What Is Paradise?

"What is paradise to you?"

That was a text I received this past weekend from a former youth group kid.

I thought about the question for a while. What exactly IS paradise? I remember writing a story about it recently. Maybe I should go back and read it. Lol!

If you Google pictures of 'paradise' you get a lot of images from tropical islands. That's what Google thinks paradise is.

There is an after-life place, that Jesus called 'paradise, ' where the righteous and unrighteous go to await their entry into heaven, or hell. That's the REAL paradise.

"Today you will be with me in paradise." - Luke 23:43

For some, paradise is whatever WE think sounds good to us.

Some people might think that paradise is playing golf, or relaxing on a beach. Some anticipate a reunion with friends or family members. I guess it all depends on you.

Paradise for the Christian however seems to be focused on God, not on self.

Hope is a wonderful thing. Hope is what keeps us waking up in the morning. We hope for good weather, we hope our sore back will feel better soon.

Shouldn't our hope be in Jesus? Shouldn't paradise be about God rather than ourselves?

"Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.

For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.

According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

Therefore encourage one another with these words." - 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Paradise is being in the presence of our Lord. I don't think any personal scenario based on OUR desires is as important as worshipping 'in spirit and truth,' along with our brothers and sisters in Christ, forever. But that's just me.

What do YOU think?

In The Park?

When Jesus was dying on the cross, he looked over at the thief hanging next to Him and said, "Today you will be with me in paradise." - Luke 23:43. Most people think that Jesus was talking about them both being in heaven. Let's dig a little deeper.

Have you ever heard of an interlinear Bible? They can be pretty handy when it comes to studying the Bible. Like with our word 'paradise' today. We can learn that the Greek word for paradise is 'paradeisO.' It even sounds like paradise. However, the actual word-for-word translation reads like this:

"I am saying to you today, with me, you shall be in the park."

In the park? What?

If we look up the Old Testament Hebrew word for 'paradise' we find out that Hebrew word actually refers to a garden or walled in area. The New Testament word for paradise was used to refer to The Garden of Eden and also Abraham's Bosom - the place where the righteous dead go when they die.

Are Abraham's Bosom and the original Garden of Eden the same? I can't find an answer to that. But tune in on Wednesday for a possible answer to that question.

Thanks for reading!

Paradise - Bible Study Tools

In The Garden - Alan Jackson

Empty Chairs

This story is libel to mess with your theology a bit. Today we are going to look at just one verse. But it could test your belief system. John 3:13. Specifically, the first six words of that verse. Written in red, these are the words of Jesus.

"No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven." - John 3:13

We hear compassionate words uttered at funerals about being in heaven. We see them written in Tweets and Facebook posts. Words like . . . 

"Well, they're in heaven now," or "Heaven gained another angel today," or "They're looking down on us from heaven now." These words, to be quite blunt about it, are merely someone's hopes, based on their misinterpretation of scripture.

"Heaven gained another angel." Nope. We do NOT turn into angels after we die. Angels are separate beings created by God.

"They're in heaven now." Are you sure? Can you back that up scripturally? Nope. Only Jesus decides who gets into heaven and who gets tossed into the lake of fire. And He doesn't do that until the Great White Throne Judgement AFTER the tribulation and AFTER the millenial kingdom.

One could argue, "What about the thief on the cross? Jesus told him, 'Today you will be with me in paradise.'"

That's true. Paradise, yes. Heaven, no.

"They're looking down on us from heaven." Nope. 

It's good to be compassionate and to comfort those who have lost someone. But we shouldn't comfort them with words and concepts that aren't true. 

There are lots of "empty chairs" in heaven right now. The "dining room" is being prepared for the wedding feast of the Lamb. You don't want to miss it!

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