Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
unnecessary title potholing
Changed line(s) 48 (click to see context) from:
* ''[[Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice Batman V. Superman]]'' uses Superman's {{Flight}} to make his role as a MessianicArchetype obvious, leading to scenes where Superman is floating above a flood victim [[LightIsGood covered in sunlight]] while the two stretch their arms out to each other like they're in the Art/SistineChapel. And if that wasn't explicit enough, Lex Luthor goes on a rant about how Superman reminds him of {{God}}, describing them both as "a man in the sky" while questioning why either allows evil in the world.
to:
* ''[[Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice Batman V. Superman]]'' ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'' uses Superman's {{Flight}} to make his role as a MessianicArchetype obvious, leading to scenes where Superman is floating above a flood victim [[LightIsGood covered in sunlight]] while the two stretch their arms out to each other like they're in the Art/SistineChapel. And if that wasn't explicit enough, Lex Luthor goes on a rant about how Superman reminds him of {{God}}, describing them both as "a man in the sky" while questioning why either allows evil in the world.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
the bridge arcs down on the other end. the land of the death is level with our world
Deleted line(s) 41 (click to see context) :
* The bridge that leads to the afterlife of ''WesternAnimation/{{Coco}}'' can be easily recognized as such because the bridge arcs up into the misty sky, indicating it goes beyond our mortal Earth.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
added examples, tried to remove some personal interpretation
Changed line(s) 110,111 (click to see context) from:
** Even though God preceded and created the sky in the Literature/BookOfGenesis, Nimrod and the rest of humanity still believe they can reach God just by building a really, really, really big tower. For their arrogance, God creates the original CurseOfBabel to keep humanity from organizing and attempting the impossible task of invading Heaven. This example makes the trope OlderThanFeudalism, if not OlderThanDirt.
** God is frequently described in the Old Testament as emerging from storms, whirlwinds, or other heavenly disasters to demonstrate his power, most famously at the end of the Literature/BookOfJob. There, God's appearance as a massive storm uses the violence of the sky to demonstrate his [[TheOmnipotent power]] and [[YouCannotGraspTheTrueForm expansive nature]].
** God is frequently described in the Old Testament as emerging from storms, whirlwinds, or other heavenly disasters to demonstrate his power, most famously at the end of the Literature/BookOfJob. There, God's appearance as a massive storm uses the violence of the sky to demonstrate his [[TheOmnipotent power]] and [[YouCannotGraspTheTrueForm expansive nature]].
to:
** Even though God preceded and created In the sky Bible, in the Literature/BookOfGenesis, Nimrod and the rest of humanity still believe they can reach God just by building a really, really, really big tower. For their arrogance, God creates had to go down to look at what the original CurseOfBabel to keep humanity from organizing and attempting the impossible task of invading Heaven. This example makes the trope OlderThanFeudalism, if not OlderThanDirt.
humans did, which implies that he does reside somewhere above.
** God is frequently described in the Old Testament as emerging from (or as) storms, whirlwinds, or other heavenlydisasters to demonstrate his power, disasters, most famously at the end of the Literature/BookOfJob. There, God's appearance as a massive storm uses the violence of the sky to demonstrate his [[TheOmnipotent power]] and [[YouCannotGraspTheTrueForm expansive nature]]. Some scholars think the modern YHWH/God used to be a wind or air god, back when monotheism wasn't a thing, or at least that such a god is part of the character's history.
** God is frequently described in the Old Testament as emerging from (or as) storms, whirlwinds, or other heavenly
Added DiffLines:
*** He is not the only one, Elijah also ascends to the skies, albeit in a fiery carriage lifted by a whirlwind. Could be how ancient superstitious people interpreted a violent tornado, maybe in the middle of a storm.
Added DiffLines:
** Several prophets, most notably Moses, climbed mountains - the only way to get 'close' to the sky before airplanes - to speak (more clearly) with God.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 95 (click to see context) from:
* In ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'', the Bajoran religion states that their gods, the Prophets, live in the Celestial Temple above the skies of Bajor. In the pilot episode "[[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS01E01E02Emissary Emissary]]," the Temple turns out to be a wormhole that terminates in the Bajoran solar system that SufficientlyAdvancedAliens traveled through.
to:
* In ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'', the Bajoran religion states that their gods, the Prophets, live in the Celestial Temple above the skies of Bajor. In the pilot episode "[[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS01E01E02Emissary Emissary]]," the Temple turns out to be a wormhole that terminates in the Bajoran solar system that SufficientlyAdvancedAliens traveled through.inhabited by SufficientlyAdvancedAliens.
Added DiffLines:
[[folder:Music]]
* Music/BrianMcNeill's song [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyvNsm_tLjA "Muir and the Master Builder"]] claims that "God lives above the redwoods" that inspired song subject UsefulNotes/JohnMuir to become one of the world's first effective conservationists.
-->''God lives above the redwoods, so men say\\
Looking down, straight and true, at the best of all his treasures\\
And if a man should stand among them to pray\\
It's against them the Lord will take his measure''
[[/folder]]
* Music/BrianMcNeill's song [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyvNsm_tLjA "Muir and the Master Builder"]] claims that "God lives above the redwoods" that inspired song subject UsefulNotes/JohnMuir to become one of the world's first effective conservationists.
-->''God lives above the redwoods, so men say\\
Looking down, straight and true, at the best of all his treasures\\
And if a man should stand among them to pray\\
It's against them the Lord will take his measure''
[[/folder]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 150,151 (click to see context) from:
* In ''Podcast/PlumbingTheDeathStar''s Let's Play of ''VideoGame/UltimateChickenHorse'', Duscher abuses the ability to have his character looks upwards to make his cute chicken man look to the sky as if he were pleading to God while talking about how he wants to be spared from a violent death.
to:
* In ''Podcast/PlumbingTheDeathStar''s ''Podcast/PlumbingTheDeathStar'''s Let's Play of ''VideoGame/UltimateChickenHorse'', Duscher abuses the ability to have his character looks upwards to make his cute chicken man look to the sky as if he were pleading to God while talking about how he wants to be spared from a violent death.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 116 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:Tabletop Game]]
to:
[[folder:Tabletop Game]]Games]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 66 (click to see context) from:
to:
* In ''Film/TheTrumanShow'', the massive control room where Christoff manages the entire world Truman knows is located in the sky, covered by a fake sun during the day and a fake moon during the night. This is one of many elements that makes it clear Christoff is [[AGodAmI usurping God's role]] in controlling so much of Truman's reality and in case the association is too subtle, [[spoiler:the movie ends with Truman talking to Christoff, "the creator," by looking straight into the sunny sky.]]
Changed line(s) 147 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:Web Video]]
to:
[[folder:Web Video]]Original]]
Added DiffLines:
* In ''Podcast/PlumbingTheDeathStar''s Let's Play of ''VideoGame/UltimateChickenHorse'', Duscher abuses the ability to have his character looks upwards to make his cute chicken man look to the sky as if he were pleading to God while talking about how he wants to be spared from a violent death.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 107 (click to see context) from:
%%Egypt? Mesopotamia?
to:
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* Not three minutes into ''Series/TheGoodPlace'', recently deceased Eleanor distinguishes between Heaven and Hell by pointing upwards to indicate Heaven and downwards to indicate Hell.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 30 (click to see context) from:
* Raphael's ''Art/TheSchoolOfAthens'' has Plato [[DeclarativeFinger pointing his finger skyward]], which visualizes his philosophical focus on identifying [[{{God}} the Metaphysical Form of the Good]] which produces goodness like the sun produces light.
to:
* Raphael's ''Art/TheSchoolOfAthens'' [[Creator/RaphaelSanzio Raphael]]'s ''The School of Athens'' has Plato [[DeclarativeFinger pointing his finger skyward]], which visualizes his philosophical focus on identifying [[{{God}} the Metaphysical Form of the Good]] which produces goodness like the sun produces light.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* ''Film/TheGrey'' ends with Creator/LiamNeeson's character yelling into the sky to ask God for help. With no sign of response, Neeson's characters curses under his breath and goes into the final fray with the wolves alone.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 146 (click to see context) from:
* In WebVideo/MonsterFactory ''Spore'' playthrough, they create a horrible abomination and give it eyes facing straight up, to better angrily glare at God for creating him so horribly.
to:
* In WebVideo/MonsterFactory WebVideo/MonsterFactory's ''Spore'' playthrough, they create a horrible abomination and give it eyes facing straight up, to better angrily glare at God for creating him so horribly.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
[[folder:Web Video]]
* In WebVideo/MonsterFactory ''Spore'' playthrough, they create a horrible abomination and give it eyes facing straight up, to better angrily glare at God for creating him so horribly.
