WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE

BETWEEN PARADISE AND

HEAVEN?
By NiteOwlDave
niteowldave@gmail.com

There is some confusion over where forgiven sinners went when they
died before Christ died and arose. Similarly, where did lost sinners go?
The Bible says in Luke 16: 19-31 that unbelievers went to Hell while
believers did not go directly to Heaven, but rather to a temporary place
called Paradise or Abraham’s Bosom.
Prior to the saving sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, the sacrificial
blood of animals temporarily covered sins. This was a period of stiff law
keeping that existed from the Garden of Eden to the cross of Christ.
Believers of the Old Testament were saved on credit.
Those forgiven went to Paradise when they died. Paradise means
“park” which suggests a glorious and happy place of comfort and hope with
no pain.
Those who broke any of the 10 commandment (that would be ALL)
and neglected the animal blood sacrifices established to cover sin, went to
Hell. It is suggested that many who lived in the Old Testament “law era”
could not have known about a coming Messiah whose blood saves.
People then, perhaps, simply did what they were told by the Levitical
priests about the sacrifices and put their faith in God for good results.
Hades is the New Testament Greek word for Hell while Sheol is the
Old Testament Hebrew word for Hell. It was like a local lockup compared to
a penitentiary. It was a prelim to the Lake of Fire.
Hell is described in Luke 16: 19-31 in the account of the rich man and
a poor man named Lazarus.
 They each died. The poor man, Lazarus, must have been righteous, as
in forgiven. The Bible said he went to Paradise, a temporary Heaven or
“Abraham’s Bosom”, as it is sometimes called. The rich man went to
Hades, or Hell.
Bible writer Luke notes that a great gulf was fixed between the two of
them, and there was no crossing over.
He writes:
22
The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with
Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried.
23
In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham
far away with Lazarus by his side. He called out, “Father Abraham, have
mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool
my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.”
25
But Abraham said, “Child, remember that during your lifetime you
received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now
he is comforted here, and you are in agony.
26
Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that
those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can
cross from there to us.”
27
He said, “Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father’s house.
28
I have five brothers—that he may warn them, so that they will not also
come into this place of torment.”
29
Abraham replied, “They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to
them.”
30
He said, “No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead,
they will repent.”
31
He said to him, “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither
will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.”

When Christ died, he went down into the compartment of the saved.
When He arose, he led the saved out of that place into Heaven where He
placed his own blood on Heaven’s Mercy Seat.
According to 1 Corinthians 15:20, believers who died before the
resurrection could not precede Christ into glory because Christ had to rise
from the dead and become the “first fruits of them that slept.”
Ephesians. 4:8 says, "...When He ascended on high He led captivity
captive..."
Hebrews 9:15 says, "And for this cause He is the mediator of the new
covenant, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions
that were under the first covenant, they which were called might receive the
eternal inheritance."
Old Testament believers were not made perfect because the blood of
bulls and goats could not take away sin. Rather, animal blood temporarily
covered sin until the blood of Christ completely washed sin away forever.
When a born-again believer dies, he immediately goes to be with the
Lord. "To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord," says 2
Corinthians 5:6 & 8.
Since the forgiven thief on the cross died before the resurrection,
Christ promised him, “Today you’ll be with me in Paradise.” Imagine. The
thief went to both Paradise and Heaven within three days.
Will you go to Heaven when you die? Will you be in eternity with
Christ; or will you be Hell?
The choice is yours.
Have a question? Write niteowldave@gmail.com