Hi Mike,

As I understand it, the thief will not be in the first resurrection and therefore will not be alive during the millennium. I am assuming that the thief will be part of the second resurrection. Will the thief enter paradise at the second resurrection, or will he have to spend time in the lake of fire first to be purged of his carnal soul? If he spends time in the lake of fire to become an overcomer, and if Satan is there at the same time; will Satan be ineffective at that time? If Satan is ineffective, how can the thief overcome him while in the lake of fire. In other words, what does the thief have to overcome while in the lake of fire if it is not Satan? If the thief has only his own flesh to overcome, and it is forced on him by being cast into the lake of fire, does being forced to overcome his flesh make him an overcomer worthy of paradise? I know Jesus promised the thief paradise, I am just questioning how he gets there.

Thanks,
S____

Hi S____,
Thank you for your question. You ask:

Will the thief enter paradise at the second resurrection, or will he have to spend time in the lake of fire first to be purged of his carnal soul? If he spends time in the lake of fire to become an overcomer, and if Satan is there at the same time; will Satan be ineffective at that time? If Satan is ineffective, how can the thief overcome him while in the lake of fire? In other words, what does the thief have to overcome while in the lake of fire if it is not Satan? If the thief has only his own flesh to overcome, and it is forced on him by being cast into the lake of fire, does being forced to overcome his flesh make him an overcomer worthy of paradise? I know Jesus promised the thief paradise, I am just questioning how he gets there.

This is an excellent question which provides me the opportunity to make clear who it is that is used by God to purge and cleanse Satan and all who are his seed, in the lake of fire. God cannot send any evil spirits to try and to test Satan and His seed, so He has to use another means to do so. Satan’s seed is all who are born of Adam who have come to know Christ and who are yet carnal, plus all of his demons.

Joh 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
Joh 8:43 Why do ye [ Jews that believe on Me] not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
Joh 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

Those who will be cleansed and purged in the lake of fire will include all who lived in Old Testament times even if they served as types of “the father of the faithful… a god unto Pharaoh… or a man who was after God’s own heart.” In spite of the type or shadow they may have portrayed in the Old Testament, they had not known “the only name whereby we must be saved,” and they had never received the holy spirit, which “if we do not have, we are none of His.”
It is the story of Joseph judging his brothers as they kneel before him begging for grain, which is the Old Testament type, which reveals to us how the Lord will use His elect to purge out the wood, hay and stubble in those who are cast into the lake of fire. What they will have to overcome is their own false doctrines, which will also be used to torment them until their old man dies to those doctrines.
It was Joseph Himself who tormented His brothers relentlessly at the first. Then after revealing himself to them, it was their own stubbornness and their own false doctrine of an eye for an eye, that tormented them for the next 17 years. It took the death of their ‘old man,’ the death of their father Jacob, to open their eyes to see that Joseph had never intended to kill his own brothers, as they had wanted to kill him. The death of Jacob while living under Joseph’s rulership is the type of the death of the carnal mind of Satan and all of his seed in the lake of fire.
Only the overcomers are promised rulership in God’s kingdom.

Rev 2:26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
Rev 2:27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
Rev 2:28 And I will give him the morning star.

The nations will be ruled over by God’s elect “overcomers.” This is a very select and comparatively small few, who will not be hurt by the second death, which is the lake of fire.

Rev 2:11  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

Why will he that overcometh not be hurt of the second death? It is because all of his ‘hurt’ and suffering is being done now, at this time, by dying in Christ in the first death.

Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy [ is] he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power [ to hurt], but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Those who overcome are priests of God and of Christ and rule with Him a thousand years. This ruling is not done by anyone who is in the lake of fire. They do come to know Christ at the end of the lake of fire, which is the end of the ages, when Christ returns the kingdom to and submits to His Father and His Father becomes all in all. This is when the thief will enter into the city and eat of the tree of life in the midst of the streets of the New Jerusalem.

1Co 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1Co 15:23  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
1Co 15:24  Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
1Co 15:25  For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
1Co 15:26  The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. [“Through death,” through the second death, death will be destroyed]
1Co 15:27  For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
1Co 15:28  And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

It was in mercy that God commissioned Joseph to first torment and then to deliver his brothers, and it will be a merciful act given to God’s elect to do the same for their brothers in Christ in the lake of fire:

Isa 33:13  Hear, ye that are far off [ all who are cast into the lake of fire], what I have done; and, ye that are near, acknowledge my might.
Isa 33:14  The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites [ torment in the lake of fire]. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?
Isa 33:15  He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;
Rom 11:30  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.

God’s elect are the tormenting “devouring fire and everlasting burnings” of the lake of fire, simply because we speak the truth of Gods words, which are so contrary to the false doctrines of those who are cast into our charge. But, just like Joseph’s brothers, the wicked are loath to relinquish their own false doctrines and will thereby be judged out of their own mouths and judged by their own false doctrines until the day their old man dies and they relinquish those false, “wood, hay and stubble,” doctrines. So long as there is the least bit of pride, and stubbornness to be burned out, the flames of God’s Word, will continue to be tormenting “unquenchable fire”:

Jer 5:14 Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.
Rev 11:3 And I will give power [ Christ, God’s Word] unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
Rev 11:4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.
Rev 11:5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.

