Paradise
Paradise comes to us from the Greek paradeisos which came from the Persian pardec. Paradise originally meant a beautiful park or garden.
Paradise appears three times in the Hebrew Old Testament and referred to a park, forest, and orchard. Nehemiah 2:8; Ecclesiastes 2:5; Song of Solomon 4:13
In the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, Garden in Eden was translated as Paradise in Eden. This association sheds some light on the three times paradise appears in the New Testament. Genesis 2:8
Jesus described the portion of Hades1 in which the righteous reside as paradise. He promised the man on the cross next to him, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” Jesus was there between his death and resurrection. Luke 23:43
Paradise describes heaven in the writings of Paul and John. This is probably an allusion to the Garden of Eden, the place humans lived in perfect fellowship with God before they sinned. John’s vision also included the Tree of Life in its symbolic portrayal of heaven. 2 Corinthians 12:2-4; Revelation 2:7; Revelation 22:2, 14, 19
“To the one who overcomes, I will grant to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” Revelation 2:7
Footnotes:
1 Hades is the realm where all the spirits of the dead reside prior to final judgment. It is divided into paradise (or comfort) and torment (or prison). See Luke 16:19-31; 1 Peter 3:19; 2 Peter 2:4-9.
~ SR
Related words: heaven
Citation
Ruhmann, Scott. “Word of the Week: Paradise.” 27th Street Church of Christ. Access date: . http://www.churchofbend.com/wow/paradise.htm