Paradise
This page is made to distinguish paradise, Heaven, the Father's House, hell, the lake of fire, the new heaven and new earth, and the new Jerusalem.
Paradise is a place of blessing where the souls of 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 thieves being crucified with Him asked Him for mercy, Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Jesus knew that His death was imminent and that He would soon be in heaven with His Father. Therefore, Jesus used “paradise” as a synonym for “heaven.” The apostle Paul wrote of someone (probably himself) who “was caught up to paradise” (2 Corinthians 12:3). In this context, paradise obviously refers to heaven.
There has always been a separation of believers and unbelievers after death (Luke 16:19-31). The righteous souls have always gone to paradise; the wicked souls have always gone to hell. For right now, both paradise and hell are “temporary holding places” until the day when Jesus Christ comes back in the rapture of the church. The diseased righteous bodies will resurrect (first resurrection) and will meet the Lord in the air. Also the righteous who are alive will follow to meet the Lord in the air. The body and the soul of the righteous will be united in the air. The righteous will be taken up into heaven for a period of seven years; the time in which the tribulation takes place on earth. The righteous with will join Jesus in His second coming, from Heaven to earth. The second resurrection will be that of unbeliever bodies who will resurrect from hell and will stand before the Great White Throne Judgment of God after the millennium. At that point, all will be sent to their eternal destination—the wicked to the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15), and the righteous to a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21-22).
There are cases in which paradise can refer to the Garden of Eden, such in the Douay-Rheims translation of Genesis 3:8, which speaks of Adam and Eve hiding “amidst the trees of paradise.” The context of the word will determine whether it refers to heaven or Eden.
I personally, believe that paradise is the garden surrounding the Father's house. The Father's house and paradise together are Heaven. After death, believers' souls will be transferred (1 Thessalonians 4:14) to paradise, a temporary place; not yet to the Father's house. However, the righteous believer's bodies will be resurrected and translated into incorruptible resurrection bodies and be united with their souls in the clouds at the time of the rapture of the church. Then Jesus will bring them to the Father's house (John 14:3).
Paradise is a place of blessing where the souls of 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 thieves being crucified with Him asked Him for mercy, Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Jesus knew that His death was imminent and that He would soon be in heaven with His Father. Therefore, Jesus used “paradise” as a synonym for “heaven.” The apostle Paul wrote of someone (probably himself) who “was caught up to paradise” (2 Corinthians 12:3). In this context, paradise obviously refers to heaven.
There has always been a separation of believers and unbelievers after death (Luke 16:19-31). The righteous souls have always gone to paradise; the wicked souls have always gone to hell. For right now, both paradise and hell are “temporary holding places” until the day when Jesus Christ comes back in the rapture of the church. The diseased righteous bodies will resurrect (first resurrection) and will meet the Lord in the air. Also the righteous who are alive will follow to meet the Lord in the air. The body and the soul of the righteous will be united in the air. The righteous will be taken up into heaven for a period of seven years; the time in which the tribulation takes place on earth. The righteous with will join Jesus in His second coming, from Heaven to earth. The second resurrection will be that of unbeliever bodies who will resurrect from hell and will stand before the Great White Throne Judgment of God after the millennium. At that point, all will be sent to their eternal destination—the wicked to the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15), and the righteous to a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21-22).
There are cases in which paradise can refer to the Garden of Eden, such in the Douay-Rheims translation of Genesis 3:8, which speaks of Adam and Eve hiding “amidst the trees of paradise.” The context of the word will determine whether it refers to heaven or Eden.
I personally, believe that paradise is the garden surrounding the Father's house. The Father's house and paradise together are Heaven. After death, believers' souls will be transferred (1 Thessalonians 4:14) to paradise, a temporary place; not yet to the Father's house. However, the righteous believer's bodies will be resurrected and translated into incorruptible resurrection bodies and be united with their souls in the clouds at the time of the rapture of the church. Then Jesus will bring them to the Father's house (John 14:3).