In 1999, the Miramax film company presented the comedy film Dogma to the general public. The plot of this picture is built around two fallen angels, Loki and Bartleby, expelled by God from paradise. And this couple lives on earth among people and dreams of forgiveness and a return to the Garden of Eden. In the story, apostates find a technical loophole among various church dogmas that allows them to become sinless again. After this, they should immediately die - then they automatically go to heaven. And so the angels go to great lengths to make their dream come true. This comedy film touches on a question that worries many people, although not everyone can admit it even to themselves: “How to get to heaven?” Today we will try to figure this out, despite the fact that this topic is, so to speak, in the department of faith and religion. To date, science has not been able to provide evidence of the existence of paradise, nor has it been able to provide evidence of its absence. Well, let's hit the road...
What is "paradise"?
We suggest starting our research with an analysis of the concept itself. If you delve deeper into this topic, you will see that heaven is different from heaven. And in each religion the vision of this place is completely different, each confession describes it in its own way. For example, the main book of Christianity, the Bible, gives us the following information about it: this word refers to the Garden of Eden, which was the home of Adam and Eve, the ancestors of humanity. The life of the first people in paradise was simple and carefree; they knew neither illness nor death. One day they disobeyed God and gave in to temptation. There followed an immediate expulsion of people from paradise. According to prophecies, it will be restored and people will live in it again. The Bible claims that paradise was originally created on earth, so Christians believe that it will be restored there. Now only the righteous can get there, and even then only after death.
What does the Koran say about heaven? In Islam, this is also a garden (Jannat), in which the righteous will live after the Day of Judgment. The Koran describes in detail this place, its levels and features.
In Judaism, everything is somewhat more complicated, however, after reading the Talmud, Midrash and the book of Zohar, we can conclude that paradise for Jews is here and now, it was given to them by Jehovah.
In general, each religion has its own idea of the “treasured garden.” One thing remains unchanged. No matter what object is considered, be it the Buddhist Nirvana or the Scandinavian Valhalla, heaven is perceived as a place where eternal bliss reigns, granted after death. There is probably no point in delving into the beliefs of African or Australian natives - they are too alien to us, and therefore we will limit ourselves to the largest religious denominations. And let's move on to the main topic of our article: “How to get to heaven?”
Christianity and Islam
With these religions, everything is more or less clear: lead a righteous lifestyle, that is, live according to God’s commandments, and after death your soul will go to the “cherished garden.” However, for those who do not want to limit their freedom and are looking for easier ways, there are so-called loopholes that allow them to avoid hellfire. True, there are some nuances here. A very striking example is jihad in Islam - zeal on the path to Allah. Recently, this concept has been associated with armed struggle and self-sacrifice, although it is much broader and is a struggle against one’s social or spiritual vices. We will look at a particular case of jihad, advertised by the media, namely suicide bombers. World news feeds are full of reports of explosions carried out by suicide bombers around the world. Who are they and why do they decide to take such actions? It is worth thinking about whether these people are doing a godly deed or are they victims of behind-the-scenes manipulators who, in the struggle for power, do not hesitate to shed the blood of others? After all, as a rule, it is not enemy soldiers who suffer from the actions of suicide bombers, but civilians. So their actions can at least be called questionable; killing women and children is not a fight against vices, but a violation of the main commandment of God - do not kill. By the way, murder is also not welcomed in Islam, just like in Christianity. On the other hand, history remembers wars committed in the name of God: the Church blessed the crusaders, the Pope personally sent soldiers on their bloody campaign. So the actions of Islamic terrorists can be understood, but cannot be justified. Murder is murder, and it doesn’t matter for what purpose it was committed.
By the way, in Orthodox Christianity, military service is also considered a charitable deed, although this concerns the defense of the Russian land from an external enemy. Both in the distant past and today, priests blessed warriors going on a campaign; There are many cases where church ministers themselves took up arms and went to war. It is difficult to say unequivocally whether a soldier killed in battle will go to heaven or not, whether all his sins will be written off from him or, on the contrary, he will be dragged down into the flames of hell. So this method can hardly be called a ticket to the Garden of Eden. Let's try to find other, more reliable methods.
Indulgence
How do people get to heaven? In the first half of the 13th century, Hugo of Saint-Cher in his writings developed a Theological justification for indulgence, recognized a hundred years later by Pope Clement VI. Many sinners of that time perked up, because they had an excellent chance to get rid of their sins that stood in the way of eternal bliss. What is meant by this concept? An indulgence is a release from temporary punishment for sins that a person has already repented of, and the guilt for them has already been forgiven in the sacrament of confession. It can be either partial or complete. A believer can receive an indulgence for himself or for the deceased. According to Catholic teaching, complete forgiveness is possible only if specific requirements are met: confession, communion, it was necessary to pray in the intention of the Pope, as well as perform a number of certain actions (testimony of faith, service of mercy, pilgrimage, etc.). Later, the Church compiled a list of “super-duty good deeds” that made it possible to grant indulgences.
In the Middle Ages, the practice of issuing pardons often led to significant abuses, which can be characterized by the modern concept of “corruption.” The furry hydra was so entangled that it served as an impetus for the reform movement. As a result, Pope Pius V in 1567 “closed shop” and prohibited the issuance of pardons for any financial settlements. The modern procedure for their provision is regulated by the document “Guide to Indulgences,” which was issued in 1968 and supplemented in 1999. For those who ask the question: “How to get to heaven?” You should understand that this method can only work if you are on your deathbed (this way you will not have time to sin again). Although a person often manages to make unforgivable mistakes even in his dying state.
Sacrament of Baptism
How to get to heaven? The fact is that, according to Christian teaching, during this ritual the human soul is freed from all sins. True, this method is not suitable for the majority of people, because a person can go through it only once, and in most cases, parents baptize their children in infancy. Only representatives of the royal dynasty underwent the ceremony twice, and then only at the coronation. So, if you are already baptized and do not belong to the royal family, then this method is not for you. Otherwise, you have a chance to get rid of all your sins, but just don’t go to great lengths and finally do something that you will later be ashamed to tell your grandchildren about. By the way, some representatives of Judaism prefer to convert to Christianity in old age. So, just in case, because - according to their faith - heaven is here on Earth, and what will happen after death? So you can insure yourself, and at the end of your earthly existence, switch to another camp and ensure eternal bliss for yourself in Christian paradise. But, as you see, this path is only available to a select few.
Egyptian, Tibetan and Mesoamerican "Books of the Dead"
How does a soul get to heaven? Few people know, but for this there are precise instructions that serve as a guide for the deceased in the afterlife. Many people have heard about them, Hollywood has made more than one film about these treatises, and yet almost no one is familiar with their content. But in ancient times they were studied with great zeal by both noble people and servants. In fact, from the perspective of a modern person, “The Book of the Dead” resembles a computer game like a quest. It describes step by step all the actions of the deceased, indicates who is waiting for him at one or another level of the afterlife, and what needs to be given to the servants of the underworld. The yellow press is replete with interviews with survivors. People who have seen heaven and hell talk about their feelings and experiences about this. But few people know that studies of these visions conducted by R. Moody showed a colossal coincidence of such narratives with what the “Books of the Dead” describe, or more precisely, those parts of them that are devoted to the initial moments of posthumous existence. However, all “returnees” reach a certain stage, the so-called point of “no return,” and they cannot say anything about their further path. But the ancient texts speak, and in great detail. Moreover, the question immediately arises: how did ancient civilizations living on different continents know about this? After all, the contents of the texts are almost identical, there are minor differences in details and names, but the essence remains the same. Either we can assume that all the “Books of the Dead” were rewritten from one, more ancient source, or this is knowledge given to people by the gods, and everything that is written there is the truth. After all, people who “saw heaven” (experienced clinical death) talk about the same thing, although most of them have never read these manuscripts.
Ancient knowledge and equipment of the deceased
In ancient Egypt, priests prepared and taught the citizens of their country for the afterlife. How? During his lifetime, a person studied “magic techniques and formulas” that helped the soul overcome obstacles and defeat monsters. Relatives always put items in the grave of the deceased that he would need in the afterlife. For example, it was necessary to leave two coins - this is the payment to the boatman for transporting him across the river of death. People who have “seen heaven” often mention that they met dead friends, good acquaintances or relatives there who helped them with advice. And this is easily explained by the fact that modern people know nothing about the afterlife, because they don’t talk about it at school, and you won’t receive such information in institutes either. The priests in the church won't help you much either. What remains? This is where people close to you appear who care about your fate.
Court of the Gods
Almost all religions say that after death a person will face a trial, at which all the good and evil deeds of the defendant will be compared and weighed, based on the results of which his future fate will be decided. Such a judgment is also spoken of in the Books of the Dead. The soul wandering in the afterlife, having passed all the tests, at the end of the path meets the Supreme King and Judge Osiris, sitting on the throne. A person must address him with a certain ritual phrase in which he lists how he lived and whether he followed the commandments of God throughout his life. According to the “Egyptian Book of the Dead,” the soul, after turning to Osiris, had to justify itself for each of its sins before the other 42 gods responsible for certain sins. However, no words of the deceased could save him. The main god placed a feather on one scale, which is a symbol (truth, justice, world order, truth), and on the second - the heart of the defendant. If it outweighed the feather, it meant that it was full of sins. And such a person was devoured by the monster Amait.
