or Twenty-Second Sunday After Pentecost
On Hell*
“And in Hades, lifting up his eyes, being in torments, he saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom” (Luke 16:23).
By St. Cleopa of Sihastria
Beloved faithful,
Today’s Holy Gospel urges us to speak about Hell. Thus, we shall explain what Hell is, what testimonies the Holy Scriptures and the Holy Fathers offer concerning it, and how unbearable its torments are.
First, we must know that Hell is a place of torment appointed for the demons and those who follow them (Matthew 25:41). We must also know that in Hell both the body and the soul suffer (Matthew 5:29; 18:9; Mark 9:43). “Hell is the land of death, the kingdom of the devils, whose gate is despair; its courtyard is bondage; its windows, darkness; its table, foulness and a heavy stench; its food, hunger; its drink, thirst; its clock, weeping; its bed, flame” (The Door of Repentance, Brașov, 1812, p. 183).
From the earliest times, the holy patriarchs and prophets spoke about Hell in the Holy and divine Scriptures. Thus, we hear the Prophet Isaiah speaking about Hell: “Which of us can endure the consuming fire? Which of us can dwell amid everlasting flames?” (Isaiah 33:14). The great Prophet and King David spoke about Hell, saying: “Let death come upon them, and let them go down alive into Hell” (Psalm 54:16; 30:17). Concerning the darkness of Hell, the Prophet Isaiah says: “Darkness and groping were above the caverns forever.” The divine Job, who was exceedingly patient, prophesied concerning Hell, saying: “I shall go and return to the land of darkness and the shadow of death, a land of darkness and disorder, where the light is as darkness” (Job 10:21–22).
The wise Solomon, showing that the palpable darkness which came upon the Egyptians in the time of Moses (Exodus 10:22) came from Hell, said: “A night truly powerless, which came upon all Egypt from the depths of powerless Hell.” And the Prophet Isaiah speaks about the darkness of Hell: “They shall grope along the wall like the blind, and they shall grope as those who have no eyes; they shall fall at noonday as though it were midnight” (Isaiah 59:10). Concerning the great stench in Hell, the Prophet Isaiah said: “A foul smell shall come from their dead” (Isaiah 34:3). “And instead of fragrances, there shall be putrefaction” (Isaiah 3:24).
The great hunger in Hell was previously revealed by the Prophet David, who said: “And they shall hunger like a dog” (Psalm 58:17). “And the people shall be as one burned completely by fire, and a man shall have no mercy on his brother; neither shall a man be satisfied, though he eat the flesh of his own arm” (Isaiah 9:11). Concerning the undying worm of Hell, it is said: “The punishment of the ungodly is fire and the worm” (Sirach 7:18). Concerning the fire and heavy stench of Hell, the Holy Scriptures say: “The wrath of the Lord is like a valley of burning brimstone.” Concerning the eternity of the torments of Hell, the Prophet Jeremiah says: “You shall be in destruction forever” (Jeremiah 15:6). Concerning the immeasurable depth of Hell, the Prophet David says: “Let not the deep swallow me up, neither let the deep close its mouth upon me” (Psalm 68:18).
Beloved faithful,
I have presented several testimonies concerning Hell and its torments from the divine Scriptures, specifically from the holy prophets. But you should know that none of the patriarchs and prophets spoke so clearly and openly about Hell and its torments as the Lord and Savior Himself, Jesus Christ, in His Holy Gospel. We shall now present the revelations concerning Hell and the variety of its torments through testimonies from the New Testament.
Our Savior shows us that Hell is a place of torment in which both the body and the soul suffer, saying: “If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and cast it from you, for it is better for you” “to enter into life maimed or lame than, having both hands or both feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire” (Matthew 18:8). There is everlasting punishment in Hell. Our Savior shows this when He says: “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into everlasting life” (Matthew 25:46). Our Savior also shows us that there is everlasting fire in Hell, saying: “Then” (that is, on the Day of the Last Judgment) “He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels’” (Matthew 25:41).
In Hell there is unquenchable fire (Mark 9:43). In Hell there is an undying worm, for this is what the Lord says: “Where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:44). There is Gehenna in Hell: “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna” (Matthew 10:28). Our Savior shows us that there is darkness, weeping, and gnashing of teeth in Hell, for He says: “The sons of the kingdom will be cast into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8:12; 22:13; 25:30).
In Hell there is separation from God, concerning which the Lord says: “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness” (Matthew 7:23). In Hell there are the second death and the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14). In Hell there are weeping and lamentation, according to the testimony of the Lord, who says: “Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall weep and lament” (Luke 6:25). In Hell there is an immeasurable abyss. Even the demons fear this bottomless abyss. For this reason, they begged the Savior not to command them “to go into the abyss” (Luke 8:31). Hell is the place of torment for sinners who have not listened to the Gospel of Christ and have lived in all kinds of sins and lawlessness (Matthew 25:41).
My brothers, having heard what the Lord said about Hell in the Holy Gospel, let us also hear what His holy disciples and apostles said about it. Here is what the divine Evangelist John says concerning sinners who go to Hell: “But the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters, and all the unbelieving, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” (Revelation 20:10; 21:8).
The same thing concerning the fate of the wicked and sinful is also shown by the Holy Apostle Paul, who says: “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor men who lie with males, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9–10). In another place, this great Apostle also reveals the condemnation of sinners and their exclusion from the Kingdom of Heaven, saying: “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, sexual immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and things like these... those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19–21).
The Holy Apostle Peter, showing the condemnation of the people of Sodom, says: “And the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, condemning them to destruction, He reduced to ashes, making them an example to those who would live ungodly lives thereafter” (2 Peter 2:6). The same Apostle, showing that God did not spare even the angels who fell through disobedience, but punished them eternally in Hell, says: “For God did not spare the angels who sinned, but, binding them with the chains of darkness in Hell, delivered them to be kept for judgment” (2 Peter 2:4).
The Holy Evangelist John also speaks in the Book of Revelation about the eternal punishment of the Antichrist and the false prophet, who will be cast alive into Hell, saying: “And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed signs before it, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. Both were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone” (Revelation 19:20). Then he says: “And the devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also, and they will be tormented there day and night forever and ever” (Revelation 20:10).
Let us see what the Holy Fathers say about Hell. Saint Makarios the Great says that the tears of those who suffer in Hell will be fiery, and the bodies upon which they fall will be completely burned (The Door of Repentance, p. 187). Saint Basil the Great explains that in Hell there are certain poisonous worms that devour human bodies. They eat without being satisfied and never fill their bellies; moreover, as they eat, they cause the person unbearable pain (Commentaries on Psalm 33).
The divine Father John Chrysostom, showing that those in Hell suffer even more when they see the great blessedness of the righteous, says: “When God drove Adam out of Paradise, He placed him to dwell nearby, so that the frequent sight of Paradise might make him feel his fall from those blessings more keenly and powerfully. In the same way, He settled the merciless rich man farther away from Lazarus, so that he might see how many blessings he had deprived himself of. ‘I sent you,’ He says, ‘the poor Lazarus to your door, so that he might become a teacher of virtue for you and an occasion for you to show compassion. You overlooked the benefit; you did not wish to make use of him as you ought, for the purpose of salvation. Use him now, then, for your greater rebuke, punishment, and torment’” (The Well of Saint John Chrysostom, Buzău, 1833, p. 462).
Saint Ephraim the Syrian, describing the lamentation of those in Hell, says: “Then, weeping bitterly, shedding tears and lamenting, they will say: ‘Oh, how our time passed in laziness and idleness! Oh, how we were deceived! Oh, how, when we heard the divine Scriptures, we laughed and mocked! There, at that time, God spoke to us through the Holy Scriptures, but we paid no attention. Now, here in torments, we cry out to Him, and rightly He turns His face away from us. Of what benefit were the delightful pleasures and enjoyments of the world? Where is now the father who begot us? Where is the mother who carried us in her womb and gave birth to us with pain and suffering? Where are our beloved children now? Where is our wealth? Where are our lands, possessions, and accumulated riches? Where are our gatherings, our companions, and our feasts? Where are the many kinds of vain journeys? Where are the kings and the powerful? Oh, how none of these is now present, nor can any of them help or deliver us! We have been completely abandoned by God and by the saints!’ These will be the words heard, accompanied by sorrowful lamentations and weeping, from those who suffer in Hell” (The Door of Repentance, Discourse on Hell, p. 188).
The holy and divine Fathers clearly show us what takes place at the moment when the soul is separated from the body. Good and evil angels appear before the soul. The sight of the latter causes the soul great disturbance and fear, but it nevertheless finds some consolation at the sight of the holy good angels. A person's good deeds and clear conscience are, at that moment, a great help and a great joy to the soul. Obedience, humility, good deeds, and patience in afflictions then provide great support to the soul, which rises toward the Lord in great joy, accompanied by the good angels. By contrast, the soul filled with passions and sins is led by the demons to Hell, where it will suffer eternally.
