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2 Corinthians 12 It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord: 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— 4 how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inex-pressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
The apostle Paul is talking about an experience he had with God 14 years previously. Paul tells it as if it was another man, but he is talking about himself. He had at first persecuted the church and its followers, but after having a meeting with Jesus on the road to Damascus, he changed and became a follower of Jesus himself. Then God gave him a vision of heaven, so real the he wondered if he wasn’t there for real, in the flesh and not just in a vision. Paradise is another word for heaven (or the third heaven, as Paul here calls it). If we look at the passages below, we see firstly how Jesus on the cross, promised the thief next to Him, that he would be in heaven (Paradise) with God. The other passages, from the book of Revelation, talk about the Paradise of God, and the New Jerusalem, God’s city in heaven.
Luke 23:43 And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
Revelation 2:7 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”
Revelation 21 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is
with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
Revelation 22 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. 4 They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads.
You will notice that when we get to heaven, Paradise, there will be no more sin, sorrow, crying, pain or death. We will be able to speak to God face-to-face, and will be with Him forever. Plan to be there!
God bless!
