The prophets, wishing to show the authenticity of what they intended to say, first of all, say: "The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw" (Isaiah 1:1); or: "The words of Jeremiah, to whom was the word of the Lord" (Jeremiah 1:1); and again: "For thus hath spoken the Lord unto me" (Isaiah 8:11), and so on. Many saw God Himself sitting (Isaiah 6:1), as far as they could see. But Paul, who did not see him sitting, but had Christ speaking in him, instead of saying, "For thus hath the Lord hath spoken unto me," said, "Ye seek a proof, whether Christ speaketh in me" (2 Cor. 13:3), and again, "Paul, by the will of God, an apostle of Jesus Christ" (2 Cor. 1:1), showing that he speaks nothing of himself, because the messenger conveys only the words of the one who sent. And again: "I think, and I also have the Spirit of God" (1 Cor. 7:40). However, he spoke all this under the inspiration of the Spirit; yet what he now says, he heard from God verbally, just as he heard secretly what he said in a conversation with the Ephesian elders: "It is more blessed to give than to receive." (Acts 20:35). Let us see what he says here: "This we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who remain until the coming of the Lord, will not warn those who have fallen asleep, because the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet of God." Christ said the same in His time: "The powers of heaven shall be shaken" (Matt. 24:29). Why in the chimney? Because we see it on Sinai, and the angels too. But what is the meaning of the voice of the archangel? The same as what was said about the virgins: "The bridegroom is coming, go out to meet him" (Matt. 25:6). Either this is what he is talking about here, or that when the angels serve at the resurrection, something similar to what happens in the time of the king will take place. Indeed, (God) will say: let the dead be raised! — and this will be brought to pass, not by the power of the angels, but by His word, — just as if the king commanded and said, Let the prisoners go out, and let the servants bring them out, then they would do it not by their own authority, but by the king's commandment. Christ speaks of this in another place: "And He shall send His angels with a loud trumpet, and they shall gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other" (Matt. 24:31), and everywhere you see angels hastening to fulfill the command of God. Consequently, the archangel, as I believe, is the leader of those who are sent, who will cry out (to them): prepare all, the Judge is coming. What does it mean: in the last trumpet? It means that there will be many trumpets, and that the Judge will descend at (the sound of) the last trumpet. "And the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we, who are the survivors, will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Comfort one another, therefore, with these words" (vv. 16-18). If (the Lord) intends to descend, why will we be raptured? For the sake of honor. For even when the king enters the city, the honorable citizens come out to meet him, and the criminals inside await the judge; and then, when the tender father returns, the children and those who deserve the name of children ride out in a chariot (to meet him) to see and greet him, and those of the household who have insulted him remain at home. We will rush in the chariot of the Father. As He lifted up Himself (the Lord) in the clouds (Acts 1:9), so we will be caught up in the clouds. Do you see what an honor? We will also meet Him who descends, and, what is most joyful, "for His mercy endures forever. Who shall speak the power of the Lord, declare all His praises" (Psalm 105:2)? What great blessings He has vouchsafed to the human race! The dead will rise first, and thus all will meet him together. Abel, who died first of all, will then go out to meet him with the survivors, so that they will have no advantage, and the decayed one, who has lain in the ground for so many years, will meet him with the living, as well as all the others. If they were waiting for us to be crowned, as (the Apostle) says in another place: "God has provided something better for us, that they may not be made perfect without us" (Hebrews 11:40), how much more should we wait for them. Or better: they have been waiting for us, but we will not be them, because the resurrection will happen suddenly, "in the twinkling of an eye" (1 Cor. 15:52). Therefore, to resurrect is the work of Almighty God, who commands the earth to restore what has been entrusted to it, without any assistance of servants, just as it was when the Lord called out to Lazarus: "Lazarus! go away" (John 11:43); but it will be the work of servants to bring (the resurrected). But if angels will flow around (the earth) and gather (the resurrected), then how is it said here that (the resurrected) will be raptured? They will be caught up after (the Lord) has descended, after (all the nations) have been gathered. All this will happen suddenly, and in such a way that no one will know in advance. Only when they see that the earth is shaking, that the dust is again united into one body, at the same time bodies arise everywhere, without any assistance from anyone, but only by the command (of the Lord), who alone is sufficient to free the earth, which is full (of dead bodies), from this burden, imagine that all the dead, no matter how many there are of them, from Adam to the coming (of the Lord), Then they will rise up with their wives and children, — when, I say, they see such confusion on earth, then will they only know (that the end of the world has come). Therefore, just as they could not foresee anything in advance regarding the birth according to the flesh (of the Lord), so then (they will not know anything beforehand).

