Heaven

Chinese <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhou_Dynasty" title="Zhou Dynasty" >Zhou Dynasty</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oracle_script" title="Oracle script" class="mw-redirect" >Oracle script</a> for Tian, the character for Heaven or sky.

Heaven, the Heavens or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Heavens" title="Seven Heavens" >Seven Heavens</a>, is a common <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_cosmology" title="Religious cosmology" >religious, cosmological</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metaphysics" title="Metaphysics" >metaphysical</a> term for the physical or<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcendence(philosophy)" title="Transcendence (philosophy)" >transcendent</a> place from which heavenly beings (such as a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky_deity" title="Sky deity" >Sky deity</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God" title="God" >God</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angels" title="Angels" class="mw-redirect" >angels</a>, King or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_of_heaven(antiquity)" title="Queen of heaven (antiquity)" >Queen of Heaven</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavenly_Father" title="Heavenly Father" class="mw-redirect" >Heavenly Father</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavenly_Mother" title="Heavenly Mother" >Heavenly Mother</a> or Son of Heaven, heavenly <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saints" title="Saints" class="mw-redirect" >saints</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veneration_of_the_dead" title="Veneration of the dead" >venerated ancestors</a>) originate, are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Throne_of_God" title="Throne of God" >enthroned</a> or inhabit. It is commonly believed that heavenly beings can descend to earth or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incarnate" title="Incarnate" class="mw-redirect" >take on earthly flesh</a> and that earthly beings can ascend to Heaven in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afterlife" title="Afterlife" >afterlife</a> or in exceptional cases <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entering_heaven_alive" title="Entering heaven alive" >enter Heaven alive</a>. Heaven is often described as a "higher place", the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacred" title="Sacred" >holiest</a> place, a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradise" title="Paradise" >Paradise</a>, in contrast to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell" title="Hell" >Hell</a> or the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underworld" title="Underworld" >Underworld</a> or the "low places", and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_reconciliation" title="Universal reconciliation" >universally</a> or conditionally accessible by earthly beings according to various standards of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divinity" title="Divinity" >divinity</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_and_evil" title="Good and evil" >goodness</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piety" title="Piety" >piety</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faith" title="Faith" >faith</a>, or other <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtue" title="Virtue" >virtues</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthodoxy" title="Orthodoxy" >right beliefs</a>or simply the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_of_God" title="Will of God" >Will of God</a>. Some believe in the possibility of a Heaven on Earth in a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_to_Come" title="World to Come" >World to Come</a> or of a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Tree" title="World Tree" class="mw-redirect" >World Tree</a> which connects the heavens, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_(theology)" title="World (theology)" >world</a>, and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underworld" title="Underworld" >underworld</a>. Another belief is in an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axis_mundi" title="Axis mundi" >Axis mundi</a> which connects heaven and earth.

Heaven

Attachments