the firmament.

(e) Hebrews rakia is closely connected with (d), and is rendered "firmamentum" in the Vulgate, whence our "firmament" (Genesis 1:6; Deuteronomy 33:26, etc.), regarded as a solid expanse.

(3.) Metaphorical meaning of term. Isaiah 14:13, 14; "doors of heaven" (Psalm 78:23); heaven "shut" (1 Kings 8:35); "opened" (Ezek. 1:1). (See 1 Chronicles 21:16.)

(4.) Spiritual meaning. The place of the everlasting blessedness of the righteous; the abode of departed spirits.

(a) Christ calls it his "Father's house" (John 14:2).

(b) It is called "paradise" (Luke 23:43; 2 Corinthians 12:4; Revelation 2:7).

(d) The "kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 25:1; James 2:5).

(e) The "eternal kingdom" (2 Peter 1:11).

(f) The "eternal inheritance" (1 Peter 1:4; Hebrews 9:15).

(g) The "better country" (Hebrews 11:14, 16).

(h) The blessed are said to "sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob," and to be "in Abraham's bosom" (Luke 16:22; Matthew 8:11); to "reign with Christ" (2 Timothy 2:12); and to enjoy "rest" (Hebrews 4:10, 11).

In heaven the blessedness of the righteous consists in the possession of "life everlasting," "an eternal weight of glory" (2 Corinthians 4:17), an exemption from all sufferings for ever, a deliverance from all evils (2 Corinthians 5:1, 2) and from the society of the wicked (2 Timothy 4:18), bliss without termination, the "fulness of joy" for ever (Luke 20:36; 2 Corinthians 4:16, 18; 1 Peter 1:4; 5:10; 1 John 3:2). The believer's heaven is not only a state of everlasting blessedness, but also a "place", a place "prepared" for them (John 14:2).

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

1. (n.) The expanse of space surrounding the earth; esp., that which seems to be over the earth like a great arch or dome; the firmament; the sky; the place where the sun, moon, and stars appear; -- often used in the plural in this sense.

2. (n.) The dwelling place of the Deity; the abode of bliss; the place or state of the blessed after death.

3. (n.) The sovereign of heaven; God; also, the assembly of the blessed, collectively; -- used variously in this sense, as in No. 2.

4. (n.) Any place of supreme happiness or great comfort; perfect felicity; bliss; a sublime or exalted condition; as, a heaven of delight.

5. (v. t.) To place in happiness or bliss, as if in heaven; to beatify.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

BODY OF HEAVEN

The King James Version translates the Hebrew idiom, etsem ha-shamayim, by "the body of heaven" (Exodus 24:10). A more correct rendering is given in the Revised Version (British and American), "the very heaven," taking the word `etsem in its idiomatic use as an intensive, which is derived from its literal meaning, "bone," as "strength," "substance," and then as "self" (compare Job 21:23); the substance of the blue, unclouded sky, hence, the clear sky itself.

HOST OF HEAVEN

(tsebha' hashamayim): The expression is employed in the Old Testament to denote

(1) the stars, frequently as objects of idolatry (Deuteronomy 4:19; Deuteronomy 17:3 2 Kings 17:16; 2 Kings 21:3, 1; 23:4 Jeremiah 8:2; Jeremiah 19:13 Zephaniah 1:5), but also as witnesses in their number, order and splendor, to the majesty and providential rule and care of Yahweh (Isaiah 34:4; Isaiah 40:26, "calleth them all by name"; 45:12:00; Jeremiah 33:22); and

(2) the angels (1 Kings 22:19 2 Chronicles 18:18 Nehemiah 9:6; compare Psalm 103:21).

(1) Star-worship seems to have been an enticement to Israel from the first (Deuteronomy 4:19; Deuteronomy 17:3 Amos 5:26; compare Acts 7:42, 43), but attained special prominence in the days of the later kings of Judah. The name of Manasseh is particularly connected with it. This king built altars for "all the host of heaven" in the courts of the temple (2 Kings 21:3, 5). Josiah destroyed these altars, and cleansed the temple from the idolatry by putting down the priests and burning the vessels associated with it (2 Kings 23:4, 5, 12).

