If you delve as closely as possible into the science of the Orthodox Church, you can hear more than once that all people who consciously and constantly sinned during life, without repenting, will endure eternal torment in hell. Of course, this frightens and worries many people, but not everyone is one hundred percent sure that this will actually happen. Yes, you can talk a lot about what will happen to a person’s soul after death, but in order to answer the question of whether the soul’s torment in hell will be endless, it’s worth not just talking about this topic, but also studying the relevant Christian literature, as well as listen to the teachings of the holy fathers.
The state of sinners after death until the Last Judgment
According to church teaching, it includes the souls of those sinners who, according to the determination of the Private Court, are deprived of (at least temporary) peace in the Kingdom of Glory, those, for example, “who die having angered God and despair” (Orthodox Confession. Part 1, question 68), also, by the way, those Christians who committed mortal sins during their lifetime repented to death, but did not bear any fruits of repentance (Message of the Eastern Patriarchs, member 18). In hell they perceive retribution for their sins.
Hellish torment of love. An ancient interpretation of one phrase by St. Isaac the Syrian
The words of St. Isaac the Syrian are well known that those tormented in hell are tortured by the scourge of love. These words are spoken in the 27th treatise of the “First Assembly” of St. Isaac, in the Russian translation this is Word 18. St. Isaac says that in the next century “the keenness of the love of all” will be directed “towards the One,” that is, only to God (in the Russian translation of “Ascetic Words”: “the speed of everyone’s desire will strive towards the One”). In other words, the ascetic claims that every person in the next century will experience love for God. At the same time, he says that this love will bring joy to some people, and sorrow to others: “I say that those tormented in Gehenna are struck by the scourge of love! And how bitter and cruel is this torment of love! For those who feel that they have sinned against love suffer torment greater than any torment that leads to fear; The sadness that strikes the heart for sin against love is more terrible than any possible punishment. It is inappropriate for anyone to think that sinners in Gehenna are deprived of God’s love. Love is a product of the knowledge of truth, which (as everyone agrees) is given to everyone in general. But love with its power acts in two ways: it torments sinners, as here it happens to a friend to suffer from a friend, and it brings joy to those who keep their duty.”[1].
These words of St. Isaac the Syrian became widely known. In the first half of the 13th century, in the sixth century after the life of the ascetic, they were quoted by Metropolitan Solomon of Basra of the Church of the East in his “Book of the Bee,” which summarized the views of various authoritative authors on various issues related to sacred history and doctrine.
But in what sense can love bring torment? One Syrian monk asked this question to a younger contemporary and follower of the Monk Isaac, Joseph Hazzaiah (that is, the “Seer”). Joseph's answer was preserved in his “Book of Questions and Answers,” structured in the form of a dialogue between a “monk” and a “questioning” student. In his answer, Joseph Hazzaya shows that the words of the Monk Isaac were well known to him, and explains how the torment of love should be understood. We offer this answer to the attention of our readers.
An excerpt from the “Book of Questions and Answers” is given from a 16th-century Syriac manuscript. numbered 131 from the Library of the Patriarchate of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Baghdad (folios 55v–57v).
The monk replies: “The vision of our Lord Christ in the new age will be a delight for the righteous, and torment for the wicked. For the righteous will see Him and delight in the mysteries of His knowledge; The wicked will be tormented by the vision of His love. <…>»[2]
The QUESTIONER asks: “What is the suffering that the wicked will suffer in the age to come? Are they overcome by sorrow, as in this age, or is it possible that their suffering is separate from this? For you say that they are tortured by love. Show me what the torment of love is like in the next century. For in this age, every suffering and torment that takes possession of a person leads him to despair and oppression[3] of the soul.”
The monk replies: “From that age, [full of] light, sweetness and joy, mortality, complacency, sadness, grief, despair and all the suffering that in this age torture the nature of rational [beings] will be taken away. For there their nature will not accept either suffering or sorrow. But listen to how the wicked will be tormented by the love of the vision of our Lord. When they see our Lord and God Christ and the vision of His love torments them, it will not be with sadness and sorrow, as in this century, but with love and zeal [4]: when they will incessantly long for the sweetness of His mysteries. And just as someone who loves someone is tormented by love at the sight of him[5] - not in such a way that sorrow takes possession of him, but in such a way that the zeal of love for him tortures him, because he desires to constantly communicate with the one who whom he loves, in conversation and pleasure - so all rational [creatures], for whom in the next century love for our Lord [6] will be torment, will be tormented for the reason that they will desire to have communication with Him through communion with His mysteries . For those who delight in love for our Lord[7] will constantly have fellowship with Him in the knowledge of His holy mysteries. For the heavenly mercy of our Lord will continually shine upon them, because they have kept His commandments in this age. His love will torture all those who in this age did the will of their souls and did not keep His commandments. For just as in this age the light of the sun shines on rational [beings], so in the next age the light of the vision of our Savior will shine on all rational [creatures]. For, like the members of the body, they too will be united to our Lord Christ, as the blessed apostle said: “We are members of Christ, and we are of His flesh and of His bones” (Eph. 5:30).”
