Question

The way I see it, Jesus took the thief with Him because they were dying together and the man professed his faith, kind of like a special exception because of the circumstances. I think it's different for the rest of us though. I believe we will rise and ascend to Heaven when He returns for us, and until then we are just dead.

Scripture seems abundantly clear in many places that folks don't enter heaven until Christ comes back. No, no one ever actually practices it that way, We always say "so and so is watching from heaven" but, again, scriptures are very clear on this.

Goodness, didn't you people read the Left Behind series? Come judgement day, the righteous' graves all across the earth became instantly empty. Nothing but clothing and jewelry. Same thing for people riding in their cars and flying planes.  POOF, they were gone. That was based on sound scripture.

We know that when Jesus told Dismas "today you will be with me in Paradise"

Because Dismas confessed to Jesus he is a sinner and deserved to die, and

Jesus was a holy, and innocent Man that didn't deserve this death.

Jesus read his heart and found him truly repentant of his sins and forgave

him.

The moment Jesus died, His Spirit, desended to limbo. He wasn't going

to let those souls wait any longer to be free and enter Heaven.

The souls of Adam and Eve and all the just that have been waiting

for Jesus to reopen Heavens gates.

These people went straight into Heaven.

Paradise isn't Heaven, but it's the next best place to be, I would think.

Nothing worse than a bunch of unharnessed souls.  At least that is what TV tells me.

Matthew 27:50-53

⁵⁰ And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

⁵¹ At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split ⁵² and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. ⁵³ They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and^[e] went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

From catholic catechism:
How do the dead rise?

What is "rising"? In death, the separation of the soul from the body, the human body decays and the soul goes to meet God, while awaiting its reunion with its glorified body. God, in his almighty power, will definitively grant incorruptible life to our bodies by reuniting them with our souls, through the power of Jesus' Resurrection.

Who will rise? All the dead will rise, "those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment."⁵⁵²

It's important to understand the particular judgment and general judgment.  I'll post those.  

Veep,

A good explanation from Rev. William G. Most :

Jesus will come at the end of time to judge all human beings. This is called the parousia, His second coming. It was foretold by the angels as He ascended: "This Jesus who is taken up from you to heaven, will come in the way in which you saw Him going into heaven" (Acts 1:11).

However, those who die before the parousia will be judged immediately at their deaths. This is known as the particular judgment. The Epistle to the Hebrews (9:27) says : " It is appointed to men to die once, and after that comes the judgment". Then, "Each one will receive his pay, according to his works" (1 Cor 3:8).

There are three possible outcomes to the particular judgment. Those whose love for God has been perfected in this life are taken straight to heaven, where they enjoy endless happiness in the face to face vision of God. Those who die in God's love but still love Him imperfectly must be purified in the intermediate state of purgatory. Those, however, who reject God's love by mortal sin and die without repenting are condemned to the everlasting torments of hell. The general judgment at the end of time simply solemnly confirms the particular judgments of each one, with the difference that then the body as well as the soul will receive what is due it. And all God's judgments will be revealed as most just.

Am I correct in my reading of the above that Catholics believe that all souls will be reunited with their former bodies?

Yes,  the soul reunites with the body.  However the body will be in a glorified state. 

That's correct, except for Billie, he will be reunited with the body of

an ass, a lying ass, like in the bible.

OK David, that was fast,  so it will be a glorified ass

==
That's hilarious. But HoD says that the reanimated bodies will be in a "glorified state" maybe your glorified state will include a J.Lo bootay and Anniston hair!

Hey guys- this is kind of weird but I am interested to see what HOD, Ono, Vic think about this:
When a person dies, do you think they are taken immediately to heaven, or are they asleep until Christ comes again??
The two scriptures that always make me wonder, basically are these:
1. On the Cross, Jesus looks to the man and says "today you will be with me in Paradise"
2. "those who sleep in Christ shall rise first"
Any clues how to reconcile these?

Yes they are asleep until the Resurrection. Luk 23:43 has quite often been mistranslated which is why you seem confused. So how can people that have died be asleep and be in Heaven at the same time? They cant. If Luke 23:43 is to be interpreted the way most translations have it, then it totally contradicts other Scriptures that state dead people are really dead and totally unconscious.

Here are a few different renderings of Luke 23:43 from some better translations.