[[/folder]]
* In WebVideo/MonsterFactory ''Spore'' playthrough, they create a horrible abomination and give it eyes facing straight up, to better angrily glare at God for creating him so horribly.
[[/folder]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 101,103 (click to see context) from:
** Literature/TheFourGospels
*** Some confusion has arisen due to UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} calling the afterlife the Kingdom ''of'' Heaven, which is therefore assumed by many to mean the good afterlife is in the sky. What the Bible actually says, however, is that the afterlife will be immaterial until the Kingdom is established on Earth-a second Paradise, more or less-after the end times and the Resurrection of the Dead.
*** When Jesus returns to the spiritual realm of the Father, how do the Gospel writers describe it? Oh yeah, he was taken ''up'' and he ''ascended''. So, unless he's actually supposed to be flying around in the clouds waiting to come down and burn the sinners, the reader is supposed to associate going up with entering the realm of God.
*** Some confusion has arisen due to UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} calling the afterlife the Kingdom ''of'' Heaven, which is therefore assumed by many to mean the good afterlife is in the sky. What the Bible actually says, however, is that the afterlife will be immaterial until the Kingdom is established on Earth-a second Paradise, more or less-after the end times and the Resurrection of the Dead.
*** When Jesus returns to the spiritual realm of the Father, how do the Gospel writers describe it? Oh yeah, he was taken ''up'' and he ''ascended''. So, unless he's actually supposed to be flying around in the clouds waiting to come down and burn the sinners, the reader is supposed to associate going up with entering the realm of God.
to:
** Literature/TheFourGospels
*** Some confusion has arisen due to UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} calling the afterlife the Kingdom ''of'' Heaven, which is therefore assumed by many to mean the good afterlife is in the sky. What the Bible actually says, however, is that the afterlife will be immaterial until the Kingdom is established on Earth-a second Paradise, more or less-after the end times and the Resurrection of the Dead.
***When Jesus returns to the spiritual realm of the Father, how do the Gospel writers Literature/TheFourGospels describe it? Oh yeah, he was taken ''up'' and he ''ascended''. So, unless he's actually supposed to be flying around in the clouds waiting to come down and burn the sinners, the reader is supposed to associate going up with entering the realm of God.
*** Some confusion has arisen due to UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} calling the afterlife the Kingdom ''of'' Heaven, which is therefore assumed by many to mean the good afterlife is in the sky. What the Bible actually says, however, is that the afterlife will be immaterial until the Kingdom is established on Earth-a second Paradise, more or less-after the end times and the Resurrection of the Dead.
***
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 5,6 (click to see context) from:
-->--'''Professor Lucifer''', ''[[Creator/GKChesterton The Ball and the Cross]]''
to:
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* There isn't much of a heaven inside the computer world of ''Film/{{Tron}}'', but still, whenever Tron and other programs think about or make a sign to the Users who created and act as their god-equivalents, they look up to the sky and maybe even hold up their identity discs as a sign of trust.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
[[folder:Tabletop Game]]
* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40K'':
** The natives of Fenris believe that the Sky Warriors will come down to young warriors on the brink of death and bring them back to their heavenly domains to feast and fight for all eternity. In fact, the SpaceWolves monitor the constant battles waged by the natives and use them to select candidates for SpaceMarine training and transformation.
** Similar beliefs are held by backwater planets who witnessed the SpaceMarines (also known as the GodEmperor's Angels of Death) descending to save the planet. Local authority rarely sees any need to disabuse them of the notion (and depending on the level of isolation, it's possible only the government is aware that there is an Imperium to belong to).
[[/folder]]
* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40K'':
** The natives of Fenris believe that the Sky Warriors will come down to young warriors on the brink of death and bring them back to their heavenly domains to feast and fight for all eternity. In fact, the SpaceWolves monitor the constant battles waged by the natives and use them to select candidates for SpaceMarine training and transformation.
** Similar beliefs are held by backwater planets who witnessed the SpaceMarines (also known as the GodEmperor's Angels of Death) descending to save the planet. Local authority rarely sees any need to disabuse them of the notion (and depending on the level of isolation, it's possible only the government is aware that there is an Imperium to belong to).
[[/folder]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 59 (click to see context) from:
** ''Film/ThorRagnarok'' introduces another wormhole that can lead to Asgard, the Devil's Anus, but of course, this entrance to the god's realm is located in the sky, forcing anyone who wants to visit the gods to literally ascend far above the realm of mortals.
to:
** ''Film/ThorRagnarok'' introduces another wormhole that can lead to Asgard, the Devil's Anus, but of Anus. Of course, this entrance to the god's gods' realm is located in the sky, forcing anyone who wants to visit the gods to literally ascend far above from the realm of mortals.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 96,97 (click to see context) from:
* Literature/TheBible:
** In at least the Greek, Latin, French, Spanish, Italian, German, and English editions of the Bible, the word for sky[[note]]respectively, ouranos, caelum, ciel, cielo, cielo, himmel, and heaven[[/note]] is also used as the word for the Kingdom of God.
** In at least the Greek, Latin, French, Spanish, Italian, German, and English editions of the Bible, the word for sky[[note]]respectively, ouranos, caelum, ciel, cielo, cielo, himmel, and heaven[[/note]] is also used as the word for the Kingdom of God.
to:
* Literature/TheBible:
**In at least the Greek, Latin, French, Spanish, Italian, German, and English editions of the Bible, Literature/TheBible, the word for sky[[note]]respectively, ouranos, caelum, ciel, cielo, cielo, himmel, and heaven[[/note]] is also used as the word for the Kingdom of God.
**
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 97 (click to see context) from:
** In Greek, Latin, French, German, and English editions of the Bible, the word for sky is also used as the word for the Kingdom of God[[note]]ouranos, caelum, ciel, himmel, heaven[[/note]].
to:
** In at least the Greek, Latin, French, Spanish, Italian, German, and English editions of the Bible, the word for sky sky[[note]]respectively, ouranos, caelum, ciel, cielo, cielo, himmel, and heaven[[/note]] is also used as the word for the Kingdom of God[[note]]ouranos, caelum, ciel, himmel, heaven[[/note]].God.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
* One of the few acts of DivineIntervention in ''Series/FridayThe13thTheSeries'' appears in the form of a series of divine lights flashing across the sky, with the heavenly changes contrasting with the grounded work of the show's {{Fallen Angel}}s. [[spoiler:This upstairs action even kills the demonic Astaroth.]]
