With the help of the Lord, we want to look at the thought concerning Paradise Restored. To do so, we need to go back to “the beginning”.

In Genesis 3:22-24, we find that man had sinned and lost his relationship and communion with God in the garden. The garden was a paradise that God had placed man in. But because man lost his relationship with God, He said, (vs.22) “behold man has become as one of us to know good and evil, least he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat and live forever”. (vs.23) “Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden to till the ground from whence he was taken.” (vs.24) “So He drove out the man and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.”

Anyone that studies the Word of God knows those Cherubims were angels, and the sword in their hand was a type of the Word of God. They were there to protect the tree of life which was in the midst of the garden. Least, man would eat of it and live forever. Now if we come into this gospel day, God has a ministry or “angels” with a sword in their hands, which is the Word of God. They stand at the gates of the Church/Kingdom/Paradise to protect the tree of life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God, the Church. They stand with that sword and preach the word, “if you would come in and partake of the tree of life, you must meet the conditions of God’s word”.

Revelation 22:1-3

Now we have come over into this gospel day, and John is writing here concerning the Church. He is not talking about heaven, but the Church instead. (vs.2) “And in the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” We all know that in heaven there will be no healing because we will be healed forever. The leaves of this tree are for the healing of the people here. (vs.3) He speaks here that “there shall be no more curse”. The curse and burden of sin has been taken away. We serve Him now in this life.

Revelation 2:7

“He that hath and ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; to him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.”

Christ was having John write to this congregation of the Church of God in Smyrna, letting them know “if you will overcome, I will give you to eat of the tree of life”. We “overcome” in this life. There will be nothing to overcome in heaven. If we will eat of this tree, we will live forever, just as He said in Genesis 3. Jesus said, and I quote, “if a man will eat of me, he shall never die. He that eateth of my flesh and drink of my blood shall never die”.

Many have taught that Paradise is a place of departed spirits where they seemingly wait between death and the judgement (in a sense of being held in cold storage until the judgement). But, the Word of God does not teach this.

Luke 23:42-43

We find here the thief, asking Christ in (vs.42) “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom”. Jesus replied in (vs.43) “Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in paradise”.

The word “kingdom” and “paradise” are used interchangeably here. Many places we will find in the Word of God where certain words are used interchangeably. We find that in: Romans 8:9 “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you”. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His. Here, the Spirit is used interchangeably. Holy Spirit/Spirit of God/Spirit of Christ are all the same Spirit because there is only one Spirit.

Matthew 7:9-10

Jesus said, “If a man ask bread of his father, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask of him a fish, will he give him a serpent?” Now let’s go back to Luke 23:42-43. We find here that the thief asked “Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom”. Would Jesus do any different with him than we would for our children that ask of us? We must remember here that Christ died before either of the two thieves. Therefore, the kingdom was purchased before the thief ever died. At this point, when Christ died, all, both old and new testament saints entered the kingdom of God because the price for sin had been paid. Paradise is not a place of departed spirits but a place in the kingdom of God.

John 14:1-3

John said in (vs.1) “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.” (vs.2) “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” (vs.3) “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” We must understand here that Christ was not going to heaven to prepare a place for us there. He was going to Calvary to prepare a place for us in the kingdom. Heaven was prepared from the foundation of the world. Christ came again and received us unto Him on the day of Pentecost. Man is brought back in right relationship with God as it was in the garden.

Some have the idea that Christ went to a place of departed spirits after his death, along with the thief. Again, the Word of God does not teach this. When this is taught, a type of pergatory is being brought forth. So where was Christ between death and his resurrection? The Bible tells us he was in the grave.

Acts 2:27

He says here, “Because though wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption”. Here, we find both body and soul went into the grave. The word “hell”, properly interpreted by the Bible, means “grave”. In (vs.31) “He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption”. David prophesied of this in his time. Let’s look at Psalms 16:10 where David said, “Where thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption”. Let’s also look at Matthew 12:40 “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly, so shall the son of man be three days and three nights in the “heart of the earth”, or, the “grave”. Christ was still working when he went into the grave. He went there to conquer death. Yes, the plan of salvation was purchased at Calvary when Jesus said, “It is finished”. But, he went into the grave to conquer death. In John 20:15-17 it says “Jesus saith unto her, ‘Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou?’ She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus saith unto her, ‘Mary.’ She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. Jesus saith unto her, ‘Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.’” Notice here that Mary Magdeline started to touch Jesus, but He said “touch me not, I am not yet ascended unto my Father”. He had not been to a place called “paradise”, as some would teach, or a “place of departed spirits” but had been in the grave itself.

Many times the message is crossed. It is said in funerals that our loved ones are with the Lord in heaven. Then it is preached to the congregation and said that Christ and the thief were in a place called Paradise in the unknown somewhere.

So, where does one go at the time of death?

In the book of Ephesians 3:13-15, where Paul says, “Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in Heaven and earth is named.” This scripture is plain. Part of the family of God is in heaven and part is here on earth. Ephesians 1:10 says, “That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:” In Phillipians 1:23, Paul is speaking, “For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better”. Paul let us know here that to “depart” is to “be with Christ”, and we know that Christ is at the right hand of the Father in heaven. In Ecclesiastes 12:7, it says, “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it”. This body goes back to the ground from whence it came. But, the spirit goes back to God. In Ecclesiastes 3:21 it says “Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth”? Here we find that God put a difference between the soul of man that goes up and the spirit of the beast that goes down.

So what is the condition of the soul in eternity?

And this will be our final thought on this subject. Matthew 22:32 says, “I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living”. He lets us know here that God is the God of the living, not the God of the dead. He is letting us know that we are alive in eternity. Matthew 17:1-4 says, “And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias”. Moses and Elias had been dead for two-thousand years. But, here they were, talking with Jesus, and Peter, James, and John, knew them. In Luke 16:22-24 Jesus says, “And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame”. The rich man felt thirst, pain, and could see Lazarus in a place of comfort. He had all his senses. Some would say that the dead know nothing, and they use the scriptures in Ecclesiastes 9:5-6. It says here, “For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun”. They have no more a portion in this life on earth. Their love, hatred, and envy are gone. In other words, they have no more a portion in this life, here. Everything is consumed with being over there.

In the light of the scriptures that we have looked at, I think we can come to no other conclusion than that paradise is here in the kingdom. In closing this subject, I pray it to be unto edification of the body of Christ.

-Bro. Lawrence Kegley

-May hearts and minds be comforted in knowing, “To depart this life is to be with Christ”.

[ The End ]