2. And so, when these things happen, then there will also be the voice of the archangel commanding the angels and calling out, and there will be trumpets, or rather the sound of trumpets. What fear, what horror would then embrace those who remained on earth! "One is taken, and the other is left" (Matt. 24:41); and "the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left" (Luke 17:36). What will be the condition of their souls when they see that others will be raptured, and they will be forsaken! Will not this terrify them more than any hell? Let us imagine in thought that this is already happening. If sudden death, the destruction of cities by earthquakes, and other horrible suggestive events so strike our souls, what will be the state of our souls when we see that the earth is opened up and its surface is covered with all the dead, when we hear the sound of trumpets and the voice of the archangel, which is louder than any trumpet, (when we see) that the heavens are rolled up and the King of all, God, is coming? Let us tremble, I beseech you, and fear as if it were already happening; let us not comfort ourselves with the fact that this will not happen soon; for if it must be inevitable, then slowing down will not help us in the least. What fear, what horror there will be! Have you ever seen–

If bodily death terrifies us so much, then what will we feel when eternal death comes? But what do I say about those who are led to execution? They are surrounded at that time by a crowd of people, many of whom do not even know them. But if anyone had penetrated into their souls, then, of course, he would not have remained so cruel, or so ruthless, or so fearless, that he would not be indignant himself and would not feel fear and sorrow. If, therefore, complete strangers are so perplexed when others die a death that is no different from sleep, what will be our condition when we ourselves are subjected to much greater (torments)? It is impossible, believe me, impossible to depict (this) suffering in words. True, they say; but God loves mankind and nothing of the kind will happen. Consequently, it was written about it in vain? No, they say, but this is only a threat so that we come to our senses. But if we do not understand, but stagnate in evil, tell me, will not (God) send punishment? Consequently, He will not reward the virtuous either? He will repay, they say, because it is characteristic of Him to do good even beyond merit. Thus it is in fact and sure to follow; and there will be no punishments at all, and they are spoken of only for the sake of threat and fear. I don't know how I can assure you. If I say, "That their worm shall not die, and the fire shall not be quenched" (Mark 9:44); if I say that they will go into eternal fire; If I point to a rich man who is already undergoing punishment, you will say that all this is only a threat. How can I assure you? Verily, this is a satanic thought, vainly caressing with mercy and plunging into carelessness! How are we to destroy it? If we quote something from the Scriptures, you will say that it is said in the form of a threat. But it is possible to reason about the future in this way, but it is not at all possible to talk about what has already come true and has been fully accomplished. All of you have heard of the flood. Is this really said in the form of a threat? Did it really not exist? And the antediluvian people said many such things, and for a hundred years, when the ark was built, the trees were gathered together, and the righteous man preached, no one was found who would believe. But since they did not believe the threat in words, they were punished in deed. The same will happen to us if we do not believe. That is why the Lord compares His coming with the days of Noah: just as some did not believe in that flood, so now many do not believe in the flood of Gehenna. Is this only a threat? Was it really not so? Is it possible that He who sent such an unexpected punishment then will not send it now? After all, what is being done now is no more excusable than what was then. Why? For then, it is said, the sons of God entered into the daughters of men (Gen. 2:2), and this mixture was grievous (transgression), and now there is not a single kind of evil that (people) would not dare to do. Do you believe, then, that there was a flood, or do you think it is a fable? But also the mountains on which the ark rested, I mean the mountains of Armenia, testify to it.

