WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A CHRISTIAN DIES, DO THEY GO TO HEAVEN, TO

PARADISE IN HADES, OR SLEEP? - WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

the soul
We will analyze in the light of Scripture what happens after dying and where they are.
the dead at this moment.
First we will analyze the story that Jesus himself narrates about two
men, one poor and one rich:
Abraham-Lazarus
Luke 16:19-31 "There was a rich man who dressed in purple and fine linen, and
he held a lavish banquet every day. There was also a beggar named
Lazarus, who was lying at the door of that one, full of sores, and longed for...
satisfy themselves with the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table; and even the dogs came and licked his
they licked the sores. 22 It happened that the beggar died, and was carried by the
angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died, and was buried.
Hades lifted his eyes, being in torment, and saw far away Abraham and Lazarus.
in his bosom. 24 Then he cried out and said: Father Abraham, have mercy
of me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water, and refresh
my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 25 But Abraham said to him: Son,
remember that you received your goods in your lifetime, and Lazarus also bad things; but now
this is a consulate here, and you tormented. 26 Besides all this, a great abyss
it is placed between us and you, so that those who wish to pass from
Here to you, they cannot even pass from there to here. 27 Then he said: I beg you,
Well, father, that you send to my father's house, 28 because I have five
brothers, to testify to them, so that they do not come to this as well
place of torment. 29 And Abraham said to him: They have Moses and the prophets;
Listen to them. 30 He then said: No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from
among the dead, they will repent. 31 But Abraham said to him: If they do not listen to Moses and
the prophets, they will not be persuaded, even if someone rises from the
dead.
We see that Jesus spoke of two places deep in the earth, which were at
the pair, separated by a great chasm. (If you wish to delve deeper into the topic of
Hades, Hell, abyss. Tartarus and the lake of fire invite you to read this.
Article: Seol, Hades, Hell, Tartarus, Abyss, Lake of Fire - What does the
Bible? Here.
Let us examine this passage further; in the first place, it is not a parable, as some
they claim to say that those places do not really exist, meaning a story does not
certain to teach something, for various reasons:
1 - When speaking in parables, no names of people are used, in this
The story of the man was called Lazarus, Abraham is also mentioned, both
names of people.
2- When Jesus spoke in parables, his disciples would ask him their
meaning and they asked Him to explain them, this is not the case of this story,
Jesus does not give a later explanation of what he meant.
3- A parable is always an example of something that happens on earth to
to explain something spiritual, but here what is told is a true story.
Let's continue, one detail we can observe is that the memories of the
people do not get lost when they die, we see how the rich knew who he was and also
he knew he had living siblings. Another point is that he recognized both Lazarus and
Abraham knew Lazarus when he was alive, but he had never seen Abraham.
What this indicates to us is that when we die we will be able to recognize other people.

we saw how both the rich and the poor died, and their bodies returned to
dust and the spirit of life returned to God, but his soul continues
permanently, because the soul is eternal, if you wish to delve further into the
eternity of the soul we invite you to read this article: What is the soul? – What does it say
the Bible? Here.
Let us remember that we are a soul, we live in a body, and we have the spirit of
life.
Genesis 2:7 "Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils.
in his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being.
We know that the body returns to dust upon death:
Genesis 3:19 'By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground.'
for you were taken from it; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.
We know that the spirit of life returns to God when we die:
Ecclesiastes 12:6-7 "before the silver cord is broken, and the bowl is shattered"
of gold, and the pitcher breaks next to the fountain, and the wheel is broken over the well;
7 and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it

In studying the death of Jesus, we see that He told the Father that into His hands
he gave up his spirit:
Luke 23:46 "Then Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said: Father, into your
"Into your hands I commend my spirit." And having said this, he breathed his last.

We know that Jesus did not go directly to the Father upon dying, but rather he delivered his
spirit to the Father and died. When every person dies, their spirit returns to the Father.
Very well, then we know that a person upon death would go to the bosom of Abraham.
or the place of punishment in Hades. The two located in the same place, separated.
through a chasm and it was not possible to pass from one place to another.