If the scales remained in balance, or the heart turned out to be lighter than a feather, then a meeting with loved ones and relatives, as well as “eternal bliss,” awaited the soul. People who saw heaven and hell never described the judgment of the gods, and this is understandable, because it is located beyond the “point of no return,” so one can only guess about the reliability of this information. But we should not forget that most religious denominations talk about such an “event”.
What do people do in heaven?
Oddly enough, few people think about this. According to the Bible, Adam (the first man in paradise) lived in the Garden of Eden and did not know any worries, he was not familiar with diseases, physical labor, he did not even need to use clothes, which means that the climatic conditions there were quite comfortable. That's it, nothing more is known about his stay in this place. But this is a description of the earthly paradise, and as for the heavenly one, even less is known about it. Scandinavian Valhalla and Islamic Jannat promise the righteous eternal bliss, they will be surrounded by full-breasted beauties, and wine will pour into their cups; the Koran tells that the cups will be filled by eternally young boys with cups. The righteous will be freed from the torment of a hangover, they will have everything in order with their virility. This is such an idyll, however, the status of boys and full-breasted beauties is unclear. Who are they? Deserving of heaven or exiled here as punishment for past sins? Somehow it’s not entirely clear.
Slaves of the gods
The Books of the Dead tell of a completely different idyll. In accordance with these ancient treatises, “eternal bliss” boils down only to the fact that there are no crop failures, and, accordingly, no famine or wars. People in paradise, as in life, continue to work for the benefit of the gods. That is, a person is a slave. This is evidenced by the books of both the Mesoamerican Indians and the ancient Egyptians, and, of course, the Tibetan manuscript. But among the ancient Sumerians, the ideal picture of the afterlife looks much darker. Having crossed to the other side, the soul of the deceased passes through seven gates and enters a huge room in which there is neither drink nor food, but only muddy water and clay. This is where the main afterlife torments begin. The only relief for her may be regular sacrifices, which will be carried out by living relatives. If the deceased was a lonely person or his loved ones treated him poorly and do not want to perform the ritual, then the soul will face a very bad fate: it comes out of the dungeon and wanders around the world in the form of a hungry ghost and harms everyone it meets. This is the idea of the afterlife that the ancient Sumerians had, but the beginning of their works also coincides with the Books of the Dead. Unfortunately, people who have “been in heaven” are not able to lift the curtain on what lies beyond the “point of no return.” Representatives of the main religious denominations are also unable to do this.
Father Diy about religions
In Russia there are many religious movements of the so-called pagan direction. One of these is the Old Russian Church of Orthodox Old Believers-Yinglings, the leader of which is Khinevich A. Yu. In one of his video speeches, Pater Diy recalls the assignment received from his teacher-mentor. The essence of his “mission” was the following: to find out from representatives of the main religious denominations what they know about hell and heaven. As a result of such surveys, Khinevich learns that Christian, Islamic, and Jewish clergy have comprehensive information about hell. They can name all its levels, dangers, trials awaiting the sinner, almost by name they list all the monsters that will meet with the lost soul, and so on, so on, so on... However, absolutely all the servants with whom he had a chance to communicate know amazingly little about heaven. They have only superficial information about the place of eternal bliss. Why is that? Khinevich himself makes the following conclusion: they say, whoever they serve, they know about that... We will not be so categorical in our judgments, and will leave this to the reader. In this case, it would be appropriate to recall the words of the classic, the brilliant M. A. Bulgakov. In the novel “The Master and Margarita” he puts into Woland’s mouth the phrase that there are many theories regarding the afterlife. Among them there is one according to which each will be given according to his faith...
Is there enough space?
Topics related to the Garden of Eden are often discussed on various information resources. People are interested in various questions. And how can you get there, and how many people are in heaven and much more. A couple of years ago, the whole world was in a fever: everyone was waiting for the “end of the world,” which was supposed to come in December 2012. In this regard, many predicted that the very “Day of Judgment” was about to come, when God would descend to earth and punish all sinners, and grant eternal bliss to the righteous. And this is where the fun begins. How many people will go to heaven? Is there enough room for everyone? Or will everything happen as in the plans of the globalists who want to leave the “golden billion” on the planet? These and similar questions haunted many, preventing them from sleeping at night. However, 2013 came, the “end of the world” did not come, but the expectation of “Judgment Day” remained. More and more often, Jehovah's Witnesses, evangelists, etc. are turning to passers-by with a call to repent and let God into their souls, because soon everything that exists will come to an end, and everyone must make their choice before it is too late.
Heaven on Earth
According to the Bible, the Garden of Eden was on Earth, and many theologians are confident that in the future it will also be restored on our planet. However, a reasonable person may wonder: why wait for the day of judgment, maybe you can build paradise on your own? Ask any fisherman who has met the dawn with a fishing rod in his hands somewhere on a quiet lake: where is paradise? He will confidently answer that he is on Earth, here and now. Maybe you shouldn't sit in a stuffy apartment? Try to go to the forest, to the river or to the mountains, wander in silence, listen to birdsong, look for mushrooms, berries - and, quite possibly, you will discover this “eternal bliss” during your lifetime. However, man is designed in such a way that he always expects a miracle... Like, some kind uncle will appear and solve all his problems - he will wean slobs from throwing garbage past the trash can, rude people from swearing, boors from parking in the wrong place, corrupt officials from taking bribes, and so on Further. A person sits and waits, and life passes by, it cannot be returned... Muslims have a parable called “The last person to enter heaven.” It most accurately conveys the essence of human nature, which always remains dissatisfied with the true state of affairs. A person always remains dissatisfied, even if he gets what he dreams of. I wonder if he will be happy in heaven, or maybe some time will pass and he will begin to be burdened by “eternal bliss” and want something more? After all, Adam and Eve also could not resist temptations. It would be worth thinking about this...
"Terraria": how to get to heaven
Finally, we will have to cover this issue, although it is difficult to tie it to the topic of the article. "Terraria" is a 2D sandbox computer game. It features customizable characters, dynamic time of day changes, randomly generated worlds, the ability to deform the landscape, and a crafting system. Many gamers are scratching their heads, asking a similar question: “Terraria”: how to get to heaven?” The fact is that in this project there are several biomes: “Jungle”, “Ocean”, “Ground World”, “Dungeon”, “Underworld”, etc... In theory, “Paradise” should also exist, only Can't find it. It is especially difficult for beginners. This is the biome that is taken out of the logical chain. Although experienced players claim that it exists. To get there, you need to craft harpy wings and spheres of power. You can get the necessary components near the “Floating Islands”. These are pieces of land floating in the air. Their appearance is not much different from the ground surface: there are the same trees and resource deposits as on the ground, and only a lonely temple with a chest inside stands out from the rest of the landscape. Harpies will definitely appear nearby, dropping the feathers we need so much, and other monsters. Be on the lookout!
This concludes our journey. Let us hope that the reader will find his way to “eternal bliss.”
Eternal life, invulnerability, bliss and youth without end - a familiar picture? It is a paradise. It is reserved only for the most obedient. We can say that everyone dreams of this, and anyone who says they don’t dream is lying. Each paradise has its own order and bonuses. “Dialogue” figured out what you could choose.
Lucas Cranach, Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Image from website: ru.wikipedia.org
Lost, Found and the One in Heaven
According to the concepts of the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam), we humans already had heaven. Adam and Eve lived exactly there - in Eden, in the east of the earth, but, having tasted the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge, they were expelled by the Creator. The beautiful garden is now guarded by a winged Cherub, and we cannot get there yet.
The opportunity to go there appears if you choose a righteous path in earthly life. “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?” (1 Cor. 6:9). The New Testament provides fairly specific descriptions of what awaits the righteous after death:
“It has a large and high wall, has twelve gates and twelve angels on them<…>The city street is pure gold, like clear glass<…>Its gates will not be locked during the day; and there will be no night there<…>In the midst of its street, and on both sides of the river, is the tree of life, bearing fruit twelve times, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. And nothing will be cursed anymore; but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His servants will serve Him. And they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. And there will be no night there, and they will have no need of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God illuminates them; and they will reign forever and ever” (Rev. 21:2, 12, 21, 25; 22:2–5).
For Christians, the kingdom of God is not the same Eden in which the first people lived. Don't go back there. You can only get to the one in heaven. Adam and Eve did not know Christ. But we - descendants - have become acquainted with him, and we strive for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven. And we not only strive, but also create it together with the divine. There can be no talk of any eternal rest. God settles Adam in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it (Gen. 2:15), and it is written about the future inhabitants of the Heavenly Jerusalem that they will serve Him (Rev. 22:3). Staying in paradise according to the Bible is depicted as a certain human activity and is depicted not as static and idleness, but as a constant dynamic of approaching God. And the same Tree from the primordial paradise is waiting for people there, and it is this tree that will feed the righteous.
