Paradise in the Old Testament was the blessed side of Hades where believers waited for Christ's atonement; in the New Testament, after His resurrection, it was taken to heaven so believers are now present with the Lord.
Les Feldick teaches that Old Testament believers went down to paradise because the blood of animals could not take away their sin and they were not ready for God's presence. Jesus promised the thief on the cross that he would be with Him in paradise that day, as Jesus descended into the heart of the earth. At His resurrection morning, Jesus took paradise to heaven. That is why Paul can say to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.
Luke 23:43 — Jesus directly tells the thief he will be with Him in paradise that day.
2 Corinthians 12:2-4 — Paul describes being caught up to the third heaven and into paradise, connecting paradise to the New Testament age.
Matthew 12:40 — Jesus says He will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights, where the paradise side of Hades was located.
2 Corinthians 5:8 — After the resurrection, believers are absent from the body and present with the Lord.
The passages connected to paradise in this teaching show that Jesus associated paradise with His death and resurrection. In Luke 23:43, Jesus promises the dying thief, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. In Matthew 12:40, Jesus also says the Son of man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Paul later describes a man caught up to the third heaven and into paradise in 2 Corinthians 12:2-4. And in 2 Corinthians 5:8, Paul says the believer is willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
Les Feldick teaches that in the Old Testament economy, believers who died did not go up to heaven; they went down into paradise. Paradise was the comfort side of Hades, separated by a great gulf fixed from the torment side where the rich man suffered. Old Testament believers were saved for eternity, but because animal blood could not take away their sins, they could not enter God's presence until the atoning blood of Christ had been shed.
Les Feldick explains that in the Old Testament economy, believers who died could not go into heaven because there had been no atoning bloodshed. The blood of animals and goats could not take away sin; it was a stopgap. Old Testament believers were saved for eternity, but they were not ready for God's presence because their sins had not yet been atoned for by the blood of Christ. They therefore went down to paradise, which was within Hades, separated from the torment side by a great gulf fixed.
According to Les Feldick, at His resurrection morning Jesus took paradise to heaven. That is why Paul can now tell believers that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Old Testament believers had to wait in paradise until the atoning work of Christ was completed.
When the thief asked Jesus to remember him in His kingdom, Jesus replied, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. Les explains that Jesus was referring to the Old Testament paradise in the heart of the earth, where He would descend for three days and three nights. The thief would be with Him in paradise that very day.
Paul Caught Up to the Third Heaven
Les returns to 2 Corinthians 12, where Paul speaks of a man caught up to the third heaven, as the starting point for explaining what happened to paradise at the cross.
Old Testament Paradise in Hades
Les teaches that Old Testament believers went down to paradise, the blessed side of Hades, because animal blood could not take away sin; Jesus took paradise to heaven at His resurrection.
Why OT Believers Could Not Enter God's Presence
Les explains that only Christ's atoning blood could remove sin, so saved Old Testament believers waited in paradise until the cross; the lost went to the torment side of Hades.
What "Baptized Unto Moses" Really Means — 1 Corinthians 10 Explained
All those things written back there, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, even though it was written to the Jew under the Law, yet it was for our learning. And how many people today just shut their eyes to the Old Testament? We've got nothing to do with that. The Old Testament is just a bedrock for the New, and you can't understand the New unless you understand the Old. And so that's what Paul is saying.
The Thief on the Cross and Paradise
Les applies the Old Testament paradise teaching to Jesus' promise to the thief, showing that the thief would be with Christ in paradise that day because Jesus was descending into the heart of the earth.
What the Bible Really Says About God's Righteousness — Romans 3
We're just doing it as a service. Now again, we want to spend as much time as we can in the Book, because after all, that's why we're here, and we're going to go right back again to Romans chapter 3. Now we're not going to rush through Romans, where this is one of the basic books of Scripture for us today.
Why God Imputes Righteousness Without Works — Romans 4
All right, let's read on. Verse 6. Now the Old Testament economy, when it comes to forgiveness and salvation, as I've said so often, is hard to put your thumb on it. It's just hard to reckon some of these things. They had salvation, no doubt about it, but it wasn't as delineated as we see it now in Paul's teaching.
Why Abram Failed in Egypt & God Restored Him | Genesis 12-14
That's why Israel wYou see, all of these things in the Old Testament are a living example of New Testament doctrine or teaching. And the same thing holds true today. As a believer, as a child of God, we're admonished constantly by the apostle Paul that we're to separate ourselves from the world.
Luke 23:43: And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
This is the direct promise Jesus made to the thief on the cross about being in paradise that day.
2 Corinthians 12:2: I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.
Paul speaks of being caught up to the third heaven, which is connected to the New Testament understanding of paradise.
2 Corinthians 12:4: How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
This verse directly names paradise and links it to the third heaven in Paul's experience.
Matthew 12:40: 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.
Jesus said He would be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights, where the paradise side of Hades was located.
2 Corinthians 5:8: We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
This verse shows the New Testament believer goes immediately into the Lord's presence, which Les links to paradise being taken to heaven.
Luke 16:26: And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
Les references this great gulf fixed between the paradise side and the torment side of Hades.
Les Feldick teaches that Old Testament believers went down to paradise, the comfort side of Hades, because the atoning blood of Christ had not yet been shed. Animal blood could not take away their sin, so they were saved for eternity but not ready for God's presence.
Jesus was going to descend into the paradise side of Hades for three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The thief would be with Him in paradise that very day.
At His resurrection morning, Jesus took paradise to heaven. Now Paul can say that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.
Watch the Teaching: What Happened to Paradise After the Cross? (2 Corinthians 12)