Waswe, Fitim for Iu Hope for Paradaes?

“Mi savve long wanfala man wea wan mind witim Christ wea . . . go long paradaes.”—2 CORINTHIANS 12:2-4.

1. Wanem nao olketa promis insaed Bible wea here naes long planti pipol?

PARADAES. Waswe, iu rememberim feeling bilong iu firstaem iu herem promis bilong God for mekem earth kamap wanfala paradaes? Ting go bak long taem wea iu lanem hao ‘eye bilong olketa wea blind bae open, and ear bilong olketa wea earpas bae no sat moa, and wilderness’ bae luk naes narawe. Or waswe long datfala profesi abaotem wild dog wea stap witim pikinini sheep and leopard wea stap witim pikinini goat? For sure iu hapi tumas taem iu readim hao olketa wea iumi lovem wea dae finis bae laef bak witim chance for stap olowe insaed datfala Paradaes!—Isaiah 11:6; 35:5, 6; John 5:28, 29.

2, 3. (a) Why nao hem stret for sei hope bilong iu wea kam from Bible hem garem faondeson? (b) Wanem nao nara reason why iumi garem hope?

² Hope bilong iu garem faondeson. Reason stap for iu bilivim olketa promis insaed Bible abaotem datfala paradaes. Olsem example, iu barava trustim toktok wea Jesus talem long datfala criminal wea dae saed long hem: “Iu bae stap witim mi long Paradaes.” (Luke 23:43) Iu trustim tu disfala promis: “Iumi weitim niu heven [skae] and niu earth wea hem promisim, and evriwan bae garem raeteous fasin.” And iu trustim tu promis bilong God for aotem krae from eye bilong iumi and for finisim dae, sorre, singaot, and pain. Diswan minim wanfala paradaes bae kamap moa long earth!—2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:4.

³ Nara reason for hope for disfala Paradaes hem samting wea olketa Christian raonem world part long hem distaem. Wanem nao datwan? God mekem wanfala spiritual paradaes and putim pipol bilong hem insaed long datwan. Datfala toktok “spiritual paradaes” maet iumi tingse hem hard for minim, bat Bible profesi finis abaotem datwan, and hem samting wea really stap distaem.

Vision Bilong Paradaes

4. Wanem nao datfala vision wea stap long 2 Corinthians 12:2-4, and luk olsem hu nao kasem datwan?

⁴ Lukim samting wea aposol Paul talem saed long diswan: “Mi savve long wanfala man wea wan mind witim Christ wea . . . go long mek-thri heven. Yes, mi savve long man olsem—maet long body or no long body, mi no savve, God nao savve—hao God tekem hem awe go long paradaes and hem herem olketa toktok wea man kanduit talem wea hem againstim law for wanfala man talem.” (2 Corinthians 12:2-4) Olketa verse hia kamap bihaen Paul pruvim hem fit for olsem wanfala aposol. And tu, Bible no storyim eni nara man wea go long mek-thri heven, and Paul nao wan wea talem disfala story. So luk olsem Paul nao kasem disfala vision. So taem Jehovah givim disfala vision long Paul, wanem kaen “paradaes” nao hem go insaed long hem?—2 Corinthians 11:5, 23-31.

5. Wanem nao Paul no lukim, and waswe, datfala “paradaes” hem really wan or spiritual wan?

⁵ “Mek-thri heven” insaed disfala vision hem no minim air raonem earth bilong iumi, and hem no minim tu eni farawe ples long universe. Planti taem Bible iusim namba thri for mekhae or strongim samting. (Ecclesiastes 4:12; Isaiah 6:3; Matthew 26:34, 75; Revelation 4:8) So, samting wea Paul lukim long disfala vision hem samting wea hae or wea garem glory. Hem spiritual samting.

