Steve

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I edited my profile at Freeweblayouts.net , check out these Myspace Layouts!

I would like to meet other Orthodox Christians and people interested in learning about the Orthodox faith. I do catechism lessons in our church.

The Beautiful Julie Roberts

JESUS IS THE WAY! FOLLOW HIM!

If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Colossians 3:1,2



It is meet and right to worship the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit: the Trinity one in essence and undivided.
The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom

Music:

PROPHECIES OF
THE INCARNATION OF
GOD THE WORD

Sacrifice and offering Thou wouldest not; but a Body hast Thou prepared Me: whole burnt-offering and sacrifice for sin Thou didst not require.

Psalm 39:6, LXX

Look at Hebrews 10:5,6. Notice that St. Paul, "a Hebrew of the Hebrews" (Phil. 3:5), quoted Psalm 39:6 of the Septuagint and not its Hebrew Masoretic counterpart, Psalm 40:6, which one can read in the King James Version.

I Wisdom have dwelt with counsel and knowledge, and I have called upon understanding. The fear of the Lord hateth unrighteousness, and insolence, and pride, and the ways of wicked men; and I hate the perverse ways of bad men. Counsel and safety are Mine; prudence is Mine, and strength is Mine. By Me kings reign, and princes decree justice. By Me nobles become great, and monarchs by Me rule over the Earth. I love those that love Me; and they that seek Me shall find Me. Wealth and glory belong to Me; yea, abundant possessions and righteousness. It is better to have My fruit than to have gold and precious stones; and My produce is better than choice silver. I walk in ways of righteousness, and am conversant with the paths of judgement; that I may divide substance to them that love Me, and may fill their treasures with good things. If I declare to you the things that daily happen, I will remember also to recount the things of old. The Lord made Me the beginning of His ways for His works.

Proverbs 8:12-22, LXX

In the Old Testament, created Wisdom usually refers to the humanity of Jesus Christ. Christ's humanity is created, but His Divinity is uncreated. In Ecclesiasticus 1:4 the creation of wisdom is a reference to the creation of the angels.

Wisdom hath built a house for Herself, and set up seven pillars.

Proverbs 9:1, LXX

The house that Wisdom built for Herself is the Body of Christ which was fashioned in the womb of the Virgin Mary. In both Greek and Hebrew, "wisdom" is a feminine noun and requires a feminine pronoun. This is why the text says "for Herself" and not "for Himself." The seven pillars are the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit mentioned in Isaiah 11:1-3 of the Septuagint.

For even if they should rear their children, yet shall they be utterly bereaved: wherefore also there is woe to them, though My Flesh is of them.

Hosea 9:12, LXX

In the Hebrew Masoretic text of Hosea, it says, "when I depart from them" and not, "though My Flesh is of them." What is the difference in Hebrew? Write "though My Flesh is of them" in Hebrew, insert another consonant, and change the vowels, and you will have the Hebrew Masoretic rendering, "when I depart from them." Written Hebrew was originally a language of nothing but consonants. The dots, dashes, and lines used to symbolize vowel sounds in Modern Hebrew were invented in the seventh century A.D. They were not part of the original Hebrew text of Hosea.

PROPHECIES OF
THE BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST

I will point to him, but not now; I bless him, but he draws not near: a star shall rise out of Jacob, a Man shall spring out of Israel; and shall crush the princes of Moab, and shall spoil all the sons of Seth.
Numbers 24:17, LXX

With Thee is dominion in the day of Thy power, in the splendours of Thy saints: I have begotten Thee from the womb before the morning.
Psalm 109:3, LXX

And it shall come to pass when thy days shall be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy womb, and I will establish His kingdom. He shall build Me a house, and I will set up His throne for ever. I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son: and My mercy will I not withdraw from Him, as I withdrew it from them that were before thee. And I will establish Him in My house and in His kingdom for ever; and His throne shall be set up for ever.
I Chronicles 17:11-14, LXX

The Lord sware in truth to David, and He will not annul it, saying, Of the fruit of thy womb will I set a King upon thy throne.
Psalm 131:11, LXX

And the Lord again spoke to Achaz, saying, Ask for thyself a sign of the Lord thy God, in the depth or in the height. And Achaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord. And He said, Hear ye now, O House of David; is it a little thing for you to contend with men? And how do ye contend against the Lord? Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; behold, a virgin shall conceive in the womb, and shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name Emmanuel. Butter and honey shall He eat, before He knoweth either to prefer evil or choose the good. For before the Child shall know good or evil, He refuseth evil, to choose the good; and the land shall be forsaken which thou art afraid of because of the two kings.
Isaiah 7:10-16, LXX

