Jesus and the place called parad

Did Jesus enter paradise right after he died? The word faith teachers say he went to hell not paradise.

The thief was promised he would be with Jesus. Luke 23:42 " Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom." Certainly this man, who was a Jew could have been remembering Ps. 106:4 Remember me, O LORD, with the favor You have toward Your people; Oh, visit me with Your salvation . V:43 And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today (this day) you will be with Me in Paradise."

If Jesus went to hell than that is where is kingdom is. this confusion of locations is not small matter.

Jesus died first, where did he go? He went to Abraham's bosom/ Paradise. So, when He promised this man would be with him when he died. What day did he go to paradise? Immediately after death, on the same day, that was his destination.

The righteous went to Abraham's bosom and the wicked went to the other part. Jesus went to paradise that is because he was righteous. He died as a righteous man.

This thief in his last minutes of life on the cross was forgiven, he simply believed and was granted access. The souls of the righteous are secure; they have the assurance of eternal life. To believe on Jesus makes one righteous.

Wherever Jesus was, this man accompanied Him. There was no suffering in paradise (Abraham’s bosom) but comfort for the faithful, as the thief was comforted just as Lazarus was comforted (Lk.16).

If the thief was not in paradise with Him but entered into suffering with Jesus than Jesus lied. The promise was made to this one on the cross who believed, and there is no evidence whatsoever that the other thief who the promise was not made to entered there with them. Nor them being with the other thief,

First: understand, there is no suffering for the Lord God Jesus Christ, the God- man after he died. What would be the reason to suffer after the cross or for three more days? The only way to connect this is to say he was still paying for sin. But then the Bible tells us it is the blood as payment for sin, not further suffering. And Jesus himself said it is finished before he chose to die.

“It is finished! " (John 19:30). The Greek word used is "tetelestai." It was a Greek accounting term that meant paid in full. The work for our salvation was completed before he died! Christ purchased our redemption once and for all on the cross by his blood, not by suffering itself. The new covenant was pronounced finished before he died.

Referring to the cross " For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit (1 Peter 3:18). V. 20 " by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient."

Notice he suffered for sins, once for all; once, it is not to occur again. His body was made alive at the resurrection John 10:17-18.

He suffered for sin ON the cross - not after. Nowhere does it say Jesus died and then suffered and then rose. Nowhere.

Just as Moses was to strike the Rock one time (Not twice), Christ was to suffer only one time (Not twice).

1 Peter 2:24 " who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree ,” is self evident against further suffering. Jesus' suffering is directly connected to our sin, and living a righteous life.' All the suffering is before, not after.

All through Scripture Jesus speaks of his life as one of suffering. Luke 9:22 The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day." (Mt.16:21 mk. 8:31, 9:12) Heb. 5:8-9 He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.

Numerous scriptures show suffering even before the cross (not the same as when he was on the cross), not after. Acts 17:3 explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead,

Acts 1:3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs ."

Heb. 2:9 Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone."

Heb. 2:17-18 that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.”

Col.1:21-22-And you... hath He reconciled IN THE BODY OF HIS FLESH through death.’

Eph. 2:14-16 “ having abolished in His flesh the enmity. and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross"

In his flesh we were reconciled, which happened on the cross. There is no more work after He died except to resurrect, there is no suffering in Hades or Hell for the Messiah. This is a fantasy doctrine made up.

1 Peter 3:19 “ He went and preached to the spirits in prison.” The word for “preach” is Kerysso in Greek, meaning to proclaim or announce (judgment). This is different than to evangelize and proclaim the good news of reconciliation for salvation, which is used in 1 Peter 4:6. This proclamation was directed to either the fallen angels or the human souls that died in the flood or both (Jude 6; 2 Peter 2:4). Jesus presented to them his victory at the cross, announcing to them their judgment is imminent, as he had just come from the victory on the cross. Again Hades, Sheol encompasses the whole realm of the dead and the context must bear out what it says.

Another illustration of --the rich man and Lazarus. In this story the poor man at death entered where the faithful were, finding rest in Abraham's bosom but the rich man entered torment on the other side of the chasm.

The Jonah illustration

Matt 12:40-41 “ For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

This statement is like a typology of where he would be. When it says that "Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights" (Jonah 1:17) it is called a Metonymy, meaning an expression of type in Matt. 12:40; 16:4. Other examples: Luke 11:30, "the heart of the earth" (Matt. 12:40), the meaning is the same as "the heart of the sea". It was to show it was a sign, namely the resurrection.

Matthew 12:40, "...so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." The use of this word heart meant the interior of a thing or of being in it. Here it is referring to the tomb he was in. Yet he did continue to exist as Spirit (who is God in his nature)

Jesus said in Matt 16:4 no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah .”

The sign was not the three days itself but the his death resurrection. Luke 11:30 For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation.” They saw him resurrected.

All of Scripture speaks of his rising the third day.

Paul 1 Cor. 15:3-4 “… Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,

Peter Acts 10:40 Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly,

Jesus (on the third day) Luke 24:46 Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day” (Mt.16:21,17:23, 20:19; Mk.9:22; Lk.18:22)

This is why three days and three nights cannot be a literal time because that would mean he rose on the 4^th day not the third.

Abraham’s bosom

David went to Abraham's bosom inside the earth not heaven, he was later taken to heaven with all the saints. Paradise was moved to heaven when Christ ascended. Now every saint who dies is immediately in heaven instead of Abraham’s bosom.

Before the new covenant was completed by His resurrection paradise was still under the earth, it was separate in Hades from the Hell portion (Acts 16). Before Jesus ascended to heaven all those of faith went to Abraham's bosom (paradise) and he took them.

Paradise was still in the earth, called Abraham's bosom until Christ raised and went to heaven (then he took those saints with him to heaven Eph.4:8). Then afterwards instead of the saints going to the holding place of Abraham they directly join all the others in heaven where paradise now is (2 Cor. 5:6-8). We have an article of where Jesus went when he died on the site for understanding the scriptural reference for this. Paul later says that he went up to paradise in 2 Cor. 12:4 and it is indeed in heaven as does state in the book of Revelation 2:7. No saint goes to Abraham's bosom anymore (Lk.16:22), it’s empty just like the tomb.

Paul goes to the third heaven called paradise.

2 Cor. 12:4 Paul writes " how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. The third heaven is God's dwelling place, there is no 4^th, fifth, or seventh heaven .

Notice not lawful for a man to utter, in other words even the apostle was not ALLOWED to speak what he saw and heard. John later on was allowed.

Rev. 2:7 " To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God."'

We find the tree of life is in the ultimate paradise, heaven, where those who obeyed the gospel on earth will live.

Jesus said to the thief Luke 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise." This was before Jesus ascended to heaven and brought all those of faith in paradise Abraham's bosom.

Eph. 4:8-10 " When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men."

( Now this, "He ascended"--what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)

At His resurrection, our Lord emptied paradise and took its occupants to heaven. Since then, at death, believers' souls and spirits have gone directly to be with Christ in His Father's house of many mansions (Jn. 14:2). All those "who sleep in Jesus" [i.e., died in faith in Christ] are waiting in heaven for the resurrection of their bodies that will be transformed into His likeness.