In Luke 23:43, Jesus declared, "Truly I say to you, Today you shall be with Me in Paradise". The word Jesus used for paradise is paradeisos which means "a park, that is, (specifically) an Eden (place of future happiness, paradise)".
What did that say? An Eden? Where was the last place that man and God walked together? Here's a hint, Adam and Eve were in it.
Man was designed to live forever in paradeisos (paradise). Paradeisos is the a Greek word taken from the Hebrew word pardes which means "a park: - forest, orchard". God walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Sin entered in and caused the fellowship to break. Adam and Eve were cast out of Eden and man has never been back since. This is not how God wants it to be.
Jesus said "Today you shall be with Me "en paradeisos" not "en nephele" which is Greek for in clouds. Heaven is not some fluffy cloud place but heaven is indeed a place. Heaven is a real place.
Jesus said He was going to "leave the world and go to the Father" (John 16:28). When the Creator of the universe hanged on that cross for our sins He could have chosen any word in any of the languages He created. Jesus picked and used the word for a park and it's not just any park, forest, and/or orchard but "the paradise (paradeisos) of God" (Revelations 2:7). That is where the Father was and that is where Jesus is now, paradeisos, which for us will be a place of future happiness.
In the next post we'll take a good look at paradise.
4 comments:
Isn't it amazing how looking into the original language gives such a diferent picture to what we sometimes get in English. It makes sence that before sin, Adam and Eve were in a place much like Heaven will be.
Logically, as Heaven is going to be a place without any kind of suffering, there will be no need for cities to be filled with the latest technologies, buildings to house our fringe comforts, or protect us from the elements.
I had neve thought of Heaven like this before.
Do continue.....
Great thoughts Michael.
Magi,
Thanks for all your comments in all the post. You certianly have been busy! I get comments e-mailed to me. If it was not for that I probably wouldn't be aware that you have gone back and read old post. I would have written back but I don't know your e-mail.
I used to volunteer for Got Questions. I answered a question on what we would be doing in Heaven and they archived it so much of this is based on that answer. I would give the link but that would ruin where I'm going.
I have only preached something like four times. I told my wife to challenge me and pick something that she wanted to know about. She picked Heaven so I went back to the answer I had given for Got Questions and expanded on it. I am now expanding on that.
Michael, it is always great to meet another believer and this subject is a good one. i love the scripture that says, eye hath not seen nor ear heard the things God has prepared for those who love Him.
Our pastor was preaching the other day and he made a comment that if we could see what God has planned for us that we would laugh at the things we hang on to here.
Great post and I am looking forward to tomorrow's.
Post a Comment