Беседа 8

1 Thessalonians 4:15–17. For we say this to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will not warn those who have died, because the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel and the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first; Then we who are left alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Circumstances of the future resurrection. – Eternal rewards and punishments. – The state of the country in the place of Sodom and Gomorrah. Evidence of the existence of Gehenna. 1. The prophets, wanting to show the reliability of what they intended to talk about, first of all, say: “The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw” (Is. 1: 1); or: “The words of Jeremiah...to whom came the word of the Lord” (Jer.1:1); and again: “For thus the Lord spoke to me” (Is. 8:11), and the like. Many saw God himself (Is. 6:1), as far as it was possible for them to see. But Paul, who did not see someone sitting, but had within himself Christ speaking, instead of saying: “For thus spoke the Lord to me,” he said: or “You are looking for proof whether Christ speaks in me” (2 Cor. 13:3), and also: “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God” (2 Cor. 1:1), showing that he does not say anything on his own behalf, because the messenger conveys only the words of the one who sent. And again: “I think that I also have the Spirit of God” (1 Cor. 7:40). However, he spoke all this at the inspiration of the Spirit; Meanwhile, what he now says, he heard from God verbally, just as he heard secretly what he said in a conversation with the Ephesian elders: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). Let's see what he says here: “This we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will not warn those who have died, because the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel and the trumpet of God.” Christ said the same thing in his time: “The powers of heaven will be shaken” (Matt. 24:29). Why in the pipe? Because we see this at Sinai, and the angels too. But what significance does the voice of the archangel have? The same as what was said about the virgins: “The bridegroom is coming, go out to meet him” (Matthew 25:6). Either he is talking about this here, or about the fact that when the angels serve at the resurrection, something similar to what happens under the king will happen. Indeed, (God) will say: let the dead rise! - and this will be carried out not by the power of angels, but by His word, just as if the king had commanded and said: let the prisoners come out, and let the servants lead them out, then they would have fulfilled this not by their own power, but as a result of the king’s command. Christ says about this and in another place: “And He will send His angels with a loud trumpet, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other” (Matthew 24:31), and everywhere you see angels hastening to fulfill God’s command. Consequently, the archangel, as I believe, is the leader of the messengers, who will call (to them): prepare everyone, the Judge is coming. What does it mean: in the last trumpet? This means that there will be many trumpets, and that the Judge will descend at the sound of the last trumpet. “And the dead in Christ will rise first; Then we who are left alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:16–18). If (the Lord) intends to come down, then why will we be raptured? For honor's sake. After all, even when the king enters the city, honorable citizens come out to meet him, and the criminals inside await the judge; and then, when the tender father returns, the children and those who deserve the name of children ride in a chariot (towards him) to see and greet him, and those of the household who insulted him remain at home. We will ride on the Father's chariot. Just as He caught Himself (the Lord) in the clouds (Acts 1:9), so we too will be caught up in the clouds. Do you see what an honor? We will meet the Descendant, and, what is most joyful, “for His mercy endures forever. Whoever speaks of the power of the Lord will declare all His praises” (Ps. 105:1-2)? What great blessings He has honored the human race! The dead will rise first, and thus they will all meet him together. Abel, who died first, will then come out to meet him along with the survivors, so that they will not have any advantage, and the decayed one, who has been lying in the ground for so many years, will meet him along with the living, just like everyone else. If they were waiting for us so that we too would be crowned, as (the apostle) says in another place: “God has provided something better for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us” (Heb. 11:40), then all the more should we wait for them. Or better: they were waiting for us, but we will not be there for them, because the resurrection will happen suddenly, “in the twinkling of an eye” (1 Cor. 15:52). The word “will be gathered” shows that they will be resurrected everywhere, and they will be gathered by angels. Consequently, resurrection is the work of almighty God, commanding the earth to return what was entrusted, without any assistance from servants, just as it was when the Lord called to Lazarus: “Lazarus! get out" (John 11:43); and bringing (the resurrected) will be the work of the servants. But if angels flow around (the earth) everywhere and gather (the resurrected), then how does it say here that (the resurrected) will be raptured? They will be raptured after (the Lord) descends, after (all nations) are gathered. All this will happen suddenly, and in such a way that no one will know in advance. Only when they see that the earth is shaking, that the dust is again united into one composition, at the same time bodies are rising everywhere, without any assistance from anyone, but only at the command (of the Lord), which alone is enough to free the earth, overflowing (of dead bodies), from this burden - imagine, in fact, that all the dead, no matter how many there are, from Adam until the coming (of the Lord), will rise then with their wives and children - when, I say, They will see such turmoil on earth, then only they will know (that the end of the World has come). Therefore, just as they could not foresee anything in advance regarding the birth according to the flesh (of the Lord), so then (they will not know anything in advance). 