LIFE AFTER DEATH   o  ·   1  ·   2  ·   3  ·   4  ·   5     6     7  ·   8  ·   9  ·   10  ·   o   © Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos   THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST The coming of Christ in glory The resurrection of the dead The coming judgement   [ BACK ] 6. THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST

All the events connected with the Second Coming of Christ are called eschatological, because they refer to the last day, to the things which will happen after the end of the present world. We usually speak of the end of history, but this does not fully express the reality, since history is not only historical events but refers also to the lives of the saints. The saints' lives after death and the lives of men after the Second Coming of Christ do not constitute a `meta-historical epoch', but a historical epoch: it is the history of the saints. Just as the world is not destroyed, but renewed, just as man does not disappear but is transformed, so also history never ends but its content and life change.

Therefore when we speak of eschatological events, we mean properly all those things which will take place at the Second Coming of Christ to judge men. So we are waiting for those eschatological events, but we can still say that as far as the way of life is concerned, the last things are already present, since the saints are enjoying the Kingdom of God now. As we shall verify in what follows, the saints are now having a foretaste of all that is to be revealed in the `last times'. In terms of time we are waiting for the last things; in terms of way of life the last things are coming and being experienced by the saints.

In this chapter we shall concern ourselves with three specific topics, which are connected with the eschatological events related to the Second Coming of Christ. First we shall refer generally to the Second Coming of Christ, secondly we shall develop the theological truth about the resurrection of the body, and thirdly we shall look into the judgement, which is connected with the coming of Christ and the resurrection of the body.

In the entire Biblico-patristic tradition it is said that Christ will come again into the world to judge the people. It is a truth which Christians cannot doubt.

Christ Himself, in the passage about the coming judgement, speaks of His coming again in glory: "When the Son of Man comes in His glory” (Matt. 25, 31). The "when”is not hypothetical, but temporal, which means that there will be a time when Christ will come into the world, and with great glory. And in another place Christ said: "Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds” (Mark 13, 26).

In the Book of Acts where Christ's ascension is described, it says that the angels said to the astonished disciples: "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven will so come in like manner as you saw him go into heaven” (Acts 1, 11). The way in which He will come back to earth will be the same in which He was taken up.

The Apostle Paul teaches that all who are living at the time when the Son of Man comes, and certainly all who are righteous, will be caught up "in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thess. 4, 17). And in the Revelation it is written: "Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see him” (Rev. 1, 7).

These passages, which are representative, indicate that the faithful believe unshakeably that Christ will come to the earth to judge people, at which time the end of this world will come and the new life will begin. Therefore in the Creed we confess: "and He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead, Whose Kingdom will have no end".

In Holy Scripture there are many expressions which point to the coming of Christ. We shall introduce some of these, the most indicative ones.

First, the second coming of Christ is characterised as a day, and especially the day of the Lord and the day of Judgement. The Apostle Peter writes: "But the day of the Lord will come” (2 Pet. 3, 10). The Apostle Paul in one place characterises it as "the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 1, 8) and in another as the day on which all will be revealed (1 Cor. 3, 13). But John the Evangelist calls it the day of judgement (1 Jn. 4, 17). It is called a day because, compared to the present life, which is darkness, it expresses a new reality. The image of the day is not unrelated to the image of the sun. Since Christ is the sun of righteousness, Who will appear then, it is therefore called a day.

John the Evangelist links this day with the last things and characterises it as the last day. In the Gospel according to John Christ Himself speaks about the last day. At one point he says that He will raise man up "at the last day” (Jn. 6, 40). Here the word `day', which is connected with the last things, points more to the last day before the beginning of the Kingdom of God, when it is connected more with the end of the present life.

The day of the Lord is inseparably linked with the coming of Christ. For precisely this reason other expressions are used to refer to this reality. It is characterised as a day of the appearing of the glory of God (Tit. 2, 13). Also it speaks of the day of "our Lord Jesus Christ's appearing” (1 Tim. 6, 14). At other times it is linked with the word `coming', because the Lord will be present. The disciples ask Christ: "And what will be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?” (Matt. 24, 3).

On that day the glory of God will be revealed, and all people, even those who did not know it before, will see it. The Apostle Peter speaks of the revelation of the glory of God (1 Pet. 4, 13), and the Apostle Paul speaks of the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ "from heaven with His mighty angels” (2 Thess. 1, 7).

These passages which we have mentioned show the faith of the Church, which rests as firmly on the revealing words of Christ Himself as on the assurance of the Apostles that the day will come on which this world will end and Christ will come to judge the people, who will have been raised when their souls enter their bodies once more and they appear at the dread judgement seat.

While it is certain that Christ will come to judge the people, nevertheless, as it seems in Holy Scripture, that great and remarkable day is unknown. Christ Himself said to His disciples: "But of that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Mark 13, 32). And when after His resurrection the disciples thought that that day had come, Christ relieved them of false notions and said: "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority” (Acts 1, 7).

To be sure, when Christ says that no one else knows that hour except the Father, He does not mean that He Himself as God does not know it. The fact is that men and the angels do not know it. But what the Father knows, the Son knows as well. St. Symeon the New Theologian, interpreting this fact, says: "no one knows except the Holy Trinity, the one and undivided deity". The Trinitarian God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who have a common essence and nature, knows the hour when the world will end and Christ will come. The words of Christ that the Son does not know this hour, "is said in his nature as man, not in his divinity"¹. That is to say, here Christ was referring to His human nature, not to His divine nature, and clearly He wanted to show that the creature cannot know the hour and day of the end of the world and of His coming.

The day and hour of the Second Coming of Christ not only is unknown, but will come suddenly. Christ, revealing this truth, says that it will happen like lightning. Just as lightning appears from one end to the other, "so also the Son of Man will be in His day” (Lk. 17, 24).

The Apostle Paul uses another image to show the suddenness of the coming of Christ. Just as the thief does not give advance notice of his coming, but enters the house entirely unexpectedly, so will it be with that day: "For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night” (1 Thess. 5, 1-2). In His own time the "blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords” (1 Tim. 6, 15) will manifest the day of His coming.

The suddenness of that day appears also in another passage in Holy Scripture. Christ, teaching about the unknown great day of His appearing, says that two men will be in a field and one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left (Matt. 24, 40-41). The Apostle Paul, referring to this fact, says that all who are alive on that day and have not died will be changed in a moment of time. "We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed - in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet” (1 Cor. 15, 51-52).

Apart from that day's being unknown and sudden, there are several signs which indicate its coming. No one can know this fact perfectly, but according to the depth of one's preparation, one's watchfulness, one can understand how crucial the times are from external signs. These are described by Christ Himself (Matt. 24).

The basic signs, as Christ describes them, are that the gospel will be proclaimed in all creation, there will be a great uprising of people in the universe, and many false prophets will appear. The antichrist, with many wonders and signs which he will perform will attempt to lead even the chosen ones astray. Wars, famines, persecutions, earthquakes, and so forth, will prevail.

