The ancient Hebrews spoke of heaven as a great ocean in the sky. A dome was said to cover the earth and kept back the heavenly ocean (Gen 1:6,7). Rain was said to fall on earth when God opened windows in the heavenly ceiling (Gen 7:11-12; Isa 24:18; Mal 3:10). Because this heavenly dome was so heavy, it had to be held up by pillars (Job 26:11).

God lives and rules in heaven (1 Kgs 8:30; Isa 66:1; Matt 5:34). Heaven is also where God's court meets (Gen 1:26; 3:22; Job 1:6; 2:1; 15:7,8). Some of Israel's prophets had visions of God in heaven (1 Kgs 22:19), and the prophet Elijah was taken up to heaven in a strong wind (2 Kgs 2:1-12). The apostle Paul also spoke of being taken up into a "third heaven," where he heard wonderful things (2 Cor 12:1-4). A man named John had a vision of heaven that revealed secrets about the future (Rev. 4:1-22:17).

The Old Testament does not describe heaven as a place where God's faithful will live with God after they die. In fact, it was only in the fifth or sixth century B.C. that some Israelite people began to believe in eternal life after death. The prophet Daniel had a vision of the people whose names were written in The Book. These people were to rise from death and be given eternal life (Dan 12:1-3). But even this vision does not say that those who are raised from death will live in heaven.

The New Testament also describes heaven as the place where God lives and rules. The angels who announced the birth of Jesus praise God in heaven (Luke 2:14). When Jesus was baptized, God's voice came from heaven and called Jesus "my own dear Son" (Luke 3:22). Jesus described God as a Father in heaven (Matt 6:1,9; 18:4; John 6:32). Jesus himself came from heaven (John 6:38-42) and returned there after death (Luke 24:50,51). And he will come back from heaven in the future (Matt 24:30,31; 1 Thes 4:16).

When Jesus spoke of the kingdom of heaven (Matt 4:17; 5:3; 13:44-47), he usually meant where God's will and purposes were done, rather than God's home. The gift of eternal life and the promise of life after death is common in the New Testament. Jesus told his disciples that he will go to his Father's house to prepare a place for them (John 14:1-3). The apostle Paul said that those who are raised from death will have new bodies like those who are in heaven (1 Cor 15:45-54). Paul also said that those who have faith in Christ are "citizens of heaven" and that Christ will make their poor earthly bodies like his own glorious body (Phil 3:20,21). Other New Testament books say that heaven and earth will be destroyed or replaced and made new (2 Pet 3:10-13; Rev 21:1-22:5).