3. However, of the great multitude (of testimonies) I will cite another, which will be clearer than what has been indicated. Have any of you ever traveled through Palestine? I will no longer prove by words, but by events, although the former are more certain than the latter, since what the Scriptures say is more certain than what we see. So, have any of you ever traveled through Palestine? I think I traveled. What then? Let those of you who have seen those places be witnesses to me before those who have not been there. Above Ascalon and Gaza, at the very mouth of the Jordan River, there is a certain vast and fruitful country, or rather there was, because it is not so now. This country really looked like paradise. "Lot lifted up his eyes," it is said, "and saw all the country round about the Jordan, that it ... all as far as Zoar was watered like the garden of the Lord" (Gen. 13:10). It is this country, flourishing, not inferior to any country, equal in fertility to the paradise of God, that is now more desolate than all deserts. True, trees grow there and bear fruit; but this fruit is a monument to the wrath of God. Pomegranate apples grow there, I mean both the tree and the fruit, which have a beautiful appearance, and give many hopes to the ignorant; but when someone takes them in his hands, he will not find any fruit when he breaks them, but dust and ashes that have accumulated abundantly in them. Such is the whole earth; even if you take stones, you will find them turned to ashes. But what do I say about the stone, the trees, and the earth? There, both the air and the water themselves suffered the same disastrous fate. Just as a body that has been exposed to fire and is burned, although it retains its former form and form, and size, and proportion of parts in the midst of the fire, it has no life at all, so also there you see the earth, but there is nothing in it that belongs to the earth, and everything is dust; you see trees and fruits, but they have nothing peculiar to trees and fruits; You see air and water, but they have nothing peculiar to either air or water, because they have also turned into ashes. How could the air burn? How could water be burned while remaining water? Only trees and stones can be burned, and air and water are impossible. It is impossible for us, but for Him who created them it is possible. Thus, the air there is nothing but fire, and water is fire: everything is barren, everything is empty, everything serves as an image of the wrath that was before, a sign of what is to come. Are these threats really just in words? Is this really the empty sound of words? For me it is not incredible that what has been said before, and what I have not seen is as certain as what I have seen; and the unbeliever can be convinced only by the latter. Whoever does not believe in Gehenna should think of Sodom, let him remember Gomorrah, this punishment that was before and is still continuing. This is an omen that the torment will be eternal. Is this speech difficult? And isn't it hard when you say that there is no hell, but God only threatens it, when you untie the hands of the people? Thou hast compelled me to say this by thy unbelief. If you believed the words of Christ, then I would not be forced to bring you to faith by referring to events. But since you deviate from the former, willingly or unwillingly you will have to believe the latter. Indeed, what can you say about Sodom? Do you want to know the reason why this happened? There was one sin, of course, grievous and worthy of damnation, but there was only one: those who lived at that time burned with a fierce passion for the youths, and for this they suffered such a punishment. And now a multitude of sins are committed, both equal to this and heavier than it. Will He who poured out such wrath for one transgression, and paid no heed to the entreaties of Abraham, nor to Lot, who dwelt in that city, who, in order to preserve the honor of his servants, gave up his own daughters to mockery, will spare us, when we commit so many sins? Truly (such a thought) is mockery and idle talk, error and devilish deception. Do you want me to give you another example? Surely you have heard of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and therefore you know of the plague that befell him, as well as of how he was drowned in the Red Sea with his chariots, horses, and all his army. Do you want to know other examples? He may have been wicked, and not only that, perhaps, but indeed he was wicked. Do you want to know that punishment also befalls those who, although they believe in God and listen to His teaching, nevertheless live unrighteously? Listen to what Paul says: "Let us not commit fornication, as some of them committed fornication, and in one day twenty-three thousand of them perished. Let us not tempt Christ, as some of them tempted and perished by serpents. Do not murmur, as some of them murmured and perished by the destroyer." —1 Cor. 10:8-10. If fornication and murmuring were so pernicious, then what will not our (sins) produce? But if God does not send punishment now, do not be surprised, because they did not know about Gehenna, and therefore were immediately punished; but you, when you sin, even if you are not punished in any way here, you will be punished there. Then, will He who punished those who were less experienced and did not sin so much so severely forgive us? That would be contrary to reason. We deserve a greater punishment, even if we have committed the same sins as they did. Why? Because we have been vouchsafed greater grace. And when we sin more and more grievously than they are, what punishment should we be subjected to? Those (but let no one think that I am surprised at them by saying this, or excuse them, not at all: when God punishes, he who holds the opposite opinion does so at the instigation of the devil; therefore I say this not to praise or excuse them, but to show our own corruption), those, I say, if they murmured, it was when they wandered in the wilderness; but we murmur, living in our homeland and staying in our own homes. They, if they committed fornication, did so when they had scarcely withdrawn from the abominations of Egypt, and had scarcely heard the law; but we commit fornication, having received from our ancestors the saving commandments; therefore, they deserve a greater punishment. Do you want to know the other plagues that they suffered in Palestine — famine, pestilence, war, captivity both among the Babylonians and the Assyrians, disasters from the Macedonians, under Hadrian and Vespasian? I wish I could tell you something else, my beloved; but I am afraid that you will not depart from me, and therefore I will tell you something else first. There was once a famine, says (the Scripture), and the king went round the walls of the city; Then a certain woman, approaching him, said the following words: "King, that woman said to me: 'Give up your son, we will eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.' And we boiled my son, and ate him. And I said to her the next day, "Give your son, and we will eat him." But she hid her son." —2 Kings 6:28-29. What is more terrible than this misfortune? In another place the prophet says: "The hands of soft-hearted women boiled their children" (Lamentations 4:10). If, then, the Jews suffered such a punishment, shall we not suffer much more?