So far, there is no talk of when we die we go to heaven.

directly, because not even Jesus had ascended to heaven and we know that He is
the first fruits in heaven, meaning no one entered before Him:
1 Corinthians 15:20 "But now Christ has risen from the dead; the firstfruits of those
what they slept is a fact.
John 3:13 "No one has ascended to heaven except the one who descended from heaven; the Son of
Man, who is in heaven.
Revelation 1:5 'and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the
sovereign of the kings of the earth. To him who loved us and washed us from our
sins with his blood,
Pablo and Juan taught that no one had ascended to heaven before Jesus, He is the
first to go up to the Father. Very well, but when Jesus dies he does not go
immediately to the Father, let us remember that He resurrected on the third day:
Matthew 17:23 'and they will kill him; but on the third day he will rise again. And they were filled with sorrow.'

to a great extent.
Mark 10:34 "and they will mock him, and scourge him, and spit on him, and kill him; but
On the third day, he will rise.

Very well, then Jesus dies and his spirit goes to the Father and his body to the tomb:

Luke 23:55 "And the women who had come with him from Galilee followed
also, and they saw the tomb, and how his body was laid.
Here we will pause, the Jehovah's Witnesses and Adventists teach that when
we die, we sleep, and we know nothing, like a kind of hibernation state,
let's look at some of the passages they use:
Ecclesiastes 9:5 "For the living know that they will die; but the dead
they know nothing, nor do they have more pay; for their memory is placed in oblivion.

2 Chronicles 9:31 "And Solomon slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city
from David his father; and his son Rehoboam reigned in his place.

2 Kings 8:24 'And Joram slept with his fathers, and was buried with them in the'
City of David; and his son Joram reigned in his place.
So are those who die in Christ asleep? The answer is NO.
First, we already read Luke 16 where both the rich man and Lazarus, as well as
Abraham was awake and not sleeping or in a state of unconsciousness.
State of the person who has lost consciousness and therefore the ability to
to perceive and realize what surrounds him.
Let us remember that the context of the passage where it is said that the dead nothing
They speak of what happens under the sun, that is, of what happens on earth,
What Solomon was describing at that moment was what he saw of the beings
humans on Earth, for example vanity, that is the context of the passage, in
at no point does it mention a state of hibernation where souls sleep, if
I would not go against the story told by Jesus himself.
Another of the famous verses used by those who say that we sleep upon dying
it is when Jesus resurrects Lazarus:
John 11:11 "Having said this, he told them afterward: Our friend Lazarus is asleep; but I go
to wake him up.
However, if we read a little more, the disciples thought that only
He was asleep and that is why he could wake up, but Jesus clarified to them that he was indeed dead:

Lazarus, come forth

John 11:11-14 "Saying this, he said to them afterward: Our friend Lazarus sleeps; but
I go to wake him. 12 Then his disciples said, Lord, if he sleeps,
he will heal. 13 But Jesus was saying this about the death of Lazarus; and they thought that
He was talking about the rest of sleep. 14 Then Jesus said clearly to them: Lazarus has
dead;
Jesus resurrected Lazarus, but this does not mean that Lazarus's soul was
unconscious. As we will see later, whenever it is mentioned to resurrect it is
when the soul returns to the body.
The same Daniel uses the word awakening when referring to the resurrection:
Daniel 12:2 "And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall be.
awakened, some for eternal life, and others for shame and everlasting contempt.
The resurrection will be when our souls unite with a new body that gives us
will be given, as we will see later. Let's look at other passages where the soul
is aware:
MOSES-AND-ELIJAH
Matthew 17:1-8 "Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James, and John his
brother, and he led them apart to a high mountain; 2 and he was transfigured before them, and
his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.
3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. 4 Then Peter
he said to Jesus: Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you want,
Let us make three shelters here: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.
While he was still speaking, a cloud of light covered them; and behold, a voice from the
cloud, which said: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear him.
Upon hearing this, the disciples fell on their faces and were greatly afraid.
Then Jesus came near and touched them, and said: Arise, and do not be afraid. 8 And lifting
the eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
Moses had already died and Elijah had been taken up alive, both were
aware when they met with Jesus because they spoke with Him, another detail,
just as the rich man recognized Abraham, Peter recognized Moses and Elijah
Although I had never seen them, he said, 'Let's make three shelters here: one for you, another
for Moses, and another for Elijah.
God himself said that He is a God of the living, not of the dead:
Matthew 22:31-32 "But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read
what was said to you by God, when he said: 32 I am the God of Abraham, the God
of Isaac and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.

