SEVEN HEAVENS

I had had exposure to many religions in my first 40 years - Catholic, Mormon, Jehovah Witness, generic non-denominational, charismatic, Seventh Day Adventist, Messianic Jewish, Pentecostal Holiness. Enmeshed within these somewhere was the psychic / occult. WHEN my life was at a very chaotic point, I remember sitting in the back row, last chair of a Messianic Jewish congregation and saying to God, 'You know God, I'm not going to believe anything anymore UNLESS I see it written in the Word.' I was then choosing a 'plumb line' of what I would accept as truth. The 'Word of God' seemed the most logical choice. Never did I think God would answer that prayer, nor take it so literally. At that point of time I received the Holy Spirit and the gift of tongues. I admit I was in great fear of tongues because I 'had heard' that it was 'devil worship'. But having experienced some of the occult things I found nothing of that practice - so I prayed to receive it. Before receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the gift of tongues the Bible was hard to understand. After receiving the Holy Spirit, it became 'unlocked' to me. It was the difference of walking or taking an airplane. I experienced an 'acceleration'. Good thing because my life was falling apart at that point.

A disciple needs a 'teacher'. My teacher, the Holy Spirit, kept bringing me to the Concordance that I could gain a clear understanding. After several years of studying that way I wanted to know a little more about Hebrew and after viewing several sources I chose Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburg (orthodox Jew, non believer) because I myself could see Jesus Christ in much of everything he wrote on the Hebrew letters. He filled in the gaps of my understanding. He also said of 'Kabbalah' (the power of the relationship of the heart) - that it was to be directed only to Torah / Tanakh and not tainted by the world. So when I quote Rabbi Ginsburgh it is for this reason. And I must see Jesus to confirm to myself that He is who is says He is - the way, the truth and the life.

Apostle Paul wrote that he 'knew a man' that was caught up to the 'third' heaven. We always hear the phrase, 'I was in seventh heaven' when this or that happened to me. So in my search for information on the seven heavens, I found first that heaven is a plural word. It is explained that there are 'seven heavens' because of the Hebrew word used in conjunction with the description of heaven:

I will present this as the Rabbi wrote it. My interest is in the names and the representation of the names.

Seven "Heavens" and the "Earth" Beneath Them
Rabbi Yitzach Ginsburgh

The primary structural model of Rabbi Ginsburgh's system of Jewish meditation is based on the Talmudic teaching (Chagigah 12b) that the spiritual universe in which we live comprises seven "heavens" and the "earth" beneath them. In accordance with the Talmud's description of each heaven's function, we may conceive of these seven heavens as levels of Divine consciousness through which we may ascend to consummate knowledge of God and union with Him, as follows:

* Vilon ("the Curtain")--our experience of God's continuous re-creation of all reality.

* Rakia ("the Firmament")--our experience of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet as channels of God's creative energy and the building blocks of reality.

* Shechakim ("the Millstones")--our experience of God calling us by name and giving us a mission to perform on earth.

* Zevul ("the Abode")--our experience of Jerusalem and the Holy Temple as they exist in the spiritual realm, ready to materialize themselves in the physical realm.

* Ma'on ("the Residence")--our experience of the Divine forces that act in nature, enabling us to emulate God in our lives.

* Machon ("the Resting Place")--our experience of God's ineffable Name Havayah, His omnipotence and omnipresence, reflected in every aspect of reality.

* Aravot ("the Heavens")--reaching the ultimate state of true bitul ("selflessness") in the experience of God alone, making us a "Divine chariot," a vehicle of God, to fulfill His desire in creation.

The "earth," situated below the seven heavens and upon which the seven heavens rest, is the foundation of this meditative ladder. The meditation presented in this article, "Living in Divine Space," corresponds to the earth, and is therefore the most basic meditation, intended to infuse us with a consciousness of God in this world as He reveals Himself to us through the means of the six constant commandments of the Torah. We must first master this meditation, becoming adept at "Living in Divine Space" before ascending to higher levels of Divine consciousness. It is the ground, the general orientation of Divine consciousness, from which we can learn to ascend.

William Morford is a Christian writer and this is what he has to say:

Excerpt from the Power New Testament revealing Jewish Roots
by William J. Morford

Heavens is always plural in Hebrew, with seven levels of heaven, noted in Scripture.

The names are: Vilon, Rakia, Shechakim, Zevul, Maon, Machon, and Aravot.

1. Vilon is “That stretches out the heavens as a curtain (Vilon), and spreads them out as a tent to dwell in.” (Isaiah 40:22[85]) Vilon retires in the morning and comes out in the evening, and renews the work of creation daily. Vilon is the entire universe, going beyond what we can see with telescopes. Vilon is the word for curtain used in the Talmud, but a synonym, doq, pronounced like coke, is the word used in Isaiah 40:22

2. Rakia is where “God set them in the firmament (Rakia) of the heavens.” (Gen 1:17[19]) This is a reference to the stars, sun, moon, and planets: outer space where the various heavenly bodies move in their prescribed orbits and /or maintain relationships in constellations, solar systems, galaxies, etc. Rakia is the part of the heavens that can be seen.

3. Shechakim is from “He commanded the skies (shechakim) above and opened the doors of heaven; and He rained down manna upon them to eat.” (Psalm 78:23 [120]) This is where the millstones are located that grind manna for the righteous. His Word is still miraculously feeding us. Shechakim is the atmosphere.

4. Zevul is the location for “I have surely built you a house of habitation (Zevul), a place for you to dwell in forever.: (1Kings 8:13 [32]) This is the location of celestial Jerusalem and the temple with the heavenly altar where Michael offers a sacrifice. How do we know that Zevul is this place? Because, “Look down from heaven and behold the habitation (Zevul) of Your holiness and Your glory.” (Isaiah 63:16 [102])

5. Maon is where “The Lord will command His loving kindness in the daytime and in the night his song shall be with Me.” (Psalm 42:8 [69]) This is where His ministering angels stay, singing in the night. We know that this is heaven because of “Look down from your holy habitation (Maon) from heaven.” (Deuteronomy 26:15 [46])

6. Machon is the location of the storehouses of snow, rain, hail, whirlwinds, storms, etc. “The Lord shall open unto you His good treasure…” Deuteronomy 28:12 [45] We know that this is heaven because “Hear in Heaven, the habitation (Machon) of Your dwelling…” (1Kings 8:39 [58])

7. Aravot is that in which are righteousness, judgment, and charity, the storehouses of life, of peace and of blessing, the spirits of the righteous, with which the Lord will hereafter revive the dead. Those living here include the Ophannim, Seraphim, holy Chayyot, the ministering angels, the Throne of Glory, and the King of the Universe. “Cast up a highway for Him Who rides upon the clouds (Aravot)’ His name is Yah. (Psalm 68:4 [91]) The storehouse of life contains the force of life for all those yet to be born because when God finished creation (Genesis 2:1 [4]) He had made everything that would ever be - including your descendants. The spirits of the righteous are the dead who are sleeping with their fathers.

Notice that the first three represent the universe, the visible night sky and sun, and the atmosphere. These are natural, physical things even when beyond the range of telescopes.

Each of the other four levels is both physical and spiritual. Three levels are translated Habitation, but that is not the clue we need. Three levels are populated: Zevul, with the celestial Jerusalem; Maon, with bands of ministering angels; and Aravot, with various heavenly beings, the Throne, and the spirits of the saints. That is probably the level Paul referred to, the third of the populated levels, in 2 Corinthians 12:2 [61]

Have a blessed day

Shalom!