What’s the difference between paradise and heaven?

Today, most people think of paradise and heaven as one and the same.  But originally they referred to two completely different places.  How different? In the original languages of the Bible, heaven (or “the heavens”) referred to the atmosphere and everything above it. So we have the “birds of the heavens”(Gen. 1:26, etc.),* “the stars of the heavens” (Gen. 26:4, etc. ), “the angels of the heavens” (Matt. 24:36), and “the God of the heavens” (Gen. 24:7). 

* Sometimes translated the “birds of the sky.” But the original Hebrew word used is heavens (shamayim).

Paradise, on the other hand, referred to an earthly garden:  the Garden of Eden. This came from the ancient Greek translation of the Bible, where “Garden of Eden” is translated “Paradise.”* The word “paradise” comes from the Old Persian pairi-daeza, which came to mean an enclosed garden, in other words, a garden enclosed by a wall.

If Jacob and Moses saw God, how can Jesus say that no one has seen God? (Q&A)

Q:  In Genesis 32:30, Jacob says, “I have seen God face to face.” Moses, too, saw God “face to face” (Exo. 33:11). So how can Jesus say that that “no one has ever seen God” (John 1:18)?

A:  That’s a great question. It’s the same kind of question that the New Testament was written to answer.  How is it possible that people had actually seen God (“And they saw the God of Israel,” Exo. 24:10), but also that he could never be seen (“No man can see me and live,” Exo. 33:20)?  And what can it possibly mean, for example, that the “LORD” (YHWH) stood there with Moses (in Exo. 34:5) while the “LORD” (YHWH) passed by (or over) him (in Exo. 34:6)?  Passages like these are mind-bending to say the least. They led to all kinds of speculation in Israel about the nature and identity of God, including the “two powers in heaven” idea that the later rabbis rejected.

Is the Rapture a Biblical Teaching? The Surprising Jewish Roots of the Rapture in the Greek Old Testament

Is the rapture Biblical? That depends on what you mean by “rapture.” Many Christians have heard of the rapture of the Left Behind series of books and movies.  This is the idea that there will be a secret, first coming of Messiah in which he catches up the believers into heaven. Only after that, after a “seven-year tribulation period,” will he return in his second, public coming.  This teaching is quite popular right now in conservative churches. But the idea of a secret rapture is quite recent, dating back only to the 1800’s.* What did Christians believe before that?

The Rich Young Ruler (Matt. 19)

The rich young ruler asked Jesus: “What good deed must I do to have eternal life?” Jesus answered, “If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments” (Matt. 19:16-17).  But...wait!  Was Jesus really telling him that eternal life comes by obeying the Law of Moses?  It may sound that way at first.  But by the end of the conversation, Jesus was talking about discipleship: “Come follow me” (Matt. 19:21).  So then why does he tell the man to obey the commandments? A common interpretation is that Jesus points to the Law as a reminder of our inability to keep its commands.  But to this, the man responds: “I have kept all these things” (Matt. 19:20).  And Jesus never contradicts him. 

When Was Daniel’s 70th Week Fulfilled? (Q&A)

The following question is from one of our recent seminars on the Book of Revelation. The question assumes that the 70th week of Daniel 9:24-27 will take place in the future. This teaching is popular in conservative churches.  This is, however, a relatively recent teaching, first appearing the 19th century.  Before that, Christians taught that the 70th week of Daniel had already been fulfilled. And they had good evidence to back it up, as mentioned in the answer below. The original series of three questions and answers has been consolidated to make for easier reading.

Q:  I heard the teacher say that Daniel’s seventy sevens [the seventy weeks in Dan. 9:24-27] have been completed. Could you please clarify the following questions:

The Two Witnesses of Revelation 11

Who are the two witnesses of Revelation 11? They shoot fire from their mouths, they stop rain from falling, they turn water into blood, they even strike the earth with plagues (Rev. 11:5-6). But despite their great powers, the two witnesses are eventually killed by a horrible, beastly enemy, and then lie dead and unburied for three and a half days (Rev. 11:7-9). Yet after the three and a half days, they raise from the dead and ascend into heaven (Rev. 11:11-12). This is gripping reading, but what does it mean? Who are the two witnesses?

The Sons of God in Genesis 6:2-4

One of the most puzzling passages in the Bible is Genesis 6:2-4.  It mentions the “sons of God” (the “sons of Elohim”) who took wives from the “daughters of man.” This happened just before the Flood of Noah.  Many sensational videos have been made recently to explain this strange event and the mysterious giants (the Nephilim) mentioned in these same verses.  But what do we actually know about these “sons of Elohim”? And what can we learn about them from other passages in the Bible?