We must say, however, that even from these facts it is difficult to conceive the end of the world and the coming of Christ. The Church cultivates eschatological preaching but at the same time it declares that it is not an easy matter to interpret the facts of every generation. Only those who are illuminated and have a revelation from God know dimly that it is about events which precede Christ's appearing, with the sole purpose of leading the people to repentance and a return to God.

So it is the conviction of the Church that Christ is to come again to judge the people, but that the day and hour are unknown. Only those who have an illumined nous can dimly realise from the various events that the days are approaching, but again they do not know the coming of that day, according to what Christ said. Therefore in the Orthodox Church we avoid defining the times and seasons in which we think these eschatological events will take place.

The holy Fathers also see things in this way. In what follows we shall refer to several very indicative passages from the patristic teaching.

First. What is said about the judgement of the people which will follow the coming of Christ is "difficult to explain”because, according to St. Symeon the New Theologian, it is not about events present and visible, but about future and invisible ones. Hence the need for much prayer, much zeal, much purity of spirit on the part of those who speak and those who hear. This is essential so that the speakers may know well and the hearers may be able to listen intelligently².

This message from St. Symeon the New Theologian - whom we shall recall later as well when we refer to the judgement to be established at the coming of Christ - is of considerable interest, because it is the object of many errors. There are people who speak about the eschatological events quite anthropocentrically, in many ways falsifying the passages in Scripture and the Fathers, thus leading people into errors and discouragement. Likewise there are others who understand the words of Scripture and the Fathers according to their conceptions. Hence the need for spiritual prudence and much discrimination in order that the message may be understood and lead to repentance. For what leads to psychological fear and human despair is not orthodox. By contrast, what is genuine and orthodox leads man, through spiritual fear, to hope in God, to repentance and prayer.

Second. St. Symeon the New Theologian says that the day of Christ's coming is called the day of the Lord not because it is the last of the earthly days nor because Christ is expected to come on that day, nor yet because men will be judged on that day, "but because the very God and Lord of the universe will shine at this time in the glory of His godhead". And again this day is called the day of the Lord because of the shining of the light of the godhead and not because of a simple appearing. Just as during the day all the stars are extinguished by the light of the sun, the same also will happen on that day. All visible things will give way and make room for the Maker of heaven and earth. And he who now is invisible to all eyes will then uniquely be both "day and God". And thus for the saints it will be a day of eternal joy. For the sinners who have not seen this light in their life through being purified, Christ will be inaccessible in the future³.

Third. In Holy Scripture, when it speaks of the coming of Christ, lightning, clouds, trumpets, thrones and other images are mentioned. St. Gregory Palamas says that the message of the Second Coming of Christ is condescending. All these happenings indeed are beyond the human nous, human reason and sense. Christ knows precisely all the things that are to happen, but "He descends to the level of the capacity of those being taught"⁴. Human nature is accustomed to these human and sensible facts, and so it can understand eschatological events in this way. This is why Christ by condescension uses such images and representations.

There will indeed be a judgement, there will be rejoicing of the righteous and pain of the sinners, there will be Hell and Paradise, but these are not things of the senses, since we know very well from the patristic tradition that it is not a question of created things. Yet even the fire of Hell is not created and sensory, but uncreated. The reader must be patient until he studies the relevant chapter of this book entitled "Paradise and Hell", in order to be convinced of how all these things are understood.

Thus we should not stop at the sensory examples and lose the essence of what is said. Nor indeed should we simply look at the essence of these things, scorning the examples. For since Christ used them, we should keep them and explain their deeper meaning, leading people to repentance and not to fearlessness.

Fourth. The Second Coming of Christ is compared with His coming. When we speak of the First Coming, we mean Christ's becoming man and when we speak of the Second Coming, we mean the coming of Christ to judge men. There is a clear difference between the First and the Second Coming.

St. Gregory Palamas presents the difference between these two Comings. He says that at the first Coming the glory of His divinity was hidden beneath the flesh, which he assumed from us and for our salvation. And still now the glory of His divinity is hidden in the Father with His flesh that is identically God. But then at His Second Coming "His whole glory will be revealed". Then there will appear a brightness shining round the ends of the world with the rays of His divinity. And interpreting Christ's words "when the Son of Man comes in His glory and all the holy angels with Him", he says that at His first coming He brought the angels and was surrounded by the angelic ranks, but invisibly, and He restrained their zeal against the heretics. But at the Second Coming He will come openly with His angels, in all His glory and majesty⁵.

Fifth. In the works of St. Symeon the New Theologian we can find another truth also in relation to the Second Coming of Christ, and likewise in relation to the judgement of men. St. Symeon makes an extensive analysis, saying that the Second Coming of Christ and the judgement to come will be chiefly for the sinners, who are living in passions and sin, but not for the saints, who are already experiencing the Paradise of Christ. As many as are children of that light and are sons of the coming day, "on them the day of the Lord will never come". To be sure, Christ will come to judge men, but these have been judged in this life and the tribunal will not follow. The presence of Christ will be a promise of joy and delight. When the Christian in fear and trembling keeps the commandments of Christ and lives in repentance, he becomes united with that light, and so in reality in this life he passes through the judgement. He who is deified is baptised by the divine fire and the Holy Spirit "and becomes all pure, all undefiled, a son of light and day, and no longer of mortal man"⁶.

I shall quote an astonishing passage from St. Symeon the New Theologian, because I cannot leave it behind without comment, but also it is not possible to say it in my own words. "Such a man is not judged by the judgement and justice to come, for he has been judged beforehand, and he is not censured by that light, for he has been enlightened beforehand, nor is he tested or burned on entering that fire, for he has been tested beforehand, it is not then, in his opinion, that the day of the Lord appears, for it has became altogether one bright and shining day, thanks to the conversation and company of God.

What St. Symeon says is astonishing. I would like to comment on the fact that the judgement takes place essentially in this life. The person who sees the light is baptised with the Holy Spirit and does not take into account the day of the Lord, because by his association with God he is wholly a bright and shining day. We must note the word `association', which refers to the man's communion with God. Actually, since the man is wholly bright and shining day, since he is wholly light, he cannot distinguish the coming of day. This day is his own existential fact.

So in this way the Second Coming will appear mainly to the sinners, who have lived with passions during their present life and not kept the commandments of God. For the saints it is a natural state, which they are experiencing now. Certainly the saints are awaiting the Second Coming of Christ, in order that their bodies which are now living in corruption may also rise again, so that the whole man may taste the rich gifts of the great day and of the appearance in glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore the Second Coming of Christ is an indisputable fact, since it is witnessed by the apocalyptical word of God, by the assurance of the Apostles and by the experiences of the saints, who are already living the Kingdom of God.

Also closely connected with the Second Coming of Christ is the resurrection of the dead, which is a very firm belief of the Church, and that is why in the Creed we confess: "I believe in the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come".

When we speak of the resurrection of the dead, we mean the resurrection of their bodies, that indeed their souls will again enter the dead bodies and they will be made alive and so the whole man will come together again. This is very natural and justified because souls never die ontologically, because the immortality of the soul is a gift given by God from the beginning. The bodies die, and so when we say resurrection of the dead we always mean the resurrection of the body.