God is not a God of dead men who are in a tomb in a state

unconscious if not that they are alive, just as we saw Abraham alongside Lazarus in
the paradise and Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus and now it also names
Isaac and Jacob.
Let's see another example, when Saul goes to a fortune teller to ask for advice.
Samuel who had already died:
Samuel-Saul
1 Samuel 28:7-17 "Then Saul said to his servants: Find me a woman who...
have the spirit of divination, so that I may go to her and through her
He asked. And his servants answered him: Behold, there is a woman in Endor who
he has a spirit of divination. 8 And Saul disguised himself, and put on other clothes, and he
he was with two men, and they came to that woman at night; and he said: I beg you
that you guess for me by the spirit of divination, and have me summon whom I ask of you
9 And the woman said to him: Behold, you know what Saul has done, how he has
cut off from the land to the evocators and to the fortune-tellers. Why, then, do you place
stumble upon my life to make me die? 10 Then Saul swore to him by the Lord,
saying: Live Jehovah, that no evil will come upon you for this. 11 The woman then
He said: Who shall I bring to you? And he answered: Bring me Samuel.
woman to Samuel, cried out in a loud voice, and that woman spoke to Saul, saying: 13
Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul. And the king said: Do not be afraid. What
Have you seen? And the woman answered Saul: I have seen gods rising from the earth.
He said to her: What is his shape? And she replied: An old man comes, covered
from a mantle. Saul then understood that it was Samuel, and bowed his face to
earth, made a great reverence. 15 And Samuel said to Saul: Why have you disturbed me
making me come? And Saul answered: I am very distressed, for the Philistines
they fight against me, and God has moved away from me, and does not answer me anymore, not even for
neither by prophets nor by dreams; for this I have called you, to declare to me the
What do I have to do? 16 Then Samuel said: And why do you ask me, if
The Lord has turned away from you and is your enemy? The Lord has done as He said.
through me; for the Lord has taken the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your
partner, David.
We know that whenever a fortune teller consults the dead, it is really
the consultation is to demons and those who provide information to the fortune teller that only the
a person who consults knows how to surprise them and leave them amazed
same demons.
Now, in this particular case, the demon did not speak through the fortune teller like
it always happens in these spiritual sessions, but she was surprised to see
that Samuel came and who spoke to Saul was not a demon through the
guess, as always happens when the demon enters the fortune teller to speak
through his mouth, if not the same Samuel was the one who spoke. This demonstrates
that Samuel was not in a dormant hibernation state, because what he
Samuel told Saul it came true, he said he would die the next day and so it was.
was.
The word used for sleeping is:
‫כב‬slept ַ
1- In Hebrew, in the Old Testament:‫ש‬
to rest, to repose
2- In Greek, in the New Testament: Κοιμάομαι slept, sleeping, sleeps,
dream, to fall asleep, to die.

We see how the word used can also mean to rest, to repose,
to die, in fact it is very common to hear phrases today like 'rest in'
the Lord”, “is now at rest in the Lord”, the same applied in Israel when it
they referred to a person who slept in the Lord, so trying to take it literally
It seeks only to create a false doctrine, which also goes against
of passages that we have already seen and that we will see later.

Another detail, let's read the following verse:

Hebrews 9:27 "And as it is appointed for men to die"
only once, and after this the judgment,
It is not said that it is given to men to die only once, to sleep and then
to the judgment, but after dying to the judgment, that is why our soul either goes
for punishment in Hades or to heaven as we will see later. Another detail to
the important thing is that the Scripture says that man dies ONCE, not
we reincarnate into nothing and are born and die repeatedly. If you believe in
Reincarnation we invite you to read this article: Reincarnation? What does it say
Bible? Here.
As a last resort to say that we sleep and do not go to paradise some
they say that Luke 23:43
Luke 23:43 "Then Jesus said to him: Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in the
the paradise.
It is poorly translated and should be translated as:

Then Jesus said to him: Truly I say to you that today you will be with me in the
paradise
That is, they remove the word 'that' and place ':' before today to say that Jesus does not
he told him that today he would be with Him in paradise, if not, that today he told him that in a
the near future would be in paradise, this in an attempt to maintain his position of
that we sleep when we die.

