UTOPIA AND PARADISE - Part 2 of 3

 (Sibylline Oracles 2:314-335):

That my friends is Paradise, but the reference is to “Heaven.” Paradise was a visible Garden in the physical realm, but when mankind was cast out into the world, “Paradise” was transformed into the supra-natural realm. They are the same place but in a different dimension. Late in the day, Jesus said to the repentant malefactor, “Today shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Jesus and the thief never went anywhere but were most certainly translated from one realm to another.

It is known from the Book of Revelation that “Paradise” has dimensions, and that the Garden that once had a hedge about it is now a great city with walls. The canopy of the trees is now described as, “In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2).  Paradise is described by measurement and physical qualities:

¹⁵ And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. ¹⁶ And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. ¹⁷ And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. ¹⁸ And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. ¹⁹ And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; ²⁰ The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. ²¹ And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. (Rev 21:15-21)

Paradise has changed! With two people, only a Garden would be required. With the seed of Abraham, it would take a great city with many mansions therein. Each Christian will be assigned their own space when the time comes… when they are finally saved. “Saved” is not merely a change in the heart but a reunion of mind, spirit, and flesh. In heavenly Paradise, the Christian will be “glorified” — remade in the image of God with a new mind, new spirit, and new flesh. The temporary coat of skin in the Garden (our flesh) will be replaced with the very Flesh of God! Then, His Temple within us, will be complete.

One thing was omitted in the above description. I described therein a “Utopia” because God was missing in the description. The rest of the story explains it better.  Who provided Paradise? Was he man or God? Is it the work of man’s mind or the Mind of God? “And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it” (Rev 21:22). Paradise is built of real substances, but the foremost “Substance” is God. He is the “Temple of it” — the “place devoted to a special purpose” (Merriam-Webster) which is the worship of the Living God!

In other words, a Utopian society is for the ”common good” of people but that is also the purpose of Paradise. However, in Utopia each is their own “god” to be appeased, but in Paradise, there is one God to be glorified. Our “gods” must be appeased by pleasurable things, but in Paradise, God is appeased by pleasure in His righteous people.

According to the Sibylline Oracles, Paradise has characteristics:

(1)    “A new mind: justice, noble deeds, piety, and righteous thoughts” (313-314). When scripture says, “the meek shall inherit the earth,” that refers to Paradise. Those who have been humbled have come to realize that they truly are not gods, and that only the One True God can save them (John 1:14). With that thought in mind, being “as God” (Gen 3:5) is no longer an issue.

(2)    Angels will lift them from tribulation, and “bring them to light and life without a care” (315). Note that God’s angels will do the lifting, and that governors nor ideologues lift nothing. Karl Marx is nowhere to be found but is lost in the “blazing river’ below. In that passage, not only do Christians cease depending on themselves, but also on the trivial devices of men! What would happen if Marxism could deliver Utopia? Then there would be no need for God, in that the difference between Utopia and Paradise is the Presence of God. In Paradise, there will be no care for things but only truth (Light). On the other hand, if Utopia is possible, its focus would be on things, to wit: lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). The Tree of Life is central to Paradise, and the Tree of Philosophy the center of Utopia. In the former, there was God and His twelve fruits, but in the latter, only Satan and lusts. Perhaps the pyramidal shape of “Maslow Hierarchy of Needs” better describes a “Tower of Desires.” Rather than represent access to Paradise in heaven, the Maslow Tower represents a striving for Utopia, where God IS not.

(3)    The “Immortal path of the great God” (315) is the Way to the Tree of Life that remains guarded to this day by cherubim (Gen 3:24: Rev 4:6). The Tree of Life is real. It represents the three substances of God. The Tree itself, is the “Vine” and is God manifested. The Way or Path to the Tree of Life is walking the path of Jesus. It is Christians sacrificing their own flesh as God sacrificed His. Utopia is preserving the corrupt flesh to live in corruption. Paradise is exchanging corruptible flesh for flesh which is incorruptible (1 Cor 15:52). Utopia requires no change in us, but Paradise is God changing those shapen in iniquity to new persons remolded in righteousness.