(2) In the other meaning of the expression, the angels are regarded as forming Yahweh's "host" or army, and He himself is the leader of them-"Yahweh of hosts" (Isaiah 31:4, etc.)-though this designation has a much wider reference.

See ANGEL; ASTRONOMY; LORD OF HOSTS; compare Oehler, Theol of Old Testament, II, 270 (ET).

James Orr

KINGDOM OF GOD (OF HEAVEN), THE

(he basileia ton ouranon; he basileia tou theou):

I. MEANING AND ORIGIN OF THE TERM

1. Place in the Gospels

2. "Kingdom of Heaven" and "Kingdom of God"

3. Relation to the Old Testament (Daniel, etc.)

II. ITS USE BY JESUS-CONTRAST WITH JEWISH CONCEPTIONS

1. Current Jewish Opinions

2. Relation of Jesus to Same

3. Growing Divergence and Contrast

4. Prophetic Character of the "Temptation"

5. Modern "Futuristic" Hypothesis (J. Weiss, Schweitzer)

6. Weakness of This View

7. Positive Conceptions of Jesus

III. THE IDEA IN HISTORY

1. Apostolic and Post-apostolic Age

2. Early Christian Centuries

3. Reformation Period

4. Later Ideas

IV. PLACE IN THEOLOGY

1. Danger of Exaggeration

2. Elements of Living Power in Idea

LITERATURE

The "kingdom of God" is one of the most remarkable ideas and phrases of all time, having begun to be used very near the beginnings of history and continuing in force down to the present day.

I. Meaning and Origin of the Term

1. Place in the Gospels:

Its use by Jesus is by far its most interesting aspect; for, in the Synoptists, at least, it is His watchword, or a comprehensive term for the whole of His teaching. Of this the ordinary reader of Scripture may hardly be aware, but it becomes evident and significant to the student. Thus, in Matthew 4:23, the commencement of the ministry is described in these words, "And Jesus went about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of disease and all manner of sickness among the people"; and, somewhat later, in Luke 8:1, the expansion of His activity is described in the following terms, "And it came to pass soon afterwards, that he went about through cities and villages, preaching and bringing the good tidings of the kingdom of God, and with him the twelve." When the Twelve are sent forth by themselves, the purpose of their mission is, in Luke 9:2, given in these words, "And he sent them forth to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick." In Matthew 13:11, the parables, which formed so large and prominent a portion of His teaching, are denominated collectively "the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven"; and it will be remembered how many of these commence with the phrase, "The kingdom of heaven is like."

2. "Kingdom of Heaven" and "Kingdom of God":

In these quotations, and in others which might easily be adduced, it will be observed that the phrases "the kingdom," "the kingdom of God," "the kingdom of heaven" are used interchangeably. The last of the three, "the kingdom of heaven," is confined to the First Gospel, which does not, however, always make use of it; and it is not certain what may have been the reason for the substitution. The simplest explanation would be that heaven is a name for God, as, in the parable of the Prodigal Son, the penitent says, "I have sinned against heaven," and we ourselves might say, "Heaven forbid!" It is not, however, improbable that the true meaning has to be learned from two petitions of the Lord's Prayer, the one of which is epexegetic of the other, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven." Here the disciples are instructed to pray that the kingdom of God may come, but this is equivalent to the petition that the will of God may be done on earth; Jesus is, however, aware of a region in the universe where the will of God is at present being perfectly and universally done, and, for reasons not difficult to surmise, He elevates thither the minds and hearts of those who pray. The kingdom of heaven would thus be so entitled because it is already realized there, and is, through prayer and effort, to be transferred thence to this earth.