Mikalojus Ciurlionis, "Paradise". Image from ru.wikipedia.org For Muslims, these two paradises - Eden and the heavenly one - are rather identical. Islamic paradise is called Jannat. Ideas about him are less metaphysical, more down-to-earth. Its inhabitants are left to each other and their pleasures, and if Allah appears, it is only to greet them (Quran, 36:58) and ask about their desires. “Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Allah. This is a great profit! (Quran, 5:19; 59:22; 98:8).
These are the gifts prepared for believers: “In the gardens of delight there is a crowd of the first and a few of the last, on embroidered beds, leaning on them against each other. Boys forever young go around them with bowls, vessels and goblets from a flowing source - they do not suffer from headaches and weakness from it<…>among the lotus, devoid of thorns, and the acacia, hung with fruits, under the far-spreading shade, on the banks of flowing waters and among the abundant fruits, not exhausted and not forbidden, and carpets spread out, and We created for them (the companions) a special creation and made them virgins, loving husband, peers.<…>For the God-fearing there is a place of salvation - gardens and vineyards, and full-breasted women of the same age, and a full cup. They will not hear there any chatter, nor accusations of lies” (Quran, 56:12-19; 28-37; 78:31-35).
There is a fairly common but erroneous belief that women are not welcome in Islamic paradise. However, it is not. “Allah promised believing men and women Gardens of Eden in which rivers flow and in which they will abide forever, as well as beautiful dwellings in the Gardens of Eden. But Allah's pleasure will be greater than this. This is great success" (At-Tawba, 9/72). It’s just that there are different rewards for women and men. Each man receives virgins - Gurias: “Big-eyed, black-eyed maidens, with skin the color of silver; which neither man nor genie had touched before; who look only at their husbands."
In the Koran, women who go to heaven are called “azwajun mutahharatun” (pure spouses). These women are worthy of Heaven, and the higher their level of purity, the more beautiful they will be. Here they are decorations.
Heaven without heaven
There is a concept of heaven in Judaism, but it does not imply eternal life in a fairy garden. Judaism draws its attention to the fact that by leading a righteous life, a person receives the right to resurrection for eternal life on Earth, and even the body is resurrected. After the resurrection, the earth will be different - absolute, ideal. Heaven and hell are interpreted by Jewish theologians as metaphorical concepts.
Buddha statue. Photo from pixabay.com In Eastern religions, heaven can be called nirvana. She is nowhere. And it is not associated with achievement, but rather with extinction, cessation. The soul emerges from the constant cycle of rebirths - samsara, gets rid of suffering and remains in eternal non-existence. There are no desires, just as there is no suffering, which is associated with each stage of reincarnation. The cause-and-effect relationship is broken. According to the Buddhist thinker Nagarjuna, “The cessation of thinking about being and non-being is called nirvana.”
In Hinduism, moving away from self-centered existence is called moksha. This is the stage before nirvana. In Jainism, since karma is a special type of substance from which the karmic body of a jiva (saint) consists, nirvana is interpreted as liberation from karmic substances and is achieved in the process of learning religious practices. Jiva receives siddhatva - absolute knowledge. He can ascend to the top of the Siddhakshetra universe. And this is already close to the traditions of Christianity and Islam.
On the ground
Abolitionism (not to be confused with the anti-slavery movement in the United States) is based on the manifesto of the British philosopher David Peirce (also called the “paradise builder”) “The Hedonistic Imperative.” According to him, achieving the greatest possible degree of happiness is the main goal of life. According to abolitionists, there is a “baseline level of happiness” to which a person returns over time, no matter what happens to him. Neither income level nor events that can make him happy or sad for a long time (such as the birth of children or the death of a close relative) play a role.
In the future, “our descendants may live in a civilization of well-motivated, high-achieving people, driven by varying gradients of bliss, not only ignorant of suffering and disease, but also of the slightest psychological discomfort,” writes Pierce.
David Pierce. Photo from ru.wikipedia.org The level of human happiness is biologically limited. Peirce theorizes that humanity can overcome its genetic predisposition to suffering through scientific advances in fields such as applied neuroscience, biotechnology, nanotechnology, genetic engineering, and psychopharmacology. Abolitionists view the very possibility of suffering as an undesirable aspect of human nature and believe that people can and must rewire the brain to achieve maximum levels of happiness. There is a theory that this can be achieved not only with the help of already developed technologies - for example, genetic engineering - but also thanks to technological advances that can theoretically appear. For example, uploading consciousness into a computer system.
Abolitionism assumes that emotions are physical, not spiritual, and that by rewiring the brain, one can radically change the way a person perceives the world around them. And although evolution has not made everyone happy, technology can take the place of evolution and create a post-human who feels only happiness and does not experience sadness or fear. At the same time, external functionality is maintained and improved. Skeptics have a question: how to experience happiness in a transhumanist paradise without experiencing disappointment, since the value of positive emotions is determined based on negative experience? Since most abolitionist projects involve a stepwise implementation - from the creation of bioprosthetics to immortality - scientists are charged with the responsibility of determining ways to develop and implement each of the stages. If these ideas are implemented, it will be necessary to compare the final goals and possible means of achievement that arise in connection with the risks. It is likely that people may not follow the path of these programs.
Prepared by Egor Shcherbota / Dialog news agency
Read what awaits us in hell.
The earthly paradise, or beautiful garden, in which God settled the first people - Adam and Eve, was located in Asia, between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
The life of people in paradise was full of joy and bliss. Their conscience was calm, their heart was pure, their mind was bright. They were not afraid of illness or death, and had no need for clothing. They had prosperity and contentment in everything. Their food was the fruits of the trees of paradise.
There was no enmity among the animals - the strong did not touch the weak, they lived together and ate grass and plants. None of them were afraid of people, and everyone loved and obeyed them.
But the highest bliss of Adam and Eve was in prayer, that is, in frequent conversation with God. God appeared to them in paradise in a visible way, like a father to children, and told them everything they needed.
God created people, as well as angels, so that they could love God and each other and enjoy the great joy of life in the love of God. Therefore, just like the angels, He gave them complete freedom: to love Him or not to love Him. Without freedom there can be no love. And love manifests itself in the joyful fulfillment of the desires of the one you love.
But, since people were less perfect than angels, the Lord did not allow them to immediately and forever make a choice: to accept or reject this love, as was the case with the angels.
God began to teach people love. For this reason, He gave people this small, not difficult commandment - do not eat fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. By fulfilling this command or desire of God, they could thereby demonstrate their love for Him. Gradually, moving from easy to more complex, they would strengthen in love and improve in it. Adam and Eve obeyed God with love and joy. And in paradise the will of God and God’s order were in everything.
ACTIVITY OF THE SOUL IN PARADISE
In the first period of the afterlife of paradise, only one soul is blissful. And since the activity of the soul is composed of the activity of its individual forces (which was said earlier in the article about the activity of the soul and its individual forces on earth and beyond the grave), then for the bliss of the soul it is necessary that all its forces act to create joy. According to the three main spiritual forces: mind, will and feelings, the content of inner bliss consists of the actions of these forces: love, knowledge and glorification of our Creator God, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Source of bliss, the Truth from which all truths flow - the One Who He testified about Himself that He is “the Truth.” He, i.e. Our Lord Jesus Christ becomes the subject of life and activity for the soul, according to the teaching of the Apostle Paul: “In Him we live and move,” i.e. in Him and for Him our whole life passes, both on earth and beyond the grave. Consequently, the subject of life and activity of the soul beyond the grave (in paradise) remains the same: to love, know and glorify God; this is the bliss of man! Love, knowledge and glorification of God are the content of the afterlife of paradise, the content representing the totality of the actions of the three main spiritual forces: mind, will and feelings. The never-ceasing, most perfect and eternally (further and further into infinity) developing activity of the spiritual forces of the mind, will and feelings in the pursuit of truth - this is what constitutes the internal activity of the soul in the heavenly blissful life. This is inner bliss, or the inner activity of the soul in relation to God. This is what the Holy Orthodox Church teaches.
From the basis of bliss, which was spoken of before, i.e. from co-abiding, communicating with God and seeing Him, the action of all spiritual forces directed towards joy occurs. One action, being replaced by another, more perfect one, will develop further and further throughout all eternity. Desires and their corresponding satisfactions will go into infinity. All the powers of the soul reach their destination in the pursuit of the true, the beautiful and the good.
