10.02.2016

Egbert Brink

So does hell really exist?

1. Unrequited love

Would anyone else dare to defend the existence of hell? Anyone who believes in God, who “holds” hell, should be prepared for such accusations: “Isn’t it blasphemous to think that there is a place where, in anticipation of the dead who have not followed the correct creed, insatiable worms wriggle and furnaces burn fire and brimstone? Rather, just those who want to believe in such a sadistic god should beware. It is these Christians, who can say so much against other Christians, who should think about worms and blazing fire, from which there is no way out. This was said about Christians who have a different creed. However, today it can be easily rephrased: that such a fate cannot be avoided by all people who hold different beliefs. Those who dare to assert the existence of hell are easily suspected of wishing other people a fate in hell.

Delusions

Hell is inevitably associated with horrors. Who can think of him without a shudder? The Word of God is extremely laconic about hell. And, in all likelihood, for this reason we are overcome by fantasies, and there is a serious danger of the emergence of various conjectures. There are many misconceptions about this terrible place, which the Word of God exposes as unfair. One example of misconception is the blazing furnace that is kindled by demons who torture and torment people. Terrible worms have been eating their bodies for all eternity. And the pain - without end and without end - to which these people are subject ... However, much more important is that such misinterpretations completely trample on the justice of the Lord God Himself. This happens when He is portrayed as a tormentor God who created hell according to His unheard-of arbitrariness. It is legitimate to protest against this notion of a sadistic God, but it is no less legitimate to protest against sentimental humanism. In this case, God appears as a meek Lamb with no rights to claim. He obscures the God of love, the foundation of the throne Whose is eternal righteousness (Ps. 96).

detours

At all times, people rejected hell, or downplayed the scale of its suffering. I will consider three such positions in the broadest sense. All these roundabout ways, as a rule, stand on the fact that God is true love. Eternal hell cannot be tied to His love and is contrary to God's righteousness. First of all, it will mean that God has been defeated, and His victory over the forces of evil will be called into question.

1.Hell as the penultimate reality. This means that temporary suffering and hellish shock will indeed take place, but sooner or later, after a stay in hell, heavenly glory will come. At the same time, it is believed that the biblical word "eternal", especially when referring to hell, does not contain the meaning of infinity, but has the meaning of "ages", a long period of time. Hell is something in between, a purgatory where temporary punishment takes place, but there remains the possibility of a second chance.

2. Hell exists, but by the end of time it will be empty. God only gives a warning. His warning is an objectively existing reality, but it is intended to induce repentance, to bring about change here and now. The judgment will not be brought to an end - just as Nineveh was pardoned after a warning addressed to her through the sermon of Jonah. The danger does exist, hell is real, but by the great grace of God, no one will stay there forever.

3. Hell will turn into nothing. The theory of non-existence» , that is, the cessation of existence. The second death is presented as splitting into nothingness (annihilation). Just as Sodom and Gomorrah vanished, so there will be nothing left of those who died in unbelief. Their life just leads nowhere and people don't even realize it, because "hell" means to rest in death with no way to return to life. God will eventually be able to be "all in all."

pathetic attempts

Let us briefly comment on these three approaches.

1. Indeed, the single word "eternal" in the Bible can mean a period of time as long as one can imagine. But this will not be true of this word in the texts referring to hell. In Matthew 25:46, eternal life is mentioned at the same time as eternal condemnation. Also in Revelation 14:11 the concept "for all eternity"(synod. trans. - "forever and ever") is explained further: "and they shall have no rest, day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and who receive the mark of his name"(see also Rev. 20:10). It is unlikely that in this context the meaning of the word "eternal" can be other than "infinite" and "unlimited".

2. It cannot be denied that the warning may be quite real, but then the prediction does not come true, or the sentence is postponed, and that this happens with the aim of calling people to repentance. But even if there are similar examples, this does not necessarily mean that this will always happen. Holy Scripture contains many texts that say otherwise; and where there is no repentance, the sentence is set in motion. Can hell be empty if it is the place that God has prepared for Satan and his fallen angels forever and ever (Jude 6; Rev. 20:10)? How then can one speak of “perishing” (2 Thessalonians 2:10) if this reality does not exist?

Moreover, the warning is not only addressed to unbelievers, but it is also meant to comfort those who are being persecuted (2 Thess. 1; 1 Pet. 4; 2 Pet. 2)! Based on the Bible, it is impossible to get around the fact that there are two categories of people: one for the resurrection of life and the other for the resurrection of condemnation (Matt. 25:31-34; John 5:29; Rom. 2:7; Rev. 20: 15).

3. The biblical opposition is not between being and non-being, but between life and death, as two ways of being. Death is not the end of existence. Death is the end of all communication. Death means helplessness, impotence, emptiness. Texts such as Eph.2:1 - "you were dead" (synod. trans. - "And you, the dead...") - show that we are not talking about non-existence at all. These people were full of life, but they were far from God and were left to their own devices. Death does not at all represent the cessation of existence. It is also not true that Sodom and Gomorrah disappeared forever. The inhabitants of these cities will be called on the day of judgment (Matthew 11:23-24).

What Christ is talking about

Who speaks more about hell in the Bible? Christ! He repeats His message over and over again with fervor, not to scare people half to death, but to give them comfort! After all, Christ came to save us from hell, and not only from what people think is hell today, but from the hell of the future! Today's preachers claim that here on earth in many places hell is becoming visible (wars, AIDS, starving regions). But do they carry the Word of Redemption? No! First of all, they sow panic, because who can save this world from hell? Christ says of Himself that He is the only Redeemer. The Son of God knows more than anyone else what hell is. He speaks from His own experience, for He Himself went through hell while on earth ( Heidelberg Catechism, Q/O 44). And instead of expressing extreme concern, fear of hell, where all fear comes from, He speaks words of comfort. He is the only Person who can save us from hell.

unrequited love

The most powerful argument made against hell is that the existence of hell is contrary to God's love. Indeed, it can cause tension. Would anyone dare to say that he fully understands this contradiction and is able to interpret it satisfactorily? Yet the existence of a hell contrary to God's love is impossible. A "no" to God's love is the same as a "yes" to hell. If someone rejects God's love, he cannot say that hell is contrary to God's love. Hell exists because man rejects this love. Hell is heaven denied. The same love for which God gave His Son, and the same love for which Christ gave Himself—the same love renders judgment. The one who despises and rejects the love of God incurs God's wrath (Heb. 12:25-29). And this righteous indignation comes not only from God the Father, but also from the Son: it is the wrath of the Lamb (Rev. 6:16). In hell, God asserts His right to love. Hell is a place reserved for the unrequited love of God. God is grieved by those people who finally rejected Him and His Son.

Remarkable is the insistence with which Jesus speaks of hell to those people who rejected Him. That is why He reacts so sharply to the Pharisees and Sadducees who speak of Him with disdain. They refuse to acknowledge Him. They watch everything He does. They are in close proximity to Him, they see and hear everything that happens. However, if you reject the Son of God, whom God sent out of His love to make everything right... If you reject the Beloved Son of God, you are extremely annoying God. You hurt the apple of His eye and show contempt for His love!

