Jesus declared that the repentant malefactor would be with Him in Paradise, yet He was buried and remained dead for three days, as confirmed by scriptures such as I Corinthians 15:3-4 and John 19:41-42. Acts 2:31 further clarifies that His soul was not left in hell, meaning the grave, and His flesh did not see corruption, proving He was not in Paradise on the day of crucifixion. Since Jesus did not enter Paradise that day, neither did the malefactor, for Christ holds preeminence in all things and the malefactor could not precede Him. Paradise is located in the presence of God's throne, described as the third heaven in II Corinthians 12:1-5, and linked to the New Jerusalem in Revelation 22:1-2, where the tree of life stands by the river of water of life proceeding from the throne of God and the Lamb. This Paradise, within the New Jerusalem, is not yet complete, as Jesus is still preparing a place for us, and it will not descend to earth until after the Millennium, as noted in Revelation 20:1-5. Thus, the repentant malefactor has not yet entered Paradise. The statement of Jesus, often misunderstood, should be read with proper punctuation as, "Verily I say unto thee today, shalt thou be with me in paradise," emphasizing the time of the promise rather than the time of entry into Paradise. The malefactor remains dead and buried, awaiting the resurrection and the future coming of the Paradise of God to earth.

The common belief in the Western world portrays hell as a place of eternal torture by fire, yet the original meaning of the word "hell" in old English referred merely to a covered hole in the ground, a dark and silent grave. The Greek word "gehenna," often translated as hell, signifies a place of destruction and death, not ongoing torment. Jesus, speaking to Jews familiar with Gehenna as the Valley of Hinnom, used it to illustrate complete destruction by fire, leaving nothing but ashes. The Bible, in Romans 6:23, declares the wages of sin to be death, not eternal life in torture, emphasizing that eternal life is God's gift, not an inherent possession. The punishment described is eternal death, the second death, from which there is no resurrection, not an endless process of punishing. Jesus referred to the lake of fire as the place of this final punishment, aligning with Revelation 20:14, which identifies it as the second death. This lake of fire, far hotter than any imagined inferno, is a place of destruction, not eternal life in agony. Jesus explicitly stated in Matthew 10:28 that both soul and body could be destroyed in Gehenna, reinforcing it as a site of utter annihilation. Scriptures such as Malachi 4:1-3 depict a day when the wicked will be burned up completely, reduced to ashes underfoot, with no root or branch remaining. Similarly, Jude 7 describes Sodom and Gomorrah suffering eternal fire, yet they are not still burning, indicating eternal destruction, not perpetual torment. Isaiah 66:24 speaks of unquenched fire and undying worms, yet this symbolizes complete consumption, as demonstrated by unquenched fires in history, like Jerusalem's burning, which eventually ceased. The doctrine of resurrection to judgment contradicts the notion of immediate eternal torture at death. Revelation 20:13-15 shows death and hell giving up their dead for judgment, after which those not found in the book of life are cast into the lake of fire, the second death, confirming the finality of destruction rather than ongoing suffering. God's nature as both love and justice opposes the idea of eternal torment, aligning instead with the biblical portrayal of the wicked being cut off, consumed, and reduced to nothingness, as seen in Psalms 37 and 104.

The common notion of heaven includes streets of gold and heavenly mansions prepared by Jesus, where individuals can pursue leisure activities like golfing, painting, or playing musical instruments. Some envision heaven as a place to interact with biblical figures or to earn wings to become guardian angels. Others imagine engaging in heavenly battles against evil forces. The Catholic concept of heaven involves the beatific vision, eternally enjoying God's presence, or envisioning cherubic figures on clouds. These ideas reflect a human desire to transfer earthly pleasures and lifestyles into a heavenly setting, which is fundamentally a pagan concept spiritualized into a Christian context. The Bible, however, indicates that these notions are incorrect. It states that no human eye or ear has seen or heard what God has prepared for those who love Him, except for those who have received God's Spirit. Even then, the understanding is limited, as seen through a mirror darkly. The text emphasizes that the afterlife is not as commonly imagined but involves a greater purpose beyond these human conceptions.