Monday, August 21, 2006

Who goes to Heaven?

To continue our recent discussion about Judgement, here are some of the notes I use when I give my talk about Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory. I've posted the notes on Hell (8/11, 8/14), and the first half of notes on Heaven (8/18). Here are the second half of my notes on Heaven; I'll post notes on Purgatory soon. Hope it helps!
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3. How long does Heaven last?

Scripture
Jesus
-speaks of heaven many times as "everlasting life…eternal life…living forever"

St. Paul (1 Cor 9:25) + St Peter (1 Pet 5:4): "imperishable crown"

Church
-"the enjoyment (of those in heaven) has continued and will continue without any interruption and without end until the last Judgement and from then on forever" (Pope Benedict XII, 1336)


4. Who goes to Heaven?

Scripture- Jn 3:16- "everyone who believes in (God’s only Son) may not perish but may have eternal life"

Jesus
- Jn 6:54, 58 – "whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life…and will live forever"
- Mk 16:16- "whoever believes and is baptized will be saved"
- Mt 25: 35-36-whoever feeds the hungry, clothes the naked, etc.
- Lk 10: 25-28 (the lawyer) / Mt 19: 16-22 (the rich young man)- whoever keeps the Commandments

St. Paul
- "it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith; not by anything of your own, but by a gift from God" (Eph 2:8)

St. James
- "if good deeds do not go with (faith), (faith) is quite dead" (2:17)

St. John
- "whoever does the will of God remains for ever" (Jn 2:17)

Revelation
- "the people who have been through the great trial" (7:14)


Magisterium
-"those who die in God’s grace and friendship and are perfectly purified live for ever with Christ" (CCC, #1023)

-baptized by water (#1228), by desire (#1260), or by blood (#1258)

-in union with the bride of Christ, the Church (Eph 5:25-27): Heaven is the wedding feast of Christ and his bride, the Church (Rev 19:7-8, 21:9-14, previewed in Isa 61:10-11)

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