Imprinted reluctance

God does not send torment to anyone, but He strengthens human unwillingness. He takes our responsibility so seriously that hell is a consequence of His reverence for us as members of the human race. “At the end of time there will be only two classes of people: those who once said to God, “Thy will be done,” and those to whom God says, “Thy will be done” (C. S. Lewis). The doors of hell are closed, but the lock is on the inside. Man hides from God, God leaves him in the hardness of his own heart (cf. Canons of the Synod of Dort, I. 6).

God gives His Son, sending Him to mortal suffering, but the man's answer is: “Thank you, no need. I didn't ask Him to take the punishment of the world, I can handle it myself, I'll go my own way." They can be nice and friendly people who, in their own words, wouldn't hurt a fly. Or they can be criminals. The minister visited Nazi Eichmann thirteen times before his execution. Eichmann thought: "I don't need anyone to die in my place, I don't need forgiveness, I don't want it." If people reject the Son of God, then they are left to their own unrighteousness. With all the ensuing consequences: they are forever left to their own devices. Rejection of the Son of God, apparently, is the heaviest burden - knowing Him, or having received the knowledge of Him, continue to reject Him (Heb. 10:26-31).

figuratively speaking

When Christ speaks of hell, it is obvious that He uses figurative language. He uses symbols that are more or less mutually exclusive: absolute darkness and fire. He resorts to vivid imagery, which can be interpreted in different ways. Symbolism gives a description of the images, not their photograph (K. Schilder). However, this little description given by Jesus is enough to tell us that hell is a terrible place where demons dwell. It is pitch darkness, because there God is unattainable for you, and you are not a partaker of His heavenly glory. And how could it be otherwise, since the work of Christ shines there in heaven, and at the same time the same brilliant work in hell blinds those who have hardened their hearts. Is not the fire burning here the fire of God's indignant love? And the strong thirst described here, is it not a desperate desire for love and security, which can no longer be satisfied (Luke 16:24), and therefore people in hell are left to themselves? And didn't this tearing pain come from the terrible realization that something is missing in you because you always have to do without this love?

amazing Grace

Sometimes it may seem that only a small part of people will be saved: many are called, but few are chosen (Matt. 22:14). Perhaps these words refer to the Jewish followers who lived during the earthly ministry of Christ. Other Scriptures emphasize growth and increase (Matt. 8:11-12; 13), while mentioning a great crowd that no one could count (Rev. 7:9). How many were in front of us? How many of the last will be first? How many of the smallest will become great?

The mercy of God is exalted above judgment (James 2:13). It is not our business to determine the measure of God's mercy, let alone teach God about mercy. We should never create some kind of closed system and then impose it on God, as if we are determining the minimum knowledge required for salvation. What is a person? It is impossible to reach the place from which God judges. It’s not our business to talk about whether he will be there, or whether she will be there ... When we add something, compare, form our own opinion, diligently engage in judgments and assessments, we forget to look inside our own heart (K. Schilder) . God is greater than our heart (1 John 3:20). We are only required to believe in God Almighty. He is perfectly merciful and perfectly just! Who loves us more than He?

in Christ

How, then, to deal with those who have never heard of Him, but, at best, have some idea of ​​some god? What about the numerous followers of other religions? What will happen to them? What is the fate of those children who have never been brought up in the spirit of the gospel? Will children with no hope find their end in a hopeless hell? The Bible doesn't talk much about ignorance anymore, but never underestimate God's mercy. The heart of God is much wider than we think.

Augustine, Luther, Zwingli, Melanchthon - they all left open the question of whether God would grant forgiveness to some Gentiles during the final judgment. They based their opinion on the texts: the first will be the last; many will come from the east and the west (Matt. 8:11; 19:30; 20:12). It is possible for God to declare righteous people who have not heard the sermon and have not been baptized. Being sovereign, God can do this. However, whoever they are, no one can be saved without the saving work of Christ! However, we should not speculate about this or rely too much on it. We must be satisfied with the following: “He who has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:12). Be that as it may, outside of Christ, life is hell.

2. Holy justice

How does God's love allow hell to exist? Can we sing in verse His love along with eternal flame, eternal grief, eternal remorse? And worse, if hell exists, wouldn't that mean that the love of God is failing? How can God allow a place where His influence is not felt? Is it right and fair to pass judgment on a person on the basis of only one life lived? Can this short life, from the cradle to the grave, really be the deciding factor for an eternity that never ends? You cannot live to live a second time, you will not have a second chance. Doesn't this conflict with God's love? Isn't this contrary to His justice?

Love and Justice

The word "justice" makes us think about severity - "an agreement is more valuable than money", "stick to the established rules", "follow the law". The word "mercy" draws in our imagination friendliness - loving, radiating warmth, driven by compassion. The human heart tends to oppose one to the other. But God has no such opposition. He is not dual. There are no contradictions in God. In the Bible we do not find a conflict between His love and justice. “Mercy and truth meet, righteousness and peace kiss each other” (Ps. 84:11). His justice can seek recompense if He takes vengeance to restore justice (Jer. 51:56; Rom. 2:8; Matt. 22:13). His justice is full of love, and his love is saturated with justice. We cannot comprehend this, it may be contrary to our feelings, but this does not make this truth any less true. In all this God remains holy, unique and incomparable. God's love would dim if He did not insist on His justice. God's love would be that He does not see evil, His love would go against His righteousness. And that would be unworthy of God. This would make God's love superficial. However, God shows His love in a way worthy of Himself. In perfect love He gave His Son, but He never for a moment compromised His justice. God requires righteousness. And He cannot help but love.

Justice

Hell is not a place where one ends up by an absurd accident, but the result of the execution of divine justice! There is not a shadow of unrighteousness in Him. His righteousness is perfect. Everything He says and does is just, He takes vengeance that no man can take. He never makes mistakes. Righteous and true are His ways (Rev. 15:1-4), therefore He will evaluate everything as a Righteous Judge. He does not do any injustice. He will bring everything to light. He will judge everyone according to his deeds, taking into account all life, all circumstances. In hell, God will keep His justice. God has been, is, and remains eternally offended by those people who completely reject His Son.

different measure

And what about all those who have never had anything to do with Christ? How could they sin against His love? After all, God can not blame them for this? And he won't. His righteousness is perfect. The Lord Jesus talks about this often and at length. It will be better for Tire and Sidon on the day of judgment (Matt. 11:24), and even Sodom and Gomorrah will be more joyful than those to whom Christ appeared close (11:24)! Nowhere and never does it talk about some kind of "gray mass" in the "gray zone" of hell. But it's about to varying degrees punishment. To whom much is entrusted, more will be exacted from him (Luke 12:48-49). God will punish everyone according to every idle word people say (Matt. 12:36-37; 2 Cor. 5:10). Every man who has ever lived will be tested in justice. What a man sows, that he will reap. Everyone will bear his guilt and receive according to his deeds.

