The Afterlife and Heaven - Term Paper Example

This essay considers the nature of heaven and the afterlife from the Catholic and the Jewish perspectives. The Catholic perception of heaven is well conceived and highly articulate. The Catholic version and understanding of heaven comes largely from the New Testament of the Bible, however it is referenced in the Old Testament. While there is no clearly defined version of heave, as the apostle writers of the Gospels all conceived it from slightly different perspectives, its clear that there are a number of unifying features.

Physically heaven is said to the area that exists above the clouds in the blue firmament. As early as Genesis the Bible makes reference to this aspect of Heaven. Genesis indicates that the bird fly under the, “firmament of heaven” (Genesis, 1:20). In other books of the Bible there are slightly different connotations. For instance, in other areas of the Bible heaven is indicated to be the area of the sky where the stars reside. One notes in these definition the ancient understanding of the physical world, as the indications of heaven within these regions are now well explored and realized areas of the contemporary world.

Still, one can begin to understand that the Catholic perspective of heaven presents it as a lofty and high region that is forever out of the reach and realization of earthly mortals. The interior envisionment of heaven has a number of characterizations as well. Within the Catholic religion one of the most pervasive elements of the interior aspects of heaven are that it is replete with angels. Another traditional articulation of heaven, including its containment of angels is that it houses the souls of just individuals.

Indeed, this aspect of salvation is one of the cornerstone aspects of not merely the Catholic religion, but the Christian faith. In these regards, its historically been a much debated aspect within