Deleted line(s) 89 (click to see context) :
* One of the few acts of DivineIntervention in ''Series/FridayThe13thTheSeries'' appears in the form of a series of divine lights flashing across the sky, with the heavenly changes contrasting with the grounded work of the show's {{Fallen Angel}}s. [[spoiler:This upstairs action even kills the demonic Astaroth.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 89 (click to see context) from:
* One of the few acts of DivineIntervention in ''Series/FridayTheThirteenthTheSeries'' appears in the form of a series of divine lights flashing across the sky, with the heavenly changes contrasting with the grounded work of the show's {{Fallen Angel}}s. [[spoiler:This upstairs action even kills the demonic Astaroth.]]
to:
* One of the few acts of DivineIntervention in ''Series/FridayTheThirteenthTheSeries'' ''Series/FridayThe13thTheSeries'' appears in the form of a series of divine lights flashing across the sky, with the heavenly changes contrasting with the grounded work of the show's {{Fallen Angel}}s. [[spoiler:This upstairs action even kills the demonic Astaroth.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* One of the few acts of DivineIntervention in ''Series/FridayTheThirteenthTheSeries'' appears in the form of a series of divine lights flashing across the sky, with the heavenly changes contrasting with the grounded work of the show's {{Fallen Angel}}s. [[spoiler:This upstairs action even kills the demonic Astaroth.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 13,14 (click to see context) from:
Related to LightIsGood, since the sky and the light-bearing suns often go hand-in-hand when depicting God. This trope's relationship with the sun can often lend it to be used similarly to RaysFromHeaven, CueTheSun, and WatchingTheSunset. This trope will often be used to show a RageAgainstTheHeaven by having a character rant at the clouds as if God was hiding behind them.
to:
Related to LightIsGood, since the sky and the light-bearing suns often go hand-in-hand when depicting God. This trope's relationship with the sun can often lend it to be used similarly to RaysFromHeaven, CueTheSun, and WatchingTheSunset. This trope will often be used to show a RageAgainstTheHeaven RageAgainstTheHeavens by having a character rant at the clouds as if God was hiding behind them.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 25 (click to see context) from:
* The doorway to God/The Truth in ''Manga/FullMetalAlchemist'' apparently lies above the Earth, right in front of either the Moon or the Sun. [[folder:It's hard to say which, since the door is opened during an eclipse which allows the villain to obtain the power of God.]]
to:
* The doorway to God/The Truth in ''Manga/FullMetalAlchemist'' apparently lies above the Earth, right in front of either the Moon or the Sun. [[folder:It's [[spoiler:It's hard to say which, since the door is opened during an eclipse which allows the villain to obtain the power of God.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
* The doorway to God/The Truth in ''Manga/FullMetalAlchemist'' apparently lies above the Earth, right in front of either the Moon or the Sun. [[folder:It's hard to say which, since the door is opened during an eclipse which allows the villain to obtain the power of God.]]
Changed line(s) 140 (click to see context) from:
%%Over the Garden Wall, Justice League,
to:
%%Over the Garden Wall, Justice League,Wall
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
there are no "the"s before the names
Changed line(s) 76 (click to see context) from:
* In ''Literature/WarriorCats'', the cats' afterlife is the [=StarClan=], which is said to be located within the collection of stars above, locally known as the Silverpelt (we'd call it the Milky Way).
to:
* In ''Literature/WarriorCats'', the cats' afterlife is the [=StarClan=], which is said to be located within the collection of stars above, locally known as the Silverpelt (we'd call it the Milky Way).
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 141 (click to see context) from:
* The ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' episode "The Terror Beyond" has Hawkgirl, an alien from a planet that only ever worshipped {{Eldritch Abomination}}s, scares away Hades' minions, beings who work know for a polytheistic god, by pointing up to the sky to claim she works for capital-g {{God}}. Looks like the "sky=God" trope is literally universal.
to:
* The ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' episode "The Terror Beyond" has Hawkgirl, an alien from a planet that only ever worshipped {{Eldritch Abomination}}s, scares away Hades' minions, beings who work know for a polytheistic god, by pointing up to the sky to claim she works for capital-g {{God}}. Looks like the "sky=God" trope is literally universal.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 141 (click to see context) from:
* The ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' episode "The Terror Beyond" has Hawkgirl, an alien from a planet that only ever worshipped {{Eldritch Abomination}}s, scares away Hades' minions, beings who work know for a polytheistic god, by pointing up to the sky to she works for capital-g {{God}}. Looks like the "sky=God" trope is literally universal.
to:
* The ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' episode "The Terror Beyond" has Hawkgirl, an alien from a planet that only ever worshipped {{Eldritch Abomination}}s, scares away Hades' minions, beings who work know for a polytheistic god, by pointing up to the sky to claim she works for capital-g {{God}}. Looks like the "sky=God" trope is literally universal.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Created from YKTTW
Added DiffLines:
[[quoteright:350:[[Literature/TheFourGospels http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gods_up_there_sir.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:C'mon, Satan, God's this way.]]
->''"In your religion and all the religions, as far as I know (and I know everything), the sky is made the symbol of everything that is sacred and merciful."''
-->--'''Professor Lucifer''', ''[[Creator/GKChesterton The Ball and the Cross]]''
The sky is equated with things pertaining to the divine.
Whether it be [[{{God}} the Lord]], [[StockGods the gods]], fate, or the afterlife, nearly any supernatural concept can be brought to mind by mentioning "the heavens," holding one's hands together and looking upwards, or showing clouds flying across a starry sky.
There isn't one single origin of this trope, since the sky's association with the unknowable or transcendent comes from humanity's natural awe of the stars and ignorance of what they truly are. So if you want to indicate something beautiful, distant, and far greater than man, the sky is nigh-universally the best symbol to use.
Related to LightIsGood, since the sky and the light-bearing suns often go hand-in-hand when depicting God. This trope's relationship with the sun can often lend it to be used similarly to RaysFromHeaven, CueTheSun, and WatchingTheSunset. This trope will often be used to show a RageAgainstTheHeaven by having a character rant at the clouds as if God was hiding behind them.
This trope is why the name for an afterlife of eternal joy is called {{Heaven}} (hence the redundant article name) and Heaven's most popular sub-trope is FluffyCloudHeaven, where Heaven looks just like the heavens. Other sub-tropes include DivineBirds, StarsAreSouls, and other tropes connecting the skyward with the sacred.
This association is also why WingedSoulFliesOffAtDeath, why people only AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence, and why those mad at their fate will generally give a SkywardScream rather than a Horizon-Oriented Yelp.
----
!!Examples:
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
*The realm of the death gods from ''Manga/DeathNote'' is separated from the human world by a hole, which they can jump into to "drop" into our world. From our perspective, it looks like these monsters materialize in the middle of the sky and fall down. Like angels, these death gods come with wings which both make descent easier and also hint that they come from above.
* In ''Franchise/DragonBall'', Kami's Lookout ("Kami" meaning god) is located in the upper levels of Earth's atmosphere. The Guardian of the Earth can look down and monitor the state of the Earth below checking for trouble. In times of peril it can also be used as a refuge for the major characters.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Art]]
* The bizarre ''Art/TheApotheosisOfWashington'' presents [[UsefulNotes/GeorgeWashington the first President]] and [[Art/StatueOfLiberty Lady Liberty]] as gods looming above the residents of the U.S. Capitol building. I don't mean that there's an image of the Capitol building in the painting, no, it sits on the ceiling of the real-life Capitol Building to remind senators that George is watching--from beyond.
* Raphael's ''Art/TheSchoolOfAthens'' has Plato [[DeclarativeFinger pointing his finger skyward]], which visualizes his philosophical focus on identifying [[{{God}} the Metaphysical Form of the Good]] which produces goodness like the sun produces light.
* How does the Art/SistineChapel's altar painting show saints entering into God's love? Well, by being pulled into the sky, where God's throne awaits them.
%%Angels. The Sagrada Familia.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Comic Books]]
* In ''ComicBook/AllStarSuperman'', Pa Kent's description of how he prayed to {{God}} for a son is put against a page-wide panel dominated by the starry night sky.
* Volume Four of ''ComicBook/TheSandman'' includes a description of [[{{Heaven}} God's realm]] as a Silver City "above" the universe proper, which angels can only leave by "falling toward the world." The odd thing about this is that the Silver City isn't just "above" the Earth, but it is also above the psychic realities that makes up the Kingdom of Dreams, Asgard, Hell, and other places that can't properly be said to be "above" or "below" anything else.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Film--Animated]]
* The bridge that leads to the afterlife of ''WesternAnimation/{{Coco}}'' can be easily recognized as such because the bridge arcs up into the misty sky, indicating it goes beyond our mortal Earth.
