heaven

In the Gospel According to John 1:32 (RSVCE), the evangelist John reports of Jesus that “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from heaven and remain upon him.” In this context, the word heaven has multiple meanings, and based on common English usage in a religious context, it’s easy to miss the primary one.

The Greek word used here for heaven is οὐρανός (ouranos), and it literally means “the sky,” which is how heaven in this passage is translated in the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE). In this passage, we see a dove coming from the sky, which has happened previously in the Bible in the eighth chapter of the book of Genesis. Consider whether this association might change the way that you think and pray about this passage.

related topic: kingdom of heaven

you also may like our study of the book of Revelation
The Revelation of Jesus Christ: The Faithful Witness, a 23-lesson Catholic Bible study with an imprimatur, examines ways in which our traditional Christian view of heaven is built on Hebrew apocalyptic visions recorded in the Old Testament. This recently revised study includes maps and additional commentary and takes a close look at the role of the prophets in present-day Christianity. Illustrations by Tami Palladino depict the often-misunderstood images in the book of Revelation. Click on the book’s cover to view a sample lesson.

Click on the picture of the statue of Moses with horns (above) to learn more about Lost in Translation. A new entry is archived each Monday. Contact us to receive Lost in Translation by email every week. You may use any of the contact links on our website to ask Matthew a question.