Article by: Kenneth J. Ester
Where is Paradise?
As Jesus hung on the cross, the one thief asked Him. “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!” And Jesus replied…
Luke 23:43 (NASB)
43 And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
Often it is thought that Paradise is heaven. After all, Paul does tell us this…
2 Corinthians 12:3-4 (NASB)
3 And I know how such a man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows— 4 was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.
So if Paul was caught “up” to Paradise, then Paradise must be in heaven, right? And it is in heaven. However it was not always in heaven. However, we also know Jesus doesn’t ascend to heaven until after He resurrects from the dead on the third day.
John 20:17 (NASB)
17 Jesus *said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’”
So how could Jesus possibly be in paradise with that thief on that same day He dies, when He doesn’t even ascend to heaven until He rises from the dead three days later?
Many try to twist words, saying the comma is placed wrong in the translation and such. It is not. Jesus meant exactly what He said. He would be with that thief in Paradise on that very day.
The first hint of how this happens is in the story of Lazarus and the rich man. When they die, Lazarus is found resting in the bosom of Abraham while the rich man is suffering in hell. When Jesus tells us this story, no man had ever been to heaven but Him. Jesus told us that Himself.
John 3:13 (NASB)
13 No one has ascended into heaven, except He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man.
Because of this, many believe Jesus was only telling a parable when He told us about Lazarus. Only the Bible never gives us any reason to think it is a parable. So if that was a true story, where was Lazarus? He was in Paradise.
You see, before Jesus died on the cross, Paradise was a section of Hades. Hades was a place where every soul went to await judgment day. The Greeks believed it has multiple sections to it. There are at least two we know of for certain. Paradise where Lazarus was with Abraham, and the section where the rich man was kept. But when Jesus ascended, Paul tells us this…
Ephesians 4:8 (NASB)
8 Therefore it says, “When He ascended on high, He led captive the captives, And He gave gifts to people.”
When Jesus rose from the dead and ascended to heaven, He took with Him all the souls in Paradise and moved it to heaven. So before Jesus died on the cross, nobody went to heaven. Every soul went to Hades. Some to Paradise and some to the section of suffering. It is believed there are multiple sections, but at least one was called Paradise.
Then when Jesus died and rose from the dead, He liberated Paradise and moved it to heaven. Today every true believer who dies, goes directly to heaven. Every unbeliever still goes to Hades where their soul waits for judgment day. We know the believers are going to heaven today because when Paul tells us of the rapture, he tells us that those who have fallen asleep in the Lord will follow Him back.
1 Thessalonians 4:14 (NASB)
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
If Jesus brings them back from heaven, they must already be there. If they are already in heaven, then we know the believers go to heaven when they die today. When Jesus said that no man has been to heaven, at the time He said it, it was a true statement. When He died and rose from the dead, that changed.
Luke 23:43 (NASB)
43 And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
Often it is thought that Paradise is heaven. After all, Paul does tell us this…
2 Corinthians 12:3-4 (NASB)
3 And I know how such a man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows— 4 was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.
So if Paul was caught “up” to Paradise, then Paradise must be in heaven, right? And it is in heaven. However it was not always in heaven. However, we also know Jesus doesn’t ascend to heaven until after He resurrects from the dead on the third day.
John 20:17 (NASB)
17 Jesus *said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’”
So how could Jesus possibly be in paradise with that thief on that same day He dies, when He doesn’t even ascend to heaven until He rises from the dead three days later?
Many try to twist words, saying the comma is placed wrong in the translation and such. It is not. Jesus meant exactly what He said. He would be with that thief in Paradise on that very day.
The first hint of how this happens is in the story of Lazarus and the rich man. When they die, Lazarus is found resting in the bosom of Abraham while the rich man is suffering in hell. When Jesus tells us this story, no man had ever been to heaven but Him. Jesus told us that Himself.
John 3:13 (NASB)
13 No one has ascended into heaven, except He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man.
Because of this, many believe Jesus was only telling a parable when He told us about Lazarus. Only the Bible never gives us any reason to think it is a parable. So if that was a true story, where was Lazarus? He was in Paradise.
You see, before Jesus died on the cross, Paradise was a section of Hades. Hades was a place where every soul went to await judgment day. The Greeks believed it has multiple sections to it. There are at least two we know of for certain. Paradise where Lazarus was with Abraham, and the section where the rich man was kept. But when Jesus ascended, Paul tells us this…
Ephesians 4:8 (NASB)
8 Therefore it says, “When He ascended on high, He led captive the captives, And He gave gifts to people.”
When Jesus rose from the dead and ascended to heaven, He took with Him all the souls in Paradise and moved it to heaven. So before Jesus died on the cross, nobody went to heaven. Every soul went to Hades. Some to Paradise and some to the section of suffering. It is believed there are multiple sections, but at least one was called Paradise.
Then when Jesus died and rose from the dead, He liberated Paradise and moved it to heaven. Today every true believer who dies, goes directly to heaven. Every unbeliever still goes to Hades where their soul waits for judgment day. We know the believers are going to heaven today because when Paul tells us of the rapture, he tells us that those who have fallen asleep in the Lord will follow Him back.
1 Thessalonians 4:14 (NASB)
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
If Jesus brings them back from heaven, they must already be there. If they are already in heaven, then we know the believers go to heaven when they die today. When Jesus said that no man has been to heaven, at the time He said it, it was a true statement. When He died and rose from the dead, that changed.
