Luke 23:42-43, ". . . And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. . . ."
I think you are confused. Paradise was not moved to Heaven until Jesus ascended to Heaven. Ephesians 4:8, ". . . Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. . . ."
Then why did Jesus call it Abraham's bosom, and not Paradise?
When exactly was the angel removed from Gaurding the entrance?
There is literally no reason to think the tree of life sunk into sheol and all the saints were enjoying the fruit.
It was removed at the Flood, to become the third heaven. The only time the angel was removed, was when Jesus said, "It is finished." The veil was torn, so why not Paradise opened? That was the point of the thief going to Paradise. It was no longer guarded, because the Cross removed the reason to guard the entrance to Paradise. The tree of life does represent the Cross. At that point, Adam's offspring would no longer taste death in Abraham's bosom in sheol.
Why would entering Paradise be associated with entering and tasting death? The tree of life represents the physical act of eating forever. The Cross was both the physical act and spiritual point the physical tree of life represents. The Word is eternal life. The tree was just a tree planted by God. Does not mean Abraham's bosom was Paradise and the tree of life was in sheol. No one except perhaps, Enoch, Elijah, or Moses could enter Paradise until the Cross. The whole reason they were hanging out in Abraham's bosom until the Cross. Otherwise they would have already, all been up in heaven, in Paradise eating of that tree of life. No one would be hanging out in sheol in Abraham's bosom.
Sorry but Jesus called it Abraham's bosom, not Paradise. On the Cross, God said the thief could go immediately to Paradise. The debt was paid, the restriction lifted via the Cross. The Cross did not remove Paradise out of sheol. The Cross removed the reason why no one could enter Paradise. Sin and death would not allow entrance to Paradise.
Living as a sinner for ever eating the tree of life was the reason it was guarded. A soul would have no need to physically eat in Abraham's bosom. Unless you think they all had bodies, but they were still there by faith still looking for that Heavenly City, Paradise. If they were in Paradise, what Heavenly city were they looking for, and why not just stay there in sheol? They were in Abraham's bosom waiting for the Cross. At that point, Paradise would be opened.
They also were given a permanent incorruptible physical body that instant they walked out of their graves. They literally had to ascend with Jesus at that point. They were walking around Jerusalem. If Paradise went up physically like it will come down physically as the New Jerusalem, why were they on earth? Why not just all ride up in Paradise, like the church will ride down in the New Jerusalem? Since the physical body of Jesus was prophecied to remain in the tomb for a literal 72 hours, they had to wait those 72 hours to ascend with Jesus on Sunday morning. The reason why they were waiting for the Sunday morning ascension is because Jesus presented them along with Himself like He told Mary.
Paul was the one who recorded the order in Corinthians 15:20-25
"But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet."
Those in Abraham's bosom were the firstfruits on Sunday morning. John 20:17-18
"Jesus saith 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. Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her."
At the Second Coming, the church will be glorified as one body.
At the end of the Millennium Jesus will hand back all of creation.
