Elijah Went to Heaven in a Chariot of Fire.
“And it came to pass as they still went on, and talked, that behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.” ([2 Kings 2 : 11].)
The writer of Luke, has given us almost a literal copy of this story in telling of Jesus’ ascent to heaven:
“And he led them out as far as Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them; and it came to pass while he blessed them, he was parted from them and carried up into heaven.” ([Luke 24 : 50, 51].)
“So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.” ([Mark 16 : 19].)
To these writers heaven was only a few miles away. They had not the faintest conception of the distance of the nearest fixed star:
“And he (Jacob) dreamed and behold a ladder set up on the earth and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.” ([Gen. 28 : 12].)
The tower of Babel was another method of reaching heaven. The writers of the gospels have no better ideas than the ancient Jews had.
I give below, a few out of many passages which show that the writers of the New Testament regarded heaven as only a few miles away.
“And, lo, the heavens were opened.” ([Mat. 3 : 16].)
“He saw the heavens opened.” ([Mark 1 : 10].)
“There came a voice from heaven saying.” ([Mark 1 : 11].)
“And lo, a voice from heaven saying.” ([Mat. 3 : 17].)
“For the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.” ([Mat. 28 : 2].)
“And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven.” ([Luke 22 : 43].)
“Then came there a voice from heaven saying.” ([John 12 : 28].)
“I heard another voice from heaven saying.” ([John 18 : 4].)
All these and many more passages which might be cited go to show that these writers supposed heaven to be but a short distance away. There was a constant and familiar intercourse between the gods above and men below.
The Christian idea of heaven is but another form of the Greek notion of Mt. Olympus—it is not only borrowed, but vague and mythical in the extreme—it is childish and has much of the flavor of Santa Claus stories.