6. Wanem samting wea happen bifor hem helpem iumi for minim vision bilong Paul?

⁶ Samfala Bible profesi helpem iumi for minim. Taem pipol bilong hem bifor no faithful long hem, God disaed for letem olketa bilong Babylon kam againstim Judah and Jerusalem. Olsem Bible showimaot, Babylon finisim olketa long 607 B.C.E. Profesi talem hao datfala land bae stap emti for 70 year; then God bae letem olketa Jew wea repent for go bak and startim tru worship moa. Diswan hem start for happen long 537 B.C.E. (Deuteronomy 28:15, 62-68; 2 Kings 21:10-15; 24:12-16; 25:1-4; Jeremiah 29:10-14) Bat, wanem nao happen long datfala land? Insaed datfala 70 year, hem kamap ples wea grow wild nomoa, no garem staka wata, and ples wea olketa wild dog stap. (Jeremiah 4:26; 10:22) Nomata olsem, disfala promis hem stap: “Jehovah bae barava comfortim Zion. Hem bae barava comfortim evri emti ples bilong hem, and bae hem mekem hem olsem wilderness bilong Eden and drae ples bilong hem olsem garden [or Paradaes, Septuagint] bilong Jehovah.”—Isaiah 51:3; footnote.

7. Wanem nao bae happen bihaen datfala 70 year?

⁷ Datwan happen bihaen 70 year wea datfala land stap emti. From God blessim datfala land, hem kamap moabeta. Tingim diswan long mind bilong iu: “Drae area and ples wea no garem wata bae singaot from olketa hapi, and olketa drae open ples bae hapi and garem flaoa olsem saffron. Hem bae barava garem staka flaoa, and bae hem barava hapi and singaot witim hapi. . . . Man wea cripple bae klaemap olsem wanfala deer, and tongue bilong man wea no savve toktok bae singaot witim hapi. Wata bae kamap long wilderness, and bigfala wata long ples wea drae. And graon wea drae fogud bae kamap olsem olketa pool wata, and graon wea barava needim wata bae olsem spring wata. Long ples wea olketa wild dog stap, ples wea olketa savve rest, green grass and grass wea grow long wata and olketa papyrus plant bae grow.”—Isaiah 35:1-7.

Pipol wea Go Bak and Change

8. Hao nao iumi savve Isaiah chapter 35 storyim pipol?

⁸ Datwan hem bigfala change! Firstaem land hem emti evribit, then bihaen, hem kamap paradaes. Bat disfala profesi and olketa narawan wea iumi fit for trustim, showim hao pipol tu bae change, olsem land wea nogud bat wea garem frut bihaen. Why nao iumi savve sei olsem? Hem from Isaiah storyim hao “olketa wea Jehovah baem bak,” bae go bak long land bilong olketa “witim hapi singaot” and bae “hapi tumas and singaot long hapi.” (Isaiah 35:10) Datwan no storyim really graon, bat hem storyim pipol. And Isaiah talem disfala toktok tu abaotem pipol wea go bak long Zion: “Olketa mas garem datfala nem bigfala tree bilong raeteous fasin, wea Jehovah plantim . . . From olsem earth seleva mekem samting grow, . . . Jehovah bae mekem raeteous fasin and praise for grow front long evri nation.” Isaiah sei olsem tu abaotem pipol bilong God: “Jehovah mas leadim iufala olowe . . . , and bae hem strongim olketa bon bilong iufala; and iufala mas kamap olsem wanfala garden wea kasem staka wata.” (Isaiah 58:11; 61:3, 11; Jeremiah 31:10-12) So, long sem wei wea datfala land bae kamap moabeta, olketa Jew wea go bak bae change tu.