At this point too we can see the difference in the approaches of philosophy and orthodoxy to the resurrection of the body. Classical philosophy can never accept the view that the bodies will be raised, simply because it believes in the naturally immortal soul and naturally mortal body. According to the ancient philosophical view, the naturally immortal soul, which was previously in the world of ideas, was enclosed in the body as in a prison, and therefore the salvation and redemption of the soul means its liberaton from the body. In this sense the body is bad and the imprisonment of the soul in it constitutes and expresses its fall.

This explains the fact that the Athenians reacted when the Apostle Paul spoke about the resurrection of the dead on Mars Hill. The Apostle Paul was speaking about Christ who would come to judge the world. Among other things he said: "He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all, by raising him from the dead". At this point the Athenians interrupted him, as the Acts of the Apostles point out: "And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, `We will hear you again on this matter'” (Acts 17, 31-32). This reaction was not unrelated to the conception, incomprehensible to them, of the resurrection of dead bodies.

However, in the whole biblico-patristic tradition it appears clearly nevertheless that there will be bodily resurrection in order for the whole man to be put together. For not even the separation of his soul from his body caused man to lose his hypostasis, his personhood.

In what follows we shall attempt to look very briefly at what Holy Scripture and the patristic tradition say about the resurrection of our bodies, but also about what the bodies will be like in the life after the Second Coming of Christ. It will be seen that this constitutes a firm faith and a basic mark of the Orthodox Tradition. Besides, the assumption of human nature by Christ, and its deification, the fact that the flesh which Christ assumed from His All-holy Mother is identically God, as well as the fact that in Christ the divine is always united with human nature, shows the value of the body. The body was not evil from the beginning, it is not the prison of the soul, it is a positive creation of God.

First we must refer to some passages from Holy Scripture which speak of the resurrection of the body.

The prophet Isaiah acknowledges: "The dead shall rise, and those in the tomb shall be raised, and those in the earth shall rejoice” (Is. 27, 19). The book of the prophet Ezekiel presents an astonishing event of resurrection of bodies, where it appears that at the word of God the dry bones acquired nerves, flesh, and skin, and then the spirit, that is, the soul, was given (Ez. 37, 1-14). This supreme miraculous event shows how the resurrection of bodies will be at the Second Coming of Christ, and therefore the Church reads this passage at the burial service, even when we go back into the church after the procession. The resurrection of Christ is the prelude to our own resurrection, because Christ, by His death and Resurrection, conquered the power of death and gave to all men the gift of the resurrection to come.

The Jews had an unshakeable faith in the future resurrection of the dead. It is characteristic that at Christ's meeting with Lazarus' sister Martha after Lazarus' death, Christ assured her that her brother whould rise again. Martha then answered: "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day” (Jn. 11, 22-23).

The three resurrections which Christ performed, that of the daughter of Jairus, that of the son of the widow of Nain, and that of Lazarus, as well as His own resurrection which came about through His divinity, are assurances and prefaces to the resurrection of all men at the Second Coming of Christ.

In Christ's teaching we find many passages which refer to the resurrection of the dead. In one of His talks Christ said: "the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice” (Jn. 5, 28). At another time He said: "I am the resurrection and the life” (Jn. 11, 25).

The holy Apostles accepted this teaching, and it was spread widely in their letters. Especially the Apostle Paul many times spoke of the resurrection of the body in the letters that he sent to the Churches which he created. Because they were in idolatrous surroundings, where the concept was widespread that the body is evil, the Church had felt that influence. We shall cite some characteristic passages.

To the Romans he refers to the redemption of the body, clearly touching on the theme of the resurrection of the body: "even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body” (Rom. 8, 23). To the Thessalonians he says that the resurrection will come about by the power of Christ, at His Second Coming. "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first” (1 Thess. 4, 16).

In the texts of Holy Scripture we see not only the faith of the Church in the resurrection of the dead at the Second Coming of Christ, but also how these bodies will be. We know from the whole Orthodox Tradition that the bodies will be spiritual.

Christ declares that in the future life men will not have the elements of carnality. It is known that after the fall man was clothed in corruptibility and mortality, and consequently the way of his conception, pregnancy, suckling, belongs to the fallen life which, to be sure, God blessed for the increase of mankind. But after the resurrection all these states will be abolished and men will live as angels. Christ says: "But those who are counted worthy to attain that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; nor can they die any more, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection” (Luke 20, 35-36).

While the bodies of the saints are now having a foretaste of the glory of God, since they have the uncreated grace of Christ, at that time they will be transformed and become bodies of glory. The Apostle Paul says that Christ "will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to his glorious body...” (Philip. 3, 21). As the body of Christ shines with divinity, so will also the bodies of the righteous shine in heaven. There will of course be a great difference between the body of Christ and the bodies of the saints. For the divine-human body was a source of the uncreated grace of God, while the bodies of the saints are made holy by the grace of God. Besides, we know very well from our tradition that man receives theosis, while Christ makes theosis.

The place where the Apostle Paul develops the teaching about the resurrection of the dead is his first letter to the Corinthians. It seems that some of the Corinthians were influenced by philosophical ideas about the human body. The Apostle Paul writes that if there is no resurrection of bodies, then Christ is not risen (1 Cor. 12-16).

Then He answers a question, probably put by the Corinthians, about how the dead will rise and what bodies they will have (1 Cor. 15, 35-41). In answering this question He takes an example from the world of the senses. Man sows a small grain and God gives to this grain a different body. The argument is that man does not plant wheat, but a seed, and out of the seed itself there comes a different body according to the origin. This happens also at the resurrection of the dead. There will be the resurrection of the body, by the power of Christ, and naturally the bodies, while they will be themselves, will have a different way of functioning. The dead will rise incorruptible, because, as he says characteristically, "this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality” (1 Cor. 15, 53).

It is very significant that the Apostle Paul presents in greatest detail the state of the body at the resurrection of the dead, He writes to the Corinthians: "It is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body” (1 Cor. 15, 43-44). Here we see the difference between a person's body before and after death and his body after the resurrection, at the Second Coming of Christ.

In this apostolic passage we see the four characteristic features which the body will have after the resurrection. One, that it will be incorruptible, as opposed to the corruptible body of the biological life. The second feature, that it will be glorified in contrast to dishonour. The third, that it will be strong, in contrast to weakness, and the fourth feature, that it will be spiritual, as opposed to the former state, which was natural. This means that while the body of the biological life is corruptible, in dishonour, weak and natural, that is to say, governed by the natural functions, the body of the resurrection will be incorruptible, glorified, powerful and spiritual.

If we interpret the teaching of the Apostle Paul on the basis of the patristic teaching, we can say that people's bodies after their resurrection will be incorruptible, they will not need nourishment and sleep, they will not be subject to change. The Fathers say that they will be like the body of Christ, which came out of the tomb without anyone perceiving it, went in and out of the upper storey when the doors were closed, had no need, of food, covered great distances, and so forth. True, Christ ate after His resurrection, but not because of need, but to make the disciples understand that He was not a ghost. That food was burnt up by His divinity, since there was no digestive system, nor other workings which are features of corruptibility and mortality.

