Paradise on Earth

This topic I find particularly interesting. I believe it to be the most logical, exegetical and sensible point drawn from the Bible. It seems so simple to me that when God created man, His plan for him was to live in a literal paradise on earth. Where does it say God's plan for mankind changed? When did God change His mind and say "Never mind, I don't want man living on earth anymore. He can come to heaven and live with me." In short, it hasn't changed. God's will is still that we live in a paradise earth! First, let's establish how life was originally on Earth for Adam and Eve. Every tree on the Garden of Eden was "pleasing to look at" and "good for food" (Genesis 2:9). Animals of all kinds resided here among Adam (Genesis 2:19 + 20). Clearly they even the wildest animals must have been tamed to live with Adam and Eve. The soil must have been rich for growing plants as the Bible says "a river flowed from Eden" (Genesis 2:10). Additionally, one can deduce that the weather in Eden must have been tolerable at all times considering Adam and Eve were without clothing.

Before we get started, let me ask you this question: What is your idea of paradise? Think about this as we continue.

As I left off in the previous post about the 144,000, it is now established that not everyone who loyally worships Jehovah and follows His son Jesus go to heaven. For those of us who don't, notice what the Bible says:

"But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace" - Psalm 37:11

"The righteous will inherit the earth and dwell in it forever." - Psalm 37:29 (NABRE)

"Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." - Matthew 5:5

"As for the heavens, they belong to Jehovah, But the earth he has given to the sons of men." - Psalm 115:16

The Bible undoubtedly speaks of a group of righteous, meek people who will "inherit the earth" and "dwell in it forever". At some point in the future, the Earth will belong to righteous and meek people who will live on it forever! This is an explicit statement from the Bible. Many people then say, why would I want to live on this earth the way that it is?" An excellent question that would definitely be a concern. I, for one, would not want to live forever on earth the way that it is currently. As noted previously when discussing the Garden of Eden, the Earth hasn't always been the way it is now. Jehovah knows of this concern and promises that things will not always be like this.

"For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind." - Isaiah 65:17

"But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells" - 1 Peter 3:13

"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away" - Revelation 21:1

Apparently, there will be a "new heavens and a new earth" and righteousness will live in BOTH of these places. Christians will not just live in heaven (as false religion teaches), but they will also live on the Earth. If one of these statements is true (which pretty much all religions acknowledge it is), then logically we must accept the latter statement to be true as well. Since we know from the previous entry that 144,000 do in fact live in heaven then we must accept that righteous people will also live on earth! And not the Earth as it currently constituted, but a "new earth". How does the Bible describe this "new earth"?

"17 For look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be called to mind...19 "No more will there be heard in her the sound of weeping or a cry of distress.” 20 “No more will there be an infant from that place who lives but a few days, Nor an old man who fails to live out his days....21 They will build houses and live in them, And they will plant vineyards and eat their fruitage. 22 They will not build for someone else to inhabit, Nor will they plant for others to eat. For the days of my people will be like the days of a tree, And the work of their hands my chosen ones will enjoy to the full....25 The wolf and the lamb will feed together, The lion will eat straw just like the bull, And the serpent’s food will be dust. They will do no harm nor cause any ruin in all my holy mountain,” says Jehovah." - Isaiah 65:17-25 (NWT)

Sounds nice right? We will build our own houses, plant our own food, animals will be friendly, there will no sadness. Who wouldn't want to live there?!

"3 With that I heard a loud voice from the throne say: “Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his people. And God himself will be with them. 4 And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”" - Revelation 21:3 + 4

First thing to notice from Revelation 21:3 is the grammar that is used. We know the heavens belong to Jehovah (Psalm 115:16), that is where He lives and has always lived. The earth is where man lives and has always lived. But in this new earth, the verse says God will reside with mankind, not that mankind will reside with God. That wording is important and further shows the consistency within the Bible of the teaching that a majority of the faithful worshipers of God will live on earth. This excerpt also reiterates the promise of no tears, no death, no mourning. What is also interesting about this is, once again, the grammar John uses here. He writes that "death will be no more" in the place in which mankind is residing at this time. Well, death has never existed in heaven! God doesn't die, angels don't die, Jesus didn't die (in heaven). So wherever it is that mankind resides is also a place where death exists or has existed: EARTH!