Thus, here too, love for God and God’s love for man were the main beginning of his bliss. Without man's love for God there is no salvation, no bliss. Love naturally strives to know the beloved. By loving and learning, we glorify what is loved and known, and the soul in such a mood is blissful. "Will not die! but I will live!” - full of love for the Lord, David writes: “I will not die! but I will live” (Ps. 118:17), I will live both on earth and beyond the grave. He appoints the living to glorify God while still in this life. “We who are living will bless the Lord from now on and forever” (Ps. 113:26). Both here and beyond the grave it is one thing to glorify God, to praise His name.
The internal state of the soul is expressed in external signs, and internal bliss relative to God constitutes the following spiritual blessings: standing before the Lamb, glorifying and serving Him (Rev. 7: 9-17), cohabitation with Him (John 14: 3): co-reign with Christ and sharing in His eternal glory (2 Tim. 2:11-12), and, finally, seeing God and knowing God more perfectly. On earth there was imperfect, partial knowledge. Equally is the vision of God on earth, which is required of all who believe in Him and which David testified to: “I have always seen before me” (Ps. 15:8). This vision of God on earth, according to the teaching of the same Apostle Paul, is imperfect: “as if through a glass darkly,” we now know God; in paradise we will see “face to face” (1 Cor. 13:12; 2 Cor. 5:8; Heb. 12:14).
We call all this: to be, to live, to be in communion, in the closest unity with the Lord Jesus Christ. About Him we live, we move (first on earth, and then beyond the grave) in His kingdom. This unity, union and eternal communion with the Lord is the main basis of the bliss of the righteous, the first foundation of good, from which all other goods flow - internal and external - and without which bliss is impossible. Enjoyment of God produces a constant, jubilant action of all forces, mental and physical, as has already been said in general about the activity of the soul and its individual forces on earth and beyond the grave.
Since evil is the source of all sorrows and suffering and it is not natural to man, goodness and bliss for which he was created is natural to man, therefore there is no longer evil in paradise. Consequently, the state of righteous souls during this period is completely free from any sorrow: “They will no longer hunger or thirst, and the sun will not scorch them or any heat, for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will feed them and lead them to live.” springs of water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes...” “and there will be no death, for the former things have passed away” (Rev. 7: 16-17; 21: 4) We find exactly the same description of the afterlife state of the righteous in Isaiah (Is. 25:6-9). But the saints’ vision of the hellish state of sinners after the grave and their living participation in their plight produces a certain sorrow that is useful both to them and to the hellish sufferers. Sorrow, which moves the saints to pray for the prisoners of hell and therefore brings salvation to these latter as well.
Rest, or eternal rest from the labors done on earth for the sake of the kingdom of heaven (Rev. 14:13; Heb. 4:3, 11), constitutes the distinctive character of blessed activity in paradise during this period. Here the word “peace” should not be understood as inaction or inactivity. The concept of the soul is always connected with the thought of its activity, for activity expresses the life of the soul, and with the immortality of the soul, activity is continuous. This means that the word “peace” characterizes a certain kind of state and activity of the soul, as opposed to restlessness. The activity of the soul, which gives it pleasure, pleasure, makes the soul calm. The natural state of the soul, alien to passions, according to the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, even on earth still brings peace to the God-loving soul: “Be meek and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls.” The anticipation of heavenly peace while still on earth, the anticipation of the decisive fate that will come after the Last Judgment of Christ, gives souls that indescribable bliss that they will enjoy in eternity.
The hearts of the righteous, filled with true love, take a living part in the fate of those souls in hell, whose fate has not yet been decided and for whom the militant Church intercedes, calling for the same intercession of all the good and pleasing to God. Members of the triumphant Church are in living union and communion with members of the militant Church through the living participation that they have for their brothers who are still wandering on earth and are still in the militant Church, helping them with their prayers before God and effective actions. The first is undoubtedly revealed from the Apocalypse, where it is said that the saints cry out to God and ask Him rather for judgment and reward for the righteous oppressed on earth. The latter is clear from countless experiences of the appearance and miraculous protection of the saints of God - experiences with which the history of the Church of Christ is filled. Just as the name of God was sanctified in their activities on earth, so they continue to do good deeds from the afterlife of paradise. This charitable activity is a continuation of earthly activities. Jesus Christ taught about the life of the saints this way: “In the resurrection they neither marry nor commit violence, but as the angels of God are in heaven,” i.e. they will be like Angels, and therefore the life of the saints will be completely angelic; because on earth they were earthly angels with signs of heavenly activity, which, according to the words of Jesus Christ Himself, will continue after death, throughout eternity.
Since the life of the soul is self-knowledge, then life in paradise will be true self-knowledge - perfect self-knowledge, complete consciousness of everything past and present, which (i.e. true self-knowledge) on earth is achieved by very few, with strict and attentive self-observation.
External bliss consists of: a) mutual eternal communication with all Angels; b) coexistence and mutual close communication with all the saints; and, finally, c) the beauty of paradise itself, which the ap saw. Paul, exalted to the third heaven. I saw all the beauty of heaven, but I couldn’t find words in the human language to tell those born on earth about it. And even if I could tell, at least in some way, about the infinitely beautiful beauty of paradise, those who listened would not understand, would not comprehend; just as children do not understand much of what is clear to adults. Without accommodating or understanding the beauty of heaven, carnal wisdom, which accepts only experimental knowledge, would reject heaven. This is what was usually done and is being done to this day by the sages of this world, who deny everything supernatural, spiritual, and miraculous.
So, external bliss consists of the home itself - paradise with its unimaginable beauties - and the society of St. Angels and St. shower. This is the kind of internal and external bliss that awaits every holy soul immediately after a private judgment!
Now it remains to give evidence of the word of God about the inexpressibly blessed life of the saints in paradise in union and communion with each other.
Patriarch Jacob, in his grief over the loss of his beloved son Joseph, was ready to go to hell with him, just to constantly be with him and see him, i.e. was ready to die just to be with his son (Gen. 37:45). And St. the prophet David had a living faith in a meeting beyond the grave when he said after the death of his son, born from the wife of Uriah: “I will go to him” (2 Sam. 12:23). The holy apostles Peter, James and John on Tabor recognized the first time the inhabitants of the afterlife: Moses from hell and Elijah from paradise, although they had never been seen anywhere before, but only knew that they existed. Now they knew for sure that this one was Moses, and the other was Elijah; We also found out their names for certain. Further, the lives of the saints also testify to us that they, for example, not knowing certain persons before, when meeting with them, clearly saw their state of mind, saw the civil position that they occupy in society, saw their family life, and, as if seeing the inscribed letters , called strangers by name. And everyone found out about this immediately at the time of the first date! Everything was available to their purified senses. Everything secret is obvious to them. From here it is natural to conclude, on the basis of the testimony of Holy Scripture, that these souls, gifted with such perfection of feelings while still on earth, will not lose these abilities after passing into the afterlife, and the activity of the senses will receive even greater strength, freed from the body of death, in the words of St. Apostle Paul. Consequently, all those worthy of a blessed life in paradise will see and recognize each other; all those dear to our hearts who live with us on earth, and if only they receive heavenly life, will immediately be known by us, and they will also know us.
The Holy Apostle Paul consoled the Christians of Thessaloniki, separated by death from those near and dear to their hearts: your separation is temporary! You will undoubtedly soon see your departed friends - so that you will never be separated from them again. “Let us therefore always be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:17); and also in communication with all true Christians, and especially with those whom the Lord united on earth with a union of kinship and friendship. Comforting the Thessalonica Christians in this way, St. the apostle commands them to meet and stay together, and invites us all to “comfort one another with these words” (1 Thess. 4:18). Consolation for Christians in separation from those close to their hearts lies in these two dogmas of our Orthodox faith, which contains the 11th and 12th members of the Creed. One can undoubtedly believe in these two truths: 1) the resurrection of the dead and 2) the blessed union with those who have departed from us.
There only, in the afterlife - in paradise - will the meaning of man be fully revealed (1 John 3:2).
So, if those in paradise will be together with the Lord, as St. the Apostle Paul and the Lord Himself, then being with the Lord, we will all be with each other; being together in society, as living, moral beings, we will, of necessity, also be in communication with each other.
God, creating man on earth, said: “It is not good for man to be alone” (Gen. 2:18), which testifies to the purpose of man in general to live in society. For a social life corresponding to that of the angels in heaven, men are naturally united to God by an indissoluble holy union of divine love. By uniting with God, they are united with each other, according to the will of God, also in an inextricable union of love. God does not bind people on earth together with a spiritual union of love in order to bring them together here and separate them there. Consequently, the separation of souls is unnatural even beyond the grave. From the words of the unfortunate rich man (remember again the Gospel parable) it is clear that Abraham and Lazarus are in paradise not separated from one another, but together, and therefore in union and communion with each other. The faithful will be with the Lord forever, as the Lord Jesus Christ Himself teaches; the faithful will be with Him, and therefore in interaction with each other, and will see each other, as the Apostle John testifies (Rev. 4: 4; 6: 9 and 11).