Also the bodies of sinners will cast off corruptibility and mortality, but they will not be spiritual and glorified, as the saints will. And naturally, the bodies of the saints will have glory corresponding to the condition of their souls. The Apostle Paul would say: "One star differs from another star in glory” (1 Cor. 15, 41). Just as the light of the sun is different from the light of the moon and different from that of the stars, the same will be true of the glory of the saints. According to the purity, illumination and deification which the person has acquired in this life, so his radiance will be in the eternal life. It is not a question of any partiality on the part of God, but a person will receive grace according to his capacity. God will send His grace to all, and each will shine and be radiant according to his spiritual condition.

It is within this framework that we must also see that all men will then acquire the age of a mature person. Even the baby which died at an early age, but also the person who died at a great age will have the same age which, as is said, will be that of Christ. In any case it is natural that they should attain the age of a mature person, which is about thirty years.

In one of his poems St. Symeon the New Theologian writes that people's souls which will be reunited with their bodies, "each according to its merit, will find its dwelling full of light or of darkness". Those who have lit their lamps in this life will be in light that never sets, and all those who were impure and the eyes of whose hearts were blind will not see the divine light. And the bodies of the saints will be holy shadows of the Holy Spirit. Just as they were very pure here, so also they will rise glorified "shining, flashing like the divine light"⁸.

I would like to present the teaching of many saints both as to their assurance of the resurrection of the body and as to eternal life, as well as how the resurrection will take place. However, I shall content myself with setting out the teaching of St. Gregory of Nyssa about the resurrection of our bodies. We shall look at some aspects of his teaching. I believe that it is sufficiently enlightening and characteristic.

At first St. Gregory of Nyssa teaches that when we speak of resurrection or coming back to life or renewal of the world, and when we use many other names, we are speaking about the body which is subject to decay and not the soul, which, as being incorruptible, indestructible and immortal, is not going to be resurrected, because it does not die⁹.

The resurrection of the body includes also the resurrection of all the limbs which for various reasons have been destroyed. On the day of resurrection even the part of a human body which thousands of years ago was eaten by carnivorous birds will be found "with nothing missing". But even the limbs which the whales and sharks and all the sea creatures have eaten will be resurrected with the person. The bodies which have been burnt by fire and eaten by worms in the tombs, and in general all the bodies which decay has destroyed, "will be yielded up by the earth whole and complete"¹⁰. So all the missing limbs will be filled in and the person will be presented whole. This means that we shall have our own body, which, however, will not be subject to decay and death.

This will happen in any case because it is connected with the creation of man by God. God did not form man for him to die, but death is the result and fruit of sin. And if the shepherd wants his flock to be healthy and almost immortal, if the cowherd wants to use various cures to increase his oxen, if the goatherd prays that his she-goats may bring forth twins, and all are aiming at something beneficial, God too has the same desire. It is plain from these examples that God wishes to reform "the ruined creature"¹¹.

In this homily of his which he delivered on Easter Day, referring to the resurrection of Christ and the resurrection of bodies at the Second Coming of Christ, St. Gregory of Nyssa affirms that at any rate there will be resurrection of the dead, that it is not impossible for God, and in addition he analyses the way in which it will happen. The things which St. Gregory says are very important, and we shall set them out briefly.

The resurrection of the body is not an impossibility. For many reasons.

First. The God who will raise the bodies is the same One who created man out of earth. We regard the creation as given, says St. Gregory, but if we think better we will see that it is something marvellous. Really, how the fine dust was concentrated and became flesh, and from the same material bones, skin, fat and hair came into being, that is to say, how, while it is one flesh, there appeared different members. He describes the different structure of each member of the body, since the lung is soft, the liver coarse and red, the heart a compact organ, and so forth.

Yet it is very strange that Eve came from a small part of Adam's rib. How did the rib become a head, feet, hands, and so forth? The God who created man in this way has the power to re-create him and to repair the limb of a decayed body. Moreover God Himself is the creator of both the first creation and of the second reordering. So it is a mark of the grateful and wise to trust in the things that God says and not to examine the ways and causes which go beyond their powers¹².

Second. The different examples which exist in nature show that God is all-powerful and that nothing is impossible and perplexing for Him. God's omnipotence appears in the variety and complexity of nature. The whole of nature loudly proclaims God's grandeur and His power. The resurrections which Christ performed, such as that of Lazarus after four days, the son of the widow of Nain and the daughter of Jairus, show that it is also possible for all men to rise in the same way when He so wills. The sculptor who constructs one statue can construct others as well. Thus Christ too, who raised three people, can also do it to many others. Therefore the question of how the dead are restored to life is answered interrogatively: "How was Lazarus raised after four days?"¹³.

Not only the first creation but also what followed, what takes place in nature, displays the power and omnipotence of God. We know that a person's birth is a fruit of God's action. By the grace of God a person is conceived, held in the womb, born and grows. St. Gregory of Nyssa says that the resurrection of the dead can be in the manner in which a person is born. It is strange enough, according to human logic, how the sperm, which is formless at first, then acquires form, and the members of the human body are gradually created. If a person comes into being from the formless sperm, it is not at all inconsistent for the matter which is in the tombs, and which had a form, to be at once renewed in the old form and for the earth to become a man again, as happened at the first creation¹⁴.

Some people consider it improbable that bodies should rise again and that a person should be reconstituted after death, and they consider very natural the formation of the embryo and the development of the person through natural birth. But if the second can happen, so can the first, since it is the Same God who created each of them.

He also takes the case of the potter who, when he has made beautiful objects out of clay, after a ceremony, someone enters his workshop and destroys it. But if the good potter wants to, he can correct what happened, making the same objects again, not inferior to what they were before. It is foolish for us to believe that the potter, who is such a small creature of God's power, can do such a thing and not to believe that God can restore the dead.

The Apostle Paul uses the image of the grain of wheat which falls to the earth and dies and from it sprouts a great wheat plant. St. Gregory adapts this image wonderfully. After thorougly analysing what comes of this little grain of wheat and how many mysteries are hidden in it, he says that it is wonderful how a dry grain of wheat, when it rots performs a miracle, because it falls to the ground alone and sprouts a great number. The renewal of man is easier than the renewal of the wheat. Through his resurrection man does not receive anything more than what he had¹⁵.

The holy Fathers use many images from nature and present them to their flocks. We see this in many of their homilies, and in the homily of St. Gregory which we are examining at this point. In order to show that it is possible to rise from the dead, he analyses very beautifully, realistically and representatively, with vivid colours and literary talent, how throughout the winter the trees are dry and at the beginning of spring they bear flowers and become a place where the birds gather and people enjoy them. And the reptiles and the snakes too are hiding in the earth during the winter hibernation, and as soon as the suitable season comes and a stirring is heard echoing a sign of life, they leap up and start their activities. Just as the snakes wake up from their hibernation at the sound of this stirring of life, so also the dead bodies of men will receive their souls and be raised up when God's trumpet is heard.

