"Today you will be with me in Paradise" [Luke 23:43 ]. Jesus said on the cross to one of the thieves and then immediately after resurrection He says to Mary ‘ I have not yet ascended to Father [John 20: 17 ]. ' What does it mean ? Is Father not sitting in Paradise ?. Paradise and Heaven - Are They different ?.
Some thoughts of me....
“Paradise” and “heaven.” are interchangeably used by many. it appears in bible at many places, i feel both are different. In order to understand this, I need to discuss some issues.
“Paradise” and “heaven.” are interchangeably used by many. it appears in bible at many places, i feel both are different. In order to understand this, I need to discuss some issues.
1. When are we going to be judged ? As per the passage it is after the resurrection. If so, Heaven and Hell will be awarded after the judgement.
2. If so, then, where we go after the death?. For the thief on the cross, Jesus said you will be with me in paradise. So Jesus has gone to paradise after his death e where the thief also has gone.
3. That means all people after their death do not go to Paradise, because only the thief who believed Jesus as 'GOD' only has gone to Paradise.
4. If that is so, Where the other thief has gone after his death?. Definitely he would not have gone to hell or heaven because judgement is not over.
5. That means a Non believer could go to a place and await there till final judgement.
6. If the person after death do get paradise and has to wait till judgement, he may be in a place called ' Waiting hall or the bench'. This could be paradise for believers and a lower hell for non beleievers.
7. When judgement comes if the person gets heaven probably he is shifted to heaven from paradise. The one did not believe gets hell and shifted from waiting place to hell.
7. But now, Is there a place where father sits other than heaven,which Jesus says? Yes probably it is different from heaven and paradise. because Jesus to mary that he has not ascended to fathers place after resurrection. Here the concept of three heaven emerges. First paradise, Second heaven after Judgement and third the fathers place. St. Paul also mentions about three Heavens.
8. Now remember the story of Lazarus[ Servant who went to heaven] referred in mark 11. He says about the hell and heaven. This also leads us to think that even before the judgement [before the second coming of Jesus [ the believer’s souls are in one place and other’s are in another place. Which we call it first heaven [paradise] and probably first hell. Probably jesus and the thief on the right cross would have gone to the first heaven that is the paradise.
9. we do know for sure that there has been a separation of believers and unbelievers (Luke 16:19-31). The righteous have always gone to paradise; the wicked have always gone to hell. For right now, both paradise and hell are “temporary holding places” until the day when Jesus Christ comes back to judge the world based on whether or not they have believed in Him.
10. I hope someday someone would make me more clear on this subject. The bible cannot understood with human logic, So I pray to GOD give me the wisdom to understand.