If man's eternal hope (heaven) is simply an eternal garden paradise restored, then rich people now are experiencing the same basic thing right now... they just won't get it forever!

Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

If Jehovah's Witnesses are right, then we have no hope, because we have seen paradise right now while we live! We have all seen tropical paradises! Obviously, our hope is something categorically DIFFERENT from anything we have ever experienced. Entering the presence of God as our hope of paradise fits perfectly!

Heb 9:11,24 11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation;... 24 For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us

Heb 6:19-20 we who have fled for refuge in laying hold of the hope set before us. 19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, 20 where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever

Jn 13:36-14:6 36 Simon Peter *said to Him, "Lord, where are You going?" Jesus answered, "Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you shall follow later." 37 Peter *said to Him, "Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You." ... 14:1 "Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 "And you know the way where I am going." 5 Thomas *said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?" 6 Jesus *said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.

Heb 10:19-20 19 Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God,

When Jesus ascended into heaven itself, he was figured as a forerunner for us. Just as the spies of Jericho came back and brought the whole camp into the promised land, so too Jesus will come back for us and take us to heaven! Peter and Thomas wanted to know when they would follow Jesus to heaven. Jesus said, You shall not follow me now, but when I return, then you will follow me to heaven. Jesus said, no one comes to the FATHER but through him. Thus our hope is in the very presence of the Father. Notice our hope is to "enter within the veil", a symbol for the very presence of God in heaven!

Jn 18:33 33 Pilate therefore entered again into the Praetorium, and summoned Jesus, and said to Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?" 34 Jesus answered, "Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?" 35 Pilate answered, "I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You up to me; what have You done?" 36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting, that I might not be delivered up to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm." 37 Pilate therefore said to Him, "So You are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say correctly that I am a king.

Powerful verse. Pilate was concerned that Jesus was a king OF THE SAME TYPE AS PILATE. (JW's believe that Jesus is a king that will directly and literally battle all the kings of the earth!) Jesus dispelled this notion to Pilate by assuring him that Jesus was not an earthly king. For if he was any real political threat to Pilate, Jesus told Pilate that Jesus' servants would be fighting in political and carnal warfare. Pilate understood what Jesus meant when he said that Jesus was not a king of this world or realm.

1 Pe 1:17 17 And if you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each man's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay upon earth.

Heb 13:14 For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come

We are earthbound guests with a heavenly destination.

Phil 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Ti 4:18 The Lord will deliver me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom;

The Christian's citizenship is in heaven not on the earth. JW's cleverly devise a two class system. The governing body, or the 144,000 do get to go to heaven exactly like the rest of Orthodox Christendom believes, the rest of the JW's get stuck on the restored garden paradise on the earth. There is absolutely no justification for dividing up the Bible to those passage that only apply to the 144,000 and the great crowd. THERE IS ONE HOPE. Eph 4:4-6 not two as JW's teach where some hope to go to heaven and some hope to get stuck on this planet earth???