The Bible has a lot to say about paradise and what it will be like. At its most basic, paradise refers to a place of perfection, peace, and abundant provision. It is the dwelling place of God and a restoration of the perfection and abundance that existed in the Garden of Eden before the fall of man into sin (Genesis 2-3). Paradisiacal existence points forward to the future fulfillment of God’s purposes and the final defeat of sin, death, and Satan.
The Bible speaks of paradise in three interrelated senses: 1) The original paradise – the Garden of Eden. 2) The intermediate paradise – the current dwelling place of the redeemed dead in the presence of God. 3) The ultimate paradise – the newly created heavens and earth in which God will dwell with His people forever.
The Original Paradise – The Garden of Eden
The Garden of Eden was the original paradise on earth. God created it to be a perfect environment for Adam and Eve to dwell in and fellowship with Him (Genesis 2:8-15). It contained abundant provision of food, lush vegetation, precious metals and stones, and clear rivers. There was no sin, pain, or death – only perfect fellowship between God, humans, and creation. Tragically, this paradise was lost through the rebellion and disobedience of Adam and Eve when they ate the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3). As a result, humanity fell under the curse of sin, pain, and death. Creation itself was subjected to decay and destruction. However, even after the fall into sin, the Garden of Edencontinued to be seen as a model of paradise lost that pointed ahead to an ultimate recovery and restoration of all that was lost.
The Intermediate Paradise – Heaven
After death, believers enjoy a preliminary paradise as they dwell with God in heaven. Jesus promised the repentant thief on the cross, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Paul said he was “caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible words” (2 Corinthians 12:4). This intermediate paradise is a time of conscious fellowship with Christ for believers between their earthly death and their ultimate bodily resurrection (Philippians 1:23). It is pictured as a pleasant resting place of peace and comfort (Luke 16:22-25; Revelation 6:9-11). While glorious, it is still a temporary intermediate state awaiting the final future restoration.
The Ultimate Paradise – New Heavens and New Earth
The Bible climaxes with a promise of the ultimate paradise to come when God dwells with His people forever on the new heavens and new earth (Revelation 21-22). This is the future restoration of all that was lost in the fall. There will be a new Eden-like garden in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 22:1-5). Pain, crying, grief, and death will be no more (Revelation 21:4). The curse upon creation will be lifted (Revelation 22:3). The dwelling of God will be with man and He will wipe away every tear (Revelation 21:3-4). This will be a place of perfect justice, peace, abundance, relationships, and the unhindered presence of God. The picture of paradise lost will be fully regained.
Some key characteristics of the ultimate paradise include:
- God’s direct presence and dwelling with humanity (Revelation 21:3). No separation from God.
- A new heaven and new earth (Revelation 21:1). Creation restored and made new.
- The New Jerusalem as a restored Edenic paradise-city (Revelation 21-22).
- Healing of the nations and people from all tribes/tongues (Revelation 22:2).
- No more sin, death, pain, suffering, or tears (Revelation 21:4). The curse defeated.
- The tree of life and the river of life flowing from God’s throne (Revelation 22:1-2).
- Direct access to God on His throne (Revelation 22:3-5).
- Eternal dominion, honor, and worship given to God and the Lamb (Revelation 22:3-5).
- The saints will reign forever over the new creation (Revelation 22:5).
Paradise is the joyous dwelling of God with His redeemed people in a renewed and restored creation. The Bible traces this storyline across the original Garden of Eden, to intermediate heaven, and finally to the new heavens and new earth when God’s redemptive purposes are fully accomplished. Paradise is pure relationship with God unhindered by sin or death or pain. It is the eternal experience of the blessings of God. The Bible offers this hope to all who place their faith in Christ and long for the day when they can dwell with their Creator God in perfect paradise.
The concept of paradise in the Bible demonstrates God’s purpose to undo all the damage done by sin and to ultimately restore the perfection and abundance of Eden. However, paradise is not ultimately about beautiful places as much as it is about perfect relationship. The joy of Eden was fellowship with God in a place designed for human flourishing. The pain of the curse was separation and alienation from God and one another. Therefore, the promise of paradise regained is the promise of unbroken fellowship with God, harmony in relationships, and the defeat of sin, death and pain. Paradise is living in the unfiltered presence of God.
Paradise is certainly a place, but even more importantly, it is a state of existence. Just as with the original Eden, the biblical portrait of paradise is not primarily about beautiful trees, rivers, and precious stones. It is about perfect communion with God in a place that reflects His goodness and blessing toward His creatures. It is the unstained image of God in humanity living in perpetual worshipful delight in the presence of the Creator. The hope of paradise is the hope of redemption, restoration, and resurrection.
The promise of paradise offers comfort and hope to all who are weary from the brokenness of the present world. It assures that pain, injustice, sin, death and brokenness do not have the final word. God is sovereignly working history toward His good purposes. For the believer, death is not the end but the gateway to intermediate paradise in the presence of Christ. And the resurrection will bring about the final defeat of death and the restoration of all things. The hope of paradise turns our focus to the new creation and the day we will see our Creator face to face.
Paradise is sometimes portrayed as boring or static, just sitting around strumming harps forever. But biblical paradise is about the unhindered presence of the infinite, glorious God who created humanity for relationship and delight. To walk with God, talk with God, and dwell in His glory forever will be the very opposite of boring. Our eternal state will be one of dynamic joy, abundant life, meaningful activity, and tireless discovery and admiration of God’s infinite majesty. We will never exhaust the wonder of knowing and praising our great God. Biblical paradise is the hope of infinite joy, not finite boredom.
