Adventure Quest #3: Paradise

Adventure Quest #3: Paradise.

To Quest (a very active verb): To engage in a long, difficult and adventurous journey that requires hard work in order to achieve a worthwhile goal or a valuable possession; to give oneself to a focused search, a single-minded pursuit, that frequently involves challenges, exploration, and personal growth; to invest personally in a prolonged endeavor in which the process is just as important as the product; to engage in a mission or expedition in an extensive search to discover something important.

First, Paradise was beautifully created… Now, Paradise is being wonderfully renewed… Soon, Paradise will be completely restored.

Paradise Created: “And God saw all that He had made, savoring its beauty, and indeed it was very good. ‘Excellent!’ He pronounced, and he completely approved all the work that He had done… Yahweh God shaped a person (adam) from the dust of the ground (adamah), and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life so that the person became a living being. Yahweh God planted a lush garden in Eden, which is in the east, and there put the person whom He had formed. Out of the soil, God caused to grow every tree that was pleasing in appearance and good for food…Yahweh God took this person and settled him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and care for it…And Yahweh God said, ‘It isn’t good that the person should be alone. I will make for him a companion, a helper suitable for coming alongside him… And from Adam’s side, God made a woman.” (refer to Genesis, chapters 1-3).

1. Beautiful! The Hebrew word “towb” is translated many times as good, beautiful, excellent, life-giving, or perfectly useful.  Thus, God’s refrain in the creation story of Genesis 1-2 could be translated as “And God saw that it was beautiful, excellent, exactly the way I wanted it!” God’s creative handiwork has been accepted by believers ever since as an absolute standard for beauty.
2. A Thin Place. In the beginning, God created one vast, spacious “thin place,” in which the boundary between heaven and earth seemed non-existent. This heavenly space on earth was created to be a dwelling place for God and mankind, a place for their intimate fellowship. The Godhead of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is a community of love, and God created mankind in His image, so it seemed right and good to create a place to enjoy their communion together. This is the Garden of Eden, Paradise, where there was no veil between God and mankind or between heaven and earth.
3. Paradise: (Greek, paradeiso; Hebrew, Gan-Eden); the Greek word is taken from an old Persian term meaning park, garden, paradise, a pleasure-ground; the Hebrew understanding of the word came from its root ‘dn,’ which means enjoyment, and was considered to be the ‘Garden of Yahweh’). The early church Fathers believed that Paradise, the Garden of Eden, still exists far removed from the heavens and the earth, and is awaiting its renewal and recovery in the ‘new heaven and new earth.’ Christians believe this will occur at the coming of the Lord Jesus to establish the New Jerusalem. Believers now think of Paradise as a synonym of heaven, the place of rest for those who have departed in Christ, where fellowship will once again take place in perfect unity between God and mankind, just as it did in the original Garden of Eden.
4. Paradise Lost. But then tragically the thin veil thickened, the curtain between God and man grew pronounced. The Tree of Life in Eden was planted by God in the middle of the garden. It was put there to fulfill man’s destiny of eternal life, bearing the fruit of immortality. Those who ate of this tree “live forever.” (Gen 3:22). After Adam and Eve fell into a state of sin, God would not allow anyone to eat of the Tree of Life. This would have given sinners a hopeless life of eternal sin, a sinner’s life that would never end. A sinner who ate of this Tree would never achieve God’s eventual plan of immortality for mankind. This would be God’s worst nightmare, a humanity that would be wicked forever, a spiritual catastrophe. God needed to protect the Tree of Life at all costs, so He positioned cherubim at the Tree. Cherubim were and are the angel servants of God who accompany God’s glory around the Throne. Cherubim are those mighty and fearsome winged creatures created by God before the world began. We don’t know how many of these angels were stationed at the Tree of Life, but we do know that each angel wielded an awesome weapon, a revolving sword of fire, a flaming blade forged in heaven. These swords of fire turned in every direction, flashing back and forth to protect the Tree. We can imagine that the fires that forged these heavenly swords came from the celestial consuming fires of the glory of God.

Paradise In the Process of Renewal: “When You send out Your life-giving breath, things come alive, and the world is like new again! When You breathe into anything, it receives life. In that way, You renew the face of the earth.” (Psalm 104:30).