Individual Judgment

The important thing is that the Lord uses different approaches in evaluating the Gentile nations and His people. For example, the Ammonites will not be judged according to the laws given to Israel, but for the reproach they showed towards the Jews during their captivity (Ezek. 25:6-7). They will not be judged based on what they could not have known. Judgment on an individual basis! The same is true of the king of Tire (Ezek. 28:1-10). Success and wealth overshadowed his mind, he allowed himself to be worshiped as a god. However, God shuns those who ridiculously overestimate their own worth. God speaks to those people who have been given greater knowledge. Moreover, for the same reason - because of the special attitude towards them, thus making a fair trial. God is righteous and remains righteous. So He calls us to trust Him for this. This is most clearly seen in the example when Tire, to which the word is addressed, carried out dishonest trade, and supported its sanctuaries with the income from it (Ezek. 28:18). God is judging him because of his self-worship. Even so, the riches of his temple are ill-gotten gains. Even according to his own standards of justice, this is wrong! Everything points to how righteous God is. His sentence is based on an accusation that is convincing even to those against whom it is directed.

Proof of goodness

God insists on His justice while remaining true to His love. He was, is, and remains righteous. And this is not impassive righteousness, but rather discreet righteousness. In everything He does, He remains righteous! Because the courts are different, there are opinions about different levels of hell. God does not reject everyone in one fell swoop. God's justice is full of love! Those who are convinced of this are better able to accommodate C. Schilder's assertions that even in hell there will be a faint reflection of the face of God and reflections of the boundless goodness of God. And that even in hell it will be proclaimed that the Lord is righteous in all His ways and in all His works, God is immeasurably good!

Awareness and remorse

Every condemned man will understand that everything must be in accordance with the will of the Judge. Awareness of God's justice and nothing more than the desire to accept it. You cannot fail to recognize the Judgment of God, because His judgments are obvious. There is no need to talk about their justice, because His judgments are absolutely fair. All will agree with His Divine judgments, for every tongue confesses Jesus as Lord, whether they like it or not (Philippians 2:9-11). In the light of all this, weeping and gnashing of teeth will not be indicative of rebellion, but much more of the sadness of repentance. The pain of remorse will be that inevitable judgment. The will of God will be done in you, but it will happen at the very last possible moment. You won't be able to avoid it. There will be no more retribution in the future, because there will no longer be an opportunity for it. You can only look back, watching the replay. It will be impossible to relive the past, so the only thing left to do is condemn yourself in open opposition to God's righteous decision. It will be possible to see only what is happening at the moment. Nothing will be changed. Dante's words "Abandon hope, ye who enter here" are painfully correct. They envision a worm that never dies - focusing on the past, knowing that nothing can be changed, not knowing any renewal or change - just paralyzing helplessness.

Not an accident

This does not raise the question that God was unable to overcome evil. Each time He manifests His judgment and curbs evil! He puts an end to evil once and for all. Gehenna or hell is no longer the place where Satan and his minions live, where they do whatever they want, a place where God is denied access. One day, when judgment is done, hell will no longer be Satan's territory - it will become a prison for him (Jude 6; 2 Pet. 2:4; Rev. 18:8; 19:2; 20:7-10). Hell is not a realm over which God has no influence and where He cannot act. Sin cannot spread unchecked. Everything secret becomes clear, receives its assessment and due curse (2 Thess. 1:8-9; 2 Cor. 5:10; Rev. 11:18; 20:12-13). Without trial and condemnation, victory would not be final. The creatures will still be able to mock and insult. But one day this will come to an end. When the final judgment is done, this shameful rebellion will be over. The Bible nowhere says that God will fail or that sin will continue forever. All together and individually will be brought to the Kingdom of God and subjected to the judgment of Christ (1 Cor. 15:27-28). The redemption of everything earthly and heavenly in this case means a return to the harmony that He defined (Col. 1:20). All recognize His authority and power. Sooner or later, everyone will recognize that Christ is indeed God's answer to all that has caused hardship and suffering on earth. Everyone will see it - and every knee will bow! In the end, God will be honored for sending His Son. Whether we like it or not, His righteousness will prevail. This applies to all creation (Rev. 15:4), including, and according to the unrepentant, God will manifest holiness With howl (Ezek. 38:23). The purpose of all creation was and remains to give all glory to God (Prov. 16:4).

God is not absent

Hell is often viewed as a place where there is no God, as if it were a place where evil does whatever it pleases without hindrance. However, God puts an end to evil and renders judgment on it. But if God is not absent, what is the point of His presence? He is present as God presenting Himself as a holy Creator and Judge. It's not that God, being righteous, eventually shows mercy, as if the two were opposites. He is equally possessed of perfect mercy and perfect righteousness. I don't know how to bring it into the system. It is an active reality revealed in Christ. In one Person He unites love and justice. Even in hell it remains evident how righteous and good He is. The presence that fills people with love in heaven feels like anger in hell because of the rejection of His love. The love that fills people with bliss in heaven feels like depression and remorse in hell. The unquenchable fire of God's love and His shining glory have the opposite meaning to hell: blinding and withering. It is complete darkness. God is infinitely far away because from the human point of view the chasm is unbridgeable (2 Thess. 1:8-9).

A matter of conscience

MaybeIs it then a longing for the future if your husband or wife, brother or sister, friend or acquaintance has turned away from God, or there is a great discord that divides entire families? A miracle must happen. As long as a person is alive, there is a way back. There is an opportunity for him to repent when you yourself are no longer there. We do not know God's plans. But what if there is no repentance? Will we not approach the last day with fear and trembling? Will we miss these people? Out of fear of longing for someone, it is often concluded that we will not recognize anyone, that everyone will be forgotten. However, this is just an attempt to get away from reality. Will Christ yearn for them? Christ, who in great love gave himself for them, will he turn away from them? Doesn't he notice them? If, while in glory, the Lord Jesus does not forget them, it is good. We can't understand it now just because we can't see the future... We can't be where He is. But we don't have perfect faith. We do not trust Him as a perfect Righteous, Holy and Good.

Glorified Justice

The Sea of ​​Glass spoken of in Revelation, ch. 15, - pure as crystal, clear as the Throne of God. A red glow emanates from him - the glow of His anger, the rejection of His love and His holy justice. One day everyone will admit it: "Lord, You are righteous." Today I am unable to understand the intentions of God. His judgments are not completely clear, but in the distant future I hope to understand them perfectly, in the light of Christ. No one loves this world the way He loves it. And if the nations reject Him, it is not His fault. And is T I was inspired to write this part of the article by the deep reflections of K. Schilder(K. Schilder, Wat is de hel?, Kampen 1920 (second edition)) and Henri flea(Henri Blocher, Irons-nous tous au paradis? Aixen - Provence, Kerugma: 1999)

Wed .

HOPE DIES LAST

After the release in 1976 of the best-selling book Life After Life, the world was in turmoil - such readers have not yet been offered. Despite the fact that books on such a sensitive topic have appeared on the shelves before, Raymond Moody is considered the first to dare to bring the results of his research to the attention of the general public. Apparently at the same time, in 1976, the ban on such literature, which had been tacitly imposed at one time, was tacitly lifted, which led to the oblivion of many, many of the most unique testimonies.

“I looked back and saw that my body lay without feeling and movement. Just as if someone, throwing off his clothes, looked at her, so I looked at my body, as if at clothes, and was very surprised at this.

