Heaven and Hell
The River of Fire: "an all-consuming fire
and an illuminating light"
and an illuminating light"
Upon
Christ's Second Coming, everyone who has ever lived will see Him in His
uncreated light, forever. For "those who worked good deeds in their
lifetime will go towards the resurrection of life, while those who
worked
evil in their lifetime will go towards the resurrection of judgment
(John.5:29)". All will be separated at the moment of the final
judgement, with the good experiencing paradise as exceedingly good, and
radiant, while those who have rejected His love, and whose lives ended
without repentance, will look upon Christ as hell, the "all-consuming
fire" spoken of in Hebrews 12:29.
It is from Christ's Second Coming that the river of fire will flow forth. For the saints this river of fire will be a golden light, encompassing them as an eternal joy. Whereas, for the demons and the unrepentant, it will be as a burning hell fire. For this is the very reason we read in Luke 2:34, that Christ is "as the fall and the resurrection of many".
"Paradise and hell are not two different places. (This version is an idolatrous concept.) They signify two different situations (ways), which originate from the same uncreated source, and are perceived by man as two, different experiences (Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlochos)."
It is from Christ's Second Coming that the river of fire will flow forth. For the saints this river of fire will be a golden light, encompassing them as an eternal joy. Whereas, for the demons and the unrepentant, it will be as a burning hell fire. For this is the very reason we read in Luke 2:34, that Christ is "as the fall and the resurrection of many".
"Paradise and hell are not two different places. (This version is an idolatrous concept.) They signify two different situations (ways), which originate from the same uncreated source, and are perceived by man as two, different experiences (Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlochos)."
For
those who reject the healing that has been offered, Christ will be
their hell, their separation from the eternal bliss. For the saints,
Christ will be their resurrection into eternal life. This is why Saint
John of the Ladder wrote that the uncreated light of Christ is "an
all-consuming fire and an illuminating light". This is why we say heaven
and hell are not about location, they are about relationship. Heaven and Hell are within the same realm, which is in the presence of God.
"When in the furnace of the blazing flame, Thy holy and faithful Youths proved to be as in a cool, refreshing dew, then did they mystically portray from before that Thou wast to come from a Virgin whom Thy brightness would not burn. As for Thy coming the second time in Thy dread glory as our God, the wondrous Prophet and righteous man, great Daniel, clearly hath foretold, when he cried out and said: I beheld until the thrones were set in place, and the Judge sat for judgment; and then rushed forth the river of that fire, from the which may we be saved by their entreaties, O our Master Christ" (to the melody "Paradise of Eden")
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
"When in the furnace of the blazing flame, Thy holy and faithful Youths proved to be as in a cool, refreshing dew, then did they mystically portray from before that Thou wast to come from a Virgin whom Thy brightness would not burn. As for Thy coming the second time in Thy dread glory as our God, the wondrous Prophet and righteous man, great Daniel, clearly hath foretold, when he cried out and said: I beheld until the thrones were set in place, and the Judge sat for judgment; and then rushed forth the river of that fire, from the which may we be saved by their entreaties, O our Master Christ" (to the melody "Paradise of Eden")
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Monday March 31, 2014 / March 18, 2014
Fifth Week of the Great Lent. Tone seven.
Great Lent. By Monastic Charter: Strict Fast (Bread, Vegetables, Fruits)
St. Cyril, archbishop of Jerusalem (386).
New Hieromartyr Demetrius priest, Virgin-martyr Natalia (1938).
Venerable Maria (Skobtsova), nun, who suffered at Ravensbruck (1945).
Martyrs Trophimus and Eucarpus of Nicomedia (300).
Venerable Ananias (Aninas), presbyter and monk, of the Euphrates.
St. Edward the Martyr, king of England (978) (Celtic & British).
The 10,000 Martyrs of Nicomedia.
St. Tetricus, bishop of Langres in Gaul (572-573) (Gaul).
Venerable Daniel, monk of Egypt (6th c.).
Venerable Cyril of Astrakhan (1576).
You can read the life of the saint by clicking on the highlighted name.
The Scripture Readings for the Day
Isaiah 37:33-38:6
‘He shall not come into this city,
Nor shoot an arrow there,
Nor come before it with shield,
Nor build a siege mound against it.
34 By the way that he came,
By the same shall he return;
And he shall not come into this city,’
Says the Lord.
35 ‘For I will defend this city, to save it
For My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.’”
Nor shoot an arrow there,
Nor come before it with shield,
Nor build a siege mound against it.
34 By the way that he came,
By the same shall he return;
And he shall not come into this city,’
Says the Lord.
35 ‘For I will defend this city, to save it
For My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.’”
Sennacherib’s Defeat and Death
36 Then the angel of the Lord went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses—all dead. 37 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went away, returned home, and remained at Nineveh. 38 Now it came to pass, as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. Then Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.Hezekiah’s Life Extended
38 In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.’”2 Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the Lord, 3 and said, “Remember now, O Lord, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
4 And the word of the Lord came to Isaiah, saying, 5 “Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will add to your days fifteen years. 6 I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city.”’
Genesis 13:12-18
14 And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are—northward, southward, eastward, and westward; 15 for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. 16 And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered. 17 Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you.”
18 Then Abram moved his tent, and went and dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an altar there to the Lord.
Proverbs 14:27-15:4
27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,
To turn one away from the snares of death.
To turn one away from the snares of death.
28 In a multitude of people is a king’s honor,
But in the lack of people is the downfall of a prince.
But in the lack of people is the downfall of a prince.
29 He who is slow to wrath has great understanding,
But he who is impulsive[a] exalts folly.
But he who is impulsive[a] exalts folly.
30 A sound heart is life to the body,
But envy is rottenness to the bones.
But envy is rottenness to the bones.
31 He who oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker,
But he who honors Him has mercy on the needy.
But he who honors Him has mercy on the needy.
32 The wicked is banished in his wickedness,
But the righteous has a refuge in his death.
But the righteous has a refuge in his death.
33 Wisdom rests in the heart of him who has understanding,
But what is in the heart of fools is made known.
But what is in the heart of fools is made known.
34 Righteousness exalts a nation,
But sin is a reproach to any people.
But sin is a reproach to any people.
35 The king’s favor is toward a wise servant,
But his wrath is against him who causes shame.
But his wrath is against him who causes shame.
15 A soft answer turns away wrath,
But a harsh word stirs up anger.
2 The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly,
But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness.
But a harsh word stirs up anger.
2 The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly,
But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness.
3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place,
Keeping watch on the evil and the good.
Keeping watch on the evil and the good.
4 A wholesome tongue is a tree of life,
But perverseness in it breaks the spirit.
But perverseness in it breaks the spirit.
I invite my readers to listen to my
Ancient Faith Radio podcasts:
http://ancientfaith.com/
All-Merciful Saviour Monastery is a non-profit, 501 C3 organization, under IRS regulations. All donations are therefore tax deductible. We support ourselves through the sales of Monastery Blend Coffee, our fine line of teas, and make Monastery Jams, all sold on line, and in our gift shop. We grow as many of our fruits and vegetables as we can, tend bee hives, and raise free range chickens for our eggs. With all we do to support ourselves, we still depend on the generosity of our friends and benefactors. You can donate to the monastery through PayPal, or by sending donations directly to the monastery's mailing address.
All-Merciful Saviour Monastery
PO Box 2420
Vashon Island, WA 98070-2420 USA
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