1. Creator God Sustains the Earth. Our creative Father God is full of present-tense faithfulness to His beloved world. He is devoted to sustaining the world He made, strengthening and nourishing it so that His creation will thrive. He will support and prolong His creation so that it flourishes and will continue to declare the excellence of His workmanship and glory. He will not withdraw His sustaining presence, because of course this world and everything in it depends on His sustaining Presence and grace for its very existence. “If God were to take back His Spirit and withdraw His breath, all life would cease, and humanity would return to dust.” (Job 34:14-15). God’s first covenant in human history was with Noah soon after the Flood. Sustainer God promised to Noah and his descendants that nature would remain in place. “So long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall not cease.” (Genesis 8:22). God promised to sustain His creation as He watched over the established patterns in nature. God promised to preserve what He created. The Father established those patterns in nature to sustain His world, and He will continue to stay involved with His handiwork.
2. “And a little child shall lead them.” Another significant sign of the presence of God’s kingdom on earth is when the child Messiah will come to earth to lead the human family back to God. The little child shall guide us, tend us, and lead us back to the Lord. That little child prophesied by Isaiah points directly to Jesus Christ. We know that Jesus submitted to all the stages of human development. He was a fetus in Mary’s womb, an infant, a toddler, a young child who matured as all young people do. We know that “as Jesus grew, so did His wisdom and maturity. The favor of men increased upon His life, for He was loved greatly by God.” (Luke 2:52). We don’t know anything about the eighteen years of his life between His youthful time in the Temple and His baptism, but as we consider His adult ministry, it’s clear that He retained the heart of a child… His physical needs were simple; He was always curious and imaginative; He wanted to please people and bring joy to others. Most of all, Jesus was a humble servant, He had a child-like trust in His Father, a steadfast faith in the love and intentions of His Father in heaven. Jesus wanted above all to please His Father and obey His instructions, hanging on every word from the Father. He openly expressed His complete and child-like dependence on the Father. He loved and embraced children, He advocated for children, and He even held children up as the role models to follow if one wanted to get into His kingdom. He seemed to identify with children so profoundly, would it be a stretch to claim that Jesus was eternally a Child? The disciples seemed to think so as they ministered in His Name… “By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.” (Acts 4:30). Of course, lest we forget, the child-like qualities we see in the Master Jesus will be duplicated by His Spirit in those who follow Him. In God’s kingdom on earth, the child-like are in the lead, the servants are in charge.
3. Jesus Opens Up Paradise. “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:39-43). The repentant thief treated Jesus much differently than the rebellious thief in that he advocated for Jesus by rebuking the other thief. The repentant thief said… Have you no shame? Have you no fear of God even before you die? You and I deserve this punishment. We were thieves, so we shouldn’t be surprised that this is our fate. But this man does not deserve this. He is totally innocent. What has he done wrong? Nothing. Nothing at all. While hanging on the cross, the repentant thief saw the sign above Jesus’ head on His Cross that declared “This is the King of the Jews.” At that moment he believed that Jesus truly was the King, even if He was a dying King. A mustard seed of faith entered his soul as he pleaded with Jesus: “Please remember me when you come into your Kingdom!” That was all the opening Jesus needed to act. Even a hairline crack in the heart was enough for Jesus to offer grace. Jesus responded with, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in Paradise.” Paradise. Heaven. The restored Garden of Eden. The place of rest, comfort and joy for the departed in Christ. The door to Paradise had been closed ever since sin entered the world. But soon the Resurrection of Jesus would mean that He personally would unlock those doors. The risen Spirit of Christ would gladly welcome the first resident of Paradise, the redeemed criminal who was never baptized, who never signed on to any list of doctrines. Jesus is thrilled to accept faith and repentance whenever it happens, whether in the life of an elderly man on his death bed, or a young girl in kindergarten class, a dastardly criminal or a completely ignorant man who simply followed what little light was shown to him in his life. The angels will rejoice over one sinner who repents, no matter when that repentance takes place. That day, at that hour, the angels were rejoicing over the cross of that repentant thief.

Paradise Restored:

