Is ‘Paradise’ Where We Go When We Die?

Question:

Is ‘paradise’ where we go when we die? Does our spirit go to ‘paradise’?

Answer:

The word ‘paradise,’ translated from the Greek word paradeisos, is mentioned only 3 times in the Bible: Luke 23:43; 1 Corinthians 12:4; Revelations 2:7. ‘Paradise’ is of Persian origin, and means a garden, particularly a garden of pleasure, filled with trees, shrubs, fountains, and flowers. In hot climates, such gardens were quite pleasant and were attached to the mansions of the rich and to the palaces of princes. The word came to signify any place of happiness and was used particularly to denote the abodes of the blessed in the Kingdom of God. Jesus used this word to the thief on the cross (Luke 23:43), as a type of the Kingdom of God, where the Earth will be plush and green and at peace.

God formed man from the dust of the ground, breathed into his nostrils the Breath of Life, and man became a living being (Genesis 2:7). But man was also given a spirit that made him far superior to the animal world, which operates solely on instinct and conditioned response.
The human mind, coupled with the human spirit, gives man intelligence far above the animal kingdom. When a human is converted and is given the Holy Spirit from God, that Spirit combines with the human spirit to form a new spiritual creature. When a person dies, his spirit returns to God until the resurrection. By analogy, the human spirit may be compared to a master recording device that records all of a man’s characteristics, intelligence, and experiences.

If God so chooses, He can rebuild that man either from new physical material or from spirit (depending on which resurrection he may be in), using the information preserved in the human spirit. Scripture clearly speaks of two types of spirit a man can have: the spirit of man, which is in him, and the Spirit of God, which is given to him during conversion. Some references in this regard can be found in the following scriptures: Genesis 2:7; Job 32:8; Ecclesiastes 3:21, 12:7; Daniel 45:28-37; Zechariah 12:1; Romans 8:16; 1 Corinthians 2:11-15.

Contrary to what many religious organizations teach about heaven, your Bible says,

And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but He [Christ] that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.” (John 3:13, emphasis mine)

Revelation 5:10 says,

And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth (emphasis mine).”

Yes, Jesus is coming a second time to this Earth and will set up His Kingdom on Earth! The Kingdom of God is the Family of God ruling as the Government of God. It is a future world-ruling government to be set up on the Earth by Christ at His return—with Jesus as King and the resurrected spirit-composed saints in positions of co-rulership with Him. The Kingdom of God—sometimes referred to as a “mystery” in the New Testament because so few really understood it, was first preached and explained by Christ, then by His church. It shall be established on Earth for a thousand years following Christ’s return and shall be completely fulfilled when New Jerusalem and God the Father come down out of heaven to dwell on the New Earth. (Please read all of Mark 4:11; Revelations 5:10, Revelations 20:4, Revelations 21:1-3, Revelations 7, 10.)

We encourage you to continue growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. We recommend that you request our FREE Home Bible Study Correspondence Course, which goes into much greater depth on issues such as these.

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