Chronological timeline of texts tagged with Multiple Heavens
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Ancient writings from various cultures and traditions, including the Bible and derivative works, often describe multiple levels of heaven, each representing different realms of existence, spiritual attainment, or cosmic order. These layered heavens, sometimes numbered as three, seven, or more, are depicted as ascending planes, with lower levels being closer to the earthly realm and higher levels representing divine or ultimate enlightenment. Such beliefs reflect diverse understandings of the universe, the afterlife, and the relationship between humanity and the divine, offering symbolic insights into spiritual progress and cosmic hierarchy.
Note: Dates shown in this timeline are approximate and based on scholarly estimates.
Back to Tag160–60 BCE
4Q405 23 i 7
Dead Sea Scrolls
6 […] … his whole offering. The gods praise him when they first stand, and all the [spirits of] the firmaments of 7 purity rejoice in his glory. And there is a sound of blessing from all his divisions, telling of the firmaments of his glory, and his gates praise 8 with a voice of rejoicing. At the entrances of the gods of knowledge in the doorways of glory, and at all the goings out of the holy angels to their dominion, 9 the doorways of entrance and the gates of going out proclaim the glory of the King, blessing and praising all the spirits of 10 God when they go out and when they come in through the holy gates. And there is none among them who skips over a statute, and never against the words of 11 the King do they set themselves. They do not run from the way, and they do not linger outside his boundary. They are not too exalted for his missions, 12 and they are not too lowly. For he will show mercy in the dominion of the fury of his destroying [wrath]; he will not judge while his glorious anger abides.
195–180 BCE
Sirach 16:18
Deuterocanon
13 The sinner will not escape with plunder. The perseverance of the godly will not be frustrated. 14 He will make room for every work of mercy. Each man will receive according to his works. 17 Don’t say, “I will be hidden from the Lord,” and “Who will remember me from on high?” I will not be known among so many people, for what is my soul in a boundless creation? 18 Behold, heaven, the heaven of heavens, the deep, and the earth, will be moved when he visits. 19 The mountains and the foundations of the earth together are shaken with trembling when he looks at them. 20 No heart will think about these things. Who could comprehend his ways? 21 Like a tempest which no man can see, so, the majority of his works are hidden. 22 Who will declare his works of righteousness? Who will wait for them? For his covenant is afar off.
300 BCE – 100 CE
1 Enoch 14:15
Pseudepigrapha
12 A flaming fire surrounded the walls, and its doorways blazed with fire. 13 I entered that house, and it was hot as fire and cold as ice. There were no delights of life in it; fear covered me, and trembling seized me. 14 As I shook and trembled, I fell on my face. 15 I saw in a vision, and there was a second house, greater than the first, and the whole doorway stood open before me, and it was built of flames of fire. 16 In every way it so surpassed the other in splendor and magnificence and size that I cannot describe its splendor and its size to you. 17 Its floor was of fire, and above it were lightnings and the path of the stars, and its ceiling also was flaming fire.
200–140 BCE
Apocalypse of Moses 37:4
Pseudepigrapha
1 Now while Seth was saying this to his mother, behold, an angel blew the trumpet, and all the angels stood up (and they were) lying on their faces, and they cried aloud in an awful voice and said: 2 'Blessed (be) the glory of the Lord from the works of His making, for He has pitied Adam the creature of His hands.' 3 But when the angels had said these words, behold, there came one of the seraphim with six wings and snatched up Adam and carried him off to the Acherusian lake, and washed him thrice, in the presence of God. 4 And he stayed there three hours, lying down, and thereafter the Father of all, sitting on his holy throne stretched out his hand, and took Adam and handed him over to the archangel Michael saying: 'Lift him up into Paradise to the third Heaven, and leave him there until that fearful day of my reckoning, which I will make in the world.' 6 Then Michael took Adam and left him where God told him.
100 BCE – 100 CE
Testament of Levi 2:6
Pseudepigrapha
4 And I was grieving for the race of the sons of men, and I prayed to the Lord that I might be saved. 5 Then I fell asleep, and I saw a high mountain, and I was on it. 6 Then the heavens were opened, and an angel of God said to me, “Levi, enter.” And I entered from the first heaven, and I saw there a great sea hanging. 7 And I saw a second heaven, far brighter and more brilliant, for there was boundless light there as well. 8 And I said to the angel, “Why is this so?” And the angel said to me, “Don’t be amazed by this, for you will see another heaven more brilliant and incomparable.” 9 And when you have ascended there, you will stand near the Lord, and will be His minister, and will declare His mysteries to men, and will proclaim about Him who will redeem Israel. 10 And by you and Judah the Lord will appear among men, saving every race of men.
