A Holding Place?

Once the "Going to Heaven" believers have destroyed the Blessed Hope of Christ's return and the resurrection of the dead they must reinforce their position by twisting scripture to distort and minimize the Kingdom that Jesus will establish on this earth at His return. Similar to the liar that must constantly tell more and bigger lies.

Once they insist the word "Today" in Christ's reply to the thief's request, to be remembered when Christ enters His Kingdom, does not apply to the day the thief spoke those words and was saved, and completely ignores the thief's request (see the discussion on Paradise and Christ's words to the thief on the cross) but to where they would both be that very day, the Twisters of Scripture run into a bit of trouble. You see Christ said to Mary Magdalene - after His resurrection - that He had not yet ascended to His Father (John 20:17).

So, if Christ didn't go to heaven during the three days He lay in the tomb, what do these Twisters suggest? Simple, just invent another place and call it Paradise. See, now everything fits. Well, not quite, surely wicked folks don't go to Paradise so let's imagine two places where the dead go, one for the good and one for the bad. The good will be Paradise, the bad will be, well... call it what you will. These Twisters call it "A Holding Place." Sort of like Purgatory without the flames.

Yes, your read that correctly, "A Holding Place." Now I had heard of Burr Rabbit's Laughing Place but I will admit I was a bit surprised when I first heard of these two holding places. As a former airline pilot I have often been in a holding place and did not much care for it. The Twisters do not much talk about these Holding Places as I think they are a bit ashamed of their position and it is a bit difficult to defend so they concentrate on "going to heaven" and hope they will not be questioned too vigorously on the Holding Places.

And what Scripture can the Twisters find to support their position of holding places? There are two. One is Ephesians 4 verses 9 and 10 and the other is 1 Peter 3 verses 18-20. I have a discussion of these in the appendix so I will not go into it again here. Now neither of these scriptures talk of a holding place or places and the the majority of Christian scholars maintain that is not what these verses teach, but no matter, the Twisters are convinced Christ's Spirit spent three days in both of these Holding Places traveling from one to the other I assume as He was with the thief in one and with the sinners in the other. Why Christ would want to preach to dead sinners that had lived during Noah's day is beyond me but I'm sure the Twisters can come up with another - dare I say it - best not. Now, on the cross, when Jesus died He committed His Spirit to the Father, Luke 23:46. Just ignore this, the Twisters will tell you that does not mean His Spirit was in the Father's hands for three days it means He went to the Holding Places.

Paradise is one of the Holding Places. It must be because this is what Christ promised the thief on the cross, at least this it what the Twisters believe. And now, not being content to only destroy the Blessed Hope, they have destroyed the coming Kingdom.

In Revelation 2:7 Christ promises the believer that "overcomes" the fruit of the Tree of Life which He says grows in the midst of the Paradise of God. The Tree of Life that first appeared in the perfect Garden prepared for Adam, Eve and their descendents, but then He barred both them and us from that Tree because of sin and disobedience. Christ promises  it will be restored to the saved ---- in a Holding Place? Trust these Twisters they know what they are saying. The perfect Garden that was lost in Eden will not be restored in Christ's Kingdom on this earth, or for that matter, even in heaven, but in a Holding Place. The Twisters have uprooted that Tree and transplanted it from God's perfect Garden to their imagined Holding Place. You see, this all fits with "going to heaven."