The Thief on the Tree

As we explained in the last chapter, the first day was 980 years in length. The second day was also 980 years in length, giving us 1960 years After Creation of Adam (AC). The third day then ended in 2940 AC. The fourth day began in 2941 AC and ended in 3920 AC. 3920 AC was shown to be the same as 84 Common Era (CE).

The reason we are addressing the thief going to paradise with Yeshua, is because it confronts a basic teaching that most of the world holds dear and true to their faith. That teaching is that upon the day you die, you will go to heaven or hell, depending on how you have been in this life – whether good or bad. Or, to put it another way, depending on whether or not you were “saved” before you died or you made the walk to the front of the assembly and “gave yourself to God” by way of the altar call.

I am not going to get into the many and various erroneous teachings justifying the beliefs that we all go to Heaven the day we die. Instead, I will focus on the truth and let all false teachings die the slow death they all deserve as you too come to realize these things.

Take note. Yeshua said in the Gospel of John:

13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. (John 3:13)

No one has gone to heaven. Not King David, not Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob. Not even Moses! Not Elijah or Elisha, nor any of the Holy men, not even one of the Prophets. Yet today so many think and believe that the day they die they are going to Heaven. Are they holier than Moses? I think not. Are they holier than Abraham, or King David? No they are not and neither are you or I.

As you argue with me in your mind, read once again what Yeshua Himself said in the Book of John:

13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. (John 3:13)

Your belief that you will go to heaven the day you die, is another example of a lie you have been taught and swallowed without checking Scripture to see if it is true. If you would like to gain a much deeper understanding of this subject or would like to pursue it just a bit further, go to www.ucg.org and look up the article entitled, Heaven and Hell. It is but one example of a wider array of good source material out there more fully explaining Enoch and Elijah whom many believe went up to heaven. But does Scripture really say that? Take some time and go read the article, Heaven and Hell.
The question we are addressing is how the thief on the tree got to paradise the same day as Yeshua, as He said the thief would be. The simple answer is, as you may have already figured out, that Yeshua was speaking about the millennial day. This fourth millennial day did not end until the year 84 CE.

We have noted before in the Book of Isaiah:

1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. (Isaiah 61:1-2)

In this verse is this line, “To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” I have shown you in the previous chapter this year to be 28 CE, which is also a Sabbatical Year. But we are going to focus on another part of this verse in Isaiah in particular, the line which declares, “To proclaim liberty to the captives.” Just what does it mean exactly to proclaim liberty and who are the captives?

Before we answer these two questions, we must turn our attention to the Gospel of Matthew:

50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. 51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, 52 and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. (Matthew 27:50-53)

Why were the graves opened when Yeshua died, and why were the bodies risen? Why did they come out of the graves after His resurrection three days and three nights later? And why did these saints then go into the Holy City? And what does all this have to do with the thief on the tree going to paradise as Yeshua promised?

This line of reasoning raises many questions is covered in detail in Pentecost’s Hidden Meaning in a previous chapter. The graves were opened at the death of the Messiah. This represents the Barley being bound and prepared for cutting at the end of the weekly Sabbath during the Days of Unleavened Bread. The graves were marked by being opened.

When Yeshua rose from the dead at the end of the weekly Sabbath just before the first day of the week started, all the saints who were dead arose from all the graves that were marked or opened three days before. They all went into Jerusalem and were seen by many around the Temple. One saint who was dead and made alive was the thief on the tree. He too was made alive and now is one of those captives, who were bound by the grave, and who are still set apart to be taken to the Father in heaven as an example of the harvest of mankind still yet to come. This is all depicted in the cutting of the Barley at this time and explained in detail in a previous chapter entitled, Pentecost’s Hidden Meaning.