Luk 23:43 And Jesus said to him, "Verily, to you am I saying today, with Me shall you be in paradise." (CLV)

Luk 23:43 And he said unto him—Verily, I say unto thee this day: With me, shalt thou be in Paradise.  (Rotherhams)

Luk 23:43  And said to him the Jesus: Indeed I say to thee to-day, with me thou shalt be in the Paradise. (Emphatic Diaglott New Testament)

The above accurate translations totally destroy the UN-scriptural doctrine that when people die they either immediately go to Heaven or Hell. They also harmonize nicely with other Scriptures that state death is sleep and that there is no thoughts or activity at all in death.

Joh 11:11  These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.
Joh 11:12  Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.
Joh 11:13  Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.
Joh 11:14  Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.

Death is sleep to Jesus because He can easily wake someone out of death.

Luk 8:52  And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth.
Luk 8:53  And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead.

Luk 8:54  And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise.
Luk 8:55  And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat.

Other Scriptures plainly describe the state of the dead.

Ecc 9:10  Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave (Hebrew: Sheol), whither thou goest.

Psa 146:4  His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.

Ecc 9:10 and Psa 146:4  perfectly defines the Hebrew "Sheol" and the Greek "Hades".

However, those who die before the parousia will be judged immediately at their deaths. This is known as the particular judgment. The Epistle to the Hebrews (9:27) says : " It is appointed to men to die once, and after that comes the judgment". Then, "Each one will receive his pay, according to his works" (1 Cor 3:8).

 

 

HOD, the Rev William G. seems to have left out part of Hebrews 9:27. You will notice there is a semi colon after the word "judgment" and not a period which indicates a continuation of a thought. The thought being Jesus will come again a second time to judge the world and to save it. Not to die again for the sins of the world.

Heb 9:27  And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Heb 9:28  So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

If people are judged immediately after they die then there is no need for a Resurrection to judgment on a certain day. Rev William G makes a mockery out of the prophesied Resurrection like the many in Jesus' day who believed in an immortal soul.

Act 17:31  Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
Act 17:32  And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.

Joh 5:28  Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
Joh 5:29  And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of ****ation (Greek: Judgment) .

I think these Scriptures makes it clear that when people die they are not judged immediately after death, but on a certain hour or day. All of wicked humanity are judged and all at once at the Resurrection. The reason "they that have done good" are not included in this specific resurrection of judgment is because they were already judged when they were still alive (1Pe 4:17) . In other words judgment = salvation, whether they were judged while still alive or after the resurrection of judgment. God does not change.

Which brings me to the second part of Rev William G's second Scriptural quote of 1 Cor 3:8. He left quite a bit out of that one too. Lets read it together and add a second witness to reveal something quite marvelous and too hard to believe by most of Christianity despite being plainly written.

1Co 3:8  Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.
1Co 3:9  For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.
1Co 3:10  According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
1Co 3:11  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
1Co 3:12  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
1Co 3:13  Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
1Co 3:14  If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15  If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

Rev 20:12  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Rev 20:13  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Rev 20:14  And death and hell (Greek: Hades)  were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Rev 20:15  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Is there any doubt that both passages are speaking about a fiery judgment of every single wicked person that ever lived and how they are saved by fire? Not a literal fire, but a cleansing spiritual fire. Oh its gonna feel like a real fire alright, burning out all the sin and evil in us. That is because judgment is painful, but very beneficial.

www.bible-truths.com

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But since Jesus said that in the same "hour" both the good and the evil dead will come forth

from the graves, do you accept that the event you describe includes the unrighteous dead as well as the righteous dead?  See John 5:28 & 29.  Now THAT is sound scripture. Fuggettabout  the "left Behind" dime novels.

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And this "Dismas" is nowhere identified in the scriptures by that name.  Do we have here another case of the inventiveness of Catholicism or others in giving us a name where the Bible does not?  The earliest mention of that name occurs in an apocryphal "gospel" of about 400 A.D.

Kinda like Joachim and Ann, maybe?

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The reason it appears to be  "inventiveness of Catholicism " would be 

 you're 1500 years behind in time, Catch up.

You and your brother Bill are stuck between the covers of half a Bible.

It's a small world in there, like John said, the world coundn't hold all

the things Jesus said and did while on earth.

God closed the Bible within the Church he created and organized in Matt.

That would be the unabridged verion. Not the watered down man made

verison of the 1600's for your man made religion.