"What does Jesus mean when he uses that word "heaven"? ___________________ First, there was tremendous respect in the culture that Jesus lived in for the name of God--so much so that many wouldn't even say it. That is true to this day. I occasionally receive e-mails and letters from people who spell the name "G-d." In Jesus's day, one of the ways that people got around actually saying the name of God was to substitute the word "heaven" for the word "God." Jesus often referred to the "kingdom of heaven," and he tells stories about people "sinning against heaven." "Heaven" in these cases is simply another way of saying "God."