* ''WesternAnimation/KuboAndTheTwoStrings'' portrays the gods as [[JerkassGods distant, uncaring tyrants with no concept of human life]]. Naturally, they live in unchanging, transcendent sky like many portrayal of gods, but significantly considering their sinister nature, they are only described as coming from the [[DarkIsEvil night sky]].
* The magical fairy who blesses ''Disney/{{Pinocchio}}'' with life lives within the wishing star. The Blue Fairy descends from her home in the sky only when Gepetto prays up to the sky in his petition to be blessed with a son.
* The song "Through Heaven's Eye" from ''WesternAnimation/ThePrinceOfEgypt'' has a wise old man motion upwards to the clear, night sky when advising Moses to look at life as God would see it.
%%Hunchback. Hercules
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Film--Live-Action]]
* ''[[Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice Batman V. Superman]]'' uses Superman's {{Flight}} to make his role as a MessianicArchetype obvious, leading to scenes where Superman is floating above a flood victim [[LightIsGood covered in sunlight]] while the two stretch their arms out to each other like they're in the Art/SistineChapel. And if that wasn't explicit enough, Lex Luthor goes on a rant about how Superman reminds him of {{God}}, describing them both as "a man in the sky" while questioning why either allows evil in the world.
* ''Film/BruceAlmighty'':
** Bruce starts his journey with God by cursing and yelling at the sky as if God's hiding behind a cloud. When He does meet Bruce, he does so by climbing down a ladder (implied to go directly into Paradise) and then teleporting the two to Mt. Everest, which is so high up Bruce thinks he's died and gone to Heaven. [[spoiler:When he does die and briefly go to Heaven in the third act, the camera rapidly zooms up and away from Bruce's body. When he's revived, the camera rapidly zooms in and down onto Bruce's face.]]
** When Bruce begs God not to leave him, he appeals to a need for answers. Creaotr/MorganFreeman's God laughs and says that the problem with humanity is that they keep looking "up." Up here seems to refer to the divine plan for each person that only God can know, meaning God is saying to focus on what is rather than what should be.
* ''Film/DeathNote2017'' kicks off with the titular ArtifactOfDoom dropping from the sky, implying that the death god that created it lives in the sky, looming above humanity.
* ''Film/TheGreenMile'': One of Creator/TomHanks' urination scenes ends with him struggling so much he has to lie on his back and look him to the sky and say, "Oh God, why?" It also foreshadows the weirder events from later in the movie.
* ''Film/HailCaesar'' ends with the narrator describing how the protagonist's story is "written in light everlasting," as a choir plays and the camera shifts up to the sky. Along with the film's use of the {{Confessional}} and an InUniverse PassionPlay, the ending shows the essential role the protagonist's relationship with {{God}} plays in his life.
* Whenever Clarence the angel talks to distant superiors in ''Film/ItsAWonderfulLife'', the audience will know he's not just talking to himself because he's looking straight up at the sky, which is where angels are supposed to live.
* The Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse repurposes Asgard, city of the gods, as a pocket dimension that can access other realms through a wormhole called the Bifrost. Even with this sci-fi twist, the Bifrost wormhole conveniently always opens up so that the gods enter into other realms by falling from the sky and leave said realms by being shot up into the air.
** ''Film/{{Thor}}'' has on odd scene where the titular character angrily demands to be returned to Asgard by yelling into the night sky, even though he should know the people operating the Bifrost aren't actually floating above him.
** ''Film/ThorRagnarok'' introduces another wormhole that can lead to Asgard, the Devil's Anus, but of course, this entrance to the god's realm is located in the sky, forcing anyone who wants to visit the gods to literally ascend far above the realm of mortals.
* Crudely, ''Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail'' depicts God as a giant SkyFace who rips open a cloud to start a conversation with King Arthur.
* The genocidal villain of ''Film/{{Noah}}'' frequently looks to the sky and yells for God to reveal himself to him, only to find the sky shrouded in the clouds that will flood the world. The skies only clear and allow humanity to see the light once Noah realizes God's desire for humanity: [[spoiler:for them to be merciful to each other.]]
* When ''Film/ThePassionOfTheChrist'' ends with His death, the camera angles above the crucifixion scene to show a lone tear drop falling down towards Jesus's corpse. The effect is similar to a SingleTear, as if the Father in Heaven is crying for His Son.
* ''Film/StationsOfTheCross'' ends with the camera (which hasn't moved the entire movie) ascending into the clouds, but in contrast to the church's dogmatic view of religion, the sky is hidden and unclear.
%%Man of Steel, probably. Passion?
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Literature]]
* In ''Literature/AlexisCarew: HMS Nightingale'', the neo-Luddite CultColony Man's Fall believes darkspace (an alternate layer of space-time equivalent to hyperspace) is in fact Heaven. The belief is backed up by darkspace's ability to shut off technology, but the fact that darkspace is only accessible by flying into a Lagrange point in normal space, meaning one has to fly past the Heavens to reach it, helps reinforce the divinity idea.
* Creator/GKChesterton's ''The Ball and the Cross'' has Professor Lucifer [[DiscussedTrope discuss]] the sky's divine association to a monk he kidnapped as he ascends through the heavens in his flying machine. The point Lucifer is making is that the skies are as physical and dour as the underworld and expects the monk's faith to shatter, only for the monk to point out that Lucifer's rambling has distracted him from flying the ship. The Professor screams like a girl and nearly dies in a crash.
* In ''Literature/TheBerenstainBears'' when [[spoiler: Goldie the fish]] dies, Papa Bear says that she went to the a big castle in the sky, a metaphor for the afterlife.
* ''Literature/TheDivineComedy'' of Dante plays with the association of the sky and the realm of {{God}} by assigning each type of saint a planet, which would also be divine places under this trope's logic. The closer they are to Earth, the farther they are from God, who is portrayed as a sphere outside the physical universe who moves everything else. In Dante's imagery, God is the sky to the ground of the universe.
* Although ''Literature/TheGreatDivorce'' avoids portraying Heaven as a [[FluffyCloudHeaven cloud-filled candyland]], it does demonstrate the radical distance between Hell and Heaven by having the bus between those two realms have to fly miles and miles and miles above Hell before it can reach the doormat of Heaven.
* The original fairytale has Literature/TheLittleMermaid describe {{Heaven}} as "that glorious world above the stars." This description of Heaven as sky also furthers the distance between the mermaid and the eternal realm, since land-dwelling humans are closer to the sky while the soulless mermaids are hopelessly far from those same stars. The story also describes angelic spirits as "Daughters of the Air."
* ''Literature/OurDumbCentury'', a book by ''Website/TheOnion'', features a spoof headline from the week after the airplane was invented, about the government planning airplane expeditions to Heaven. The story reveals that within ten years, it will be possible for the average American to vacation there.
* Whenever Mr. D from ''Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians'' swears, the sky either clouds up or thunders to let him know the gods are displeased, forcing Mr. D to look straight up and apologize. This is all a formality, as it would be ludicrous for the gods to live above D's camp on Long Island; they live above the Empire State Building instead.
* In ''Literature/SurvivorDogs'', dogs and wolves have many gods; however, the Sky-Dogs are their supreme gods.
* In ''Literature/WarriorCats'', the cats' afterlife is the [=StarClan=], which is said to be located within the collection of stars above, locally known as the Silverpelt (we'd call it the Milky Way).
%%Harry Potter? C.S. Lewis.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* Michael from ''Series/ArrestedDevelopment'' wistfully ponders how easy life would be if there were instructions sent from "on high." He then tells his son to watch his head as they duck under a memorial to the Ten Commandments being brought down from on high by a crane.
* ''Series/TheCrown2016'' episode "Act of God" focuses Queen Elizabeth's lack of clarity on the relationship between the monarchy and {{God}}, a theme that is visualized by the Great Smog that blocks out the London sky for the entire episode.
* The characters on ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'' occasionally pray for help (though only to "the universe) in tough spots, and they always do this by looking up and begging. In the case of the [[Recap/HowIMetYourMotherS1E22ComeOn first season finale]], a prayer to the sky even leads to a uniquely heavenly miracle: a heavy rain inexplicably appears and keeps the protagonist's love from leaving with the wrong man.
