For many, Purgatory lasts infinity minus 1 day

[chrisg93]

I think that there are many people who are teetering on the verge of Heaven and teetering on the verge of Hell at the same time. Many people fall into the gray area of judgement. That is what Purgatory is for - except that many people will spend 99.9% of eternity, enernity minus 1 day, in Purgatory. I know this is not possible by human standards but God can make it happen.

Does this make any sense?

 

[Scottgun]

I think that there are many people who are teetering on the verge of Heaven and teetering on the verge of Hell at the same time. Many people fall into the gray area of judgement. That is what Purgatory is for - except that many people will spend 99.9% of eternity, enernity minus 1 day, in Purgatory. I know this is not possible by human standards but God can make it happen.

Does this make any sense?

It makes sense in that I think I understand you, but it is wrong. If we are in purgatory, we are saved and going to Heaven–if we are in purgatory there is no possibility of going to Hell.

 

[JimO]

I think that there are many people who are teetering on the verge of Heaven and teetering on the verge of Hell at the same time. Many people fall into the gray area of judgement. That is what Purgatory is for - except that many people will spend 99.9% of eternity, enernity minus 1 day, in Purgatory. I know this is not possible by human standards but God can make it happen.

Does this make any sense?

Only those who will be in heaven are “in” purgatory. Nobody “in” purgatory goes to hell. I use “” around the word “in” because calling purgatory a place is only a way of making it understandable. Purgatory, like heaven and hell, is a state of being outside of time, so to say that you spend time there is also a simplification. Suffice it to say that we experience purgatory until we are in a state of perfection, having let go of sin areas in our life - pride, greed, selfishness, etc. And, letting go of those sin areas isn’t easy and doesn’t just happen. It will be no less difficult in purgatory than it is on earth. Becoming humble, unselfish, generous, kind, and loving is painful.

C.S. Lewis, in The Great Divorce, describes a form of purgatory from where one could either go to heaven or to hell, but in this (although I’m a fan of his and find the book fascinating) he is absolutely wrong. Those who die in a state of mortal sin cannot attain heaven and go straight to hell.

 

[Liberian]

Chris,

While it does make some sense, of infinitely greater interest for me is that I get as far away as possible from 'teetering on the edge." I don’t spend a lot of time speculating about the states of other people’s salvation.

• Liberian

 

[Andruschak]

I think that there are many people who are teetering on the verge of Heaven and teetering on the verge of Hell at the same time. Many people fall into the gray area of judgement. That is what Purgatory is for - except that many people will spend 99.9% of eternity, enernity minus 1 day, in Purgatory. I know this is not possible by human standards but God can make it happen.

Does this make any sense?

The Poor Souls in Purgatory are SAVED. They will not go to hell., PERIOD. On the day of the Last Judgement (known only to God The Father), Purgatory will be emptied. Some of us make a habit of praying for them, especially “those most abondoned” who have nobody else to pray for them

 

[KathleenElsie]

No matter what. It seems to me that “one day” in Heaven is worth the rest of the time in Purgatory. But IMHO no human being can know how long he or she will be in Purgatory.

 

[LilyM]

No matter what. It seems to me that “one day” in Heaven is worth the rest of the time in Purgatory. But IMHO no human being can know how long he or she will be in Purgatory.

Exactly - eternity is eternity is eternity - forever, time without end. There’s no such thing as eternity - 1 day because eternity is not a finite amount of time.

And the idea of spending time in purgatory may be wrong as well - it may be that it’s WORSE for some people than for others but the TIME we spend there (if it even exists in purgatory) will be the same. In any event it will be as long as we need to prepare us for heaven and no-one goes to hell from Purgatory.