1. The Tree of Heaven. “To those who overcome, I will give to eat from the Tree of Life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God… I’m about to call each conqueror to dinner! I’m spreading a banquet of Tree of Life fruit, a supper plucked from God’s orchard.” (Rev. 2:7; NKJ and MSG).  What a picture St. John paints for us in Revelation 22. There in Paradise, a pure river of crystal-clear water is flowing freely from the Throne of the Father and the Lamb. The water is John’s way of talking about the Holy Spirit. So there we can see the Trinity’s presence in the center of heaven, with the Father on the Throne, the Son on the Throne, and the Holy Spirit flowing right from their presence into heaven. And then he sees that the River is somehow flowing right through the Tree of Life, the Tree on both sides of the River as it travels through Paradise. A pure River of Life flowing right through the roots and bottom trunk of the Tree of Life! Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, the restored Tree of Life is now ready to fulfill mankind’s destiny, the believer’s assurance of eternal life. This Tree, once planted in God’s first Paradise, is now planted in eternal Paradise. God desires to restore the Garden of Eden in the new heaven and the new earth, and so God has placed the restored Tree of Life in the middle of the new Kingdom. This Tree reverses the hostility and woundedness of the first rebellion, and is ready to be productive and useful, bearing a fruit that is ripe for each of the twelve months. Its leaves are intended for the permanent healing of the nations, the nurture and care of all people, Jew and Gentile. This restored Tree of Life in the New Jerusalem reverses the curse of the Garden of Eden. Jesus promises that all the overcomers, believers in Christ, will eat the fruit of this Tree in heaven, this Tree that heals our deadly wounds and gives us wholeness and everlasting life. The Tree of Life will be enjoyed by all those who participate in Christ’s victory and salvation.
2. The Peaceable Kingdom. “The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat; the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together. And a little child shall guide and tend them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” (11:6-9). This poetic picture of the earth’s inevitable return to the Paradise of Eden is anticipating the messianic era, when all will be at peace, the whole earth will experience shalom. The redemption of the earth will include the animal kingdom, a complete transformation of the natural world when the curse of Adam will be removed. The new heavens and the new earth will be the Golden Age when the predators will become peaceful and no longer hunt for prey; the warring countries will lay down their arms; the discord between people and between the people groups will be healed. One can also understand this vision of Isaiah’s to include the disharmony within each of us, the broken pieces from our sinful nature that give each person contradictory impulses and warring qualities that create within us an internal disharmony and keeps us from a peaceful spirit. The Spirit of the Lord will soothe the savage beast within and without, and for once in our sordid human history, we’ll all just get along!
3. SHALOM = The ancient Hebrew word translated as peace: completeness or wholeness, as in the joining together of opposites; integrity, as in the effective holding together of separate pieces; to give/restore harmony; fulfillment; health; security; abundant well-being; the state of having the vitality needed to thrive and flourish; tranquility; freedom from disquiet and disorder; reconciliation; resolution of conflict/war; healing of division; prosperity. The Greek word for peace in the New Testament is “Eirene,” and means the same thing as “Shalom” in the Hebrew Bible. Shalom ranks the highest of all values in the Hebrew Bible, according to Jewish scholars. Shalom is the most important goal in all of life. “Rabbinic teaching describes it as the only vessel through which God’s blessings can flow into this world.” (Rabbi Arthur Green, These are the words: A Vocabulary of Jewish Spiritual Life).
4. Heaven on Earth through Shalom. Live in harmony with others; intentionally help in the combining of separate people into a unified whole; lend a helping  hand in reconciling apparent differences with others; adjust yourself in order to fit together with others; as much as is possible, honestly be of the same mind with others; be agreeable and forgiving; join together with others in a unifying purpose; actively listen to achieve mutual understanding; bravely pray that God’s shalom will flood the atmosphere with His presence.

Universal Reconciliation. “God was pleased that all His divine fullness should forever dwell permanently in the Son, who as predetermined by God, bled peace into the world by His death on the Cross as God’s means of reconciling to Himself the whole creation – all things in heaven and all things on earth. In other words, God purposed that all things would be completely reconciled back to Himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood shed on the cross.” (Colossians 1:19-20).

1. Reconciled: (Greek, “apokatallaxai”); a medical term meaning restoration of complete health; to fully restore to a former state of harmony; a total reconciliation of a broken relationship; a full return to what was once joined together. St. Peter used this term in his famous sermon in the Temple in Acts 3:21, “Jesus is in heaven now and must remain there until the Day of universal restoration comes – the restoration which in ancient times God announced through His holy prophets. To restore in this verse means “to make peace” (Greek, “eirenopsis”); to renew shalom; to resolve differences; to restore a unity to what was divided or fractured; to bring wholeness and well-being to what was spoiled or broken.
2. Universal Restoration (UR): Also called Universal Reconciliation, it is the term used for the Christian belief that eventually, ultimately, Creator God through His Son Jesus will restore His broken relationship with all of creation; that God has intended this world-wide restoration ever since sin broke creation into pieces and has ever since been waiting to be put back together again; that this fractured union between God and humanity would be completely reconciled through Jesus Christ; that all of creation, all of humanity since the Garden of Eden, has the destiny of being fully renewed through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus; that the timetable for this eventual restoration is known only to God, but is nonetheless destined because it is God’s eventual will for His beloved creation. As Rev. Parton puts it in his book, “This is the teaching that those who have died without placing their faith in Christ will experience the judgment of hell, but that hell is finally both loving and redemptive, that it accomplishes God’s purpose of bringing even the most obstinate sinner to the point of repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, and thus God will completely restore His creation.” 

