In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.
The fear of eternal life, though a natural fear, exists within us because none of us have ever been there or experienced it before. Despite our deep faith - despite the fact that the Creed we recite every day includes the phrase we chant, "We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the coming age" - the idea of eternal life occupies everyone's mind. It is a reality we confess but have not yet entered.
Before our thoughts drift toward something that might worry or frighten us, let us look at what God is preparing for us.
The Vision of St. John the Beloved
St. John the Beloved describes his vision in the book of Revelation:
"Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven, saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.'" - Revelation 21:1-4
Glory be to God forever. Amen.
If you remember the Beatitudes, our Lord Jesus Christ said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." Seeing God means they will perceive His presence, feel Him, and enjoy His companionship - even here on earth. The pure in heart can sense God's presence. And in heaven it is said, "Behold, the dwelling of God is with people, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people."
What does this mean? It signifies a true relationship and a complete life with God. But for whom? For those whose hearts remained pure - or even if they were stained by sin, they purified them through repentance.
And what about worry, pain, trials, hardships, suffering, sorrow, and all the misery we experience? God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. And death - which is humanity's greatest enemy - death shall be no more. And even more beautifully, there shall be no more mourning, nor crying, nor pain. For the former things have passed away. Every heartbreak will be gone. The knowledge of good and evil which Adam and Eve brought upon us from the fruit of the tree of knowledge will all be removed from us.
Even St. Paul, who had glimpsed a part of eternal life, who saw paradise and a small portion of what it holds, described it by saying:
"Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him." - 1 Corinthians 2:9
This means it is something beyond our imagination. And in truth, because eternal life has no physical descriptions or terms comparable to what we know, perhaps St. John was more compassionate toward us than St. Paul. Instead of describing what eternal life is, he described what it is not - eliminating all the negative and painful things we experience here. It is a life of perfection.
Knowing God Is Eternal Life
If you look at the vision we just read - "the dwelling place of God is with men" - it aligns perfectly with what Christ said:
"And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." - John 17:3
Knowing God is a taste of eternal life. Living in joy is a part of eternal life. Enjoying being in the presence of God is a part of eternal life. The truth is that eternal life is not something you can discuss as a dry doctrine. You must experience the joy of sitting with God and tasting it yourself.
When will eternal life begin? God said, "The kingdom of God is within you." Simply put, if someone does not taste the kingdom of God here, I doubt they will know it above. When Christ stands before someone and they say, "Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name and in Your name perform miracles and cast out demons?" but He responds, "Truly, I tell you, I never knew you" - those who do not know God here will most likely not know Him above, and God will not know them there either.
We are affected when loved ones depart from us. It makes us reflect on heaven and how close this reality is. The reality of death - especially when it is someone our age or someone dear to us - moves us deeply.
At the very beginning of my priesthood, my mother passed away. And something happened at the funeral that I will never forget. A man I did not know came up and asked if he could say a word. We let him take the microphone. He stood up and started speaking, and honestly, he confused the audience. People were looking at each other wondering who this man was and what he was trying to say. We gently took the microphone back and moved on.
Months later, during the Fast of the Virgin, security brought a man to me. He had been standing outside the church telling people, "Christ is coming. Christ is coming soon." I looked at him - it was the same man from the funeral. I sat with him and told him, "You are absolutely right. Christ is coming. But let me tell you something - you might not make it out this door alive. Do you understand? You do not need to wait for Christ's second coming. Eternal life has already begun. It starts now, in your relationship with God."
This is the reality. Eternal life does not begin after death. It begins the moment you know God and live with Him.
As St. Anthony the Great saw his father lying lifeless before him, he said, "You have left this body against your will, but I will not be like you. I will leave this world by my own will. I will not let it cast me out against my will." And ironically, St. Anthony lived to be 105 years old, preserved by God for a beautiful mission.