Their argument for doing this is that they say that in Hebrew there are no signs of
score therefore here are two points (if in Hebrew there are no signs of
points so where did they get that there must be two points, I don't
we know), however under this argument we could place commas, periods and
besides, period, colon, in short any punctuation mark where
we please and give new meanings to Scripture as they try to do, but
So let's solve this in the following way, let's read the passage without punctuation.
punctuation just like in Hebrew and it doesn't matter, let's remove the word 'that', and
let's see what the passage makes us understand:

Then Jesus said to him, 'Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.'

It means exactly the same, that day the thief would be with Jesus in the
paradise, no matter how much they want to alter the Scripture, in fact one of the
oldest translations found in the Codex Sinaiticus, with over 1600
years of antiquity, we see that it says:

“τη βαϲιλια ϲου κ(αι) ειπεν αυτω α μην λεγω ϲοι ϲη μερον μετ εμου εϲη εν τω παρα
διϲω”
Translating it word by word into Spanish is:
And he said to him, 'Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.'
And Jesus said to him, 'Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.'
Very well, having clarified that, let's analyze that verse, at the moment when Jesus
dies on the cross, before giving up his spirit to the Father, he made a promise to
thief
Luke 23:43 'Then Jesus said to him, 'Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in'
the paradise.
We saw that Jesus did not resurrect until the third day and we will see later that he did not.
He ascended to the Father only 40 days after having resurrected, because he was there for 40
days among us, but then where did Jesus take the thief? To which
paradise if it is not heaven? It is evident that he was talking about paradise in Hades.
known as the bosom of Abraham. Let's look at the passages that indicate that Jesus
descended to that place upon dying
Ephesians 4:9-10 "Now this, 'He ascended,' what does it mean but that he had also descended
first to the lowest parts of the earth? 10 The one who descended is the same one who
He also ascended above all the heavens to fill everything.
1 Peter 3:18-20 "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the
just for the unjust, to bring us to God, being truly dead in the flesh,
but made alive in spirit; 19 in which also he went and preached to the spirits
imprisoned, 20 who once disobeyed, when once
he waited for the patience of God in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared,
in which few people, namely eight, were saved by water.
We see that Jesus fulfills his promise to the thief of bringing him to paradise, it was the
paradise located in Hades, the bosom of Abraham, moreover Peter explains that
Jesus preached to the imprisoned spirits, which implies that Jesus did not sleep and
he remained in a state of hibernation upon dying until resurrecting on the third day, another
The strongest argument against the false doctrine that upon death we are unconscious.

Let's see now how after resurrecting Jesus did not go to heaven directly, if
not that he was 40 days on earth with his resurrected body:
John 20:17 "Jesus said to her: Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to my Father;"
but go to my brothers and tell them: I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and
your God.
John 20:29 "Jesus said to him: Because you have seen me, Thomas, you have believed; blessed are
those who did not see and believed.

Acts 1:3 "to whom he also presented himself alive after he had suffered"
many undeniable proofs, appearing to them for forty days and
telling them about the kingdom of God.
After 40 days, Jesus ascended to heaven.
Acts 1:9-11 "and when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight."
a cloud that concealed him from their eyes. 10 And while they were gazing with their eyes on the
sky, while he was going, behold, two men stood beside them
white garments, 11 which also said to them: Men of Galilee, why
Are you looking at the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you to
He will come in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.
Very well, it was until that moment that Jesus ascends to heaven and is given to us the
promise that he/she will return

1 Peter 3:22 "who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God; and angels, authorities, and powers having been made subject to him."

subjects angels, authorities and powers

Hebrews 8:1 "Now the main point of what we are saying is that
We have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of Majestic
in the heavens,
Hebrews 1:3 "who, being the brightness of His glory and the very image of His
substance, and who sustains all things by the word of his power, having
having made the purification of our sins through himself, he sat down to
the right hand of Majesty in the heights,
Acts 7:49 "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What house will you build for me?
Will you build me a house? says the Lord; or what is the place of my rest?

Jesus himself said:

Matthew 26:64 "Jesus said to him: You have said it; and furthermore I tell you, that from now on
you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the power of God, and coming in the
clouds of the sky.
It is clear that Jesus is at the right hand of the Father, in heaven.

John 14:1-3 "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in me. 2
In my Father's house there are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you.
Said; I am going to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare for you
place, I will come again, and will take you to myself, that where I am, you may be
you also are.
Jesus tells us that he will prepare dwelling places for us in heaven, here is the question for the
Jehovah's Witnesses claim that paradise is on earth, is: What for?
Does Jesus prepare dwellings for us up there in heaven?

