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Heaven, Purgatory & Hell Written and translated by: Jos Alonso Hernndez 2013 Without a doubt, per years, one of the topics that more it has disturbed the humanity, its if there is life after the death, and if there is, to determine like it will be this; for the Christianity, according to the Bible, the death is not the end, but the beginning of a period called: "Eternity", however, apparently not all those that die will be in the same place, because the Scripture present two very different destinations, on one hand a place full with peace and harmony, in contrast, the other side pain and suffering, but to worse, the Catholicism adds a third place, the purgatory, so now the questions is, if a person dies today, Where will pass the eternity, in Heaven, Hell or Purgatory?

Scientifically its said that a person when die, basically, leave the existence, because from a rational point of view, the human being is not more than an evolved animal, therefore there is not difference between the die of a primate and a human, both have the same destination, return to the dust.

But for the Christendom, the human being is something more than an animal, is the supreme creation of a Almighty God: "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." Genesis 1:26,27. "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." Genesis 2:7

The first difficulty to this is, Why God created to the human being to die?, the answer apparently is in the same Bible: "For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead." 1 Corinthians 15:21. With this you can infer that the cause of the death began with Adam's disobedience who in few

words, it condemned the whole humanity to the spiritual death; that it means: Eternal condemnation.

Nevertheless, in the New Testament, God sent a second Adam with the purpose of reconciling to the humanity with the creator and that through of the death of Christ, all individual can reach the salvation: "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12.

Now then, if through the death of Christ the human being can reach salvation, What does it pass of those that don't accept this gift?: "He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.".John 3:18. But In What consists the condemnation?

To respond this question first its necessary to have clear some concepts, for example the Hell.

Hell At the present time, the word hell, possesses a connotation of a real place, in which the sinners that die without Christ, are suffering, waiting the judgment for the eternal condemnation in the Lake of Fire, although some historians believe that originally this word had another meaning.

Beginnings of the first century, to this term, hell, it have many words between them: "Infrnum or infernus" from Latin that means "inferior, underground", "Sheol" in Hebrew and "Hades" in Greek its translated as: "sepulcher" or "the place of the deads", used to designate a place in common for all, believers and non believers, one also has the word "Gehenna", a real place in Jerusalem, where they were carried out infants' sacrifices to Moloc, when the practice disappeared, became in

an incinerator of the garbage, passing to represent the figure of the current hell with fire.

About the paragraph before-mentioned it can infer, then that the hell is just the common sepulcher, or like some doctrines believe, a state of simple nonexistence or separate of God. For example at the present time the movement called: Jehovah's Witness, base this main premise in the great love of God and for that love its unable to condemn his own creations, therefore, they affirm that the idea of the hell is a pre-Christian and coming from the Mesopotamian Mythology, for them, this terrible place, the Hades, is the sepulcher common of the humanity.

Then, Of where it comes the idea of a fire place and torture?, does the same Bible seem interestingly to give that concept; for example, in Mark 9:47,48 say: "And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.". Also, Matthew 25:41 affirm: "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:". Genesis 37:35: "And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him."

But why in some passages Hades and Sheol are described like a common habitation and others its differed as a place for convicts?, can the answer be in the historical context?, for the Judaism, all person that died descend to the Sheol, however, in the interior its spoken of three different places: The Hades or properly this Sheaol, the current conception for the convicts, Abraham's bosom, Preconception of the paradise and/or current Heaven, divided by the abyss. This is clear in the parable that Jesus narrated about Lzaro and the Rich Man in Luke 16:22-31: "And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell

he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. Heaven As for the Heaven, the current conception is a place in which those that have died in Christ go to his presence, for example, The Apostle Paul mentions: "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.".1 Corinthians 2:9. But, What does it insinuate that the Heaven is toward up? Proverbs 15:24 "The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath."

Nevertheless, nowadays, many believers speak about the existence of three Heavens, being the first one, the atmosphere of the earth, the sky anyone can see with: the clouds, the sun, etc. The second is constituted by the space, where are the planets, stars, Milky Way and more. Its also affirmed that is there where inhabit demons or rulers of the darkness: "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.". Ephesians 6:12. And the third Heaven is in which God inhabits: "I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years

ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter." 2 Corinthians 12:2-4

Next a probable biblical chronology of a believer is shown:

As for the first two stages, are easier to understand, the third image speaks of the first resurrection: "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years." Revelations 20:6. The fourth, Christ's Seat, Some believe that its to beginnings of the Millennium: "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." 2 Corinthians 5:10. Some Theologians believes that have a triple aspect of the trial of the believers. First, a judgment like sinners; second, as children, and third, as servants. As sinners they were judged in the past in the cross by the substitute, Christ, it was executed to full satisfaction according to the sentence: the punishment fell on him and for that now we could have peace. As children they are

judged in the present time, when they are judged by the Lord. It is for the profit of them, so that they can arrive to the sanctification. Finally, as servants, they will be judged in the future, in Christ's Seat. This happens in the ecstasy of the church in Jesus Christ day, before the establishment of the visible Kingdom of God.

