WHAT IS ESCHATOLOGY?

       -Eschatology is from the Greek words ‘Eskhatos’ which means ‘Last or End’ and ‘Logia’ or ‘Study.’ So, Eschatology is the Study of the Last things.

WHAT ARE THE FOUR LAST THINGS OF MAN?

The Four Last Things or the ‘Quattuor Novissima” are the following:

       *Death – Separation of Body and Soul (cf. CCC 1016)

       *Judgement - Particular Judgement is the judgment received by man after his death while Final Judgement is received by a man during the Second coming of Jesus Christ

       *Heaven- a place of God and his saints (cf. CCC 326, 1023, 1024)

       *Hell- a place of the damned or Eternal Damnation (cf. CCC 633)

WHAT DOES THE CHURCH TEACH?

DEATH

-Death is the Separation of the Body and Soul. (CCC 1016)

JUDGEMENT

       -After death there comes Judgement. (CCC 1022; Heb. 9:27)

PURGATORY

       -State of those who die in God’s friendship but who still need their sins to be expiated (through the merits of Christ) and who should grow spiritually before enjoying the beatific vision. (CCC 1030; A Concise Dictionary of Theology, pp. 217)

       -This teaching is also based on the practice of prayer for the dead, already mentioned in Sacred Scripture: "Therefore [Judas Maccabeus] made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin."609 From the beginning the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God. The Church also commends almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead: (CCC 1032; 2 Macc. 12:46)

HEAVEN

       -Those who die in God's grace and friendship and are perfectly purified live for ever with Christ. They are like God for ever, for they "see him as he is," face to face: (CCC 1023)

HELL

       -The teaching of the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity. 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, "eternal fire." The chief punishment of hell is eternal separation from God, in whom alone man can possess the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs. (CCC 1035)

WHAT DOES THE EARLY CHURCH TEACH?

       -Early Christian Inscription 34 (c. A.D 150) “My mother is Eucharis and my father is Pius. I pray you, O brethren, to pray when you come here, and to ask in your common prayers the Father and the Son. May it be in your minds to remember dear Agape that the omnipotent God may keep Agape safe forever

       - Acts of Paul and Thecla (c. A.D. 160) “And after the exhibition, Tryphaena again receives her. For her daughter Falconilla had died, and said to her in a dream: Mother, you shall have this stranger Thecla in my place, so that she may pray for me, and that I may be transferred to the place of the just”

       -St. Cyril of Jerusalem in his Catechetical Lectures 23:9 (c. A.D. 350) “Then we commemorate also those who have fallen asleep before us, first patriarchs, prophets, apostles, martyrs, that at their prayers and intercessions God will receive our petition. Then on behalf of the holy fathers and bishops who have fallen asleep before us, and in a word all who in past years have fallen asleep among us, believing that it will be a very great benefit to the souls for whom the supplication is put up, while that holy and most awful sacrifice is set forth”

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE TEACH?

       -Psalm 7:11 “God is a righteous judge…” A man who has a grave sin, will also receive a grave punishment but a man who has lesser sin will also receive lesser punishment (Luke 12:48). It is not fair for God [who is righteous judge] that a small sin is punished with a grave one which is Hell.

       -Revelation 21:27 “But nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life...” Since a small sin has a lesser punishment and those who have stains cannot enter Heaven, hence, there must be a place for those who are not pure to be cleansed.

       -1 Corinthians 3:15 “…the builder will be saved, but only as through fire...”  This fire that a man must go through is called the ‘Cleansing Fire’ that can be found in Purgatory.

       - Hebrews 12:6-11 “for the Lord disciplines those whom he loves,

and chastises every child whom he accepts.… Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it..”

       -1 Peter 3:19 “…Spirits in prison” This is not Heaven since in heaven there is no spirit imprisoned since they are rejoicing there, this can’t be Hell. For if you are imprisoned you can still get out of there one day but once you are in Hell, you can’t get rid of that place that is why it is called ‘ETERNAL DAMNATION.’ But the Church uses this to prove “Limbus Patrum or Abraham’s Bosom” hence, this opens the possibility that there is a place that is not Heaven nor Hell, where the souls of the just yet unworthy are staying.

       -Philippians 2:10 “so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,” Heaven, on earth the place where we live, under the earth this is the ‘Abode of the Dead’ now called as ‘Purgatory’

THEREFORE, THE TEACHING ON PURGATORY CAN BE FOUND IN THE BIBLE AND NOT JUST A MAN-MADE DOCTRINE