(4)    The three springs of wine, milk, and honey (318) are nourishment. The Bible mentions two: “the land of milk and honey.” On the other hand, sacred literature adds a fourth — olive oil. They are represented by the four rivers in Paradise, and those rivers are hidden today in the sands of Israel. Only Naral ha Yarden remains; to wit: “the River of the Garden” — or the Jordan River. Where is Paradise? Where is always was! Right there in the land of milk and honey, but in another realm. There is where the Hebrews were promised prosperity. It was not Utopia in the land that they were promised, but prosperity, by way of eternal life,” in the walled city of Jerusalem — the very “foundation of peace.”

(5)    “The earth will belong equally to all, undivided by walls or fences… Lives will be in common and wealth will have no division” (319-320). That is also a goal of socialism; it sounds good! However, Paradise has God as the Husbandman (John 15:1). That hedge around Paradise will be removed for there will be no reason to keep good in and evil out. Only with God as Husbandman will no laws be needed. The first point told why? Only the meek and righteous will be citizens of that new land. Without sin, selfishness, and lust; there will be an open range where citizens will need not be controlled. Compare that to those who demand that walls be torn down. They are the unruly mob that provokes unrighteousness as the law of the land. Can you imagine Utopian socialism with greedy people running unperturbed? Paradise has no walls or fences outside those required for entry. “Common wealth” is the goal of socialism, but the fewer commoners the more the wealth for each. As such, Utopia has a limit on who deserves entry, and it is those who are willing to sacrifice themselves for the good of the state. Paradise is for those who would see their “common good” in harmony with the Goodness of God. God will need not control in Paradise because Christians there are willing to honor God. Utopia is a place where only the theory is honored — the theory of socialism whose death is certain. The plantation system of ante-bellum times was a socialist endeavor which Jefferson Davis said, “died of a theory.”

(6)    “For there will be no poor man there, no rich, and no tyrant, no slave. Further, no one will be either great or small anymore. No kings. No leaders. All will be on a par together” (321-324). As you can see, socialism has the right idea, but their theory misses the most important Component, and that is the Presence of God. Rather than a Utopia wherein there are no leaders, in a real commune, each will be “as God.” Socialism is always a commune of wannabe leaders with few workers. That is why socialism always fails! In Paradise, alone, will citizens be on equal footing. We all will be servants of the Living God! Why does socialism dismiss God? Because, for them Utopia means living without control. Utopia is each doing what is right in their own eyes just as they did before there were kings in Israel (Jud 17:6). What does Utopia look like? Not what is described in the Sibylline Oracles, but what you see at the present in the Democrat-run big cities. That is the Democrat version of a socialist Utopia. What is the environment in Paradise? Love and Light! What is the toxic environment in Utopia? Hatred and deception. Those naïve socialists in the “Autonomous Zone” in Portland is prototypical of Utopia. Is that what you want? Is that how far you can go to escape civility? … To escape God?

(7)    “He will make a long day” (329). That refers to the “eighth day” when there is no time. There will be no dread of the end because there will be no end! Utopia will never exist without a need for a clock, but Paradise will. Utopia is of the world, and it is always a few minutes from midnight on the Doomsday Clock. Socialists will deplenish the globe on their way to saving it. Their method of “salvation” is not for individuals, and not for the “common good,” but for the good of “mother earth.” They can only create an eighth day by removing the product of the “seven days.’ Recently, those who would “reset” the clock of existence propose the elimination of 95% of the world’s population. They would destroy the many for the good of the few! On the other hand, God wants that none should perish” (John 3:16), but ironically, most will choose to perish. In Utopia, they will have no choice but to sacrifice and perish for the common good.

(8)    There is one further thing that Paradise provides; it is refuge from perishing, to wit: “To save men from the raging fire and gnashing” (332), “And pick them out again from the undying fire” (334). Paradise is the place of salvation! It is where those who are saved from the second death will be saved to! “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Rev 20:13-15). This is the time of salvation! Until then, God keeps Christians safe! Salvation has a destination. It is a return to Paradise. Utopia is unobtainable because communal living is impossible without the Temple in which to commune! The first thing which shall perish, is the socialist theory of Utopia. For 3-1/2 years Utopia will seem to have come into existence, but after just three short years, Utopia will be revealed for what it is — a hell on earth as the Antichrist and Beast expose their identity and kill with impunity. That is not Paradise found, but Utopia exposed!

(Tomorrow I will continue with part 3 and finalize the commentary).

(picture credit: crossalk.com)