Replies

Well said.

Also, when Christ was on the cross, did he tell the thief that he would see him in Paradise after he toasted a while in purgatory to cleanse him?

Nope.
Luke 23:43
And he said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

You will be WITH ME.

Exactly where those who are saved through his shed blood and trust him BY FAITH alone will be -- with HIM.

Hoss

Your post triggered another line of thought, too. In the first letter to the church at Thessolanika, Paul wrote that those who have died in Christ will GOD bring with Jesus, to return for a body fit for residence in the greater dimensional reality in which Jesus is NOW.

John wrote that when we who are alive when this return in the air happens will see Jesus as He is, really is, in all His greater dimensionality, because when we see Him we shall be like Him, transformed into higher dimensional beings rising into the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

I see that as the Rapture, and not the second setting foot upon the earth when we shall be returning with Him for that mission He has planned for the Tribulation harvested Earth.