Dear Vio!
Our Choice—Life or Death
Adam and Eve were never given the option of going to heaven. Their choice was either to obey God and live eternally on a paradise earth or to disobey him and die. Sadly, they chose disobedience and therefore returned to the "dust" of the ground. (Genesis 2:16, 17; 3:2-5, 19) It was never God's purpose for the human family in general to die and to populate heaven via the grave. God created myriads of angels to live in heaven; these spirit creatures are not humans who are deceased and who have been resurrected to life in heaven.—Psalm 104:1, 4; Daniel 7:10.
What must we do to receive the blessing of living forever in Paradise on earth? A first step is to study God's Word, the Holy Bible. "This means everlasting life," Jesus said in prayer, "their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ."—John 17:3.
Putting that knowledge into practice is another step to everlasting happiness in Paradise. (James 1:22-24) Those who live by God's Word have the prospect of seeing with their own eyes the fulfillment of such thrilling prophecies as the one recorded at Isaiah 11:9, which says: "They [humankind] 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 GOD as the waters are covering the very sea."
Our Choice—Life or Death
Adam and Eve were never given the option of going to heaven. Their choice was either to obey God and live eternally on a paradise earth or to disobey him and die. Sadly, they chose disobedience and therefore returned to the "dust" of the ground. (Genesis 2:16, 17; 3:2-5, 19) It was never God's purpose for the human family in general to die and to populate heaven via the grave. God created myriads of angels to live in heaven; these spirit creatures are not humans who are deceased and who have been resurrected to life in heaven.—Psalm 104:1, 4; Daniel 7:10.
What must we do to receive the blessing of living forever in Paradise on earth? A first step is to study God's Word, the Holy Bible. "This means everlasting life," Jesus said in prayer, "their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ."—John 17:3.
Putting that knowledge into practice is another step to everlasting happiness in Paradise. (James 1:22-24) Those who live by God's Word have the prospect of seeing with their own eyes the fulfillment of such thrilling prophecies as the one recorded at Isaiah 11:9, which says: "They [humankind] 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 GOD as the waters are covering the very sea."
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