9. Wanem nao datfala “paradaes” wea Paul lukim, and wanem taem nao datwan fulfill?

⁹ Disfala samting wea happen long olketa Jew hem helpem iumi for minim samting wea Paul lukim long datfala vision. Insaed diswan hem Christian kongregeson wea hem kolem “garden bilong God wea hem mekem grow” and wea shud garem frut. (1 Corinthians 3:9) Wanem taem nao bae datfala vision fulfill? Paul sei datfala samting wea hem lukim bae happen long future. Hem savve hao bihaen hem dae, bigfala wei for apostate bae kamap. (2 Corinthians 12:1; Acts 20:29, 30; 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 7) Taem olketa apostate kamap staka, hem hard for sei olketa tru Christian olsem wanfala garden wea grow gud tumas. Nomata olsem, taem bae kam wea pipol bae mekhae moa long tru worship. Pipol bilong God bae kamap gud moa mekem olketa hia ‘wea raeteous savve shaen braet olsem sun insaed long kingdom bilong Dadi bilong olketa.’ (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43) Datwan happen tu-thri year bihaen Kingdom bilong God hem kamap long heven. And start kam long datfala taem, hem showaot klia hao pipol bilong God stap long spiritual paradaes wea Paul lukim long datfala vision.

10, 11. Nomata iumi no perfect, why nao iumi savve sei iumi stap long wanfala spiritual paradaes?

¹⁰ Hem tru, iumi savve hao iumi wanwan no perfect, so iumi no sapraes hao samfala taem olketa problem kamap, olsem hem happen midolwan olketa Christian long taem bilong Paul. (1 Corinthians 1:10-13; Philippians 4:2, 3; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-14) Nomata olsem, tingim datfala spiritual paradaes wea iumi garem distaem. Hem olsem iumi kasem healing long spiritual wei distaem, and no sik olsem bifor. And iumi fulap witim spiritual kaikai and no hangre nao. Pipol bilong God no stragol long wanfala spiritual land wea olsem drae ples, bat God appruvim iumi and olketa blessing wea iumi kasem hem olsem bigfala rain long drae graon. (Isaiah 35:1, 7) Winim wei for blind long spiritual wei, iumi lukim laet bilong freedom and blessing bilong God. Planti wea bifor no herem or minim olketa Bible profesi, distaem herem and minim samting wea Bible talem. (Isaiah 35:5) Olsem example, planti million Jehovah’s Witness raonem world studyim finis evri verse bilong profesi bilong Daniel. Then olketa studyim gud evri chapter long full Bible buk bilong Isaiah. Datfala spiritual kaikai wea strongim man hem pruvim hao iumi stap long wanfala spiritual paradaes!

¹¹ Tingim tu hao honest pipol from evri difren kaen living changem fasin bilong olketa and trae for minim and followim Word bilong God. Olketa waka hard for changem fasin bilong olketa wea bifor hem olsem olketa wild animal. Maet iu win for duim olsem, and olketa spiritual brata and sista bilong iu duim olsem tu. (Colossians 3:8-14) Dastawe, taem iu kaban witim wanfala kongregeson bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness, iu stap witim pipol wea kamap moa naes and wea trae for keepim peace. Hem tru, olketa no perfect distaem, bat olketa no olsem olketa lion or hangre wild animal. (Isaiah 35:9) Wei wea olketa spiritual brata and sista stap long peace tugeta, pruvim wanem samting? Hem klia tumas, iumi fit for sei iumi stap long wanfala spiritual paradaes. And spiritual paradaes bilong iumi hem piksarem wanfala paradaes long earth wea iumi bae enjoyim sapos iumi go ahed for loyal long God.

12, 13. Wanem nao iumi mas duim for go ahed stap insaed spiritual paradaes bilong iumi?

