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Study #14 -- The Garden City of God
In the beginning... Paradise! In the beginning, the first home of the human race was a garden, planted in Eden by the hand of God...		The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. Gen 2.8
Our first home was a verdant garden of lofty, lovely, fruit-bearing trees.		And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. Gen 2.9a
The tree of life was there, as was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.		The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Gen 2.9b
And a river was there, to water our garden home. And that river flowed onward from the garden, becoming four riverheads, to sustain all the world.		Now a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it parted and became four riverheads. Gen 2.10
And there, in that earthly Paradise, God had fellowship with people face-to-face. Glory!		And they (Adam and Eve) heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day Gen 3.8a
Paradise Lost But there came a dreadful day when the human race rebelled against God...		And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.'' Gen 2.16-17 And the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.'' Gen 3.4-5 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Gen 3.6
And the earth was cursed.		(God told Adam...) "Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life." Gen 3.17c
And our garden Paradise was lost.		therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. Gen 3.23
And death came into the world.		Therefore, just as through one man (Adam) sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned Rom 5.12
And access to the tree of life was forbidden.		So He (God) drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life. Gen 3.24
The Locked Door Sin locked the door to Eden. But where sin abounded, God's grace did much more abound! And so our gracious God planted a NEW garden in Heaven...		But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound Rom 5.20b, KJV
The Open Door Then God opened a door whereby anyone may gain entrance to His garden in Heaven... The door to eternal life in Paradise is... Jesus, the Son of God.		(Jesus said...) "I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture." John 10.9 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." John 14.6
The door is open to... whoever believes.		For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3.16
The Garden City of God Your future home in heaven is a GARDEN. It is also a CITY.
City As to its function, your Heavenly Home is a CITY because it is the place of residence for all God's people.		But now they (God's people) desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. Heb 11.16
Garden As to its nature, your Heavenly Home is a GARDEN... The Bible describes your future home as Paradise.		Fourteen years ago I was taken up to heaven for a visit. Don't ask me whether my body was there or just my spirit, for I don't know; only God can answer that. But anyway, there I was in Paradise 2 Cor 12.2-4, LB (Jesus said...) To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God. Rev 2.7b
The literal meaning of Paradise (paradeisos) is "garden," "orchard," "park."		PARADISE: a Persian word meaning "a wooded park," "an enclosed or walled orchard," or "a garden with fruit trees." (from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright (C) 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers) Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Ref. # 3857 (paradeisos) A park, i.e. (specifically) an Eden (place of future happiness, "paradise")
Have You Noticed? The first abode that God created for the human race was Eden -- a garden. The eternal abode that God created for redeemed humanity is Paradise -- a garden city!
The Name of God's Garden City There is an earthly city of Jerusalem, located in Israel, built by human hands. But there is ANOTHER city of Jerusalem, and it is located, not on earth, but in Heaven.		But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem Heb 12.22a
The heavenly Jerusalem is called... New Jerusalem		Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem Rev 21.2a
New Jerusalem was built, not by human hands, but by God Himself.		But now they (God's people) desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. Heb 11.16 ...the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Heb 11.10b
New Jerusalem is the Capitol of ALL creation (both visible and invisible), because therein is located the throne of God and of the Lamb, Jesus.		...the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it (New Jerusalem), and His servants shall serve Him. Rev 22.3b
For a word picture of the exterior of your future home in Heaven ==> Go to Page 5 of this Essay Navigation Master Topical Index Bible Bell Front Page E-mail Bible Bell Index of Studies on Heaven