Question of the Month for December 2003

What is the difference between the Kingdom of God and Paradise?

Our question this month comes from a member who asks, "What is the difference, if any, between the Kingdom of God and Paradise in the Bible?"

Thank you for your question! I hope this brief answer is helpful to you.

The term "Paradise" primarily refers to a garden like enclosure that is shaded and well watered. In many ways the word describes the original "Garden of Eden" in Genesis 2. Hence, the Lord's original placement of Adam and Eve was in "Paradise". We use the word today in our general
vernacular to refer to a pleasurable, idyllic place where everything is wonderful. I have sometimes heard people say that Hawaii was like visiting "Paradise". Perhaps with Michigan winters we can understand the appeal and naming of such a location. The Bible only contains three usages of the word "Paradise" and none of them are found in Genesis, yet all refer back to the original "Garden of Eden in Genesis 2. Perhaps the best known usage of the term "Paradise" is found
in Luke 23:43. It is here that our Lord Jesus tells the penitent thief that he would be with Him in "Paradise" as their earthly lives came to an end. In addition to this usage, we see the Apostle Paul refer to an experience in which he was transported to "Paradise" in II Corinthians, 12:4. Paul tells us that this "Paradise" is also the "third heaven". And finally, our Lord refers to "Paradise" in Revelation 2:7 as a reminder of the blessings graciously given to His persevering people.

When it comes to the other phrase you mentioned, "The Kingdom of God", we find this expression used 99 times in the New Testament and at the heart of Jesus' ministry. In many ways, "The Kingdom of God" (also the "The Kingdom of Heaven") was and is the central focus of our Lord's work. We see this from the beginning of His ministry in Mark 1:15 when He declares "The Kingdom of heaven is near. Repent and believe the good news!" This expression was not designed to refer to a specific location or state of blessing as was the case with the word "Paradise". Rather, it was a statement about the rule of God over the world that God had created.
Jesus had come to proclaim God's rule over the world. This, of course, was contrasted with the kingdom of the world and the authority expressed by its kings and rulers.

We see this idea behind "The Kingdom of God" in a well known petition from the "Lord's Prayer" that says, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven". The Kingdom is the place where God's will is done. Therefore, the Kingdom can manifest in small ways in our lives or in any location where God's will is done. However, it does not mean that where God's will is done that it will necessarily be "Paradise". Rather, it is possible that when God's will is done in this world there will be opposition, trials and tribulation. This, of course, was the case with our Lord's own ministry. Jesus brought the Kingdom of God to earth and yet was crucified. Our Lord spoke of "Paradise" on the cross as different from the Kingdom He proclaimed. The difference lie in the fact that "Paradise" was a place and state of blessing in the Kingdom. In "Paradise" God's will is not only perfectly done, but you do not have any opposition and/or sin present. One day the Kingdom our Lord proclaimed will become a true "Paradise" when all sin is finally removed from the world.

Send in your questions and they will be answered!