Well, the English word “paradise” is related to Greek, Persian, and Hebrew words that all carry the thought of a park or garden, a peaceful, refreshing place. The Bible promises that some day the earth will be a physical paradise, a gardenlike home for a sinless human race. (Psalm 37:10, 11) With this in mind, we see that a spiritual paradise is an environment that is pleasing to the eyes and soothing to the nerves, allowing one to enjoy peace with one’s fellowman and with God.

What Is the Spiritual Paradise?

One thing that makes Jehovah’s Witnesses stand out is their appreciation for Bible knowledge. They believe that the Bible is true and that it is God’s Word. Hence, they are not satisfied merely to know the basics of their religion. They have an ongoing program of personal study and Bible reading. The longer a person associates with Jehovah’s Witnesses, the more he learns about God and His will as revealed in the Bible.

Such knowledge frees Jehovah’s Witnesses from things that rob people of happiness, such as superstitions and harmful ideas. Jesus said: “The truth will set you free,” and Jehovah’s Witnesses find this to be so. (John 8:32) Fernando, who at one time practiced spiritism, says: “Learning about everlasting life was an enormous relief. I was afraid that either my parents or I might die.” Truth freed Fernando from his fear of the spirit world and the so-called afterlife.

In the Bible, knowledge of God is closely associated with paradise. The prophet Isaiah said: “They will not do any harm or cause any ruin in all my holy mountain; because the earth will certainly be filled with the knowledge of Jehovah as the waters are covering the very sea.”​—Isaiah 11:9.

Of course, knowledge by itself is not enough to bring the peace foretold by Isaiah. A person has to act on what he learns. Fernando made this comment: “When a person cultivates the fruits of the spirit, he contributes to the spiritual paradise.” Fernando was referring to words of the apostle Paul, who called the good qualities that a Christian should cultivate “the fruitage of the spirit.” He listed them as “love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, mildness, self-control.”​—Galatians 5:22, 23.

Can you see why associating with a community of individuals who strive to cultivate such qualities would indeed be like being in paradise? The spiritual paradise foretold by the prophet Zephaniah would exist among such people. He said: “They will do no unrighteousness, nor speak a lie, nor will there be found in their mouths a tricky tongue; for they themselves will feed and actually lie stretched out, and there will be no one making them tremble.”​—Zephaniah 3:13.

The Vital Role of Love

You may have noticed that the first of the fruits of the spirit mentioned by Paul is love. This is a quality that the Bible speaks much about. Jesus said: “By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves.” (John 13:35) True, Jehovah’s Witnesses are not perfect. They sometimes have personal problems among themselves just as Jesus’ apostles did. But they truly love one another, and they pray for the support of holy spirit as they cultivate this quality.

As a result, their fellowship is unique. There is no tribalism or divisive nationalism among them. In fact, many Witnesses who found themselves in the midst of ethnic cleansing and racial genocide during the closing years of the 20th century protected one another even at the risk of their own lives. Although coming “out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues,” they enjoy a unity that is difficult to comprehend until you experience it.​—Revelation 7:9.

Paradise Among Those Who Do God’s Will

There is no place in the spiritual paradise for greed, immorality, and selfishness. Christians are told: “Quit being fashioned after this system of things, but be transformed by making your mind over, that you may prove to yourselves the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2) When we live clean, moral lives and do God’s will in other ways, we help build the spiritual paradise and we contribute to our own happiness. Carla found this to be true. She says: “My father taught me to work hard to become financially independent. But although my university studies gave me a sense of security, I missed the family unity and the security that only knowledge from God’s Word can give us.”

Of course, enjoying the spiritual paradise does not remove the physical problems of life. Christians still get sick. The nation they live in might get embroiled in civil strife. Many endure poverty. Still, having a close relationship with Jehovah God​—which is a crucial part of the spiritual paradise—​means that we can look to him for support. Indeed, he invites us to ‘throw our burdens upon him,’ and many can testify to the wonderful way he has supported them in the most difficult situations. (Psalm 55:22; 86:16, 17) God promises to be with his worshipers even in “the valley of deep shadow.” (Psalm 23:4) Confidence in God’s readiness to support us helps to preserve our “peace of God that excels all thought,” which is a key to the spiritual paradise.​—Philippians 4:7.