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

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 390 by William]



I don't recall mentioning YOU at all in my post. I only referred to those that do not wish to live forever. If you are not one of such individuals my comment does not concern you. I do not presume to know what your desire in this regard.

I feel adequately qualified however to say what my own desire is, which is what I have done in line with the OP.


You're welcome,

JW

[youtube][/youtube]

[onewithhim]

[Replying to post 390 by William]



I don't recall mentioning YOU at all in my post. I only referred to those that do not wish to live forever. If you are not one of such individuals my comment does not concern you. I do not presume to know what your desire in this regard.

I feel adequately qualified however to say what my own desire is, which is what I have done in line with the OP.


You're welcome,

JW

[youtube][/youtube]

That video is beautiful.

And isn't it true that when we say "the universe" we generally mean ALL that Jehovah created as far as our technology can take us to observe, and even beyond?

[William]

[Replying to post 390 by William]

I don't recall mentioning YOU at all in my post.

That is more dishonesty. You quoted me and then made your stuffed up comment underneath that. If you wish to backtrack, fine, but enough of the horse-pucky already. You do your organisation no favors behaving in this manner (unless of course all JWs are like unto you.)

I will find that out the next time they knock on my door and see how their attitude and replies stack up next to yours.

"Your Welcome."

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 392 by onewithhim]

Yes, I like that this year we are emphasising the positve. It's important to remember the suffering Christ went through but also the reason for that suffering.

[marco]

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

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

What an amazing conclusion to draw from the simple words: Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Obviously there is a variety of interpretations one could take but to grace the words with the proposition that human perishable flesh will survive eternally, subject to no age restrictions in an illusory earth, is hope run wild. THEY SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH might as well mean they shall have cheese sandwiches with lashings of good butter.

As for David's canticle, it is a song about broken bows and swords, couched in the times of tribal warfare. How can this possibly defy science, with its poetic references and primitive ideas. Tibullus said exactly the same sort of thing in his:
How well they lived when Saturn was king and the sword was turned into ploughshares.

I can understand that folk like to dream - but surely there is a time for realising a dream is just that. Nothing in Scripture merits the meaning of paradise on earth to come.

[JehovahsWitness]

Nothing in Scripture merits the meaning of paradise on earth to come.

Psalms 37:29 "The righteous themselves will possess THE EARTH, and they will reside forever upon it."

Isaiah 11: 9
There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain; for THE EARTH shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD, as water covers the sea." -- New American Bible

Proverbs 2 v 21, 22 Douay-Rheims Bible
"For they that are upright shall dwell in THE EARTH, and the simple shall continue in it. But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it. -- King James Bible

Matthew 5: 5 American Standard Version
"Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit THE EARTH."

Matthew 6 v 10 Young's Literal Translationn "Thy reign come: Thy will come to pass, as in heaven also on THE EARTH."

Isaiah 11: 9 " They will not do any harm or cause any ruin in all my holy mountain; because THE EARTH will certainly be filled with the knowledge of Jehovah as the waters are covering the very sea." NWT

PSALMS 72v8
May he also rule from sea to sea And from the River to the ends of THE EARTH. New American Standard Bible (©1995)


Psalms 37:11:
"But the meek ones themselves will possess THE EARTH, and they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace."


More scripture describing the future paradise earth ... [see video below]
[youtube][/youtube]

[onewithhim]

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

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

What an amazing conclusion to draw from the simple words: Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Obviously there is a variety of interpretations one could take but to grace the words with the proposition that human perishable flesh will survive eternally, subject to no age restrictions in an illusory earth, is hope run wild. THEY SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH might as well mean they shall have cheese sandwiches with lashings of good butter.

As for David's canticle, it is a song about broken bows and swords, couched in the times of tribal warfare. How can this possibly defy science, with its poetic references and primitive ideas. Tibullus said exactly the same sort of thing in his:
How well they lived when Saturn was king and the sword was turned into ploughshares.

I can understand that folk like to dream - but surely there is a time for realising a dream is just that. Nothing in Scripture merits the meaning of paradise on earth to come.

Thanks for your thoughts. I appreciate that you don't just ignore my posts and those of other JWs.

I disagree that "nothing in Scripture merits the meaning of paradise on earth to come." Much of the Bible refers to a time when the crippled and maimed will have all of their bodies and their senses back, and even the dead will be raised. All of the writers of the Bible seemed to have that hope. My favorite Scripture is in Isaiah the 11th chapter, where, in the first 5 verses it describes the world when a descendant of Jesse (David's father) would rule. Then from verse 6 through verse 9 it describes what conditions will be like---very unlike today.

"The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid. The calf and the lion and the sheep shall abide together, and a little child shall lead them. The calf and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall rest together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp; and the weaned child shall thrust his hand into the den of the [adder]. They shall not hurt, nor shall they kill in all my holy mountain, for the earth is filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the covering waters of the sea." (The Holy Bible/New Catholic Edition)

There are many other verses in Isaiah that describe a future life here on the physical earth. A couple more:

"No resident will say: 'I am sick.' The people that are dwelling in the land will be those pardoned for their error." (Is.33:24, NWT)

"At that time the eyes of the blind ones will be opened, and the very ears of the deaf ones will be unstopped. At that time the lame one will climb up just as a stag does, and the tongue of the speechless one will cry out in gladness." (Is.35:5,6)

"And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat; for as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of my people, and the works of their hands shall be of long continuance. My elect shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth in trouble." (Is.65:21-23, New Catholic Edition)



.

[OnceConvinced]

That is more dishonesty. You quoted me and then made your stuffed up comment underneath that. If you wish to backtrack, fine, but enough of the horse-pucky already. You do your organisation no favors behaving in this manner (unless of course all JWs are like unto you.)

I will find that out the next time they knock on my door and see how their attitude and replies stack up next to yours.

"Your Welcome."

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[marco]

Isaiah 11: 9
There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain; for THE EARTH shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD, as water covers the sea." -- New American Bible

I didn't say that the word EARTH was never mentioned. In his famous poem, IF, Kipling concludes:

"Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,. And—which is more—you'll be a Man, my son! "

I am fairly sure he did not mean his upright son would live eternally on the Earth. We can readily read into the simplest phrases things that we would want. None of your quotations, referring to the earth, suggests the establishment of an eternal earthly paradise, defying the laws of physics. But it's a fabulous idea.

[marco]

"At that time the eyes of the blind ones will be opened, and the very ears of the deaf ones will be unstopped. At that time the lame one will climb up just as a stag does, and the tongue of the speechless one will cry out in gladness." (Is.35:5,6)

There are beautiful poetic passages in and outside of the Bible. The Golden Age is thus described by Roman authors, but that was a past age. When we say the lion will lie down with the lamb we are using figurative language: the lion representing warlike folk and the lamb would be the peacemakers. In an ideal world the two will come together, without strife.

The Bible must, by its nature, issue promises. The Koran tells red-blooded young Muslims that in Paradise they will have virgins waiting on green couches. If people have no carrot, they will have no hope.

I see no reason to turn metaphor into a future reality. A nice idea, but the sun will eventually set for ever and those who lie as atoms in the soil or in the atmosphere will be blasted into space..... many, many years from now.