Building on the Foundation

A question I have wrestled with for a while, as many have in the Church of God, is the definition of “between the evenings.” Most of the arguments regarding “between the evenings” are based on historical records, which are then used to work backward into the Bible to arrive at a definition.  Some of the other writers on this blog have undertaken to write about this, and until now, I have largely remained silent on the topic simply because I have not studied it for myself.  I was one of those who took others' papers on the topic and relied on historical sources to define what “between the evenings” actually meant, so this is no judgment of those who do the same. The main question I wanted to examine is whether or not, by strictly using Scripture, it’s possible to define the term “between the evenings.” My conclusion is that it is indeed possible to define the terms solely based on Scripture, and it’s not even that complicated. I realize this post may be quite controversial...

As the title of this post would imply, we’re going to answer the question: What is paradise? The reason this is even a question is that some hold a view that paradise is a holding area that’s not in heaven or God’s presence for the righteous dead. Mainly, this is based on the account in which Jesus tells the thief on the cross that today he would be with Jesus in paradise.  Luke 23:42 NKJV - Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom." Luke 23:43 NKJV - And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise." However, even those who advocate for heaven as a literal destination immediately upon death recognize the problems in reading this as a literal, immediate entrance into paradise present. Number one: Jesus did not enter heaven for at least three days, and He did not see His Father’s face during that time either (John 20:17).  Thus, to take this statement from Jesus literally instead of as a future pr...