This is not from Moody's book. So in the 10th century, the disciple of Vasily the New Gregory described the posthumous state, or rather, “the journey of the soul of the blessed Fedor through the ordeals”.

As if Moody's book is taken from the story of the poet Arseniy Tarkovsky (father of the outstanding film director). This happened in January 1944. After several repeated leg amputations, the poet died in a front-line hospital from gangrene. He lay in a small, cramped room with a very low ceiling. The dim light bulb that hung directly above the bed had no switch, and had to be unscrewed by hand.

Once, turning the light bulb, Tarkovsky felt that his soul had slipped out of his body - it had unscrewed, like a light bulb from a cartridge. Stunned, he looked down and saw himself on the bed - motionless, as if sleeping in a deep sleep. As if spellbound, he examined himself from the side, when he suddenly wanted to see what was happening in the next room. He began to slowly “leak” through the wall, but suddenly felt that a little more - and he would never return to his body. This horrified him. He returned, hovered over the bed, and with some unusual effort slid into the body, as if into an empty vessel.

Of course, such stories today will not surprise anyone. Although who will remain indifferent, reading, for example, such lines:

“There is no other thing as beautiful as death. You just go from one state to another, like, say, from high school to college.”

“Life is like imprisonment. Death is like liberation, getting out of prison.”

In such examples main reason the success of Moody's book - it gives people hope.

SCIENCE AND RELIGION - IN ONE TEAM

However, the indiscriminate admiration for death alerted, first of all, theologians. They drew attention to the fact that after reading such books, readers may get the impression that death is completely fearless, and people “there” expect entirely pleasant sensations - peace and joy. It turns out, the theologians were perplexed, that both the righteous and the sinners all go straight to heaven in the same way. But the same cannot be, the holy fathers worried.

And they turned out to be right: indeed, not everyone experienced joyful feelings during clinical death. According to Dr. Ring's careful research, only a comparatively small percentage receive, as Christians say, a vision of the Light.

Dr. Rawlings, who personally resuscitated many dying people, is not so categorical. According to his calculations, the number of people who see darkness or Light is about the same. In his book "Behind the Door of Death" he talks about a patient who, during a cardiac arrest, went to ... hell:

“In the process of revival, he came to his senses several times, but his heart stopped again. When he was in our world and regained the power of speech, he still saw hell, was in a panic and asked the doctors to continue the resuscitation. These procedures are painful, and usually patients, returning to earthly life, ask to stop them. Two days later, the patient had no recollection of what had happened. He has forgotten everything, he has never been to hell and has never seen any hell.”

Charles Garfield, a leading researcher in the field of near-death states, agrees with Rawlings: “Not everyone dies a pleasant and peaceful death. Among the patients I interviewed, almost as many experienced an unpleasant state (encounters with demon-like beings) as they experienced a pleasant one. Some of them experienced both states.

Along the way, it turned out that people sometimes consciously, and sometimes not, are silent about their unpleasant post-mortem visions. In addition, according to Rawlings, the most terrible visions are automatically erased from memory.

It should be especially noted that in this case science went hand in hand with religion. This once again confirms the truth of the saying: "Little knowledge leads away from God, but great knowledge leads to Him."

WHERE IS HELL?

Atheists still don't believe in life after death. Their main objection is that the brain does not die immediately - its reserves are enough for another 6-8 minutes. And with the fading consciousness, visions come, which are the same for everyone, since the processes caused by oxygen starvation. Therefore, they say, everyone is talking about the same thing: about soaring under the ceiling, about the spectacle of their own bodies, about flying through a long tunnel, at the end of which a bright kind light shines, about meetings with long-dead relatives and friends.

The French psychologist Michel Lerier, author of the book "Eternity in a Past Life", did not like this interpretation. Firstly, not everyone has the same visions - here atheists are cunning, to put it mildly. And secondly, knowing the methods of hypnosis, he decided to probe the brains of his patients. And here it turned out once again that people brought back to life do not remember everything that happened to them. Moreover, obeying the will of the hypnotist, their memory gave out amazing things: it turns out that before waking up in a hospital bed, patients fell ... into another era!

Amazed, Lerie at first thought that he was receiving information about their previous lives (a phenomenon confirmed by science). But as information accumulated, he drew attention to a strange feature.

For example, a robber and murderer, whom doctors saved from a heart attack so that justice could punish him as a warning to others, told under hypnosis that he had been a slave in Roman galleys for many years: he talked about terrible beatings of overseers, constant torments of thirst and hunger. And a certain woman, who had never done a single bad deed in her life and had always helped the poor, remembered herself in Ancient Egypt where she had wealth, power and hundreds of servants, fulfilling any desire.

Similar adventures were “remembered” by 205 out of 208 examined patients: during clinical death, for some reason, all of them fell into ancient eras and lived there one more life, each his own. The exception was three people who, also experiencing clinical death, remained in their time and led the same life.

Lerier made a conclusion worthy of biblical characters: whoever spent this life with dignity led a worthy existence in past centuries, and whoever stained himself with bad deeds received accordingly.

And another conclusion: if the matter were limited to oxygen starvation, then one might expect that hypnosis would produce the same picture. As you can see, this is not at all the case.

But did these people really visit past centuries? Apparently, hell and heaven are within ourselves. Evaluating our real actions in advance, we subconsciously prepare for ourselves an “otherworldly fate” and live it in the short minutes between life and death. However, Lerie is sure that hell and heaven actually exist - in past centuries. And there we are transferred by the most mysterious physical substance - time. Just in case, he advises to behave in this life like a human being. To avoid, so to speak.

THE BIGGEST OFFENSE

A special question is about suicide. There is no guarantee that books like Life After Life can provoke a voluntary departure to "that" world. But, studies show, such attempts do not lead to anything good.

Suicides brought back to life stated that after death they fell into some kind of dungeon and felt that they would remain in it for a long time. At the same time, they realized that they were being punished for violating the law, according to which every person must endure a certain share of sorrows on Earth.

One of Moody's patients, who ended up in an intensive care bed as a result of a suicide attempt, said:

“When I was there, I felt that two things were completely forbidden for me: to kill myself or to kill another person. If I commit suicide, I will throw a gift in God's face. If I kill someone, I will break the commandment of God.”

And here is the story of a certain Beverly, a 47-year-old woman.

As a child, she suffered a lot of grief from her parents, who constantly bullied her. And once a seven-year-old girl could not stand it: she jumped out of the window. Clinical death came, and Beverly from somewhere above looked at the familiar children who surrounded her lifeless body. Suddenly a bright light shone, and an unknown voice said:

You made a mistake. Your life is not yours and you must return.

But no one loves me and no one wants to take care of me.

After these words, Beverly saw snow and dry wood around her. Warmth wafted from somewhere, the snow melted, and the dry branches of the tree were covered with leaves and ripe apples. She began to pick apples and eat them with pleasure. And then she realized that both in Nature and in the life of every person there are winter and summer, which form a single whole in the plan of the Creator. When Beverly came to life, she began to relate to life in a new way. As an adult, she married good man gave birth to children and found earthly happiness.

But what happens to those who have not been brought back to life? Documentary facts say that they do not linger in the “other” world - they are almost immediately returned to Earth, and they all start over. Sometimes suicides know that they will return. And even when this return occurs!

