Year of Condemnation 13: The Eternal Punishment of the Wicked

YEAR OF CONDEMNATION
13: The Eternal Punishment of the Wicked

Today is November 20, 2016. This is the day Francis’ fake Year of Mercy closes, and so it is also the last day of our Year of Exclusion, Judgment, and Condemnation, which was being observed in direct contrast to the former. For one last time we will focus on some forgotten truth of the holy Catholic Faith that is considered by our sorry society to be extremely judgmental, exclusionary, negative, hateful, bigoted, intolerant, condemnatory, unwelcoming, dogmatic, narrow-minded, and everything else that oh-so-enlightened modern man despises and detests.

We would have wanted to put up more posts in this series but the never-ending, rapidly-developing Francis Show in the Vatican precluded it. Today’s final post will focus, quite appropriately, on man’s last end, specifically that which no one ever wants to talk about: The eternal condemnation of the reprobate in hell. We will first list some unpopular Scripture quotes and then feature a meditation by St. Alphonsus Liguori, the great Redemptorist bishop and Doctor of the Church.

Yes, God is merciful, but He is merciful only to those who take Him up on His offer of mercy, which requires a bit more than merely expressing the desire to be forgiven. (We touched upon the topic of true and supernatural contrition and its necessity in installment 12 of our series.) So, for the sake of converting a world that only ever hears about mercy and never about damnation, below are some sobering truths about the reality of eternal punishment in hell for those who die in the state of mortal sin.

Select Scripture Verses on the Reality of Everlasting Damnation in Hell:

And many of those that sleep in the dust of the earth, shall awake: some unto life everlasting, and others unto reproach, to see it always. (Dan 12:2)

The Son of man shall send his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all scandals, and them that work iniquity. And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Mt 13:41-42)

Then he shall say to them also that shall be on his left hand: Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels…. And these shall go into everlasting punishment: but the just, into life everlasting. (Mt 25:41,46)

Amen I say to you, that all sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and the blasphemies wherewith they shall blaspheme: But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost, shall never have forgiveness, but shall be guilty of an everlasting sin. (Mk 3:28-29)

And if thy hand scandalize thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life, maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into unquenchable fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not extinguished. (Mk 9:42-43)

And to you who are troubled, rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven, with the angels of his power: In a flame of fire, giving vengeance to them who know not God, and who obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Who shall suffer eternal punishment in destruction, from the face of the Lord, and from the glory of his power. (2 Thess 1:7-9)

And the angels who kept not their principality, but forsook their own habitation, he hath reserved under darkness in everlasting chains, unto the judgment of the great day. As Sodom and Gomorrha, and the neighbouring cities, in like manner, having given themselves to fornication, and going after other flesh, were made an example, suffering the punishment of eternal fire. In like manner these men also defile the flesh, and despise dominion, and blaspheme majesty…. Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own confusion; wandering stars, to whom the storm of darkness is reserved for ever. (Jude 6-8,13)

And the smoke of their torments shall ascend up for ever and ever: neither have they rest day nor night, who have adored the beast, and his image, and whoever receiveth the character of his name. (Apoc 14:11)

And there came down fire from God out of heaven, and devoured them; and the devil, who seduced them, was cast into the pool of fire and brimstone, where both the beast and the false prophet shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever…. And hell and death were cast into the pool of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life, was cast into the pool of fire. (Apoc 20:9-10,14-15)

But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, they shall have their portion in the pool burning with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. (Apoc 21:8)

A brief salutary Meditation on Hell by St. Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop, Confessor, and Doctor:

The Eternity of the Pains of Hell

I.
Consider that the torments of hell will never terminate. The damned suffer in every way, and they suffer eternally. A hundred years of suffering will pass away, a thousand will pass away, and hell will still be only at its beginning. A hundred thousand and a thousand million of years will pass, and hell will still begin anew. Were an angel to be sent to one of the damned, informing him that, after as many million of ages have expired as there are drops of water in the sea, leaves upon the trees, and grains of sand on the seashore or upon the earth, he should be delivered from hell, this news would fill him with inconceivable joy. For although he would be compelled to suffer for an innumerable multitude of ages, still he would be able to say: The time will come when my sufferings will end. But alas! As many ages will really expire, and hell will be only at its beginning. Nay, this number of ages maybe multiplied as many times as there are grains of sand on the earth, drops of water in the ocean, and leaves on the trees, and, at the close of this immense period, hell will begin again. There is not a wretch in that abode of torments, that would not willingly make this proposition to the Almighty. “Increase, O Lord, as much as Thou pleasest, my torments, prolong the duration of them to any extent Thou pleasest, provided they may terminate.” But no: this termination will never be granted. It would be an alleviation, if the unfortunate sufferer could flatter himself with the hope that perhaps the Lord would one day have compassion on him and deliver him from hell. But alas! He will always keep the sentence of his eternal reprobation before his eyes, and will see that all these pains, this fire, this despair, these lamentations, will never cease, will never end. O hell! O eternity! How can men believe in you and yet continue in sin?

II.
Christian soul! pay attention to these truths: remember that hell is for you, if you live in sin. This horrible furnace is already kindled under your feet, and numbers throughout the world are falling into it, whilst you are reading this. Reflect, that if the same misfortune ever befalls you, it will be irreparable; if ever, then, you did deserve hell, thank God with all your heart for his mercy in having spared you. Weep over your sins; employ every possible means of securing your salvation; frequently approach the sacraments; read daily some pious book, entertain a sincere devotion to the Blessed Virgin, recite every day the Rosary, and fast every Saturday in her honor; be firm and resolute in resisting the beginning of temptation, invoking frequently the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary; flee from all occasions of sin; in short, use your utmost endeavors to avoid eternal misery, remembering that there cannot be too great security where eternity is at stake.

Consider what numbers of men have hidden themselves in deserts, and shut themselves up in caverns, in order the more effectually to secure their eternal welfare. And what are you doing? Oh! give yourself sincerely to God, and say to him from your heart: Lord, behold I am now Thy servant:ready and willing to do whatever Thou commandest me. Mary, assist me.

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These truths you will never hear from the “Pope” of the Vatican II Church, except perhaps on very rare occasion and the only fleetingly and offset by a million statements to the contrary.

But the true Catholic Church will never cease to preach the truth about hell, from which Jesus Christ delivered us by His Redemption so that we may be able to escape it. But alas, “How narrow is the gate, and strait is the way that leadeth to life: and few there are that find it!” (Mt 7:14).

Make an act of contrition now, an act of faith, of hope, and of charity, and find out how to be a real Catholic today.