Oswald Chambers, a Scottish evangelist and teacher once remarked: “We look for visions of heaven and we never dream that all the time God is in the commonplace things and people around us.” Revelation 21:1-4 confirms: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.”
Heaven is defined by Wikipedia as a common religious cosmological or transcendent supernatural place where deities, angels, souls, saints or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned, or reside. It has also been synonymously related to: The Promised Land, Nirvana, or indeed Paradise. Luke 23:43 confirms that when Jesus was dying on the cross, He told one of the criminals hanging on a similar cross by His side, who publicly admitted his errors and asked to be remembered: “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” However, this begs the question, are Heaven and Paradise separate, or the same place?
Many people have their own different perspectives or illusions concerning the locality of God and Heaven. They may ask the debatable question: “Is God and His perfect Kingdom high in the sky, far beyond the furthest star in the universe, or perhaps closer to hand?” 2 Corinthians 12:1-4 states: “I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven - whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. And I know that this man was caught up into paradise - whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows - and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter.”
Despite the varying opinions, God is omnipresent. He is wherever we want Him to be. If we wish Him to be amongst us, He will always abide. If we need Him to provide help or guidance, He is available. The same might apply to His domain, Heaven. While we exist on earth, a paradise other than heaven itself, can be anywhere. Wherever we are or whatever we are doing, if one is happy and contented in a particular place, people might consider themselves to be in a paradise. It could equate to the Garden of Eden. For paradise is where the heart is, where peace and happiness abound. Where there is an abundance of fruitfulness. It includes a persistent will for life. Matthew Simpson, an American bishop once remarked: “Not in purity or in holiness merely, for in Paradise man was holy, and he shall be holy when redeemed through the sacrifice of Christ and made an heir of heaven.” God assimilates to paradise and paradise encompasses God.
Kashmir is located between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range in the northernmost region of the Indian subcontinent. It has frequently been referred to as the “Heaven of Earth.” The suffusing chromaticity of the Chinar trees not only display the natural, but spectacular colors of red and yellow radiate as autumn approaches.
Certain lakes in the vicinity, are said to change from their precious illusion of silver into gold in the early light of dawn. The picturesque areas of snow-capped mountains, verdant valleys and the remaining numerous array of scenic lakes complement the overall effect to suggest a place that could be described as picture-perfect. For some, it may even represent an individual aspiration of their own notion of Heaven.
Visions can be illuminating. They can reveal or inspire. Whether we are seeing things in reality or in the perception of our minds makes little difference if we realize the difference between the two. They may even provide insight into God’s perspectives of life. The sensory vision of sight reveals hardcore indisputable facts, that cannot be questioned, whereas the vision of mind may procure imagination that could be true or false.
For many, Heaven is visualized as an eternal place providing nothing but happiness and splendor. It may incorporate abundant green pastures beside flowing waters. Pain in any form will never exist. Any illness that one experienced in an earthly life will be eradicated forever. There will be no regrets, no tears, only smiles, laughter, joy and happiness. Love and friendship will be for all, without exception.
Some falsely believe, in their wisdom, that God never made the universe for people to dwell for a lengthy period or to experience any form of paradise while we are here. It is merely a temporary abode for a specific time to allow God to assess our worthiness to join Him in heaven. Paradise is only reserved for the good after death and not before. However, it should be remembered that God created the earth and its beauty with everything for our needs. It was intended to be a complete and perfect place in which to live.
Psalm 115:16 confirms: “The heavens are the Lord’s heavens, but the earth he has given to the children of man.” Earth was created for the purpose of all to experience and enjoy. There is absolutely no reason why we can’t relish our time and treat it as a paradise before we journey to God’s higher one. It has been said that life is what you make of it. That intimates that we are responsible for our own enjoyment or pleasure in life.
For some, the aura of peace, beauty or stillness, in an idyllic place on earth, provides a sense of calmness within. Stress, anxiety or fear can flow freely from our bodies like the free-flowing river of life. Freedom is far more beneficial than constraint, which may otherwise encapsulate our bodies, preventing us from benefiting from the advantageous blessings that God has provided.
Revelation 22:1-5 confirms: “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.”
Amen.