4. Do you want to know about other calamities (that have befallen them)? Read Josephus (Flavius), and you will learn all their deplorable history. At least by this, perhaps, we will assure you that hell exists. Judge for yourself: if the Jews were punished, then why should we remain unpunished? Or: how is it possible that we should not be punished, although we have sinned more than they? Is it not because (so we think) that punishment is only ahead of us? But, if you like, I will also show how different persons were punished separately. Cain killed his brother. A truly horrible crime: who can deny it? For this he suffered a punishment both grievous and equal to innumerable deaths, such as he would have preferred death a thousand times over. Listen to what he himself says: "Now drive me out of the face of the earth, and from Thy presence I will hide myself, and I will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth; and whosoever shall meet me shall slay me" (Gen. 4:14). But tell me, do not many even now do the same as he? Do you not do the same thing when you kill a brother, not a carnal one, but a spiritual one? Do you not kill him, though not with weapons, but in a different way, when, being able to satisfy his hunger, you neglected it? So, what then? Does no one envy his brother now? Isn't anyone endangering his life? True, they are not punished for this here; But they will be punished. Then, one who knew neither the written law nor the prophets, nor saw great signs, is subjected to such a grievous punishment; and the other, who has committed the same crime and has not even understood such examples, will he remain unpunished? Where is God's righteousness? Where is His goodness? Again, a man who gathered wood on the Sabbath was stoned for this, although the commandment (about the Sabbath) is not so important and is inferior to circumcision. So he who gathered wood on the Sabbath was stoned; while others, who have often committed innumerable unlawful acts, will depart without punishment? Therefore, if there is no hell, where is justice, where is impartiality? At the same time, (the Lord) subjected many others to a similar punishment, who did not keep the Sabbath. Again: another, a certain son of the Charmites (Achar), for stealing a thing brought as a gift to God, was stoned with all his family. What then? Was there not a single sacrileger after that? Again: Saul, who spared (the enemy) contrary to God's command, suffered a grievous punishment: did no one spare (the enemies) after that? Oh, if only we would do this and not devour each other, becoming more ferocious than beasts, contrary to God's command! However, no one fell for this in battle. Again, the sons of Eli suffered the most grievous punishment together with their father, because they ate (meat) before incense. But was there not a single father who did not care for his children, or were there no depraved children? However, no one was punished. When will they bear it, if there is no hell? Countless other examples could be cited.

Do you not see many in misery, maimed, enduring various calamities, while others enjoy prosperity? Why are some punished for murder and others not? Listen to what Paul says: "The sins of some people are manifest and lead directly to condemnation, but some (are revealed) afterwards" (1 Tim. 5:24). How many murderers escaped punishment! How many tomb raiders! But let's leave it at that. How many people are unknown to you who suffer cruel punishments! Some are subject to long-term illness, others to incessant torments, others to other innumerable calamities. Therefore, when you see that a man has dared to do something similar to what they have done, or even more, and has not been punished, will you not agree even against your will that hell exists? Imagine those who have been severely punished here before you; when you think that God is no respecter of persons, and that you, having committed countless crimes, have not suffered any punishment — the thought of hell will be born in your mind. God has instilled it so deeply in us that there has never been a single person who did not have an idea of it. Poets, philosophers, fabulists, and all people in general talked about retribution beyond the grave and spoke about the punishment of many in hell. But if what they said is fabulous, then what we have said is not fabulous. I have told you this, not only to bring fear to you and to discourage your souls, but to make them more temperate and meek. I myself, even more than others, would like there to be no punishment. Why? Because each of you fears only for his own soul; and I will be responsible for this presidency also, so that it is impossible for me to escape hell more than anyone else. But it cannot be that there is no punishment and hell. What should I do? Again doubt is born, again they say: where is God's love for mankind? Everywhere! But I will speak more about this at another time, so as not to obscure the words about Gehenna. But now let not the benefit which we have now received from what has been said about Gehenna be lost, since it is no small benefit to be convinced of the existence of Gehenna. Remembrance of what has been said about it, constantly abiding in our thoughts, like a kind of caustic medicine, will destroy all malice. Let us make use of this remedy, so that, in purifying our hearts with it, we may be vouchsafed to see what neither eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor entered into the heart of man (1 Corinthians 2:9), which may we all be vouchsafed by the grace and love of mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, with Whom to the Father with the Holy Spirit be glory, dominion, and honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

CONVERSATION 9

"But there is no need to write to you about times and seasons, brethren, for you yourselves know for certain that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night" (1 Thess. 5:1-2).