3. Relation to the Old Testament (Daniel, etc.):

Although, however, the phrase held this master position in the teaching of Jesus, it was not of His invention. It was employed before Him by John the Baptist, of whom we read, in Matthew 3:1, "And in those days cometh John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Indeed, the phrase is far older; for, on glancing toward the Old Testament, we come at once, in Daniel 2:44, to a passage where the young prophet, explaining to the monarch the image of gold, silver, iron and clay, which, in his dream, he had seen shattered by "a stone cut out without hands," interprets it as a succession of world-kingdoms, destined to be destroyed by "a kingdom of God," which shall last forever; and, in his famous vision of the "son of man" in 7:14, it is said, "There was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed."

These passages in Daniel form undoubtedly the proximate source of the phrase; yet the idea which it represents mounts far higher. From the first the Jewish state was governed by laws believed to be derived directly from heaven; and, when the people demanded a king, that they might be like other nations, they were reproached for desiring any king but God Himself. With this sublime conception the actual monarchy was only a compromise, the reigning monarch passing for Yahweh's representative on earth. In David, the man after God's own heart, the compromise was not unsatisfactory; in Solomon it was still tolerable; but in the majority of the kings of both Judah and Israel it was a dismal and disastrous failure. No wonder that the pious sighed and prayed that Yahweh might take to Himself His great power and reign, or that the prophets predicted the coming of a ruler who would be far nearer to God than the actual kings and of whose reign there would be no end. Even when the political kingdom perished and the people were carried away into Babylon, the intelligent and truly religious among them did not cease to cherish the old hope, and the very aspect of the worldpowers then and subsequently menacing them only widened their conceptions of what that kingdom must be which could overcome them all. The return from Babylon seemed a miraculous confirmation of their faith, and it looked as if the day long prayed for were about to dawn. Alas, it proved a day of small things. The era of the Maccabees was only a transitory gleam; in the person of Herod the Great a usurper occupied the throne; and the eagles of the Romans were hovering on the horizon. Still Messianic hopes flourished, and Messianic language filled the mouths of the people.

II. Its Use by Jesus-Contrast with Jewish Conceptions.

1. Current Jewish Opinions:

Schurer, in his History of the Jewish People in the Time of Jesus Christ (II, 11, 126;), has drawn up a kind of Messianic creed, in no fewer than eleven articles, which he believes was extensively diffused at this period. The Sadducees, indeed, had no participation in these dreams, as they would have called them, being absorbed in money-making and courtiership; but the Pharisees cherished them, and the Zealots received their name from the ardor with which they embraced them. The true custodians, however, of these conceptions were the Prosdechomenoi, as they have been called, from what is said of them in the New Testament, that they "waited for the kingdom of God." To this class belonged such men as Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea (Luke 23:51), but it is in the beginning of the Gospel of Luke that we are introduced to its most numerous representatives, in the groups surrounding the infant Baptist and the infant Saviour (Luke 2:25, 38); and the truest and amplest expression of their sentiments must be sought in the inspired hymns which rose from them on this occasion. The center of their aspirations, as there depicted, is a kingdom of God-not, however, of worldly splendor and force, but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit; beginning in humility, and passing to exaltation only through the dark valley of contrition.

2. Relation of Jesus to Same:

Such was the circle in which both the Baptist and Jesus were reared and it was out of this atmosphere that the conception of the kingdom of God came into their minds. It has frequently been said that, in making use of this term, Jesus accommodated Himself to the opinions and language of His fellow-countrymen; and there is truth in this, because, in order to secure a footing on the solid earth of history, He had to connect His own activity with the world in which He found Himself. Yet the idea was native to His home and His race, and therefore to Himself; and it is not improbable that He may at first have been unaware of the wide difference between His own thoughts on the subject and those of His contemporaries.