He gives a wonderful description of man from birth to death. He observes that man's life is like that of the animals, it undergoes change and variation. A man, after his birth, successively grows, acquires various functions, and as he grows and reaches the end of his life he becomes a baby again who lisps, is silly and crawls on his hands and knees, as at the beginning of his life. All these things show that also before death man receives changes upon changes, fadings and renewals¹⁶. This will naturally take place also during the resurrection. Inasmuch as the perishable perishes by the law of decay, much more will it be renewed by the power and action of God.

But sleep too, which is necessary for our daily refreshing, and likewise our rising from sleep, point to the mystery of the resurrection of the dead. Moreover, sleep is an image of death and being awake is an image of resurrection. Many have characterised sleep as a brother of death, for in sleep man is like dead, unconscious. He does not recognise friends and enemies, he does not notice those who are around him, and that is why one can easily injure those who have been lulled to sleep. When a man wakes up, he gradually recovers his powers and it seems as if he has come to life. If there are changes and ecstases in man during day and night, it is very foolish and contentious of us not to believe in the God who promises "the final renewal"¹⁷.

It appears from all these examples that the resurrection of the body is a very natural event. Just as we regard as a natural fact the birth of a man, the alternations in nature, the growth of plants and, in general, just as we regard as natural all the things that happen in nature, we should regard as another just as natural thing the renewal and re-creation of man, the resurrection of bodies. For the God who did the former can do the latter.

Third. The body is not completely destroyed after the soul leaves it. It is dissolved into "the things of which it was composed", for it consists of four elements, water, air, fire and earth, but it does not vanish. In another chapter we saw the views of St. Gregory of Nyssa, that although the soul is separated from the body, it remembers the elements and limbs of its body, is in touch with them and at the suitable time, by the power of God, will bring them together and the spiritual body will be composed. This shows that in spite of the separation of the soul from the body, the person is not abolished.

In this homily which we are studying, St. Gregory of Nyssa says that the body does not disappear completely, but it is dissolved into the elements of which it was composed "and is in water and air and earth and fire". The fact that the original elements stay and join with those things which come from them, after the body dissolves, shows that the things which are partial also remain within the general. And when these four elements of which man is composed approach their prototypes, again too, while the prototypes remain, the particulars, the parts, also remain.

We know very well that the whole world was made from nothing, from non-existent matter. If it is easy for God to re-create something from nothing, it is easier to create from existing elements. Thus, since these prototypes exist, it is possible for God to form man again¹⁸.

Fourth. St. Gregory of Nyssa takes examples for the resurrection of bodies from the views of the men of his time. Many people considered and still consider it very natural for the features of bodies which have decomposed to go to their descendants and for features of bodies of those not related to be transmitted to other bodies, but they do not believe that it is possible for the same features to be renewed in those who once had them as their own. I shall quote what St. Gregory of Nyssa said, because it is worth noting. He says that it is inconceivable "...not to acknowledge that the same and exceptional things about those things once possessed are renewed and brought back to life"¹⁹.

Observing this passage, we can verify that at the resurrection of the body people will receive their own body with its special features, but nevertheless transformed. Since the body will be raised "in power and incorruption” it means that it will not have on it the marks of decay, mortality and illness. Naturally, we do not know more details about this subject, but I think that what has been cited is very expressive.

Fifth. St. Gregory of Nyssa, however, insists strongly that the resurrection of bodies is necessary also for men to live a good life. For if death is the end of life, then the murderer, the adulterer, the perjurer, the liar, will increase in their evil. If there is no resurrection there is no judgement. If there is no judgement, then even the fear of God is lost and naturally where fear does not chastise, "there the devil dances with the sinner"²⁰.

Thus when the Church speaks of the coming life and the tribunal, it increases the fear of God in men. This fear has a humanising effect on life. So the teaching about the death and resurrection of bodies provides man with a socialising factor. Whoever banishes fear becomes subject to the demons, a prey to all the passions.

The conclusion is that there will be a resurrection of the dead. God's word bears witness to this, God revealed it to us, the saints confirm it by their lives and teaching, and human experience bears witness to it. This is why we stand with reverence before the human body. We revere it, we love it, we struggle to purify ourselves of sins, so that it too may be glorified. It is very characteristic that the hesychasm of the so-called neptic Fathers also turned to the body, which we honour greatly. We note this in the works of St. Gregory Palamas.

Reverence for the human body is also shown in its burial. In the Orthodox Church the burning or cremation of bodies is not accepted, but they are buried. To be sure, as we said before, about the teaching of St. Gregory of Nyssa, the bodies which have been burned will also be raised, but if a person of his own will desires his body to be burnt, he indicates that he does not believe in his resurrection. It is not at all strange that where the burning of bodies prevailed, notions prevailed that the body is a prison of the soul which must be discarded in order for the soul to be liberated. We reverence the body, we bury it and we await its resurrection. The saints are sleeping with nostalgia for the resurrection. They confess "I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come".

The Second Coming of Christ and the resurrection of the dead are closely connected with the coming judgement, the so-called future tribunal. All men will stand before the dread judgement seat of Christ.

In the Creed we confess that Christ will come with glory "to judge the living and the dead". This conviction constitutes the central teaching of the Church, as we shall verify in what follows. In all the assemblies for worship and in the divine Liturgy there are words about presence before the throne of God. The priest prays: "For a Christian end of our life, painless, peaceful and unashamed, and for a good answer before the dread judgement seat of Christ, we beseech Thee. "

In what follows we shall have an opportunity to emphasise the fact that although we use images in a tribunal, the judgement will have more the character of a revelation and manifestation of the spiritual state of the person. Moreover, all the images used have a symbolic character. Christ and the saints, as we shall see, use such images to make people understand pictorially that dreadful day when they will see the reality. Consequently, unless we do away with the images, we must enter into their essence and inner content.

According to St. Symeon the New Theologian, "What we have to say about the judgement is difficult to explain because it is not about present and visible things but about future and invisible ones". The present things are seen, the future is invisible, and that is why purity of nous, much prayer and much zeal are required²¹.

In Holy Scripture a great deal is said about the coming judgement, which is a starting-point for eternal life and eternal Hell. Christ's parables about the Ten Virgins, the tares and the weddings are well known. It is not easy or possible for us to analyse all these elements. However, we shall set down the most significant ones.

Christ assured the people that He Himself would judge the people in the age to come. "For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgement to the Son” (Jn. 5, 22). And this is not independent of the fact that Christ is the prototype of man, since man is an image of Christ, but also the rebirth of man comes through Christ. He became man, suffered, was crucified, rose again and was taken up. He, then, will be the judge of men.

"And He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead” (Acts 10, 42). Also the Apostle Paul preached the same teaching on Mars Hill, when he said: "He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all, by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17, 31).

In these apostolic passages it appears that Christ will be the judge of men. A parallel passage from the Apostle Paul is his exhortation to his disciple Timothy: "I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom...” (2 Tim. 4, 1). The Second Coming of Christ is called epiphany and kingdom, which is connected with the judgement of dead and living, that is to say, those who have died previously and those who will be living at that time.

