Recently my sister went to be with the Lord after a long battle with Brain Cancer. My family are true believers of God and worship Him as our Personal Savior. After dinner one evening, my sister’s children asked if their mom was in heaven and my fiance said that she was in a place called “Paradise.” He said that is where you go before you go to heaven. I’ve never heard of this. Can you please offer some answers that I can share with them?
No one can gain entrance into Heaven except by the Blood of Jesus shed for the remission of sin. Before the cross, the spirits of those who died believing the Redeemer would come to save them from their sins went to a place in Sheol (Hades in Greek) called Paradise. They waited in comfort there for the Redeemer to open the way for them to go to Heaven.
After He died, Jesus went to Paradise (Luke 23:43) and when He ascended into Heaven He took the spirits of believers who were in Paradise with Him (Matt 27:52-53). From that time till now believers who die go straight to Heaven to be with the Lord. (2 Cor. 5:8)