3. Growing Divergence and Contrast:

When, however, He began, in the course of His ministry, to speak of the kingdom of God, it soon became manifest that by Him and by His contemporaries it was used in different senses; and this contrast went on increasing until there was a great gulf fixed between Him and them. The difference cannot better be expressed than by saying, as is done by B. Weiss, that He and they laid the accent on different halves of the phrase, they emphasizing "the kingdom" and He "of God." They were thinking of the expulsion of the Romans, of a Jewish king and court, and of a world-wide dominion going forth from Mt. Zion; He was thinking of righteousness, holiness and peace, of the doing of the will of God on earth as it is done in heaven. So earthly and fantastic were the expectations of the Jewish multitude that He had to escape from their hands when they tried to take Him by force and make Him a king. The authorities never acknowledged the pretensions of One who seemed to them a religious dreamer, and, as they clung to their own conceptions, they grew more and more bitter against One who was turning the most cherished hopes of a nation into ridicule, besides threatening to bring down on them the heavy hand of the Roman. And at last they settled the controversy between Him and them by nailing Him to a tree.

4. Prophetic Character of the "Temptation":

At one time Jesus had felt the glamor of the popular Messianic ideas, and at all times He must have been under temptation to accommodate His own ideas to the prejudices of those on whose favor His success seemed to be dependent. The struggle of His mind and will with such solicitations is embodied in what is called the Temptation in the Wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). There He was tempted to accept the dominion of the world at the price of compromise with evil; to be a bread-king, giving panem et circenes; and to curry favor with the multitude by some display, like springing from the pinnacle of the temple. The incidents of this scene look like representative samples of a long experience; but they are placed before the commencement of His public activity in order to show that He had already overcome them; and throughout His ministry He may be said to have been continually declaring, as He did in so many words at its close, that His kingdom was not of this world.

5. Modern "Futuristic" Hypothesis (J. Weiss, Schweitzer):

It is very strange that, in spite of this, He should be believed, even by Christian scholars, to have held a purely futuristic and apocalyptic view of the kingdom Himself. He was all the time expecting, it is said, that the heavens would open and the kingdom descend from heaven to earth, a pure and perfect work of God. This is exactly what was expected by the Jewish multitude, as is stated in Luke 19:11; and it is precisely what the authorities believed Him to be anticipating. The controversy between Him and them was as to whether Yahweh would intervene on His behalf or not; and, when no intervention took place, they believed they were justified in condemning Him. The premises being conceded, it is difficult to deny the force of their argument. If Jesus was all the time looking out for an appearance from heaven which never arrived, what better was He than a dreamer of the ghetto?

6. Weakness of This View:

It was by Johannes Weiss that this hypothesis was started in recent times; and it has been worked out by Schweitzer as the final issue of modern speculation on the life of Christ (see his The Quest of the Historical Jesus). But in opposition to it can be quoted not a few sayings of Jesus which indicate that, in His view, the kingdom of God had already begun and was making progress during His earthly ministry, and that it was destined to make progress not by catastrophic and apocalyptic interference with the course of Providence, but, as the grain grows-first the blade, then the ear, after that the full grain in the ear (Mark 4:26-29). Of such sayings the most remarkable is Luke 17:20, "And being asked by the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God cometh, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: neither shall they say, Lo, here! or, There! for lo, the kingdom of God is within you." "Observation," in this quotation, is an astronomical term, denoting exactly such a manifestation in the physical heavens as Jesus is assumed to have been looking for; so that He denies in so many words the expectation attributed to Him by those representatives of modern scholarship.

7. Positive Conceptions of Jesus:

In the nature of the case the kingdom must have been growing from stage to stage during His earthly ministry. He Himself was there, embodying the kingdom in His person; and the circle gathered around Him partook of the blessings of the kingdom. This circle might have grown large enough to be coextensive with the country; and, therefore, Jesus retained the consciousness of being the Messiah, and offered Himself in this character to His fellow-countrymen by the triumphal entry into Jerusalem. But the citizens of the kingdom had to enter it one by one, not in a body, as the Jews were expecting. Strait was the gate; it was the narrow gate of repentance. Jesus began by repeating the initial word of the teaching of His forerunner; and He had too much reason to continue repeating it, as the hypocrisy and worldliness of Pharisees and Sadducees called for denunciation from His lips. To the frailties of the publicans and sinners, on the contrary, He showed a strange mildness; but this was because He knew the way of bringing such sinners to His feet to confess their sins themselves. To the penitent He granted pardon, claiming that the Son of man had power on earth to forgive sins. Then followed the exposition of righteousness, of which the Sermon on the Mount is a perfect specimen. Yet it commences with another watchword-that of blessedness, the ingredients of which are set forth in all their comprehensiveness. In the same way, in other passages, He promises "rest" "peace" and the like; and again and again, where He might be expected to employ the term "kingdom of God," He substitutes "life" or "eternal life." Such were the blessings He had come into the world to bestow; and the most comprehensive designation for them all was "the kingdom of God."

