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.

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?

What Will be our Language in Heaven? (Q&A)

Q:  Someone in our small group asked this question when we were going through Revelation, “What will be our language in heaven?” referencing Revelation 7:9-10:

“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” (ESV)

Will it be that we will be worshiping and singing to the Lord in our own language? And will we be communicating with our own languages yet understanding each other and never needing any translation? (I’m thinking of 1 Corinthians 13:12 on this.)

Could you enlighten me please? I want to know your thoughts. —Jean R.