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Future publications on the Jesus portal will present different points of view on the statements of Christian authors about retribution for sins.
[1] Quoted from the Russian translation, made from the Greek text: Isaac the Syrian, reverend. Ascetic words. — 4th ed. - STSL, 2021. pp. 112–113.
[2] Wed. in the “Chapters on Knowledge” by Joseph Hazzaiah: “In the fire that is visible to the mind during prayer, rational [beings] will be tormented in the new age” (Joseph Hazzaiah. Book of Chapters on Knowledge. Newly discovered fragments / Critical edition, translation from Syriac, preface and notes by M. G. Kalinin (continued) // Bible and Christian Antiquity, 2021, No. 3 (3), pp. 15–51, here: pp. 34 (Syrian text), 35 (Russian translation)).
[3] Lit. "to bind."
[4] In the original - reḥmṯā, one of the designations of love in the classical Syriac language, implying a special disposition and affection for the object of love.
[5] Lit.: “tormented by the love of his vision.”
[6] Lit. "the love of our Lord." In the corresponding construction in the original Syriac, "the Lord" can be both the subject and the object of love.
[7] Lit. "the love of our Lord." In the corresponding construction in the original Syriac, "the Lord" can be both the subject and the object of love.
What is the torment of the souls of sinners during this period?
A number of Orthodox theologians associate the forms of torment of sinners in hell with certain biblical symbolism: with the symbolism of burning in fire - the torment of conscience, with the symbolism of the worm - the manifestation of unresolved sinful passions, with the symbolism of darkness - the feeling of being abandoned by God.
And, for example, St. Mark of Ephesus, mentioning the fear, remorse, uncertainty of the future, deprivation of contemplation of God experienced by sinners, in his “Answers to Questions of the Latins” expresses the opinion that sinners “do not yet suffer torment in the fire of Gehenna, but as if they have it before their eyes; Because of the vision and the expectation of falling into it, they undoubtedly suffer bitterly.” Regarding the question of whether the captives of hell are subjected to all torments at the same time, he says that “since these torments are different and equal according to human sins, then for some all such torments correspond, for others - some of them; and for some it is more severe, and for others it is lighter.”
Based on the patristic teaching and visions of the afterlife from church tradition, the following can be noted.
“Tribulation and distress to every soul of every man who does evil” (Rom. 2:9), says the Apostle Paul. St. Paisius the Svyatogorets reveals this spiritual law as follows: “Already in this life, we will either taste the sweetness of heaven to some extent and from here we will go to heaven, or we will partly endure hellish torment and - save us from this, God - we will end up in hell. Good is heaven, and evil is hellish torment. By doing good, a person rejoices; by sinning, he suffers. The more good deeds a person does, the more joy he feels, the more evil he does, the more his soul languishes.” The awareness that life was lived and ruined by vices, constant reproaches of conscience for all the sins committed, the most painful awareness of the impossibility of immediately changing anything - all this will incessantly torment the unfortunate. In addition, the inability to satisfy their sinful desires and passions acquired during life, and which will not disappear anywhere, will burn these poor creatures like a flame.
The souls of sinners are “in a state of darkness, sorrow and suffering” (Long Christian Catechism). In hell there is darkness, crowded conditions, sounds of screams coming from everywhere, souls are deprived of the opportunity to see each other, but they see the spirits of evil in their hellish ugliness.
Alexey Ilyich Osipov
Question: “Dear Alexey Ilyich! Now many dubious neophytes are convicting you of heresy regarding the infinity of torment in hell. Say something in your defense."
Professor of the Moscow Theological Academy Alexey Ilyich Osipov answers:
– Fortunately, I don’t need to say anything in my defense, because the following write about the fact that the torment will not be eternal: Athanasius the Great, St. Ephraim the Syrian, St. Isaac the Syrian, St. Gregory of Nyssa, St. Amphilochius of Iconium, St. Epiphanius of Cyprus.
Look at the texts that are read on Holy Saturday before Easter. Christ descends into hell and what does the Church write? “Hell reigns, but does not reign over the human race forever.” Listen to the word of John Chrysostom, which is read at the Easter service: “Death! Where is your sting? Hell! Where is your victory? Christ has risen - and everyone is liberated! What's this? Is he telling a lie or what? Or is he practicing eloquence?