Emilia Lorenz did not want to be a woman so much that she decided to commit suicide. But before drinking the poison, the nineteen-year-old Brazilian girl promised her relatives to return to Earth as a man. A little time passed, and her mother, Senora Lorenz, gave birth to a boy, who was named Paulo. When the boy learned to speak, he told his mother that he used to be ... Emilia! He "remembered" such details from her life that the parents had no choice but to believe in the incredible: their daughter really returned to the family in the form of Paulo. Experts, after conducting a series of studies and tests, recorded more than a hundred matches in the boy's stories with real facts from the life of Emilia.

Another example. Maria de Oliveiro committed suicide because of unhappy love - she contracted tuberculosis on purpose. Before her death, she promised her friend Ida that she would be reborn as her daughter...

Soon, Ida really gave birth to a daughter. As soon as the girl learned to speak, she began to talk about events in the life of Mary, easily recognized her former acquaintances, called them by their names and remembered the places that they had “before visited” together. Psychologists have found that in 120 cases her memories surprisingly coincided with episodes from the life of Mary ...

The books of Moody and his colleagues have become, perhaps, those great revelations that are given in times of spiritual crises, when people are so enslaved by everyday confusion that they lose the ability to feel the original - invisible, but eternal. It must be assumed that Higher power decided to provide us with one more proof of the reality of the spiritual world, so that, having known ourselves, we would be able to understand our purpose in this life.

Do Hell and Heaven exist? This question was previously considered purely theological. For believers, there was no doubt that the soul is responsible for the deeds of man. Atheists completely denied the possibility of the existence of the soul and everything with it
related.

Origin of the concept

According to most, Hell is told in the Bible. Since so many facts set forth in Holy Scripture find both direct and indirect evidence, there seems to be no point in doubting whether Hell exists. However, the Bible unequivocally says that a person who does not have the Holy Faith, who does not keep the commandments, is waiting for Gehenna Fiery or Second Death. Many inattentive readers believe that this concept is synonymous with Hell (a place of eternal torment), but the Bible does not teach this. Yes, and physical evidence of Hell has not been found to this day. Why?

The psychological background of the concept of "Hell"

If we do not take into account what is actually written in the Bible, but look at the question, so to speak, from the point of view of a person who lived about two thousand years ago, then we can evaluate the idea of ​​the existence of Hell in a different way. For pagans who do not know the rules and restrictions, perhaps some framework was needed to restrain the manifestation of instincts. In order to force people to accept the rules that promote their development, not to destroy each other indiscriminately, it was necessary to give them a "stick" and a "carrot". Hearing the ideas that Jesus conveyed to people, as well as their incorrect interpretation after the death of Christ, a person involuntarily wondered if Hell exists? What's next for him? The limiting tool turned out to be quite powerful.

Ideas of modern scientists

If earlier priests placed Hell underground, even called how deep it is, how many logs are used annually, now scientists are approaching the study of the issue more widely. Some believe that Hell may exist in another dimension. But the American astronauts saw "proof" of the existence of the underworld in space. This happened during the study. The astronauts, who were observing in orbit, saw a prominence that broke away from the luminary. It was similar to the inside of which silhouettes of flaming people were visible. Some scientists, considering the question of whether Hell exists, put forward assumptions about the possibility of its placement on very hot planets, of which there are many discovered in space.

Another point of view

Interesting fact. Whether or not people believe in the possibility of Hell and Paradise, but the teachings were created taking into account this fact as proven. The concepts are so voluminous and succinctly laid down in the worldview of modern mankind that it is almost impossible to bypass them. For example, many esotericists claim that Hell and Paradise exist. And you don't have to wait for death. We ourselves, with our thoughts and feelings, place our soul in one or another “place”, depending on the worldview. This happens even during our earthly life. Why wait for the transition to another world? Already in this, a person can find out whether Hell exists if he torments himself and others with pretensions and malice. Isn't the light taken from the soul due to its fall into sin the absence of Paradise, and the darkness that fills the whole person because of his eternal problems is not Hell? It turns out that the evidence of each person lives in the soul. There is no need for experiments and experiments, you just need to listen to your feelings, analyze them. If faith is strong, a person does not wish harm to others. So for him Paradise is a reality. If he descends to vices, then his soul is already in Hell!

June 17, 2017

Do Heaven and Hell really exist?

Do heaven and hell really exist? Is there a valid answer to this question?

Since the time when the doctrine of Hell and Paradise appeared, there have always been and will be people who doubt the authenticity of the existence of these places. But there are also many testimonies of people who were in Paradise and Hell, after which they woke up and talked about this dream as a real event.

28 The prophet who had a dream, let him tell it like a dream; but whoever has My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What does chaff have in common with pure grain? says the Lord.

In order to answer this question more convincingly for the reader, this question should be considered from the beginning of creation, moving towards the present day.

What do encyclopedias say today? How do they explain the word Hell and the word Paradise?

Hell(from other Greek Ἅδης - Hades or Hades) - in the representation of religions (Abrahamic religions, Zoroastrianism), mythologies and beliefs - a terrible, often posthumous, place of punishment for sinners who experience torment and suffering in it. As a rule, it is opposed to Paradise.

The ancient word "had" was used in the Septuagint to convey the Hebrew word שאול‎‏‎ - Sheol, and in a partially rethought meaning passed into the New Testament.

Paradise- in religion and philosophy: the state (place) of eternal perfect life (existence, being) in bliss and harmony with God and nature (universe), not subject to death.

Paradise is the original - the original state of man in Eden, lost due to the fall.

sheol(Heb. שְׁאוֹל‏‎) - the abode of the dead in Judaism.

The Orthodox Encyclopedia (2000) notes that the biblical texts of the Old Testament consider Sheol as the dwelling place of all the dead, regardless of their way of life on earth. “It is not only sinners who go to Sheol, but also the righteous.” However, Sheol means not only hell (Greek hades), but also the grave, death, also spiritual death.

So we have Hell, where sinners dwell after death; Paradise, where the righteous dwell after death; Sheol is the place of all the dead on earth, regardless of what they did in life - good or evil.

As already mentioned, we should return to the time when everything was just beginning to be through the word of the Creator.

Are there Hell and Paradise - Tanakhic point of view

When the Creator created the world and there was already a man, then the man was placed in a certain place created by the Creator, which was called Eden.

8 And the Elohim of Jehovah planted a garden in Eiden from the east, and placed there the man whom he had formed.

(Tanakh - Bereishit 2)

8 And the Lord God planted a paradise in Eden in the east, and placed there the man whom he had created.

(Synodal Bible - Genesis 2)

See the difference? In the Jewish sense, God planted a garden. In the Christian understanding, God has planted… paradise. Yes? It turns out that paradise can be planted, it will grow and then you can live there forever.

Edem is a place where the heifers of the river and the land were well irrigated, and in it they could grow well fruit trees. These trees were planted by the Almighty God. Among these trees, God planted two special trees:

9 And out of the ground God's Elohim made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, and the tree of life in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

(Bereishit 2)

In fact, we do not see any Paradise. We see a place on earth called Eden and we see a garden in it. And the garden got its name from the name of this area. The value of this garden was the tree of life. It gave a person immortality. On the day when a person ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he became mortal - deprived of the opportunity to eat fruits from the tree of life.

