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Is paradise a different place than heaven?
Jesus said that no one has been to heaven save he who came from there. He also assured the criminal on the cross that he would be with him in paradise on the day he died. Does this suggest that paradise and heaven are different places?
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Asked May 17 2013
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Anonymous
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Colin Wong
Supporter
Jesus is speaking of the same place: heaven. John 3:9-13 Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?" 10 Jesus answered him, "Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. When he said no one has been to heaven, he meant no one has gone to heaven and came back to earth to be able to explain heavenly things. Only the one whom came down from heaven can explain heavenly things. Verse 11 is the key: "we speak of what we know and bear witness to what we have seen". Jesus is claiming that he has been to heaven and therefor can speak of what he knows and bear witness to what he has seen. No other teacher on earth can claim that because they have never been to heaven.
S. Michael Houdmann
Supporter
Paradise is a place of blessing where the righteous go after death. The word paradise is usually used as a synonym for "heaven" (Revelation 2:7). When Jesus was dying on the cross and one of the t...
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Singapore Moses
Supporter
There are four paradises mentioned in the Bible: 1. Lucifer’s Eden (Ezek. 28:11-17) This is where Lucifer ruled the earth with his HQ in the Lucifer's Eden until he was fallen from grace 2, Adam’s Eden This is were Adam ruled the earth with his HQ until Adam was fallen from grace (Gen 2:8) 3. Abraham's bosom Jesus mentioned about this paradise promised to the criminal dying on the cross. A phrase used among the Jews to signify paradise. It is called "paradise" in Lk. 23:43 and was located in the lower parts of the earth (Eph. 4:8-10 Mt. 12:40). Before the resurrection of Christ all righteous souls went to paradise where they were held captive by the devil against their wills (Heb. 2:14-15). When Christ died His body went to the grave, but He went to paradise and liberated those righteous captives taking them to heaven with Him when He ascended on high (Mt. 12:40 Eph. 4:8-10). 4. Paradise in Heaven (2Cor. 12:1-4 Rev. 2:7). It is located in the midst of the paradise of God in Heaven (Rev. 2:7). After ascension of Jesus into heaven, if any born-again Christian dies he is no longer held captive by the devil in the lower parts of the earth, but he goes immediately to heaven awaiting the resurrection of the body (2Cor. 5:8 Php. 1:21-24 Heb. 12:22-24 Rev. 6:9-11). Christ now has the keys of hades and of death (Rev. 1:18). Paradise under the earth is now empty, but the torment department of hades is being filled more every day. It will hold all the wicked dead until the end of the Millennium when hades will deliver up the souls in it, and the graves will give up all the bodies in them. Then the bodies, souls, and spirits of the wicked will be cast into the eternal hell (Rev. 20:11-15).
Jack Gutknecht
Supporter
Paradise is probably a Persian word (Pardes), properly meaning a "pleasure-ground" or "park" or "king's garden." It came in course of time to be used as a name for the world of happiness and rest hereafter (Luke 23:43; 2 Cor. 12:4; Revelation 2:7 --where reference is made to heaven as the "paradise of God"). (Revelation 2:7 NIV --"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.") In 2 Cor 12:2, this "paradise" is referred to as "the third heaven." It's a place of incredible bliss and serene rest in the very presence of God. So I believe paradise is the same place as heaven, the seat and dwelling place of the divine Majesty. It's where the glorified Christ is. Holy angels live there. Wouldn't you like at the moment of your death, as a Christian, to enter this blessed dwelling place? You can by trusting Jesus Christ ALONE for your salvation. Pray, "Lord Jesus, I know you lived a perfect life and never sinned. But I have sinned. And my sins separate me from you right now and will be the cause of my death physically and eternally if I don't repent and believe in you as my Savior. So I now repent of my sins and trust you alone to save me. Thank you for hearing my prayer and saving me. Now help me to do the hard work of following you for the rest of my life. Amen."