It is true, there was always imperfection attaching to the kingdom as realized in His lifetime, because He Himself was not yet made perfect. Steadily, from the commencement of the last stage of His career, He began to speak of His own dying and rising again. To those nearest Him such language was at the time a total mystery; but the day came when His apostles were able to speak of His death and ascension as the crown and glory of His whole career. When His life seemed to be plunging over the precipice, its course was so diverted by the providence of God that, by dying, He became the Redeemer of mankind and, by missing the throne of the Jews, attained to that of the universe, becoming King of kings and Lord of lords.

III. The Idea in History.

1. Apostolic and Post-apostolic Age:

After the death of Jesus, there soon ensued the destruction of the Jewish state; and then Christianity went forth among the nations, where to have spoken of it as a kingdom of God would have unnecessarily provoked hostility and called forth the accusation of treason against the powers that be. Hence, it made use of other names and let "the kingdom of God" drop. This had commenced even in Holy Scripture, where, in the later books, there is a growing infrequency in the use of the term. This may be alleged as proof that Jesus was being forgotten; but it may only prove that Christianity was then too much alive to be trammeled with words and phrases, even those of the Master, being able at every stage to find new language to express its new experience.

2. Early Christian Centuries:

In the early Christian centuries, "the kingdom of God" was used to designate heaven itself, in which from the first the development of the kingdom was to issue; this, in fact, being not infrequently the meaning of the phrase even in the mouth of Jesus. The Alexandrian thinkers brought back the phrase to designate the rule of God in the conscience of men. Augustine's great work bears a title, De Civitate Dei, which is a translation of our phrase; and to him the kingdom of God was the church, while the world outside of the church was the kingdom of Satan. From the time of Charlemagne there were in the world, side by side, two powers, that of the emperor and that of the pope; and the history of the Middle Ages is the account of the conflict of these two for predominance, each pretending to struggle in the name of God. The approaching termination of this conflict may be seen in Wycliffe's great work De Dominio Divino, this title also being a translation of our phrase.

3. Reformation Period:

During the struggles of the Reformation the battles of the faith were fought out under other watchwords; and it was rather amongsuch sectaries as the Baptists, that names like Fifth Monarchy and Rule of the Saints betrayed recollection of the evangelic phraseology; but how near, then and subsequently, the expression of men's thoughts about authority in church and state came to the language of the Gospels could easily be demonstrated, for example, from the Confessions and Books of Discipline of the Scottish church.

4. Later Ideas:

The very phrase, "the kingdom of God," reappeared at the close of the Reformation period among the Pietists of Germany, who, as their multiplying benevolent and missionary activities overflowed the narrow boundaries of the church, as it was then understood, spoke of themselves as working for the kingdom of God, and found this more to their taste than working for the church. The vague and humanitarian aspirations of Rationalism sometimes assumed to themselves the same title; but it was by Ritschl and his followers that the phrase was brought back into the very heart of theology. In the system of Ritschl there are two poles-the love of God and the kingdom of God. The love of God enfolds within itself God's purpose for the world, to be realized in time; and this progressive realization is the kingdom of God. It fulfils itself especially in the faithful discharge of the duties of everyone's daily vocation and in the recognition that in the course of Providence all things are working together for good to them that love God.

