Life Ministries

God’s Plan 1,2,3

Part 3 – “Paradise Regained” – Rev. 22:1-5   

Rev. 20:6 – “Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them”…20:14 - “Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire”… Physical death is one thing…But, God’s Word tells us that it is not the last thing! The “lake of fire” or the “second death” is eternal death…it is what we call “Hell”…And, it is God’s plan for all whose “names are not written in the book of life.” But, God’s plan for those who come to Christ, the “bride of Christ”, is Paradise Regained! Eternal access to the Tree of Life that was taken away by sin… eternal access to the Holy City of God… and eternal rule upon the “new” earth… Part three of God’s Plan 1, 2, 3

Well, let me start you off with just a quick review…a quick synopsis of parts 1 and 2…
    Part 1 was all about the beginning… “In the beginning God… God created “Paradise Perfect”… it was called Eden. In the middle of Eden there were two trees; the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and the tree of life. We learned that one brought or would give eternal life…the other would bring death.
    We learned that God created by speaking into existence all that was made…except man. When God created man, it says He “formed man and breathed into him the breath of life. God’s plan at that time was a two part plan; #1 -“Let us make man in our image” and #2 - “let him rule over all the earth”.
    Man sinned by eating of the forbidden tree; the result was “death” ( physical death ) and the ground was cursed; and man was banished from Eden lest he should eat of the tree of life and live forever…”Paradise Lost”… And the rest of the Bible is all about God’s plan to restore man’s image.
    In Part 2 – We learned that before man’s image could be restored, our relationship with God and with one another had to be restored. God did that by providing the Law… meaning #1 - Ten Commandments; #2 - the Ceremonial laws involving offerings and sacrifices as a way to be right with God. And, #3 – the Social laws that taught how we are to live together and get along and the punishments if somebody messed up! The problem was that the law was powerless to change man’s sinful nature, it only made us “conscious of sin” the Bible says. All three types of laws only made us aware of right and wrong and the consequences of both. So, “what the law was unable to do, God did by sending His Son” which was part 2 of God’s Plan.
    Jesus declared that He “came not to destroy the law but to fulfill the law”…that was the Ceremonial law…the “written code” that Paul said in Colossians 2:14 was “nailed to the Cross”… And was the reason that Jesus was able to say “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no one comes to the Father except by me!” … He was the “new covenant” between God and man that “canceled the written code with all it’s rules and regulations”… Jesus came to reveal Part 2 of God’s Plan for mankind. Now, that was a lot to absorb in a short time, but I hope you are still with me…
    Part 3 of God’s Plan is revealed to us in the last three chapters of Revelation;  Chapter 20 speaks of Satan being bound for 1000 years and of the “first resurrection”…the “multitude of saints” that include #1 – the “dead in Christ”…#2 - the “raptured Christians”..And #3 - “those that had not worshipped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or hands” who all will “reign with Christ 1000yrs.
They will also take part in the “wedding feast” spoken of in chapter 19 – verses 7 and 8.
    After the 1000 year reign, chapter 20 also speaks of the Great White Throne judgment where the “rest of the dead”…all who die without Christ… are then judged, and sadly their end is the “second death”…the “lake of fire”… I have said it before, and I will say it again; God’s Word tells us that “we can die once and live twice, or we can live once and die twice”! It’s our choice.
    All this finally brings an end to Satan and sin and opens the way for chapters 21 and 22 – the third part of God’s Plan, “Paradise Regained”. Man’s image and man’s rule regained!
    It starts out with a glimpse of what John calls the “Holy City”, the “New Jerusalem”. As you read through chapter 21 you will find that it is a combination of elements in Jerusalem, the Temple, and the Garden of Eden. For instance, it speaks of the high walls and the various gates like the physical city of Jerusalem; It speaks of the Throne room of God as in the Temple; and it speaks of the river and the tree of life as in the garden….All of which are available to “those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life” that is from 21:27…Now, I simply want to close by having you read chapter 22 verses 1 – 5 and verse 14….

In the end, Part 3 of God’s Plan is that the image and the rule of man is restored… The water of life and the tree of life are restored… “No longer will there be any curse”…And, we will be with God and reign with Him forever and forever!  Can you think of a better or happier ending?  Can you think of a better plan?  God had a perfect plan! And, it is as simple as 1, 2, 3.