Paradise on Earth: Fleeting Dream or Coming Reality?
by Tim Groves
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Topics: Holy Days, Prophecy, Kingdom of God, God’s Plan
Since the dawn of time, mankind has dreamed of paradise on earth. And the Bible has much to say about the time when that longing becomes reality.
Many dream of a world devoid of worry and stress. A world where there is no sickness, no cancer, no diseases, no pandemics.
In short, we dream about living in paradise.
But for many of us, that is just a dream.
Yet the Bible is very clear that paradise on earth once existed and will exist again!
The paradise that was
God created the earth to be viable for life.
He created the plants, birds, sea life and land animals, and then, finally, He created Adam and Eve. And God, looking at His magnificent creation, said it was all very good (Genesis 1:31).
God created a beautiful garden in Eden and placed our first parents there to take care of it. Work was not challenging, and the environment was ideal.
Food was abundant, and the animals were harmless. There were no natural disasters, injuries or diseases there. God even walked and talked with Adam and Eve. This special garden was full of peace and truth.
Because of their sins, Adam and Eve were expelled from God’s garden—banished from paradise.
Eden was paradise.
And in this paradise, God not only gave Adam and Eve physical life, but also offered them eternal life, as symbolized by the tree of life.
Yet Satan, disguised as a harmless serpent, played mind games with Eve and deceived her into eating the forbidden fruit. Then, following her lead, Adam also ate.
By succumbing to Satan’s lies, Adam and Eve sinned. And because of their sins, they were expelled from God’s garden—banished from paradise.
And life outside that garden, without God’s presence and help, would be extremely difficult.
The ground would become cursed, work would be more difficult, sorrow and worry would be an indelible part of life, and childbirth would become a painful experience for women.
Instead of living in paradise with God, Adam and Eve now lived in a wilderness apart from God. With that estrangement from God came the curse of death, both to them and to their progeny (Genesis 3:24).
To learn more, read “Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.”
The times of restoration
The world we live in today is the product of thousands of years of separation from God. Life is hard because this is not God’s world. It is currently Satan’s world (2 Corinthians 4:4; Galatians 1:4).
But the Bible clearly teaches that this situation is temporary.
The future time when life’s difficulties will be a thing of the past is called “the times of restoration.” God’s prophets have been speaking about this new world for thousands of years (Acts 3:21).
God will reestablish the earth as a habitation of peace and security for mankind to live in. Not only that, but the offer of eternal life will become available again!
Then, God will reestablish the earth as a habitation of peace and security for mankind to live in. Not only that, but the offer of eternal life will become available again!
This integral part of God’s master plan is pictured by the annual fall festivals.
The Feast of Trumpets represents the time when Jesus Christ will return to this earth and save humanity from self-destruction. At that point, the earth will once again be God’s world.
Then the Day of Atonement shows us how Satan will be removed along with his evil influence and deception. From then on, God’s way of life will spread throughout the earth.
The Feast of Tabernacles pictures the thousand-year reign of Jesus Christ, assisted by His resurrected saints. During this period, the world will come back under the rulership and authority of God, meaning peace and blessing and prosperity will follow.
It will certainly be a time of restoration! The world will be restored to the way it used to be, when God was with mankind.
Is paradise coming to earth?
When Christ returns to the earth, mankind will be close to the point of self-annihilation—the inevitable result of living apart from God’s truth and following Satan’s influence (Matthew 24:22).
And from these ruins, Jesus Christ will begin to construct an environment similar to the Garden of Eden (Ezekiel 36:33-36).
Also, notice what the prophet Isaiah says about this future Eden: “For the LORD will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste places; He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness will be found in it, thanksgiving and the voice of melody” (Isaiah 51:3).
“As the waters cover the sea.” Isaiah wrote that “the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9).
We find more detail of the state of this soon-coming world in Isaiah 35. This chapter speaks about how the desert will blossom as a rose, the blind will see, the dumb will sing and the disabled will leap like a deer (Isaiah 35:1, 5-7).
And, just as they were in Eden, the animals will be harmless both to each other and to humans. In fact, Isaiah prophesied about how little children will play with wild animals (Isaiah 11:6-9).
Fear and violence fill our world today, a world that is not God’s world, a world that is anything but a paradise. But we are told that fear and violence will become a thing of the past in God’s world, in the coming time of restoration (Micah 4:3-4).
Work and life will become enjoyable. People will live long, fulfilling lives under the rule of Christ and the saints. Families will be strong and stay together.
Yes, life will be good when all of mankind is under God’s leadership.
To learn more read, “Jesus Christ Will Return to Earth.”
Living in paradise forever
God will once again offer eternal life as He did in Eden 6,000 years ago.
Under Christ’s rule, “the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9). Mankind will no longer be separated from God, because Christ will be on the earth walking and directly interacting with all.
The tree of life will once again be available. Eternal life will be within humanity’s reach.
Not just a dream, but a reality
Mankind’s longing to live in paradise is not just a fleeting dream. We have touched on only a few of the scriptures that show that paradise will be restored to this earth. God wants His creation to live a happy and fulfilling life and has a plan in motion to make it happen.
Life, Hope & Truth is dedicated to showing the truths of God and His incredible plan for mankind—a plan that involves more than we can presently comprehend!
To learn more about this coming world, download a free copy of our booklet The World to Come: What It Will Be Like.
Date Posted: October 3, 2022
About the Author
Tim Groves
Tim Groves attends the Jefferson, Georgia, congregation of the Church of God, a Worldwide Association, where he serves as a deacon.
He has been married to his wife, Teresa, for over 30 years. Together, they have two daughters and two sons and live in South Carolina. They moved there from Ohio in 1997 to flee the cold northern winters and allow him to do the things he really enjoys, like roaming though automobile junkyards looking for hidden treasures from times long past.
