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The Garden of Eden and Paradise

michel

Administrator Emeritus
Staff member
Christians who believe in the Garden of Eden and Paradise..............

I have always viewed The Garden of Eden as a wonderful place where nothing bad ever happened (until that slimy snake came in and ruined the plot).:D

I also think I understand that a lot of us compare the Garden of Eden with Paradise. Often, when thinking about the Lord's Prayer, I think of "Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven".

To me that symbolises our earnest desire for the Earth to return to it's previous unsullied state.........in other words, that the Garden of Eden will 'return'.

Then I think of those of us who believe in corporial bodies (which I don't BTW); let's assume that we will have, as well as all the creatures we have on Earth.

How will we be fed ? The animal kingdom seems so cruel (and that includes us!) that we have to kill for food.

Isn't that an 'impossiblity' in Paradise ? We would all have to live in peace and harmony; how do you visualise that ?
 
A

angellous_evangellous

Guest
michel said:
Christians who believe in the Garden of Eden and Paradise..............

I have always viewed The Garden of Eden as a wonderful place where nothing bad ever happened (until that slimy snake came in and ruined the plot).:D

I also think I understand that a lot of us compare the Garden of Eden with Paradise. Often, when thinking about the Lord's Prayer, I think of "Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven".

To me that symbolises our earnest desire for the Earth to return to it's previous unsullied state.........in other words, that the Garden of Eden will 'return'.

Then I think of those of us who believe in corporial bodies (which I don't BTW); let's assume that we will have, as well as all the creatures we have on Earth.

How will we be fed ? The animal kingdom seems so cruel (and that includes us!) that we have to kill for food.

Isn't that an 'impossiblity' in Paradise ? We would all have to live in peace and harmony; how do you visualise that ?

Yes! I agree.

That's why I think that the Christian tradition has the lion/wolf and the lamb lying down together in the eschaton. When God finally corrects everything, no one will have to kill for any reason.

As for food, I think that we will be sustained by Christ. We feed on Christ in the Eucharist now for our sustinance, being citizens of both heaven and earth, and this Eucharist will be fully realized in heaven.

If we have corporeal bodies ("bodily bodies"), which I think that is entirely possible given the emphasis on the bodliy resurrection in Christian theology, then I think that God will perfect our bodies in such a way that we will only need to eat whatever God provides - be it plants only or whatever else God has in mind.
 

michel

Administrator Emeritus
Staff member
Thanks guys; if The garden of Eden was on Earth, does that then imply that Heaven too will be on Earth?
 

Halcyon

Lord of the Badgers
michel said:
Thanks guys; if The garden of Eden was on Earth, does that then imply that Heaven too will be on Earth?
Well, this is just my personal belief, but in the Bible when they talked of the Heavens they were usually referring to the sky. I think people have confused Heaven (the sky) with the Kingdom of God, which i think is why people often look up "to the heavens" when they pray or talk to God.
Jesus said the Kingdom was already on Earth, within the people.
 

may

Well-Known Member
Halcyon said:
Well, this is just my personal belief, but in the Bible when they talked of the Heavens they were usually referring to the sky. I think people have confused Heaven (the sky) with the Kingdom of God, which i think is why people often look up "to the heavens" when they pray or talk to God.
Jesus said the Kingdom was already on Earth, within the people.
heavens can sometimes refer to ruling power. and 2;peter 3;13 says that there will be new heavens (rulership) and a new earth (earthly society of people)
(Isaiah 65:17) "For here I am creating new heavens and a new earth; and the former things will not be called to mind, neither will they come up into the heart.
(Revelation 21:1) And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea is no more................... also in the bible the sea can be refering to the sea of mankind , that is tossing and turning . but that will be no more because mankind will be calm........... nice
 
A

angellous_evangellous

Guest
michel said:
Thanks guys; if The garden of Eden was on Earth, does that then imply that Heaven too will be on Earth?

According to the NT, God will redeem the earth and the entire cosmos through death and renewal, just like the death and resurrection of Christ.
 

michel

Administrator Emeritus
Staff member
Strange that this should come round again.

Yesterday, I saw a programme on TV (west African game reserve); the reporter, who lives there was saying "I am so scared for that little cheetah (not sure, but of the cat family) cub, the lion is going straight where he is hiding.........Oh my goodness, the little guy won't stand a chance.

This is where the temptation to interfere becomes more than I can stand; but experience tells me we cannot interfere.....like it or not, this is nature"

(forget the programme), but I was out walking, looking around me and marvelling at the sheer beauty and wonders of nature, when I remembered that programme.

I was struck by the sheer abysmal sadness of life on Earth; the food chain - which includes us at the 'head'; and the first thought that followed that was to feel that I -literally - find it so hard to go on living this existance.