IV. Place in Theology.

1. Danger of Exageration:

There are those to whom it appears self-evident that what was the leading phrase in the teaching of Jesus must always be the master-word in theology; while others think this to be a return from the spirit to the letter. Even Jesus, it may be claimed, had this phrase imposed upon Him quite as much as He chose it for Himself; and to impose it now on theology would be to entangle the movements of Christian thought with the cerements of the dead.

2. Elements of Living Power in Idea:

This is an interesting controversy, on both sides of which much might be said. But in the phrase "the kingdom of God" there are elements of living power which can never pass away.

(1) It expresses the social Power inside of Christianity. A kingdom implies multitude and variety, and, though religion begins with the individual, it must aim at brotherhood, organization and expansion.

(2) It expresses loyalty. However much kings and kingdoms may fail to touch the imagination in an age of the world when many countries have become or are becoming republican, the strength to conquer and to endure will always have to be derived from contact with personalities. God is the king of the kingdom of God, and the Son of God is His vicegerent; and without the love of God the Father and the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ no progress can be made with the Christianization of the world.

(3) It keeps alive the truth, suggested by Jesus in the Lord's Prayer, that the doing of the will of God on earth is the one thing needful. This is the true end of all authority in both church and state, and behind all efforts thus directed there is at work the potency of heaven.

(4) It reminds all generations of men that their true home and destiny is heaven. In not a few of our Lord's own sayings, as has been remarked, our phrase is obviously only a name for heaven; and, while His aim was that the kingdom should be established on earth, He always promised to those aiding in its establishment in this world that their efforts would be rewarded in the world to come. The constant recognition of a spiritual and eternal world is one of the unfailing marks of genuine Christianity.

LITERATURE.

Seethe works on New Testament Theology by Weiss, Beyschlag, Holtzmann, Feine, Schlatter, Weinel, Stevens, Sheldon; and on the Teaching of Jesus by Wendt, Dalman, Bruce; Candlish, The Kingdom of God; Robertson, Regnum Dei; Stalker, The Ethic of Jesus.

James Stalker

QUEEN OF HEAVEN

(melekheth ha-shamayim, although there is another reading, mele'kheth, "worship" or "goddess"): Occurs only in two passages: Jeremiah 7:18; Jeremiah 44:17-19, 25, where the prophet denounces the wrath of God upon the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem who have given themselves up to the worship of the host of heaven. This is no doubt a part of the astral worship which is found largely developed among the Jews in the later period of their history in Canaan. It is first mentioned in 2 Kings 17:16 as practiced by the men of the Northern Kingdom when Samaria had fallen and the ten tribes were being carried away into captivity. Moses is represented as warning the Israelites against the worship of the sun and moon and stars and all the host of heaven, practiced by the people of Canaan (Deuteronomy 4:19; Deuteronomy 17:3) and the existence of such worship among the Canaanites and neighboring nations is attested from an early period (compare Job 31:26-28). The worship of the heavenly bodies was widely spread in the East and in Arabia; and the Babylonian pantheon was full of astral deities, where each divinity corresponded either to an astral phenomenon or to some circumstance or occurrence in Nature which is connected with the course of the stars (Jeremias, The Old Testament in the Light of the Ancient East, I, 100). From the prophets we gather that before the exile the worship of the host of heaven had become established among all classes and in all the towns of Israel (Jeremiah ubi supra; Ezekiel 8:16). In that worship the queen of heaven had a conspicuous place; and if, as seems probable from the cakes which were offered, she is to be identified with the Assyrian Ishtar and the Canaanite Astarte, the worship itself was of a grossly immoral and debasing character. That this Ishtar cult was of great antiquity and widely spread in ancient Babylonia may be seen from the symbols of it found in recent excavations (see Nippur, II, 236). How far the astral theorists like Winckler and Jeremias are entitled to link up with this worship the mourning for Josiah, the lamentations over Tammuz, the story of Jephthah's daughter, and even-the narrative of the misfortunes and the exaltation of Joseph, is questionable. But that the people of Judah in the days before the exile had given themselves over to the worst and vilest forms of heathen worship and incurred the grievous displeasure of Yahweh is made clear by the denunciation of the worship of the queen of heaven by Jeremiah.