The connection of the Second Coming of Christ with the throne shows both the majesty of God and Christ's authority to judge men, but also men's fear in the face of the judgement and the judge. Christ used this image when he said that when he comes with the angels, "he will sit on the throne of his glory” (Matt. 25, 31).

The throne, which is a symbol of his glory, but also of the authority which he has over men, has its origin in the worship of the divinities of ancient times and of the god - emperor of the Romans, but also in the Old Testament, as well as in the Revelation of John. The Prophet-king David already writes in one of his psalms: "He has prepared his throne for judgement. He shall judge the world in righteousness” (Psalm 9, 7-8).

And there is a portrayal saying "preparation of the throne", which has been connected with Golgotha. Since the eleventh century the depiction of the "preparation of the throne”has been connected with the Second Coming of Christ and the coming tribunal²².

The meaning of the throne, which suggests the imperial throne and the tribunal, has been closely linked with Christ's judgement of the living and the dead, and we find it in many passages in the epistles of the Apostle Paul. Referring to the fact that we are all suppliants, servants of Christ, and we should not judge others, he affirms: "For we shall all stand before the judgement seat of Christ” (Rom. 14, 10). The Christians of Rome, to whom this is said, had knowledge and experience of what the emperor's and the judge's throne meant. He also says the same thing to the Christians of Corinth: "For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Cor. 5, 10).

Since the final judgement of men will take place, and since the real Judge is Christ, Christians should avoid judging their fellow men, their brothers. The Apostle Paul writes: "He who judges me is the Lord... who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the heart” (1 Cor. 4-5). In this passage, apart from the fact that it says that Christ is the true judge of men, at the same time the way in which he will judge is also presented. He who is the true light, by His appearing will reveal all the hidden things of darkness and will manifest all the wishes and desires which there are in the heart. In another place the Apostle Paul refers to the judgement which will come from the saints. He writes: "Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?” (1 Cor. 6, 2). This passage shows again the way in which the Judgement will take place. It is not a matter of a worldly tribunal where the accusation will be pronounced, and there will be witnesses for the accusation and for the defence, and then the decision will be heard. The image of the future tribunal is taken from the judiciary, but its content is different. The appearing of the sun of righteousness will reveal everything, all will be stripped of their outward distinctions and there will be a comparison of saints with sinners. This is the meaning of the saying that the saints will judge the world. We shall look at all these things in what follows when we speak of how the Fathers interpret the scriptural passages which refer to the future judgement.

Christ's parable of the wedding is well known. When the king came to the place where those invited to his son's wedding were gathered, he saw one person who was not wearing a wedding garment. Then he reprimanded him, saying, "Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?”He commanded that he be bound hand and foot and cast into the outer fire, where there will be "weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 22, 1-14).

According to the interpretation of this parable by St. Gregory Palamas, the wedding refers to the Second Coming of Christ and to the Kingdom of Heaven. The entry of the King, who is God, is "the manifestation at the time of the future judgement". The garment of the spiritual wedding, which was indispensable for those invited, was virtue. And naturally when the holy Fathers speak of virtue, they mean the fruits of the Holy Spirit, and not a superficial human virtue. He who lacks the garment of virtues will not only be unworthy of the Kingdom of God, but also will be punished. Not only the soul but also the body will prove to be unworthy of that bridal chamber, if it has not lived in self-control, purity and sobriety. The punishment for not having a wedding garment is connected with his removal from the dwelling-place of those rejoicing and from close association with them. It is basically a question of separation from God and not sharing in His grace.

The fact that his hands and feet are bound, by order of the King, refers to a person's constriction by successions of sins which occur in this life. The unbearable pain and great suffering which the person feels when he commits them in this life will continue in the next life as well. The fact that he is cast into the outer fire indicates "his having become far from God because he did not do deeds of light here". Inasmuch as he did not practice deeds of light in this life, in that day he cannot participate in the light. Saying that he is separated from God means this. The darkness into which he will be taken is synonymous with the inextinguishable fire, the unsleeping worms, the weeping and gnashing of teeth. All these things point to "the impending unbearable sufferings touching both soul and body”and the mournful cries of useless and perpetual regret. That is to say, they will repent of the deeds they have done, but it will never be possible to be comforted, for the repentance to be brought to an end²³.

The passage about the coming judgement is matchless and most expressive, and since it is a teaching of Christ, it is authentic through and through. No one can doubt it and wish to be called Christian. And this because what is said about the judgement comes from the indisputable mouth of Christ (Matt. 25, 31-46).

We shall not quote the text of the Gospel which describes the coming judgement, but we shall refer to the interpretation given by St. Gregory Palamas, and within the interpretation we shall also look at the related events.

When Christ has come in glory and with His angels, he will separate the people, as the shepherd does, and the righteous will be placed at His right, and the unrepentant sinners at His left. The judgement will be based on the love or hate which they have shown towards their brethren who found themselves in difficult circumstances. The question is, why is charity the only criterion? And is it altogether right that people should be saved by charitableness, while some people are condemned to everlasting death simply because they did not show sympathy to their fellow men?

St. Gregory Palamas makes a wonderful analysis of the passage, out of the whole experience of the Church. He says that the righteous will enjoy the Kingdom of God, not simply because of a small deed of charity which they have done, but because of their whole reborn existence. This is shown by three things.

First, by the fact that they are called sheep. By this term he shows that they are righteous, gentle, forbearing, and walk the level and trodden path of the virtues, that is to say, they have followed Christ, who is the real Shepherd of men. And not only have they followed him but they have become like Him, who is the lamb of God. This means that throughout their lives they kept the commandments of God, but also that they were always ready "for the death beyond the good". Some of them are sons of God because they are guardians "of the mystical rebirth from God”and others are paid workers, for they have acquired grace once more by the sweat of repentance and humility.

Secondly, the righteous have in their lives lived the love which is completion of the law, it is the virtue which towers above all the other virtues and is their head. Love towards humanity is an expression of the reborn man, especially when that love is within a love for God.

Thirdly, the righteous are also characterised by humility. For although Christ reminds them of what they have done, they do not feel it. Humility is connected with love. The righteous feel unworthy of praise. Therefore, by all these characteristics the righteous show that they are united with God, spiritually reborn.

The opposite happens with the sinners, who will stand at Christ's left. They are not condemned simply for the omission of a few small acts of love and charity, but for the opposite reasons for which the righteous were praised.

First, he calls the sinners kids, "as being impudent and undisciplined and going down the precipices of sin. Just as goats go up to high places, the same is observed in sinners. The unrepentant sinners have not acquired the prudence of Christ, they have not become sheep that are led by the true shepherd, but they preferred the disordered and impudent life, they have not made themselves like the lamb of God, which means that they did not possess the character of sacrifice for their brothers.

Secondly, they did not show charity and love, which means that they had not been reborn of the Holy Spirit. At the same time they showed hate. Just as love is the fullness of all the virtues, so also hate and deeds of hate, the unsympathetic manner, and the uncommunicated opinion is "the fullness of sin". The sinners are judged by their misanthropy, because all evils follow from this.