The Power of Death to Awaken Us
Death has a way of shaking people awake. At the beginning of my priesthood, I saw this firsthand. One of the Sunday school students lost an older brother in an accident. And when this happened, something remarkable took place. Students started flooding in for confession - young people who had been struggling with the same sins for three or four years. Sins they could not overcome suddenly changed in one month. The reality of death struck them. They saw their classmate lose a brother their age, and it hit them: this could happen to me. That fear, that wake-up call, moved them to genuine repentance.
This is what the reality of eternal life does. It is not meant to frighten us - it is meant to awaken us.
The Three Stages of Life
Life as we live it has three stages:
1. The Present Life - Physical Life
This is the life we are living now, where our souls are still united with our bodies. We experience joys, struggles, and spiritual battles as we prepare for eternity. This is our period of preparation. As long as we are alive, we still have the chance to receive God's forgiveness and repent. But the moment our soul departs from our body, we have no more chances to fix anything.
Think of it like a three-hour exam. If you submit your paper after one hour and leave, you cannot return later to correct something. That is exactly like the story of the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man realized too late that he could not change anything. His fate was sealed. So whether Christ comes while we are alive or whether we go to Him first, we must always be prepared.
2. The Intermediate State - Between Death and Judgment Day
This stage begins when the soul departs from the body. The righteous wait in paradise while the wicked are in Hades. The body, on the other hand, decays or is preserved according to God's will. Some bodies remain intact - like the body of St. Bishoy - while others turn to dust, become mummified, or are preserved through embalming. But regardless of how the body is kept, it is ultimately lifeless.
God even preserved the body of the Virgin Mary by taking her to heaven, body and soul. And with Moses, God hid his body so that the people would not turn it into an idol. God handles each body according to His wisdom.
The intermediate state is a waiting period for souls until those on earth complete their mission. Then on the final day - the day of judgment - Christ will appear.
What about the bodies? They remain on earth - turned to dust, scattered, burned, cut to pieces like the relics of St. George, which are spread across the world. No matter what happened to them, even if wild beasts devoured them, God knows how to restore them. After all, science itself states that matter cannot be destroyed. If God created it from nothing, He can surely gather it again.
3. Eternal Life - Final and Everlasting Life
This is the life we all hope for - the resurrection of the dead and the eternal state after the final judgment. When we say in the Creed, "We look for the resurrection of the dead," we are speaking about this stage, which begins on judgment day and has no end.
Why Do We Believe in Eternal Life?
God created humans in His image, and one of His attributes is eternity. Therefore, we too are eternal beings. Humans will never cease to exist.
Some non-Christian sects - like Jehovah's Witnesses - believe that the wicked will simply be annihilated. But this is dangerous thinking. It gives evildoers a free pass. If sin has no eternal consequence, then what stops a person from indulging in every evil desire? Some might say, "I enjoy sin, and if I will simply vanish in the end, so be it." Others might find justification for ending their own life, thinking there is no punishment beyond death. But God did not design it that way.
Our belief is that not only souls will be rewarded or punished, but bodies too will be resurrected in a glorified state - just like Christ, who was the first fruit of those who have fallen asleep. Though people had risen before Him - like Lazarus - Christ was the first to rise in a glorified body, one that is immortal, never weak, never sick, and beyond the devil's reach.
Why does the body need to be resurrected? Because we are not just spirits. We are body and soul together. The body played a role in our struggles on earth - fasting, enduring pain, resisting temptation. So it must also share in the reward. It would be unjust if the body only suffered on earth while the soul alone was rewarded in heaven. Even Christ Himself did not despise the body. He took on flesh, died, and resurrected in it. The bodily resurrection proves its value.
Judgment Day
First, faith and baptism are the conditions for entering heaven:
"He who believes and is baptized will be saved." - Mark 16:16
"Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." - John 3:5
Second, on judgment day, God will judge each person according to their deeds:
"And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books." - Revelation 20:12
So in eternal life, we will rise with our bodies. The first condition for entering heaven is faith and baptism. The second condition is that each person will be judged according to their deeds. But what if someone believed, was baptized, and then fell into sin? What if they did not repent? What if they persisted in their sin and died in it? They wasted their chance.