22 And Elohim said to Jehovah: Behold, Adam has become like one of us in the knowledge of good and evil, and now, lest he stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever.

23 And God's Elohim sent him out of the garden of Aiden to till the ground from which he was taken.

24 And he drove out Adam, and placed in the east near the garden of Aiden cherubs (cherubim) and the edge of a revolving sword to guard the way to the tree of life.

One must understand that Paradise (garden) is the work of the Creator. If so, then let's find a place in the Bible that tells us about the creation of Hell. Such a place simply does not exist. If it is not there, then the very doctrine of Hell is not tanakhic.

For most people, death is a transition from one form of life to another, which, in fact, suggests that there is no death as such. If there is no death in the direct sense of this meaning, then the Messiah did not die, and if he did not die, then he did not come to life.

16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ has not risen.

17 But if Christ is not risen, then your faith is in vain: you are still in your sins.

(1 Corinthians 15:16,17)

The resurrection from the dead is nothing but the restoration of the non-existent, the disappeared, into the existing. A person who has disappeared into non-existence returns to being, to existence, to life.

The doctrine of the afterlife, an old teaching of pagan peoples. And there is nothing surprising in the fact that this teaching, like other pagan teachings, penetrated Israel, which apostatized from the Torah. But, before the Babylonian captivity, King Solomon speaks of death correctly:

2 One thing for all: the fate of the righteous and the wicked, the good and the pure and the defiled, is one; the one who sacrifices and the one who does not offer sacrifices; both good and sinner; swearing, and fearing an oath.

3 And this is evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one fate for all; therefore the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live; and then (go) to the dead.

4 For he who shares in life has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion;

5 For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and there is no more recompense for them, since the memory of them is forgotten;

6 And their love, and their hatred, and their jealousy have long since vanished, and they have no more share forever in anything that is done under the sun.

7 Come, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart, if Elohim is pleased with your works.

8 At all times let your garments be white, and let no oil fail on your head.

9 Enjoy life with the wife you love, all the days of your vain life, which (Elohim) gave you under the sun for all your vain days, for this is your share in life and in your labors, which you labor under the sun.

10 Whatever your hand can do, do it to the best of your ability, for there is no deed, no plan, no knowledge, no wisdom in hell, whither you are going.

(Cohelet 9)

Are there Hell and Paradise - the teaching of the New Testament

The New Testament should be viewed through the prism of Tanakhic teaching, although most do just the opposite. Therefore, there are so many opinions and misunderstandings about the existence of Hell and Paradise.

If we consider the texts of the New Testament through the Tanakhic teaching, then the talk about the so-called afterlife acquires a completely different meaning.

43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than with two hands to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire,

44 where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.

45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life lame, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into unquenchable fire,

46 where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.

47 And if your eye offends you, pluck it out: it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than to be cast into hellfire with two eyes,

48 where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.

(Mark 9:43-48)

The inextinguishable fire, Gehenna, is not the Hell that is understood to begin after the death of the sinner. Let's not forget that there must be a Great Judgment, after which the condemned will be thrown into this inextinguishable place. Therefore, you should not get ahead of events and send in your mind someone to Paradise, and someone to Hell. The resurrection from the dead will reveal to us where we will be. If we get immortality for eternal life in the kingdom of the Messiah, then the Most High truly justified us based on our deeds, words and thoughts. And if we come to life for a terrible judgment, then we are more unfortunate than all sinners, because we believed that we were saved, but everything turned out differently, contrary to our self-confident hopes. That is why someone warns us:

17 And if you call Him Father without partiality, who judges everyone according to their deeds, then spend the time of your wandering with fear,

There is neither Hell nor Heaven, but there are places for future habitation

So, we see that no so-called Hell or Paradise exists after the death of a person. There is a place of nothingness called Sheol. When the time comes to revive people for God, all the dead will be restored from Sheol, from non-existence to being, in order to receive accordingly according to their deeds.

4 And I saw thrones, and those who sat on them, to whom it was given to judge, and the souls of those who were beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, who did not bow down to the beast, nor to his image, and did not receive the mark on their forehead or on their hand. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

6 Blessed and holy is he that has a share in the first resurrection: over them the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with him a thousand years.

7 When the thousand years are finished, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, and gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea.

8 And they went out into the breadth of the earth, and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city.

9 And fire fell from heaven from God and devoured them;

10 And the devil that deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them.

12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and the books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged according to what was written in the books, according to their deeds.

13 Then the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and hell gave up the dead that were in them; and every one was judged according to his works.

14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

15 And whoever was not written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

Was hell created by God or where did it come from, is it possible to pray, repent in hell, and is it possible to escape from hell if you have already got there? Archpriest Georgy KLIMOV, lecturer at the Department of Biblical Studies of the MTA, is speaking.

The Descent into Hell - a fragment of an icon from the Elias Church in Vologda. Dionysius Grinkov, 1567/1568

God didn't create hell

Hell, or fiery hell, in Orthodoxy is opposed to the Kingdom of Heaven. But if the Kingdom of Heaven is eternal life and bliss, it turns out that hell is also eternal life, only in torment? Or something different?

To answer this question, we need to agree on terms, that is, on what we understand by life. If we understand God by life, because He is Life and the source of life (John 1.4), then we cannot say that hell is life. On the other hand, if Christ Himself, pointing to those whom He condemns at the Last Judgment, says: “These will go into eternal torment,” and the word “eternal” here is meant in the sense of “time that never ends,” or maybe “that something that goes beyond time”, then it can be assumed that if a person experiences torment, experiences suffering, it means that he is alive, his life continues. Therefore, we can say that, indeed, hell is what the soul, united with the body, inherits after the Last Judgment forever.

The Orthodox understanding of hell was formulated quite fully back in the era of the Ecumenical Councils, when our great church teachers lived, and has not qualitatively changed since that time. The only question that concerns Orthodox theology when we speak of hell is the question of apocatastasis, the possibility of universal salvation. The foundations of this doctrine were formulated by Origen (III century).

However, it has never been recognized as a teaching of Orthodox theology. But in every generation the doctrine of apocatastasis finds its adherents, and the Church has to make constant explanations about its unfaithfulness. The difficulty in clarifying this issue for many is due to the fact that the Holy Scripture clearly states: God is Love. And it is impossible to understand how Love can go to ensure that Its creation, called out of non-existence also by love, is sent to eternal torment. The doctrine of apocatastasis offers its own version of the answer.

In Psalm 138 there is a line: "If I go down to the underworld (hell), and there you are." Can there be somewhere in the world created by God such an area where there is no God the Creator?

The feeling that God is everywhere and fills everything with Himself, with His presence, was also felt by the Old Testament Jew, and so is the Christian. According to the Apostle Paul, re-existence or that eschatological fulfillment that we are waiting for is indicated very simply: “There will be God of all kinds in all” (1 Corinthians 15:28) But then what question should be posed: God is everywhere, but how do I experience Him? and perceive?

