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EVERYTHING LOST in EDEN COMPENSATED a MILLION-FOLD with SPECTACULAR REWARDS

Part 3

All that was lost in the Garden of Eden will be compensated a million-fold over with vast, marvelous REWARDS, provided we obey “the truth through the Spirit.” 1 Peter 1:22

A. We lost our INNOCENCE, and our spirit-soul was corrupted. But the righteous, that is, those justified in and through Christ Jesus, will be “made perfect” in every aspect of their new identity and existence, regaining their state of “INNOCENCE.” Each one will even receive a “new name.” Hebrews 12:23; Revelation 2:17

B. We lost the HEALTH and IMMORTALITY of the physical body, and this marvel of divine creation weakens, sickens, and dies. We will not recover this same fleshly body but will receive a far superior NEW BODY prepared as an eternal dwelling place for the perfected spirit.

A new, incorruptible, glorious, powerful, and spiritual body. The body of this earthly tribulation “is sown in corruption, it is raised in INCORRUPTION; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in GLORY; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in POWER. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a SPIRITUAL BODY. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.” 1 Corinthians 15:42-44

The new body will be “a building, a house not made with hands, ETERNAL in the HEAVENS” (2 Corinthians 5:1-10), and mind you, not ever here on planet Earth! This “body of our humiliation” will be transformed “that it may be conformed to the body of his glory,” that is, to the marvelous body the glorified Christ now has. The Almighty God accomplishes this “by the power by which he is able even to subject all things to himself.” Philippians 3:20-21. The apostle John confirms this when he writes: “Beloved, it has not yet been revealed what we shall be like, but we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” 1 John 3:2

C. We lost the privilege of inhabiting the earthly paradise called “Eden.” That same Eden will not be restored, but a new “PARADISE of GOD”

(Revelation 2:7) is being prepared for those who love him. It is described in Revelation 22:1-5.

D. We lost access to the “tree of life in the midst of the garden” of Eden. However, eternal life is still within reach of humans, since justified and perfected people will have access to a new “TREE of LIFE.” “In the middle of the street of the city, on either side of the river, was the TREE of LIFE.” The “city” referred to is the new “holy city Jerusalem” (Revelation 21:9-27), "the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem" (Hebrews 12:22), and the “RIVER” is the one that proceeds “out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.” Revelation 22:1-2

E. We lost the JOY, ASSURANCE, and COMFORT of having the fantasti- cally intelligent and powerful Creator God literally at our side on this material earth, as when the Creator God himself “walked in the garden [of

 Eden] in the cool of the day.” Genesis 3:8. However, when this same Creator God “makes all things new,” “he will dwell with them,” that is, with the perfected righteous, “and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.” Revelation 21:1-7

F. We lost the blessing of not having to work compulsorily, constantly, and often hard, even very hard, to sustain our material-physical life. Frequent stress, toil, tiredness, even sweat, and exhaustion are the daily bread for most humans as a result of this notable loss, job-related accidents, sicknesses, and even death, impacting a significant percentage.

However, for our comfort and strengthening, the Merciful Creator God has proclaimed the promise of ETERNAL REST for all human beings who strive to be loyal to him, actually accomplishing it to the end of their earthly days. “There remains a REST for the people of God.” Hebrews 4:1-11. Let us keep in mind that this REST is NOT the “Seventh Day” rest of the Old Testament of Moses, but the ETERNAL REST enjoyed once the labors of this physical, material, earthly existence are completed. “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, they will REST from their labors, for their works continue with them,” says the Spirit of God. Revelation 14:13

G. Today, as in all past ages, the majority of human beings walk along rough paths or dirty, hostile streets. Their poor and inse-cure condition con-trasts with the stupen-dous riches that the Creator God promises to those who respect and obey Him. To wit: “…a better country... a heavenly" one, and a “city with foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” Hebrews 11:9-16

An artistic painting representing the Holy City Jerusalem coming down out of heaven as a huge city foursquare, the length, width, and breadth of the city each measuring twelve thousand furlongs, equal to 1,523 miles.

This artistic representation of “the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven” to rest on the “new earth” is faithful to the description of it as “the city” that lies “foursquare,” the length, breadth, and height measuring “twelve thousand furlongs,” equal to 7,920,000 feet, which is equal to 1,523 miles
                 (2,414,016 meters, or 2,414 kilometers).
                      The enormous size of this celestial city
                     probably indicates that the “new earth”
                    will be many, many times larger than the present material Earth.

An artistic rendering of one of the 12 huge pearl gates to the Heavenly Jerusalem standing open to admit a purified, perfected human soul that ascends two levels of very wide steps where two angels stand welcoming highly honored new occupant.

Left, a literalistic artistic depiction of a perfected soul ascending wide steps to enter the new “city of the living God” through one of the twelve “pearl” gates, which provide access. Revelation 21:21

Regarding the new “city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem” (Hebrews 12:22) planned for the “New Earth,” “its light was like unto a stone most precious, as it were a jasper stone, clear as crystal… And the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent.” Revelation 21:9-27. Furthermore, the Lord Jesus Christ assures us that: “…in my Father’s house are many mansions.” Adding, "if it were not so, I would have told." John 14:2. So, a comfortable, most beautiful, secure, eternal dwelling place, “for thus shall be richly supplied unto” every justified, perfected soul “entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1:11

H. We lost our dignity, honor, and glory. But praise be to the name of the Lord forever, to those who persevere “in doing good,” joyfully and earnestly devoting themselves to the pursuit of, precisely, “glory and honor and immortality,” God will reward what they seek, namely: “GLORY and HONOR and PEACE to EVERYONE WHO DOES GOOD, to the Jew first and also to the Greek, for there is no partiality with God.” Romans 2:6-11

I. The entire human race will sooner or later lose the planet Earth itself as “its dwelling place” (Acts 17:26), given that the "first earth" (Revelation 21:1) will be totally and eternally eliminated, passing away “with a great noise, and the elements will be destroyed with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.” 2 Peter 3:10-14; Revelation 20:11. We will not recover this material earth, for, being temporal, it will reach its absolute and eternal END. 2 Corinthians 4:18. But why should we be saddened, depressed, or upset and angry about such an outcome? For the Magnanimous Creator God and His Loving Son are preparing a “NEW HEAVEN and a NEW EARTH” for all human beings who make the intelligent decision to obey God’s “good and perfect and pleasing will.” Revelation 21:1-3; 2 Peter 3:10-14; Romans 12:2

J. In short, ALL the great and glorious things promised to every human being who turns his/her face toward God, obeying His will as expressed in the New Testament, far surpass everything that was lost in the Garden of Eden when the

“knowledge of good and evil” was introduced into the world. Undeniably, God the Father “has given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through them” we “might become partakers of the divine nature.” Therefore, far from being angry with God, fighting against Him, blaming Him for what is happening on this earth, becoming bitter or depressed, the reasonable thing would be for each of us to embrace “the JOY set before Him,”  that is, before Jesus, also making it our own “SURE and FIRM ANCHOR of the SOUL.” Hebrews 6:19; Hebrews 12:1-6

1. “Everyone who has this HOPE in Him," that is, in Jesus Christ, "purifies himself, just as He is pure.” 1 John 3:3

2. Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, repents of his/her sins, and is baptized “for the forgiveness of sins” (Acts 2:38) is entitled to the hope that God offers to every sincere and obedient soul.

Author: Homer Dewayne Shappley

Categories to which this study is assigned.

Comfort and Healing

Mind Spirit Grow Through Good Teaching

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