T. Nicol.

HEAVEN

hev'-'n.

See ASTRONOMY.

HEAVEN, HOST OF

See ASTRONOMY, sec. I, 1.

HEAVEN, ORDINANCES OF

See ASTRONOMY, sec. I, 1; II, 13.

HEAVEN, WINDOWS OF

See ASTRONOMY, sec. III, 4.

ORDINANCES OF HEAVEN

See ASTRONOMY, sec. I, 1.

WINDOWS OF HEAVEN

See ASTRONOMY, sec. III, 4.

Greek

3772. ouranos -- heaven
... heaven. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: ouranos Phonetic Spelling:
(oo-ran-os') Short Definition: the sky, the heaven Definition: heaven, (a ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3772.htm - 7k

3321. mesouranema -- the zenith, mid-heaven
... the zenith, mid-heaven. Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: mesouranema
Phonetic Spelling: (mes-oo-ran'-ay-mah) Short Definition: the middle of heaven ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3321.htm - 6k

3771. ouranothen -- from heaven
... from heaven. Part of Speech: Adverb Transliteration: ouranothen Phonetic Spelling:
(oo-ran-oth'-en) Short Definition: from heaven Definition: from heaven, from ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3771.htm - 6k

2032. epouranios -- of heaven
... of heaven. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: epouranios Phonetic Spelling:
(ep-oo-ran'-ee-os) Short Definition: heavenly, celestial Definition: heavenly ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2032.htm - 7k

3770. ouranios -- of or in heaven
... of or in heaven. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: ouranios Phonetic Spelling:
(oo-ran'-ee-os) Short Definition: heavenly Definition: in heaven ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3770.htm - 6k

1356. diopetes -- fallen from heaven
... fallen from heaven. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: diopetes Phonetic
Spelling: (dee-op-et'-ace) Short Definition: fallen from the sky Definition ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1356.htm - 6k

507. ano -- up, above
... up, above. Part of Speech: Adverb Transliteration: ano Phonetic Spelling: (an'-o)
Short Definition: up, above, things above, heaven Definition: up, above, up to ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/507.htm - 6k

5311. hupsos -- height
... height. Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: hupsos Phonetic Spelling:
(hoop'-sos) Short Definition: height, heaven Definition: height, heaven; dignity ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5311.htm - 6k

83. adelotes -- uncertainty
... 83 ("unrecognized"), used only in 1 Tim 6:17. Here it shows riches will be in heaven --
ie lacking any real value at the judgment-bar of God. See 82 (). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/83.htm - 6k

1577. ekklesia -- an assembly, a (religious) congregation
... ie (concretely) a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation (Jewish
synagogue, or Christian community of members on earth or saints in heaven or both ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1577.htm - 8k

Strong's Hebrew

8064. shamayim -- heaven, sky
... 8063, 8064. shamayim. 8065 . heaven, sky. Transliteration: shamayim
Phonetic Spelling: (shaw-mah'-yim) Short Definition: heaven. ...
/hebrew/8064.htm - 6k

8065. shamayin -- heavens
... 8064, 8065. shamayin. 8066 . heavens. Transliteration: shamayin Phonetic
Spelling: (shaw-mah'-yin) Short Definition: heaven. ... heaven. ...
/hebrew/8065.htm - 6k

1534. galgal -- a wheel, whirl, whirlwind
... heaven, rolling thing, wheel. By reduplication from galal; a wheel; by analogy,
a whirlwind; also dust (as whirled) -- heaven, rolling thing, wheel. ...
/hebrew/1534.htm - 6k

6183. ariph -- a cloud
... Word Origin from araph Definition a cloud NASB Word Usage clouds (1). heaven. From
araph; the sky (as dropping at the horizon) -- heaven. see HEBREW araph. ...
/hebrew/6183.htm - 6k

7834. shachaq -- dust, cloud
... Word Origin from shachaq Definition dust, cloud NASB Word Usage clouds (6), skies
(12), sky (2), speck of dust (1). cloud, small dust, heaven, sky. ...
/hebrew/7834.htm - 6k

