The Last Things - Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell

Objectives

1. Understand the teachings of the Catholic Church about death, judgment, heaven, and hell.

2. Value God’s love, mercy, and justice.

3. Commit to live a life that is geared toward heaven. 

Expanded Outline

I. Introduction: 

Who wants to go to heaven? All of us want to go to heaven. The good news is this, God wants all of us to go to heaven. 

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but will have eternal life.” John 3:16

God loves us so much that He gave us Jesus so that by believing in Him we can all go to heaven. His love is manifested when Jesus offered His life to be sacrificed so that all of us will have an eternity with Him. Through the sacrifice of Jesus, we have received God’s mercy and forgiveness which enable us to be with Him in heaven. This great love of God for us is even magnified by giving us the incredible gift of freedom to choose. 

II. Heaven or Hell

God has allowed us to have the freedom to either accept or reject Him. He has given us the freedom to choose to eternally be with Him (Heaven) or be eternally separated from Him (Hell). That is why it is important that while we are still alive, we must decide where we want to go after we die. Do we want to go to heaven or do we want to go to hell?  All of us must make that decision by choosing to live a life with the end in mind. Why? Because there is one thing certain in this world, all of us will eventually die. 

A. Death

While we are alive God has given us an entire lifetime on earth to make that irrevocable decision where to stay for all eternity. Indeed, not only is this the “time” for choosing, but this is the only “time” there will be “time” at all.

The Catholic Church teaches that “death puts an end to human life as the time open to either accepting or rejecting the divine grace manifested in Christ (CCC 1021).” Meaning, that while we are still alive, God continues to offer us His mercy and forgiveness. He continues to call us into repentance and renewal. But once we are dead, the gift of freedom to choose where you want to stay for all eternity also ends. 

B. Judgement (Particular Judgement)

Once we are dead, then, we will immediately face the consequences of our life choices of living for Christ or rejecting Christ. Our catechism is very clear on this when it teaches that “each man receives his eternal retribution in his immortal soul at the very moment of his death, in a particular judgment that refers his life to Christ: either entrance into the blessedness of heaven-through a purification or immediately, or immediate and everlasting damnation (CCC 1022).” Meaning, when die we will immediately face God’s justice. We are to immediately face heaven, hell, or purgatory. The Church calls this our “particular judgement”. It is because it happens upon death. We will still face a “general judgement” when Jesus comes again.

C. Heaven

Our catechism teaches that for those who die in God's grace and friendship and are perfectly purified live forever with Christ (CCC 1023). They are the ones who will immediately enter “Heaven”. They are the ones who will live in a perfect life with the Most Holy Trinity - this communion of life and love with the Trinity, with the Virgin Mary, the angels and all the blessed. It is the ultimate end and fulfillment of the deepest human longings, the state of supreme, definitive happiness (CCC 1024). This is because “to live in heaven is “to be with Christ (CCC 1025).”

D. Purgatory

For those of us who dies in God’s grace and friendship but still needs to go to purification will immediately go to purgatory. Our catechism teaches us that “all who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven (CCC 1030).”

If we were sent into purgatory, it is not for us to experience punishment and damnation; rather it is for us to experience purification. It is a place where we are purified from the consequences of our sins that we have repented while we are still living. The purgatory is a manifestation of God’s justice. That even if we are already forgiven, we still need to make restitution and purification. To help those in purgatory to be purified those who are still alive are encouraged to offer prayers and lift them up at mass. 

E. Hell

For those who will die “in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God's merciful love by their own free choice, will go to hell (CCC 1033).”  In CCC 1034 it explains that immediately after death, the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell, where they suffer the punishments of hell, which is the eternal separation from God. 

This proves to us that the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity. This reality should lead all of us to reflect upon our life choices and encourage us to continue living in repentance and renewal. 

Despite it being real, we need to also understand that God predestines no one to go to hell; But if we will persist in our sins and continue to reject Him, then we will suffer its consequences.