While the two witnesses appear on the scene before the lake of fire, the fire in their mouths is the same. It is the Word of God. It is Christ. It is Christ and His words in the mouths of God’s elect.
Now the same thing is true of paradise, and the thief being in paradise. Paradise is not a place that is built at a certain time. It is not a literal garden. The word of God, as you will learn is completely Christ- centric.
Let’s look at a few verses of scripture to make this point. The overcomers, just like the thief,  are promised to eat of the tree of life which is in the middle of the paradise of God:

Rev 2:7  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

Is there a qualifying statement anywhere in that verse which limits this promise only to overcomers? No, there is nothing in this promise which says that the thief on the cross and all who are in the lake of fire cannot eat of the tree of life in the paradise of God. Neither Rev 2:7 nor any other verses which mention “he that overcometh”,  ever says that  only those who reign with Christ a thousand years will eat of the tree of life in the midst of the paradise of God. It simply states that the overcomers will do so.
Now let us examine where this tree of life is located. It happens to be located in the New Jerusalem:

Rev 21:1  And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
Rev 21:2  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Rev 21:3  And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God [ is] with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, [ and be] their God.
Rev 21:4  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
Rev 21:5  And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
Rev 21:6  And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
Rev 21:7  He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

The overcomers inherit all things, including rulership during the thousand years, and rulership in the lake of fire. That is not experienced by those who are ruled over during that time. The rest of this chapter discusses the makeup of this ‘New Jerusalem, and the next chapter tells us where we can find “the tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise of God.”

Rev 22:1  And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
Rev 22:2  In the midst of the street of it [ the New Jerusalem], and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Rev 22:3  And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:

What is this ‘tree of life’? Well, it typifies Christ, who is life and light:

Joh 1:4  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

So the tree of life in the midst of the paradise of God is actually in the midst of the New Jerusalem. Just what is this ‘New Jerusalem?’

Rev 3:12  Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

So there it is. “He that overcometh” is God’s elect, who are the fire of the lake of fire, who are the light of the world, who are the bread of life, who are the lamb of God, who are the New Jerusalem with the tree of life in the middle of its streets and on either side of the waters of life, and who, in Christ, are the waters of life flowing out of the belly of all who come to Christ:

Isa 33:14  The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?
Isa 33:15  He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;
Jer 5:14  Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

It is our commission to devour the old man in order to bring forth the new man.

Mat 5:14  Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
1Co 10:17  For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.
Joh 21:15  So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, [ son] of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
Joh 7:38  He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

I know it is a struggle to do so, but ask God to give you spiritual eyes that are more fluid than the eyes of  the natural man. Then you can see how the tree of life can be in the middle of the paradise of God and can still be in the middle of the streets of the New Jerusalem and on either side of the river of life which flows out of the throne of God. You will also see that the throne of God is His elect, in whom He dwells.
When you are given to see just how Christ- centric the scriptures are you will see that their ‘is, was and will be,’ character is also in us in Christ, to the extent that Paul can make a statement like this:

1Co 3:22  Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;
1Co 3:23  And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.

And so as not to leave out the ‘was’ part of Christ and His Word, Christ adds this statement and places all of this within us:

Luk 11:49  Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and [ some] of them they shall slay and persecute:
Luk 11:50  That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;
Luk 11:51  From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.

After reciting all the events of Mat 24, including “the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet,” Christ makes this statement:

Mat 24:34  Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
Mat 24:35  Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

So those with eyes to see can indeed see that “this generation” refers to the generation reading and living “all these things”, and not just that generation of 2,000 years past. Christ’s words “shall not pass away.”

Mat 24:15  When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

When you see all of this, then you will understand why Christ did not tell the dying thief, ‘Well Mr. thief, you sure blew it this time. You will now be in the lake of fire with that other thief, and you have now missed out on ruling during the thousand years, and ruling over all the masses of humanity in the lake of fire after the thousand years.”
No, the thief was repentant and will receive fewer stripes that the thief who was railing on Christ to deliver him in his unrepentant condition. It was completely appropriate that Christ speak comforting words to the repentant thief, but words that were so general that they would not contain any promise that is not common to mankind.
I hope this answers your questions. If not, let me know. The more you study the revelation of Jesus Christ, commonly called the Bible, the more you will come to see that God identifies completely with His son, to the point of calling His son the mighty God and the everlasting Father:

Isa 9:6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

In the exact same way, Christ also identifies with His body, His children, His sons, His elect.

Luk 22:29  And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;
Joh 8:28  Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.
Joh 20:21  Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

“As my Father has sent me, so send I you… As He is so are we…”
Your brother in the Christ of Christ,
Mike