So, I don't need to defend myself. What do I have to do with it? I only voiced it, but it was written by great saints who were not condemned by any Council! There was the Fifth Ecumenical Council, which condemned Origenism, but no one condemned these saints! They remain the great saints of our Orthodox Church! The Church did not reject them! She did not condemn either those fathers who wrote that there would be eternal torment, or those fathers who said: there will be torment, but not eternal! Not endless. And they warn: “Although Gehenna is limited (that is, it will not always be), the taste of being in it is terrible. And no one knows what suffering will have to be endured there.” This, it turns out, is why Christ and other saints wrote this way. They even wrote that there would be eternal torment! But keep in mind that the word “eternal” does not mean “infinite”.
They warned the way love always warns its loved ones from what could bring them suffering. Do you know what is the worst threat a mother can make to her child when he goes swimming? “If you drown, don’t come home!”
So, I don’t even have anything to say in defense. Let them blame the saints... Gregory of Nyssa, by the way, is the brother of Basil the Great. Athanasius the Great - the pillar of Orthodoxy! And Isaac the Syrian, Ephraim the Syrian! John Chrysostom! Are they being judged?! All these condemnations are in vain...
The Church has not clearly defined its teaching on this issue. So these two lines remained. The Church did not condemn either one or the other. Why? I think because it is a mystery that is difficult for us to understand. It is difficult for us to understand what eternity is. The Church did not condemn anyone, thereby giving us the opportunity to choose.
Do you know why the point of view of Athanasius the Great and others is valuable, who say that there will be torment, but not endless? We say that God is Love. How could He, being Love, give life to someone about whom He knows for sure that he will choose evil and go into eternal torment? Can God-Love do this? No! And the saints write: no, no, He gives good, gives life to everyone! True, some are saved, like a king flying up to Heaven, while others go through the crucible of fire and suffering. That's all.
The state of sinners after the general resurrection and the Last Judgment
In contrast to the description of the state of the soul separated from the body, Holy Scripture reports in much more detail about the fate of sinners after the Last Judgment. The main difference from the posthumous fate will be that people will receive a perfect reward, where everyone will receive according to “what he did while living in the body, good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10). The Judge’s verdict this time will be final and unchangeable, because “the time of harvest” will come (see: Matt. 13:30). Many sinners, and, of course, those who died in repentance (but did not bear worthy fruits of repentance) and faith, will be justified and freed even before the general resurrection and judgment (see: Message of the Eastern Patriarchs, member 18). Many “will be punished with endless torment, some more, others less” (Orthodox Confession, Part 1, question 63) “in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone” (Rev. 21:8).
The Word of God depicts various forms of torment of sinners after the Last Judgment:
1) Removal of sinners from God and their damnation . “Depart from me, cursed” (Matthew 25:41), “I do not know you... depart from Me, all workers of unrighteousness” (Luke 13:27) - these words will be spoken by the Righteous Judge to unrepentant sinners. And this removal from God and curse will be in itself the greatest punishment for the unfortunate. As St. says. John Chrysostom, “Gehenna and the torment in it are unbearable, however, if you imagine thousands of Gehennas, then all this will mean nothing in comparison with the misfortune of being deprived of this blessed glory, of being hated by Christ and hearing from him: not seeing you, and accusation that we, seeing him hungry, did not feed him! For it is better to be subjected to countless strikes of lightning than to see the meek face of the Lord turning away from us, and his clear eye unable to look at us.”
2) Sinners will be deprived of the benefits of the Kingdom of Heaven, which the righteous will receive . The Lord Jesus Christ testified that then “many will come from the east and west and lie down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven; and the children of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness” (Matthew 8:11-12). “Many foolish people only want to get rid of Gehenna, but I consider it much more painful; the punishment is not to be in that glory; and the one who has lost it, I think, should cry not so much about the torment of Gehenna as about the deprivation of heavenly blessings; for this alone is the most severe punishment of all,” warns St. John Chrysostom.
3) Sinners will be sent to a place of sorrow and hopelessness, where they will dwell with evil demons . This place is called “the deep,” which even demons fear (Luke 8:31), “hell” (Luke 16:23), or “the land of darkness” (Job 10:22), “fiery hell” (Matt. 5:22), “a furnace of fire” (Matt. 13:50), “a lake of fire” (Rev. 19:20). And in such a place, sinners, for all eternity, will not see anyone around them except the spirits of evil that destroyed them (Matthew 25:41). “Who has sinned on earth,” says St. Ephraim the Syrian, who insulted God and hid his deeds, will be cast into utter darkness, where there is not a ray of light; whoever harbors wickedness in his heart and envy in his mind will be hidden by a terrible depth, full of fire and bogeymen; “Whoever indulges in anger and does not allow love into his heart, even to the point of hatred for his neighbor, will be handed over to cruel torment by the angels.”
4) The internal torment of sinners . What concerns the torment of a soul without a body is partly true in relation to the fate of people with resurrected bodies.
