О двенадцатом члене Символа веры
The Life of the Age to Come
The life of the age to come is the blessed, unimaginable state that follows the resurrection and the final judgment.
What is the life of the age to come? The life of the age to come is the life that will follow the resurrection of the dead and the general judgment of Christ. What will life be like in the age to come? For those who believe, love God, and do good, that life will be so blessed that we can't even imagine that blessedness now. "It has not yet been revealed what we shall be" (1 John✦ 3:2). "I know a man in Christ..."—says the Apostle Paul—who "was caught up into paradise and heard unspeakable words, which a human being is not permitted to tell" (2 Cor.✦1 12:2, 4).
The Vision of God
The essence of eternal blessedness is the direct contemplation of God and union with His glory.
What will the blessedness of the life of the age to come consist in? That blessedness will come from contemplating God in light and glory, and from being united with Him. "Now we see as if through a dim glass, obscurely; then we will see face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I have been fully known" (1 Cor.✦ 13:12).✦ "Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father" (Matt.✦ 13:43).✦ "God will be all in all" (1 Cor.✦ 15:28).✦
The Glorification of the Body
The human body will be raised and glorified, mirroring the transfigured body of Christ.
Will the body share in this blessedness? The body will also share in the blessedness of the soul. It will be glorified by the light of God, just like the body of Jesus Christ at His Transfiguration on Tabor. "It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory" (1 Cor. 15:43). "As we have borne the image of the earthly man, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly man" (i.2 e. our Lord Jesus Christ) (1 Cor. 15:49).
Degrees of Glory
Blessedness in the age to come will vary according to the measure of faith, love, and good works performed in this life.
Will this blessedness be the same for everyone? Not everyone will be blessed to the same degree. There will be different degrees of blessedness, depending on how each person strove here in faith, love, and good works. "There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; and star differs from star in glory.✦ So it is also with the resurrection of the dead" (1 Cor. 15:41–42).
The Reality of Eternal Judgment
Those who reject the truth face eternal separation from God, while the righteous enter into eternal life.
What will happen to unbelievers and the lawless? Unbelievers and the lawless will be handed over to eternal death—or, to put it another way, to eternal fire and eternal torment—along with the demons. "Anyone whose name was not written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire" (Rev.✦ 20:15). "This is the second death" (Rev. 20:14). "Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matt. 25:41). “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (Matt.✦ 25:46). “It’s better for you to enter the Kingdom of God with one eye than to be thrown into the fiery Gehenna with two eyes, where their worm doesn’t die and the fire isn’t quenched” (Mark✦ 9:47–48).
The Call to Salvation
God desires the salvation of all, and meditation on the end times serves as a practical guide for living a holy life.
Does God want sinners to perish? God doesn't want sinners to perish, but they perish themselves "because they… did not receive the love of the truth for their salvation" (2 Thess. 2:10).✦ Does knowledge about the end of the world help a person? Meditations on death, on the resurrection, on the Last Judgment, on eternal blessedness, and on eternal torment help us refrain from sins and free ourselves from attachment to earthly things; they comfort us when we are deprived of earthly goods; they urge us to keep soul and body pure, to live for God and for eternity, and so to attain eternal salvation.
Read the original Latin
Что такое жизнь будущего века? Жизнь будущего века – это жизнь, которая будет после воскресения мёртвых и всеобщего Суда Христова.
Какой будет жизнь будущего века? Эта жизнь будет для верующих, любящих Бога и делающих добро, столь блаженна, что мы теперь этого блаженства и представить себе не можем. «Еще не открылось, что будем» (1Ин. 3:2). «Знаю человека во Христе…»– говорит апостол Павел, – который «был восхищен в рай и слышал неизреченные слова, которых человеку нельзя пересказать» (2Кор. 12:2, 4).
