The Final Judgement - Help Needed!

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FarFromPerfect

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I do not understand the point or purpose of the Final Judgement. Is this the end of the world?

Here’s where I’m confused. When I die, I am judged and sent to either heaven for eternity (where I’ll be perfectly happy forever more); to pergutory where i will do time but will be relatively happy knowing that I’m on my way to heaven; or to hell - where I’ll never see God and suffer forever more.

Now many years later - comes the Final Judgement. How does the Final Judgement affect me if I’m a) in heaven, b) in pergutory, or c) in hell?

Also, if the Final Judgement is when I get my body back - why do I want or need it, since i’ve been happy without it since I originally died?

Hope someone can set me straight - know I have to be missing something…many thanks in advance.
 
First off, Last Judgement occurs at the end of the world and I understand that purgatory goes away. The Last Judgement is to show forth the justice and glory of God by others being made aware of how we lived and ended up in either heaven or hell. It will not change our status. As for the restoration of our bodies, since it was not just a soul that went through life on earth but both together, it is fitting that our glorified bodies will share in our reward just as it shared in our life on earth whether for good or evil.
 
There are a number of reasons why our bodies will be raised at the last judgement and join our souls in their eternal fate, whatever that may be.

You may indeed be perfectly happy having your soul only in heaven - just as a teaspoon may be perfectly full of water. Having your body join it there is icing on the cake - like exchanging the full teaspoon for a full bucket of water 🙂 Both are equally full, but one is objectively more than the other.

Remember too that Christ died that we may return to the state we were in in the Garden of Eden, before the fall. Adam and Eve there were walking with God, body and soul.
 
I don’t mean to confuse the original question but might serve for some food for thought. I have been asked this question by a non-Catholic before and was hoping someone could shed some light on it for us. The question was “on the last judgement, someone who would normally end up in purgotary becuase of their actions would end up in heaven, then why would God create purgatory in the first place?” I believe that our souls need purging if necessary after death because only the perfectly pure and holy can enter the presence of our Lord. But on that day will there be a purgatory still or will it be heaven or hell only?
 
From a non catholic view purgatory here is confusing you. Believe what you want about it I dont care.

To ease your mind, Heaven / hell.

With God or without God

Bottom line, the rest is discussion, dont let the path eat you. 🙂
 
I understand what you are saying Kitty, I just would like some insight on how to respond to my friend on what happens to our souls on judgement day. If our souls need purging on that day, will purgatory be there for us? Or will there be heaven or hell only? What will happen to those who do need the purging of our soul if purgatory will not exist?
 
Efrain said:
I understand what you are saying Kitty, I just would like some insight on how to respond to my friend on what happens to our souls on judgement day. If our souls need purging on that day, will purgatory be there for us? Or will there be heaven or hell only? What will happen to those who do need the purging of our soul if purgatory will not exist?
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Purgatory will be there until the last soul that needs purging is still there.
 
Efrain said:
I don’t mean to confuse the original question but might serve for some food for thought. I have been asked this question by a non-Catholic before and was hoping someone could shed some light on it for us. The question was “on the last judgement, someone who would normally end up in purgotary becuase of their actions would end up in heaven, then why would God create purgatory in the first place?” I believe that our souls need purging if necessary after death because only the perfectly pure and holy can enter the presence of our Lord. But on that day will there be a purgatory still or will it be heaven or hell only?
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Heaven and Hell, as you know, are both outside of time as we understand it. There’s no reason why Purgatory has to be within time either.
 
At the final judgement, what is the criteria one is judged on for entrance to heaven or rejection to hell?
 
kaycee said:
At the final judgement, what is the criteria one is judged on for entrance to heaven or rejection to hell?
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From Matthew Chapter 25:
31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34"Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37"Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40"The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

41"Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

44"They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

45"He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
 
rwoehmke said:
First off, Last Judgement occurs at the end of the world and I understand that purgatory goes away. The Last Judgement is to show forth the justice and glory of God by others being made aware of how we lived and ended up in either heaven or hell. It will not change our status. As for the restoration of our bodies, since it was not just a soul that went through life on earth but both together, it is fitting that our glorified bodies will share in our reward just as it shared in our life on earth whether for good or evil.
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I think the difference is that the individual judgment is private— between you and God, so to speak. You will not necessarily see the complete picture of the consequences of your sin and good deeds on others or the consequences on your life from the deeds of others because these things will not be known until the end of time.

The final judgment will be for all to see. Everything will be revealed then to all–good and bad—and all questions will be answered then (possibly the angels as well?). We will be judged as to what we did with our lives in serving God. We will all be judged collectively as part of the last judgment. The full extent of grace and sin will be revealed.

Just my random thoughts.
 
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