* Whenever {{God}} appears on ''Series/TheLateShowWithStephenColbert'', He's always peaking over a cloud on the ceiling, forcing Stephen and the audience to crane their necks up to have a conversation with the guy.
* ''Series/OnceUponATime'':
** In the season 5 episode "Nimue," a young Merlin looks into the clouds and asks permission to drink from the Holy Grail so he may live. Unlike the man who failed to ask whatever god may be listening, Merlin does not disintegrate and is blessed wiith eternal life and unparalleled magical power.
** Whenever a character in the Underworld "finishes their business," a bright light will appear over the Underworld's fires that they can follow upward to join almighty Zeus in paradise.
* In ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'', the Bajoran religion states that their gods, the Prophets, live in the Celestial Temple above the skies of Bajor. In the pilot episode "[[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS01E01E02Emissary Emissary]]," the Temple turns out to be a wormhole that terminates in the Bajoran solar system that SufficientlyAdvancedAliens traveled through.
* Heaven is a regular setting on ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' that's often referred to by pointing upwards or talking about what's "above." The only really consequential use of this trope comes late in the show when the Darkness attacks Heaven, which causes Earth's sky to be ravaged by thunderstorms.
%%Doctor Who.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Mythology and Religion]]
* Literature/TheBible:
** In Greek, Latin, French, German, and English editions of the Bible, the word for sky is also used as the word for the Kingdom of God[[note]]ouranos, caelum, ciel, himmel, heaven[[/note]].
** Even though God preceded and created the sky in the Literature/BookOfGenesis, Nimrod and the rest of humanity still believe they can reach God just by building a really, really, really big tower. For their arrogance, God creates the original CurseOfBabel to keep humanity from organizing and attempting the impossible task of invading Heaven. This example makes the trope OlderThanFeudalism, if not OlderThanDirt.
** God is frequently described in the Old Testament as emerging from storms, whirlwinds, or other heavenly disasters to demonstrate his power, most famously at the end of the Literature/BookOfJob. There, God's appearance as a massive storm uses the violence of the sky to demonstrate his [[TheOmnipotent power]] and [[YouCannotGraspTheTrueForm expansive nature]].
** Literature/TheFourGospels
*** Some confusion has arisen due to UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} calling the afterlife the Kingdom ''of'' Heaven, which is therefore assumed by many to mean the good afterlife is in the sky. What the Bible actually says, however, is that the afterlife will be immaterial until the Kingdom is established on Earth-a second Paradise, more or less-after the end times and the Resurrection of the Dead.
*** When Jesus returns to the spiritual realm of the Father, how do the Gospel writers describe it? Oh yeah, he was taken ''up'' and he ''ascended''. So, unless he's actually supposed to be flying around in the clouds waiting to come down and burn the sinners, the reader is supposed to associate going up with entering the realm of God.
** The Literature/BookOfRevelation describes the evil angels who follow {{Satan}} as "fallen stars" that were "thrown down to Earth." This story of angels being thrown down to become demons is where the term FallenAngel comes from.
* Of all the places in Greece they could have lived, the [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek Gods]] decided to seat their thrones on the highest mountain in the nation, Mount Olympus, placing the gods on the point closest to the heavens.
* In Myth/NorseMythology, Asgard, the realm of the gods, is said to be one level up on the world tree Yggdrasil from Midgard, the realm of mortals (i.e. Earth).
%%Egypt? Mesopotamia?
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Stand-Up Comedy]]
* At the end of Creator/BoBurnham's "what." routine, he points his finger in different directions to prompt different people to talk. When he points down, he hears an ungodly "I am Satan, Lord of Darkness!" He hopefully points straight up to hear... [[BlackComedy crickets]].
* Creator/GeorgeCarlin has described God as both "the man who lives in the clouds" and "and invisible man, living in the sky" in different routines, mocking Christians under the assumption they believe in a vertically-inclined PhysicalGod.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Theatre]]
* ''Literature/TheClouds'' presents Creator/{{Socrates}} as an atheist who denies the existence of [[Myth/ClassicalMythology a god who throws thunderbolts]] in favor of worshipping the clouds who shit out the thunder. As a [[ParodiedTrope parody of Socratic philosophy]], the idea of worshipping clouds, the sky, and other objects of study in place of the actual gods is PlayedForLaughs.
* Just before the death of the titular character of ''Theatre/{{Hamilton}}'', [[spoiler:time freezes and he talks about seeing his dead friends and family "on the other side." As he says their names, his best friend, his son, his mother, and his father figure all walk across the balcony across the stage, implying this "other side" is above Hamilton.]] This upwards view of heaven is further emphasized when Hamilton desperately cries "Rise up" just before he is shot.
* King Claudius from ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'' uses the sky twice as a metaphor to explain how horrid his soul has become:
** He starts off his remorseful prayer by saying his offense is so rank that "it smells to heaven." Obviously, if something can be smelled from the sky, that is way too strong. So Claudius is saying his sin is as strong as that smell and as difficult to get rid of.
** As the King begins to think his remorse is futile, he asks of his sin, "Is there not rain enough in the sweet heavens to wash it white as snow?" He seems to think the answer is no, since he did something infinitely evil, and like rain in the earthly heavens, there can only be so much forgiveness in the celestial {{Heaven}}.
* ''Theatre/InTheHeights'': Abuela Claudia has a habit of saying "Alabanza" and holding up whatever she has in her hand. In act 2, we learn she does this to "hold it up to God's face and say, 'Praise to this.'" Turns out God's face is in Heaven with the Abuela's birds, [[spoiler:alongside Abuela herself in Act 2, which prompts all the characters to sing "Alabanza" to the skies.]]
%%Jersey Boys? Aladdin? 1984? Les mis?
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Video Games]]
* If you became a god, say, in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'', how would you let people know? If you were a magical, misanthropic MonsterClown, you might build a tower taller than any mountain, put yourself right at the top, and turns yourself into a winged creature surrounded by clouds and sunlight. This strategy tells visitors about your divinity without chit-chat, so when they fully ascend your [[Literature/TheDivineComedy Dante-esque]] ladder of writhing flesh and confront you, you can smite them without much monologuing.
* The [[OurAngelsAreDifferent angelic protagonist]] of ''VideoGame/KidIcarus'' and ''VideoGame/KidIcarusUprising'' serves Skyworld and its good goddess, Palutena. The realm is overflowing with clouds, brave soldiers with [[WingedHumanoid wings]], and [[LightIsGood glowing white]] temples dedicated to Palutena. In case you forget where the good guys work after all that, every level in ''Uprising'' ends with the protagonist being surrounded by RaysFromHeaven and flying straight up towards the realm of Palutena.
* Unsurprisingly, the sky in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'' is quite the godly place.
** Whenever Link needs to call upon the Goddess's magical power into his sword, he aims it right into the sky.
** Story-wise, the Goddess Hylia sent the last bastion of humanity into the heavens to protect from evil as the ground was consumed by darkness.
** The association of ascension and divinity is presented in Link's battles with the Imprisoned, where that monster will rise up from underground and climb up a spiraling pathway up to a towering temple. Link must force the monster back into the ground, or else the rising evil will be high enough to destroy the power of the divine. Essentially, Link must do whatever he can to keep evil out of the sky, which becomes much more obvious once the Imprisoned learns to levitate.
%%Sonic (06, Unleashed, 3), Pokemon Ranger?, Undertale, Kirby, Super Paper Mario?, Galaxy, Dante's Inferno, Skyrim, No More Heroes, Kingdom Hearts, Epic Mickey,
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Web Comics]]
* Ever since God's [[http://qwantz.com/index.php?comic=264 second appearance]] in ''WebComic/DinosaurComics'', his text has always been portrayed as coming down from the sky, since of course God lives directly above our two dinosaur protagonists. Also, according to [[http://qwantz.com/index.php?comic=350 this strip]], he used to intervene by reaching down his giant hands from the sky, but reaching that far tired him out and he stopped.
