Paradise Revealed
"Adam, thou knowest Heaven his, and all the earth / not the rock only; his omnipresence fills land, sea, and air, and every kind that lives." Paradise Lost, Book X, John Milton
Milton wrote Paradise Lost with one intention in mind--"to justify the ways of God to men." He set out to reveal God's redemptive plan through the rich imagery of the fall of Satan, story of Creation, the Fall of Adam and Eve, and the banishment from Eden.
First, I should paint reality: I studied Paradise Lost for about a month, and I definitely complained frequently over the plethora of assignments and material (there are twelve books in total), but sometimes the words would penetrate my seemingly overworked mind and enter my heart--like the scene of Adam and Eve leaving The Garden...
As Adam stands in the lush, tropical greens of palm and fern, listening to the distinct call of a toucan, he realized that his greatest sorrow was not leaving the beauty of Paradise, but leaving the places where he walked with God: "His blessed countenance; here I could frequent, / with worship" (X, 317-18).
Adam discovered his greatest riches--communion with God the Father.
I wrote,
Through the mastery of Milton's interpretation (though not perfect, of course), I caught a glimpse of my Savior. In that moment, I began praying for a heart like the one Milton depicted in Adam--a heart that grieves over his loss of communion with our Father and savors His presence.
Even though the world has fallen to the rule of Satan for a time, the sweetness of The Garden has returned. By redeeming grace, we have this intimacy with our Savior who came to restore the communion Adam once had with the Father in Eden. Though we don't experience the fullness of His glory yet, His Spirit has been given to us as a guarantee.
Praise God for this indescribable gift!
Milton wrote Paradise Lost with one intention in mind--"to justify the ways of God to men." He set out to reveal God's redemptive plan through the rich imagery of the fall of Satan, story of Creation, the Fall of Adam and Eve, and the banishment from Eden.
First, I should paint reality: I studied Paradise Lost for about a month, and I definitely complained frequently over the plethora of assignments and material (there are twelve books in total), but sometimes the words would penetrate my seemingly overworked mind and enter my heart--like the scene of Adam and Eve leaving The Garden...
As Adam stands in the lush, tropical greens of palm and fern, listening to the distinct call of a toucan, he realized that his greatest sorrow was not leaving the beauty of Paradise, but leaving the places where he walked with God: "His blessed countenance; here I could frequent, / with worship" (X, 317-18).
Adam discovered his greatest riches--communion with God the Father.
I wrote,
"Paradise is lost, but the true paradise is revealed: one that can never be lost—ever. Even though Adam and Eve are driven from Eden, the angel Michael makes it clear that they will not have to say goodbye to their greatest joy and peace: God the Father. 'Adam, thou knowest Heaven his, and all the earth / not this rock only; his omnipresence fills land, sea, and air, and every kind that lives' (335-36); of course, the words of Michael aren’t meant only for the ears of Adam: Milton breathes fresh air into a culture that had forgotten the sweetest Gift as he spoke the message of grace through these words.
Through rich artistry and imagery, Milton masterfully takes the focus off of The Event, Paradise Lost, and refocuses on the identity we have apart from our physical circumstance and location: found and rapturously joyful in God Almighty."Adam was found--the Father's watchful eye and care wasn't leaving him and Eve, though you can imagine that Adam continued to long for the togetherness he had experienced with God in Eden until the day he entered Heaven.
Through the mastery of Milton's interpretation (though not perfect, of course), I caught a glimpse of my Savior. In that moment, I began praying for a heart like the one Milton depicted in Adam--a heart that grieves over his loss of communion with our Father and savors His presence.
Even though the world has fallen to the rule of Satan for a time, the sweetness of The Garden has returned. By redeeming grace, we have this intimacy with our Savior who came to restore the communion Adam once had with the Father in Eden. Though we don't experience the fullness of His glory yet, His Spirit has been given to us as a guarantee.
Praise God for this indescribable gift!
Beautiful ❤️
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