Are there different levels of heaven?

[Riman643]

So if I remember correctly there are definitely multiple levels of hell. I was curious if this also meant that there are also different levels of heaven. If so, what does it take to achieve the highest level of heaven? Would this also mean that everyone who goes to purgatory goes to the bottom level of heaven?

 

[dscath]

According to ancient Judaism, yes. Paul speaks of the third heaven in 2 Corinthians 12:2-4

 

[Genesis315]

If by “levels of Heaven” you mean degrees of glory, than yes, there are, proportionate to one’s merits. likewise, there are degrees of torment in Hell, proportionate to one’s demerits.

 

[Genesis315]

According to ancient Judaism, yes. Paul speaks of the third heaven in 2 Corinthians 12:2-4

As the Haydock commentary notes, this is simply the abode of the blessed (what we think of as simply “Heaven”)

St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas are of opinion that this third heaven and paradise are the same place, and designate the abode of the blessed. In order to understand the language of the apostle, we must observe that the Hebrews distinguished three different heavens. The first comprised the air, the clouds, &c. as far as the fixed stars. The second included all the fixed stars; and the third was the abode of Angels, in which God himself discovered his infinite glory, &c.

 

[Dan_Defender]

Even Purgatory should have different levels of punishment/purification. But that is my personal opinion.

 

[Liguori]

I am pretty certain that all who make it to Heaven receive the same level placement. No one can truly merit heaven because God grace is what allows us to make it there. The only action we perform is accepting and abiding in His grace. I have heard it said that there are certain Saints that have primacy over others, in the sense that they posses more grace than others(i.e.The Blessed Virgin). I do not see this affecting the actual reward someone receives because everyone in Heaven will have true joy in the beatific vision. Mormons do support the doctrine that there are three levels of Heaven as in the Kingdom of God.

Hope this helps!

 

[cannotdecide]

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

1. … All of us, however, in varying degrees and in different ways share in the same charity towards God and our neighbours, and we all sing the one hymn of glory to our God. All, indeed, who are of Christ and who have his Spirit form one Church and in Christ cleave together.

 

[cannotdecide]

Here’s a good link:
https://www.stcatherinercc.org/single-post/2017/05/10/Catholic-QA-Degrees-of-Heavenly-bliss

 

[stoplooklisten]

Here’s a good link:
https://www.stcatherinercc.org/single-post/2017/05/10/Catholic-QA-Degrees-of-Heavenly-bliss

That is a good link.

Quoting from content at the link:

In other words, the depth of the love we have at the moment of death is the depth at which we shall be glorified. The level of spiritual maturity we have attained by grace at the moment of death is the level at which we shall be perfected through our life in purgatory, the level at which we shall spend eternity. Our love for God and for those around us will be perfected, but will not be increased.

Consider this analogy. If we fill both a fifty-gallon drum and a thimble with water, one container is just as full as the other. But their capacity is greatly different.

 

[stoplooklisten]

lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven (Mt 6:20)

you will have treasure in heaven (Mt 19:21; Mk 10:21; Lk 18:22)

…Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, the work of each will come to light, for the Day will disclose it. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire [itself] will test the quality of each one’s work. If the work stands that someone built upon the foundation, that person will receive a wage/reward. (1 Corinthians 3:11 ff)

 

[Bluebright]

Yes, Jesus tells us there are many rooms in his Fathers house. But we don’t determine where we go God does, though of course he allows us to assist in our salvation in general. We either meet the requirements to go there (purgation) or spend time in purgatory until we can go there. Incidentally I am pretty sure I heard Fr Ripperger say referring to Thomas Acquinas that there are levels in purgatory too.

 

[o_mlly]

We know there the angels exist in a hierarchy and that humans already have a Queen.

Not to worry, though. All who arrive will be as happy as they can be.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

So if I remember correctly there are definitely multiple levels of hell.

I was not aware that there was an official teaching of the Church that said there were “definitely” “multiple levels of Hell”.

Dante presented Hell as having levels in “The Divine Comedy”, but his book is fiction, not Church teaching in any way.

Medieval theologians presented Hell as having levels, but the Church did not adopt these teachings. Furthermore, many theologians presented the levels of Hell as including Limbo of Infants, which is not an official teaching of the Church, and also presented Purgatory as being a level of Hell, which the Church also does not teach (as those in Purgatory are saved, those in Hell are not).

Some saints saw private revelations of Hell as having levels, but others didn’t see any levels, and also we are not required to believe private revelations.

Is there an official Church source for Hell “definitely” having levels or degrees of punishment?

 

[Limoncello4021]

Dante loved symmetry and was obsessed with numerology, like many of his fellow medievalists. He has 9 levels of hell, 9 areas of purgatory, and 9 levels of heaven in The Divine Comedy. While fiction, he based The Comedy on the thought of some of his favorite theologians, especially Aquinas. Early on, in the lowest area of heaven, a character explains to Dante that even though there are different degrees of beatitude in heaven, it is still just all one heaven and everyone there is filled to their capacity with joy.

 

[Genesis315]

Is there an official Church source for Hell “definitely” having levels or degrees of punishment?

