Confusion exists in some Christian circles that regard “
· those whom ‘die in Christ” do not go directly into the (third) Heaven bur rather to a separate location (Paradise), and remain there until following Jesus’ second return wherein Paradise’s location is not defined.
· Hades is
· Heaven is
Biblical References for
· Luke 23:43; Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
· 2 Co 12:2: "I know a man in Christ
who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the
body or out of the body I do not know--God knows."
· 2 2:Co
12:4 "that I was caught up to paradise and heard things so astounding
that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell."
· Rev 2:7: "Whoever has ears,
let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is
victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the
paradise of God."
We also look at “Abraham’s Bosom”:
· Luke 16:22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried
him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried in Hades, where he
was in torment he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus in his bosom.”
(Note:
Translational differences to be noted)
Strong’s defines
I.
among
the Persians a grand enclosure or preserve, hunting ground, park, shady and
well watered, in which wild animals, were kept for the hunt; it was enclosed by
walls and furnished with towers for the hunters
II.
a
garden, pleasure ground (grove, park)
III.
the part
of Hades which was thought by the later Jews to be the abode of the souls of
pious until the resurrection: but some understand this to be a heavenly
paradise
IV.
the
upper regions of the heavens. According to the early church Fathers, the
paradise in which our first parents dwelt before the fall still exists, neither
on the earth or in the heavens, but above and beyond the world
V.
heaven
We will primarily focus on the
above definitions 3, 4, & 5 for this discussion although may not be conclusive.
The challenge here, as with any Bible interpretation, is not to take passages out of context. Following the Inductive Bible Study Method, one must follow following three simple steps in discovery:
Observation - observing exactly what the text is saying
Interpretation - what the text means.
Application - what the text means for us
Note: If the Bible does not provide an interpretation, then do not
interpret on your own - that is, interpreting based upon “what you think it
means”. Remember, anyone can tell you what the Bible says, but only the Holy
Spirit can tell you what it means!
Let’s look at 2 Cor 12, focusing
on versus 2 & 4; “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up
to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I
do not know, God knows. 3 And I know that this man was
caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the
body I do not know, God knows….”
Notice that basically within the same sentence, Paul
identifies the third heaven and paradise as the
same place; else he would be at two different places at the same time under the
same circumstance.
Rev 2:7 places the “Tree of Life” in the “paradise
of God” but we also know that the Tree of Life was in the Garden of
Eden.
So let’s look at Luke 23:43 “Jesus answered him, Truly, I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” - try to resolve Jesus in
this separate location (Paradise) until He returns while Scripture reveals that
Jesus spent the three days following his crucifixion in Hades (Acts 2:31; 1
Peter 3:18-21). So are we to deduct that
It should be
agreed upon that the Bible, although confusing at times, is not in error.
Can all three
choices stated above be correct? Can all three choices be wrong?
I believe that
all three choices are correct depending upon one’s time reference:
Prior to
Jesus’ resurrection (Old Covenant):
· Luke 23:43 references paradise before Jesus’ resurrection, therefore,
all the souls that perished prior awaiting Jesus’s resurrection were in Hades
awaiting His return.
· Luke 16:22, although a parable, occurs prior to Jesus’ resurrection, hence
Hades would be
Following Jesus’s resurrection (New Covenant) -
· 2 Cor 12: 2-4
· Rev 2:7
OK, so the argument may be at this point, how can now be the
third Heaven also be Paradise if
The answer is
found in Revelation 22:1 “Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”] for
the first heaven and the first earth had passed away ….”
Can we then
conclude that for today, Paradise is the third Heaven where we will wait until
Jesus’ second return after which He will create a new Heaven and a new Earth
where we will wait no longer?
Additionally, “Tree of life” is mentioned three times in Revelation 22 in which the Tree is now situated in the new Heaven and the new Earth (Rev 21). Obviously then “paradise of God” referenced in Rev 2:7 is not a separate location where souls remained until Jesus’ second return.
But wait! Did you know that in a glossary of English into Hebrew, the word “paradise” translated is “gan
ay’-den” (Garden of Eden). With that we know that Jesus was in the Garden of
Eden; He was in Hades; He is in the third Heaven; and He will be in the new
Heaven and the New Earth. So perhaps it is wise to deduct that