5) External (positive) torment of sinners . The fact that sinners suffer, being separated from the Source of life and joy, are deprived of the glory of the righteous, are tormented by the torment of conscience and repentance, experience the horror of dissatisfaction with sinful passions and desires - this is indeed true, but this is only half the truth. The torment of Gehenna fire, as St. notes about this. Filaret of Chernigov, do not mean “only the internal torment of the sinner - a natural consequence of sins. The positive meaning of the executions of sinners cannot be excluded from Holy Scripture. So it is clearly and definitely expressed there: fire, the fire of hell, the lake of fire are so often presented separately from the torment of conscience that not allowing positive torment in Scripture would only mean criminal arbitrariness (Thus Rev. 20:15; Matt. 25:41; 13 :42; 5:22; 29:30. Mark 9:44; Isa.66:24; Heb.10:21). The teachers of the Church never limited the executions of eternity to the natural suffering of the sinner alone, and, although they accepted many images of the state of the condemned as not their own, they saw in the fire of Gehenna a positive punishment of eternal truth.” Commenting on the words of the Apostle Paul that “it is righteous before God to repay those who insult you with sorrow, and you who are insulted with joy along with us, at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with His mighty angels, taking vengeance in flaming fire on those who do not know God and do not those who obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will suffer the punishment of everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power” (2 Thess. 1:6-9), St. Theophan the Recluse writes that “future punishments will be made more severe by the fact that sinners will be removed from the face of God, in whose sight the righteous will delight, but will not consist of this alone. And their external situation will be bleak, not only because of the lack of benefits, but also because of positive torment.” St. Basil the Great, warning against committing sins, recommends imagining “the terrible and unbearable judgment seat of Christ, where the Judge sits on a high and exalted Throne, while all creation stands with trepidation at His glorious appearance, and each of us is brought to the test of what he has done in life; then, to the one who has committed many bad deeds in life, terrible and gloomy angels are assigned, who have a fiery gaze and a fiery breath - due to the cruelty of their will, and faces like the night - due to despondency and hatred of man; then an impassable abyss, deep darkness, dim fire, which in the darkness contains scorching power, but lacks luminosity; then some kind of poisonous and carnivorous worm, devouring with greed, never being satisfied and with its devouring produces unbearable diseases; then the cruelest of all torments—eternal disgrace and eternal shame.” Thus, it is incorrect to say that the torment of hell is only a natural consequence of sinners’ removal from God and their internal torment. The Holy Scriptures and the Holy Fathers quite clearly affirm the positive punishment of sinners on the part of the Judge.
Types of hellish torments
Toasting the skin
Hellfire will burn the skin of the inhabitants of the underworld, and the skin is the organ through which a person feels pain. Allah will replace the fried skin with a new one so that it burns anew, and this will continue forever: “Verily, those who did not believe in Our signs, We will burn in fire. Whenever their skin becomes fried, We will replace it with another skin so that they may taste the torment. Verily, Allah is Mighty, Wise” (Sura 4 “Women”, verse 56)
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Melting of internal organs
Another type of punishment in hell is pouring boiling water heated to maximum temperature on the heads of non-believers. Its heat will melt the insides of the inhabitants of hell and everything that is in their bellies: “For those who did not believe, they will cut out clothes from the fire, and boiling water will be poured on their heads. It will melt their entrails and skin” (Sura 22 “Hajj”, verses 19-20)
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At-Tirmidhi reported from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “Verily, boiling water will be poured on their heads, which will pierce them and reach their entrails, tearing apart everything that is inside them, and then it will burst out of them.” their stop. So they will melt, and then they will become what they were before.” He called the hadith reliable, but little known.
Burning your face
The face is the most tender and noble part of the body, and therefore the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, forbade hitting the face. The inhabitants of hell on the day of resurrection will be humiliated: they will lie face down, blind, deaf and dumb: “On the day of resurrection We will gather them lying on their faces, blind, dumb, deaf. Their refuge will be Gehenna. As soon as it subsides, We add flames to them" (Sura 17 "Night Transfer", verse 97)
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And then they will be thrown face down into hell: “And those who appear with evil deeds will be thrown face down into the fire: “Do you not receive reward only for what you did?” (Sura 27 “Ants”, verse 90 )
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The fire will burn their faces. He will cover them forever, and they will not be able to protect their faces from him with anything: “If only the unbelievers knew about the time when they will not be able to turn the fire away from their faces and their backs, and no one will help them!” (Sura 21 "Prophets", verse 39)
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“The fire will burn their faces, and there they will writhe” (Sura 23 “The Believers”, verse 104)
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“Their clothing will be made of pitch, and their faces will be covered with fire” (Surah 14 “Ibrahim”, verse 50)
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“Is the one who, on the day of resurrection, will protect himself from terrible torment [equal to a believer]?” (Sura 39 “Crowds”, verse 24)
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Look at this picture, from which the body shudders: “On that day their faces will turn (or change) in the fire, and they will say: “It would be better if we obeyed Allah and obeyed the Messenger!”” (Surah 33 “The Hordes”, verse 66 )
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Have you seen how they turn meat roasting on coals or fish frying in a frying pan? The faces of those who go to hell will also turn. May Allah save us from the torment of the inhabitants of the underworld!
