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NASB | John 20:17 Jesus *said to her, "Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.'" |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | John 20:17 Jesus said to her, "Do not hold Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brothers and tell them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.'" |
Bible Question:
Luke 23:43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” According to this verse, Jesus, after the cruxifiction, went to Paradise. My question is, If the Paradise is in the heaven, how can Jesus say “I have not yet ascended to the Father” (Jn 20:17)? Which one is He meaning in the verse? (1) He did in fact ascended to the Father in the Paradise between the death and the resurrection, but not permanently or officially yet. (2) The Paradise is not in the heaven. Not God but Abraham is living there (Luke 16). (3) Or something else? |
Bible Answer: I would have to choose "Door No 2." As you mention with Luke 16, with Jesus' Parable of Lazarus and the rich man, there is a place called Paradise which apparently seems to be a "holding pattern" between life here on earth and our ultimate Heavenly abode. Hades is the realm of the unfaithful between life on earth and the everlasting place of eternal death, or Hell. Now, remember the Jews didn't have nearly as much information about the hereafter as we do now, thus the controversy between the various sects which Paul used to his advantage. So it was a true fact that the thief went to Paradise WITH Jesus BUT only Jesus graduated right away to be with His Father. Now the big area of debate: Did those who lived and died BEFORE the start of the Lord's church. Did they go to their form of Heaven? Seems implied by all the raising spirits at that time. But who can know for certain? Matt 27:51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, 52 and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. |