The promise of a future paradise applies not just to heaven but also to earth. 

 Christ’s kingdom will be a kingdom in heaven and on earth. This is why Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). This future kingdom will be full of perfection and peace – it will restore the perfect paradise Adam had lost.

In the New Testament, the word “paradise” is found in three places: Luke 23:43, 2 Corinthians 12:4 and Revelation 2:7. According to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, it is translated from the Greek word paradeisos, meaning enclosure, garden or park. The Septuagint (the Greek version of the Old Testament) uses the same word for paradise when describing the Garden of Eden (and calls it “Edem”). Genesis 2:8 (Septuagint): “God planted a Paradise on the east side of Edem, where He ??put the man whom He had formed.” The Garden wasn’t named “Eden (or Edem),” it was referred to as ?”Paradise,” or “the Paradise of Delights” in Genesis 2:15.

This helps us equate the word paradise with the state of perfection.

In Luke 23:42-43, Jesus is hanging on the cross being insulted by one of the two prisoners hanging next to him. The second prisoner defends Jesus and afterwards says, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus responds, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with me in paradise.”  The original New Testament did not have any punctuation; therefore, all punctuation has been added by the translators. Jesus was probably saying, “Truly I say to you today, you shall be with me in paradise.” This makes sense, as we are told Jesus was dead in the grave for parts of three days before he was resurrected. He was not in paradise that evening.

In 2 Corinthians 12:4, Paul states a man “was caught up into paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.”  Was this man really taken to heaven? No, again, “paradise” here refers to Christ’s future kingdom, and the man was given a vision or prophecy of this future age of paradise.

Revelation 2:7, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the paradise of God.”  This is a promise to those who are part of the body of Christ. The Bible promises that faithful believers in Christ will have a heavenly reward, and the heavenly reward includes reigning with Christ (1 Peter 1:4, Revelation 2:10, 20:6).

How do we reconcile the fact that paradise was promised to a condemned man, seen in a vision by Paul, and promised as a heavenly reward to the church, the true followers of Christ?  Simply put, “paradise” is referring to Christ’s kingdom. The condemned man was promised the resurrection of the unjust (Acts 24:15) – a resurrection here on earth in Christ’s kingdom (Isaiah 35). Paul saw the future heavenly and earthly kingdom. Finally, the overcoming, faithful believers in Christ are also promised to be in this future kingdom – the heavenly resurrection of the righteous.

Additional Resource:
Christian Questions Podcast
Episode #988: “Did Jesus and the Thief Go from the Cross to Paradise?”
Finding the true meaning of Jesus’ words to a thief about paradise
CQ Rewind Show Notes