The end of the world is unknown for the benefit of the living. — Any sin is spiritual intoxication. "Effeminacy leads to destruction.

1. In no nature, it seems, is there so much inquisitiveness and greed for knowledge of the invisible and hidden as in human nature. This is usually revealed in it when the mind is still imperfect and uneducated. Thus, inexperienced children relentlessly bother educators, mentors, and parents with a multitude of questions, in which there is nothing but when this happens and when this happens. The same thing happens (with older people) from bliss, or from the fact that they have nothing to do. Thus, our mind strongly desires to know and comprehend many things, and especially the time of the end (of the World). And what wonder if this occupies us, when the holy apostles themselves were most interested in it? Thus, before the suffering (of Christ), they approached Christ with the words: "Tell us, when will this be? and what is the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world" (Matt. 24:3)?

And after His suffering and resurrection from the dead, they also said to Him: "Is it not at this time, O Lord, that Thou dost restore the kingdom of Israel" (Acts 1:6)? — and they did not ask Him about anything else before. But it was not so after. When they have been vouchsafed the Holy Spirit, they not only do not ask or grieve over such ignorance, but they also restrain others from doing so, who suffer from such misplaced curiosity. Listen to what Blessed Paul says now: "There is no need to write to you about times and seasons, brethren." Why didn't he say that no one knows? Why did he not say that this was not open, but that "there is no need to write to you, brethren"? Because with those words he would have grieved them more; on the contrary, he calmed me down. With the words, "There is no need," he forbade them to ask about it, as if it were something superfluous and useless. Indeed, what would be the use (of knowing this), tell me? Let us suppose that death follows in twenty years, in thirty, in a hundred years: what does this have to do with us? Does not the end of the age mean the end of life for everyone? Why do you inquire so much about the universal end, and why do you cause yourself grief by this? But what happens to us in other (cases) is the same in the present. Just as in other cases, without paying attention to our own affairs, we worry about the affairs of others, saying, "Such and such a fornicator, such and such an adulterer, this one stole, that one offended," but we do not say a word about our own, on the contrary, we care more about the actions of all other people than about our own, so here each of us, abandoning concern for his own end, desires to know about the common end. What do you have to do with her? If you prepare well for your end, you will not suffer any evil from the universal. Whether it will be far away, whether it will be close, this does not apply to us at all. That is why Christ did not speak of it, that is, because it was useless. Why, it will be said, is it useless? The One Who hid it knows himself why it is useless. Listen to what He says to the Apostles: "It is not your business to know the times or the seasons which the Father has set in His own power" (Acts 1:7). Why should you be curious? This is what those who were with Peter the chief (apostle) heard, desiring to know more than they needed to know. Yes, they will say, but then it would be possible to stop the mouths of the Hellenes. How, tell me? Since, you will say, they teach that this world is God, then, knowing the time of its destruction, we would thereby stop their mouths. Of course; But in order to shut the mouths of the Greeks, is it necessary to prove that the world will be destroyed someday, or when exactly it will be destroyed? If you want to stop their mouths, then tell them that the world will have an end. If they are not convinced of this, they will not be convinced by it. Listen to what Paul says: "For you yourselves know for a certainty that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night," not only a universal day, but also each one's own. The latter is likened to the former, because it has a resemblance and affinity with it. As much as the former is important for all in the aggregate, the latter is the same for each in particular. The time of universal death began with Adam, and the end of the life of each of us is an image of this end, and he would not even sin if he called it a universal end.

If even now, when the fear of the unknown shakes the souls of all, all who have led their former lives viciously allow themselves to be baptized only with their last breath, then if people definitely knew their last day, who would ever take care of virtue? If, in the midst of this constant fear, many departed without being baptized, even if even such fear did not teach them to take care during their lives to please God, then when this fear was taken away, who would then be chaste, who would be meek? No one. On the other hand, it is not only the great fear of death that keeps others from evil, but also the love of life. And if everyone knew that he would surely die tomorrow, then before that day he would not restrain himself from anything, on the contrary, he would begin to kill whomever he wanted, and would commit a thousand atrocities, taking revenge on his enemies.