The concept of “heaven” makes its debut in the Bible right at the start, in Genesis 1:1, where it says, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” In the original Hebrew, the word “shamayim,” which translates to “heavens” and refers to the vast expanse above—think mountains, skies, stars, and the whole cosmic setup God crafted alongside the earth. For many it’s less about the spiritual paradise we often picture today and more about the physical realm above us. By Genesis 1:8, God names this expanse “Heaven,” distinguishing it from the waters below, keeping it in a creation-focused context. Over time, the idea of heaven evolves in scripture—later verses, like Deuteronomy 26:15, hint at it as God’s holy dwelling place, setting the stage for the richer theological meaning it takes on in prophetic books and the New Testament. So, while heaven first appears in Genesis 1:1 as part of the grand creation story, its role as a divine or eternal destination unfolds gradually through the Bible’s narrative.

Unlocking Heaven’s Layers

The concept of the afterlife—where we go after we leave our physical bodies—has always fascinated me. Growing up, I often heard that once someone passed away, their soul would be judged, determining whether they would go to heaven or hell. But what about figures like Enoch and Elijah who didn’t necessarily have to die before going to heaven? According to scripture, they were taken to heaven without experiencing death, walking alongside God. Of course, depending on the culture or religion, the story varies.

2 Corinthians 12:2-4 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a man was caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I know how such a man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows— 4 was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.

The word “heaven” appears numerous times in the Old and New Testaments across different Bible translations. In the King James Version, it is mentioned 327 times in the Old Testament and 255 times in the New Testament. In comparison, the New International Version records the word 186 times in the Old Testament and 236 times in the New Testament.

That’s a significant number of references. To me, that speaks volumes about its importance.

But Genesis 1:1 says, for example, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.“

Heavens? That single word changed my perspective. Growing up, I assumed there was only one heaven, but as I started digging deeper, I learned the number reached 10 and in some rare cases, way more than that.

Ancient Mesopotamian texts, including pictographs and cuneiform tablets, describe a belief in seven heavens—each represented by celestial bodies close to Earth: the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, the Sun, Jupiter, and Saturn. According to their mythology, a god either resided on or ruled over each of these planetary heavens. Scholars who have studied these ancient texts believe this was a widely accepted cosmology in that era.

Interestingly, the Bible itself references multiple heavens. Consider this passage:
“God knows—such a man was caught up to the third heaven.” (2 Corinthians 12:2)

From the earliest civilizations to modern times, heaven has remained a powerful and enduring concept. Whether seen as a divine realm, a home for the gods, or a multi-layered celestial structure, one thing is clear: heaven matters—and it’s been part of human belief for thousands of years.

The Book of Enoch is an ancient text that expands on this concept far beyond what most people are familiar with. Unlike the seven heavens mentioned in Mesopotamian texts, Enoch describes ten heavens, each with its distinct purpose and divine presence.

The First Heaven is the lowest level, associated with the earth’s atmosphere. This realm contains clouds, wind, dew, and various meteorological phenomena, reflecting an ancient cosmological view that placed natural elements in a layered structure.

The Highest Heaven, whether 7 or 10, is where God’s throne is located and surrounded by the most exalted angels. In the 10th Heaven, Enoch ultimately sees the divine presence, a theme consistent with Merkabah (chariot) mysticism found in later Jewish mystical traditions.

The Connection Between 10 and X

Now, let’s step back and look at the number 10 itself. Why does this number appear so often in spiritual and mathematical contexts? For one, we have 10 fingers and ten toes, making communication easy during the early stages of civilization.

But 10 is often associated with completion, wholeness, and divine order across various traditions. It symbolizes perfection and structure, as seen in the 10 Commandments, the 10 Sephirot in Kabbalah, and our decimal system, which is built upon powers of 10. This connection highlights the number’s fundamental role in spiritual and practical frameworks. The Roman numeral for 10, X, carries deep esoteric meaning.

The X symbolizes crossing, transformation, and the balance between opposing forces. It also visually represents two intersecting paths, reflecting the divine intersection between heaven and earth. This duality emphasizes merging different realms or states of being, reinforcing the mystical significance of the number 10.

The X has been a powerful symbol in sacred and mystical traditions, depicted as two crossed sticks. It appears in Egyptian hieroglyphs, represents the crossroads in voodoo traditions, and continues to hold meaning in modern contexts, such as the concept of the “X-factor”—an indescribable quality that conveys something extraordinary. X remains a marker of transformation, power, and enlightenment in ancient spiritual teachings or contemporary symbolism.

The concept of ten heavens in the Book of Enoch and the symbolic significance of the number ten may reflect a more profound, universal principle embedded within various religious, philosophical, and esoteric traditions. The connection between the number ten and the letter X may not be merely coincidental but rather indicative of a recurring pattern within the structure of reality. Across cultures, the number ten has been associated with completion, divine order, and human perfection—seen in the ten fingers and ten toes, which have historically served as a basis for determining an individual’s suitability for leadership and responsibility. This association suggests that the number ten functions as a fundamental metric for evaluating capability, particularly in the context of governance and authority. Whether viewed as a mathematical construct, a sacred numeral, or a marker of divine selection, the recurrence of ten in theological and mystical frameworks implies a significance that transcends cultural boundaries.

Until Next time, Knowledge is Power