¹² Nomata olsem, iumi mas no forgetim wanfala samting. God talem olketa Israelite: “Iu mas keepim full komandment wea mi komandim long iu tuday, mekem iu savve grow strong and barava go insaed and tekovarem datfala land.” (Deuteronomy 11:8) Leviticus 20:22, 24, storyim datfala sem land: “Iufala mas keepim olketa law bilong mi and olketa judicial disison bilong mi and duim olketa, mekem datfala land wea mi bae tekem iufala for go stap long hem bae no toroaotem iufala from hem. Dastawe mi talem long iufala: ‘Iufala, for saed bilong iufala, bae tekovarem datfala graon, and mi, for saed bilong mi, bae givim hem long iufala for iufala stap long hem, wanfala land wea fulap witim milk and honey.’ ” Diswan minim, for kasem datfala Promis Land hem depend long wei wea olketa fren gud witim Jehovah God. From olketa Israelite no obeyim hem, God letem Babylon for win ovarem olketa and aotem olketa from ples wea olketa stap.

¹³ Maet iumi hapi long staka samting abaotem spiritual paradaes bilong iumi. Hem luk naes tumas long iumi and mekem iumi feel gud. Iumi stap long peace witim olketa Christian wea lusim fasin wea olsem wild animal. Olketa trae hard for showimaot kaenfala fasin and helpem iumi. Bat, for stap insaed datfala spiritual paradaes, iumi mas duim moa samting winim wei for fren gud witim olketa hia. Iumi mas fren gud witim Jehovah and duim will bilong hem. (Micah 6:8) No eniwan forcem iumi for kam insaed disfala spiritual paradaes, bat bae iumi savve isisi go aot—or olketa savve aotem iumi—sapos iumi no duim samting for keepim wei wea iumi fren witim God.

14. Wanem nao savve helpem iumi for stap insaed datfala spiritual paradaes?

¹⁴ Wanfala important samting for helpem iumi hem for go ahed kasem strong from Word bilong God. Lukim disfala tokpiksa long Psalm 1:1-3: “Hapi nao man wea no wakabaot followim kaonsel bilong olketa wicked wan . . . Bat hem hapi long law bilong Jehovah, and hem read smol long law bilong hem day and naet. And hem bae kamap olsem wanfala tree wea olketa plantim klosap long planti smol wata, wea garem frut long taem bilong hem and wea leaf bilong hem no savve dae, and evri samting wea hem duim bae win.” And tu, olketa pablikeson from faithful and wise slave wea garem faondeson long Bible provaedem spiritual kaikai long datfala spiritual paradaes.—Matthew 24:45-47.

Strongim Tingting Bilong Iu Abaotem Paradaes

15. Why nao Moses no savve leadim olketa Israelite long Promis Land, bat wanem nao hem lukim?

¹⁵ Tingim nara example wea helpem iumi for tingim datfala Paradaes. Bihaen Israel wakabaot long wilderness for 40 year, Moses leadim olketa go long Flat Ples Bilong Moab, long east saed bilong Jordan River. From wanfala mistek wea Moses duim bifor, Jehovah disaed Moses bae no leadim Israel for akrosim Jordan. (Numbers 20:7-12; 27:12, 13) Moses barava askem God: “Plis letem mi lukluk long datfala gud land wea stap long narasaed bilong Jordan.” Nomata hem bae no go insaed long datfala land, bihaen hem klaemap long Maunt Pisgah and lukluk long samfala part bilong datfala land, Moses mas luksavve hem wanfala “gud land.” Long tingting bilong iu, datfala land luk hao?—Deuteronomy 3:25-27.

16, 17. (a) Hao nao Promis Land long taem bifor hem difren and no olsem datfala area distaem? (b) Why nao iu savve sure datfala Promis Land hem wanfala paradaes bifor?

¹⁶ Sapos iu tingim datfala area distaem, maet iu tingim wanfala drae land wea fulap witim sand, olketa ston long desert, and wea hot fogud. Bat luk olsem datfala full area hem difren long taem bilong Bible. Long magasin Scientific American, datfala savveman saed long wata and graon, Doctor Walter C. Lowdermilk explainim hao “for wan thousand year pipol go ahed for spoelem datfala land.” Hem sei: “Man nao, no nature, mekem datfala naesfala land gogo kamap wanfala ‘desert.’” Tru nao, research wea hem duim showimaot hao “bifor, disfala land hem gudfala ples for keepim olketa animal.” Hem klia hao olketa man nao spoelem disfala gud land.a

