“Life or death”

 

Every man and woman, regardless of his or her age or position is faced with the most vital question: What will happen with you after your death – will you be saved or condemned?

Will you live for ever in glory as an heir of God’s kingdom or will you suffer for ever damned with the demons in hell?

The following biblical course on heaven and hell will help you in this reflection.

 

 

The last things

A biblical lesson on hell (1st part)

«We need to speak about hell lest we descend thereinto.» (St. John Chrysostom)

Learn by heart Mt 25:41: «Then He (Lord Jesus – the Judge) will say to those on His left: ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels!’» 

Reflection: Mt 25:41

 

A)     Then He will say to those on his left...

1)      Whom will the Lord Jesus place on the left of the throne of His glory on the day of the last Judgement? (Mt 25:33)

2)      What people does the righteous Judge call “goats”? Analyze the biblical text Mt 25:42-45

3)      What will God’s angels do with the condemned after God’s Judgement? (Mt 13:42)

 

B)     Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire

1)      When once the Master of the house (Jesus) has risen and shut the door, who will remain standing outside and knocking at the door, saying: “Lord, open to us”? (Lk13:24.27)

Narrow gate – a life of self-denial.

2)      What is in store for the members of our body (hands, feet, eyes) if they succumb to temptations? (Mk 9:44.46.48)

3)      What to do not to fall and remain in sin when the devil is tempting us? (Mt 18:8; 2Cor 6:17)

4)      What is in store for those who will be cast out? (Lk 13:28)

5)      Who of those who were invited shall not taste Lord’s banquet (will not be saved)?

a)     Lk 14:18

b)     Mt 22:3.5

c)     Mt 22:6

d)     Mt 22:11

6)      What did the king do to those who were not worthy of his wedding banquet? (Mt 22:7.13)

7)      How does an unfaithful servant of God behave? (Lk 12:45)

8)      What will the Lord do to an evil servant when He comes unexpectedly? (Lk 12:46)

God-consecrated people, when you think that you stand take heed lest you fall. (cf. 1Cor 10:12)

9)      Why did the Bridegroom shut the door on the foolish virgins? (Mt 25:3)

10)  Why will not everyone who says to Jesus: ‘Lord, Lord’, enter the kingdom of heaven? (Mt 7:21-23)

 

C)     into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels

1)      How does the Apostle John call the eternal fire in the Book of Revelation? (Rev 21:8)

2)      Say on the basis of Rev 21:8 what people will suffer “the second death”.

3)      Whom will the Lord Jesus punish in flaming fire in accordance with God’s justice? (2Thes 1:8)

4)      Where did the rich man find himself? (Lk 16:23)

a)      What else did he say about the flames in which he found himself after his death? (Lk 16:28)

b)      What for was the rich man condemned to hell for ever? (Lk 16:31)

5)      Who is seeking our eternal perdition? (1Pt 5:8)

6)      He who sits on the throne and makes all things new says who will be thrown into the lake of fire burning with brimstone (which is the second death):

a)     Rev 20:10

b)     Rev 20:14

c)     Dan 12:1-2; Rev 20:15; Rev 14:9-11

7)      God’s punishment, which will be inflicted upon the devil, the beast, the false prophet (antichrist), the first death, Hades and the cursed people, will be for ever! (Mt 25:46)

Write by heart Mt 25:41

«Let the remembrance of eternal fire go to bed with you every evening and let it also rise with you.»

(St. John Climacus)

 

The last things

A biblical course on hell (2nd part)

 

Learn by heart 2Thes 1:7b-9: «When the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels ... in flaming fire inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His might.»

1)      Who will be revealed, from where and with whom?

2)      Why will He be revealed and whom will He punish?

3)      What will they suffer?

4)      Away from whom and from what will the eternally condemned be?

inflicting vengeance...

Ex 34:7; Jer 25:29; Jud 5

on those who do not know God...

Mt 22:29; Mt 25:29-30; Jn 8:19

on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus...

Mk 1:15; Мk 8:35; Gal 1:9

They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction...

Dan 12:2; Мt 7:13; Phi 3:19; Jud 7; 2Pt 3:7; Мt 25:41

away from the presence of the Lord...

Lk 13:27-28; Rev 6:16; Мt 27:46; Deut 31:17-18; Іsa 59:2

away from His glory...

Мt 25:31; Rom 1:23; Rom 3:23; Rev 21:23-24; 2Chron 7:3

away from his might...

Mt 10:1; Мt 22:29; Мt 28:18; Acts 1:8

Write by heart 2Thes 1:7b-9

 

Application:

1)      What are you to do to know God in truth? What to do to be obedient to the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

2)      What to do in order that your punishment should not be eternal destruction?

3)      What sin is the greatest hindrance for you to be able already now to look upon God’s face?

4)      If you died in this moment, where would your soul be?

 

1. The main verse should be known by heart and often repeated during the week.

2. Questions and answers:

Question: God is love, how could He torment anyone?

Answer: God does not torment anyone. The condemned rejected God of his own free will. He himself chose his eternal lot stubbornly and wilfully. God did His utmost for man’s salvation but He respects his free will.

Question: Does the Greek word aionios mean ‘of long duration’?

Answer: In the Holy Scripture aionios means eternal. This term is used in the Holy Scripture 71 times, whereof 64 times it has a positive meaning: eternal God, eternal life, eternal glory, eternal kingdom...; and 7 times it is used in a negative sense: eternal fire, eternal suffering...

Question: Could the good God punish somebody at all?

Answer: God’s goodness does not mean that God is indifferent to sin. The teaching of the Church has it that God is the most righteous, repaying good and punishing evil (6 truths of the faith). 

Question: Will sinners exist no more? Will God destroy them? (conditionalism)

Answer: In the resurrection God will raise all – good and evil ones; evil ones for condemnation, good ones for glory. (cf. Jn 5:29; Dan 12:2)

Question: Will hell be destroyed in the end and will the devil repent? (heresy of apocatastasis – restorationism)

Answer: No. Neither the devil nor the cursed will repent any more, even if they had such opportunity.

Question: Isn’t the eternal punishment unjust if life is so short?

Answer: If someone kills a man, he does it in one second and is sentenced for it to capital punishment or to many years in prison. God is eternal and our soul is immortal. Therefore the punishment has eternal duration too. The condemned to hell are those who refused eternal salvation which God gave us through His death on the cross.

Question: Is it right that many people nowadays accept the teaching about reincarnation?

Answer: No, it isn’t! This teaching is a lie and a demonic deceit. If the Christian accepts it, he becomes an apostate because this lie denies personal God, the Most Holy Trinity, immortality of soul, sin, Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for our sins, eternal heaven and eternal hell.

Remember:

Who denies eternal hell, the one denies Christ’s death on the cross for our sins and considers Christ a mere human (in the book Discussions with His Beatitude L. Husar: On Postconfessional Christianity L. Husar denies eternal hell). Cardinal Husar claims that hell is not eternal and that “noone will go there for ever”. This is a lie. God’s Word says: “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire.” (Mt 25:41)

In the words “Eloi, Eloi” on Golgotha Jesus tasted the very nature of hell, that is, the separation from God. Here, on Golgotha, Jesus overcame the devil, sin and hell. Who received Jesus Christ and abides in Him, the one has eternal life, and sin, devil or hell have no power over him.