* The GameWithinAGame of ''VideoGame/{{Homestuck}}'' requires character to build towers starting from their houses that rise miles and miles and miles through the skies and deep into space. Only by ascending this self-created tower can they complete the game, [[CharacterLevel fully master their abilities]], and collect the mysterious Ultimate Reward which is in the mystical realm not-so-subtly named ''Skai''a. It is only halfway into the nearly eight thousand page comic that Skaia's Reward is revealed: [[spoiler:the opportunity to become the gods of a new universe.]]
%%Web Original? Plumbing? Jacksfilms? Wheezy? Crash Course.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Western Animation]]
* The ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' episode "Bitter Work" ends with an exiled prince unable to master his emotion screaming up into a lightning storm in a RageAgainstTheHeavens, as if the storm itself was in control of his hard life.
%%Over the Garden Wall, Justice League,
* The ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' episode "The Terror Beyond" has Hawkgirl, an alien from a planet that only ever worshipped {{Eldritch Abomination}}s, scares away Hades' minions, beings who work know for a polytheistic god, by pointing up to the sky to she works for capital-g {{God}}. Looks like the "sky=God" trope is literally universal.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Other]]
* TheAstrologer trope, and real life Astrology, relies on the assumption that the bodies of the skies are in control of the lives of us mortals down on Earth. Talking about the stars and planets as an astrologer can often resemble how others may take about the gods.
* Creator/IdinaMenzel's song "I Stand" includes the lyric "I don't know if the sky is Heaven, but I pray anyway." Menzel seems to find any non-vertical prayer entirely ludicrous, in large part because of this ancient connection between the sky and the divine.
* There is an UrbanLegend that the first astronaut, UsefulNotes/YuriGagarin, has said something along the lines of "I've been in space, and I've seen no God". Most of the reliable sources agree that if something like that was ever said, it was UsefulNotes/NikitaKhrushchev claiming Gagarin had been in space and saw no God.
[[/folder]]
----
[[caption-width-right:350:C'mon, Satan, God's this way.]]
->''"In your religion and all the religions, as far as I know (and I know everything), the sky is made the symbol of everything that is sacred and merciful."''
-->--'''Professor Lucifer''', ''[[Creator/GKChesterton The Ball and the Cross]]''
The sky is equated with things pertaining to the divine.
Whether it be [[{{God}} the Lord]], [[StockGods the gods]], fate, or the afterlife, nearly any supernatural concept can be brought to mind by mentioning "the heavens," holding one's hands together and looking upwards, or showing clouds flying across a starry sky.
There isn't one single origin of this trope, since the sky's association with the unknowable or transcendent comes from humanity's natural awe of the stars and ignorance of what they truly are. So if you want to indicate something beautiful, distant, and far greater than man, the sky is nigh-universally the best symbol to use.
Related to LightIsGood, since the sky and the light-bearing suns often go hand-in-hand when depicting God. This trope's relationship with the sun can often lend it to be used similarly to RaysFromHeaven, CueTheSun, and WatchingTheSunset. This trope will often be used to show a RageAgainstTheHeaven by having a character rant at the clouds as if God was hiding behind them.
This trope is why the name for an afterlife of eternal joy is called {{Heaven}} (hence the redundant article name) and Heaven's most popular sub-trope is FluffyCloudHeaven, where Heaven looks just like the heavens. Other sub-tropes include DivineBirds, StarsAreSouls, and other tropes connecting the skyward with the sacred.
This association is also why WingedSoulFliesOffAtDeath, why people only AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence, and why those mad at their fate will generally give a SkywardScream rather than a Horizon-Oriented Yelp.
----
!!Examples:
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
*The realm of the death gods from ''Manga/DeathNote'' is separated from the human world by a hole, which they can jump into to "drop" into our world. From our perspective, it looks like these monsters materialize in the middle of the sky and fall down. Like angels, these death gods come with wings which both make descent easier and also hint that they come from above.
* In ''Franchise/DragonBall'', Kami's Lookout ("Kami" meaning god) is located in the upper levels of Earth's atmosphere. The Guardian of the Earth can look down and monitor the state of the Earth below checking for trouble. In times of peril it can also be used as a refuge for the major characters.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Art]]
* The bizarre ''Art/TheApotheosisOfWashington'' presents [[UsefulNotes/GeorgeWashington the first President]] and [[Art/StatueOfLiberty Lady Liberty]] as gods looming above the residents of the U.S. Capitol building. I don't mean that there's an image of the Capitol building in the painting, no, it sits on the ceiling of the real-life Capitol Building to remind senators that George is watching--from beyond.
* Raphael's ''Art/TheSchoolOfAthens'' has Plato [[DeclarativeFinger pointing his finger skyward]], which visualizes his philosophical focus on identifying [[{{God}} the Metaphysical Form of the Good]] which produces goodness like the sun produces light.
* How does the Art/SistineChapel's altar painting show saints entering into God's love? Well, by being pulled into the sky, where God's throne awaits them.
%%Angels. The Sagrada Familia.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Comic Books]]
* In ''ComicBook/AllStarSuperman'', Pa Kent's description of how he prayed to {{God}} for a son is put against a page-wide panel dominated by the starry night sky.
* Volume Four of ''ComicBook/TheSandman'' includes a description of [[{{Heaven}} God's realm]] as a Silver City "above" the universe proper, which angels can only leave by "falling toward the world." The odd thing about this is that the Silver City isn't just "above" the Earth, but it is also above the psychic realities that makes up the Kingdom of Dreams, Asgard, Hell, and other places that can't properly be said to be "above" or "below" anything else.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Film--Animated]]
* The bridge that leads to the afterlife of ''WesternAnimation/{{Coco}}'' can be easily recognized as such because the bridge arcs up into the misty sky, indicating it goes beyond our mortal Earth.
* ''WesternAnimation/KuboAndTheTwoStrings'' portrays the gods as [[JerkassGods distant, uncaring tyrants with no concept of human life]]. Naturally, they live in unchanging, transcendent sky like many portrayal of gods, but significantly considering their sinister nature, they are only described as coming from the [[DarkIsEvil night sky]].
* The magical fairy who blesses ''Disney/{{Pinocchio}}'' with life lives within the wishing star. The Blue Fairy descends from her home in the sky only when Gepetto prays up to the sky in his petition to be blessed with a son.
* The song "Through Heaven's Eye" from ''WesternAnimation/ThePrinceOfEgypt'' has a wise old man motion upwards to the clear, night sky when advising Moses to look at life as God would see it.
%%Hunchback. Hercules
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Film--Live-Action]]
* ''[[Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice Batman V. Superman]]'' uses Superman's {{Flight}} to make his role as a MessianicArchetype obvious, leading to scenes where Superman is floating above a flood victim [[LightIsGood covered in sunlight]] while the two stretch their arms out to each other like they're in the Art/SistineChapel. And if that wasn't explicit enough, Lex Luthor goes on a rant about how Superman reminds him of {{God}}, describing them both as "a man in the sky" while questioning why either allows evil in the world.
* ''Film/BruceAlmighty'':
** Bruce starts his journey with God by cursing and yelling at the sky as if God's hiding behind a cloud. When He does meet Bruce, he does so by climbing down a ladder (implied to go directly into Paradise) and then teleporting the two to Mt. Everest, which is so high up Bruce thinks he's died and gone to Heaven. [[spoiler:When he does die and briefly go to Heaven in the third act, the camera rapidly zooms up and away from Bruce's body. When he's revived, the camera rapidly zooms in and down onto Bruce's face.]]
** When Bruce begs God not to leave him, he appeals to a need for answers. Creaotr/MorganFreeman's God laughs and says that the problem with humanity is that they keep looking "up." Up here seems to refer to the divine plan for each person that only God can know, meaning God is saying to focus on what is rather than what should be.