The promise of paradise invites us to set our hope fully on the future God is preparing, not simply on the broken present. It calls us to walk by faith, knowing our true home is the newly created world to come. We can experience glimpses of paradise now as we walk with God by faith, but the fullness awaits eternity. Paradise is both a present hope and future destination.
Ultimately, paradise is about relationship. It is about God restoring humanity to the purpose for which we were designed – living openly in God’s presence, imaging His glory to all creation. Paradise is sacred communion with our Creator in a world made new. More than anything else, paradise is about delighting in God and manifesting His glory. Paradise will far exceed any earthly pleasure. To be in the unveiled presence of infinite joy will be paradise indeed.
The Bible’s revelation of paradise gives us a vision of assured hope that God’s purposes will certainly triumph. Evil, sin and death will be no more. There will be no more tears or pain. God will wipe every tear from our eyes (Revelation 21:4). Believers can have confidence that they will dwell with Christ, safe in God’s presence forever. The curse will be fully reversed. This sure hope can give us perspective and perseverance in the struggles of the present life. The glory to come far outweighs the sufferings of this present time (Romans 8:18).
The paradise promised in Revelation 21-22 presents a breathtaking vision of beauty, abundance, joy, comfort, security, justice, and eternal redemption in the direct presence of God. It conveys the idea of utmost blessing and restoration of all that is good, true and beautiful. Paradise reminds us this world is not the end. There is a glory yet to be revealed when Christ returns. This paradise is freely offered to all who place their trust and hope in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
The current fallen world is painfully short of paradise. Yet believers have a blueprint of paradise in God’s Word, the indwelling Holy Spirit as guarantee, and Christ himself as forerunner into paradise. In the midst of life’s trials, paradise spurs us on. When we feel hopeless, paradise lifts our eyes to the horizon of eternity. The future glory breaks into our present through the hope of paradise. What God promises for the future informs and empowers how we live now.
The Bible’s revelation of coming paradise puts the hope of heaven into clear focus. It moves it from an ethereal existence on clouds to the tangible restoration of Eden-like abundance and joy in a renewed creation. We don’t float through the air as disembodied souls; we dwell in resurrected physical bodies in a restored physical universe. Paradise is not an escape from the material world, but the liberation and renewal of the material world. The hope of paradise motivates us to steward creation well now in anticipation of its future glory.
The prospect of paradise cautions us against utopian dreams in the here and now. It protects us from false hopes that view progress or technology as pathways to create a man-made utopia on the present fallen earth. Paradise will only come about through the personal, bodily return of Jesus Christ, who will make all things new. Only God can bring paradise; we cannot manufacture it through social engineering or technological innovation in this current age. Paradise comes only when God alone gets the glory.
The hope of paradise reminds us that the brokenness of the present world will not have the last word. Sickness and disasters, pandemics and tragedies, poverty and injustice – these hard realities will not continue forever. Christ will come to make all things new. He will wipe every tear and make right every wrong. The hope of paradise provides perspective for persevering now. The sufferings of this present age are brief and light compared to the eternal weight of glory to come (2 Corinthians 4:17).
Paradise provides a vision of hope that puts our present struggles in perspective. The glory to be revealed so outshines our present trials that we can rejoice even in sufferings, knowing they are accomplishing an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison (2 Corinthians 4:17). The hope of paradise gives us strength to love others, forgive others, and point them to eternal hope in Christ.
The promise of paradise offers the ultimate answer to the problem of pain and evil. Why do bad things happen? Why is there so much pain in this world? Why isn’t everything perfect right now? The doctrine of paradise teaches us that evil has not triumphed finally or permanently. Christ has won the decisive victory. The story does not end with suffering but with resurrection. The tears and pain of this age will dissolve into the joy of paradise when God dwells with us in a renewed creation.
The hope of paradise transforms how we view death for believers. Those who trust Christ do not have to fear death as the end. Instead, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). Death becomes a gateway to paradise. The present paradise of heaven opens the door to the future paradise in the new heavens and new earth. In paradise there is no more pain or sorrow or tears. The hope of eternity infuses our fleeting days on earth with perspective and meaning.
For Christians, paradise is a present hope as well as a future destination. We can experience foretastes of paradise now through fellowship with God, relationships filled with grace, the comfort of God’s presence in suffering, and moments of awe in worship and in nature. While only partial, these tastes and glimpses give us confidence in the coming paradise. They remind us this world is not all there is. The Spirit’s presence in us is the guarantee of coming paradise.
There will be meaningful activity, creativity and discovery in paradise, not just passive rest. We will reign with Christ, serve God, and continue to grow in our understanding of God’s infinite majesty (Revelation 22:5; Psalm 86:9; Ephesians 2:7). New challenges and adventures, new frontiers and new joys will open up to us forever. We cannot conceive it fully now, but paradise will never grow old or boring. Eternity with God cannot be exhausted.
Paradise will satisfy the deepest longings of the human heart. We will never hunger or thirst again (Revelation 7:16). The aching void we all feel from the loss of Eden will finally be filled. We shall be like God and with God. All relationships will be whole. Life will overflow with meaning. Joy will be full and forever. This is the blessed hope that paradise represents – that God is bringing human history toward restoration and redemption. Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus!