I don't know if this has been touched on, but the verse telling the thief on the cross saying "Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43) is a little misleading in the English translation. In the original greek there was no punctuation (no comma before "today"), and the order of the words has been slightly changed in teh English. This is the order of the words translated literally from the greek...

Verily to you am I saying today with Me shall you be in paradise

Christ must be saying: "To you I am saying today, with me shall you be in paradise", as in something he was telling him that day, a promise that he would be resurrected from the dead, and this is for many reasons....

1: Christ went to the grave for three days and three nights, he himself didn't got to paradise!

Matthew 12:40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

2: Since Christ is raised from the dead first, and he wasn't rasied from the dead for another three days and three nights, then for the thief to go to paradise that day, he would have to be resurrected before Christ, which contradicts scripture....

1CORINTHIANS 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

3: As the obove passage also points out, and which also touches on the question asked by the OP, the first resurrection where the faithful are risen from the dead does not take place until the second coming of Christ, so nobody yet is in heaven or hell. Hell is another story altogether, the majority of the words translated as hell in English actually mean grave, except for the word Gehenna, which is in referenece the lake of fire at the great judgement. Another word, tartarus, is a place of restraint and talking about fallen angels, not men.

4: Also we have to take note of the words of Jesus, more than three days after he told this to the thief on the cross....

John 20:17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.

The thief on the cross didn't go that day with Jesus to paradise, for the simple reason that Jesus himself didn't go, since he was still in the grave. As others here have pointed out, there are numerous verses talking of the dead knowing nothing, returning to dust etc. Afterall, if the dead go straight to heaven at the moment of their deaths, then what is the point of the future resurrection from the dead at the return of Christ?

Jesus even points out that we are rewarded for our good deeds at the future resurrection, not at the point of our death, so how can we receive a reward before this point?

LUKE 14:13 But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:
14 And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.

Also, if anyone body should have gone to heaven, King david would have been one of them, since God calls him "a man after my own heart", but notice that even after the death of Christ, Peter says that David is still in the grave, and has not risen to heaven....

Acts 2:29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulcher is with us unto this day.
30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;
31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool.
36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

And by the way, it is my belief that the paradise Jesus was talking about, it his future kingdom, here on earth.

Originally posted by doctorex
I don't know if this has been touched on, but the verse telling the thief on the cross saying "Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43) is a little misleading in the English translation. In the original greek there was no punctuation (no comma before "today"), and the order of the words has been slightly changed in teh English. This is the order of the words translated literally from the greek...

Verily to you am I saying today with Me shall you be in paradise

Christ must be saying: "To you I am saying today, with me shall you be in paradise", as in something he was telling him that day, a promise that he would be resurrected from the dead, and this is for many reasons....

This changes alot of things. If it were written this way in the first place this question would never have been asked, by myself now or anyone ever. Thank you for this info.
It does however lead me to pose other questions.
1. What does happen to us at death? and where do we go?
2. Is Jesus in fact in heaven now? did he get special dispensation or is he also waiting 'somewhere' until his return?
3. (slightly off topic, but its my thread and I can do what I want ) Who are the likes of John Edwards talking to? I know he is only dealing with people who believe that type of thing but for christians who believe it this should change things a great deal.

To all other posters, thank you for your input. Yes I am a Christian and am asking from a Christian stand point, but as I am referencing the bible that would have suggested that was the direction I was taking, but I am very much interested in any views on the matter which is why I asked you guys and not a Pastor.

Originally posted by VIKINGANT
It does however lead me to pose other questions.
1. What does happen to us at death? and where do we go?

We are not yet immortal, we are only alive because we have the breath of life in us. We are simply physical entities that break down into the elements of the earth, from which we were created. But God, being all powerful, has the ability to resurrect the mind that was in us, making us then immortal spirit.

Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Genesis 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art , and unto dust shalt thou return.

Psalms 104:29 Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.

Ecclesiastes 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit (breath) shall return unto God who gave it.

The word hebrew word translated as soul simply means a living thing, it is the same word used for the animals.

2. Is Jesus in fact in heaven now? did he get special dispensation or is he also waiting 'somewhere' until his return?

Yes, since he has already be resurrected, he has risen to the right hand of God.

Hebrews 8:1 Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such a high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;

Romans 8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

3. Who are the likes of John Edwards talking to?

The Bible warns us about talking with spirits, because they can be deceitful. Angels themselves are spirit, and one third of them rebelled, which are what we would now call demons, evil spirits. The demonic world is more influential, cunning, and deceitful than most care to believe.

Look up Robert monroe. He coined the word Out of Body experience. Monroe also developed The Monroe Institute, which the CIA and army intelligence, took a great interest in. An ex-army intelligence officer by the name of Paul H. Smith wrote a book about his experiences as a remote viewer, and the involvement of the Monroe Institute.These two sources have a wealth of info on the after life. Check it out.

And no! we do not go directly to heaven or hell. There are many levels in-between. The journey dose not stop at death.