John 14:18-19 "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. 19 A little while longer, and
the world will not see me anymore; but you will see me; because I live, you
you will also live.
Glory to God for that promise. Very well, we know that Jesus is in heaven and
who will come for us to take us with Him. We know that He died and descended.
to Hades and fulfilled the promise to the thief and then resurrected and 40 days later
ascended to heaven. At this point, the following question may arise: What happened
with paradise or the bosom of Abraham in Hades, we continue to go there if we die in
Christ to wait for His return or shall we go to heaven where Jesus is?
We know that there is a stance that says that when we die in Christ, we continue going
to paradise in Hades waiting for Christ to come, and until He comes in the
we will be with Him, however it is not our position, we respect
that stance, but we do not share it. Why? We will see later,
We must clarify something before presenting this position, which is that whether paradise
is in Hades and we must wait for Jesus there or we die and go straight to
heaven with Jesus is not a matter of salvation, meaning that someone considers
one position or another does not imply whether one is a true Christian or not, any of the
Since it is the truth, it does not change the promise of our Lord Jesus Christ to come.
for us to be an eternity together with Him.
First, let's see that Paul himself was very clear that upon dying he would meet with
Jesus, let's observe the passages, Paul says that upon departing he would be with Christ:

Philippians 1:23 'For I am hard-pressed between the two, having the desire...'
I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better;
If Christ is in heaven and Paul talks about being with Him, it is evident that we will be
in heaven. Stephen himself was clear that he would go to the presence of Christ and not to the
powder
Acts 7:55-60 "But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God...
heaven, saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, 56 and said: I
Here, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.
Then they, shouting loudly, covered their ears and rushed at him.
against him. 58 And they threw him out of the city and stoned him; and the witnesses laid down...
their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And they stoned him.
Esteban, while he invoked and said: Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 60 And
Kneeling, he cried out loudly: Lord, do not hold this sin against them.
And having said this, he/she fell asleep.

If paradise is on Earth, then why did Esteban ask just before dying?
to Jesus who would receive his Spirit up there in heaven. Did Stephen know that
I would simply go to the dust hoping to resurrect on this earth, so why to him
Did he say that to Jesus?

Pablo speaks of being absent in the body and present with the Lord:
2 Corinthians 5:6-9 "So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body
for we walk by faith,
not by sight); 8 but we trust, and would rather be absent from the body, and
presents to the Lord. 9 Therefore we also make it our aim, whether present or absent,
be pleasant.
It also states that when we leave the body we will be with the Lord:
2 Corinthians [Link] "but we are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body"
and be with the Lord.
If we will be with the Lord, and Jesus is in heaven, it is evident that we will be
in the sky, this also brings down the position of the Jehovah's Witnesses where
they affirm that upon death only the body returns to dust. If Paul knew he was going to
to be in the paradise of Hades and not with Christ who is in heaven, then why
What did I teach that upon dying I would be with Christ? Why didn't he say that he preferred to go to
paradise in Hades and wait there for Christ, instead of saying to be with him
Sir?
We know that Jesus conquered death because he resurrected:
1 Corinthians 15:55-57 "Where, O death, is your sting? Where, O grave, is your victory?"
victory? 56 because the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin, the
58 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through
our Lord Jesus Christ.
Christ said that the gates of Hades shall not prevail against the church:
Matthew 16:18 'And I also say to you, that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build'
my church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
If we still had to wait in paradise in Hades, like a stop in
an intermediate place, to see Jesus again, then we couldn't leave the
Hades until the rapture, therefore the gates of Hades would still remain
prevailing against us, but let us remember who has the keys of Hades:
Revelation 1:18 'I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold, I am alive forever and ever;'
forever and ever, amen. And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
additionally:
Ephesians 4:8-9 "Therefore it says: When he ascended on high, he led captive a host of captives, and gave
He gave to men. 9 And what does it mean that he ascended, except that he also had
descended first to the lowest parts of the earth?
And let us remember who is the way to the Father:

John 14:6 "Jesus said to him: I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the
Father, but for me.
So we have the same hope that Paul had, upon dying to meet with
our Lord Jesus Christ.
Another question that would arise if paradise were still in Hades would be: What
What happens to the people who die after the rapture during the 7
years of tribulation and they repented where would they go? We know that to paradise in the
Hades no, because Hades will be thrown into the lake of fire at the end of the tribulation.
that burns eternally alongside all the people who are there:
Revelation 20:13-14 "And the sea gave up the dead who were in it; and death and
Hades delivered the dead that were in them; and each one was judged.
according to their works. 14 And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This
it is the second death.
The position that indicates that paradise is still in Hades does not explain what happens.
with those who die in that time, under that position in the rapture the
paradise in Hades would be empty, but what about those who die in the 7 tribulation?
years and they regretted it and did not put the mark where they would go?

