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6) Paradise At Golgotha
Which brings us, at last, to the first reference to paradise. These are nearly the last words of Christ,
And there was also a superscription over him, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, Art not thou the Christ? save thyself and us. But the other answered, and rebuking him said, Dost thou not even fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man has done nothing amiss. And he said, Jesus, remember me when thou come in thy kingdom. And he said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shall thou be with me in Paradise. (Luke 23:37-43).
The thief is often held up a as a case of an eleventh hour repentance and salvation. But this may be interpreting too much.
What actually occurred here is an exchange most likely held in Aramaic. If it was in Hebrew, Jesus would not have used the word pardes. In Aramaic there was a word pardaysa with all the concepts of the royal gardens. In the Samaritan Aramaic version of Genesis the word used for garden in chapter 2 is pardaysa (other Aramaic versions have gan).
But there are a few less words in the Greek manuscript of the New Testament and no commas.
Indeed I-say to- you today with me you (shall-be) in the paradise
This was in answer to a request by the thief to “to remember me when he came into his kingdom”. This seems at first a very obtuse answer. According to the records we have, Jesus has never used this term “the paradise” to describe his kingdom before.
But let us think. This was in April (possibly the 25th) at about the 6th hour or about 12 noon on a hill in a Mediterranean climate in spring, near a much cooler garden. If the promise was for the thief to be with Jesus in a garden for that very day, it was rather pragmatic, but would give no hope. For truly Jesus was buried in a garden,
Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. (John 19:41)
This was confirmed by Mary who thought Jesus was a gardener (John 20:15). But to be with him there was to be truly dead. When after the resurrection Jesus speaks to Mary, it is clear that Jesus has not been to heaven, as he says he is yet to go there.
Jesus said unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. (John 20:17)
Jesus himself also speaks of his death as being a period of three days in the ground,
For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (Matthew 12:40).
At no time in his ministry does Jesus speak platitudes. He was always precise. To say “today he will be in the garden with him, dead”, does not answer the question, and is trite, though it makes sense as they could see the garden graveyard from Golgotha. But to call the garden graveyard a pardaysa is clearly incorrect. Therefore the word “today” established the certainty of the promise. It also has deep resonances in the scriptures,
For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.To day if ye will hear his voice, (Psalm 95:7 cp Hebrews 3)
'To day' is a refernce to 'the day of opportunity'. This is the day of promise.
When you come in thy kingdom
There should also be an equation between the request by the thief and the answer.
Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingdom.
Let us consider how remarkable this is. All the disciples had been confused by the idea of Messiah dying and it was “hid from them” (Luke 18:34). Yet this thief understood both his own sin and the righteousness of Jesus. He was confident that this was the Messiah, and though Messiah was clearly dying beside him, that he would “come in his kingdom”! To 'come' he had first to 'go'. When did this thief think Messiah would 'come' in his kingdom? It is clear- after he himself was dead that day. Therefore, he also had implicit confidence in the resurrection both of Jesus and himself! How remarkable is this faith. This faith was greater than any of the apostles, who doubted accounts of his resurrection.
But where is this man now? If even King David, on the authority of Peter, is still corrupted dust (Acts 2:29) then this man is still dust and unknowing (Psalm 115:17). He is like the other faithful who have not received the promises made to them and who without us will not be perfected (Hebrews 11:40). And has Messiah “come into” his kingdom yet? We are told in no uncertain terms that he is waiting until his enemies be made his footstool.
But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. (Hebrews 10:12-13)
As yet he still has many enemies. We know also that he has promised that he will not drink of the 'fruit of the vine' until he comes again to the earth, at the coming of his kingdom,
For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. (Luke 22:18)
And the apostles would judge the 12 tribes from thrones in this kingdom,
That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (Luke 22:30)
In this kingdom Jesus shall reign over the house of Jacob,
He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. (Luke 1:32-33)
This has not been fulfilled, therefore, Jesus has not yet come in his kingdom. Therefore, though the promise was given to the thief on the “today” it has not yet even now taken effect. The promise of being with Jesus in paradeisos given in Jesus' answer is about a time still yet in the future. The thief is still unknowing in the grave, like David. For him the day he died is the same day as when he is resurrected. The day he died is the “today” he is raised from the dead to be in paradise.
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Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God. (1 Corinthians 4:5)
This may be one of the most misunderstood passages of the Bible. Paul is notorious for long sentences of connected thoughts, and this is part of a complex wide ranging thought which lasts 2 chapters, and includes what seems opposite advice:
But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person. (1 Cor. 5:11-13)
As I was thinking to write this article, having just read Psalm 46 as I do each year on that day, on January 25th a Bible was found untouched after a tornado hit Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
We have been given many time periods to prophetic events in the Bible. Many people think it too hard, and do not make an effort to understand them. However, if they were not to be understood, why were they given? And the Bible says the wise shall understand (Daniel 12:10).
In the light of the findings of science, how literally do we take what the scriptures say about the power of the God of the Bible, Yahweh Elohim (literally He who will become Mighty Ones)? Science at its best is a measurement of observable and repeatable phenomenon wrapped up in explanations which abound in analogy. There is no doubt in the benefit of investigating phenomena of the natural world. The surprising thing is that the more we investigate natural phenomena, the more it fits the explanations recorded over 2000 years ago.
The God of Israel is approachable and reasonable. He often speaks directly to his people. The following will seek to understand a passage where he speaks via the prophet Amos which has a few variant translations.