If, as Love, if I subordinated mine to His good and perfect will, not out of duty or coercion, but out of desire and love, then my communion with Him will indeed be paradise. After all, the state of bliss, happiness in itself is experienced by a person only when what he wants is realized. In paradise, only the will of God will be carried out. Actually, paradise is paradise because there will be only one divine will in it. And a person will perceive this place as a paradise only in one case - if his will completely and completely coincides with the Divine will.

But if everything is wrong, if my will does not agree with the will of God, if it deviates from it even one iota, then paradise for me immediately ceases to be paradise, that is, a place of bliss, pleasure. After all, there is something that I do not want. And, remaining a paradise objectively, and for others, for me this place becomes a place of torment, where it becomes unbearable for me from the presence of God, because His light, His warmth does not warm me, but burns me.

Here we can recall the expression of St. John Chrysostom: "God is good because He created Gehenna." That is, God, in His love for a person and in the freedom given to him, makes it possible to be either with God or without Him, depending on the state of the soul, and for this, in many respects, a person is responsible himself. Can a person be blessed with God if his soul wants revenge, is angry, lustful?
But God did not create hell, just as He did not create death. Hell is a consequence of the distortion of the human will, a consequence of sin, the territory of sin.

How did the devil get to heaven?

If to stay in paradise one must be in agreement with the will of God, then how did the serpent-devil get into paradise, which actually walked around there (not yet cursed to crawl on its belly), not even embarrassed by the presence of God?

Indeed, on the first pages of the Bible we read about how Adam and Eve in paradise converse with God, and this communication with Him “in the voice of the coldness of the tonka” was blessed for our forefathers. But at the same time, in paradise there is someone who does not perceive paradise as such - this is the devil. And he tempts Adam and Eve with evil in Paradise.

Theology does not say how the devil got to heaven. There are suggestions that for the devil who inhabits the serpent, perhaps this place was not yet literally closed, there was no finality in the decision of his fate, there was no cherub with a fiery sword for him, as later, after the fall, he was placed for a person. Because God, perhaps, expected correction from the devil. But the deception of a person by the devil entails the final curse of God against the devil. After all, before that we never hear words of a curse in relation to him. Maybe God, as loving his creation, still gave him the opportunity to stay in paradise? But the devil did not take advantage of this opportunity for good.

The fact that paradise is not a certain territory or an external state objectively independent of a person, but a state directly connected with his self-consciousness and attitude, according to the interpretation of some biblical scholars, is said in the first chapter of the Gospel of John, in the prologue: “In Him was life, and life was the light of men” (John 1:4).

It was thanks to communion with the Lord, eating from the Tree of Life, that the ancestors felt paradise - paradise, that is, life and light, which were an integral part of their being, the breath of life that Scripture speaks of. But the next verse: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” (John 1:5), already speaks of the time after the fall, when God, the Divine light, becomes an external object for man, since he left human nature: the Holy Spirit leaves the person. And man becomes mortal, because he is no longer able to contain God within himself.

Darkness in this verse can also mean a place where there is no God, not objectively, but by perception. Here you can draw a parallel with another gospel passage - from the Gospel of Matthew (6:22-23): “The lamp for the body is the eye. So if your eye is clear, then your whole body will be bright; If your eye is evil (dark), then your whole body will be dark.”

And then this: “So, if the light that is in you is darkness, then what darkness!” What is Christ talking about here? Perhaps about the same thing as heaven and hell, how light and darkness begin in the person himself here on earth. In the Gospel of Luke, Christ already quite definitely says that: “The kingdom of God will not come in a conspicuous way. For behold, the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:20-21).

There are no similar words about hell in the Gospel, but, based on the logic of the Gospel, this also applies to hell. It can be said that hell does not come in a conspicuous way. And hell is within us.

Of course, in the texts of the Gospels and the Old Testament, there is often a sensual, detailed description of hell. Here we must understand that these are in a certain sense anthropomorphisms, something adapted to human perception. If we look at how the holy fathers talked about hell, we will see that they always removed from the agenda these sensually detailed creepy images with frying pans, iron hooks and salt lakes.

Basil the Great wrote about hellish torment that those who do evil will rise, but not to fry in a frying pan, but “to reproach and shame, in order to see in themselves the abomination of those sins that were committed, for the most cruel of all torment is eternal disgrace and eternal shame.

John Chrysostom, known for his penchant for literal interpretation, commenting on the words of Christ about the gnashing of teeth and the unsleeping worm, about eternal fire, does not in any way refer to the images themselves, but says: “It is better to be subjected to countless lightning strikes than to see how the meek face of the Savior turns away from us and doesn't want to look at us. And for Chrysostom, hell comes down to the fact that God turns His face away from you. And what could be scarier?

Is it possible to repent in hell?

The Gospel parable of the rich man and the poor Lazarus says that the rich man, having ended up in hell after his cruel life, repented and asked the forefather Abraham to send a message to his relatives so that they would repent. Does this mean that repentance is possible in hell?

The issue of repentance is the key issue of salvation. When the Lord sends sinners to hell at the Last Judgment, He testifies by this that a person is condemned precisely for the unwillingness to repent for their sins, for the unwillingness to correct. After all, it would seem that there was an unbeliever, but then the Last Judgment came, Christ came, everything was revealed, repent, and then you will be saved!

But it's not so simple. It is no coincidence that the Church constantly says that the time of earthly life is allotted for repentance.
There is a teaching of the Church about the so-called mortal sins. They are called so, of course, not because a person needs to be killed for them.

The point is that, committing a mortal sin and not repenting of it, a person dies each time for eternal life, each time as if he takes poison, but refuses the antidote - repentance. Having decided to do so, he crosses a certain line, goes beyond that point of return, after which he can no longer repent, because his will, his soul are poisoned by sin, paralyzed. He is the living dead. He can realize that God exists and God has truth, and light, and life, but he has already spent all of himself on sin and has become incapable of repentance.

Repentance does not mean to say: Oh, Lord, forgive me, I'm wrong. True repentance means to take and change your life, from black to white. And life is lived and spent on sin. Fortunately, she was gone.

We see examples of impenitence in the Gospel. When the Pharisees and Sadducees go to John the Baptist to be baptized on the banks of the Jordan along with all the people, he meets them with the words: “Blood of vipers, who inspired you to flee from future wrath?” (Matthew 3:7). These words, according to the interpreters, are not a question of the Baptist, but his statement that they, going to him, can no longer repent. And therefore they are the offspring of viper, that is, the children of the devil, who, like his angels, are so rooted in evil that they are no longer able to repent.

And to the rich man from the parable, Abraham says: “A great chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can they pass from there to us” (Luke 16:26). There is nothing Abraham can do.

But this parable, told by the Lord Himself, was told by Him before His Resurrection. And we know that after His Resurrection, He descended into hell and brought out everyone who wanted to go with Him. In one of his epistles, the apostle Peter says that Christ also preached to the spirits in prison and all sinners, washed away by the flood since the time of Noah, but repentant, brought out of hell.

There is no contradiction here. Man is warned that sin is the way to death. We have time for repentance - all our lives. Until the Last Judgment, the Church also prays for the departed, those who did not have time to repent during their lifetime. And we believe, we hope that God hears our prayers. But we also believe that after the Last Judgment there will be no time for repentance.