I was literally thinking "I cannot wait to get to Heaven (well, that depends on my marks!):D .but there is a hope.........to see all living in peace and with none of this dreadful slaughter.............
 

may

Well-Known Member
michel said:
but there is a hope.........to see all living in peace and with none of this dreadful slaughter.............
Yes the bible holds out a wonderful hope of a time when there will be peace on the earth .
"[Jehovah] is making wars to cease to the extremity of the earth."—PSALM 46:9.
And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away revelation 21;4
And all your sons will be persons taught by Jehovah, and the peace of your sons will be abundant. Isaiah 54;13
And he will certainly render judgment among the nations and set matters straight respecting many peoples. And they will have to beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning shears. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, neither will they learn war anymore.........Isaiah 2;4

But the meek ones themselves will possess the earth,​

And they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace. psalm 37;11
(Matthew 5:5) "Happy are the mild-tempered ones, since they will inherit the earth.​

(Revelation 21:3) With that I heard a loud voice from the throne say: "Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his peoples. And God himself will be with them.
 

may

Well-Known Member
angellous_evangellous said:
According to the NT, God will redeem the earth and the entire cosmos through death and renewal, just like the death and resurrection of Christ.
According to the bible the earth will be brought back to the original purpose of God ............ PARADISE
(Isaiah 45:18) For this is what Jehovah has said, the Creator of the heavens, He the [true] God, the Former of the earth and the Maker of it, He the One who firmly established it, who did not create it simply for nothing, who formed it even to be inhabited: "I am Jehovah, and there is no one else.
(Psalm 104:5) He has founded the earth upon its established places; It will not be made to totter to time indefinite, or forever.​

(Psalm 119:90) Your faithfulness is for generation after generation. You have solidly fixed the earth, that it may keep standing.​

(Proverbs 3:19) Jehovah himself in wisdom founded the earth. He solidly fixed the heavens in discernment..................... This planet will never be destroyed by man , because Jehovahs purpose for a paradise earth will be accomplished.
so my word that goes forth from my mouth will prove to be. It will not return to me without results, but it will certainly do that in which I have delighted, and it will have certain success in that for which I have sent it.......... isaiah 55;11
For there has been a child born to us, there has been a son given to us; and the princely rule will come to be upon his shoulder. And his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. To the abundance of the princely rule and to peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom in order to establish it firmly and to sustain it by means of justice and by means of righteousness, from now on and to time indefinite. The very zeal of Jehovah of armies will do this. Isaiah 9;6-7
A great crowd . . . out of all nations," who exercise faith in Jehovah’s ransom provision through Christ, will be saved out of "the great tribulation" to enjoy eternal peace from God. (Revelation 7:9-17; 21:3, 4) May me and you be one of them
 

may

Well-Known Member
Halcyon said:
Well, this is just my personal belief, but in the Bible when they talked of the Heavens they were usually referring to the sky. I think people have confused Heaven (the sky) with the Kingdom of God, which i think is why people often look up "to the heavens" when they pray or talk to God.
Jesus said the Kingdom was already on Earth, within the people.
‘Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified. Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth.......... matthew 6;9-10 Gods will is being done in the heavens because the faithful angels are doing Gods will in the heavens , and eventually Gods will , will be done on the earth also , but first the rebels will have to be got rid of. then the whole world can do Gods will.
 

Halcyon

Lord of the Badgers
may said:
‘Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified. Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth.......... matthew 6;9-10 Gods will is being done in the heavens because the faithful angels are doing Gods will in the heavens , and eventually Gods will , will be done on the earth also , but first the rebels will have to be got rid of. then the whole world can do Gods will.

"Jesus said, "If your leaders say to you, 'Look, the (Father's) kingdom is in heaven,' then the birds of heaven will precede you. If they say to you, 'It is in the sea,' then the fish will precede you. Rather, the (Father's) kingdom is within you and it is outside you. " 3rd Saying of Jesus - Gospel of Thomas

It doesn't matter if you believe the above quote, i post it because it is from an early Christian document, 1st to 2nd century. I've seen other translationf of the same text that use "the sky" instead of heaven, its because 'the heavens' and the skies were one and the same in ancient times.
 

Hacker

Well-Known Member
forget the programme), but I was out walking, looking around me and marvelling at the sheer beauty and wonders of nature, when I remembered that progr[/PHP]
 

sojourner

Annoyingly Progressive Since 2006
We have to remember that this is God's world -- not ours. Paradise cannot be described in "worldly" terms of humanity. We have some inkling that there must be a better existence than the imperfect we have now...but we really don't know what that entails, caught up, as we are, in the world in which we now live. I suspect that, in a perfect world, there would be only people...not good people vs. bad people. We are told not to make distinctions, for we are all one.

What will paradise look like? A whole lot like God, I imagine. What does God look like? Total unity, I imagine. What does total unity look like? We have no frame of reference, since we live our lives as individuals.
 

sandy whitelinger

Veteran Member
michel said:
How will we be fed ? The animal kingdom seems so cruel (and that includes us!) that we have to kill for food.

An interesting though I've had about the existence in the garden before there was death was what would happen if Adam and Eve didn't eat. Would they have perished? Sin brought death yet there is no mention that not eating would be a sin. Would they have just wound up very skinny?
 

Halcyon

Lord of the Badgers
sandy whitelinger said:
An interesting though I've had about the existence in the garden before there was death was what would happen if Adam and Eve didn't eat. Would they have perished? Sin brought death yet there is no mention that not eating would be a sin. Would they have just wound up very skinny?
I guess they could just have eaten fruit, fruit is made by plants specifically to be eaten, and its the only organic matter that doesn't injure or kill the individual it is taken from.
 

sandy whitelinger

Veteran Member
Halcyon said:
I guess they could just have eaten fruit, fruit is made by plants specifically to be eaten, and its the only organic matter that doesn't injure or kill the individual it is taken from.

That wan't my point. If death only came by sin would they have needed to eat to survive. If so was not eating a sin?
 
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