Short answer: The Bible does not give a number, but it uses the word "heavens" in three ways that Christians have long summarised as three heavens: the sky above us, outer space, and the dwelling place of God. Paul speaks of being caught up to "the third heaven" in 2 Corinthians 12:2. The idea of seven heavens comes from writings outside the Bible, not from Scripture itself.
In This Article
When you read the word "heavens" in your Bible, it is easy to picture only one thing: the place where God lives and believers go when they die. But the Hebrew and Greek words behind our English translations are broader than that. The very first verse of the Bible already uses the plural.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:1 (NIV)
In this article I want to look at what the word covers, why people speak of three heavens, what Paul meant, and where the number seven comes from. I will also answer a few of the questions people attach to this topic, about family and pets in heaven. I want to be careful here, because the Bible is quiet where some popular books are loud.
Is There A Heaven With A Number In The Bible?
The Bible never lists the heavens as first, second and third in a tidy diagram. The numbers are a teaching summary that grew up from how Scripture uses the word. Paul gives us the only number in the New Testament: he says he knew a man who was caught up to "the third heaven."
I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven.
2 Corinthians 12:2 (NIV)
Paul is almost certainly describing himself, and he calls it a place where God is present, which the next verses call paradise. Notice that he does not say how many heavens there are in total. A person can only be "caught up to the third" if there are at least three, but Paul does not give the final count or draw a map.
So the honest answer is that Scripture speaks of the heavens in a way that fits three meanings, and it never spells out a full number. I would hold that loosely and not build a doctrine on a diagram.
What Are The Three Heavens And Where Are They Located?
Here are the three meanings, with the caution that these labels are ours and not the Bible's.
The First Heaven: The Sky
The earliest use of the word describes the atmosphere above us: the place where birds fly, clouds gather and rain falls. Genesis 1 describes God separating the waters and calling the expanse "sky" or "heaven" (Genesis 1:6-8). Older translations such as the King James Version call it the firmament. When Scripture says the birds of the air or the rain of heaven, this is what it means.
The Second Heaven: The Stars And Space
The Bible also uses the word for the realm of the sun, moon and stars. It is the heaven you see on a clear night, and the Scriptures take it as a witness to the Creator.
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Psalm 19:1 (NIV)
This is a sensible reading of how the word is used. Be aware that Paul does not call this the second heaven in 2 Corinthians 12. He says third, and the second is simply a label we supply for the stars and space.
The Third Heaven: The Dwelling Place Of God
The third use is the realm where God is present in a way no other place can match, which Scripture calls His dwelling place. Solomon, at the dedication of the temple, understood that no building could hold Him.
But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you.
1 Kings 8:27 (NIV)
The Lord's Prayer begins with "Our Father in heaven" (Matthew 6:9), pointing to the same reality. This is where Christ ascended and where believers are with Him after death. It is not found by looking up, because it is not a spot in the sky. It is the presence of God, which is both beyond creation and near to us. Where is it located? Scripture does not give coordinates, and I do not think we should invent them.
Related: for how Scripture describes the end of the story, see what the Bible says about hell and sin after salvation.
Is There A Seventh Heaven Or Seven Heavens?
No. Nowhere in the Bible does it say there are seven heavens. The expression "seventh heaven" comes from later Jewish writings, Islamic tradition and Western idioms, not from the canon of Scripture. Some ancient Jewish books outside the Bible describe a layered heaven, with the number varying from writing to writing.
What About The Book Of Enoch?
The books of Enoch are ancient Jewish writings that did not make it into the Bible. One of them, usually called 2 Enoch, describes a journey through several heavens, and the number differs depending on the manuscript. These books are interesting history, and they show how some Jews in the centuries around Christ imagined the cosmos, but evangelical Christians do not treat them as Scripture. If a teaching about seven heavens rests only on Enoch, I would not build my faith on it.
Our rule is simple. If the Bible does not teach it, we can be curious but not dogmatic. The Bible gives us three meanings that fit what it says and a promise that is far more important than a count: God will dwell with His people.
What Is Heaven According To The Bible?
For believers, heaven is first about a Person. It is to be with Christ. Scripture also promises that the final dwelling of God with His people will be on a renewed creation, not simply a spirit realm. John sees this in the last book of the Bible:
I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God
Revelation 21:2 (NIV)
This is the new Jerusalem that God prepares for His people. It appears after the end-time events and the final judgment. It means God coming down to live with us, and everything broken is made new. The promise is not that you will float in the clouds. It is that you will be with God, forever, in a world set right.
He will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Revelation 21:4 (NIV)
Common Questions About Heaven
Who Do You First Meet In Heaven?
The Bible does not say. Paul says to be away from the body is to be at home with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8), so the heart of the matter is Christ Himself, not a line of greeters.
How Long Is An Hour In Heaven?
Scripture says time does not work for God the way it does for us.
With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.
2 Peter 3:8 (NIV)
That verse is about God's patience, not a conversion table. I would not turn it into a formula.
Do Husband And Wife Live Together In Heaven?
Jesus answered a version of this question and said that in the resurrection people neither marry nor are given in marriage (Matthew 22:30). That does not mean we forget the people we love. It means the earthly institution of marriage does not carry on as it is now. Whatever the new creation holds, it will be better, not lonelier.
Is My Dog In Heaven?
The Bible does not directly say, and I will not pretend it does. Scripture does promise a renewed creation, and God cares for animals. You can read more in what the Bible teaches us about dogs. I would trust the Lord's goodness on this one.
Key Bible Verses About The Heavens
- Genesis 1:1: God made the heavens and the earth.
- Psalm 19:1: The visible heavens tell of God's glory.
- Deuteronomy 10:14: Every heaven belongs to the Lord.
- 1 Kings 8:27: Even the highest heaven cannot contain God.
- 2 Corinthians 12:2: Paul's only mention of a numbered heaven.
- Revelation 21:2: The new Jerusalem coming down from God.
- Revelation 21:4: God wipes away every tear.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there 7 heavens or 3?
The Bible speaks of three uses of the word heaven, and Paul mentions a third heaven in 2 Corinthians 12:2. The idea of seven heavens is not found in Scripture. It comes from later Jewish writings and other traditions.
How many heavens are there in the Book of Enoch?
Some books of Enoch describe a journey through several heavens, and the number differs between manuscripts. These writings are not part of the Bible, so Christians do not build doctrine on them.
Is there a 7th heaven in the Bible?
No. The phrase seventh heaven never appears in Scripture. The only numbered heaven is the third heaven Paul mentions, where God is present.
Where are the three heavens located?
The first is the sky above us, the second is outer space, and the third is the presence of God. Scripture gives no coordinates for the third, since God's presence is not a place in the sky.
Do husband and wife live together in heaven?
Jesus said people neither marry nor are given in marriage at the resurrection. The Bible does not say we lose the love we have for those close to us, only that marriage as we know it will not continue.