В чём будет заключаться блаженство жизни будущего века? Блаженство последует от созерцания Бога во свете и славе и от соединения с Ним. «Теперь мы видим как бы сквозь тусклое стекло, гадательно, тогда же лицом к лицу; теперь знаю я отчасти, а тогда познаю, подобно как я познан» (1Кор. 13:12). «Тогда праведники возсияют, как солнце, в царстве Отца их» (Мф. 13:43). «Будет Бог все во всем» (1Кор. 15:28).
Будет ли тело участвовать в этом блаженстве? Тело также будет участвовать в блаженстве души. Оно будет прославлено светом Божиим, подобно телу Иисуса Христа во время преображения Его на Фаворе. «Сеется в уничижении, возстает в славе» (1Кор. 15:43). «Как мы носили образ перстного, будем носить и образ небесного» (т. е. Господа нашего Иисуса Христа) (1Кор.
15:49).
Будет ли это блаженство равным для всех? Не все будут блаженны в одинаковой мере. Будут разные степени блаженства, в зависимости от того, как кто здесь подвизался в вере, любви и добрых делах. «Иная слава солнца, иная слава луны, иная звезд; и звезда от звезды разнится в славе. Так и при воскресении мертвых» (1Кор. 15:41–42).
Что будет с неверующими и беззаконниками? Неверующие и беззаконники будут преданы вечной смерти, или, иначе говоря, вечному огню, вечному мучению, вместе с диаволами. «Кто не был записан в книге жизни, тот был брошен в озеро огненное» (Откр. 20:15). «Это смерть вторая» (Откр. 20:14). «Идите от Меня, проклятые, в огонь вечный, уготованный диаволу и ангелам его» (Мф. 25:41).
«И пойдут сии в муку вечную, а праведники в жизнь вечную» (Мф. 25:46). «Лучше тебе с одним глазом войти в Царствие Божие, нежели с двумя глазами быть ввержену в геенну огненную, где червь их не умирает, и огонь не угасает» (Мк. 9:47–48).
Хочет ли Бог гибели грешников? Бог не хотел бы гибели грешников, но они сами погибают «за то, что… не приняли любви истины для своего спасения» (2Фес 2:10).
Помогают ли человеку знания о конце мира? Размышления о смерти, о воскресении, о последнем Суде, о вечном блаженстве и о вечном мучении помогают нам воздерживаться от грехов и освобождаться от пристрастия к земным вещам; утешают при лишении земных благ; побуждают соблюдать в чистоте душу и тело, жить для Бога и для вечности и таким образом достигать вечного спасения.
Scripture echoes
- ↩1John.3.2 — Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be. We know that when he is revealed, we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
- ↩2Cor.12.2 — I know a person in Christ fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know; God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven.
- ↩1Cor.13.12 — For now we see in a mirror, dimly; but then face to face. Now I know in part; but then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
- ↩1Cor.13.12 — For now we see in a mirror, dimly; but then face to face. Now I know in part; but then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
- ↩Matt.13.43 — Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let the one who has ears, hear.
- ↩Matt.13.43 — Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let the one who has ears, hear.
- ↩1Cor.15.28 — When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to the one who subjected all things to him, so that God may be all in all.
- ↩1Cor.15.28 — When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to the one who subjected all things to him, so that God may be all in all.
- ↩1Cor.15.41 — There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.
- ↩Rev.20.15 — And if anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
- ↩Matt.25.46 — And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
- ↩Mark.9.47-Mark.9.48 — And if your eye causes you to stumble, cast it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than, having two eyes, to be thrown into Gehenna. Mark.9.48 — where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.
- ↩2Thess.2.10 — and with all the deception of unrighteousness among those who are perishing, in return for which they did not receive the love of the truth so that they might be saved
Notes
- 1 ↩неизреченные слова rendered as 'unspeakable words' (ineffable/inexpressible speech); нельзя пересказать as 'is not permitted to tell,' preserving both the prohibition and the inability-to-recount sense of the Pauline phrase.
- 2 ↩перстного literally means 'of the man of dust/earth' (Adam); rendered 'earthly man' for natural modern English while keeping the Adam/Christ contrast.
Catechism of the Orthodox Church (Longer Catechism) companion
Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat
Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.
Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.
- A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
- One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
- Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit