The Idea of Heaven
Where did the idea of “Heaven” come from? Just like idea of “Hell”, it was borrowed from other cultures. If you were to say, “Go to Hell,” it could also mean to see the person “Hell” or “Hel,” the name of the Norse Goddess of the Underworld and Loki’s daughter. That only leaves “Heaven.”
The word “heaven” can mean many different things depending on the context. It is most often used in religious circles to reference a mystical, happy place where we are reunited with family, friends, and ancestors. It is supposedly the place where the “Gods” or “God” lives. The word is synonymous with the sky, “the heavens.” But where did the idea that we go to heaven when we die come from? This was never fully explained, not even in the bible. Although, some will contest this assertion.
It is known as “heavenly destiny”, and it means the world of material is false and evil. One can only be saved by hating all things worldly in order to accept a heavenly reward. Does that sound familiar? It should; it is the doctrine most Christians preach. Hate yourself, hate the world, but love Christ.
This does not exactly pinpoint where the idea came from, though. It came in and around the first century. It was an idea popular among pagans schooled in greek philosophy. It gradually meshed with modern day Christianity over time.
They believed all matter was evil and was created by a lesser god the Jews worshipped. Jesus came from the supreme god to free us from this evil materialistic existence. Jesus’ primary objective was to teach us heavenly realities, not atonement. We must prepare ourselves to look for secret, supernatural knowledge called “Gnosis” if we are to reach enlightenment. We level-up by acquiring more “Gnosis” till we reach “pleroma.” Gnostics do not believe in the resurrection of the body, since all matter is evil. They believe “Heaven” is our final destiny.
Orthodox Christians believed, however, that heaven was God’s domain, and mortals, dead or not, may not enter, let alone live there. Gnosticism was considered blasphemy by many Christian sects, since the biblical authorities opted for a more literal interpretation of the Bible, their own.
So, if we are not destined for heaven, then it must be the other place, right? Well, the Greeks believed all humans go to Hades (Hell) when they die; the exceptions go to the Elysian fields. The Norse believed we stand before Hel (Hell) to be judged. Buddhists believe in a cycle of death and rebirth. Heaven and Hell are just temporary stopping points on the road to enlightenment, but everyone who sins, which is everyone, goes to Hell, albeit temporarily. The point is heaven and hell are not exclusive to the Christian mythos. The general consensus seems to be that “Hell” is the netherworld where humans go and “Heaven” is the world of the “Gods.”