4605. maal -- above, upwards
... alah Definition above, upwards NASB Word Usage above (7), above* (32), covered*
(1), exceedingly (1), forward (2), greater (1), greatly (1), heaven (4), high ...
/hebrew/4605.htm - 6k

7549. raqia -- an extended surface, expanse
... expanse. Word Origin from raqa Definition an extended surface, expanse NASB
Word Usage expanse (16), expanse of heaven (1). firmament. ...
/hebrew/7549.htm - 6k

6160. arabah -- a steppe or desert plain, also a desert valley ...
... prefix) the (generally) sterile valley of the Jordan and its continuation to the
Red Sea -- Arabah, champaign, desert, evening, heaven, plain, wilderness. ...
/hebrew/6160.htm - 6k

4791. marom -- height
... Word Origin from rum Definition height NASB Word Usage above* (1), exalted (1),
exalted places (1), haughtily (2), heaven (1), heavens (1), height (4), heights ...
/hebrew/4791.htm - 6k

Library

Days of Heaven Upon Earth
Days of Heaven Upon Earth. <. Days of Heaven Upon Earth Rev. AB Simpson.
Table of Contents. Title Page. THE DAYS OF HEAVEN. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/simpson/days of heaven upon earth /

Where is Heaven?
... WHERE IS HEAVEN? Our great-grandfathers and great-grandmothers used to talk much
about where heaven was. ... We know what it is, then, to have heaven on earth. ...
/.../chidley/fifty-two story talks to boys and girls/where is heaven.htm

The Happiness of Heaven
The Happiness of Heaven. <. The Happiness of Heaven FJ Boudreaux. E-text
prepared by David McClamrock Table of Contents. Title Page. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/boudreaux/the happiness of heaven/

Heaven
... Heaven. A Sermon (No.56). ... How very frequently at our prayer meetings do we hear our
brethren describing heaven as a place of which we cannot conceive! ...
//christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 2 1856/heaven.htm

The Kingdom of Heaven; What is it?
The Kingdom of Heaven; What is it? . The Kingdom of Heaven; What
is it? Edward Burbidge. Produced by Colin Bell, Sam ...
//christianbookshelf.org/burbidge/the kingdom of heaven what is it/

The Days of Heaven
Days of Heaven Upon Earth. <. ... THE DAYS OF HEAVEN. The days of heaven
are peaceful days, Still as yon glassy sea; So calm ...
/.../simpson/days of heaven upon earth /the days of heaven.htm

The Voice from Heaven.
... The Voice From Heaven. ... The voice from heaven, indicates an epoch when there should
be a widely extended and marked separation between these two classes. ...
/.../bliss/a brief commentary on the apocalypse/the voice from heaven.htm

Heaven.
... XXVII. HEAVEN. HAPPINESS AND GLORY OF HEAVEN. HEAVEN! It is called the
paradise of God"a paradise, to show how quiet, harmless ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bunyan/the riches of bunyan/xxvii heaven.htm

The Keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven, and Power Thereof
The Keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven, and Power Thereof. <. The Keyes of the
Kingdom of Heaven, and Power Thereof John Cotton. Table of Contents. ...
/.../cotton/the keyes of the kingdom of heaven and power thereof/

Citizens of Heaven
... Citizens of Heaven. CPC 1 Corinthians 15:47, 48. ... That high palace of surpassing beauty,.
Holiest in Heaven. There it is that they behold His radiance,. ...
/.../bevan/hymns of ter steegen suso and others/citizens of heaven.htm

Subtopics

Heaven

Heaven and Hell

Heaven is Called: A Garner

Heaven is Called: A Heavenly Country

Heaven is Called: A Rest

Heaven is Called: Paradise

Heaven is Called: The Father's House

Heaven is Called: The Kingdom of Christ and of God

Heaven: Angels are In

Heaven: Christ is All-Powerful In

Heaven: Christ: As Mediator, Entered Into