* ''Film/DeathNote2017'' kicks off with the titular ArtifactOfDoom dropping from the sky, implying that the death god that created it lives in the sky, looming above humanity.
* ''Film/TheGreenMile'': One of Creator/TomHanks' urination scenes ends with him struggling so much he has to lie on his back and look him to the sky and say, "Oh God, why?" It also foreshadows the weirder events from later in the movie.
* ''Film/HailCaesar'' ends with the narrator describing how the protagonist's story is "written in light everlasting," as a choir plays and the camera shifts up to the sky. Along with the film's use of the {{Confessional}} and an InUniverse PassionPlay, the ending shows the essential role the protagonist's relationship with {{God}} plays in his life.
* Whenever Clarence the angel talks to distant superiors in ''Film/ItsAWonderfulLife'', the audience will know he's not just talking to himself because he's looking straight up at the sky, which is where angels are supposed to live.
* The Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse repurposes Asgard, city of the gods, as a pocket dimension that can access other realms through a wormhole called the Bifrost. Even with this sci-fi twist, the Bifrost wormhole conveniently always opens up so that the gods enter into other realms by falling from the sky and leave said realms by being shot up into the air.
** ''Film/{{Thor}}'' has on odd scene where the titular character angrily demands to be returned to Asgard by yelling into the night sky, even though he should know the people operating the Bifrost aren't actually floating above him.
** ''Film/ThorRagnarok'' introduces another wormhole that can lead to Asgard, the Devil's Anus, but of course, this entrance to the god's realm is located in the sky, forcing anyone who wants to visit the gods to literally ascend far above the realm of mortals.
* Crudely, ''Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail'' depicts God as a giant SkyFace who rips open a cloud to start a conversation with King Arthur.
* The genocidal villain of ''Film/{{Noah}}'' frequently looks to the sky and yells for God to reveal himself to him, only to find the sky shrouded in the clouds that will flood the world. The skies only clear and allow humanity to see the light once Noah realizes God's desire for humanity: [[spoiler:for them to be merciful to each other.]]
* When ''Film/ThePassionOfTheChrist'' ends with His death, the camera angles above the crucifixion scene to show a lone tear drop falling down towards Jesus's corpse. The effect is similar to a SingleTear, as if the Father in Heaven is crying for His Son.
* ''Film/StationsOfTheCross'' ends with the camera (which hasn't moved the entire movie) ascending into the clouds, but in contrast to the church's dogmatic view of religion, the sky is hidden and unclear.
%%Man of Steel, probably. Passion?
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Literature]]
* In ''Literature/AlexisCarew: HMS Nightingale'', the neo-Luddite CultColony Man's Fall believes darkspace (an alternate layer of space-time equivalent to hyperspace) is in fact Heaven. The belief is backed up by darkspace's ability to shut off technology, but the fact that darkspace is only accessible by flying into a Lagrange point in normal space, meaning one has to fly past the Heavens to reach it, helps reinforce the divinity idea.
* Creator/GKChesterton's ''The Ball and the Cross'' has Professor Lucifer [[DiscussedTrope discuss]] the sky's divine association to a monk he kidnapped as he ascends through the heavens in his flying machine. The point Lucifer is making is that the skies are as physical and dour as the underworld and expects the monk's faith to shatter, only for the monk to point out that Lucifer's rambling has distracted him from flying the ship. The Professor screams like a girl and nearly dies in a crash.
* In ''Literature/TheBerenstainBears'' when [[spoiler: Goldie the fish]] dies, Papa Bear says that she went to the a big castle in the sky, a metaphor for the afterlife.
* ''Literature/TheDivineComedy'' of Dante plays with the association of the sky and the realm of {{God}} by assigning each type of saint a planet, which would also be divine places under this trope's logic. The closer they are to Earth, the farther they are from God, who is portrayed as a sphere outside the physical universe who moves everything else. In Dante's imagery, God is the sky to the ground of the universe.
* Although ''Literature/TheGreatDivorce'' avoids portraying Heaven as a [[FluffyCloudHeaven cloud-filled candyland]], it does demonstrate the radical distance between Hell and Heaven by having the bus between those two realms have to fly miles and miles and miles above Hell before it can reach the doormat of Heaven.
* The original fairytale has Literature/TheLittleMermaid describe {{Heaven}} as "that glorious world above the stars." This description of Heaven as sky also furthers the distance between the mermaid and the eternal realm, since land-dwelling humans are closer to the sky while the soulless mermaids are hopelessly far from those same stars. The story also describes angelic spirits as "Daughters of the Air."
* ''Literature/OurDumbCentury'', a book by ''Website/TheOnion'', features a spoof headline from the week after the airplane was invented, about the government planning airplane expeditions to Heaven. The story reveals that within ten years, it will be possible for the average American to vacation there.
* Whenever Mr. D from ''Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians'' swears, the sky either clouds up or thunders to let him know the gods are displeased, forcing Mr. D to look straight up and apologize. This is all a formality, as it would be ludicrous for the gods to live above D's camp on Long Island; they live above the Empire State Building instead.
* In ''Literature/SurvivorDogs'', dogs and wolves have many gods; however, the Sky-Dogs are their supreme gods.
* In ''Literature/WarriorCats'', the cats' afterlife is the [=StarClan=], which is said to be located within the collection of stars above, locally known as the Silverpelt (we'd call it the Milky Way).
%%Harry Potter? C.S. Lewis.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* Michael from ''Series/ArrestedDevelopment'' wistfully ponders how easy life would be if there were instructions sent from "on high." He then tells his son to watch his head as they duck under a memorial to the Ten Commandments being brought down from on high by a crane.
* ''Series/TheCrown2016'' episode "Act of God" focuses Queen Elizabeth's lack of clarity on the relationship between the monarchy and {{God}}, a theme that is visualized by the Great Smog that blocks out the London sky for the entire episode.
* The characters on ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'' occasionally pray for help (though only to "the universe) in tough spots, and they always do this by looking up and begging. In the case of the [[Recap/HowIMetYourMotherS1E22ComeOn first season finale]], a prayer to the sky even leads to a uniquely heavenly miracle: a heavy rain inexplicably appears and keeps the protagonist's love from leaving with the wrong man.
* Whenever {{God}} appears on ''Series/TheLateShowWithStephenColbert'', He's always peaking over a cloud on the ceiling, forcing Stephen and the audience to crane their necks up to have a conversation with the guy.
* ''Series/OnceUponATime'':
** In the season 5 episode "Nimue," a young Merlin looks into the clouds and asks permission to drink from the Holy Grail so he may live. Unlike the man who failed to ask whatever god may be listening, Merlin does not disintegrate and is blessed wiith eternal life and unparalleled magical power.
** Whenever a character in the Underworld "finishes their business," a bright light will appear over the Underworld's fires that they can follow upward to join almighty Zeus in paradise.
* In ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'', the Bajoran religion states that their gods, the Prophets, live in the Celestial Temple above the skies of Bajor. In the pilot episode "[[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS01E01E02Emissary Emissary]]," the Temple turns out to be a wormhole that terminates in the Bajoran solar system that SufficientlyAdvancedAliens traveled through.
* Heaven is a regular setting on ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' that's often referred to by pointing upwards or talking about what's "above." The only really consequential use of this trope comes late in the show when the Darkness attacks Heaven, which causes Earth's sky to be ravaged by thunderstorms.
%%Doctor Who.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Mythology and Religion]]
* Literature/TheBible:
** In Greek, Latin, French, German, and English editions of the Bible, the word for sky is also used as the word for the Kingdom of God[[note]]ouranos, caelum, ciel, himmel, heaven[[/note]].
** Even though God preceded and created the sky in the Literature/BookOfGenesis, Nimrod and the rest of humanity still believe they can reach God just by building a really, really, really big tower. For their arrogance, God creates the original CurseOfBabel to keep humanity from organizing and attempting the impossible task of invading Heaven. This example makes the trope OlderThanFeudalism, if not OlderThanDirt.
