Muogbo Michael: HEAVEN: AN ESCHATOLOGICAL DISCOURSE

INTRODUCTION

Eschatology is a part of theology that studies the last days and the fate that comes with it. Death, judgment, heaven, purgatory and hell are the key topics discussed under this subject matter. Thus, eschatology is the body of religious doctrines concerning the human soul in its relation to death, judgment, heaven and hell; doctrines concerning life after death and the final stage of the world. In the Old Testament timelines, “the day of the Lord” was conceived as a coming day of battle that would decide the fate of the people. However, the people looked forward to it as a day of victory, prophets like Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Micah, Zephaniah, and Jeremiah feared that it would bring near or complete destruction, associating it with the growing military threat from Assyria.[1] In the Christian doctrine it traditionally includes the Parousia, otherwise referred to as the second advent of Christ, the resurrection of the dead, judgment and the immortality of the soul; eternal living in heaven or hell, and the consummation of the kingdom of God. Additionally to the catholic view is the idea of purgatory.

The busyness of our lives sometimes make it possible for us to spend all our time, caught up in our every day joys, sorrows, concerns and work without thinking about these things which are most important in our lives. What happens after we die? The church encourages that we prayerfully ponder on the four last things.[2] We may not talk about heaven because we place so much value on life here and now, but we long for a deeper sense of the divine presence in our lives; we are heart-hungry for heaven. Amidst the four major discourses in eschatology, this paper is going to focus on heaven as an eschatological subject matter as one of the things that could happen to a soul after judgment.

HEAVEN: AN ESCHATOLOGICAL DISCOURSE

Heaven is a state of unbroken peace and unflawed joy in the presence of God for the redeemed; it is fixed and eternal[3], it is the assertion that the destiny intended by the creator for every human person is to find ultimate happiness and the final resolution for the quest of life in intimate and essentially indescribably personal communion with God, and in God with all creation. Heaven is the final elimination of sin; it is the consummation of salvation. Caring deeply about heaven and hell may seem passé, or just too embarrassing, for our popular culture relentlessly twists them into projections of our selfishness and limitless ambition, into distorted caricatures of the Christian concepts. Yet we should treat these transcendent realities carefully and seriously, for we are deeply shaped in our moral lives by what we hope for and what we fear.[4]

There are misconceptions about Heaven and our participation there; this is because the wonders of Heaven are far beyond anything that we can ever imagine. Everything in Heaven is pure; without blemish or sin. It is that part of creation in which God alone exercises dominion, and which we do not know intimately until we are at last fully reconciled to God. Therefore, we can only receive heaven, as opposed to earth that which we partially control, employ, and manipulate. Heaven is the realm of grace, for it comes entirely as God’s gift and represents the fullness of all gifts.[5] We have a variety of imageries from the scriptures about heaven: wedding party, a banquet, the Father’s house, a state of unending happiness.[6] However heaven is beyond what imageries can adequately portray; thus, ‘eyes have not seen, and ears have not heard, what God have prepared for those who love him’. (1 Cor2:9)

Heaven entails a state of incorruptibility and eternal union with God; a state with the perfection of love and happiness, and the fulfillment of all man ever quest for. In the discourse of eschatology, heaven and hell are the only two concepts that are wrapped in an “either or” possibility, and are based on the outcome of the last judgment and the grace of God. This is as a result of the contrast between the holy and the sinful. In other words, heaven and hell cannot happen to a soul; a soul is either rewarded with a beatific vision in heaven or condemned to eternal damnation in hell.

WHY HEAVEN SHOULD BE DESIRED

If the soul is immortal, and in whatever condition (heaven or hell) is going to live eternally, why is heaven to be desired and hell detested? This is because the purpose of man reaches its culmination in heaven when he reunites back to his creator, thus, in heaven we enjoy the beatific vision; we see God as he really is. Hell however lacks this beatific vision; in other words, a soul condemned to hell has failed to reach its ultimate fulfillment, and have failed to accomplish its purpose, it lives in eternal darkness and damnation. Thus the worst thing that can happen to a soul is to be lost at last. Thus, ‘what shall it benefit a man to gain the world and lose his soul? Nothing. The purpose of man is to know and love God in this life and to unite with him in the life after.

