Paradise Found

“The world is a book, and those who don’t travel only read one page.” St. Augustine

This quote was on the wall of our motorhome during that phase of our lives, but our travel experiences went much farther than where that motorhome could have taken us.

After visiting 38 of the 50 United States, as well as Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, The Bahamas, Italy and France, we heartily agree with Augustine.

There is so much more to be learned when you walk a little farther than your own back yard.

We took this idea to its extreme by moving 15 times in our 54 years of marriage and living in 5 different states including Illinois, Indiana, New Mexico, Florida and North Carolina.

I sometimes envy those who live in the same place their entire lives. Moving is quite exhausting!

Some have asked us why and that question does not have a simple answer. For us, the reason for the majority of those moves was a better life for our family and ultimately for us as we grow older.

Our motives were primarily practical, driven by economy and comfort.

For some, relocation is driven by a desire to find paradise.

That perfect home, in the perfect spot, with the perfect view.

Don’t misunderstand...we wanted that as well...and found it in a few of our moves, however, we soon discovered deficiencies. There were always deficiencies.

Recently, I watched a story about how multi-million dollar homes were falling into the ocean on the west coast of California and the east coast of North Carolina. The view of the ocean was their paradise.

The very thing they strived for was destroying their home.

While we have never experienced a home falling into the ocean, we have definitely learned that there is no paradise. The majority of those devastating disappointments are the result of human influence. There will never be a paradise on this earth as long as humans are in control of it.

The Second Coming of Jesus Christ is our only real hope for paradise on this earth. Believers who survive the Tribulation... the dead in Christ and those who are alive and remain at the Rapture... the saints martyred for their faith during the Great Tribulation, and all the Old Testament Saints who are resurrected at the end of the Tribulation will enter into what the Bible calls the Millennium Kingdom.

This Kingdom is the answer to the prayer in Matthew 6:10 “May Your Kingdom come soon. May Your will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven.”

A Kingdom needs a King!

2 Timothy 6:15 “For, at just the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only Almighty God, the King of all kings and Lord of all Lords.

When Jesus comes to earth riding on a white horse and defeats the armies of the anti-christ, He comes as a warrior King. No one will wonder Who He is.

Revelation 19:16 “On His robe at His thigh was written this title: King of all Kings and Lord of all Lords.”

His first act as King is to ban the evil one.

Revelation 20:1-3 “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the bottomless pit and a heavy chain in his hand. He seized the dragon-that old serpent, who is the devil, Satan-and bound him in chains for a thousand years. The angel threw him into the bottomless pit, which he then shut and locked so Satan could not deceive the nations anymore until the thousand years were finished. Afterward he must be released for a little while.”

The paradise of this Kingdom is not possible unless the evil one is not present.

This Kingdom is the final test of mankind. Even under ideal conditions some humans will rebel against God. When Satan is released from the abyss at the end of the thousand years, they will choose him over Jesus Christ, the King.

Revelation 20:7-9  “When the thousand years come to an end, Satan will be let out of his prison. He will go out to deceive the nations...in every corner of the earth. He will gather them together for battle – a mighty army, as numberless as sand along the seashore.”

What exactly will these millennium dwellers be rebelling against? What will they reject?

They will be rejecting paradise.

There will be no war.

Isaiah 2:4 “Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.”

There will be no fear.

Micah 4:4 “But everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid.”

Life spans will lengthen.

Isaiah 65:20 “No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days; for the child shall die one hundred years old…”

Animals will be at peace.

Isaiah 11:6-9 “In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together; the leopard will lie down with the baby goat. The calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion and a little child will lead them all. The cow will graze near the bear. The cub and the calf will lie down together. The lion will eat hay like a cow. The baby will play safely near the hole of a cobra. Yes, a little child will put its hand in a nest of deadly snakes without harm. Nothing will hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, for as the waters fill the sea, so the earth will be filled with people who know the Lord.”

There will be justice.

Isaiah 11:3-5 “He will delight in obeying the Lord. He will not judge by appearance nor make a decision based on hearsay. He will give justice to the poor and make fair decisions for the exploited. The earth will shake at the force of His word, and one breath from His mouth will destroy the wicked. He will wear righteousness like a belt and truth like an undergarment.”

The earth will be restored to what God intended it to be, as it was in Eden.

Earth is liberated, set free from decay.

It will be paradise.

A time of perfection in environment and spirituality. A time of peace, joy, comfort, obedience, holiness, truth and the knowledge of God.

Peace – Isaiah 32:17&18 “And this righteousness will bring peace. Yes, it will bring quietness and confidence forever. My people will live in safety, quietly at home. They will be at rest.”

Joy – Isaiah 61:7&10 “Instead of shame and dishonor, you will enjoy a double share of honor. You will possess a double portion of prosperity in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.” 10 – “I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God! For He has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding or a bride with her jewels.”

Comfort – Isaiah 40:1&2 “‘Comfort, comfort my people,’ says your God. ‘Speak tenderly to Jerusalem. Tell her that her sad days are gone and her sins are pardoned.’”

Obedience – Jeremiah 31:33 “‘But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel in those days,” says the Lord. ‘I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.’”

Holiness – Isaiah 35:8 “And a great road will go through that once deserted land. It will be named the Highway of Holiness. Evil-minded people will never travel on it. It will be only for those who walk in God’s ways; fools will never walk there.”

Truth – Isaiah 65:16 “All who invoke a blessing or take an oath will do so by the God of truth. For I will put aside my anger and forget the evil of earlier days.”

The Knowledge of God – Isaiah 11:9  “Nothing will hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, for as the waters fill the sea, so the earth will be filled with people who know the Lord.”

Habakkuk 2:14 “For as the waters fill the sea, the earth will be filled with an awareness of the glory of the Lord.

What will make this paradise is not the views or the weather or our luxury accommodations, though some of those things will contribute.

It will be the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ as King.

Isaiah 9:6&7 “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on His shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of His ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!”

Isaiah 11:10 “In that day the heir to David’s throne will be a banner of salvation to all the world. The nations will rally to Him, and the land where He lives will be a glorious place.”

Paradise found!