Hold on to the wedding garment Christ gave you on the day of your baptism. Keep your renewed nature intact, because Satan constantly tries to revive the old self to lead you astray again.
God will separate two groups - the wise and the foolish. Those inside and those left outside, and the door will be shut. The wise entered the wedding feast, but the foolish cried out, "Lord, Lord, open to us." But He answered, "Truly I say to you, I do not know you." Where were they? Off trying to buy oil - but it was too late. There was no second chance.
Think about the parable of the ten virgins. Christ said, "Behold, I am coming quickly." It has been over 1,900 years since the book of Revelation was written. Even in St. Peter's time, people were already saying, "Where is the promise of His coming?" There is a wise teaching that says: "Prophecy is true, but do not tie yourself to its timing." The point is not when He is coming - the point is that He is coming. And you must be ready.
On that day - judgment day - Christ will appear in His glory. The Bible says:
"Every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him." - Revelation 1:7
But will they mourn for Him or for themselves? Will they weep over the faith they rejected for so many years, the faith they resisted, mocked, and blasphemed?
Consider the phrase "those who pierced Him." The Roman soldier who physically pierced Christ's side with a spear - he later believed. He saw the blood and water flow from Christ's side and confessed. But those who pierced Him with their words, their mockery, their rejection - and never repented - they are the ones who will mourn on that day.
From the moment the soul leaves the body, everything becomes clear to a person. All the truths they once resisted. God gave them clear messages time and time again, but they kept resisting. And God in His justice will judge each person accordingly. For us the believers, we have received the faith, the Holy Spirit, and Christ Himself within us. We have God's word as our guide. What more do we need? He said, "I am with you always." And on that day, every mouth will be silenced before Him.
The Wise King
There is a beautiful allegorical story from St. John of Damascus. There was a certain city where anyone could be chosen as king for one year. Sounds appealing - anyone might think, "Let me enjoy a year of luxury." But there was a condition: after that year, the person would be exiled to a desolate, barren island with absolutely nothing. Pure suffering, a severe exile.
Naturally, the people living comfortably in the city thought, "Why would I put myself through that for just one year of luxury?" and avoided the position.
One day, however, a wise man came and said, "Next year, I want to be the king of this city." They asked him, "Are you sure? Do you know where you're going afterward?" He replied, "I know." When his reign began, they told him, "Go ahead, your majesty. Rule as you please." He responded, "Build me a palace on that island. Move my loved ones and relatives there. Send everything I desire and everything that brings me joy over there."
Before the year ended, what had happened to the island? It had turned into a paradise. And before his time as king was over, he was eager to go to the beautiful place he had prepared for himself.
This is our life on earth. The wise person prepares for eternal life. The wise person is the one who, when the time comes, will be joyful as they depart.
This is why St. Paul said:
"I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better." - Philippians 1:23
And at the end of a bishop's funeral, Pope Shenouda III prayed a beautiful prayer: "May He who helped you help us too depart in peace." That is the prayer of someone who understands eternal life - not fearing departure but asking for the grace to depart well.
Here on earth, we have the opportunity to prepare for eternal life. This is our first life - the physical one - where we still have the chance to receive God's forgiveness and repent. But after death, there is no more opportunity.
Glorified Bodies
We will receive glorified bodies like the one Christ had after His resurrection - incorruptible, eternal, and fit for heaven. These bodies will never suffer, never grieve. There will be no negative emotions in heaven.
In heaven there is no sorrow, no regret, no comparisons. No one will say, "Why is St. George here while I am over there?"
Before I became a priest, I was at a funeral where a daughter said to the priest, "I feel so guilty. I did not do enough for my father." The priest gave her a beautiful answer. He said, "Your father is now in the presence of Christ. He is not focused on what you are saying or what you feel guilty about. In heaven there is no sorrow, no regret, no comparisons. He is filled with the joy of being with God."
