Eden vs. Heaven

[Lynx]

I've been thinking lately about all the similarities between how the garden of Eden was and how Heaven will be. Sure, one was a garden and the other will (from what I understand of Revelation) be a fairly large and magnificent place. But both Eden and Heaven will be paradise, with all that does and does not include. In both Eden and Heaven there is God, in person, to talk to face to face. In both Eden and Heaven there is no disease, no danger, no animals killing and eating other animals, no natural disasters from tornadoes, earthquakes, volcanoes, lightning, etc. In both Eden and Heaven there is no having to work like a draft horse to make a living. And in both Eden and Heaven there is no death.

So I started wondering... in Eden Adam and Eve messed it up. What's to stop somebody from messing in the buttermilk in Heaven What will keep somebody from ruining Heaven by bringing sin into it?

I thought about this for some time, and the best I can come up with is that, unlike Adam and Eve, we will know what a world with sin is like. They didn't know anything other than paradise so they couldn't really even imagine what life would be like with sin in the world. If somebody had described it to them it wouldn't have made any difference because they would have no experience to be able to relate the concept to their frame of reference. But now they, and we, know what a life in an imperfect world is like.

When I get to Heaven, I know I for one am not about to be rocking no boat. I can't wait to be living in a world with no mosquitoes or fleas biting, no disease making me sick, no storms pounding...

What do you think? I didn't post this to preach a sermon, I'm posting it to solicit y'all's thoughts on this matter. Any idea how we're gonna keep everybody from sinning in Heaven?

 

[Magenta]

This world is the trying ground to find out who wants to live according to Godly principles and who does not. The tares shall be pulled and the wheat separated from the chaff... the goats parted from the sheep, all useless things burned up, sin done away with, no more sorrow, no suffering, no pain or death. Sounds so good to me! Heaven is a misnomer, I think; the promised world to come is a renewed Earth

 

[tourist]

That's a fascinating question that you have asked. Obviously, there will be no sinning in Heaven or the New Earth as that would start a process of decay and we would be back to where we started. I'm sure also that we will be free to make our own choices but, if so, that raises the possibility of committing sin. My guess is that we will no longer have a sin nature so therefore it would be impossible to commit a sin.

There probably will be mosquitoes though. I love a good thunderstorm with lightning and it wouldn't be heaven without them.

 

[zeroturbulence]

Those who would mess it up just don't get in.

Jesus said one must become like these little children in order to enter the kingdom of heaven... I think that says it all right there. And he wasn't referring to mean spirited ones...

 

[Siberian_Khatru]

Will you guys send me a postcard when you get there?

 

[slave]

Will you guys send me a postcard when you get there?

~You've got His Spirit, why settle for a postcard?~

 

[Galatea]

I agree with Tourist. I think the Bible points to the idea that we won't be able to sin. We simply will not be able, nor want to sin. The flesh doesn't go to Heaven, the Spirit does. And our Spirits in Christ can not sin, although our flesh can sin. The new bodies we get will be like Christ's. In this way, we'll FINALLY be the perfect beings God intended humans to be from the beginning. I don't know how this goes along with free will. I think we will still have free will, only the will we have won't want nor be able to sin.

I don't believe our personalities will be obscured. I think we will be the best versions of ourselves. If there was a possibilty to sin, I think we would fall again. We have no confidence in keeping ourselves.

 

[slave]

I have to watch myself sometimes that when I want to make the Bible practical to where the rubber meets the road in life in my sharing of God's Word to people, I don't block God's awesome miraculously Supernatural things in our life. I should never get tired of preaching about a future heaven. Practical is good, but consequently I rob myself and others if I stop only at the practical level on earth, of the unfathomable joy of knowing that everything God has said will come to pass...We won't have Satan in our ear any longer tempting us, our flesh will not be there to influence us either. Heaven and The Garden have many differences. Sin cannot exist in Heaven, whereas sins were given a choice by God to exist in Eden (not willed, but optioned for the sake of a love relationship with us). Indeed always on earth until that day...So let us encourage one another; all the more as we see the day approaching! Smile...."For Heavens sake, indeed!"

 

[Susanna]

This thread made me think of a hymn that I cherish so much, "When We All Get To Heaven".