2. So, when this happens, then there will be the voice of the archangel commanding the angels and calling, and there will be trumpets, or rather the sound of trumpets. What fear, what horror will then embrace those remaining on earth! “One is taken and the other is left.” (Matthew 24:41); and “one will be taken, and the other will be left” (Luke 17:36). What will be the state of their souls when they see that others will be raptured and they will be abandoned! Will this not terrify them more than any Gehenna? Let us imagine in our minds that this is already happening. If sudden death, the destruction of cities by earthquakes and other terrifying events strike our souls so much, then what will be the state of our souls when we see that the earth opens up and its surface is covered with all the dead - when we hear the sound of trumpets and the voice of the archangel, which is louder than any trumpet - (when we see) that the heavens are twisted and the King of all - God - is coming? Let us tremble, I beg you, and fear as if this were already happening; Let us not reassure ourselves that this will not happen soon; After all, if this must inevitably happen, then slowing down will not help us at all. What fear then, what horror! Have you ever seen people being led to death? What do you think is the state of their souls when they go to the place of execution? Isn't it more painful than any death? What would they not dare to do and endure just to get rid of this gloomy fate? I heard from many who, by the king’s mercy, were returned from the place of execution, that at that time they did not recognize the people: their soul was in such confusion, horror and trembling. If physical death horrifies us so much, then how will we feel when eternal death comes? But what am I saying about those led to execution? They are surrounded at that time by a crowd of people, many of whom do not even know them. But if someone penetrated their souls, then, of course, he would not remain so cruel, nor so ruthless, nor so undaunted as not to be indignant himself and not feel fear and sorrow. Therefore, if complete strangers become confused to such an extent when others die a death that is no different from sleep, then what will our state be like when we ourselves are subjected to much greater (torment)? It is impossible, believe me, impossible to describe (this) suffering in words. True, they say; but God loves mankind and nothing like that will happen. Therefore, it was in vain that this was written? no, they say, but this is just a threat to make us come to our senses. If we do not come to our senses, but remain stuck in evil, then tell me, will (God) not send punishment? Therefore, He will not reward the virtuous? He will reward, they say, because it is His nature to do good beyond His merit. Thus it will actually and certainly follow; but there will be no punishments at all, and they are spoken about only for the sake of threat and instilling fear. I don't know how to assure you. If I say, “that their worm will not die and the fire will not be quenched” (Mark 9:44); if I say that they will go into eternal fire; If I point to a rich man who is already undergoing punishment, you will say that all this is just a threat. How can I assure you? Truly, this is a satanic thought, vainly caressing with mercy and plunging into carelessness! How can we destroy it? If we quote anything from the Scriptures, you will say that it is spoken as a threat. But this is how one can talk about the future, but one cannot talk about what has already come true and is completely accomplished. You have all heard about the flood. Is this really said as a threat? Was he really not there? And the antediluvian people said a lot of similar things, and for a hundred years, when the ark was being built, the trees were rallied and the righteous preached, no one was found who would believe. But since they did not believe the threat in words, they were punished in practice. The same will happen to us if we don’t believe. That is why the Lord compares His coming with the days of Noah: just as some did not believe that flood, so now many do not believe the flood of Gehenna. Is this really just a threat? Did this really not happen? Is it possible that the One who sent such an unexpected punishment then will not send it now? After all, what is being done now is not at all more excusable than what happened then. Why? Because then, it is said, the sons of God came in to the daughters of men (Gen. 6:4), and this confusion was a grave (crime), and now there is not a single type of evil that (people) would not dare to commit. So, do you believe that the flood happened, or does it seem like a fable to you? But the mountains on which the ark stopped, I mean the mountains of Armenia, testify to it. 3. However, from the great multitude (of evidence), I will give another, which will be clearer than what is indicated. Have any of you ever traveled to Palestine? I will no longer prove through words, but through events, although the former are more reliable than the latter, since what Scripture says is more reliable than what we see. So, have any of you ever traveled to Palestine? I think I was traveling. So what? Let those of you who saw those places be my witnesses to those who were not there. Above Ascalon and Gaza, at the very mouth of the Jordan River, there is a certain vast and fruitful country, or better said, it was, because now it is not like that. This country truly was like paradise. “Lot lifted up his eyes,” it is said, “and saw all the region around the Jordan, that it... all as far as Zoar was watered with water, like the garden of the Lord” (Gen. 13:10). This country, flourishing, not inferior to any countries, equal in fertility to the paradise of God, is now more deserted than all deserts. It is true that trees grow there and bear fruit; but this fruit is a monument to the wrath of God. Pomegranate apples grow there - I mean both the tree and the fruit, which have a beautiful appearance