Paradise shall be restored to the earth.

No doubt the great surprise will be that life will not have changed very much when we are raised from the dead. It is true that those who overcome will have bodies of such surpassing glory, power, and abilities that there is no comparison with our present body. No saved individual, from the least to the greatest, will suffer the pain so common today.

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. (Revelation 21:4)

But the pursuits of people may be much the same as today, although in an environment free from the curse. Builders will build. Musicians will play. Writers will write. Farmers will farm. Why should it be different? This is the way God has made man.

We do not know how relationships will change. But we can be sure that our relationships will be infinitely more joyous than could ever be possible in our present state. The best we can imagine cannot approach the glory of the righteous world of the resurrection.

Physical death came to us through Adam. Physical immortality will come to us through the Lord Jesus.

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. (I Corinthians 15:22,23)

Every person died "in Adam." Our adamic nature and mortal body is dead because of Adam's rebellion. When we receive the Lord Jesus our inward spiritual nature receives eternal life because of the blood of the cross and ascends with Christ to the right hand God. But our physical body remains dead because of sin.

And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. (Romans 8:10)

But God intends to redeem our mortal body.

But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken [make alive] your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. (Romans 8:11)

God indeed shall make alive our mortal body by means of His Spirit who is living in us, provided we choose to put to death through the Holy Spirit the appetites of our flesh.

For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. (Romans 8:13)

The first resurrection, the resurrection of the royal priesthood, which will take place at the coming of the Lord, is only for those who have lived a victorious Christian life, who have put to death the appetites of their flesh and soul and have walked in the Spirit of God.

To be continued.