1. Hope and Change, God’s Way Hope and Change, God’s Way Lesson 4 Ezekiel 28:11-17; Genesis 2 – 3 The Hope of Heaven: Paradise Lost April 18, 2010

2. I.Introduction to Lesson 4 A.Why is the subject of heaven important? 1.Heaven is the believer’s hope (O.T & New). 2.We are commanded to set our minds on heaven – Colossians 3:1; 1 Peter 1:13. 3.All of us are going to die, and we will spend eternity in heaven or hell. Those who reject God’s offer of heaven are hell bound. 4.Our decisions and actions in this present life determine our eternal future. 5.Most of what people think about heaven is either distorted or just plain wrong. 6.Except for funerals, heaven is something we don’t talk about enough.

3. B.Why is the subject of heaven ignored? 1.It is ignored by scholars (Alcorn, pp. 8-9). a.Niebuhr, The Nature and Destiny of Man Heaven = 0 b.Shedd, Dogmatic Theology – 3 vols. Eternal punishment = 87 Heaven = 2 b.Martin Lloyd-Jones, Great Doctrines Eternal state and New earth = 2 b.Berkhof, Systematic Theology (737 pp.) Hell = 2; Heaven = 1 2.Prosperity makes the present look better than the future. 3.Politics: Government is our god.

4. C.My approach to this lesson. 1.I prefer to follow the progress of biblical revelation (Genesis to Revelation, chronologically). 2.This approach requires (at the moment) four lessons on heaven: a.Paradise Lost (Ezekiel 28; Genesis 1-3) b.A Little Bit of Heaven (Heaven under the Old Testament Law) c.Heaven Came Down (The Kingdom of Heaven in the Gospels) d.The Heaven to Come (Heaven in the Epistles)

5. II.Heaven’s prototype (the Garden of Eden) A.Genesis 1:1-2:3 1.From chaos to cosmos (order) 2.God said 3.It was so/done 4.It was good B.Genesis 2:4-25 1.Something missing (not good) 2.God provides the perfect solution 3.The test (2:16-17) C.Genesis 3: the fall of man and its consequences

6. D.What Paradise was like 1.A designated place of blessing 2.A people created for blessing 3.Work to do (cultivate, keep, rule) 4.A bountiful “table” – great food (green) 5.Beauty 6.A variety of choices to make 7.In wondrous harmony (and communication with?) the animal world 8.Blissful innocence 9.Learning/knowledge 10.Perfection 11.Eternal life (tree of life) 12.Intimate fellowship with God

7. III.Heaven’s counterpart (hell’s prototype) A.Satan’s paradise & fall (Ezekiel 28:11-17) 1.A place of authority and rule 2.A place and person of great beauty 3.In Eden 4.Rebellion against God 5.Cast out/condemned B.The fall of man (Genesis 3) 1.Chose death rather than life/kept from access to the tree of life 2.Gained knowledge, but lost innocence 3.Suffering the reversal of many of the benefits of Eden 4.Feared God/hide from Him 5.Loss of intimate fellowship/separation

8. IV.Conclusion A.These are the essentials – the essence – of what we need to know of heaven and hell. B.The Bible links its teaching on heaven with its teaching on hell. We should not talk about heaven in isolation from hell. C.Some try to avoid the matter of eternity altogether by thinking in terms of annihilation. D.Your eternal destiny (of heaven or hell) is determined by the choice you make today – and there is no second chance (Heb. 9:27). E.Those who decline God’s offer of heaven are destined for hell. F.Everyone talking about heaven isn’t going there.

9. Copyright © 2010 by Robert L. Deffinbaugh. This is the edited PowerPoint presentation of Lesson 4 in the series, Hope and Change, God’s Way, prepared by Robert L. Deffinbaugh for April 18, 2010. Anyone is at liberty to use this lesson for educational purposes only, with or without credit.