James Kraft
Supporter
Paradise was in the center of the earth. Hell on one side, and paradise on the other. When the rich man was in hell, he called across to father Abraham to send Lazarus to bring a drop of water to cool his tongue. There was a separation between hell and paradise in the center of the earth. All the old testament saints went to paradise When Jesus died He went into the lower parts of the earth, paradise and took the captives captive. He took the old testament saints out of paradise to heaven. When we die we go straight to heaven if we have trusted Jesus as our only way of salvation apart from works. Ephesians 2:8-9. Ephesians 1:13-14 Our guarantee of eternal life by faith alone. John 5:24. Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent me, HATH EVERLASTING LIFE, and shall not come into judgement, but is passed from death unto life. R Romans 4:5. Faith alone apart from works. Ephesians 4:7-10. Now when we die we are absent from the body, but present with the Lord. And He is in heaven at the right hand of the Father. Flesh and blood can not enter the kingdom, it is only our soul/spirit that is saved. We will have new sinless resurrection bodies at the rapture of the church.
Brother Paul
Supporter
What/where is paradise? @S. Michael Houdmann kindly adds above; ‘Paradise is a place of blessing where the righteous go after death. The word paradise is usually used as a synonym for "heaven"’ (Revelation 2:7). Paradise is translated from the word, 'paradieses'. The Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary puts it this way. paradeisos (παράδεισος, 3857) is an Oriental word, first used by the historian Xenophon, denoting “the parks of Persian kings and nobles.” It is of Persian origin. But Vine’s is only a dictionary let us look at... The BDAG Greek/English, a Lexicon is more accurate as it is a translation from the original text. παράδεισος, ου, ὁ (Old Persian pairidaêza. In Gk. X.+; gener. ‘GARDEN’; not of any formal garden or park. 1 - The Garden of Eden, is referred to as paradise, and in the same connection, of those who love God, who prove to be a luscious paradise, in so far as they allow fruit-laden trees to grow up within them. 2 - a transcendent place of blessedness, paradise. It is clear then that paradise, paradeisos, is referring to a place of blessedness, as a beautiful garden. What did Jesus say to the repentant thief? Luke 23:43 “Assuredly, I say to you, TODAY you will be with ME in PARADISE.” I believe the words in capitals are key to understanding paradise, let us look at another scripture regarding where Jesus was from ‘that day’ until his resurrection. John 20:11-15 11 But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 Then they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” 14 Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” She, supposing Him to be the GARDENER, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” We see that, Jesus was laid in the tomb, from the day he gave up his spirit, and he had said to the repentant thief; TODAY you will be with ME in PARADISE. Where was paradise? It was in a ‘garden’ with God. When we die, our earthly body is laid to rest, in a grave with flowers and trees, (garden), or the scattering of ashes in a place dear to the person who died, though today we see this can often be anywhere, subject to their idea of paradise. Let us return to the Garden of Eden. We see that the Garden of Eden was Paradise, but it was only so whilst Adam and Eve where ‘with God’. As soon as they sinned, they were banished from the garden. Paradise was Lost! Genesis 3:24 The Lord God drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the Garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life. Although we are all, from the fall, born into sin; our journey to paradise starts by being in Christ whilst we are still alive on earth. It is only through Jesus, who shed his blood on the cross for our sins that we can begin our journey back to paradise, back with God. All who repent of their sins, from their heart, who open their heart to Jesus, taking Him who is The Word, at His Word, will be saved and paradise will be restored when all things are made new. No one goes to heaven when they die; John 3:13-18, this doctrine is as false as paradise being a dream destination. The paradise Jesus was referring to with the thief on the cross is, being at peace ‘with God’, as in the Garden of Eden. When people die, they can sin no more, they go to a place of waiting, and the waiting places are either; 1 – Paradise for those in Christ 2 – Hades for those in sin These are the places the parable in Luke 16:19–31was telling us about. In His Love \o/
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