Agreed,
I consider the backwoods of the Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri....Paradise. But Paradise is the condition of a place and the joy it brings.....Not generally the proper name.....Paradise can be a lot of places.....the proper name of the Garden of Eden was the Paradise of Delights.
12 Boasting is necessary, though it is not profitable; but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a man was caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I know how such a man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows— 4 was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak. 5 On behalf of such a man I will boast; but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in regard to my weaknesses. 6 For if I do wish to boast I will not be foolish, for I will be speaking the truth; but I refrain from this, so that no one will credit me with more than he sees in me or hears from me. 2nd Corinthians 12
In the scriptures God "takes" a few people but we really don't know exactly where He take them. And Sheol is real but most Christians do not consider it.
Yeshua after the cross opened the gates to Heaven to humans for the first time. And yes Heaven is like Paradise……Unless you like playing baseball.
The scriptures do not tell us exactly where the thief on the cross went….more speculation than information.
If Jesus promised to him as he did, then we know where exactly he went as the scripture tells us: PARADISE, the 3rd heaven
