HEAVEN
Heaven has always been a source of wonder to man

                             – Psa 19:1
It was created on the 2nd day

                             – Gen 1:8
It’s purpose was to divide the heaven from earth

                             – Gen 1:6

There are 6 Hebrew words used for the word Heaven in the OT

Hebrew
Shamayim = Heights, elevations – Gen 1:1
Galgal = wheel is rendered ‘heaven’ in Psa 77:18
Shachaq = sky (De 33:;26; Job 37:18; Psa 18:11, plural clouds Job 35:5;36:28; Ps 678:34.
Marom = high places, heights Psa 68:18; 93:4; 102:19 and mountain in Psa 102:19; mountain – Ezek 17:23
Sheckakim = expanse (extent) – Deut 33:26; Job 35:5
Rakia – (Grotius the historian wrote that the Jews divided heaven into three parts.
1.The air or atmosphere, where clouds gather
2.the firmament, in which the sun, moon and stars are fixed.
3.The upper heaven, the abode of God and his angels, the invisible realm of holiness and happiness, the home of the children of God.

There are 4 Greek words used for the word Heaven in the NT
Greek
Ouranos = sky, air, heaven – Matt 5:18
epouranios = above the sky, celestial – 1 Cor 15:40
ouranothen = from the sky or heaven – Matt 3:17
mesouranema = mid-sky, mid-heaven – Rev 14:6-12

Most Christian churches believe that

The faithful go to heaven when they die
They live there for eternity
BUT, who goes to heaven is matter of much conjecture and argument between the various religious denominations.

They believe that in Heaven, the saints
live in a beautiful city – Rev 21:1
have fellowship with God and others – Matt 17:3
live a life of worship – Rev 5:9; 19:1
rule – 2 Tim 2:12; Rev 22:5
sing – Rev 15:3
serve – Rev 22:3
eat Rev – 2:17
and rest – Rev 14:13

They live a life of growth – Rev 22:2
Other common beliefs about Heaven are:
The heavens were created by God the Son – Heb 1:10
and by God the Father – Rev 10:6
Heaven is the eternal dwelling place of God – Matt 5:17; 12:50; Rev 3:12; 11:13; 16:11; 20:9
Heaven is the eternal dwelling place of the Saints 2 Cor:5:1
Heaven is the abode of the angels – Matt 18:;10; 22:30 cf Rev 3:5
God the Son descended from Heaven to become incarnate – John 3:13,31; 6:38,42
In his later ascension he ‘passed through the heavens’ – Heb 4:14 RV
And ascended far above all the heavens – Eph 4:10
He was ‘made higher than the heavens’ – Heb 7:26
He now sits at the right hand of God ‘having gone into heaven’ – 1 Pet 3:22
on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens – Heb 8:1
From Heaven the Holy Spirit descended at Pentecost – 1 Pet 1:12
Paul was ‘caught up’ into Heaven (either in body or out of body) 2 Cor 12:2
Christ will descend from Heaven with his angels Matt 16:27; 25:31;
To meet the saints in the ‘Air’ in the rapture – 1 Thes 4:16; Phil 3:20,21
The present ‘heaven and earth’ will pass away – 2 Pet 3:10
‘Being on fire’ 2 Pet 3:12( see v 7); Rev 20:11
A new Heaven and Earth will be created – 2 Pet 3:13; Rev 21:1 with Isa 65:17

What do Christadelphians believe about heaven?

God is the Creator of Heaven and earth – Gen 1:2
The physical Heaven is the expanse over the earth Gen 1:6-8; 1:18; 1:14-17,20; Psa 19:1 Dan 12:15
The Kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven are used interchangeably in the Bible
God is the possessor of Heaven (and earth) – Gen 14:19; Deut 10:14
God’s storehouse is in heaven and from it come the following: Deu 28:12
frost – Job 38:29
rain- Gen 8:2
hail – Josh 10:11
dust – Deut 28:24
snow- Isa 55:10
fire – Gen 19:24

