The Gospel According To John

by Richard St.James

Paradise Lost?

John 3:13 “And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven."

Here are some questions for you. Can you answer them? “Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell?” [Proverbs 30:4] [It will take WISDOM to give the correct answers. [Proverbs 9:10]

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.”]

Well, WHO is HE, and WHAT is HIS NAME, and WHAT is HIS SON’S NAME? The clue is gleaned in the very next verse [in verse five]. “Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.” [Proverbs 30:5] “And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.”

According to verse five in Proverbs, every word in John chapter three, verse eighteen is PURE. The ANSWER is: HE is GOD, and the only begotten SON of GOD, WHO is GOD manifest in the flesh. [1Timothy 3:16] “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”

Captivity

So the ONE, WHO ascended up to heaven, according verse eighteen, is the very ONE, that came down from heaven. No one else has ever ascended to heaven, but Jesus Christ. But you say what about Enoch and Elijah? Well, what about them? Let me tell you something. Everyone, who has ever plied this earth, before Jesus Christ came to this earth, has been held captive.

Until there was made a just propitiation for sin, we all were held in bondage because of sin. [Romans 3:25] “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.” Therefore, all the Old Testament saints went to a place called Paradise to be held as captives … waiting for REDEMPTION.

Where Is Paradise?

Where is Paradise in Bible? Let’s start where Paradise use to be. We find will find that we need to trace the TREE of LIFE to see the connection to Paradise. Turn to [Genesis 2:8]. “And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden [EDEN]; and there he put the man whom he had formed.” We have a GARDEN: the garden of Eden in verse eight.

Now read verse nine. “And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. There are two trees!

Put your attention on THE TREE of LIFE. [Never mind about the tree of knowledge of good and evil.] Now go to [Revelation 2:7]. “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.”

See the TREE of LIFE “in midst of the paradise of God.” Instead of the word GARDEN, the Spirit of God used the word: PARADISE. Paradise is Eden! The garden was in EDEN [PARADISE].

Eden was Lost or Paradise was lost … to man in [Genesis 3:23-24] “Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.” The Scripture shows [when man was put out the garden] God relocated Paradise to lower parts of the earth according to Ephesians chapter four, verse nine.

There Is More!

Paradise [Abraham’s Bosom] and Hell, according to Luke chapter sixteen, reinforces this truth that BOTH were in the center of this earth. Let us go to Luke sixteen, verse twenty-two, to see the Scripture explain the Scripture. “And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom [PARADISE]: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell [HELL] he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.”

Now read verse twenty-six: “And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.” In the lower parts of this earth [the center of the earth] is a place, that has two compartments, one compartment is called HELL, and the other is called PARADISE, and between them was a GREAT GULF fixed. [Luke 23:43] “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” Now after Jesus Christ died on the CROSS, he “descended first into the lower parts of the earth.”

Then, after three days and three nights, he led captivity captive UP and OUT of the lower parts of the earth to Heaven. Jesus Christ moved the location of Paradise to the third heaven [Heaven]. “Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)” [Ephesians 4:8-10]

Paradise is now in Heaven, Amen! Paul was caught up to into paradise in [2 Corinthians 12:4]. “How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.” Heaven is where the Son of God is sitting at the right hand of God. That is where paradise is today!

Paradise Summary

1. Jesus Christ created Eden [Paradise] [when he created the heaven and the earth].

2. Jesus Christ moved the location of Paradise [EDEN] to the lower parts of the earth [EARTH] in [Genesis 3:23-24] after the FALL [SIN] of man.

3. Jesus Christ moved the location of Paradise to the third heaven [Heaven] after the propitiation for sin was made, when he led captivity captive [Luke 23:43].

4. Jesus Christ will relocate Paradise back to the earth in [Revelation 22:2]. Note the tree of life that was in the garden appears again. “In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”

The Serpent In The Wilderness

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The Gospel According To John

John 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

John 3:2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that
thou doest, except God be with him.

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

John 3:4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

John 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

John 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

John 3:9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?

John 3:10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?

John 3:11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.

John 3:12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

John 3:13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

John 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only
begotten Son of God.

John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

John 3:20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

John 3:21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

John 3:22 After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized.

John 3:23 And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized.

John 3:24 For John was not yet cast into prison.

John 3:25 Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying.

John 3:26 And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barestwitness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.

John 3:27 John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.

John 3:28 Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.

John 3:29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the
bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.

John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

John 3:31 He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.

John 3:32 And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony.

John 3:33 He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.

John 3:34 For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.

John 3:35 The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.

John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.