An Earthly Life with Heavenly Rewards. “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven… for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:20). Once again in His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is advising His followers to have an invisible moneybag to store what will be waiting for us in heaven. Love the Lord in such a way that in our devotion to Him we accumulate what we know is precious to His Kingdom values. We are to invest in heavenly riches by the way we live here on earth, deliberately hoarding heavenly treasure for future rewards. The literal meaning of “lay up” is “treasure up,” so we are instructed by Jesus to treasure up for ourselves treasures in heaven. What does it mean to lay up heavenly treasures, to be rich toward God? It means using our possessions and surplus the way God would want us to. Don’t let our wealth distract us from a relationship with God and others. Serve the needy with the goods we have. Recognize that everything we own is on loan, including our soul, and our time on earth. Don’t forget our concern for the next life as well as this one. Invest in a heavenly relationship with God through prayer, study, obedience and the Gospel virtues inspiring good works. Communion with God and service to others makes us rich in heaven. Love God and love our neighbor, and we are laying up treasures.

Earning Those Golden Crowns. Another symbol of honors given to believers in Christ’s heavenly reward system is that of crowns. These were not literal crowns, of course, but various pictures of victory that would be given believers at the Pearly Gates of the Kingdom. There were five different crowns of honor mentioned in the epistles:

The Crown of Life – This is Jesus’ way of honoring those believers who endured trials from enemies of the Lord, faithful even to the point of death through the persecutions. “Blessed are those believers who remain steadfast under trial, for when they have stood the test they will receive the Crown of Life, which God has promised to those who love Him.” (James 1:12); “Do not fear what you are about to suffer; Behold the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the Crown of Life.” (Revelation 2:10).

The Crown of Righteousness – To those who in Christ are right with God in His purity and goodness, and are living in light of eternity, eagerly awaiting His return. “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the Crown of Righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have yearned for his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:7-8).

The Crown of Glory – Those Christ-following leaders, teachers and pastors are honored with an especially majestic recognition for their remaining true to their holy responsibilities, faithful to guiding their people well. “And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading Crown of Glory.” (1 Peter 5:4)

The Crown of Rejoicing – Also called the Crown of Joy, this reward is claimed by Paul as an evangelist, and implies that there will be special honors to those like him who have led others to Christ, whether by example, word, or through faithfulness in prayer. “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?” (1 Thessalonians 2:19).

The Incorruptible Crown – This crown is also called the Imperishable Crown, honoring all believers through their faithful lives of discipline and self-control in keeping the faith. This crown is not temporal and will never wither away like the olive wreath given to the winners of their races. This golden crown is an everlasting honor, a reward that will last forever. “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises discipline and self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable crown.” (1 Corinthians 9:24-25).

Praying Into the Lord’s Prayer Regarding Heaven and Earth: 

