Communion

I will be with you…Genesis 26:3

God repeated this promise to Jacob several times. The most famous maybe in his dream, Genesis 28: 10 thru 17. In his dream, Jacob saw and heard God. Upon waking up, Jacob said, Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it. He took a stone, poured oil on it and called the place Bethel, which means the house of God. God makes this promise to others as well; Moses, Joshua, and Gideon, to name a few. Then in Hebrews 13:5 the promise is extended to all who believe. 

This is the essence of being in Christ. Wherever we go, whatever we do, we are never away from God. We are in Him and He is in us. Whether dreaming or awake, we are in His presence. Whether we realize it or not. This is our new reality. 

Add to that promise, the words of Jesus, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am there you may be also, John 14:3. The same words He spoke to the thief on the cross, And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” Luke 23:43.

Jesus makes the same promise to the saints of Ephesus, to him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God, Revelation 2:7. Could this be the same Paradise Paul speaks about? How he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter, 2 Corinthians 12:4.

The concept of Paradise became used by the Jews to describe that part of Sheol where the pious waited for the resurrection. The Persians used the word to describe a park, shady and well-watered. The Greek word literally means: a garden. Could Jesus be inviting us to join Him in the garden where the tree of life stands in the middle? If so, we have come full-circle. Back to a time when God and mankind was in perfect union—dare we say, communion. Until then, we have God’s promise that He will never leave nor forsake us, Hebrews 13:5.