In the Revelation Bible Study on Sunday nights, we've had the subject of the afterlife come up. (Go figure.) One church member has said in effect that they believe people don't go to heaven when they die, they go to Paradise. Paradise is a "holding place." When the "great white throne judgment" occurs, then they can go to heaven, but only after they are judged at the end of time along with everyone else. Proof for this is Jesus' language to the penitent thief on the cross, "today you will be with me in paradise."
I might add also 2 Corinthians 12:4, where Paul claims to "know a person" who was "caught up into paradise."
People think of paradise, then, as a place between life and death, where the souls of the saved go as they await the resurrection and final judgments- then they go into heaven. Paradise does not equal heaven.
On Jesus' statement to the penitent thief, what if Jesus was actually saying, "Today (right now) I tell you that you will be with me in paradise (sometime in the future)." After all, this would fit the idea expressed in the Apostle's Creed that Jesus "descended to hell." No mention of a detour to paradise.
The importance of this division between heaven and paradise was exaggerated by Ireneus and Origin, two dead guys from a long time ago. Actually, they are in paradise, still arguing with someone I'm sure.
This idea just sounds too much like limbo to me. Let's start telling people, "when you die you go to limbo." Then we might add, "and its a happy place, so you play bingo." Limbo bingo.
In thinking about the afterlife, one important passage in the Bible is 2 Corinthians 5. I like it because it is comprehensive and doesn't get lost in the speculative details we Americans (and clergy) just love. Paul seems like he is expressing faith in the future with God rather than giving a class on dogmatics. To me, this passage comes close to the normal wish we hear at times of death: "She is in a better place." This is where we get the idea, "absent from the body, present with the Lord." Personally, I wouldn't care if Jesus were in paradise, heaven, or Mebane if I were with him. The important thing is being in the presence of the Lord.
I tend to think that references to heaven, paradise, hell, Sheol, etc. are no real basis for constructing elaborate cosmologies of afterlife geography. But some folks do have fun drawing maps though, like F. J. Dake. More things to be correct about, more things for others to be wrong about.
Even the Baptist Faith and Message isn't overly specific, and doesn't lay claims to some confirmed inerrant grand scenario. Maybe I won't either.
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