Heaven is our home and we’re in Seventh Heaven?!
Shamayim: heaven, sky יִםשָׁמַ֫
Phonetic Spelling: (shaw-mah’-yim)
יִםהַשָּׁמַ֖ haš-šā-ma-yim the heavens.
This is the word used in the expression, the heavens and the earth, or the upper and lower regions. Genesis 1:1
The usual Hebrew word for heavens is shamayim, a plural form meaning heights, elevations (Gen. 1:1; 2:1).
The Hebrew word marom is also used (Ps. 68:18; 93:4; 102:19, etc.) as equivalent to shamayim, high places, heights. 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)Heb. galgal, literally a wheel, is rendered heaven in Ps. 77:18 (R.V., whirlwind). like a spiral galaxy?Heb. shahak, rendered sky (Deut. 33:26; Job 37:18; Ps. 18:11), plural clouds (Job 35:5; 36:28; Ps. 68:34, marg. heavens), probably means the firmament.
In the last post we looked at the universe and our place in it.We saw some of the amazing images sent back by Hubble.
The night skies have always fascinated mankind, who has always been searching for a way to get a closer look at those twinkling points of light in the heavens above.History records many who invented and built telescopes for that very purpose; including a 17th century Christian, German astronomer, Johannes Kepler. (1571-1630). He used mathematics to calculate the path of the planets and discovered three laws of planetary motion, amongst other discoveries.Johannes had a friend who denied the existence of God and maintained the universe came into existence by itself.
This troubled Johannes, so he construct a model of the solar system. When he showed it to his friend, the friend exclaimed how beautiful it was and wanted to know Who had made it?
Cryptically Kepler replied that no one had, it had made itself! ‘Nonsense’ replied his friend ‘just tell me who made it’. Kepler proceeded to say to his friend that if he believed the model could not have made itself, which was but a simple imitation of the great universe, how could he believe the universe could make itself!It seems to be a silly statement, in light of what we know today. Johannes Kepler’s model could no more have made itself than a car could manufacture itself.
However according to many scientists, the universe came into existence by accident and so did human life!!!
Rest assured that your life was not an accident and God has a purpose for you.
You’re here because of Him and there is hope and a future. I know the plans I have for you plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give you the future and hope. Jeremiah 29:11You are created from the high purposes of God.
Heaven is our home and one day we will be there with Him.
How to translate bikeseh hashimayim in Deut.30:4 which most English translations render as the outermost parts of heaven.
Are we talking about space travel here? Or is it just a metaphor?
Remember, nothing is placed in the Bible by accident.
Every note and detail has a reason for it being placed there. So there must be a reason why God is speaking of gathering the nation of Israel from the outermost parts of heaven. Bikeseh comes from the root kesah and has the proposition Beth (in or on) in front of it and literally means “in the end or extremity.”
The following word “hashimayhim” is from the root shama’ which means heaven.
The word has a definite article Hei at the beginning and a plural ending and we would render that as the heavens. So we are not referring to our final resting place and the celestial city but most likely it is used to describe the sky or outer space. If the writer wanted to depict God gathering the Jews from the ends of the earth he would have said kesevi eres. So why does the writer say the heavens or sky? Here is where opinion comes into play. We creating an opinion that makes sense and we are left with just a metaphor, a poetic expression and a wonderful one at that. God will not only search out every corner to restore the ones He loves, but He will even look in the most unlikeliest places and if necessary in outer space.
God cares for and is mindful of everything in His creation.
Taken from a study on the sparrow falling. In the Aramaic language, you say that God is aware of everytime a sparrow lands. He is not only aware when a sparrow dies, He is aware when a sparrow lands and they do a lot of landing. Again another verse to show how aware God is of every individual He created and how He longs to draw them to Him. He knows every corner and every rock on earth; and every place in the sky and the universe, we just cannot escape His noticeIsaiah 66:1 Heaven is my throne and the earth my foot stool.
Heaven is ‘as the chair’, to God.Because that’s where He dwells and the stool is the earth.
By nature He doesn’t dwell there but He does touch it with the ‘feet of His presence’ as part of His footstool. It is therefore under ‘His feet’ and under His control and His perfect will and plans and purposes.
According to Ephesians 1:22, all things are under Messiah’s feet and under ours too!
The constellation in the picture above is called the hand of God.
When we have a friend we spend time in each other’s company, we have the same interests and talk about them together. So we should be the same with God. His home is in heaven as well as in our hearts; and we are already invited for a future event where He lives.
The marriage supper of the Lamb.
Home is where our hearts are fixed and focused.
Meanwhile we have His spirit with us and He never leaves us or forsakes us. Hebrews 13:5. Jesus told us, I am with you always. Matt. 28:20
However our human curiosity wants to know what heaven is really like.
Paul said in 2 Corinthians 12:2, he thought it was the third heaven.
Just how many are there?The Hebrew language gives seven words for heaven and the ancient model in the form of drawings illustrates what Genesis describes; and the meaning of the seven Hebrew words; and how they saw everything fitting together.This is the root of where we get our idiom to be in the seventh heaven.The word in Genesis, in the beginning God created the heavens and earth. The word heavens is plural; it is not singular, meaning, that there is more than one heaven.
God is the God of the Heavens El HaShamayim’
שָׁמַ֫יִם = heavens
2 Corinthians 12:2 (2 Cor. 12:7)
The phrase “heaven and earth” is used to indicate the whole universe (Gen. 1:1; Jer. 23:24; Acts 17:24).
According to the Jewish notion there were three heavens,
Shechakim “expanses,” with reference to the extent of heaven. (33:26; Job 35:5) Pauls’ expression “third heaven,” 2 Cor. 12:2, had led to much conjecture. Grotius said that the Jews divided the heaven into three parts:
1) The First Heaven: Earth & Man. The air or atmosphere, where clouds gather. The firmament, as “fowls of the heaven” (Gen 1:26 2:19; 7:3, 23; Ps. 8:8 etc.), “the eagles of heaven” (Lam. 4:19)
2) The Second Heaven: Space and Stars* The firmament, in which the sun, moon and stars are fixed;The starry heavens (Deut. 17:3; Jer. 8:2; Matt. 24:29).
(Isaiah 13:10)…(Isaiah 14:13)
Astronomy is the scientific study of the individual celestial bodies (excluding the earth) and of the universe as a whole.
Astrology is the study that assumes and attempts to interpret the influence of the heavenly bodies on human affairs. (a form of prophecy but is false prophecy, false predictions, demonic, a diversion away from God’s truth).
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