The last point I want to make is what Jesus told the thief he was dying alongside:

"And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”" - Luke 23:43 (NASB)

Punctionation aside, Jesus cannot mean that the thief will be in heaven with him today. As it is well known, Jesus died and 3 days later was resurrected and ascended to heaven. That did not happen on that same day, or "today". Many in false religion try to make the word "Paradise" mean heaven. That is a fallacious tactic in attempt to prove their unbiblical doctrine. If Jesus meant heaven, he would have said heaven. Instead, Jesus used the Greek word "paradeisos". Paradeisos means "a park, a garden, a paradise". These are all things that are found on Earth.  This word does not mean heaven, the Greek word for heaven is "ouranos". This word is rendered over 1,800 times as "heaven" or "heavenly" in the King James Bible according to Strong's Concordance. All 3 biblical usages of "paradeisos" are translated as "Paradise". Some other translations even applied that meaning to their rendering.

" "Verily I say to thee to-day that with me thou shalt be in the Eden’s garden." - Four Gospels in Syriac, John Murray

"Amen, I say to thee to-day that with me thou shalt be in the Garden of Eden" - Curetonian Version of the our Gospels, Francis Crawford Burkitt

Also, the man with Jesus was a confessed thief. Whole Jesus undoubtedly saw repentance in this man, it does not change that he was a thief.

"9 Or do you not know that unrighteous people will not inherit God’s Kingdom? Do not be misled. Those who are sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, men who submit to homosexual acts, men who practice homosexuality, 10 thieves, greedy people, drunkards, revilers, and extortioners will not inherit God’s Kingdom." - 1 Corinthians 6:9 + 10 (NWT)

Notice, thieves cannot inherit the kingdom. Why would Jesus tell the thief that he will be inheriting to the kingdom (that false religion interprets as heaven) when that goes against explicit scripture? The truth is Jesus didn't mean the thief would be joining him in heaven. Context reveals that Jesus meant the thief will be with him in paradise, the literal paradise on Earth. To those who insist on taking Jesus literally when he tells the thief he will be "with him", it is not to be taken that way. In the Bible, when that phrase is used it does not beg that it be taken literally. Notice Joshua 1:9 says "Jehovah your God is with you". Jehovah was not literally with Joshua, but he was in the figurative sense.

Now back to the question I asked you at the beginning, what is your idea of paradise? I think it would be safe to say it includes most, if not all, of the things the Bible mentions. You build your own house, plant your own food, surrounded only by friendly animals, peaceful, no sadness, no pain, no death, beautiful scenery. Do you REALLY think that it is a coincidence that it is our innate human nature to think of paradise in a way so similarly as the Bible describes it? If you do, you can stop now.

The 144,000

We are about to discuss the thorn in the heel of the "all good Christians go to heaven" argument. John, in the Book of Revelation, states an explicit number of 144,000 that are "bought from the earth" (Revelation 14:3). This number is often attributed to the Jehovah's Witnesses and their doctrine. However, this number should be an integral number in ALL doctrine. Notice what Wikipedia says:

"The numbers 12,000 and 144,000 are variously interpreted in traditional Christianity. Some, taking the numbers in Revelation to be symbolic, believe it represents all of God's people throughout history in the heavenly Church. One suggestion is that the number comes from 12, a symbol for totality, which is squared and multiplied by one thousand for more emphasis. Others insist the numbers 12,000 and 144,000 are literal numbers and representing either descendants of Jacob (also called Israel in the Bible) or others to whom God has given a superior destiny with a distinct role at the time of the end of the world. One understanding is that the 144,000 are recently converted Jewish evangelists sent out to bring sinners to Jesus Christ during the seven year tribulation period. Preterists believe they are Jewish Christians, sealed for deliverance from the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Dispensationalist Tim LaHaye, in his commentary Revelation: Illustrated and Made Plain (Zondervan, 1975), considers the 144,000 in Revelation 7 to refer to Jews and those in Revelation 14 to refer to Christians."

