The action of Paradise Regained occurs in two different regions of the cosmos: the airy domain of God, Gabriel, and Satan, and the earthly domain of Jesus, Mary, and Jesus’s first disciples. Distinct though these regions are, there is meaningful interaction between the inhabitants of Heaven and those of Earth. The plan that God formulates, for instance, is meant to change the course of earthly history, while Satan—though technically an inhabitant of a “mid air” region with “thick clouds” (I.39-41)—values earthly displays of military might. Yet the intersection of Heaven and Earth is most memorably manifested in the figure of Jesus. Both fully the Son of God and fully human, he is attended by angels and makes heavenly pronouncements, and yet reenters earthly settings at the end of Paradise Regained in order to begin his ministry.

From his first few lines forward, Milton situates Jesus’s achievements in the context of Old Testament scripture. Jesus will bring about a new “Eden” in “the waste wilderness” (I.7): he will thus atone for the sins of Adam and Eve, whose disobedience to God warranted their exile from Eden and brought suffering upon humankind.