They did. And I'm not going to judge you for your religious views or lack thereof. In the world I come from, a good deal of the non-christian divinities are still running around.
For human souls, yes Heaven is exactly that. Or, more precisely, it's exactly what whatever soul's particular version of heaven is whether that's lighting off fireworks in an empty field or flying a kite or painting. However, angels are warriors first and foremost. Archangels in particular, are absolute, precise, and wrathful. I'm not entirely sure how popular culture managed to transform us from soldiers to innocent little fluffy creatures with halos and pudgey cheeks.