That is the reality of heaven. The saints are not looking back at earth with sadness. They are looking at God with fullness.
"In my Father's house are many mansions." - John 14:2
A Church Father explained this beautifully. He compared it to a king's procession. Some people set out with the king from the very beginning of the journey. Others were invited along the way. And some simply stumbled upon the procession and joined it. They all ended up in the same celebration, but each had a different place, a different rank. In the same way, in heaven, there are many mansions - different levels of glory - but all are filled with joy.
Have you ever heard of two brothers taking the same exam, one scoring 100% and the other 70%, and the first one giving 10% of his marks to the second? It does not happen on earth. So why would it happen in heaven? Each person receives according to their own labor. But here is the beautiful thing - every single one of them is completely satisfied. God fills each person to their full capacity, and no one feels lacking.
Will there be growth in the knowledge of God? Yes, because by nature, the human soul desires to grow in knowledge. But will we ever fully comprehend God? No, because God is infinite.
And what about time in eternity? What if a day started and never ended? On earth, that would drive you mad with boredom. But in heaven, we will be beyond time itself. There will be no boredom, no fatigue, no sense of time dragging on. Because when you are in the presence of the infinite God, there is always something new to discover, always more of His love to experience. Eternity with God is not a long stretch of time - it is a life beyond time altogether.
Think about it. God is love. Just meditate on His love for each one of us individually. You will never reach the end of it. If that is not enough, think about His love for your family, your neighborhood, your country, the world - even for atheists and skeptics. Contemplate His love for those who mock Him.
One of the most powerful images of this love: imagine a son who committed a crime worthy of the death penalty. His father steps in and says, "I will die in his place." But as the father is being led to execution, the son walks behind him, mocking him, insulting him, and cursing his name. This is exactly what humanity did when Christ was led to the cross. He came to save us. And what did we do? We spat on Him, beat Him, ridiculed Him - and yet He still loved us.
Look at how God takes the most sinful, the most lost, and transforms them into saints. Take St. Moses the Black, for example. He lived in sin repeatedly and stubbornly. Yet God patiently waited for him, pursued him, and eventually transformed him into a saint and a martyr. This is God's love. If you try to measure it, where will you begin? How can you ever reach its limits?
If you meditate deeply on God's love, you will realize this is the very essence of eternity - knowing God - and it has no end. God is infinite, and when we enter into Him, we will never want to leave.
Invest in Heaven
"If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable." - 1 Corinthians 15:19
Christ is not just for success, wealth, marriage, or happiness in this world. Yes, He provides, but these are just extra blessings. He told us:
"Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." - Matthew 6:33
The wise person invests in eternity. A truly wise person will trade anything for eternal life. We must listen to Christ's words carefully:
"What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?" - Mark 8:36
I once met a man who had a daughter with severe disabilities. I expected him to be bitter or sorrowful. But instead, he said something that humbled me. He said, "My daughter has the easy road to heaven." While I had been feeling sorry for her, this father saw her as blessed. She would never sin, never struggle with the temptations we face. In his eyes, her path to God was simple and guaranteed. That perspective changed the way I think about suffering and God's plan.
We have received the down payment of our eternal inheritance here on earth through baptism and our renewed nature, but we must strive to preserve it and invest in it. Think of it as having a bank account in heaven. You need to keep adding to it so that when you arrive, you can benefit from it. That is our heavenly inheritance. We have received its guarantee here - but are we investing it and gaining more, or are we squandering it?
In the parable of the unjust steward, we often focus on the money he misused. But let us set money aside and look at all the other resources God has given us - our intelligence, health, time, strength, wisdom, and knowledge. How are we using these? Are we only using them for earthly gain, or are we striving and preparing for heaven?
Tasting Heaven on Earth
Each of us must find satisfaction in Christ, long for Him, and love spending time with Him - so that one day we can say, "I want this time with You to begin and never end." God is the true source of fulfillment and joy.