Dragging face down
Another type of painful punishment is dragging unbelievers face down through hell: “Verily, sinners have gone astray and are suffering (or have moved away from the truth). On that day they will be dragged prone into the fire: “Taste the touch of the underworld!” (Sura 54 “Moon”, verses 47-48)
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Their pain will be intensified by the fact that at this time they will be shackled in chains, shackles and shackles: “But they will know when, with shackles on their necks and in chains, they are dragged into boiling water, and then kindled in fire” (Sura 40 “The Forgiving One”) ", verses 70-72)
. Qatada said: “Time after time they will be burned either in fire or in boiling water.”
Darkening of faces
In the last life, the faces of the inhabitants of hell will become black: “On that day, some faces will turn white, and others will turn black. To those whose faces turn black [it will be said], “Have you really become disbelievers after you believed? Taste the torment because you did not believe! ” (Sura 3 “The Family of Imran”, verse 106)
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Their faces will be completely black, as if a blanket of dark night has been thrown over them: “And the reward of those who have acquired evil will be equal evil. Humiliation will befall them, and no one will protect them from Allah. Their faces seem to be covered with shreds of night darkness. They are the inhabitants of the fire, in which they will abide forever" (Sura 10 "Yunus", verse 27)
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Surrounded by fire on all sides
The inhabitants of hell will be unbelievers who are surrounded by sins and transgressions so much that their souls do not retain a single good deed. Refuting the statements of the Jews, who believed that the fire would touch them only for a few days, Allah Almighty said: “Oh no! Those who have acquired evil and are surrounded by their sin will find themselves dwelling in the fire. They will remain there forever" (Surah 2 “The Cow”, verse 81)
. Only those who have associated partners with Allah will find themselves in this position.
Siddiq Hasan Khan writes: “By sin here we mean a specific group of acts. We can talk about sin, which surrounds a person on all sides, not leaving behind him a single good deed, closing all paths to salvation before him. Eternal stay in hell is the lot of unbelievers and polytheists. Therefore, sin in this verse must necessarily be understood as unbelief and the association of partners with Allah. This reveals the inconsistency of the persistent denial by the Mu'tazilites and Kharijites of the numerous traditions contained in the Sunnah that sinners who do not associate partners with Allah will come out of hell" (Siddiq Hasan Khan. Yaqza. P. 67).
Thus, sins and misdeeds surround the unbeliever like a bracelet surrounds the wrist, and since the reward always corresponds to the kind of deeds committed, the unbelievers will be surrounded by fire on all sides. The Almighty said: “Their beds will be from hell, and over them there will be covers” (Sura 7 “Fences”, verse 41)
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The bed will be under them, and the blankets will cover them above. In other words, the flames will envelop them from all sides. The Almighty said: “On that day, torment will cover them from above and from under their feet” (Surah 29 “Spider”, verse 55)
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“Above them there will be canopies of fire, and under them there will be canopies” (Surah 39 “Crowds”, verse 16)
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The fact that fire will envelop the disbelievers is clearly stated in the verse: “Verily, Gehenna embraces the disbelievers” (Sura 9 “Repentance”, verse 49)
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According to some commentators, lodges refer to the beds of unbelievers, and bedspreads refer to their blankets (Ibn Kathir. Tafsir. Vol. 3, p. 168).
On the other hand, the unbelievers will be surrounded by fire in the sense that they will be surrounded by walls of fire that they will not be able to pass through. The Almighty said: “We have prepared a fire for the unjust, the walls of which will surround them on all sides. If they ask for help (or for rain), they will be helped with water like molten metal (or oil residue) that burns the face. A vile drink and a vile abode! (Surah 18 “The Cave”, verse 29)
. The walls of hell are fences that surround it on all sides.
Rising fire above hearts
As we have already mentioned, the size of the inhabitants of hell will be very large, and despite this, the flames will penetrate into the deepest parts of their bodies: “I will throw him into the underworld. How could you know what the underworld is? She does not spare and does not abandon. It burns the skin” (Sura 74 “The Wrapped Up”, verses 26-29)
. Commenting on the words “She does not spare and does not leave,” one of the early Muslims said: “She devours his bones, meat and brain, leaving nothing” (Ibn al-Jawzi. Tahwif. p. 146).
The Almighty and Almighty Allah said: “But no! He will certainly be cast into the crushing fire. How could you know what crushing fire is? This is the kindled fire of Allah that rises above the hearts" (Sura 104 “The Blasphemer”, verses 4-7)
. Muhammad ibn Ka'b al-Qurazi said: "Fire devours a person, reaching the heart, after which it is recreated." It is reported that Sabit al-Bunani, having read this verse, said: “The fire will burn them to the hearts, and they will still be alive, and their torment will reach the highest limit,” and then began to cry (Ibn al-Jawzi. Tahwif. S. 146).