and offer many hopes to the unknowing; but when someone takes them in his hands, he breaks them and finds no fruit, but dust and ashes abundantly accumulated in them. The whole earth is like that there; even if you take stones, you will find them turned to ashes. But what am I saying about stone, trees and earth? There, both the air and the water suffered the same disastrous fate. Just as a body that has been exposed to fire and burned, although it retains its former appearance, image, size, and proportionality of parts in the midst of the fire, but has no life at all, so you see the earth there too, but there is nothing in it characteristic of earth, and everything is dust; you see trees and fruits, but they have nothing characteristic of trees and fruits; you see air and water, but they have nothing characteristic of either air or water, because they too have turned into ashes. How could the air burn? How could water burn while remaining water? You can only burn trees and stones, but it is impossible to burn air and water. Impossible for us, but possible for Him who created them. So, the air there is nothing more than fire, and the water is fire: everything is barren, everything is empty, everything serves as an image of the wrath that was before, a sign of the future. Are these threats only in words? Is this really just empty words? For me, what was said before is not incredible, and what I have not seen is just as reliable as what I have seen; and only this last thing can convince an unbeliever. Whoever does not believe in Gehenna, let him think about Sodom, let him remember about Gomorrah, about this former and still ongoing punishment. This foreshadows that the torment will be eternal. Is this speech difficult? But isn’t it hard when you say that there is no Gehenna, but God only threatens it - when you give the people a free hand? You yourself, by your unbelief, force me to say this. If you believed the words of Christ, then I would not be forced to lead you to faith, referring to events. But since you evade the former, then, willy-nilly or unwillingly, you will have to believe the latter. Really, what can you say about Sodom? Do you want to know the reason why this happened? There was one sin, of course, grave and worthy of damnation, but one sin: those who lived then burned with a frantic passion for the youths, and for this they suffered such punishment. And now many sins are being committed, both equal to and worse than this. Is it possible that the One who poured out such anger for one sin and did not pay attention either to the pleas of Abraham or to Lot, who lived in that city, who, in order to preserve the honor of His servants (Him), gave up his own daughters to be mocked, will spare us when we commit so many sins? Truly (such a thought) is mockery and idle talk, delusion and the devil’s deception. Do you want me to give you another example? Of course, you have heard about Pharaoh, the Egyptian king, and therefore you know about the execution that befell him, as well as how he drowned in the Red Sea with his chariots, horses and all his army. Do you want to know more examples? He may have been wicked, and not only that, but perhaps he really was wicked. Do you want to know that punishment also befalls those who, although they believe in God and heed His teaching, yet live unrighteously? Listen to what Paul says: “Let us not commit fornication, as some of them committed fornication, and in one day twenty-three thousand of them perished. Let us not tempt Christ, as some of them tempted and were killed by snakes. Do not murmur, as some of them murmured and were killed by the destroyer” (1 Cor. 10:8-10). If fornication and murmuring were so disastrous, then what will our (sins) not produce? If God does not send punishment now, do not be surprised, because they did not know about Gehenna, and therefore were immediately punished; and when you sin, even if you have not suffered any punishment here, you will be punished there. Then, will He who subjected those who were less experienced and sinned so much to such severe punishment forgive us? This would be contrary to reason. We deserve greater punishment, even if we have committed the same sins as them. Why? Because we have been granted greater grace. And when we sin more and more seriously than them, then what punishment should we undergo? Those (however, let no one think that by saying this I am surprised at them, or excuse them - not at all: when God punishes, then the one who holds the opposite opinion does it at the instigation of the devil; therefore, I say this not with the purpose of praising or excusing them, but to show our own corruption), those, I say, if they grumbled, then (did it) when they were wandering in the desert; and we grumble, living in our fatherland and staying in our own homes. Those, even if they committed fornication, then (did it) when they were barely removed from the Egyptian abominations and had almost never heard of this law; and we commit fornication, having received saving commandments from our ancestors; therefore, they deserve greater punishment. Do you want to know other plagues that they suffered in Palestine - famine, pestilence, war, captivity from both the Babylonians and Assyrians, disasters from the Macedonians, under Hadrian and Vespasian? I would like, beloved, to tell you something else; but I’m afraid that you will move away from me, and therefore, first of all, I’ll tell you something else. There was once a famine, says (Scripture), and the king went around the city walls; then a certain wife, approaching him, said the following words: king, “that woman said to me: “Give me your son, we will eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.” And we cooked my son and ate him. And I told her the next day: “Give me your son, and we will eat him. But she hid her son” (2 Kings 6:28–29). What is more terrible than this misfortune? In another place, “the prophet says: The hands of soft-hearted women boiled their children” (Lam. 4:10). So, if the Jews suffered such a punishment, will we not suffer much more? 4. Do you want to know about other disasters (that befell) them? Read Josephus (Flavius) and you will learn their whole sad story. At least with this, perhaps, we will assure you that Gehenna exists. Judge for yourself: if the Jews were punished, then why should we remain unpunished? Or: how is it possible that we are not punished, although we have sinned more than them? Is it not because (so we think) that punishment only awaits us ahead? But, if you like, I will also show how different individuals were punished separately. Cain killed his brother. A truly terrible crime: who will deny it? For this he suffered a punishment both heavy and equal to countless deaths - one to which he would have preferred death a thousand times over. Listen to what he himself says: “Now you are driving me from the face of the earth, and I will hide from Your presence, and I will be an exile and a wanderer on the earth; and whoever meets me will kill me” (Gen. 4:14). But tell me, don’t many people still do the same thing as him? Isn’t that what you do when you kill a brother – not a carnal one, but a spiritual one? Do you not kill him, although not with weapons, but in some other way, when, being able to satisfy his hunger, you neglected to do so? So what? Isn't anyone jealous of their brother these days? Isn't anyone putting his life in danger? True, they are not punished for this here; but they will be punished. Then, one who did not know the written law, nor the prophets, nor saw great signs, is subjected to such a severe punishment; and another who committed the same crime and was not even brought to his senses by such examples, will really remain unpunished? Where is God's truth? Where is His goodness? Also: someone who collected wood on the Sabbath was stoned for it, despite the fact that the commandment (about the Sabbath) is not so important and lower than circumcision. So, he who gathered wood on the Sabbath was stoned; meanwhile others, who have often committed countless illegal acts, will go away without punishment? Therefore, if there is no Gehenna, then where is justice, where is impartiality? Moreover, (the Lord) subjected many others to similar punishment who did not keep the Sabbath. Also: another, a certain son of Charmia (Achar), for stealing an item brought as a gift to God, was stoned with all his family. So what? Was there really not a single blasphemer after that? Also: Saul, who spared (the enemy) contrary to God’s command, suffered a heavy punishment: was it really possible that after that no one spared (the enemies)? Oh, if only we did this and did not devour each other - becoming fiercer than animals - contrary to God's command! However, no one fell in battle for this. Also: the sons of Eli suffered the most severe punishment along with their father because they ate (meat) before incense. But really (after that) there was not a single father who neglected his children, or were there no depraved children? However, no one was punished. When will they suffer if there is no Gehenna? Countless other examples can be given. So what? Were not Ananias and Sapphira immediately punished for withholding part of what they had dedicated to God? But really, after that no one did anything like this? Why didn't they receive equal punishment? So, are you convinced that there is Gehenna, or do you need more examples? Let us turn to what is not committed to writing, but is now happening in life: after all, we need to survey this subject from everywhere, so as not to cause harm to ourselves through unwise indulgence. Do you not see many in misfortune, crippled, suffering many different calamities, while others enjoy prosperity? Why are some punished for murder and others not? Listen to what Paul says: “Some people’s sins are obvious and lead directly to condemnation, but some are revealed later” (1 Timothy 5:24). How many murderers escaped punishment! So many tomb robbers! But let's leave it at that. How many people you don’t know who are suffering cruel punishments! Some are subject to long-term illness, others to incessant torment, others to countless other disasters. Therefore, when you see that any person dared to do something similar to what they (did), or even more, and did not suffer punishment, then will you not agree, even against your will, that Gehenna exists? Imagine those who were severely punished here before you; think that God is no respecter of persons, and that you, having committed countless crimes, have not suffered any punishment - the thought of Gehenna will be born in your mind. God has planted it so deeply in us that there has never been a single person who did not have an idea about it. And poets, and philosophers, and fabulists, and all people in general talked about reward beyond the grave and talked about the punishment of many in hell. If what they said is fabulous, then what we said is not fabulous. I told you this not just to instill fear in you and to depress your souls, but to make them more self-controlled and meek. I myself, even more than others, would like there to be no punishment. Why? Because each of you fears only for his own soul; and I will be held accountable for this leadership as well, so that it will be impossible for me more than anyone else to avoid Gehenna. But it cannot be that there will be no punishment and Gehenna. What should I do? Again doubt arises, again they say: where is God’s love for mankind? Everywhere! But I will talk more about this at another time, so as not to obscure the words about Gehenna. Now, let us not lose the benefit that we have now received from what has been said about Gehenna, since it is an important benefit to be convinced of the existence of Gehenna. Remembering what was said about her, constantly remaining in our thoughts, like some kind of caustic medicine, will destroy all malice. Let us use this medicine so that, by cleansing our hearts with it, we will be worthy to see what “neither eye has seen, nor ear has not heard, nor has entered into the heart of man” (1 Cor. 2:9), which may we all be worthy of by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father with the Holy Spirit be glory, power, honor, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen. 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