1. What's the difference between Heaven and paradise?
2. What's the difference between Hell and Hades?
3. Where do we go after death? Is it either paradise or Hades/Heaven or hell?
4. And what happened after Jesus died? Where did he go? Explain if the answer is Hades (what is that place)?
After reading some of the posts about Jesus talking on the guy on the cross next to him, I got kind of lost when people started talking about paradise and Hades.
Hey,
1. I don't believe there is a difference between heaven and paradise. They are synonymous terms such along with "kingdom of God" and other various references to heaven.
2. It's not so much what the Greek word hades or Hebrew word sheol mean as much as the question; does the concept of hell appear in the Bible? Quite clearly, yes. (Matthew 25:41, for example). But a basic definition of hades and sheol would be underworld. There are other Greek words such as gehanna which comes from the Aramaic word gehinan which comes from the Hebrew word gen-hinon which is spoken of in Jeremiah as a garbage dump that would be on almost constant fire because they were burning trash and other things... But there is even debate amongst scholars if gehenna was even used as a garbage dump at the time of Jesus. In any case, Jesus was using this to illustrate or portray the image of fiery judgment which was and is common in contemporary Jewish thought.
3. Hades does not mean heaven so these terms are not synonymous with one another, but yes after death we either go to heaven or to hell as Hebrews 9:27 says "and as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment" and 2 Corinthians 5:8 "We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord."
4. Jesus died and yes went to Hades, the underworld which was separated into Abraham's bosom (Luke 16) and the place of torment (Luke 16). Revelation 1:18 "I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death." Also, check out 1 Peter 3:18-22 and Ephesians 4:8-10. More importantly than where He went, He was raised from the dead! Praise God.
Hope that helps, please let me know if you want me to clarify anything I said.
God bless you, take care.