But be aware that Satan is actively working to distort the meaning of joy and satisfaction. People now associate fulfillment with possessions, pleasures, and earthly achievements. But what about true joy in Christ? It is absent. People chase after worldly happiness only to find it fleeting. You often hear of wealthy people who have everything but still suffer from depression, even to the point of ending their lives. People wonder, "How could someone who had everything do that?" The truth is, they had everything except Christ. They were empty. They were deceived into thinking that earthly joys would satisfy them, but they found them to be illusions.
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled." - Matthew 5:6
He will satisfy you here and even more so in eternity.
We all at some point have had small glimpses of this joy. Maybe during a deep prayer, a liturgy we did not want to end, a moment of solitude with God, or while reading Scripture and getting lost in His words. These are glimpses of eternity. Ask God to send them more often. And when He does, receive them with gratitude. But do not hold on too tightly, because these are just visits of grace - previews of what is to come.
Learn the language of heaven. Instead of merely trying to stop negative speech, train your tongue to speak good things. Speak the language of heaven - words to God, about God, and words that build His kingdom, even in our daily work. We still live on earth, but while we are here, let us strive to make our thoughts and words belong to Christ, to the language of heaven.
Know the citizens of heaven - the angels and saints who have gone before us. Get to know God Himself. We must align ourselves with the nature of heaven, or else we may find we do not belong there.
Think of someone immigrating to a new country. They learn the language, customs, and even convert their currency. If someone tries to use their local currency in a foreign land, it is useless. The same applies to heaven. You can save up all the earthly wealth you want, but it will have no value there. The only valid passport to heaven is one stamped with baptism and the blood of Christ.
The Final Scene
For those who are deeply attached to the earth - bear with me. The final scene is sobering. Someone once said, "We search for stable assets in a world that is itself unstable and impermanent." Land, possessions, properties, stocks, bonds, investments - everything we fight over - all of it will ultimately dissolve.
The final scene is described in Scripture:
"The elements will be dissolved with fire." - 2 Peter 3:10 (paraphrase)
This is the vision St. John the Beloved spoke of: "The first heaven and the first earth passed away." Why? Because they were only ever a temporary dwelling for mankind. Once humanity's journey is complete, they will no longer serve a purpose. Everything in this world - animals, plants, minerals, air, the atmosphere - was created for the service of mankind. But when people themselves move on, these things will no longer be needed.
Imagine then what we are fighting over. Things that will vanish. Things that will disappear. Things that will cease to exist. Let us always set our eyes and hopes on the true, unshakable life - eternal life.
Conclusion
Life consists of three stages. The physical life - this is merely the introduction. The intermediate state - where souls await the resurrection of the dead, each already having a designated place, yet still anticipating their final reward or punishment. And the final scene - beginning with judgment day and never ending, as souls are reunited with glorified, radiant bodies fit for eternal life with God.
We cannot enter into the presence of Christ empty-handed. So focus on what truly matters - our faith, our struggle, and our works. Invest in heaven. Taste the kingdom of God here on earth. Learn the language of heaven. Know its citizens. And prepare yourself for the day when you will stand before the King of kings - not with fear, but with the joy of one who has been preparing for this moment their entire life.
"And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." - John 17:3
May God grant all of us the readiness for eternal life.
Key Takeaways
- Life has three stages: physical life (our period of preparation), the intermediate state (souls awaiting judgment), and eternal life (the final, everlasting state after resurrection)
- Knowing God is eternal life itself - it begins here on earth through prayer, liturgy, and communion with Christ
- We will receive glorified bodies like Christ's resurrected body - incorruptible, eternal, and fit for heaven
- Judgment day is real - faith and baptism are the conditions for entering heaven, and each person will be judged according to their deeds
- The wise person invests in eternity like the wise king in St. John of Damascus's allegory - preparing a beautiful dwelling before arriving
- Everything in this world is temporary and will pass away - the only lasting treasure is our relationship with God and the souls we help bring to Him
Dive Deeper
Resources coming soon.
To our God be all glory and honor, now and forever. Amen.