Intestinal prolapse
In the “Sahihah” of al-Bukhari and Muslim, the story of Osama ibn Zayd is given that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “There will be a man who on the day of resurrection will be brought and thrown into the fire. His guts will fall out there, and he will spin like a donkey turning a mill. The inhabitants of the fire will gather around him and say: “What is the matter with you, so-and-so? Didn’t you encourage us to do what is acceptable and restrain us from what is reprehensible?!” He will say: “Yes, I encouraged you to do what was acceptable, but I did not do it myself, and I kept you from what was reprehensible, but I myself did it.” He will spin around his intestines just as a donkey walks around turning the millstones of a mill.
One of those who will drag their guts through hell will be 'Amr ibn Luhay - the one who first distorted the religion of the Arabs. The Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, saw how he would drag his guts in the fire. In the Sahih of Muslim, Jabir ibn 'Abd Allah reports that the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I saw 'Amr ibn 'Amir al-Khuza'i dragging his guts in the fire. He was the first to declare the sahibah untouchable.” The veneration of the sahibah is one of the customs introduced by 'Amr. Contrary to the laws sent down by Allah, he abolished some of God's prohibitions and declared certain types of livestock sacred. He forbade slaughtering these animals, milking them and riding them.
Fetters, shackles, chains and clubs in hell
Allah has prepared shackles, fetters, chains and clubs for the inhabitants of hell: “We have prepared for the disbelievers chains, fetters and flames” (Sura 76 “Man”, verse 4)
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“Indeed, We have fetters and hell, food to choke on, and painful suffering” (Sura 73 “The Veiled One”, verses 12-13)
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Fetters will be placed on the necks of sinners: “We will put fetters on the necks of the disbelievers. Are they not rewarded only for what they did? (Sura 34 Saba, verse 33)
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“...when they are dragged with shackles on their necks and in chains” (Sura 40 “The Forgiving”, verse 71)
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The word ankal means "fetters". It received such a meaning because with it Allah punishes (yankulu) sinners: “Verily, We have fetters” (Sura 73 “The Wrapped One,” verse 12)
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Chains are another form of torment: sinners will be shackled in them, just as criminals are shackled in this world. Look how these torments are described in the holy book: “Seize him and bind him, then throw him into hell and string him on a chain seventy cubits long!” (Sura 69 “The Day of Truth”, verses 30-32)
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Allah has prepared clubs for the inhabitants of hell - huge iron clubs that will be used to beat sinners when they try to get out of there. Having received a blow, they will again be plunged into the very depths of hell: “Iron clubs are prepared for them. Every time they want to get out of there and get rid of their sadness, they will be brought back. Taste the torment of the burning fire!” (Sura 22 “Hajj”, verses 21-22)
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What is the source of suffering for sinners in hell?
As mentioned above, the torment of sinners can be divided into internal and external, mental and physical. Based on the Holy Scriptures and the teachings of the Holy Fathers, we can distinguish two sources of torment for the inhabitants of hell - the action of God's justice and their internal subjective state. Moreover, strictly speaking, both sources are different forms of the same Divine reward. As St. explains. Innocent of Kherson, God carries out His judgments through natural (embedded in the very nature of things) and positive rewards and punishments. Both were arranged by God, who made it so that “virtue is accompanied by good, and evil by evil... We contrast them (positive punishments and rewards - editor’s note) with natural ones, while they are not opposed to them, for they must be in the order of the world, although they are invisible to us because they are hidden deep within it. For example, the future heaven is new and the earth is new - positive benefits will come from this nature, therefore, their foundation was laid in the creation of the world; Likewise, the basis for punishment lies in nature; that eternal fire must now be in nature, although we do not see it. Thus, there is nothing positive - arbitrary, but everything is natural. The positive exists only for us, who cannot embrace the entire structure of the world building.”
Hell
Hell - 1) a closed spatial region, a separate place of the presence of demons, the afterlife and torment of the souls of unrepentant sinners; after the general resurrection of the dead, the Last Judgment, hell will become a place of torment for the devil, all his angels and wicked people who are not worthy of heavenly villages; 2) the internal state of sinners, characterized by a feeling of abandonment by God, loneliness and torment; 3) hellish forces - crafty spirits.
Following the teachings of the Orthodox Church, after a posthumous private judgment, a person is in a state of anticipation of eternal joy and bliss, or in anticipation of the fear of eternal torment. Complete bliss, as well as complete torment, will begin after the Last Judgment. Before the Last Judgment, changes in the state of souls in hell are possible, especially thanks to the offering of the Bloodless Sacrifice for them (commemoration at the Liturgy) and prayers, as St. Mark of Ephesus. The ineffable goodness and love of God extends to people in hell. Forgiveness of sins after death is granted by the grace of God with the assistance of human prayers.