If, on the other hand, our soul meets the Lord in heaven, that is the position.
which we maintain, it could indeed be explained that they would go to the same place as those who
they died in Christ before, in fact during the tribulation we see souls in the
sky when they die:
Revelation 6:9-11 "When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of
those who had died because of the word of God and the testimony that
they had. 10 And they cried out with a loud voice, saying: How long, O Lord, holy and
True, do you not judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth? 11 And
they were given white robes, and they were told to rest a little longer
until the number of his servants and his brothers was completed,
that they should also be killed like them.
Again, this passage undermines the position of the Jehovah's Witnesses. The altar of
God is in the heavens and there will be those souls of people who die during
the tribulation (fifth seal). Once again we see here that the souls do not sleep in a
unconscious state, because these souls were asking God, "When will He judge"
the inhabitants of the earth?, one more argument against those who say that
we sleep unconsciously when we die.
These souls did not go to paradise in Hades, after dying to wait for the
second resurrection but they were already in heaven.
Let's study the references to paradise in the Scriptures to see if we are
indicates that there is some paradise where souls are in heaven or if the only
Mention of a paradise is one that is in Hades. Let us remember the words of
Jesus:
Luke 23:43 'Then Jesus said to him: Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in'
the paradise.
The word used in Greek is: paradise what does it mean
literally paradise, that word only appears 2 more times in the New Testament
Testament, we will see those passages in a moment and where it is located.
paradise.
Before continuing, we want to see a verse before the promise of paradise to
thief, to see what the thief's true request to Jesus was:
Luke 23:42 "And he said to Jesus: Remember me when you come into your kingdom."

The thief knew that Jesus would return, which is why he asked Him to remember him.
when he would return again as he had promised before (rapture), but
Jesus does not say that he would remember Him upon his return, but rather that 'today you will be
With me in paradise.” The thief did not have to wait to be in paradise.
at that same moment, which was located in Hades.
Very well, let's look at the passages of paradise in the New Testament, after the
ascension of Christ to heaven:
2 Corinthians 12:3-4 "Certainly it is not profitable for me to boast; but I will come to the"
visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ, who
fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I do not know; whether out of the body, I do not know; God knows)
He was caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I know such a man (whether in the body or out of the body I do not know,

body, or out of the body, I do not know; God knows), 4 that was caught up to paradise
(paradise), where he heard ineffable words that man is not allowed to express
We see that Paul mentions a man who was taken up to the third heaven,
we understand it was him, but he doesn't want to boast about it, we know that's where
the throne of God is there, the first heaven is the atmospheric sky, the second heaven is the
outer space that includes stars, planets, etc. And in the third heaven is
where is the throne of God and where did Jesus ascend.
It is clear that this paradise is not in Hades, because Paul speaks of heaven.
God. Let’s see the third appearance of the word Paradise in the New Testament:
Revelation 2:7 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who'
overcome, I will give him to eat from the tree of life, which is in the MIDDLE of paradise
(Paradise) of God.
"of God's paradise" if this passage were to speak of the paradise of Hades, that would imply
that God is not in heaven but on earth, and that would be an aberration, for that reason
we know that this paradise is not the one that is in Hades. We are given a detail
However, the tree of life is in the MIDDLE of paradise and that detail is very
important and allows us to clarify where paradise is.
Let us remember that the tree of life is initially mentioned in the garden of
Eden from which Adam and Eve were expelled and was in the MIDDLE of the garden to the
just as we read that he was in the MIDDLE of paradise in Revelation [Link]
tree of life
Genesis 2:9 "And the Lord God made to grow out of the ground every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and
good to eat; also the tree of life in the MIDDLE of the garden, and the tree of the
science of good and evil.
We see that in the middle of the orchard was the tree of life and Adam is expelled.
Eve from that garden so that they can no longer enter or eat from the tree of life:

Genesis 3:22 "And the Lord God said: Behold, the man has become like one of us,
knowing good and evil; now, therefore, let him not stretch out his hand, and take also
from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever.
Genesis 3:24 "So he drove out the man, and placed at the east of the garden of Eden
cherubim, and a flaming sword that turned in every direction, to
to guard the path of the tree of life.
The tree of life is mentioned in Eden and also in paradise, but more
forward in Revelation is also mentioned in the MIDDLE of the street of the city
Santa:
Revelation 22:1-5 "Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal,
shining like crystal, which came from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In
in the middle of the city street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of the
life, which produces twelve fruits, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were
for the health of the nations. 3 And there will be no more curse; and the throne of God and
of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will serve him, 4 and they will see his face, and his
name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night there; and they will have no need
neither by the light of a lamp, nor by the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light; and they shall reign

for ever and ever.

Revelation 22:14 "Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life"
tree of life, and to enter through the gates into the city.
We know that the city, the new Jerusalem, is in heaven because it will descend.
when a new heaven and a new earth are formed:
Revelation 21:1-2 "I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the
the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I, John, saw the holy city,
the new Jerusalem, coming down from heaven, from God, prepared as a bride
dressed for her husband.
(If you want to know more about the New Jerusalem, we invite you to read this)
article: The new Jerusalem - What does the Bible say? Here.
The Jehovah's Witnesses assert that paradise is on this earth, but the passage
It is clear that there will be a new earth and a new heaven. It is clear that this paradise
It's in the sky, it's not the same as Hades. Continuing with the topic, here the
The serious question is, does Pablo make a mistake by asserting that paradise is in the third?
Heaven? What good is a paradise in heaven if souls go to Hades when they die here?
the depths of the earth?
A very valid question at this point in the article would be: Alright, we die and
We are going to heaven, but then what sense would it make for Jesus to come for us?
again in the rapture if we are already in a place in heaven?
The answer to this question is actually simple, what is currently in the sky
it is the soul of the people who died in Christ, in a place that is in the
sky. However, the bodies of all those souls are in the dust of the earth.
Let us remember that when Jesus resurrected, he had a new body, with
special characteristics, the souls of those who have died have not yet
resurrected, not until they receive a new body in the rapture, as
We saw before that resurrection is when the soul returns to the body.
Whenever a person has an accident and dies for a few minutes, it is
to say that his soul is no longer in the body and that person after a few minutes
Awake, it is said that he was dead and rose again. All the experiences of the
people who have been dead for a few minutes, without exception, talk about
they were conscious, they did not sleep but only left the body,
Some even mention that when they left their body, they could see their own body.
when they departed and what happened.

Now let's look at some of the characteristics of the resurrected body of Christ
after 3 days:
I could pass through walls:

John 20:19 "When evening came on that same day, the first day of the week,
with the doors locked in the place where the disciples were gathered
For fear of the Jews, Jesus came, and standing in the midst, he said to them: Peace be to you.

It could be touched:

John 20:27 'Then he said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here, and see my hands; and reach out your hand...'
Put it in my side; and be not incredulous, but believing.
I could eat:
John 21:5,13 "And he said to them, 'Children, do you have anything to eat?' They answered him, 'No.'"
Then Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise of the fish. 14 This was
This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to his disciples, after having
risen from the dead.
When our souls go to paradise in heaven, we have not yet resurrected as
Christ who received a new body, but on the day of the rapture those souls
Together with those who live, they will receive a new body and be resurrected like Christ.
he rose again. (If you don't know what the rapture is, we invite you to read this article: The
snatching – What does the Bible say? Here.
1 Corinthians 15:51-52: "Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep; but
we will all be transformed, in a moment, in the blink of an eye, to the
final trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised
incorruptibles, and we shall be transformed 53 For it is necessary that
this corruptible puts on incorruption, and this mortal puts on immortality.
And when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on
dress of immortality, then the word that is written will be fulfilled: Sucked
it is death in victory.
Let us remember that our mortal bodies cannot inherit the kingdom of God,
that's why we need new bodies:
1 Corinthians 15:50-52 "But I tell you, brothers: that flesh and blood do not
nor can corruption inherit incorruption. 51 He
Here, I tell you a mystery: Not all will sleep; but all will be.
transformed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet;
for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and
we will be transformed.
It is at the moment of the rapture that we are resurrected and given a
new body, upon dying our body remained in the dust of the earth and our
the soul ascended to heaven, but we need to receive our new bodies to
to resurrect just as those who live will be transformed, that is the resurrection
what the souls in heaven await.
We see that it is clear that in the resurrection our bodies will be transformed,
just as Jesus had a transformed body with which he can eat, he can
being touched and can pass through material things, unlike the Witnesses of
Jehovah, what do you think, Jesus is just a spirit? Another question: Is paradise here?
on earth, as Jehovah's Witnesses claim, then what would it be for
Is it necessary to have new bodies that have no flesh and no blood? No
we should have our bodies back, which according to you are waiting in the
dust to resurrect? It is evident that we will enter heaven and for that we need
new bodies.
So the souls that are currently in heaven would have to come with
Jesus in the rapture so that they may receive their new bodies, like Christ
When did he rise again? Correct:

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 "But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep"

of those who sleep, so that you do not grieve like the others who have no
hope. Because if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so God will also bring
with Jesus to those who slept in him 15 For this we tell you in the word of
Lord: that we who are alive, who will remain until the coming of the
Sir, we will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself with a voice
with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, will descend from heaven; and
the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, we
that we may have remained, we will be caught up together with them in the clouds
to receive the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 For
Therefore, encourage one another with these words.
Those who were alive were sad for those who had already died, but Pablo
He clarifies that 'God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him' and that they
they will be resurrected before those who are living at that moment. Jesus will bring those who
they slept in him first in the rapture and both they and those who are
the living will be resurrected and will receive new bodies, that is why it is necessary that our
bodies rise incorruptible.
snatching
From that moment of the resurrection, we will always be with the Lord:
1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 "For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath, but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

to attain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for
whether we are awake or asleep, we live together with
he.
John 6:39-40 "And this is the will of the Father who sent me: That of all that he has given me,
that I may lose nothing, but that I may resurrect it on the last day. And this is
the will of him who sent me: that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him,
he will have eternal life; and I will raise him up on the last day.

Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me,'
Even though he is dead, he will live. And everyone who lives and believes in me will not die.
eternally.
It is also clear that there is no intermediate place for souls like this.
purgatory or limbo for unbaptized babies, as taught by Catholicism,
the Scriptures, the Word of God does not mention anything about those places. (If you believe in the
purgatory we invite you to read this article: Does purgatory exist? Is it explained in
the Bible? Here.
Conclusion
In this article, we study that at the moment we die, our spirit
of life returns to God and our fleshly body returns to the dust of the earth.
We studied that before Jesus ascended to heaven, souls went to a
place called paradise that was in Hades, also known as bosom of
Abraham, located in the depths of the earth, and those who died without Christ go.
to a place of torment in Hades.
We saw how Jesus, upon resurrecting, was given a new body, the same as those who
they have not yet died, since their resurrection will be at the rapture
when they receive the Lord in the clouds. Currently, those who have died in Christ
they have not resurrected, their soul is in the presence of Jesus, no longer in Hades, but
they have not yet been given a new incorruptible body.
We studied how souls, upon dying, do not enter an unconscious state and only
they live in the mind of God as some teach, but are with all their
senses in the presence of the Lord waiting for the moment to resurrect in His
new bodies and to be forever with the Lord.
Christians have the promise that one day we will rise to be one
eternity with the Lord, let us be motivated by that hope:
1 Corinthians 2:9 "Things which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man
man, these are the things that God has prepared for those who love him

We hope this article is enlightening.

Thank you for reading the entire article, we have tried to present the Word of God.
without veering left or right, to be a building both for Christians
as unbelievers, however, as long as we are in this body and with this mind
humans will not fully understand the mysteries of God:
Isaiah 55:9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways"
For my thoughts are higher than your thoughts, and my ways higher than your ways.
Romans 11:33 "Oh, the depth of the riches of wisdom and knowledge
Oh God! How unfathomable are your judgments, and unsearchable are your ways!

If you disagree with any position stated in any of the articles, you
we urge to pray, asking that the Holy Spirit be the one to guide you to the truth about
any particular topic and you study the Scriptures yourself asking God to
I guided you to the truth.