** God is frequently described in the Old Testament as emerging from storms, whirlwinds, or other heavenly disasters to demonstrate his power, most famously at the end of the Literature/BookOfJob. There, God's appearance as a massive storm uses the violence of the sky to demonstrate his [[TheOmnipotent power]] and [[YouCannotGraspTheTrueForm expansive nature]].
** Literature/TheFourGospels
*** Some confusion has arisen due to UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} calling the afterlife the Kingdom ''of'' Heaven, which is therefore assumed by many to mean the good afterlife is in the sky. What the Bible actually says, however, is that the afterlife will be immaterial until the Kingdom is established on Earth-a second Paradise, more or less-after the end times and the Resurrection of the Dead.
*** When Jesus returns to the spiritual realm of the Father, how do the Gospel writers describe it? Oh yeah, he was taken ''up'' and he ''ascended''. So, unless he's actually supposed to be flying around in the clouds waiting to come down and burn the sinners, the reader is supposed to associate going up with entering the realm of God.
** The Literature/BookOfRevelation describes the evil angels who follow {{Satan}} as "fallen stars" that were "thrown down to Earth." This story of angels being thrown down to become demons is where the term FallenAngel comes from.
* Of all the places in Greece they could have lived, the [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek Gods]] decided to seat their thrones on the highest mountain in the nation, Mount Olympus, placing the gods on the point closest to the heavens.
* In Myth/NorseMythology, Asgard, the realm of the gods, is said to be one level up on the world tree Yggdrasil from Midgard, the realm of mortals (i.e. Earth).
%%Egypt? Mesopotamia?
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Stand-Up Comedy]]
* At the end of Creator/BoBurnham's "what." routine, he points his finger in different directions to prompt different people to talk. When he points down, he hears an ungodly "I am Satan, Lord of Darkness!" He hopefully points straight up to hear... [[BlackComedy crickets]].
* Creator/GeorgeCarlin has described God as both "the man who lives in the clouds" and "and invisible man, living in the sky" in different routines, mocking Christians under the assumption they believe in a vertically-inclined PhysicalGod.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Theatre]]
* ''Literature/TheClouds'' presents Creator/{{Socrates}} as an atheist who denies the existence of [[Myth/ClassicalMythology a god who throws thunderbolts]] in favor of worshipping the clouds who shit out the thunder. As a [[ParodiedTrope parody of Socratic philosophy]], the idea of worshipping clouds, the sky, and other objects of study in place of the actual gods is PlayedForLaughs.
* Just before the death of the titular character of ''Theatre/{{Hamilton}}'', [[spoiler:time freezes and he talks about seeing his dead friends and family "on the other side." As he says their names, his best friend, his son, his mother, and his father figure all walk across the balcony across the stage, implying this "other side" is above Hamilton.]] This upwards view of heaven is further emphasized when Hamilton desperately cries "Rise up" just before he is shot.
* King Claudius from ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'' uses the sky twice as a metaphor to explain how horrid his soul has become:
** He starts off his remorseful prayer by saying his offense is so rank that "it smells to heaven." Obviously, if something can be smelled from the sky, that is way too strong. So Claudius is saying his sin is as strong as that smell and as difficult to get rid of.
** As the King begins to think his remorse is futile, he asks of his sin, "Is there not rain enough in the sweet heavens to wash it white as snow?" He seems to think the answer is no, since he did something infinitely evil, and like rain in the earthly heavens, there can only be so much forgiveness in the celestial {{Heaven}}.
* ''Theatre/InTheHeights'': Abuela Claudia has a habit of saying "Alabanza" and holding up whatever she has in her hand. In act 2, we learn she does this to "hold it up to God's face and say, 'Praise to this.'" Turns out God's face is in Heaven with the Abuela's birds, [[spoiler:alongside Abuela herself in Act 2, which prompts all the characters to sing "Alabanza" to the skies.]]
%%Jersey Boys? Aladdin? 1984? Les mis?
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Video Games]]
* If you became a god, say, in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'', how would you let people know? If you were a magical, misanthropic MonsterClown, you might build a tower taller than any mountain, put yourself right at the top, and turns yourself into a winged creature surrounded by clouds and sunlight. This strategy tells visitors about your divinity without chit-chat, so when they fully ascend your [[Literature/TheDivineComedy Dante-esque]] ladder of writhing flesh and confront you, you can smite them without much monologuing.
* The [[OurAngelsAreDifferent angelic protagonist]] of ''VideoGame/KidIcarus'' and ''VideoGame/KidIcarusUprising'' serves Skyworld and its good goddess, Palutena. The realm is overflowing with clouds, brave soldiers with [[WingedHumanoid wings]], and [[LightIsGood glowing white]] temples dedicated to Palutena. In case you forget where the good guys work after all that, every level in ''Uprising'' ends with the protagonist being surrounded by RaysFromHeaven and flying straight up towards the realm of Palutena.
* Unsurprisingly, the sky in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'' is quite the godly place.
** Whenever Link needs to call upon the Goddess's magical power into his sword, he aims it right into the sky.
** Story-wise, the Goddess Hylia sent the last bastion of humanity into the heavens to protect from evil as the ground was consumed by darkness.
** The association of ascension and divinity is presented in Link's battles with the Imprisoned, where that monster will rise up from underground and climb up a spiraling pathway up to a towering temple. Link must force the monster back into the ground, or else the rising evil will be high enough to destroy the power of the divine. Essentially, Link must do whatever he can to keep evil out of the sky, which becomes much more obvious once the Imprisoned learns to levitate.
%%Sonic (06, Unleashed, 3), Pokemon Ranger?, Undertale, Kirby, Super Paper Mario?, Galaxy, Dante's Inferno, Skyrim, No More Heroes, Kingdom Hearts, Epic Mickey,
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Web Comics]]
* Ever since God's [[http://qwantz.com/index.php?comic=264 second appearance]] in ''WebComic/DinosaurComics'', his text has always been portrayed as coming down from the sky, since of course God lives directly above our two dinosaur protagonists. Also, according to [[http://qwantz.com/index.php?comic=350 this strip]], he used to intervene by reaching down his giant hands from the sky, but reaching that far tired him out and he stopped.
* The GameWithinAGame of ''VideoGame/{{Homestuck}}'' requires character to build towers starting from their houses that rise miles and miles and miles through the skies and deep into space. Only by ascending this self-created tower can they complete the game, [[CharacterLevel fully master their abilities]], and collect the mysterious Ultimate Reward which is in the mystical realm not-so-subtly named ''Skai''a. It is only halfway into the nearly eight thousand page comic that Skaia's Reward is revealed: [[spoiler:the opportunity to become the gods of a new universe.]]
%%Web Original? Plumbing? Jacksfilms? Wheezy? Crash Course.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Western Animation]]
* The ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' episode "Bitter Work" ends with an exiled prince unable to master his emotion screaming up into a lightning storm in a RageAgainstTheHeavens, as if the storm itself was in control of his hard life.
%%Over the Garden Wall, Justice League,
* The ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' episode "The Terror Beyond" has Hawkgirl, an alien from a planet that only ever worshipped {{Eldritch Abomination}}s, scares away Hades' minions, beings who work know for a polytheistic god, by pointing up to the sky to she works for capital-g {{God}}. Looks like the "sky=God" trope is literally universal.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Other]]
* TheAstrologer trope, and real life Astrology, relies on the assumption that the bodies of the skies are in control of the lives of us mortals down on Earth. Talking about the stars and planets as an astrologer can often resemble how others may take about the gods.
* Creator/IdinaMenzel's song "I Stand" includes the lyric "I don't know if the sky is Heaven, but I pray anyway." Menzel seems to find any non-vertical prayer entirely ludicrous, in large part because of this ancient connection between the sky and the divine.
* There is an UrbanLegend that the first astronaut, UsefulNotes/YuriGagarin, has said something along the lines of "I've been in space, and I've seen no God". Most of the reliable sources agree that if something like that was ever said, it was UsefulNotes/NikitaKhrushchev claiming Gagarin had been in space and saw no God.
[[/folder]]
----