Two truths - the unity of the nature of souls and the love innate to souls, which serves as the basis of social life - lead us to the conclusion that man has a natural desire to live in society, i.e. have an indispensable desire to be with similar creatures. So, if nature requires life in a society of creatures similar to itself, and the purpose of the soul is to live in heaven, therefore, the afterlife social life will not be unnatural to the nature of the soul. There was and is no people who did not believe in an afterlife social life, with the exception of those who think that everything ends with death, for example, followers of the teachings of Buddha with their nirvana, current nihilists, materialists and others who are in the devilish delusion of unbelief and carnal wisdom.
The human mind cannot imagine such a society of people as the saints in paradise make up. United by eternal love and constant communication, they thereby complement each other's blissful state. On earth it is sad to part with good people, with a moral society, because being with them was joyful and joyful for the soul; and since in paradise there will be no such separation, the bliss of the soul will become eternal. All spiritual and moral beings, holy spirits and righteous souls will enter into the closest union and communication with each other.
The afterlife of the first period of both the righteous and sinners (not only before the resurrection of the dead) is represented by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself in His parable of the rich man and Lazarus, from which St. John Chrysostom concludes that no matter how great the gulf between one and the other, the righteous know sinners and the sinners know righteous people, both acquaintances and strangers. The unfortunate rich man of the Gospel, while in hell, came to know Abraham, whom he had never seen anywhere before. This means that after the separation of the soul from the body, its feelings acquire their naturalness and their effect extends far. The inhabitants of heaven see and know the inhabitants of hell and the inhabitants of earth. And the inhabitants of hell see and know the inhabitants of heaven and earthly people. If the rich man had not seen and known the condition of his brothers still on earth, he would not have asked Abraham to send Lazarus to them. This means that our dead, wherever they are, in heaven or hell, know our condition; so to speak, they see and hear us and our whole life, and our secrets are no longer hidden from them. For such knowledge, the inner, spiritual eye will serve each other. In order to see, you need to have a sense of vision, about which the Apostle John writes in the Apocalypse: “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him” (Rev. 1:7). Consequently, seeing the Lord, we will see the entire afterlife and all its inhabitants: spirits and souls.
This is how Blessed Theodora tells about how she was met in paradise: “Everyone, seeing me, rejoiced at my salvation, came out to meet me, kissed me, praised the Lord, who delivered me from the snares of the enemy” (Life of St. Basil the New, 26 Martha)
St. Pimen the Great spoke to his elderly mother, who wanted to see him, like this: “Do you want to see us (your children) here, or in that world?” She doubted: “If I don’t see you here, will I really see you there?” Pimen answered: “If you decide not to see us here, then you will certainly see us there.”
One day, Abba Joseph, having fallen ill, ordered to go to Abba Theodore of Fermi and say: “Come to me so that I can see you before you are separated from your body.” It was midweek. The elder did not go, but sent an answer: “If you live until Saturday, I will come, and if you go away, we will see each other in the next world” (Ven. said, about the feat, the Holy and Blessed Fathers, p. 339)
St. offers two comforting truths to those who mourn the death of those close to their hearts. John Chrysostom: “If the body is given over to decay, then not only should you not cry, but you should also rejoice, because death decays, the mortal perishes, and not the essence of the body. Remember that these closed lips will one day speak better, and these closed eyes will then see better and more, and these legs will once fly through the clouds, and this decaying body will be clothed with immortality, and you will receive your dear one.” Do you hear me crying? You will receive your loved one again, but this time the best and brightest. "Do not cry! - says God Himself. “The deceased has not died, he is alive and sleeping”; “Do not grieve,” says the Apostle Paul, “believe without doubt, and you will see each other again and be together forever”; and finally, Chrysostom adds, “You will receive your dear one again.”
The great universal teacher St. Gregory the Theologian, in his funeral words to brother Caesarius and sister Gorgonia, names all these internal and external blessings that constitute the bliss of the righteous in heaven in the first period. Thus, he says to brother Caesarea: “Enter heaven, rest in the bosom of Abraham; see the face of the Angels, the glory and splendor of the blessed, or better yet, make one face with them and rejoice!” Here you can see: peace, joy, paradise and cohabitation with all the Angels and all the saints - external bliss. Then the teacher continues: “May you stand before the great King, filled with heavenly light!” Inner bliss is standing before God, seeing God and participating in His glory. And he says to Sister Gorgonia: “I am sure that your present state is incomparably superior to your former, visible state: the voice of the celebrants, the joy of the Angels, the heavenly order, the vision of glory, and moreover, the purest and most perfect illumination of the all-holy Trinity, no longer hidden from the mind as if bound and scattered by the senses, but contemplated and acceptable by the whole mind, and illuminating our souls with the full light of the Divinity. You enjoy all those blessings, the flows of which reached you on earth, for your sincere desire for them.”
St. Cyprian states: “A great number of lovers, parents, brothers, sons will receive us there; a large and dense crowd of those who are already confident in their desire for us will reach to see and greet them. What a great shared joy for them and for us!” (Word of exhortation to martyrs, chapter 12)
Saint Ambrose of Milan writes: “What consolation is left for me, except that I hope to soon come to you, dear brother; I hope that our separation will not be long, and you yourself, through your intercession, can quickly call me, who wishes; for who does not wish for himself: “Let this corruption be clothed with the incorruptible, and this mortal be clothed with the immortal” (Works. Ambros. Medical book 2, p. 113).
St. John of Damascus in his “Sermon on the Dead” speaks about our meeting like this: “Let no one hope that at that Last Judgment some will remain unrecognized: truly everyone recognizes his neighbor, not in a physical way, but with the penetrating eye of his soul.”
Saint Demetrius of Rostov writes regarding the afterlife meeting: “Everyone will see each other”; of course, in the first period of the afterlife. Based on the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ on this subject in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, we know that everyone will see each other only until the final separation of the righteous from the sinners, and also on the day of the Last Judgment. If at the trial everything becomes clear, open to the entire spiritual and moral world; if the earthly life of each person with its obvious and secret deeds will be obvious to all saints. Angels, saints of God and for all sinners (Luke 12: 2-3), it is obvious that everyone will recognize one another. After the soul passes beyond the grave, no matter where it is destined to be - in heaven or in hell, it will immediately be known by the saints, and on the day of judgment by sinners. Further, Saint Demetrius of Rostov writes: “Not only our sinner brothers will look at us, but also all the holy faces: prophets, apostles, martyrs, saints, saints and righteous ones.”
“Beyond the grave,” the saint continues, “kings will see their subjects and their subjects – kings; Lords and nobles will see their servants and slaves, and servants will see their masters; The offended will see their offenders and the offenders will see their offended; friends of friends and enemies of enemies will see, as the Word of God testifies: “this is the same one who was once a mockery and a byword for us” (Wis. 5: 3). “Unjust judges will see those who were innocently condemned and unjustly put to death; the tormentors will see those whom they tortured without mercy, they will see them glorified and they will hear their appeals to the Lord: Judge, Lord, those who have offended us and take revenge, Lord, those who have embittered us! Parents will see their children and children will see their parents; brothers, sisters, relatives, spouses will meet; The righteous will see sinners and sinners will see the righteous. There, behind the tomb, Cain will see Abel, Herod will see John the Baptist; and the persecutors of Christians will see: Nero, Diocletian, Maximilian and other persecutors will see the confessors of the name of Christ who were tortured by them glorified” (St. Demetrius of Rostov, part 1. Teaching on the week of the Last Judgment).
Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk writes about the afterlife knowledge of each other, and therefore about mutual meeting: “They see those who on earth were reviled, scolded, persecuted, laughed at, embittered, trampled upon, they see them in great glory and joy.”
This is how the holy fathers and teachers of the Church depicted the heavenly afterlife of the righteous in the first period: in union and communication, with the full activity of the soul and its individual powers.
So, the word of God will assure us that in the afterlife, where we too will soon and very soon, souls, being in union and communion with God, see and communicate with each other even before the general judgment. May God only grant you to be in paradise, where union and communication are indissoluble; in Gehenna this is not the case, since there will be a state of souls devoid of any joy.
A true believer, dying, without any despondency, parts with his blood and friends - in the hope that he will soon be united with them again in the house of the Heavenly Father, if they also live by faith and trust in Divine mercy. The word “if” means that for some there will be eternal joyful union with family and friends, and for others there will be eternal and sad separation. What circumstances cause separation? Active faith unites us in the future, but its absence will separate us in eternity.
If parents raise their children in the fear of God, then the good will also increase for the parents on earth, for the soul of the parents rejoices in the wise son (Proverbs 23:24). And it will be equally good for them in heaven, where good parents will rejoice when they appear before the face of God with their children and say: here we are and our children, you gave them to us, Lord.