Heaven and hell are the actions of uncreated Divine grace. The Holy Fathers teach that heaven and hell exist not as a legal reward and punishment on the part of God, but as the health and illness of the human soul.
Healthy people, that is, those who have cleansed their souls of passions, experience the enlightening effect of divine grace, experiencing bliss in its actions, the description of which exceeds the capabilities of human language. They unite with God, ascend in the knowledge of God from measure to measure, and achieve deification.
The sick, who neglected cleansing from passions, feel the scorching effect of grace, for they rejected Divine love, despised the gift of forgiveness of sins, healing of the soul from passions and knowledge of God, selfishly closed in on themselves, did not desire life in union with the Holy God. Thus, sinners will be punished not because God wants them to perish, but they themselves “perish because they did not accept the love of the truth for their salvation” (2 Thess. 2:10).
The word "hell" appears 17 times in the Bible.
Ps.9:18 ...Let the wicked turn to hell, -.. Ps.54:16 ...let them go down alive into hell,.. Is.14:9 ...Hell hell is set in motion for your sake,.. Is.14: 15 ...But you are cast into hell, into the depths of the pit... Hos.13:14 ...hell! where is your victory?.. Hab.2:5 ...so that he expands his soul like hell,.. 1 Cor.15:55 ...hell! where is your victory?.. Rev.6:8 ...and hell followed him;.. Rev.20:13 ...and death and hell delivered up the dead that were in them;.. Rev.20:14 ...And death and hell cast into the lake of fire... 3 Mac.4:7 ...for they saw open hell under their feet... 3 Mac.5:28 ...and he determined to send them immediately to hell,.. 3 Mac.6:28 ...or better yet, those who went down to hell ,.. Bar.3:19 ...They disappeared and descended into hell, and others rose up in their place... 3 Ezra.4:8 ...and he never ascended into hell, nor into heaven... 3 Ezra.8:53 ...and corruption flees to hell into oblivion... Sir.28:24 ...a cruel death is his death, and hell itself is better than it...
Will the torment of sinners be eternal?
Currently, the doctrine of the finality of the torment of unrepentant sinners who will be condemned at the coming Last Judgment has many followers.
Unlike the Church’s teaching about the eternity of hellish torment, it is based not on direct biblical evidence (Matthew 25:46), but on the interpretation of indirect facts.
At one time, the view of the limitations of “eternal” hellish torment was defended by Origen. Then Saint Gregory of Nyssa expressed sympathy for this idea. Subsequently, this teaching found a response in the minds of a large number of “believers.” In our time, individual authors articulate it as one of the acceptable directions of Christian thought.
First of all, the concept of the limitations of hellish torment was built on a peculiarly interpreted doctrine of Divine properties. It was believed that the Almighty, desiring the salvation of all people without exception, as the Omniscient, Loving, Merciful and Almighty, would certainly find the appropriate remedy and deliver all the lawless from sinfulness, after which he would introduce them into the Heavenly Kingdom, joining the host of saints.
They responded to the absolutely clear Divine assurance about the eternity of future torment with the argument that the adjective “eternal” (torment) should be interpreted not in the sense of “endless”, but in the sense of “long-lasting”, but still limited by time.
The V Ecumenical Council, assessing Origenism as a false teaching that does not correspond to the spirit of Scripture, also condemned Origen’s hypothesis about the limitations of “eternal” torment. Saint Gregory of Nyssa, who partially supported the opinion of Origen, was not condemned either at this or at subsequent Councils. Moreover, he was deservedly recognized by the Universal Church as one of the most outstanding church writers. In turn, this gave some reason to think that the idea that appealed to him about the finiteness of torment corresponds to the truth.
Meanwhile, with all due respect to the authority of the Nyssa saint, his private theological opinion about the limitations of future torment was criticized by a number of great fathers.
Regarding the combination of the doctrine of the omnipotence and wisdom of God with the doctrine of the inevitability of universal salvation (regardless of how this or that person carries out his earthly life), the Church Fathers explained that it is not God, but the sinner himself who deviates himself from the path to the Kingdom of Heaven , will become the culprit of his future troubles. And this will not conflict with the perfections of the Divine.
As for the interpretation of the “eternity” of the future century in the sense of not an endless, but a limited period, the fathers countered this consideration with their own: if we recognize the future century as limited, then it will be necessary to recognize the blessedness of the saints as limited, but this judgment directly contradicts the testimony of Revelation that the joy of the righteous will have no end.
One of the twelve anathematisms (the eighth) from the rite of the triumph of Orthodoxy, recognized by the Church, clearly indicates that those who dare to reject the eternity of torment of posthumous reward are subject to anathema.
What will be the torment of sinners in hell after the Last Judgment?