¹⁷ Taem iu ting bak long samting wea iu readim long Bible abaotem datfala land, maet iu luksavve hao bifor hem fitim for kolem hem wanfala paradaes. Tingim samting wea Jehovah promisim olketa pipol thru long Moses: “Datfala land wea iu bae akrosim Jordan for tekem hem wanfala land wea garem olketa maunten and valley. Hem drinkim wata from rain bilong skae; wanfala land wea God bilong iu Jehovah hem lukaftarem.”—Deuteronomy 11:8-12.

18. From olketa samting wea Isaiah 35:2 storyim, olketa Israelite mas garem wanem tingting abaotem Promis Land?

¹⁸ From evriting long datfala Promis Land grow gud tumas and hem barava luk naes, taem man herem nem bilong olketa ples insaed datfala land hem mas tingim paradaes. Diswan hem showaot klia from profesi long Isaiah chapter 35, wea firstaem hem fulfill hem taem olketa Israelite kam bak from Babylon. Isaiah hem sei: “Hem bae barava garem staka flaoa, and bae hem barava hapi and singaot witim hapi. Glory bilong Lebanon olketa mas givim long hem, naesfala samting bilong Carmel and bilong Sharon. Olketa bae lukim glory bilong Jehovah, nambawan wei bilong God bilong iumi.” (Isaiah 35:2) Taem olketa Israelite herem Lebanon, Carmel, and Sharon hem mas mekem olketa tingim olketa ples wea barava luk naes and mekem man satisfae.

19, 20. (a) Storyim area bilong Sharon bifor. (b) Wanem nao wanfala wei wea iumi savve strongim hope bilong iumi for Paradaes?

¹⁹ Tingim Sharon, wanfala area midolwan olketa hill bilong Samaria and datfala Great Sea, wea olketa kolem Mediterranean. (Lukim piksa long page 10.) Hem ples wea barava luk naes and evriting hem grow gud. From hem kasem planti wata, hem gud ples for keepim olketa sheep and buluka, and north part bilong hem garem olketa oak tree tu. (1 Chronicles 27:29; Song of Solomon 2:1, footnote; Isaiah 65:10) So Isaiah 35:2 hem profesi abaotem hao pipol bae kam bak and datfala land bae luk naes fogud, olsem wanfala paradaes. Datfala profesi hem point go tu long wanfala naesfala spiritual paradaes, olsem datwan wea Paul lukim long vision bilong hem. And tu, disfala profesi, and samfala narawan, strongim hope bilong iumi hao wanfala paradaes bae kamap long earth for olketa man.

²⁰ Taem iumi stap insaed spiritual paradaes bilong iumi, iumi savve strongim go moa wei wea iumi tinghae long datwan and tu, hope bilong iumi hao disfala earth bae kamap paradaes moa. Hao nao iumi savve duim datwan? Long wei for kasem moa savve abaotem samting wea iumi readim long Bible. Planti taem Bible storyim and profesi abaotem samfala barava ples. Waswe, iu laek for minim gud wea nao olketa ples hia and hao olketa join witim olketa nara ples? Long nextfala article, bae iumi lukluk hao iu savve duim olsem and kasem gud samting from datwan.

[Footnote]

Waswe, Iu Remember?

• Wanem nao datfala “paradaes” wea Paul lukim long vision?

• Hao nao Isaiah chapter 35 hem fulfill firstaem, and hao nao hem join witim samting wea Paul lukim long vision?

• Hao nao iumi savve strongim go moa wei wea iumi tinghae long spiritual paradaes bilong iumi and hope bilong iumi for paradaes long earth?

[Piksa long page 10]

Flat Ples Bilong Sharon, area long Promis Land wea evriting grow gud

[Credit Line]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.

[Piksa long page 12]

Moses luksavve hem wanfala “gud land”