The Watch Tower Paradise

 

In the December 2022 Watchtower Study edition, we read:

'He said: “Jesus, remember me when you get into your Kingdom.” Jesus replied: “Truly I tell you today, you will be with me in Paradise.” (Read Luke 23:39-43.) Nothing suggests that this criminal had accepted the message about “the Kingdom of the heavens,” which Jesus preached during his ministry. And Jesus never did say that the man would get into the Kingdom. (Matt. 4:17) Jesus was speaking about the future earthly Paradise....

'As a Jew, the repentant criminal would have known about Adam and Eve and the Paradise in which Jehovah had placed them. So the criminal could well have realized that the Paradise that Jesus mentioned would be a beautiful garden here on earth.—Read Genesis 2:15.'

Will this Jew's dying request not be enough to get him into the kingdom? What is Paradise, and who might this man expect to see when he gets there? With whom will he walk in this restored garden paradise?

I Tell You, Today...

Barry Amor pointed out in our Facebook discussion last week:

‘The whole Watch Tower Society paradise theology relies on the position of a comma; in Luke 23 v 43 if the comma is after ‘today’ then the WTS idea survives, but if the comma is before ‘today’ then the whole WTS crumbles! Out of the 70 occasions when Jesus uses the phrase ‘truly I tell you…’ He never says ‘I tell you today…’’

Let’s look at some of those 70 occasions using the NASB:

‘For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one tiny letter or one stroke of a letter will pass away from the law until all takes place.’ Mt 5:18

‘Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will be released in heaven.’ Mt 18:18

‘Truly I say to you, all these [things] will come upon this generation!’ Mt 23:36

‘Why does this generation demand a sign? Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation!’ Mk 8:12

‘Truly I say to you that this generation will never pass away until all these [things] take place!’ Mk 13:30

‘But truly I say to you, Some of those who are here now will have no taste of death till they see the kingdom of God.’ Lk 9:27

The New World Translation agrees with the above. You can find a list of these many passages at Knowing Jesus.

Bavesh Roger helpfully moved the discussion along observing:

‘JWs have tried to use the Anglican theologian E.W. Bullinger's argument to support their translation of Luke 23:43…’

Who was E W Bullinger?

E W Bullinger was a prodigious writer who believed the gospel is written in the stars, the constellations being pre-Christian expressions of Christian doctrine.

He believed enthusiastically in biblical numerology, taught soul sleep, was a hyper-dispensationalist (sometimes called Bullingerism), and a flat-earther. You can read a little more about him in our article on The Watch Tower Cross.

Bavesh explains:

‘[Bullinger] says that because of the absence of the conjunction 'that' (hoti in Greek) the comma should be placed before the adverb 'today' (sēmeron). They cite verses like Mark 14:30, Luke 4:21, Luke 19:9 and Luke 5:29 as examples where hoti is used along with sēmeron (today). The problem is that this does not solve the query of whether the adverb 'today' should qualify the verb 'I say', or the verb 'you shall be' in Luke 23:43.

‘In the verses cited as examples, hoti is used to separate the adverb 'today’ or ‘this day' from the verb 'I say' (legō in Greek). Luke 22:34 and Mark 14:30 are two parallel verses where sēmeron (today or now) is NOT connected with the time of speaking 'I say' (legō); ironically one verse is with hoti and the other without it. In both cases sēmeron (today) is connected with the action taking place and NOT with the time of speaking. Applying the same rule in Luke 23:43, it becomes clear that the adverb 'today' is qualifying the verb 'you shall be', indicating that the thief would go to paradise when he dies.’

Paradise

Paradise is never used in an eschatological sense in the Old Testament. It translates the Iranian pairidaéza and means a walled garden. The Hebrew equivalent, pardés, translates as orchard. It came to mean a primeval time marked by glory and bliss (Eden perhaps?) It became for the Jews a place the Patriarchs and the righteous go when they die.

The only place in the New Testament where paradise, Greek paradeisos, is used eschatologically is in Rev.2:7. Paradise here is a gift Jesus gives to the one who overcomes. In 2 Cor.12:2-4 Paul tells of a man who was caught up into paradise, which Paul calls the ‘third heaven.’

Christians anticipate a restored paradise at the final consummation of things, but we don’t have a full picture of what this signifies. This is not atypical when the Bible speaks of heavenly things, Paul reminding us, ‘What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him.’ 1 Cor.2:9

There is not enough information beyond this to build a full picture of what this word signifies; but that isn’t going to stop Jehovah’s Witnesses. Where information is scant, grammar schools them, and theologians line up to correct them, Jehovah’s Witnesses make the argument:

‘Whereas many translations place a comma before the word “today” and thereby give the impression that the evildoer entered Paradise that same day, there is nothing in the rest of the Scriptures to support this. Jesus himself was dead and in the tomb until the third day and was then resurrected as “the firstfruits” of the resurrection.’ See article here

In other words, because we believe when Jesus was dead he was dead, he can’t have meant, ‘today you will be with me in paradise.’ They are interpreting the passage by their own understanding of Jesus’ death. However, Jesus was not dead in the sense they mean, even as his body lay in the tomb. Peter reminds us, though put to death in the flesh, he was made alive in the spirit 1 Peter 3:18,19.

Interpreting by your own interpretations is inevitable when you operate in an echo chamber. All you ever hear is your own ideas echoing back at you, confirming what you are quite sure you ‘knew all along.’ Read this article for yourself and count the number of times they read into this word their own unorthodox interpretations interpret paradise. I would love to hear from you.

When Jesus declares, ‘Today you will be with me in paradise,’ he means ‘you will be with me in paradise today.’ One day each and all who, like the thief on the cross, appeal to Jesus’ mercy will have their ‘today’ when the promise will be fulfilled for them. Cling to that hope, confident that the one who said it keeps his promises.