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We all desire to reach the destination but do we have a ticket?
Recently I heard a sermon given by Mr. John Elliott entitled “Stand Up Against The Lion” containing a reference within about all those wanting to board the “bus to Paradise”. My ears pricked up immediately as this phrase transported me back to a longstanding memory from the 1970s.
Last century, our family lived in Adelaide, South Australia, my birthplace, until the latter part of the 1960s when my father was promoted and transferred to Melbourne (Victoria, Australia) with the company he worked for. Most of my school age and formative years were spent in Melbourne where my mother died after a long illness and battle with that dreaded disease, cancer. Mum was subsequently buried at the Springvale Cemetery in Melbourne. After her death I travelled back and forth between Melbourne and Adelaide to be with both my maternal and paternal grandmothers. In those days I did not have my driver’s license yet due to my tender age and therefore needed to catch public transport.
The longstanding memory referred to above, involved seeing a bus heading down the road with the word “Paradise” in full view from the window above where the bus driver sits, announcing its destination. On that particular day when I saw the word PARADISE it literally stopped me in my tracks. Thoughts raced about my head urging me to see where this Paradise was located in order to see for myself just how beautiful it could be. I was so surprised to know that a suburb of Adelaide was called Paradise. It seemed like such a revelation to me that this could be so, in my youthful and impressionable teenage mind. I found myself wanting to catch the bus to Paradise in order to find out exactly what could be seen.
At some later date when the opportunity arose I did indeed view the lovely surrounds of Paradise. Now many years later I live only a few minutes away from Paradise where colourful rainbow lorikeets fly amongst the pretty native vegetation, and the odd koala bear has been seen nestled safely up high in the fork of a gumtree (Eucalyptus). On another occasion while driving home one day I saw a koala running along the road to get to the other side so it could eat the eucalyptus leaves from another large gumtree. Paradise is really quite idyllic, as the name suggests.
According to Wikipedia, some brief history about the suburb or division of Paradise in the surrounds of Adelaide, that was originally known as Shepley, is provided as follows. Shepley was renamed by an English gentleman called Mr. Joseph Ind who arrived and settled in the area during 1837. He owned Balmoral Orange Orchard on the banks of the Torrens River and renamed the area Paradise after property he owned in England. The area was so rich and fertile for growing fruit, and because the quality of the fruit was excellent, the area became known as a veritable paradise for fruit.
Paradise is located in the north-eastern sector of Metropolitan Adelaide, which also contains other fertile areas that have been known as “the salad bowl”, referring to a basin-like geographical location for produce grown on vast tracts of land containing market gardens. Today the suburban sprawl has taken over but there remain a few smaller holdings devoted to growing fruits and vegetables which end up for sale at the Adelaide Central Market, located in the central business district of the city.
Paradise Lost or Paradise Found?
When I saw the bus to Paradise all those years ago I was unaware of a paradise which awaits God’s people. At that time I thought of being in paradise as having a setting which was extremely beautiful, full of trees and plants that one could feast their eyes upon. My mind was limited by what I thought because I had no knowledge of anything spiritual. My thoughts were all just physically based on what I could associate with — things I could hear, touch, smell, taste, and see.
All these years later God has blessed those whom He has called out of the world to know deeply about scripture pertaining to Revelation 2:7 where mention is made of the paradise of God. The scripture reads as follows: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God”. Sounds wonderful and somewhere we all want to be. But how do we get there? Firstly, let us review the definition of the word paradise.
According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, paradise means a state of bliss or delight, heaven, Eden as in the Garden of Eden, or a state of complete happiness. In Persian, the meaning is of an enclosed park. Humans want to be in paradise — some think of paradise as a perfect place to be in — a utopia on earth which many have tried to construct/engineer, however all efforts have failed down through time as humans are imperfect.
Often vacation spots are referred to as paradise because of the stunning beauty of pristine beaches, tropical rainforests, beautiful countryside estates, or crystal clear lakes with mountain ranges towering in the background. Undulating lush green meadows of grass studded with colourful flowers provide a veritable feast for the eyes surrounded by big, shady Willow trees, others such as Birch, Oak or Terebinth, Maple, Cedar, Juniper, Ash, Sycamore, Walnut, Pine, Spruce, Fir, Aspen, Almond, Hickory, and many more too numerous to mention. Perhaps a waterfall or brook is there, tame animals abound, the weather is just right — not too hot or cold — moderate temperatures which are just right with a gentle breeze fanning the sweet perfume of tropical flowers such as Hibiscus and Frangipani. The sky is blue, fluffy white clouds pass by overhead, the sun is shining, bees do their thing purposefully, while butterflies flutter about randomly seemingly having no flight pattern at all. Colourful birds sit on branches and flap their resplendent wings showcasing intricate designs. This sounds a lot like the Garden of Eden, doesn’t it? My husband Jim lived for a number of years in a place called Paradise Valley, a place located just north of Yellowstone National Park in southern Montana, surrounded on all sides by beautiful mountain scenery, and teeming with deer, elk, antelope, bighorn sheep, bald and golden eagles, ospreys, foxes, and other varieties of wildlife. A place one could instantly fall in love with!
We can learn about the Garden of Eden in Genesis 2 where the first man Adam lived with his wife Eve. They had it all, including a personal relationship with God, until everything changed with sinister interference from Satan the devil, as recorded in Genesis 3. As a result, when sin entered the world, the effect was that Adam and Eve had to be removed from their home, the Garden of Eden, never to return again in their lifetime. Paradise from that moment ceased to exist for them (Genesis 3:22-24). For us we have not ever lived in paradise but have the opportunity to in the future after Jesus Christ returns to earth. The new Jerusalem, and how life will be transformed with righteous leadership, will be astonishingly contrasting for the vast majority living now, who do not know or have a relationship with their Creator, to this age of man, where we decide for ourselves how we want to be governed with faulty human logic and reasoning. No wonder the world is in trouble and disaster has occurred many times over in almost constant wars down through the centuries.
Universal Times of Refreshing and Restoration to Our Final Destination of Paradise
In Acts 3:19-26, there is explanation provided for the soon coming times of refreshing and restoration. But first we need to repent and change our ways so that no iniquity should be found in us. We must humble ourselves and allow God to lead us, through yielding to His Holy Spirit and building His character in us, so that we will be obedient with righteous acts, in order for Him to bring many sons to glory (Hebrews 2:10-18).
When Christ returns to rule and establish His saints, the firstfruits (James 1:18; Revelation 20:4-6) the earth will be almost completely destroyed from the cataclysmic devastation of the Great Tribulation preceding His return (Matthew 24:21). It will take 1,000 years, the Millennium, to restore earth to its glorious condition as it once was in the Garden of Eden, a virtual paradise. It will be like no other time in history as God’s elect, His pioneers, will have a hand in this restoration before the Great White Throne Judgement occurs (Revelation 20:11-15), when all others who have ever lived will be resurrected (1 Corinthians 15:20-28). Imagine taking part in this divine work so that our ancestors can awake from their graves and enter into the joy of our Lord ready to live the way we have been living but without Satan’s interference and oppressive influence (Revelation 20:2-3). We can read about the New Jerusalem, our awaiting paradise in Revelation 21:1-7; 9-27; 22:1-5.
This truth, this concept, this great plan from our Heavenly Father is so wonderful and perfect, it can take your breath away just thinking about all of the possibilities for every human being to live in perfect harmony, perfect peace, in this vast great universe, which was lovingly created for all. Godspeed that day when we will all become part of the God family, giving God the glory and sharing in paradise.