Thirdly, sinners are distinguished by their arrogance, which is connected with an unsympathetic manner. And then, when they are reproached for their lack of sympathy, instead of humbly drawing near, they contradict and justify themselves. It shows that misanthropy has become their nature.

Just for this reason the righteous enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but the sinners are sent to Hell.

Analysing this point, St. Gregory Palamas says that the righteous enjoy eternal life: "they have life and they have it abundantly". "Life”refers to coexistence with God, and "abundantly”means that they are sons and inheritors of the Kingdom of God, that is to say they share the same glory and kingdom. Sinners have no share of God. At the same time they will coexist with the demons and will be consigned to hell fire²⁴.

St. Symeon the New Theologian, interpreting this passage, says that Christ is referring to something deeper and more essential. The fact that he reproaches the sinners, since he was hungry and they did not feed him or he was thirsty and they did not give him water to drink, means that he was hungry for their salvation and they did not measure up to it.

Through his creation by God, man is in His image and likeness, and through his coming into the Church, which is the Body of Christ, he is closely connected with God. Likewise through the sacraments he becomes a member of the Body of Christ. So when he does not live in accordance with God's commandments, it is as if he was letting Christ be hungry and thirsty.

Analysing this idea, St. Symeon says that Christ was hungry for man's conversion and repentance and man did not satisfy His hunger. He thirsted for man's salvation, and man did not give him a chance to taste it. He was bare of virtuous deeds, and man did not clothe him with them, for when the Christian as a member of Christ lacks these virtues, He is as if left naked with His limbs exposed. He was shut into the narrow, filthy, dark prison of man's heart, and man did not wish to visit him or bring him out into the light. The Christian knew that it was because of his indolence and inactivity that Christ was ill, and he did not help Him by good works and acts²⁵.

Christ really desires the salvation of man, whom He created, and through love he has endured many sufferings for his salvation. At the same time, through holy Baptism the Christian is a member of His body. And when he does not measure up to this desire of Christ and remains in the darkness of sin, then he condemns himself.

It is impressive when he says that he was in the narrow, dark and filthy prison of the heart. Actually through holy Baptism the grace of God remains in the depth of the heart of man. But divine grace is hidden by the sins which we commit after our entry into the Church. Thus Christ is as if imprisoned in the heart. Man's Hell will be precisely this.

Connected with this is St. Gregory Palamas' interpretation of Christ's parable of the Ten Virgins. According to the parable, the five wise virgins who had oil with them along with their lamps, went in to the wedding, while the five foolish virgins, who had no oil, were not found worthy of this great joy (Matt. 25, 1-13).

According to St. Gregory Palamas, entrance into the Kingdom of God is connected with virginity, not simply of the body, but properly of the soul. Everyone can experience this virginity. Virginity is practised by asceticism, self-control and the various struggles of the virtues. But hands too are needed to hold the lighted lamps, as well as oil. The hands are the active life of the soul, that is to say repentance, the effort to purify the soul. Lighted lamps are the right nous in which there will be that diligent spiritual knowledge which rests on the active life of the soul, is consecrated through a life in God and is kindled by the illuminations which come from Him. It seems here that it is a question of purity of heart and illumination of the nous. Noetic prayer, unceasing communion with God, is linked with the illuminations which come from God. But there is need for plenty of oil, which is love, the summit of all the virtues²⁶.

Judging from our analysis of patristic passages referring to the future tribunal, it seems that the coming judgement is not a typical legal process but is Christ's expression and revelation of man's inner spiritual condition. He who is reborn of the Holy Spirit will then appear clearly to all men; his kinship with Christ, who will shine radiantly, will be revealed. And he who is not reborn, and especially he who has a dark and unenlightened nous, will be revealed to all men, because he will have no share in God. Just as the appearing of the sun throws light on all things, so also the coming of the true sun of righteousness will be a real revelation of the inner dispositions and desires of men. We shall see this put more expressively, especially in the teaching of St. Symeon the New Theologian.

First it must be underlined once more that Christ is the Kingdom of Heaven. He is the true light which will shine at His coming to judge men. St. Symeon the New Theologian, referring to Him, says: "Thou Kingdom of heaven, Thou Christ, earth of the meek, Thou Paradise of verdure, Thou divine nuptial chamber, Thou ineffable banquet hall, Thou table open to all, Thou bread of life, Thou unprecedented beverage... “He adds that Christ, who is the unapproachable sun, will shine in the midst of the saints, and then all will be illuminated according to their faith, practice, hope, love, purity and illumination, which comes from His Spirit. The different mansions which will exist in Paradise will be reckoned as "the measures of their love and their vision of Thee"²⁷.

Therefore according to his spiritual purity a man will radiate the brightness of God. The coming of the sun of righteousness among men will reveal everything. This is also how the Apostle Paul's saying is understood: "...your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you will also appear with him in glory” (Col. 3, 3-4). Another saying of the Apostle Paul is parallel: "Anything shown up by the light will be illuminated; and anything illuminated is itself a light” (Eph. 5, 13). All who have accomplished divine things in their lives will be in the light, and those who have done depraved things, as St. Symeon the New Theologian teaches, "will be in the darkness of punishments”and there will be a great gulf between them²⁸.

Thus at His appearance Christ will reveal men's way of life, their whole being, what is at the depth of their heart. This revelation is eternal life and eternal hell, because the first is participation in God, and the second is connected with non-participation and non-communion with God.

What will happen in the next life, at the coming Judgement, is also going on already. St. Gregory Palamas says that Christ is the sun of righteousness, the never setting, true and eternal light. The souls of the saints are in it now, and in the future life their bodies will be in it as well. Those who do not repent now, although they enjoy the physical, sensible sun and are comforted by the other creatures of God, are living outside the light. Then in the future life they will find themselves very far from God and will be delivered over to eternal Hell²⁹.

Therefore what will be in the next life is experienced already now. So St. Symeon the New Theologian asks God to give him His grace already now, as a pledge, that he may enjoy it in the coming life: "Grant me henceforth to serve Thee, my Saviour, and to receive Thy Divine Spirit, pledge of Thy kingdom and hence to enjoy Thy banquet, Thy glory, that I may see Thee, O my God, unto the ages of ages"³⁰.

This is a concern of all the saints. They do not fear death, but they fear what will happen after that, especially at the Second Coming of Christ. They are not so much concerned about the time of their death as about the way in which they will depart, that is to say what will be their condition at that hour, for that will have eternal consequences.

St. Symeon says that he has a fear and horror of dying with a blind nous. Even if a person receives sensible light, the light of the eyes after his resurrection, it is of no use if he has no spiritual eyes to see God. In such a case a man who has come out of the dark dwells in darkness again and will be separated from God unto the ages³¹.

Thus the appearance of God as sun will reveal the spiritual nakedness of a man. Now we have the possibility of concealing our spiritual nakedness by various means, but then all will be revealed. In one of his catechetical discourses St. Symeon the New Theologian presents the truth that it is not a matter of a man's profiting from all the material, sensory and mental gifts which he happens to have in his life.