One day, two angels appeared to Saint Makarios of Alexandria and told him: “The soul of a sinful person, just as that of a righteous person, is seized with great terror at the sight of the dreadful and evil angels. It hears the weeping and sighs of those surrounding it, but it can neither speak nor utter a sound. It is troubled and terrified as it considers the long journey it must make and the new manner of life it will have to lead after its separation from the body.” Saint Cyril of Alexandria explains the terror and fear experienced by the soul until the final judgment is pronounced upon it, and says: “The divine powers stand before the unclean spirits and present the good thoughts, words, and deeds belonging to the soul, while the soul, filled with terror, stands in the midst of angels and demons and awaits either its vindication and deliverance or its condemnation and destruction in Hell” (The Life of Our Departed, Bucharest, 1899, pp. 19–20).
According to the teaching of the Orthodox Church, the torments of Hell begin forty days after a person's death, when the sinful soul is cast into condemnation. This, however, is a provisional Hell, because the condition of those cast into Hell forty days after death can change over time through the prayers of the Church and the almsgiving of their descendants, provided, of course, that the deceased held the true faith and, especially, that before death he confessed all his sins to his spiritual father. Final Hell, or the state of eternal condemnation, follows the General Judgment, which will take place at the end of the world, when the righteous will enter the Kingdom of Heaven for eternity, while sinners will enter the unquenchable fire, likewise for eternity (Matthew 25:45–46).
Beloved faithful,
Hell was created by God for the demons, but not for human beings, who were created in His image and likeness. However, through the fall of the first human beings from Paradise, the human race became subject to the condemnation of Hell until the coming of the Son of God to earth. Only through the death and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ was Hell opened, and the righteous of the Old Testament were delivered and received into Paradise.
From the Resurrection and Ascension of the Savior to the right hand of the Father until the end of the ages, all Orthodox Christians who keep His commandments are saved; that is, they are received into the rest of Paradise. Only Christians who are unfaithful—that is, those who have rejected God, those who have committed suicide, sectarians who have separated themselves from the Apostolic Church, and those who die unrepentant in grave sins, such as murderers, the sexually immoral, and those who live in hatred and other similar sins—are condemned after death to the torments of Hell. Some of them, especially those who repent of their sins before death, are delivered from Hell through the prayers of the Church and acts of charity. This is precisely why we offer prayers and almsgiving for our departed, including memorial services with prayers of absolution, Liturgies, and commemorations on the third, ninth, and fortieth days after their departure from this life, so that God may forgive them and grant them rest in Paradise.
If we wish to be saved, that is, to escape Hell and be received into Paradise and the joy of the heavenly Kingdom, we must do the following: First, we must faithfully preserve the Orthodox faith, which we have held unchanged for two thousand years. Then we must obey the Church founded by Christ and its shepherds—the priests and bishops. We must observe with great reverence the commandments of the Holy Gospel, especially prayer, almsgiving, humility, Christian love, the bearing and raising of children, regular participation in church services, confession, and Holy Communion.
Let us reflect deeply on the Gospel that was read today. Do you see that the poor and exceedingly patient Lazarus entered Paradise after death, while the miserly and unrepentant rich man was cast into Hell with the demons? Do you see the blessedness in which the righteous dwell and the fire and terrible torments in which sinners find themselves in Hell? Do you also see that those in Hell can see both the blessed in Paradise and those who live in sin on earth? The rich man asks in vain for water to moisten his mouth, for no one will give him any. He begs Abraham in vain to send Lazarus to earth to call his brothers to repentance, for he receives this answer: “They have Moses and the prophets!” (Luke 16:29).
The same answer will be given to us if we do not repent: “We have Christ and the priests. Let us listen to them!”
Therefore, if we wish to escape Hell, let us also repent, my brothers, while we still have time, and strive to practice every good work, especially prayer, almsgiving, forgiveness, a pure life, and confession. Only in this way will we be forgiven, shown mercy, and received into the bosom of Abraham—that is, into the eternal joy of Paradise—together with the prophets, the apostles, the martyrs, and all the righteous; together with poor Lazarus; together with Christ. There, and there alone, there is no more pain or sorrow, but life without end. Amen.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.