Following from the above statement, heaven is a life in pure love. God created man, not out of necessity, but out of his great love, that we may share in his very life. Sharing in the very life of God in the beatific vision is the most complete of love; faith ceases, hope ceases, but love is perfected with the beatific vision in heaven. In heaven we will reach a state of satisfactory true happiness because man’s natural desire for happiness will be fulfilled. Thus whoever sees God has obtained all the goods of which he can conceive (CCC 2548). Eternal union with God is more than all life can afford. Those who die in God’s grace and friendship are perfectly purified to live forever with Christ. They are like God forever, for they see Him as he really is, face to face (CCC 1023). This communion of life and love with the Trinitarian God, Blessed Virgin Mary, the angels and all the blessed is called heaven. It is thus, the ultimate end and fulfillment of our deepest human longings, the state of supreme and definitive happiness.

THE COMMUNAL NATURE OF HEAVEN

Heaven is the state of being in which all are united in love with one another and with God. It is where those who have attained salvation are in glory with God and enjoy the beatific vision; the knowledge of God as he is. The New Testament parables give strongly communal descriptions of heaven: a banquet, wedding feast, a city (New Jerusalem) etc. The doctrine of God as Trinity also affirms the communal nature of heaven. “Eternal life is thus not a projection of an individual human existence, but is rather to be seen as sharing, with the redeemed community as a whole, in the community of a loving God”.[7]

THE CHANCES OF THE SOUL TO ATTAIN THE BEATIFIC VISION IN HEAVEN

Whatever this next life is, we recognize that it begins here. If we have not somehow encountered and accepted God’s friendship in this life, how will we be prepared to encounter and accept it in the next? Perfect love will make possible entrance into heaven, imperfect love will require purification, and a total lack of love will mean eternal separation from God.[8] Every trial, suffering and moments of our life here on earth provides us with the opportunity to be perfected in love.

Who makes it to heaven? All are destined to spend eternity in heaven. However, only those who died in God’s grace, free from mortal sin or perfectly purified from its effect, makes it to heaven. This is because sin by its nature is a rejection of God. So if a person dies without accepting God, God will honour his free choice. It is God’s desire that none should perish, unless they deliberately choose to. We cannot be united with God unless we freely choose to love him. But we cannot love God if we sin gravely against him, against our neighbor or against ourselves; sin committed in life must be atoned for, for a soul to go to heaven. Thus only the pure in heart will be able to see God. (Mt 5:8) Entrance into Heaven may be direct or through Purgatory. In either case, one must be free of all sin to qualify. Those who see God face to face are said to have received the ‘Beatific Vision’. In heaven God reveals himself fully and gives us the capacity to behold him.

CONCLUSION

Heaven is a place to be. With all indications of what heaven is like, all souls obviously desire it. This is because our deepest human longings would achieve their fulfillment inn heaven. In even we behold God as he really is; each according to the degree of perfection bestowed on it. The worst thing that would happen to a soul is to fail to be eternally united back with the creator at last due to the conscious choices of our personal human history. It is God’s wish that all will be saved but this desire of God does not violate the human free will; our conscious efforts count.

REFERENCES

Christian Theology: An Introduction. Third Edition, Chapter 18: “Last Things: The Christian Hope,” Alister E. McGrath, Blackwell Publishers, Oxford, 2001.

Robert B. Kruschwitz (Ed.), Heaven and hell: Christian reflection series, Baylor university, 2002.

Christian Theology. Second Edition. Part 12: “The Last Things”, Millard J. Erickson, Baker Books, 1998.

Herbert Lockyer, All the Doctrines of the Bible, Authentic Books, Secunderaba, 2003.

Introduction to Theology. Third Edition. Chapter 15: “History,” and Chapter 16: “Eschatology,” Owen C. Thomas, Ellen K. Wondra, Morehouse Publishing, Harrisburg, 2002.

Systemic Theology. Roman Catholic Perspective. Volume II. Francis Schussler Fiorenza, John P Galvin, editors; Chapter 10: “Eschatology,” by Monika K. Hellwig, Fortress Press. Minneapolis. 1991.

ENCYCLOPEDIA

Microsoft Encarta 2009 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2008

NETWORK MATERIALS

https://www.stmarkov.com/documents/2017/2/2-22-%20The%20Four%20Last%20Things.pdf

http://www.stjohnadulted.org/presentations/The10.PDF

https://www.baylor.edu/ifl/christianreflection/heaven.pdf

https://s3.amazonaws.com/e-zekiel/uploads/files/1660/original.pdf

[1] "Eschatology." Microsoft Encarta 2009 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2008

[2] https://s3.amazonaws.com/e-zekiel/uploads/files/1660/original.pdf accessed on 5/11/2020

[3] Herbert lockyer, All the Doctrines of the Bible, Authentic Books, Secunderabad 2003, 286.

[4] Robert B. Kruschwitz (Ed.), Heaven and Hell: Christian reflection series, Baylor university 2002, 6.

[5] https://www.baylor.edu/ifl/christianreflection/heaven.pdf