He puts many questions, such as then where will be the sumptuous dinners, the various costly costumes, the arrogance of those in authority, and so forth? I would like to focus attention on his saying that then the nakedness of man's soul will be revealed. He asks: "Where will be the great names? Where the holiness that others attribute to us or we attribute to ourselves? Where will those be who now flatter and deceive us, who call us holy and wipe off the chaffing of our feet?"³².

Many of us have the illusion that we are holy, that we are full of virtues, since there are also many flatterers who cultivate this self-esteem. But then all will be revealed, and all men will see our nakedness.

There are many things in this life which conceal the blindness of our hearts and the nakedness of our souls. Many times this happens through the wisdom and knowledge of the world. We think that we are something, while essentially we are dead to God, we have nothing good. Then all will be revealed. St. Symeon the New Theologian asks: "Where will be the pretended prudence of those who are honoured for their knowledge and wisdom of the world? Where our presumption and illusion that we are something, though we are nothing?"³³. This is precisely why great fear and trembling will then seize those who are slack, careless and slothful.

So, blessed is the man who lives in repentance and sees himself "lower than every creature", because "then he will stand at His right hand in glorious apparel"³⁴. Only those adorned with the grace of God will stand at the right hand of the throne of God.

When St. Symeon speaks of clothes and nakedness, he does not mean only the existence or lack of virtues, but the Holy Spirit, the very light of God. Then the night will become as light as the day; every house and cave, even heaven and earth will be removed, and thus all who have not put on Christ, that is to say "those who have not received the light... and previously been in it and become light", then will appear naked and will be filled with much shame. Every act, bad or good, every thought, every memory that has arisen in us from our very birth till our last breath will appear. All will be revealed before men³⁵.

It is impressive here that those who appear naked will be chiefly those who have not seen the light in this life and have not become light. In that case the problem is not moral, but spiritual, ontological. The nakedness is related to not having participated in the light in this life. Therefore St. Symeon recommends that they enter the narrow gate through penitence "and see the light that is within it”already in this life³⁶. The vision of the uncreated light is not a luxury of the spiritual life, but the essence and purpose of it.

In the teaching of St. Symeon the New Theologian something else appears as well which is connected with what has been said. When we keep the commandments of God, we are brought to the light. Therefore not to keep the commandments takes us away from the light and commits us to darkness. So in reality the commandments of God will condemn man. The word of God is living and abides for ever. The neglected word of God "will stand in the presence of each one of us then and condemn whoever has not observed it". The Judgement will be by the commandments of God, which will test the faithful and unfaithful. In reality the unfaithful will be self-condemning for the deeds which they have done. Then a man will not get help from human wisdom and knowledge nor from eloquence of words nor from money and earthly possessions³⁷.

In the Biblico-patristic tradition we also see another way in which men will be judged in the future Judgement. It is said that men will be judged by the saints. We find this already in Christ's words to His disciples: "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matt. 19, 28).

The Apostle Paul maintains the same thing. Reproaching the Christians for turning to worldly tribunals to solve their various affairs, he says: "Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?” (1 Cor. 6, 2). But how is this judgement known by the saints?

St. Symeon answers this point as well. He says that every man, finding himself faced with eternal life and that unutterable light, will see "one who is like him and will be judged by him". All men who have lived on earth in different ways of life will be judged by other men who have lived with them in the same conditions of life. And the ones lived in accord with the will of God, the others rejected His commandments. This means that there can be no excuse that the conditions of life were difficult and that therefore they could not live according to God's ordinances.

Thus fathers will be judged by fathers, relatives and friends by relatives and friends, brothers by brothers, the rich by those who were rich, the poor by those who were poor, the married by those who have excelled in the married state, etc. When sinners look at sinners who have repented, whoremongers who have not repented see penitent whoremongers, when the kings see holy kings, etc, and in general, when each person sees that someone like himself, who had the same nature, the same hands and eyes, the same conditions of life has been saved, this will be a self-condemnation, he will have no arguments and no excuses³⁸.

St. Symeon's words which I shall quote exactly are very characteristic: Thus each of us sinners will be condemned by each of the saints, and likewise unbelievers by those who believe, and sinners who have failed to repent by those who perhaps have sinned more but have fervently repented"³⁹

It is terrible at that hour for someone to see in the glory of God "him who received the tonsure with him standing on the right hand, the one who ate and drank with him, his contemporary, his colleague”being completely surrounded by great glory like Christ, while he himself is the opposite. Then he will be unable to speak at all⁴⁰.

This is just what it means that we shall be judged by the saints. We will be censured by their penitence and by the fact that they lived under the same conditions and yet they have been shown to be recipients of the Holy Spirit, imitators of Christ in every respect. We shall not be able to justify ourselves at all.

Another point which we see in the teaching of St. Symeon the New Theologian is that in the future Judgement those who have not received the Holy Spirit will be deprived of eternal life. Not only those who have sinned will be deprived of Paradise. Someone may not have sinned but if he has no virtues, which are the fruit of the Holy Spirit, he will be deprived of eternal life, he will be expelled from Paradise and will go to Hell. What St. Symeon said is characteristic: "Even if he has no sin but if he is without virtues, he stands naked". So even if we have not committed sins, we shall prove unworthy of the glory of God if we have no virtues.

He goes on still further to emphasise that virtues are not enough, but the glory of God, the grace of God is also needed. This means that the virtues are not simply achievements of man's individual effort, but fruits of the Holy Spirit. Just as Adam, because he did not keep the commandments of God, was stripped of divine glory and deprived of Paradise, so also he who will be found "truly stripped of divine glory”will be deprived of the paradise of the kingdom of God and the heavenly bridal chamber⁴².

What one needs in order to enter the Kingdom of God at the Second Coming of Christ is the participation of the Holy Spirit. The Judgement Day is terrible because, apart from other things, one will learn "that those who do not have the Holy Spirit shining like a torch in their spirit and dwelling inexpressibly in their heart are committed to eternal darkness"⁴³.

Therefore the repeated exhortations of St. Symeon the New Theologian, who is rightly regarded as the “theologian of Light”a theologian, are to keep away from evils and passions, to free the heart from every impurity, to acquire a pure nous, participate in divine grace, enjoy the divine Light. When a man lives in this way, then when Christ comes, there will be revealed and expressed an ineffable joy. He will participate in God, while the sinner will see God, but that will be self-condemnation and self-punishment, and he will experience the caustic energy of light.

In conclusion let me say that Christ will come into the world again, and this will be His Second Coming. The whole creation will be renewed, the dead will rise again, all who are alive then will be changed, and the judgement of men will follow. All these things are truths which will happen in any case, but we do not know the day and hour when they will happen.

Therefore Christ exhorts us always to be ready. Just as happened with Noah's flood, where men were "eating, drinking, marrying and giving in marriage”until Noah entered the ark and then all understood that the flood had come, the same will happen at the appearing of the Son of Man. So Christ says: "Watch, therefore, for you do not know at what hour your Lord is coming" (Matt. 24, 37-42). And at the end of the parable of the Ten Virgins Christ said: "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming".

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