Even the wisest and best of the pagans, guided by one reason and inner feeling, recognized as true that in the future life they would see other wise and virtuous people of all times and places, unite with them and enter into the most pleasant connections and relationships. Confidence in this, i.e. in the future universal meeting and constant coexistence, was like a kind of comforting ray of light among the darkness of paganism for all those who, in their way of thinking and acting, rose above the ordinary circle. This is what Socrates said, for example, to his judges: “I consider the death to which you sentence me to be more of a gain than a loss. She is either an uninterrupted dream without visions, or a means of moving to a place where I can talk with the shadows of the famous dead. I am going to die, you are staying to live; but whose share is more enviable, only the gods know.” Indeed, why is a person here in such close relationships with others that without them he cannot continue his life, or at least enjoy it? Is it so that, having united with people in the closest ties, he suddenly breaks them off and forever forgets about those with whom he enjoyed his existence together? For this reason, the Law of God binds a person from birth with special feelings of love for certain people, gives him on earth to know the sweetness of pure friendship, the pleasures of charity and gratitude, paternal and filial love - so that he, having experienced these feelings and their sweetness, then renounces them for life. all eternity and broke all the ties that mutually connect people here? This is how the mind guesses about the future mutual communication of people, depending on the image and agreement of their feelings and actions.
So, the very word of God testifies to us and assures us of the irrefutable truth that constitutes the dogma of Orthodoxy, that beyond the grave the righteous will be together with the righteous and with the Lord. And sinners are with sinners, at a distance from the Lord. The first will be together, they will see each other, and recognize each other, enter into communication with each other, and, according to the testimony of the Old and New Testaments, they will talk to each other. In hell the prisoners met the king of Babylon who came to them and said to him: “And you came here to us” (Is. 14: 10-11). Abraham, who was in heaven, spoke to the rich man who was in hell. The Apostle Paul, ascended to the third heaven, heard voices there and therefore in another place already mentions the languages of heaven, angels. From the story of St. bl. Theodora, St. Andrew Christ for the sake of the holy fool, St. Apostle Thomas and many other saints, we see that souls, after separation from their bodies, already in the world of spirits, talked with Angels and among themselves about various subjects. Everything testifies that the coexistence of souls, their mutual meeting and communication will be accompanied by the mutual transfer of thoughts, feelings and desires - a transfer corresponding to the spiritual nature of the soul.
In order to understand somewhat how incorporeal beings talk in the afterlife, let us remember that to speak means to convey to one another one’s thoughts, desires and feelings that belong to the invisible soul itself. We communicate them to another through visible and audible signs, sounds and letters. And this is necessary while the soul is in the body. The lives of saints provide us with many examples of how the thoughts, desires and feelings of some were cognizable by the saints without words or gestures. The secrets of the mind, will and heart were visible to the saints, and these latter responded with words, convicting people of their thoughts, desires and feelings. If even on earth purified souls have the ability to see and read the thoughts, desires and feelings of others, then what prevents the souls of the righteous in the afterlife from mutually seeing and reading each other’s thoughts, desires and feelings? Since the time when spiritualized flesh, such as Adam and Eve were before the fall, became earthly due to the fall of the first parents, the communication of the invisible soul with the invisible world ceased, and for the communication of soul with soul a medium was required - visible signs. Just as a prison deprives its prisoners of communication with those who are free, so the body prevents the soul from direct communication with another soul.
Having renounced the body, the soul again acquires the perfection of its feelings, and there is no obstacle for it to see and, so to speak, read the thoughts, desires and feelings of another soul - and thus exchange them, which constitute the internal activity of the soul. How did Abraham and the unfortunate rich man talk at such an immeasurable distance? It can be reliably concluded that souls, no matter where they are, in heaven or hell (of course, we mean only the first period of the afterlife) have the ability inherent in their nature and new life: to share thoughts and desires. But this ability to speak in the afterlife differs from earthly communication through sounds and signs, as evidenced by Abraham’s conversation with the unfortunate rich man, separated by immeasurable space. This is a special, spiritual ability of the soul to see and read the thoughts and desires (and in general the entire mental state) of another soul. The Word of God ascribes only to the righteous in the afterlife mutual communication, which constitutes one of the conditions for the bliss of the human soul both on earth and beyond the grave.
The truth revealed to us (mainly Christians) who lead earthly life in the spirit of Christ, according to His holy commandments, this truth assures the Christian person of his inheritance of the kingdom of God, prepared from eternity. The life of the spirit on earth manifests itself in man, in his family life, first of all. And then in public life - state life; both family members and members of the state beyond the grave become participants in heavenly, blissful life. Family members - spouses, parents and their children, then relatives, acquaintances - after a righteous earthly life, entering a new afterlife, as our Holy Orthodox Church teaches, they do not separate, but live together like Angels of God. Spouses, their children and relatives are in mutual communication with each other - they mutually influence each other and will not be separated forever. Christian marriage is not an Old Testament marriage, it is the marriage of a new spiritual person, it is the closest spiritual union of spouses, about which Jesus Christ Himself testified that those once united by God cannot be separated either on earth or beyond the grave: because, according to the testimony of the Apostle, love immortal. United on earth by love and beyond the grave are not separated; after all, unceasing love unites forever those who were once bound by it on earth.
The Lord, having established the sacrament of marriage on earth, united the spouses in such a strong union that nothing can dissolve, either on earth or beyond the grave. The Lord in his parable invites those invited to the supper: the spouses will also be among them and inherit the Kingdom of Heaven if, working for God with fear and trembling, they fulfill all the Christian duties given from God to the spouses. This is the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself about the heavenly life of spouses. Having expressed in this parable that spouses are also called to eternal life, he shows the truth of His teaching in reality; entering the house of Zacchaeus he says: “Now salvation has come to this house” (Luke 19:9). The house, which, of course, consists of parents, children, relatives and servants. Spouses beyond the grave remain angelic spouses, burning with the purest, heavenly, divine love for God and mutual love for each other. Husband and wife, says the Apostle Paul, are heirs of the grace-filled life of the Kingdom of Heaven (1 Peter 3:7). For this purpose, i.e. so that the spouses can achieve their destination, St. the apostles determined rights and responsibilities for them on earth. Violation of marital duties gives them a life beyond the grave full of crying and suffering.
The Word of God has assured us that death does not separate us. Therefore, it does not separate the spouses. The Church, professing this dogma, glorifies Christian spouses, telling us about their afterlife in its songs of praise, for example, in two kontakia on January 26 in memory of St. Rev. Xenophon, his wife Marie and their children: “The Lord was vigilant in the commandments, shared his wealth with the poor in blissful quiet, with his wife and children, and therefore inherits divine pleasure. Having escaped the sea of life, the righteous Xenophon with his honest wife will rejoice in heaven with his children, magnifying Christ.”
The spouses are never separated, just as Christ is never separated from His faithful: “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). The Apostle Paul repeated the same thing: “We will always be with the Lord,” when he spoke about the afterlife. The same apostle likens the holiness and strength of the marriage union as a sacrament to the highest and incomprehensible sacrament - the eternal and indissoluble union of Christ with His Church. From this it becomes clear that Christian spouses are not separated beyond the grave, but, according to the teachings of the Lord, they live there as Angels of God.
The very nature of the soul (according to the testimony of its Creator-God: “it is not good for man to be alone”) requires cohabitation with creatures similar to it. What did Adam lack in paradise with his perfect and complete bliss, in the closest union and communion with God - the source of internal rejoicing, not to mention the external, heavenly bliss? However, God the Creator Himself says that it is not good for a person to be alone, and gives him an assistant on the path of life. The miraculous descent of Eve from Adam shows how close spouses should be. And this closeness could not be intended only for earth: God did not unite the spouses in order to separate them beyond the grave! And all humanity, descending from marriage, is united by immortal love, not just for earthly sojourn. No! The immortality of souls, their existence beyond the grave, according to the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, is revealed in cohabitation with other souls. The parable of the rich man and Lazarus and the parable of the wedding feast are the Lord’s teaching about mutual cohabitation after the grave. “It is not good for man to be alone” is also revealed in the words of Jesus Christ, testifying that the righteous will all be together in the Kingdom of Heaven and the condemned will also be together, in eternal torment.
So, if on earth the existence of the soul is determined by union and mutual relations with other souls, then it is obvious that the afterlife, which far exceeds earthly life in everything, requires union and communication of souls with each other; this is expressed in cohabitation, in tasting the fruits of immortal divine love in the Kingdom of Heaven, where no one enters without love. Consequently, Christian spouses also pass into this world undivided (because it is not good for a person to be alone!) and live united by angelic, immaculate love, like the Angels of God.
However, there are cases when Christian spouses, despite their strong union on earth, are unfortunately separated, and their former union beyond the grave is forever broken. The reason for this is diversity of faith, not like-mindedness of the spouses.
Only like-mindedness, the same faith of the spouses who are in Christ Jesus our Lord, the one hope of Christians, the one joy both on earth and beyond the grave, make the cohabitation of the spouses indissoluble even beyond the grave. If one of the spouses does not have this condition necessary for salvation, then, despite all the piety of the other, the afterlife separates them. And the joy of the Lord will be destined to be shared by only one faithful one. The wickedness and unbelief of one of the spouses, as alien to the benefits that are promised to believers, will drag him into the land of eternal lamentation and crying.