Justice requires punishment commensurate with the sin or sins. In light of this, the Second Council of Lyons and the Council of Florence both declare: “The souls of those who die in mortal sin or with original sin only, however, immediately descend to hell, yet to be punished with different punishments.”

As Ott’s Fundamentals notes, this is traditionally understood to include not only the difference between the punishments between those in original sin only and those with actual sins, but between all in Hell. I’ve never seen anything to the contrary.

In fact, the CCC speaks of us being “rewarded according to our works” and receiving “retribution” in our immortal souls (CCC 1021-1022). Most acts of contrition refer to “just punishments” in Hell. All else being equal, for the punishments to be just retribution, Hell will be worse for someone who has committed 10 murders than for someone who committed one.

The Roman Catechism speaks of our punishments being increased by the effects of our sins on others when speaking of the reasons for the General Judgment:

Those who depart this life sometimes leave behind them children who imitate their conduct, dependents, followers and others who admire and advocate their example, language and actions. Now by all these circumstances the rewards or punishments of the dead must needs be increased, since the good or bad influence of example, affecting as it does the conduct of many, is to terminate only with the end of the world. Justice demands that in order to form a proper estimate of all these good or bad actions and words a thorough investigation should be made. This, however, could not be without a general judgment of all men.

As an aside, Limbo–if defined as the deprivation of the beatific vision due to original sin, but without torments (which are due to actual sin, see Innocent III’s letter in Denzinger 410)–is certainly therefore part of Hell. This is dogmatic since those who die in original sin descend immediately to Hell (see above). Whether unbaptized infants end up in that state or are gratuitously cleansed of original sin by God before death is what is up for debate (I hope and pray they are cleansed and saved!).

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Limbo is not an official teaching of the Church, except perhaps for the “Limbo of the Fathers” where the righteous went before Jesus died and opened the gates of Heaven.

The fact that different sins may have different types of suffering or punishment does not to me indicate that the Church definitely teaches there are “levels” to Hell. I also could not find anything in the current Catechism supporting this.

So, to me, it’s all theological speculation. Also a moot point because all those in Hell are separated from God forever, which is so immensely miserable in and of itself that it’s hard to comprehend any further degrees of misery.

One is, I suppose, free to believe there are “levels of Hell” if one likes, just as one is free to believe in Limbo if one likes, but there’s a big difference between “free to believe if you want” and “definitely”.

 

[Gorgias]

I was not aware that there was an official teaching of the Church that said there were “definitely” “multiple levels of Hell”.

Dante presented Hell as having levels in “The Divine Comedy”, but his book is fiction, not Church teaching in any way.

This!

Somehow, through the years, Dante has taken on the title of “member of Church magisterium”.

 

[stoplooklisten]

Applicable Bible verses include:

Romans 2:6 “who will repay everyone according to his works”

2 Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive recompense, according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil.”

 

[o_mlly]

In teaching about the Law, Matthew tells us that Jesus affirms the Torah of Moses and that “whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven” (5:19). Matthew somewhat paradoxically has Jesus affirm the validity of the Law but relieves those who do break with the Law from banishment in the kingdom of heaven to only the lowest place. Matthew, still very interested in Jewish Law, sees Jesus’ function as the fulfillment, not the abolition of the Law.

Matthew’s teaching contradicts Paul’s. Paul rejects the Torah as a means of justification, “We . . . may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law because by works of the law no one will be justified” (Gal. 2:16). Scholars suggest that some of Paul’s radical followers were pushing Paul’s gospel of freedom from Torah to a virtual antinomianism: “All things are lawful for me” (1 Cor. 6:12). Matthew, exerting a strong influence on the church, acts as a moderating force on this radical element. Matthew answers his opposition by insisting on the validity of the Law, but in a Christian way relegates Paul’s followers, those who are not up to keeping the Law, those who break the Law, to “being called the least in the kingdom” rather than condemning them to suffer eternal damnation (5:19).

 

[stoplooklisten]

In teaching about the Law, Matthew tells us that Jesus affirms the Torah of Moses and that “whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven” (5:19).

That’s a great verse to quote. Thanks.
Some weeks back, I was a Catholic visiting a Protestant forum and Protestants there tried to tell me that the Four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) were actually part of the Old Testament law (and, by implication, no longer valid and binding). It was a curious claim.

Chronologically, the Four Gospels were written later in the first century than the epistles of Paul. So, why would the Holy Spirit inspire their writing if they didn’t matter? Also, how can a people claim to follow “Sola Scriptura” when they reduce the scope of the Bible and imply that much of it doesn’t matter.

Scholars suggest that some of Paul’s radical followers were pushing Paul’s gospel of freedom from Torah to a virtual antinomianism: “All things are lawful for me” (1 Cor. 6:12).

It’s not only some of Paul’s more radical followers. I’ve seen expressions of “virtual antinomianism” very many times although seldom with that label on it. On the recent visits to a Protestant forum, I saw many expressions of it. And, Yes, 1 Cor 6:12 is one of the verses that’s been quoted.

Matthew answers his opposition by insisting on the validity of the Law, but in a Christian way relegates Paul’s followers, those who are not up to keeping the Law, those who break the Law, to “being called the least in the kingdom” rather than condemning them to suffer eternal damnation (5:19).

Good point.