Luke 23:43, “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, ”𝗧𝗼 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗹𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗲.❞
This certainly is not the immortality of the soul as some have continuously taught and believed it to be. Others say it is a realm between heaven and earth where people are kept awaiting the resurrection of the dead. But what and where exactly is Paradise?
Where is it located? How does one get into Paradise? Who reigns in Paradise?
From the statement of the Thief, it does seem that Jesus has the reign in Paradise and so could accommodate His own there. If that is the case, 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗲
These are the things we would like to look into in this study.
Paradise is mentioned three times in the New Testament. The word paradise is an Oriental word borrowed by the Greeks from the Persians. 𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙗𝙖𝙨𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙖 𝙜𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙣, 𝙖 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙪𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙝.
Right before the birth of Jesus, the Greek translation of the Old Testament called the Septuagint was in use, even during the early life of Jesus. In this Greek version, the Hebrew word for garden was frequently translated paradise. So in Gen. 2 and 3 what you have is 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝗱𝗲𝗻.
Therefore, Isaiah’s speaking likens the blessings that will come to Israel at the coming or the reign of Christ to be as the Paradise of the Lord (Isa. 51:1-5).
In the same vein, when God cleanses out the iniquities of Israel, she shall be as the Paradise of Eden (Ezek. 36:33-35).
And certainly the dying Thief on the Cross was familiar with these prophetic promises of these scriptures, and so then asked the Lord to remember him when He comes into His Kingdom. And the clear response to that request was,
“𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗘.❞
Luke 23:42, “And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”
Looking at the above request of the malefactor, it is directly linked to when Christ will be in His Kingdom, exactly what we saw in Isa. 51:1-5; “
3 For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗘𝗱𝗲𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗗; 𝗷𝗼𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗹𝗮𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗻, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗱𝘆… I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people,”
because he asked to be remembered when He comes into His Kingdom.
And this is very important in order for us to determine the when and where of Paradise. It simply means that in Paradise I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people.𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗼𝗱. Can you see it?
So at the end if we know where the Kingdom is, then we should be able to know where Paradise is. This is so simple to grasp as a subject following the scriptures and getting out of the fables and human theories, such as Lazarus being in Paradise in the bosom of Abraham.
To be continued…