1. “Who Lives in Heaven.” We thank you, Son of the Father, Jesus Christ, that in Your prayer You have pointed us directly to the one perfect Father in heaven, and not the imperfect fathers who live on earth. We worship You, Lord, who lives in the realm of heaven, a distinctly separate dimension from earthly existence. Please help those of us who are distracted by our own experience with earthly fathers. Inspire us with a vision of who You are, Father, what You are like, and why it is wise of us to adore You and obey You. We thank You, Lord, that our glorious destiny is to live in a land where there are no tears, no pain, no brokenness within and without, and no death. We thank You, Lord God, that heaven is not just a myth or mere wishful thinking. We thank You that heaven is actually more real, more solid, than what we experience every day. You have promised us an eternal life with You, God, where we can see You face to face. We are so grateful that heaven has been described as a wondrous banquet fit for a King, a plenteous and joyful supper of fellowship and celebration with each other, a marriage feast for Christ the Bridegroom and His bride the Church. May we be like Isaiah who offered himself so passionately after gaining a glimpse of heaven. May we be like Jacob who rejoiced to see You, Father, at the top of the ladder to heaven in his dream. May we be like John who was so delighted to peek through the gates of heaven. And may we be like Stephen, who saw heaven in his last moments and offered up a prayer of forgiveness for his enemies. We reverence You, Father, for You are King of heaven, and will soon enough extend Your reign to earth. We find great joy in the prospect that one of these days we will all sit at Your Welcome Table in our heavenly home.
2. “Hallowed be Your Name.” May Your holy Name be held up as sacred, Lord. May Your Name be set apart from common use, from casual or thoughtless use. Your Name describes who You are, Lord, Your character and Your identity. And so we thank You for revealing Yourself through Your names in ways which we can understand… the Healer, the Provider, the Shepherd, the Deliverer, the Prince of Peace. We do earnestly desire to honor Your worthy Name, Yahweh the Great I AM, Lord Adonai, Creator Elohim, Sustainer El Shaddai. May our hearts wince inside of us when Your glorious Name is sullied or cursed. May we be the type of people who shine a light in the world by holding Your Name high, by completely respecting Your Name and divine nature. May the world see the importance of honoring Your Name, Lord, and how vital it is that Your Name be treated with respect and honor. So we pray for those around us, and for us, and may the company increase who would join us in responding to Your Name with a hushed reverence and worshipful awe.
3. “Your Kingdom Come.” Your Son told us, Father, that Your Kingdom starts small, that when You establish Your reign on earth it will be with small beginnings. Your Kingdom starts in the fertile ground of the heart, God, a tiny Kingdom seed dropped into the very center of our lives. May our hearts truly be fertile, Lord, ready to receive the seeds of truth from Your Kingdom. Teach us patience as the seed grows quietly beneath the surface and the roots begin to develop. May we not interfere in Your holy process by trying to speed things up with the mysterious growth of that seed. Show us how to provide the nutrition needed for that seed to grow and become fruitful for the sake of Your Kingdom. We humbly ask You, Lord God, that we submit to You as You rule with authority in our daily lives. We pray that in our weak moments we will not attempt to replace You on the throne of our hearts and think we can establish our own little kingdoms. We invite you to be our permanent and eternal King, God, that Your Kingdom would come into our hearts and remain for all time. May we have a part to play in the spread of Your Kingdom on earth, from heart to heart. May all of us, every day, seek Your Kingdom like a treasure hidden in a field and like a pearl of great price. Train us to be like the wise householder instructed for Your Kingdom who reveals both the old and the new from his storehouse. We thank You for the ground that was prepared for your Kingdom by your Chosen People in the Torah, and that in the fullness of time You sent Your Son to bring Your Kingdom to this world. We thank You, Father God, for appointing Your Son to be the Lord of the Kingdom. Help us to follow You and Your Son in the power of Your Spirit until we see the fullness of Your Kingdom in the New Jerusalem.
4. “Your Will Be Done.” We understand, Father, that in order for Your Kingdom to come, You need for Your will to be done. As the King, You need to be obeyed. You have every right to expect this, Lord, since You are the royal Sovereign of the universe. You have every right to expect Your purposes here on earth to be fulfilled. Only You, Lord King, know the best way to manage Your Kingdom. Please help us as we grow in our trust of You and in our ability to lean fully into You. We embrace Your Word, Father, and have come to know that You have revealed Your will clearly in Scripture. We know Your will is for us to submit to You, to be rich in mercy, to promote justice, to grow in righteousness, to increase in humble faith. We realize the importance of living into Your will by growing in the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We also know that You desire for us to grow into the likeness of Your Son. We ask You, God, that our trust in You will develop to the point of agreeing to Your will even before we know what that will might be. Help us to be like Isaiah, who said, “Here I am! Send me!” before he even received instructions from You. Help us to be like Samuel, who with the faith of a child said, “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening” before he even knew what You were going to say. May we be like Moses who said, “Here I am, Lord, You have my full attention” at the burning bush when he received his Great Commission. And may we be like Your friend Abraham, who faithfully left his home at Your simple request, not knowing his destination. Teach us how to follow Your will like all the saints, Father, and then enable us to fulfill it. Doing Your will, O King, obeying Your orders, is a privilege and will bring us great joy and peace.
5. “On Earth As It Is Done in Heaven.” Your wish is our command, King of heaven. We stand ready to do Your bidding here on earth just like Your servants who do Your bidding in heaven. Your angels surround Your throne, God, and are poised to obey You, thrilled that they could be of service to You, God. Help us to surround Your throne with praises in our hearts now, Lord, ready to do Your will. The angels stand ready to be a part of Your wonderful Kingdom, and we want to be like them. They are committed to doing Your will immediately without a second thought. They can be trusted to accomplish Your desires completely and with single-mindedness. Your angels find joy and fulfillment in cooperating with You, Father, for Kingdom purposes. Your angels protect and defend the righteous, they minister to those in need. They reflect the light of heaven as they serve You, O King, and represent Your presence. Help us, Lord, to be just like Your angels. Help us to do Your will here on earth just like the angels do in heaven. And may we serve You with a song in our heart, just like the angels who worship You day and night with holy music around Your throne. Help us, God, to serve You just like them, doing Your will on earth as it is done in heaven, with a lightness of heart that reflects the joy of Your heavenly Kingdom.