![]() ![]() And they were judged, each one according to his works. 20:11), we are told, "…Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. In order for the dead to appear before the “great white throne” of judgment (Rev. We should note something that is said to happen before final judgment. We noticed in the example in Revelation 2:7 the connection with “the tree of life” and saw that this describes a condition after final judgment (cf. He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, TODAY you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43, emphasis mine). ![]() Someone might ask, how do we know that Jesus wasn’t talking about “Paradise” in either of the ways Paul or the book of Revelation used the term? Let’s notice Jesus’ wording. Since Jesus is said in Scripture to have gone into “Hades” upon His death (Acts 2:31) is it reasonable to conclude that the “Paradise” where Jesus promised the thief “you will be with Me” (Luke 23:43) is the same region of Hades described as “Abraham’s bosom” (Luke 16:22). As Jesus describes it between these two areas is a “great gulf” preventing souls from going from one region to the other (Luke 16:26). The rich man went to a region “in Hades” called simply “torments” (Luke 16:23). Lazarus went to the region of Hades called “Abraham’s bosom” (Luke 16:22) where he was “comforted” (Luke 16:25). Yet, while final sentencing and judgment has not happened to them yet, we are told that there is a separation of the righteous and the wicked. Like Acts 2 it describes all who die (prior to judgment) going to “Hades” (Luke 16:23). People often call this a “parable,” but it is never identified that way in Scripture. On one occasion Jesus told an account of a rich man and a poor man named Lazarus and events that happened after their deaths (Luke 16:19-31). Is this the “Paradise” to which Jesus refers? So where did Jesus go when He died? To “Hades” the place of all departed souls prior to judgment. Declaring that David, “spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades” (Acts 2:31). Peter then explained that this prophetically pointed to Jesus (Acts 2:29-32). He quotes verse 10 to say, “For You will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption” (Acts 2:27). On the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles and they declared Jesus as the resurrected Messiah, Peter appealed to Psalm 16 as a prophecy of the Messiah’s resurrection. To answer this we must consider two things: 1) What does the New Testament teach about where Jesus went upon His death? and 2) Is there anything in the wording of Jesus’ promise that helps us narrow its meaning?
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