Heaven

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Gen 1:1) Here Heaven refers to the skies with clouds, stars, the sun and moon. It is a physical reality populated by the Firmament referred to in Genesis 1:6. God left nothing to chance. In Psalm 8 The physical forms are very important, but they are not the whole story. Heaven has another meaning. 

Heaven also means the habitation of God in biblical references. It is the place of the afterlife. It is no less a reality than the skies, but the reality is spiritual and unseen by human eyes in this life. I'm afraid we think of Heaven as a place of stasis and abiding peace. Most of the biblical references describe intense activity. Indeed, glory and joy are not silent. The prophet Ezekiel described the scene in Heaven beginning with a whirlwind. He saw four angelic beings that were accompanied by wheels empowered by the Holy Spirit and he heard the voice of God that sounded like the tumult of an army.(Ezekiel 1)

Isaiah's vision describes the majesty of God. He is "high and exalted seated on a throne,"(Isaiah 1) and there are angels in attendance. When the angels call to one another, the sound of their voices shakes the door posts and the Temple is filled with smoke.

Interpreting these grand and exalted images may be difficult requiring research and study, I can't help but think it will be worth the effort. I want to know what heaven looks like and what I will see there. I do plan on taking the trip.

There will be other posts on this subject.