The location of Heaven is indeterminate

it is the area above the ground but below the stars
Heaven is the locus of visions (1 Chr 21:16)
it is the realm in which the sun, moon and stars are located – Gen 1:14
The phrase ‘heaven and earth’ is used to denote whole creation – Gen 1:1; Deu 26:15
God dwells in ‘highest heaven’ (lit. the heaven of the heavens – Heb 7:26; Deu 10:14 which does not indicate height but an absolute
‘highest heaven’ is a unique realm not to be identified with the physical creation – Deu 10:14; 2 Chr 2:6
The tower of Babel reached to Heaven – Gen 11:4
Heaven can be as low as the branch of Absalom’s tree where Absalom hung ‘between heaven and earth’ 2 Sam 18:9
and beyond to the ‘heaven of the heaven’s that cannot contain God – 2 Sam 18:9
Since ‘the heavens cannot contain God) and yet the Bible speaks of God being in heaven – 1 Kgs 8:27; 2 Chr 6:18-19, then a question
Where are the Heavens that CAN and DO contain him? We know that he ‘dwells in light unapproachable to man’ but where is that? 1 Tim 6:16
How permanent are the Heavens?

The Bible is clear that the physical heavens will never be destroyed (Jer 33:20,25)

What then do we make of heavens that pass away and are burned up? 2 Pet 3:12
The heavens will pass away with a great noise..and be dissolved 2 Pe 3:10 Isa 34:4; Mat 24:29
This must then refer to the ‘principalities and powers in heavenly places’
ie. Political Heavens – Eph 3:10; Col 2:15; Eph 6:12; Col 1:16 visible and invisible in heaven.
These symbolic Heavens are described as
of wide extent, or expanse, and are compared to a tent – Isa 40:22
they can be stretched out like a curtain and Isa 40:22
rolled up like a scroll Isa 34:4; Rev 6:14
There is a symbolic heaven and earth that is to ‘pass away’ and be replaced Mat 24:35; Mar 13:31; Luk 2:D15; Luk 21:33
a new heaven and new earth – Rev 21:1; Mat 13:D52; Rev 3:12; Rev 21:2
and there will be no more sea – Rev 19:6; Rev 21:1; Rev 18:21

How many heavens does the Bible speak about?

There are:

old heavens Psa 68:33; Isa 51:6; Lu 12:33; 2 Pet 3:5
new heavens – Rev 3:12; Rev 21:2
a first heaven
a second heaven – Gen 1:8; Gen 7:11; Gen 22:15; 2 Ki 23:4; 1 Cr 15:47 The heavenlies of the Babylonian Kingdom of men – Ezek, Dan, Zech, Rev.
a third heaven – 2 Cr 12:2; Rev 8:10; Rev 12:4
a heaven – Deu 10:14
and heaven Deu 10:14
and heaven of heavens (which cannot contain God) – Deu 10:14; 1 Ki 8:27; 2 Ch 2:6; 2 Ch 6:18; Neh 9:6; Psa 115:16; Isa 34:4;
a ‘mid-heaven’ (the locus of visions) 1 Chr 21:16; Rev 14:6; 19:17
How are we to understand this proliferation of heavens?
The physical heavens which will not pass away are where the birds fly, Gen 1:28 where there are the physical clouds Psa 68:34; Psa 57:10; Psa 36:5; Psa 104:3 and physical sun moon and stars – Deut 4:19 ; Jer 31:35
The perishable heavens are the symbolic ‘heavenlies’ which contain the rulers of the kingdom of men Mat 24:29; Joel 2:10 Joel 3:15
the ‘new heavens and earth’ to be created are the political ‘heavenlies’ of God Isa 65:17; Isa 66:22; 2 Pe 3:13

There are three symbolic political heaven’s spoken off in the Bible

The first Heaven which is to pass away Rev 21:1 In John’s time this was the Roman Politic
The second Heaven relates to the ‘heavenlies’ of the Babylonish Kingdom of Men
Third heaven is ‘the highest heaven’ and contains the pattern of the new heavens and earth Ex 25
The new heaven or ‘the heavenly Jerusalem’ will replace all previous political heavens
Heaven will at last be on earth Rev 21.
And when this new heavens and new earth are finally in existence
Only then will God ‘dwell with man’ – 2 Ch 6:18; Ex 29:45; Ez 6:12 caused his name to dwell there Psa 68:16 od will dwell for ever
Does that mean he dwells WITH man?
Or from his dwelling place in ‘light unapproachable’ is simply in harmony with man?