But if the image of God in man is indestructible, can a moment come when repentance is impossible? If a person cannot repent, then there is nothing of God left in him, and the devil, of course, did not win, but still won back a “piece of territory”?

When we talk about the image of God, we need to understand how it is expressed. There is the image of God and there is the likeness of God. Image combined with likeness makes a person worthy of God. Their combination speaks of the agreement of the will of man with the will of God.
The image of God is in every person, the likeness is not in everyone. Creating man with His word, God says: “Let us create man in Our image and according to Our likeness (Gen. 1:26) and the image here is that which is invested in man from the beginning and is indestructible, his divine qualities are eternity and freedom . Similarity is a potential that a person must reveal himself.

We can become like God through the fulfillment of the commandments, by living according to the will of God. As having in himself the indestructible image of God, a person chooses by his free will - to hell or to heaven. We cannot stop our existence.

It would be possible to say that the devil won before the coming of Christ. And the victory of the devil was expressed, first of all, in the fact that every soul, both the righteous and the sinner, descended into hell. But after the Lord trampled down death with death, one can already ask, and St. John Chrysostom once raised this question - why did the Lord leave the devil, because it would be possible to grind him into powder and not torment anyone else?

The devil was "allowed" to man, as to Job - so that a person would have the opportunity to grow in goodness, to resist evil, freely choosing God, that is, preparing his soul for life in paradise, where there will be every God in everyone. Or freely reject God.

We said that heaven and hell begin here and now. Are there really few people here on earth who, having the image of God in themselves, do not at all strive to become like God, do without God, do not want to be with Him? And although a person really cannot live without God, live a real, genuine life, he often consciously arranges for himself a life where there is no God, and lives calmly. And separates himself from what God has prepared for him. But if on earth he does not want to be with God, what reason is there to think that he will want to be with the Lord after death?

In a conversation with Nicodemus, there are such words: “He who believes in Him (the Son of God) is not judged, but the unbeliever is already condemned, because he did not believe in the name of the Only Begotten Son of God” (John 4:18). And further Christ will say: “The judgment consists in this, that light has come into the world; but the people loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil” (John 4:19). What do these words tell us? It is about the fact that a person chooses for himself who he should be with and how he should live. The unbeliever has already been condemned, but the unbeliever is not in the sense that he has never heard anything about God, did not know, did not understand, and therefore did not believe, and suddenly it turned out that He exists. And an unbeliever in the sense of knowingly did not believe that he knew about God and about Christ as the Savior. And he condemned himself with his unbelief.

Are prayers heard from hell?

What exactly do those who have not become like God suffer in hell, if they consciously chose life without God, do not repent of anything?

Hellish torment will consist in the fact that the passions that exist in us cannot be satisfied, and this feeling of dissatisfaction in the perspective of eternity will become unbearable. A person who has not resorted to God for the healing of his passionate, sin-damaged nature will always long for something passionately and will never have the opportunity to fulfill his desire. Because passions are not satisfied in hell, God will not create conditions there that a person is used to using on earth.

The Gospel of John says that he who does the will of God "does not come into judgment, but has passed from death unto life" (John 5:24). That is, in fact, it is the person himself, his will, his passion or freedom from it will determine where to go, to hell or heaven. Like joins like.

- Can a sinner pray in hell? Or does he have such a desire there?

If we call prayer simply an appeal to God, then judging by the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, and from the many testimonies of the Patericons, such a prayer is possible. But if we talk about prayer as communication with the Lord and its effectiveness, here, also judging by the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, one can see that such a prayer is not heard in hell.

One can recall the words of Christ: “Many will say to me in that day: Lord, Lord, did we not cast out demons in Your name” (Matthew 7:22). This can also be understood as prayer, but it is not effective. Because behind her there was no real fulfillment of the will of God, but there was only self-love. And therefore, such a prayer is not able, probably, to change a person. A person who has not cultivated the Kingdom of God in himself, has not sought it, has not worked on it, I don’t know if he can wait for what he asks.

- What is the difference between hellish torments before the Last Judgment and after?

After the Last Judgment there will be a resurrection from the dead of all people, the re-creation of the spiritual new body of man. Not only souls will appear before God, as happens before the Last Judgment, but souls reunited with bodies. And if before the Last Judgment and before the second coming of Christ, the souls of people were in a premonition of heavenly bliss or hellish torment, then after the Last Judgment, in its entirety, a person will begin to directly experience the state of either heaven or hell.
- Can those who are in hell see each other's suffering?
- There are revelations on this topic in the patericons, for example, in the story of how Macarius the Great, walking through the desert, saw a skull, which, as Macarius discovered, turned out to be the skull of an Egyptian priest. The saint began to question him, and the skull told about his bitter torment. The ascetic, clarifying, asked: “Tell me, does anyone else have more severe torments than you?” Skull says, “Of course there is. I stand on the shoulders of one bishop." And then he starts talking about it.
These testimonies have not been given to us in vain. You can slightly open the veil of the secrets of hellish torment, imagine the shame when there will be nowhere to hide from the exposure of your sins.
- Why in the hymns of Great Saturday, when the descent of Christ into hell is remembered, there are the words “And from hell all is free”?

We sing it in the sense in which we say that "Christ saved us all." The coming into the world of the God-Man, His suffering, death, Resurrection, the sending down of the Holy Spirit on mankind do not depend on the will of the person himself. But it depends on the will of a person whether to accept this common gift of salvation for all, so that it becomes his personal gift, or to reject it.

Therefore, we say that Christ descends into hell in order to save everyone. But who is he saving? We know from Tradition that Christ, after His Resurrection, brought the Old Testament righteous and repentant sinners out of hell. But we have no information that Christ brought everyone out. And if someone did not want to go to Him? We also have no information that Hell has been empty ever since. On the contrary, Tradition says otherwise.

The Church has an understanding of the non-linearity of time, which is expressed in the fact that we do not remember, for example, the Nativity of Christ, which was 2013 years ago, or the very Resurrection that took place in Judea about 2000 years ago, but we experience these events here and Now.

This is not an accurate understanding. There is a doctrine of the uniqueness of the sacrifice of Christ. It was done once, all and for all. But what happens on Great Saturday, on Easter itself, and on every church holiday is an opportunity to join this reality, which, as a given, already exists. Enter this reality, become its participants.

After all, we are “not guilty” that we were not born at the time when Christ walked the earth. But Christ brought salvation to every person, and gave every person "equal opportunities", regardless of time, to partake in the reality of his suffering, his triumph.

Christ Himself says: “The hour is coming and now it is”, “The time is coming and it is already”. At the liturgy, when a priest prays at the altar during the Eucharistic canon, he speaks of the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven in power, of the general resurrection, in the past tense. Why? Because the Lord has already given us all this as a reality. And our task is to enter into it, to become partakers of it.

The Church of Christ is the reality of the Kingdom of God on earth. Communion to the Church and to all that she is ready to give reveals to man the reality of Eternal blessed life. And only those who discover this reality in themselves can hope that it will be fully revealed in it even after the Last Judgment.

The kingdom of God has already come. But hell is not idle.