Death, judgement, heaven, and hell – these topics is what the Church call the last four things. It is greatly explained by the study of Eschatology. This refers to the area of our Christian faith which is concerned about “the last things”, and the coming of Jesus – all of which are contained in the final articles of the Creed (CCC 1001, 1020-1050; cf. 2771).

III. Questioning Hell

For thousands of years, we have held these last four things to be true. Yet, recently, there have been a lot of confusion about these teachings of the Church especially when it comes to the reality and existence of hell. It is quite disturbing that these doubts come from high-ranking prelates and renowned theologians. Even the Pope Francis has been misquoted when he discussed it to his journalist friend who happens to be an atheist. So, today let us try to clarify these things. 

A. Does Hell Exist?

The answer to that question is YES! Our catechism teaches that the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity (1035). 

The scripture also contains a lot of verses stating the existence of hell:

1. Revelation 20:10

2. Revelation 20:14-15

3. Revelation 21:8

4. Matthew 25:41-46

5. Matthew 13: 41-42, 47-50

Some Saints have had visions of hell where the damned person also suffers pain.

1. Bl. Anne Catherine Emmerich: “No one could behold without trembling”

2. St. Teresa of Avila: “On fire, and torn to pieces”

3. St. John Bosco: “Indescribable terror”

4. St. Maria Faustyna Kowalska: “A place of great torture”

5. Sr. Lucy Visionary of Fatima: “Shrieks and groans of pain and despair”

B. If Hell Exists, Is it Empty?

The answer to that question is NO! Scripture tells us that the fallen angels who rebelled against God are in Hell. Jesus proclaims that there will be people in Gehenna. In his parables, Jesus used the story of the narrow gate to explain that there will be people who choose to be in Hell. Then our catechism teaches us that there are also people in hell. CCC 1034 teaches us that Jesus “solemnly proclaim[ed]” that Christ will, in fact, “pronounce the condemnation: ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire!'”. Jesus' words tell us that there will be people who will persist in rejecting Him. There will be people who will choose to be separated from Him. So, we know for a fact that it is not empty. 

C. Who are in Hell and How Many are in It?

The answer to that question is WE DO NOT KNOW! The Church teaches that there is hell and there are people in it, but it does not judge who (particularly) is in it and even how many souls are in hell. Such judgment is for God alone. Even those individuals who appear to have lived contrary to Christ’s teachings may still be saved through repentance. The Church emphasizes the possibility of conversion for each person and trusts in the mercy and love of God, for a soul’s relationship with God is largely hidden from others, and it is difficult to know publicly whether one has repented of sin. 

IV. Gearing Towards Heaven

God has given us Jesus so that we can have salvation through Him. Yet, he has given us another gift that will help and preserve us to choose Jesus every day – The Catholic Church.

The Church being the bride of Christ does not judge us on behalf of Christ rather she points us to the path of our salvation. It offers to help us gain our eternal life by allowing us to grow in our relationship with God. It instructs us how to live a life that is pleasing to God. It helps us to receive the sacraments which give us the foretaste of heaven. Among these sacraments are those that aid in the restoration of our relationship with Christ such as the Sacrament of Confession and the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. These sacraments nourish our souls and help it to be ready for the day of our judgment. By remaining faithful to God and to the Church we can be assured of the grace to reach heaven. 

Conclusion

At the end of time, the Kingdom of God will come in its fullness. Then the just will reign with Christ forever, glorified in body and soul, and the material universe itself will be transformed. God will then be "all in all" (1 Cor 15:28), in eternal life. (CCC 1060)

Each one of us will encounter our own personal “End of the World” at some point in our life. When that moment comes there will only be the Four Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell. Let us not be afraid to face it for we know that while we are living, we strive to be right with God. Let us not be afraid for at the hour of death, we can surrender our life to God. And He who knows our heart will surely bring us to our eternal reward. 

Discussion Questions:

Do my life choices right now prepare me to go to Heaven or Hell?