1–100 CE
2 Enoch 8:1
Pseudepigrapha
1 And those men took me from there, and led me up onto the third heaven, and placed me there; and I looked down, and saw the produce of these places, whose goodness was beyond anything ever known. 2 And I saw all the sweet-flowering trees and saw their fruits, which were sweet-smelling, and all the food they produced bubbling and giving off a sweet fragrance. 3 And among the trees was the tree of life, in that place on which the Lord rests, when he goes up into paradise; and this tree is so good and fragrant that words cannot describe it, and adorned more than every existing thing; 4 and on all sides its form is gold-looking and vermilion and fire-like and covers all, and it has produce from all fruits. Its root is in the garden at the earth's end. 5 And paradise is between what can decay and what cannot decay. And two springs come out which send out honey and milk, and their springs send out oil and wine, and they separate into four parts, and go around with a quiet course,
1–100 CE
2 Enoch 20:3
Pseudepigrapha
3 'Have courage, Enoch, do not fear,' and showed me the Lord from a distance, sitting on His very high throne. For what is there on the tenth heaven, since the Lord dwells here? God is in the tenth heaven, in the Hebrew language he is called Aravat. And all the heavenly troops would come and stand on the ten steps according to their rank, and would bow down to the Lord, 4 and would again go to their places in joy and happiness, singing songs in the boundless light with small and tender voices, gloriously serving him.
1–200 CE
3 Baruch 7:2
Pseudepigrapha
1 And I said, And where does the sun begin its work, after the rooster crows? 2 And the angel said to me, Listen, Baruch: All things that I showed you are in the first and second heaven, and in the third heaven the sun passes through and gives light to the world. But wait, and you will see the glory of God. 3 And while I was talking with him, I saw the bird, and he appeared in front, and grew little by little and returned to his full size. 4 And behind him I saw the shining sun, and the angels who pull it, and a crown on its head, which was too bright for us to look at or see clearly. 5 And as soon as the sun shone, the Phoenix also stretched out his wings. But when I saw such great glory, I was overwhelmed with fear, and I fled and hid in the wings of the angel. 6 And the angel said to me, Do not be afraid, Baruch, but wait and you will also see them set.
1–200 CE
3 Baruch 11:1
Pseudepigrapha
1 And the angel took me and led me from there to a fifth heaven. 2 And the gate was closed. And I said, Lord, will this gateway not open so that we can enter? And the angel said to me, We cannot enter until Michael comes, who holds the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven; but wait and you will see the glory of God. 3 And there was a great sound, like thunder. And I said, Lord, what is this sound? 4 And he said to me, Michael, the commander of the angels, is now coming down to receive the people's prayers. 5 And a voice called out, Let the gates be opened. And they opened them, and there was a roar like thunder. 6 And Michael came, and the angel who was with me went to meet him and bowed to him and said, Greetings, my commander and commander of our whole order.
55–57 CE
2 Corinthians 12:2
New Testament
1 It is necessary to go on boasting. Though it is not profitable, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago (whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows) was caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I know that this man (whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows) 4 was caught up into paradise and heard things too sacred to be put into words, things that a person is not permitted to speak. 5 On behalf of such an individual I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except about my weaknesses.
55–57 CE
2 Corinthians 12:4
New Testament
1 It is necessary to go on boasting. Though it is not profitable, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago (whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows) was caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I know that this man (whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows) 4 was caught up into paradise and heard things too sacred to be put into words, things that a person is not permitted to speak. 5 On behalf of such an individual I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except about my weaknesses.
92–96 CE
Revelation 8:1
New Testament
1 Now when the Lamb opened the seventh seal there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. 3 Another angel holding a golden censer came and was stationed at the altar. A large amount of incense was given to him to offer up, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar that is before the throne.
450–550 CE
Chagigah 12b
Rabbinic
Ma’on, habitation, is where there are groups of ministering angels who recite song at night and are silent during the day out of respect for Israel, in order not to compete with their songs, as it is stated: “By day the Lord will command His kindness, and in the night His song is with me” (Psalms 42:9), indicating that the song of the angels is with God only at night.
450–550 CE
Chagigah 14b
Rabbinic
§ The Sages taught: Four entered the orchard [pardes], i.e., dealt with the loftiest secrets of Torah, and they are as follows: Ben Azzai; and ben Zoma; Aḥer, the other, a name for Elisha ben Avuya; and Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Akiva, the senior among them, said to them: When, upon your arrival in the upper worlds, you reach pure marble stones, do not say: Water, water, although they appear to be water, because it is stated: “He who speaks falsehood shall not be established before My eyes” (Psalms 101:7). The Gemara proceeds to relate what happened to each of them: Ben Azzai glimpsed at the Divine Presence and died. And with regard to him the verse states: “Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of His pious ones” (Psalms 116:15). Ben Zoma glimpsed at the Divine Presence and was harmed, i.e., he lost his mind. And with regard to him the verse states: “Have you found honey? Eat as much as is sufficient for you, lest you become full from it and vomit it” (Proverbs 25:16). Aḥer chopped down the shoots of saplings. In other words, he became a heretic. Rabbi Akiva came out safely.
600–900 CE
Pesikta Rabbati 20
Rabbinic
Finally, when angels of destruction, resentful of his presence in heaven, sought to burn Moses with the breath of their mouths, God spread something of His own splendor about Moses and told him to explain to the ministering angels why he was in heaven. His reply was accepted, and the angel of death even taught Moses how to stand between the dead and the living. God then opened the seven firmaments and showed Moses the Sanctuary on high and the four colors He had used for the Tabernacle. He opened the portals of the seven firmaments and appeared over them and over Israel in His full glory. When Israel heard I am the Lord thy God (Exod. 20:2), their souls at once departed from them. But God made descend the dew which will quicken the souls of the righteous at the resurrection, and thus revived the children of Israel.