Paradise on Earth

[onewithhim]

When I learned that the Bible speaks of a restored Garden of Eden and the restoration of mankind to the perfection and endless life that Adam forfeited, I was thrilled. Who doesn't want to keep living on this beautiful earth, with our loved ones, and being able to do all the things we love to do---endlessly?

If God said to you today, "When do you want to die?" would you say "now!!"? I don't think very many people would say that.

We CAN live forever here on Earth. The Bible tells us that we can.

Matthew 5:5
Psalm 37:9-11,29

[tam]

Peace to you,

Just bumping this response because the question "how can anything be better" has been answered in this thread:

[Replying to post 748 by onewithhim]

Can anyone help me understand that?

Because people who love Christ long to be with Him, in person, face to face (or sitting at His feet).

Literally be with Him.


And before you assert that he is 'with' some of us now (via holy spirit), and it will be the same then... you have previously acknowledged that the apostles and disciples were looking forward to more than that; to when they would LITERALLY be with Him.

That is what His Body, those who love Him and seek Him, are looking forward TO.

The JW version of paradise earth says, 'no, you can't have that.'


It is not paradise earth that some are rejecting. It is the fact that the JW version of paradise earth comes at the cost of their being with their Lord, and that is the very thing that they long to do.

Surely you can understand that?


**

Yet, there is no such cost. We do inherit the earth. But Christ is with us. He gathers His own up to Him, to be married, to be changed "in a twinkling"... then the Holy City comes down out of heaven. So that Paradise (the garden of Eden) - in the midst of which is Christ (the Tree of Life) - is once again upon the earth.

And the dwelling of God is with men.



Though there may be some who would argue with that as well... others would not care WHERE their eternal home is (heaven or earth, or access to both), as long as they are with their Lord, seeing Him, speaking with Him, face to face (or sitting at His feet).


Peace to you,
your servant and a slave of Christ,
tammy

[onewithhim]

Peace to you,

Just bumping this response because the question "how can anything be better" has been answered in this thread:

[Replying to post 748 by onewithhim]

Can anyone help me understand that?

Because people who love Christ long to be with Him, in person, face to face (or sitting at His feet).

Literally be with Him.


And before you assert that he is 'with' some of us now (via holy spirit), and it will be the same then... you have previously acknowledged that the apostles and disciples were looking forward to more than that; to when they would LITERALLY be with Him.

That is what His Body, those who love Him and seek Him, are looking forward TO.

The JW version of paradise earth says, 'no, you can't have that.'


It is not paradise earth that some are rejecting. It is the fact that the JW version of paradise earth comes at the cost of their being with their Lord, and that is the very thing that they long to do.

Surely you can understand that?


**

Yet, there is no such cost. We do inherit the earth. But Christ is with us. He gathers His own up to Him, to be married, to be changed "in a twinkling"... then the Holy City comes down out of heaven. So that Paradise (the garden of Eden) - in the midst of which is Christ (the Tree of Life) - is once again upon the earth.

And the dwelling of God is with men.



Though there may be some who would argue with that as well... others would not care WHERE their eternal home is (heaven or earth, or access to both), as long as they are with their Lord, seeing Him, speaking with Him, face to face (or sitting at His feet).


Peace to you,
your servant and a slave of Christ,
tammy

You have no idea of what you will be DOING, do you? Just looking at Christ and talking with him or sitting at his feet? Those going to heaven will be doing a lot more than that. They are to guide those of us on the earth in a re-vamping work, bringing the earth back to paradise conditions (as the Garden of Eden once had). We will all be busy making the earth the beautiful place it was meant to be.

[tam]

Peace to you,

Peace to you,

Just bumping this response because the question "how can anything be better" has been answered in this thread:

[Replying to post 748 by onewithhim]

Can anyone help me understand that?

Because people who love Christ long to be with Him, in person, face to face (or sitting at His feet).

Literally be with Him.


And before you assert that he is 'with' some of us now (via holy spirit), and it will be the same then... you have previously acknowledged that the apostles and disciples were looking forward to more than that; to when they would LITERALLY be with Him.

That is what His Body, those who love Him and seek Him, are looking forward TO.

The JW version of paradise earth says, 'no, you can't have that.'


It is not paradise earth that some are rejecting. It is the fact that the JW version of paradise earth comes at the cost of their being with their Lord, and that is the very thing that they long to do.

Surely you can understand that?


**

Yet, there is no such cost. We do inherit the earth. But Christ is with us. He gathers His own up to Him, to be married, to be changed "in a twinkling"... then the Holy City comes down out of heaven. So that Paradise (the garden of Eden) - in the midst of which is Christ (the Tree of Life) - is once again upon the earth.

And the dwelling of God is with men.



Though there may be some who would argue with that as well... others would not care WHERE their eternal home is (heaven or earth, or access to both), as long as they are with their Lord, seeing Him, speaking with Him, face to face (or sitting at His feet).


Peace to you,
your servant and a slave of Christ,
tammy

You have no idea of what you will be DOING, do you?

Of course I do, but that is besides the point. Why are you trying to convince me (and the readers) that this is something that I (or we) should not want?

Just looking at Christ and talking with him or sitting at his feet?

All of those things are amazing and I do not know why you are trying to belittle them.

Those going to heaven will be doing a lot more than that.

The New Jerusalem (the Bride, the Church) will indeed be coming down out of heaven (Rev 21:2) and reigning ask kings and priests in the Kingdom upon the earth (Rev 20:4, 6; 5:10 22:2-4)... doing all that this entails. The Bride will serve Christ and His Kingdom, performing the duties of king-priests, out of love for Him and for His Father, and also for all those THEY love as well.


