Heaven

Heaven, in many religions and cultures, the abode of God, gods or spirits, and the righteous after death. In the Old Testament God, who dwells in heaven, also transcends it. Not until late Judaism was heaven generally regarded as the abode of the righteous. In Christian thought heaven is the eternal home of true believers or the state of living in full union with Christ, which the perfected soul enters after death. In Islam heaven is viewed as a garden where faithful Muslims may see the face of God. In the Eastern religions of Buddhism and Hinduism heaven consists of many levels that must be achieved over many lifetimes until a soul attains the eternal state of nirvana.