The new testament speaks of seven heavens and so does the Koran. Enoch 2
speaks of 10 heavens. The gnostic Basislides for 365 heavens. The Zohar
mentions 390 heavens. Jelleneck recalls of a legend which tells of 955
heavens. According to the Bible the seventh heaven is supposed to be the
most holy. The reference to the fact that God has created seven heavens
has generally been given in the Qur'an, in response to the skepticism
shown by the disbelievers regarding the possibility of life after death.
The Qur'an, in response to this skepticism has asked man to ponder over
the fact that has not God created him in the first instance? If God can
create man once, then why can't He create him a second time? Is the
first creation more difficult or the second one? etc. It is, generally,
in this context that the Qur'an says that it is not even possible for
man to judge the level of the powers of God, and as an example it refers
to the vastness of His creation. It says that God has not just created
one sky - i.e., one universe, but seven such skies - or seven universes.

Can you provide scriptural support for the NT describing seven heavens?
As far as I know, there are three heavens described in the Bible: The
Sky, Space, New Jerusalem.

Paul mentions a 'third heaven'.

2 Corinthians 12:2

'...Such a one caught up to the third heaven.'

Perhaps there could be seven.

~ Seventh Heaven ~

~~~

I’ve been to Seventh Heaven
it’s the greatest place on earth
though nothing’s really of this world
it merely seems that way from birth

The lowest form of heaven
is in a dragon we’ve named ‘Fear’
a dragon that we all can slay
if we simply preserve

The heavens in-between
the Seventh and the First
are being wasted almost daily
by dragons that are cursed

People who believe
that heaven’s not at hand
are wasting god’s creation
and they’ll never understand

They look beyond this daily life
and think in terms of sin
They seek salvation from their strife
but lose their soul within

God created animals
and birds
and bees
and trees
and human beings just like you
to roam the seven seas

But look at how we waste it
by revering false gods
by praising ancient doctrines
and spiritual façades

Heaven’s not a phony place
that you go to when you die
Heaven’s right before you!
Before your very eye!

So quit your silly whining
and preaching all this crap
get out there and enjoy your life
for this is where it’s at

~~~

(Abra 6/4/07)

Abra

Nice Abra!

I wondered where you went...thankyou James

Abra the magical poet - nice!

many of the gnostic texts, and "scripture books voted out in 330AD"
spoke of 7 heavens. The same concepts appear in kabbalistic texts.

The rings of heaven are generally abstractions away from physical
reality towards the reality of God. Each ring requires a new awareness,
and a letting-go. An 'emergence' from one ring to another so to speak,
and it requires a struggle with an angel. In the kabbalastic texts the
struggles involve the ArchAngels, and the traits of the arch-angel gives
insight to the level of awareness required to pass. You are already
familiar with one of these incidents - Jacob wrestled with the angel and
was victorious [Genesis 32].

Paul writes of the 3rd heaven, as Paul was keenly aware of these "rings
of heavens" because they were part of the traditional bible teachings in
both the written and oral forms. However, much of that content was voted
out of the bible in 330ad at the Council of Nicea.

-Mike

Careful mike.

Mentioning the fact that any council ever did anything like that can get
you stoned with BIG virtual rocks.

I often wonder how much was eliminated, changed, and added during those
times.

~ Designer Religion ~

~~~

Designer religion is the craze of the days
we’ll interpret it our way and fill it with praise

We’ll sell it real cheap for a repentance or two
and praise it the highest until we turn blue

We’ll stick to our guns and claim that it’s gospel
we’ll say we’ve been saved like a holy apostle

We’ll claim that it’s true from the core of our soul
to spread fear in our brothers until they extol

We’ll proclaim from the rooftops, “There’s no other way!
To only our version of god should you pray!”

We’ll teach it and preach it to all who will hear
and to those who won’t listen will fill them with fear

If heaven wont lure them then hell will assure them
that if they don’t listen their souls will be lost

Designer Religion the craze of the days
We’ll interpret it our way with futile clichés

~~~

(Abra 6/4/07)

<------add tongue in cheek and you would have a mirror of me
right now,

Thankyou James, another giggle in my day...

Morning all

And thank you Abra, just started the day with a smile because of
you

According to Jewish mysticism, Heaven is divided into seven realms. In
order from lowest to highest, the seven Heavens are listed alongside the
angels who govern them and any further information:

1. Shamayim- The first Heaven, governed by Archangel Gabriel, is the
closest of heavenly realms to the Earth; it is also considered the abode
of Adam and Eve.

2. Raquia- The second Heaven is dually controlled by Zachariel and
Raphael. It was in this Heaven that Moses, during his visit to Paradise,
encountered the angel Nuriel who stood "300 parasangs high, with a
retinue of 50 myriads of angels all fashioned out of water and fire."
Also, Raquia is considered the realm where the fallen angels are
imprisoned and the planets fastened (Rf: The Legends of the Jews I, 131,
and II, 306)

3. Shehaqim- The third Heaven, under the leadership of Anahel, serves as
the home of the Garden of Eden and the Tree of Life; it is also the
realm where manna, the holy food of angels, is produced (Rf: The Legends
of the Jews V, 374). The Second Book of Enoch, meanwhile, states that
both Paradise and Hell are accommodated in Shehaqim with Hell being
located simply "on the northern side."

4. Machonon- The fourth Heaven is ruled by the well-known Archangel
Michael, and according to Talmud Hagiga 12, it contains the heavenly
Jerusalem, the Temple, and the Altar.

5. Machon- The fifth Heaven is under the administration of Samael, an
angel referred to as evil by some but is merely a dark servant of God to
others.

6. Zebul- The sixth Heaven falls under the jurisdiction of Zachiel.

7. Araboth- The seventh Heaven, under the leadership of Cassiel, is the
holiest of the seven Heavens provided the fact that it houses the Throne
of Glory attended by the Seven Archangels and serves as the realm in
which God dwells; underneath the throne itself lies the abode of all
unborn human souls. It is also considered the home of the Seraphim, the
Cherubim, and the Hayyoth.

Hmmm. It reads like a roadmap.

http://www.steliart.com/angelology_7_heavens.html

I like the pictures on this one.

The Gods of the Greeks were very real to them, yet we refer to their
religion as ‘mythology’.

I sincerely believe that there will come a time in the future when
mankind will refer back to the era of “Christian mythology’, along with
all the other similar-based religions.

After all, it’s really not all that differnet from Greek mythology at
all. Do Christians really believe that angels have winds? Wouldn’t
they need to have physical bodies for that? Moreover, if heaven is
such a magical place and there is nothing god cannot do, then why not
just have angels levitate if they want to fly?

Oh never mind. I forgot. Questioning things is taboo. (ha ha)

Nice link Roy, I like the pictures too. Let me know when the movie
comes out.

http://path-to-peace.com/proofs_7heavens.html

This one makes more sense to me, James. The seven layers of the earth's
atmosphere.

It’s crazy what people will come up with to support a mythology.

Aren’t they stretching things a bit by including the ‘magnetosphere’?

Maybe we should go back and revisit Zeus?

The Greeks might have had something there after all.

Could the magnetosphere be the earth's gravatational pull?

RainbowTrout,

No.