In general, a Christian person becomes a participant in blissful eternity thanks to the fulfillment of the duties imposed on him by the Holy Church; consequently, Christian spouses, as members of the Church of Christ, subject to the holy fulfillment of their duties, become heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven. Spouses who do not fulfill their duties, as well as their affairs and all members of the family in general, and every Christian person in particular, reap bitter fruits beyond the grave; and those who perform duties are separated beyond the grave from those who violate the Law of God; “And the righteous go into eternal life, and the sinners into eternal torment,” as Jesus Christ Himself testified to this.
If so, then Christian spouses either remain inseparably beyond the grave; in heaven or in hell, or are separated from each other forever. The holiness of married life, imbued with the Spirit of Christ, is the basis of their salvation. Christian, pious spouses for their virtuous life, says St. John Chrysostom, will inherit crowns and eternal bliss in the next century.
So, truly Christian spouses and the children they raise in the guardianship of God, just like their prudent, God-fearing servants and all members of the family, united on earth by a strong union of Christian love, remain inseparable beyond the grave. What has now been said about spouses also applies to entire families: to great-grandfathers, grandfathers, parents, children, grandchildren and to the entire family, the members of which are either together in heaven, or in Gehenna, or separated from one another, depending on the grave. according to the type of earthly life.
But the meeting behind the grave can be either extremely blissful or extremely painful. Eternal cohabitation and unceasing meeting in paradise are so sublime that there are no words in the language to express the bliss that truly pious Christian spouses inherit with their children and all members of the family for all their piety, which was primarily present in the main members of the family (husband and wife) and they supported all other members of the family.
What joy in the Lord will delight the souls who worked for Him on earth with fear and love! And on the contrary, what awaits the unpious spouses, their children and all members of their family beyond the grave, if in such a marriage only dishonor, unbelief, and indifference to everything holy developed? Hell is their legacy! Isn’t it an eternal cry for something lost that can never be returned? Will not those who were responsible for the death of the unfortunate people hear reproach and indignation and even curses addressed to them? Ungodly spouses cannot teach their children to live in the fear of God. Looking at the first members of the family, the rest allow themselves to follow their example of life without a twinge of conscience. And beyond the grave, curses will pour down on the first culprits of the misfortune! Will a wife who is carried away by her husband into a sinful life curse her birthday? Will not both husband and wife forever curse each other as the culprits of their death? Will not the worst reproach be heard from dead children - for the negligence of their parents in saving them?..
Not only will we recognize and see each other, but, by the nature of the spiritual nature of the soul, free in the first period of the afterlife from the body - its prison - we will also comprehend all the secrets of the heart. It would be wonderful if we were united on earth by true, pure, immaculate, heavenly love. Then an impeccable date awaits us, full of heavenly joy in the kingdom of peace and love!
But if love on earth was hypocritical... Woe to the hypocrite beyond the grave! The heart that loved him impeccably will turn away from him with contempt. Christian spouses, so that you may be together beyond the grave, do not dissolve your union; To meet each other in joy, keep the vows you made at the wedding until the grave.
The first meeting behind the grave with those who loved us on earth, and who, having departed to the afterlife, hoped for those who remained, not knowing that their love was feigned, will be scary and sad. In vain, it turns out, they hoped for their prayerful intercession, for the correct fulfillment of the spiritual will they left! But how will those who hoped and were deceived meet the culprits of their misfortune? Will not tears of reproach be shed for the wicked for their ungodly, careless life and for their negligence about the salvation of themselves and their loved ones? St. John of Damascus in his “Sermon on the Dead” writes: “At the Last Judgment, and even before the Last Judgment, as the rich man saw Abraham and Lazarus, we will see each other, we will recognize one another, and a close meeting at the Last Judgment will not be joyful for ungodly. Reproaches, curses, tears - this is the meeting of the careless.” Friendship and kinship between convicts ceases forever. Parents will not protect their dead children, just as children will not help their convicted parents. Evil children will curse their parents for not teaching them faith and good deeds, and the torment of wicked parents will be aggravated by the hellish torment of their children. The lost flock will be indignant at their shepherds because they did not teach them a godly life, did not correct their vices, did not fill their hearts with the fear of God, and were indifferent to their unforgivable weaknesses.
A difficult duty and a terrible responsibility lie with the shepherds of the Church! They must vigilantly take care of the salvation of their spiritual children, take care of their gradual preparation for the exit from this life, and direct their mind and heart to eternity! And woe, woe to that careless shepherd, whose soul will perish from his negligence, when its salvation depended entirely on the priest. And when, not cleansed of sins by the last priestly instructions, dying repentance and communion of the Body and Blood of Christ, she will appear with her sins before the judgment of an impartial Judge. Will such a soul not forever curse its shepherd? Will not eternal melancholy weigh on the soul of a careless priest? The shepherds' grief over the death of one who did not believe them and did not commune with God will forever torment their conscience. The meeting of friends with friends who gravitated towards a sinful life on earth will be sad, filled with curses addressed to the perpetrators of their eternal destruction. Those who do not follow a bad example on earth will forever be separated from the transgressors of the Law of God. And with what shame and reproaches of conscience will the lost husbands, wives, children, brothers, sisters, acquaintances, relatives and all family members begin to look at the saved, with whom they were on equal terms on earth, and who, however, despised sinful life on earth and having been cleansed by true repentance, they are among the saved beyond the grave! In the first period of the afterlife, based on the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, it is clear that the inhabitants of heaven see the inhabitants of hell, and vice versa: the inhabitants of hell see the saved. So, one spouse can be in heaven and the other in hell; unbelief will destroy the latter. In the first period of the afterlife and on the very day of the Last Judgment, when everyone is still in communication with each other until the final separation: “some go into eternal torment, and others into eternal life,” the meeting for the saved is filled with indescribable joy, and for the condemned it is filled with indignation, crying and eternal damnation. Their afterlife state is such that in hell they no longer have a place either before God or before the entire spiritual and moral world. They will neither be able to justify their deeds nor beg for forgiveness. There is no longer any intercession or intercession between the dead.
Let us conclude about the blissful life of the righteous in paradise and the beauty of paradise itself in the first period of paradise life with the words of one who himself saw all this, being ascended to the third heaven. But when he returned to earth, he could not convey what he saw and heard: firstly, because of the lack of words in the human language to express the afterlife state of the righteous, and secondly, because each period in life corresponds to a certain degree of understanding. And even if the apostle had spoken about the bliss beyond the grave to those living on earth, they would not have been able to comprehend what they heard. They would not understand in the same way that children do not understand what adults understand; how to teach in the lower classes those truths that are easily taught in the higher classes? What is understood by high school students cannot be understood by junior students. Each time has its own knowledge, and knowledge beyond the grave far exceeds earthly knowledge, according to the testimony of the Apostle Paul.
If Jesus Christ Himself, to represent the afterlife to the Jews, generally took images, symbols and visible objects from earthly life, then it is true to conclude that the nature of the earth and its beauty, everything that is true, lofty, beautiful and good can serve as a model for us, a symbol of the future blissful life, the beginnings of which are being formed here on earth. If every earthly virtue, reflected in conscience, cheers the soul, filling its heart with some mysterious unearthly joy, then what will be the mental state of virtuous people in paradise as a reward for their righteous earthly life, when earthly things in comparison with heavenly things turn into nothing? If even on earth it was joyful for the soul for virtue, then what will be the bliss of this soul beyond the grave - in paradise?