In contrast to the iconographic images and book miniatures that developed and established themselves on the territory of Rus' in the 16th - 17th centuries, representing the future torment of sinners in the light of pronounced naturalism, the Holy Gospel reports the torments of hell in much more restrained, but no less penetrating symbolic forms.
While the images of the named period show such horrific pictures as sinners being hanged by their ribs, spines, tongues, roasted on hell's spits, bitten by snakes, beaten by demons with hammers, beaters, burning in a river of fire, Gospel symbols are mainly reduced to fire unquenchable (Mark 9:44), undying worm (Mark 9:46), outer darkness (Matthew 8:12), weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 25:30).
In fact, neither the Gospel nor Orthodox iconography suggests a literal, crudely sensual interpretation of these images. That is why they are called symbolic, which, however, does not make them any less terrible, because one way or another we are talking about eternal torments of hell.
Revealing the Gospel symbols, patristic theology presented them in this light: by burning in fire one should mean remorse, by a worm - the manifestation of unhealed passions, by external darkness - abandonment of God, and by gnashing of teeth - bitterness caused by a lack or absence of love.
At the same time, of course, the very position of sinners, which implies close proximity to disgusting demons, will be one of the most acute factors of torment. In addition, the torment of sinners will be aggravated by the understanding that it will not end either in a hundred or in thousands of years.
“The word “hell” translated from Greek means a place devoid of light. In Christian teaching, this name refers to a spiritual prison, i.e. the state of souls cut off by sin from the sight of God and united with Him in light and bliss (Jude 1:6. Octoechos, tone 5, stichera 2,4).” Saint Philaret (Drozdov),
Long Orthodox Catechism
It is important to understand that eternal torment is not the punishment of an angry Deity, but the result of a person’s internal self-determination. Valery Dukhanin
...What is more reckless or crazier than to say: “It is enough for me to escape Gehenna; but to enter the Kingdom, I do not care about that.” To escape Gehenna already means to enter the Kingdom, just as to lose the Kingdom means to go to Gehenna. Scripture does not tell us about three countries. But what does he say? When the Son of Man comes in His glory... and places the sheep on His right hand and the goats on His left (Matthew 25:31, 33).
He did not say about three ranks, but one rank on the right, and another on the left, and he separated their borders according to their villages, saying: these, that is, sinners, will go away into eternal torment, and the righteous into eternal life (Matthew 25:46), and the righteous will shine like the sun (Matthew 13:43). Venerable Ephraim the Syrian
It is not God who is the culprit of hell and eternal torment in it, but the sinners themselves. If there were no unrepentant sinners, there would be no hell. The Lord really wants there to be no sinners, and that’s why he came to earth. If He desires sinlessness, then it means that He also desires that no one fall into eternal torment. It's all up to us. Let us come together and destroy hell with sinlessness. The Lord will be glad of this; He revealed hell so that everyone would beware of going there. Saint Theophan the Recluse
Hell cannot be made attractive, so the devil makes the road there attractive. Saint Basil the Great
Keep your mind in hell, and do not despair. Venerable Silouan of Athos
Will there be frying pans in hell?
Despite the presence in the Holy Scripture and Tradition, and in particular in iconography, symbolic images of the torment of the wicked in hell under the image of bodily torture, the opinion that in hell a person will be roasted by demons in frying pans and spits, tortured with chains and snakes, devil’s beaters, saws, wheels of fire, owes not so much to orthodox sources as to imagination and folklore (see: Heaven and Hell: two places or two states?).
The state of sinners in hell, both before and after the Last Judgment, of course, cannot be characterized as anything other than painful. Only these torments, presented in the Holy Tradition in symbols, should not be reduced to the crude physical torture of sinners by demons, who are supposedly assigned an eternal role in hell in the privileged position of torturers-executioners.
As for the devil and his angels, they will all be thrown into the lake of fire, where they will suffer and burn (Rev. 20:10-15). The Lord knows what the extent of their eternal torment will be. It is likely that these torments will exceed those torments that will be the result of righteous retribution for sinners (people), who, of course, sinned not without the instigation of evil demonic forces.
Can God, who is love, punish people with eternal torment?
Photo: Flickr.com
People often think that if God is love and teaches everyone love, then he cannot subject even an unrepentant sinner who committed terrible evil during his life to eternal torment. In fact, the torments of hell should not be perceived as God's wrath or his punishment, since they are the consequence of the actions of a specific person who, having free will, chose a life of sin rather than eternal grace.
If you carefully read the interpretations given to Christians by Simeon the Theologian, you can understand the fact that the foundations of hell lie in the depths of the sinful human heart and it is not a loving God who prepares eternal torment for sinners, but they themselves, not fulfilling His commandments. Sinners are spiritually blind people who cannot see God in all His glory, cannot feel His love, thereby creating hell for themselves.