Peace again

[myth-one.com]

Those going to heaven will be doing a lot more than that. They are to guide those of us on the earth in a re-vamping work, bringing the earth back to paradise conditions (as the Garden of Eden once had). We will all be busy making the earth the beautiful place it was meant to be.

Jesus is presently in heaven preparing a place for us:

I go to prepare a place for you. (John 14:2)

When our place is ready, Jesus will bring it back to earth upon His return:

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. (John 14:3)

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. (Revelation 21:1-2)

Jesus has been preparing our new earth and its associated surroundings for the past two thousand years. He is bringing His new creation back to the earth when He returns and Christians will be with Jesus for eternity. "That where I am, there ye may be also."

Is the earthly world presently part of the Kingdom of Heaven? No, it is basically a colony which has rebelled under Satan and some of his angels and broken away from the kingdom. However, the kingdoms of this world will once again become the kingdoms of our Lord and Christ:

The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. (Revelation 11:15)

The earth will once again become part of the Kingdom of Heaven. It will not be heaven, but will be under God's rule and part of the Kingdom of Heaven as is heaven itself. This will occur when Jesus returns to take back control of the earth from Satan. And how long does Jesus our Lord intend to reign on the earth?

The Lord shall reign for ever and ever. (Exodus 15:18)

The Lord shall reign for ever... (Psalm 146:10)

And they shall reign for ever and ever. (Revelation 22:5)

And what are the born again Christians going to be doing after Jesus' return?

We shall also reign with him. (II Timothy 2:12)

And how long are the born again Christians going to be with the Lord Jesus?

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (I Thessalonians 4:17)

Where will Jesus base His rule and locate His tabernacle to rule the earth? The holy city of Jerusalem:

And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. (Revelation 21:2-3)

New Jerusalem is part of what Jesus has been preparing for us over the past two thousand years. He will bring it down from heaven upon His return. Since Jesus is going to rule the earth forever from new Jerusalem, and we will rule with Him, and be with Him forever, where does that place us forever and ever?

On the earth!

[onewithhim]

[Replying to myth-one.com in post #2764]
The Bible indicates that the earth remains forever (Eccles.1:4) and Jesus and his co-rulers will reign OVER the earth from heaven. (Rev.5:10) A spirit world will not be planted onto the earth when Jesus comes back. All the promises of heaven were for the anointed brothers of Jesus....the 144,000. The rest of mankind will live on the earth forever, and Jesus and his co-rulers will remain in heaven. A study of the complete Bible will aid our understanding. Cherry-picking scriptures does not help.

[myth-one.com]

[Replying to myth-one.com in post #2764]
Jesus and his co-rulers will reign OVER the earth from heaven. (Rev.5:10)

No, Revelation 5:10 states that the earthly rulers will reign on the earth:

And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. (Revelation 5:10)

Bad cherry.

Find another.

[onewithhim]

[Replying to myth-one.com in post #2764]
Jesus and his co-rulers will reign OVER the earth from heaven. (Rev.5:10)

No, Revelation 5:10 states that the earthly rulers will reign on the earth:

And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. (Revelation 5:10)

Bad cherry.

Find another.

Nope. That word can be translated as "on" OR "over." The Holy Family Edition of the Catholic Bible understood that when translating. It renders Rev.5:10 as "and hast made them for our God a kingdom and priests, and they shall reign over the earth." The Sacred Heart Edition says the same thing.

[myth-one.com]

[Replying to myth-one.com in post #2764]
Jesus and his co-rulers will reign OVER the earth from heaven. (Rev.5:10)

No, Revelation 5:10 states that the earthly rulers will reign on the earth:

And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. (Revelation 5:10)

Bad cherry.

Find another.

Nope. That word can be translated as "on" OR "over." The Holy Family Edition of the Catholic Bible understood that when translating. It renders Rev.5:10 as "and hast made them for our God a kingdom and priests, and they shall reign over the earth." The Sacred Heart Edition says the same thing.

"On" or "Over" is OK with me.

But where is it said that they will do either from Heaven?

[Eloi]

[Replying to myth-one.com in post #2764]
Jesus and his co-rulers will reign OVER the earth from heaven. (Rev.5:10)

No, Revelation 5:10 states that the earthly rulers will reign on the earth:

And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. (Revelation 5:10)

Bad cherry.

Find another.

Nope. That word can be translated as "on" OR "over." The Holy Family Edition of the Catholic Bible understood that when translating. It renders Rev.5:10 as "and hast made them for our God a kingdom and priests, and they shall reign over the earth." The Sacred Heart Edition says the same thing.

"On" or "Over" is OK with me.

But where is it said that they will do either from Heaven?

This will happen to the rest of Jesus' brothers (the kings and priests) who will be alive at that moment:

John 14:3 Also, if I go my way and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will receive you home to myself, so that where I am you also may be.

1 Thess. 4:16 because the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a commanding call, with an archangel’s voice and with God’s trumpet, and those who are dead in union with Christ will rise first. 17 Afterward we the living who are surviving will, together with them, be caught away in clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and thus we shall always be with [the] Lord.

[Eloi]

[Replying to myth-one.com in post #2764]
Jesus and his co-rulers will reign OVER the earth from heaven. (Rev.5:10)

No, Revelation 5:10 states that the earthly rulers will reign on the earth:

And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. (Revelation 5:10)

Bad cherry.

Find another.

Nope. That word can be translated as "on" OR "over." The Holy Family Edition of the Catholic Bible understood that when translating. It renders Rev.5:10 as "and hast made them for our God a kingdom and priests, and they shall reign over the earth." The Sacred Heart Edition says the same thing.

Totally true.

Here we can see the same use of that Greek preposition:

Luke 1:33 and he will rule as King over the house of Jacob forever, and there will be no end to his Kingdom.