Many religions push this number to the side as being a figurative number with a rather relatively insignificant meaning. Why would the Bible bring up such a specific number? Is it really figurative? Or does it have actual meaning? The short answer, which will be soon followed up by the long answer, is this: 144,000 is the number of people who are "purchased out of the earth" to join Jesus Christ in heaven to "rule as kings and priests". Obviously, these are not my own words - but the those of the Bible. So here are the longer answers about the 144,000:

"and they sing as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four living creatures and the elders: and no man could learn the song save the hundred and forty and four thousand, even they that had been purchased out of the earth." - Revelation 14:3

As you read on to Revelation 14:4, these 144,000 are referred to as "firstfruits". Strong's Concordance defines this to mean "persons superior in excellence to others of the same class". Which, when applied to the idea that only 144,000 go to heaven, makes sense. False religion teaches "all good people go to heaven", therefore, all would be considered "firstfruits". Because all of the "firstfruits" are "purchased out of the earth" to be in heaven. But that is counter to what a "firstfruit" is, which is a smaller group within a larger one.

"a certain class of Christians sacred to God and Christ beyond all others" - Thayers Lexicon

Clearly the group of Christians is separated into 2 classes. The 144,000 is "sacred...beyond all others [Christians]"! Essentially we have one group of Christians. Within this group of Christians there is a smaller group of 144,000 superior and more sacred Christians and a "great crowd" of Christians that "cannot be numbered". All faithful Christians have earned a reward, but according to scripture only 144,000 are "purchased out of the earth" (Revelation 14:3, 4) to rule as kings and priests with Jesus in heaven (Revelation 5:10). As we discussed previously, this is the Kingdom that Jehovah has designed for the future. Make sense?

"And I saw, and behold, the Lamb standing on the mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty and four thousand, having his name, and the name of his Father, written on their foreheads." - Revelation 14:1

Notice, the 144,000 is used in the same context with a literal one "Lamb". Jesus is the lamb, there is only one Jesus; there is only one lamb. It is both reasonable and logical, then, to conclude that because the singular lamb is literal that 144,000 is also a literal number.

"4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed, 144,000, sealed out of every tribe of the sons of Israel...9 After this I saw, and look! a great crowd, which no man was able to number, out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes; and there were palm branches in their hands." - Revelation 7:4, 9

This is how we further know that the number 144,000 is a literal number. This may seem a little redundant but that goes to show the consistency of the teaching. After being mentioned at verse 4, John goes on to contrast that number with "a great crowd, which no man was able to number". So there are 2 groups of people here: 144,000 and one without number. The context clearly shows that 144,000 is a definitive number of the one group - so that group can be numbered. The other, however, cannot. This contrast logically shows that the 144,000 is a literal number by its contrast with an indefinite number.

"The case for symbolism is exegetically weak...It is a definite number in contrast with the indefinite number of 7:9. If it is taken symbolically, no number in the book can be taken literally." - Revelation: An Exegetical Commentary, Robert L. Thomas, Jr. (Professor of New Testament at The Master's Seminary in the United States)

""It is the simple statement of fact: a definite number in contrast with the indefinite number in this very chapter." - The Apocalypse or "The Day of the Lord", Dr. Ethelbert W. Bullinger

In addition, notice Jesus's words about his co-rulers:

"Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." - Luke 12:32

A mere 144,000 is certainly a "little flock" when compared to a "great crowd, which cannot be numbered" isn't it?

It seems abundantly clear to me, being reasonable, that there are 2 groups of people within a larger group of people that loyally worship Jehovah in "spirit and truth" (John 4:24). 144,000 of these people have a "heavenly reward" in which they will rule as kings and priests alongside Jesus. But what do these 144,000 rule over? Who are the citizens of God's Kingdom - now that we know who the rulers are? Where do these citizens reside? Next time.