 

[zeroturbulence]

The fact is that Adam and Eve fell because they were tempted by the evil one and they took the bait... There will be no tempting by the evil one in Heaven..

 

[Desertsrose]

It will be impossible to sin anymore. No more tears, crying or pain and no more death. All will be made new. Hallelujah!


Revelation 21:3-8


And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”


And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He *said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” Then He said to me, “ It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

 

[Desertsrose]

This world is the trying ground to find out who wants to live according to Godly principles and who does not. The tares shall be pulled and the wheat separated from the chaff... the goats parted from the sheep, all useless things burned up, sin done away with, no more sorrow, no suffering, no pain or death. Sounds so good to me! Heaven is a misnomer, I think; the promised world to come is a renewed Earth

Revelation 21:1
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.

 

[slave]

This thread made me think of a hymn that I cherish so much, "When We All Get To Heaven".

Yeah, thats a good one! And it reminds me of the hymn that the lyrics read, "...and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace." (Turn your eye's upon Jesus).

 

[OneFaith]

I've been thinking lately about all the similarities between how the garden of Eden was and how Heaven will be. Sure, one was a garden and the other will (from what I understand of Revelation) be a fairly large and magnificent place. But both Eden and Heaven will be paradise, with all that does and does not include. In both Eden and Heaven there is God, in person, to talk to face to face. In both Eden and Heaven there is no disease, no danger, no animals killing and eating other animals, no natural disasters from tornadoes, earthquakes, volcanoes, lightning, etc. In both Eden and Heaven there is no having to work like a draft horse to make a living. And in both Eden and Heaven there is no death.

So I started wondering... in Eden Adam and Eve messed it up. What's to stop somebody from messing in the buttermilk in Heaven What will keep somebody from ruining Heaven by bringing sin into it?

I thought about this for some time, and the best I can come up with is that, unlike Adam and Eve, we will know what a world with sin is like. They didn't know anything other than paradise so they couldn't really even imagine what life would be like with sin in the world. If somebody had described it to them it wouldn't have made any difference because they would have no experience to be able to relate the concept to their frame of reference. But now they, and we, know what a life in an imperfect world is like.

When I get to Heaven, I know I for one am not about to be rocking no boat. I can't wait to be living in a world with no mosquitoes or fleas biting, no disease making me sick, no storms pounding...

What do you think? I didn't post this to preach a sermon, I'm posting it to solicit y'all's thoughts on this matter. Any idea how we're gonna keep everybody from sinning in Heaven?

In heaven there will be no more temptation. And Christ's blood will continue to cover us for the rest of eternity once we eat from the tree of life. There will be no more mosquitoes, or bodies that grow old and die, because physicality will be done away with. What does that mean exactly? Well we know that love is real, but it's not physical. What we will be like, and what heaven will be like, remains to be seen. Because our human minds cannot comprehend what is to come for God's children. Because...

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind can conceive, what God has prepared for those who love Him."

 

[cinder]

What if there will be mosquitoes and fleas in heaven , and it's just their bites won't itch tormentingly? Are we willing to put aside our speciest prejudices and love them too? After all didn't Jesus say to love your enemies?

Which actually brings up the more serious point of how amazingly will we all have to be changed to live joyfully in heaven with people who were our worst enemies on earth but then repented later and got saved? Surely some people will be in that boat in this paradise we keep talking about, and that's one of the most amazing aspects of God and the gospel: that he can turn bitter enemies into loving family.

 

[Lynx]

Actually scientists have studied that little flying pest and they say it was originally supposed to be a pollinator. Some gene got messed up in it and it got a taste for blood. Mosquitoes can still suck nectar, and are able to survive on flowers if there are no animals around.

Bees won't need stingers and mosquitoes (scratch) will go back to their (scratch scratch) flowers. Should be sweet. Can't wait (itch scratch) to get there.

 

[Tinuviel]

In the garden of Eden I always think of Job, and how God allowed Satan to tempt Job. The Bible says God does not tempt man, but man is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust. I would say that the basic difference in heaven is not that we are so much better in ourselves, but that God has finally taken us where he has complete, direct domain, our sin is no more, and Satan is cast into hell. There will no temptation. God allowed Satan to tempt Adam and Eve in the garden. In heaven, there will be no temptation.