From the book Afterlife author Fomin A VLIFE AND ACTIVITY OF THE SOUL BEHIND THE GRAVE IN THE FIRST PERIOD OF THE AFTERLIFE After separation from the body on earth, the soul in the afterlife independently continues its existence throughout the entire first period. The spirit and soul continue their existence beyond the grave and enter a state or
From the book The Secret Life of the Soul. Unconscious. author Dyachenko Grigory MikhailovichINNER LIFE AND ACTIVITY OF THE SOUL The very first and lowest degree or, so to speak, the basis of the activity of the soul is the activity of its feelings - external and internal. Feeling is the ability of the soul to receive impressions from objects through its external
From the book Questions for a Priest author Shulyak Sergey1. Unconscious rational activity of the soul. Have you, reader, ever thought about the extent to which consciousness is involved in our daily activities? - For most, this question, of course, has never occurred to them, and yet, solving it leads to
From the book Proceedings author Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh12. Do all souls gain immortality or only the souls of believers, and true ones at that? Question: Do all souls gain immortality or only the souls of believers, and true ones at that? Answers priest Alexander Men: I’m afraid that this would greatly narrow the field of immortality. By nature the human soul
From the book Interviews about the life of the Italian fathers and the immortality of the soul by the authorContemplation and activity (162) There are two topics now in the West that seem difficult and cause tension in the spiritual life. This is, on the one hand, the question of how to live and act as a Christian, and on the other hand, is there still any place for
From the book Following Christ author Bonhoeffer Dietrich6. Just as the life of the soul in the body is known from the movement of the members, so the life of the soul after the death of the body of the saints is known from the miracles of Peter. But I can learn the life of the soul residing in the body from the very movements of the body, because if there were no soul in the body, the members of the body could not move; V
From the book Interviews about the life of the Italian fathers and the immortality of the soul author Dvoeslov Gregory28. One must believe that just as the souls of the perfect are in heaven, so the souls of sinners, after separation from the body, are in hell Gregory. If pious conversation has fully convinced you that the souls of the saints are in heaven, then it is absolutely necessary to believe that the souls of the wicked are in hell. By
by Gippius AnnaActivity “These twelve Jesus sent, and commanded them, saying: Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter the city of the Samaritans; but go ye especially to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt. 10:5:6) The disciples, being helpers of Jesus Christ, acted in fulfillment of a clear command
From the book What is spiritual life and how to tune in to it author Feofan the RecluseChapter six. Just as the life of the soul in the body is known from the movement of the members, so the life of the soul after the death of the body of the saints is known from the miracles of Peter. But I can learn the life of the soul that is in the body from the very movements of the body, because if there were no soul in the body, the members of the body could not
From the book The Word of the Primate (2009-2011). Collection of works. Series 1. Volume 1 by the authorChapter twenty-eight. One must believe that just as the souls of the perfect are in heaven, so the souls of sinners, after separation from the body, are in hell Gregory. If pious conversation has fully convinced you that the souls of saints are in heaven, then it is absolutely necessary to believe that the souls
From the book The Main Gift to Your Child by Gippius AnnaTHE BIRTH OF THE SOUL AND THE MURDER OF THE SOUL
From the book The Explanatory Bible. Old Testament and New Testament author Lopukhin Alexander Pavlovich13. True happiness for a person is life according to the spirit. The thinnest shell of the soul, serving as an intermediary between it and the body and a means of communication of souls with each other and with the world of saints and angels. The light and dark state of the shell of the soul I wanted to respond to the one posted at the end of the last letter
From the author's bookFinancial activity One of the problematic aspects of our church life is the sphere of finance and economy. There are objective reasons for this: until a certain time, the Church was actually deprived of the opportunity to conduct financial and economic activities, then
From the author's bookPublishing activity In the past year, we have returned to the very important idea that underlay the creation of the Publishing Council in 1994. The discussion was about the need to form a body of church executive power that would coordinate all
From the author's bookTHE BIRTH OF THE SOUL AND THE KILLING OF THE SOUL When the soul appears Existing and former Children who are to be born The vast halls of the Azure Palace, where the children who are to be born await... Children in beautiful azure clothes. Some are playing, others are walking, others are talking or
From the author's bookХLVI Apostolic activity and martyrdom of St. Petra. Conciliar Epistles of St. Petra. The activities of other apostles Simultaneously with the apostle. Paul suffered martyrdom and the apostle. Peter, who thus ended his apostolic activity also in the capital
Finding yourself in Paradise is the dream of any Muslim who strives for the pleasure of Allah. After all, Jannat is a great reward promised by the Almighty to the most God-fearing slaves.
The largest community in Paradise will be the Ummah of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.). This is confirmed by the hadith cited by Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Ahmad: “The inhabitants of Jannat will line up in 120 rows, 80 of which will be occupied by the Islamic Ummah.”
What will the inhabitants of Paradise look like?
After entering the heavenly abode, the appearance of people, by the will of Allah, will be changed for the better, as stated in the hadith: “The bodies of the inhabitants of Jannat will be ideal. There will be no excess hair on them, including on the face. They will be forever young, and their clothes will remain new” (Tirmidhi). At the same time, their faces will glow and radiate radiance, as they will be gifted with the good news.
In addition, the inhabitants of Paradise will be much taller than their earthly height. This is due to the fact that the first man, Adam (a.s.), was 60 cubits tall. As evidenced by the hadith cited by Bukhari and Muslim, all people in Jannah will be of the same size. Considering that one cubit is approximately 45 cm, the average height of people in Paradise will be 27 meters.
Also, all the inhabitants of Jannat will remain there at the age of 33, regardless of how old they were at the time of death.
The robes of the inhabitants of Eden will be made of green silk and decorated with gold.
Heavenly places
Many people associate Paradise as a place where people’s souls become happy and do not need anything. So what awaits us in Jannat?
1. Kausar
One of the most important rewards of Paradise is considered to be a river called Kausar (or Kyausar, Kyavsar), which means “Abundance”. Its significance is evidenced by the fact that this river is dedicated to the Holy Quran, which millions of Muslims read daily during prayer.
A lot is said about the Kausar River in the hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.), who called it “his reservoir.” Describing the heavenly stream, God's Messenger (s.g.w.) said: “Its water is clearer than milk, its smell is more pleasant than musk... whoever drinks from this source will never be thirsty” (Bukhari, Muslim).
As follows from the hadith cited by Muslim, the distance between its banks exceeds the path from the Jordanian city of Aqaba to Aden, located in the south of Yemen. Considering that there are more than 2100 km between these settlements, the Kausar River is large and abundant.
In addition, its significance lies in the fact that on the Day of Judgment the Muslim ummah will be brought to the source of paradise and everyone will fill their vessel with its water (Muslim).
2. Guria
Another delight for the faithful will be the women of paradise - the Gurias. About these creatures, the Prophet Muhammad (s.g.w.) said this: “If one of the houris turned her face to this world, she would illuminate (with her beauty) the entire space” (Bukhari).
Gurias are beautiful creatures that will be a consolation for devout Muslims in Paradise. They have a perfect face and are devoid of any external or internal flaws. Men in Jannah will enjoy their company. At the same time, the inhabitants of Paradise themselves will be able to choose the guria they want. This is stated in the hadiths cited by Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi.
It should be noted that here we are talking exclusively about communication with the Gurias, and not about sex, as some are trying to present it. In Paradise, people will be deprived of the instincts that are inherent in them in earthly life. In addition, there they will not differ by gender, which means there will also be no need for sex.
According to Islamic sources, if in earthly life a man was married and was pleased with his wife, then she will remain his companion forever and will be more beautiful than all the heavenly houris.
If the woman was not married, then in Paradise she will become the companion of whomever she wishes, since the inhabitants of Jannat will not need anything. In addition, any woman who finds herself in Paradise will surpass the houris in her beauty. This is the reward of the Almighty for the best of His creations.
If a Muslim woman has been married several times and all her husbands end up in Paradise, then the question arises with which of the spouses she will end up in Jannah. There are 3 points of view among theologians on this matter. Some believe that a woman will be with the spouse who had the best character. Others believe that a Muslim woman will have the right to choose who she wants to be with. Still others are sure that a woman in Paradise will be with her last husband.
3. Paradise Bazaar
The third delight for the inhabitants of Jannat will be the bazaar, which people will visit every Friday. A wind will blow there, which will increase the beauty of all its inhabitants, and they will all come out of the market more beautiful (Muslim).
Upon returning to their spouses, they will delight them with their beauty and radiance.
4. Paradise wine
Another delight will be a special drink called heavenly wine. It should be noted that this nectar has nothing to do with alcohol. The fact is that it will have perfect taste and will not cause headaches or make you lose your mind (56:19).
This drink will be in the jugs of the inhabitants of Eden in unlimited quantities, although one sip of it will be enough to quench their thirst.
5. Gardens of Eden
In addition, in Jannah, believers will recline in the Gardens of Eden, as stated in the verses:
“Truly, success awaits the God-fearing, Gardens of Eden and vineyards...” (78:31-32)
The Messenger of God (s.g.w.), describing Jannat, stated that two gardens will be silver and two will be gold (Bukhari).
Gardens of Eden for believers will be places of relaxation, where people will enjoy the fruits of trees, the taste of which cannot be compared with any earthly fruit. At the same time, there will always be plenty of food and drink in any quantity. Beautiful dwellings will be built in the Gardens of Eden in which the inhabitants of Paradise will live. These buildings themselves will be made of gold and silver, and the land there will be made of saffron (Tirmidhi).
6. Plants
In Jannat, its inhabitants will be able to take refuge in the shade of a large tree, through which “a rider can ride for a century without moving away from it” (Muslim).
Another plant in Eden is the Lotus of the Ultimate Limit, which was shown to the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) during. 4 rivers flow near it - two of which are in Paradise, and the other two are the Nile and Euphrates (Bukhari, Muslim).
The most fragrant plant in Jannat will be a plant called henna (Bukhari).
Let us note that all the pleasures awaiting people in Paradise cannot be counted, since they are known only to Allah. In addition, we are able to imagine only through the prism of earthly goods, although the rewards of Jannat are many times greater than them. We cannot fully comprehend and feel the pleasures of Paradise in this world. We should only strive to gain the pleasure of the Almighty, in whose power our future lies, and ask that we all be awarded a better abode.