The fifth image represents the Millenial Kingdom of Christ, governing together with all the saved, close to the end of Millennium, the Devil will be loosed for a while, to the end of the thousand years the second resurrection for eternal condemnation in the Lake of Fire take place. The sixth image stands out the eternity, aspect with a little biblical references to know.

Another aspect necessary to take into account is about the second resurrection, this is believed that is just for the eternal condemnation in "The Judgment of the White Throne", but, Is true that only convicts will attend to this event? Revelations 20:15: "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."

Therefore the previous outline showed the chronology Bible of a believer, next a possible biblical chronology of an unbeliever is shown:

If it was already determined the route of a believer and unbeliever in the spiritual world, conceptualizing just two options, Where does it fit the purgatory? Purgatory For the Catholic Church, the purgatory is a state in which a believer dies, even being in grace with God, isn't perfectly purified to enter in Heaven, but the good things is that all are alive can help the deceaseds with prayers and sacrifices; as doctrine, the purgatory was created by the Saint Gregory the Grea in the year 593 AD.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains it in the following way: 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. 1031 The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned.606 The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent. The tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire: 607 As for certain lesser faults, we must believe that, before the Final Judgment, there is a purifying fire. He who is truth says that whoever utters blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will be pardoned neither in this age nor in the age to come. From this sentence we understand that certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in the age to come.608

Interestingly this doctrine arises at the end of the century II, in a book apocryphal called: "The Act of Paul and Thecla", And after the exhibition, Tryphaena again received her [Thecla]. For her daughter Falconilla had died, and said to her in a dream: Mother, you shall have this stranger Thecla in my place, in order that she

may pray concerning me, and that I may be transferred to the place of the righteous" (Acts of Paul and Thecla [A.D. 160]). Advancing a little in the time, principles of the century III, exist a double vision attributed to Santa Perpetua, a martyr, She tell while it was in prison see his brother that had died 7 years ago leaving in a dark place in which was suffering. Santa Perpetua prays for the eternal rest of his soul and after being listened by the Lord, she has a second vision where see her brother healthy and in peace, because his penalty had been rectified.

Inside the parents of the Church, this idea also spread, some of theme are: Tertuliano, final of the century II, principles of the century III, he says: "We offer sacrifices for the dead on their birthday anniversaries [the date of deathbirth into eternal life]" (The Crown 3:3 [A.D. 211]). and he also affirms: "A woman, after the death of her husband . . . prays for his soul and asks that he may, while waiting, find rest; and that he may share in the first resurrection. And each year, on the anniversary of his death, she offers the sacrifice" (Monogamy 10:12 [A.D. 216]). This way many other parents of the Church mentioned it, however, it is necessary to know that all the references on this topics appear at the end of the century II; but, Exist evidence of the purgatory in texts of the century I?, to respond this, is relatively easy, because until the moment not are certainty of this, although some believe that Paul introduces a reference: "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.". 1 Corinthians 3:11-15

However, Is this passage really speaks of the purgatory?, according to some authors, applying the conceptual analysis to this portion, conclude that Paul refers to that they will have different teachers that taught people the Christianity in a

different way and until different things, on the base of Jesus name. But, when he returns, it will evaluate the work of each man and woman and at the light of the day, if the work remains, then the builder receives a reward and otherwise will be destroyed, although the destructions just take place if somebody is trying to remove the foundation of the Christian faith, which is Christ, then, God will destroy it.

Interesting for the Protestant and evangelical Church, this contrasts with the Scripture, because they affirm that the Bible mentions that the salvation isn't for works, but yes by faith: "Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:5-10

References: El Purgatorio, la Iglesia Primitiva y los Padres de la Iglesia Por Jos Miguel Arriz El Purgatorio Autor: Lic. Dawlin A. Urea Oasis Bblico . El Tribunal de Cristo y El Gran Trono Blanco. Publicado el 08/07/2011 por Lus M. Hidalgo Infierno. Wikipedia La profeca Bblica. El Juicio del gran trono blanco Su descanso. En los albores de la venida del Reino y a la espera de entrar en Su Descanso. Anlisis conceptual 1 Corintios 3:1-23

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