For a Child is born to us, and a Son is given to us, whose government is upon His shoulder: and His name is called the Messenger of Great Counsel, Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty One, Potentate, Prince of Peace, Father of the Age to Come: for I will bring peace upon the princes, and health to Him. His government shall be great, and of His peace there is no end: it shall be upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to establish it, and to support it with judgment and with righteousness, from henceforth and forever. The seal of the Lord of hosts shall perform this.
Isaiah 9:6-7, LXX

This is our God, and there shall none other be accounted of in comparison of Him. He hath found out all the way of knowledge, and hath given it unto Jacob His servant, and to Israel His beloved. Afterward did He shew Himself upon Earth, and conversed with men.
Baruch 3:35-37

Thou, O king, sawest, and behold an image: that image was great, and the appearance of it excellent, standing before thy face; and the form of it was terrible. It was an image, the head of which was of fine gold, its hands and breast and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of brass, its legs of iron, its feet, part of iron and part of earthenware. Thou sawest until a stone was cut out of a mountain without hands, and it smote the image upon its feet of iron and earthenware, and utterly reduced them to powder. Then once for all the earthenware, the iron, the brass, the silver, the gold, were ground to powder, and became as chaff from the summer threshing floor; and the violence of the wind carried them away, and no place was found for them: and the stone which had smitten the image became a great mountain, and filled all the Earth. This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. Thou, O king, art a king of kings, to whom the God of Heaven hath given a powerful and strong and honourable kingdom, in every place where the children of men dwell: and He hath given into thine hand the wild beasts of the field, and the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea, and He hath made thee lord of all. Thou art the head of gold. And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, an a third kingdom which is the brass, which shall have dominion over all the Earth; and a fourth kingdom, which shall be strong as iron: as iron beats to powder and subdueth all things, so shall it beat to powder and subdue. And whereas thou sawest the feet and the toes, part of earthenware and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet there shall be in it of the strength of iron, as thou sawest the iron mixed with earthenware. And whereas the toes of the feet were part of iron and part of earthenware, part of the kingdom shall be strong, and part of it shall be broken. Whereas thou sawest the iron mixed with earthenware, they shall be mingled with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave together, as the iron does not mix itself with earthenware. And in the days of those kings the God of Heaven shall set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed: and His kingdom shall not be left to another people, but it shall beat to pieces and grind to powder all other kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Whereas thou sawest that a stone was cut out of a mountain without hands, and it beat to pieces the earthenware, the iron, the brass, the silver, the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what must happen hereafter: and the dream is true, and the interpretation thereof sure.
Daniel 3:31-45, LXX

In the above prophecy, the stone is Christ and the mountain out of which the stone was hewn is the Theotokos (i.e., the Virgin Mary).

And thou, Bethleem, House of Ephratha, art few in number to be reckoned among the thousands of Juda; yet out of thee shall one come forth to Me, to be a ruler of Israel; and His goings forth were from the beginning, even from eternity.
Micah 5:2, LXX

In those days, as I have said, the virtue of continence was found only in men: Eve still continued to travail with children. But now that a virgin has conceived in the womb (Isaiah 7:14) and has borne to us a Child of which the prophet says that “Government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father” (Isaiah 9:6), now the chain of the curse is broken. Death came through Eve, but life has come through Mary.
Letter XXII,
by St. Jerome,
345-420 A.D.



PROPHECIES OF
THE CHILDHOOD OF JESUS CHRIST

When Israel was a Child, then I loved Him, and called My Son out of Egypt.
Hosea 11:1

He shall be called a Nazarene.
Isaiah 11:1, Pre-Masoretic Hebrew text

I have received letters so long and eagerly desired from my dear Desiderius who, as if the future had been foreseen, shares his name with Daniel, entreating me to put our friends in possession of a translation of the Pentateuch from Hebrew into Latin. The work is certainly hazardous and it is exposed to the attacks of my calumniators, who maintain that it is through contempt of the Seventy that I have set to work to forge a new version to take the place of the old. They thus test ability as they do wine; whereas I have again and again declared that I dutifully offer, in the Tabernacle of God what I can, and have pointed out that the great gifts which one man brings are not marred by the inferior gifts of another. But I was stimulated to undertake the task by the zeal of Origen, who blended with the old edition Theodotion’s translation and used throughout the work as distinguishing marks the asterisk * and the obelus †, that is the star and the spit, the first of which makes what had previously been defective to beam with light, while the other transfixes and slaughters all that was superfluous. But I was encouraged above all by the authoritative publications of the Evangelists and Apostles, in which we read much taken from the Old Testament which is not found in our manuscripts. For example, ‘Out of Egypt have I called My Son’ (St. Matt. 2:15 ): ‘For He shall be called a Nazarene’ (St. Matt. 2:23): and ‘They shall look on Him whom they pierced’ (St. John 19:37): and ‘Rivers of living water shall flow out of his belly’ (St. John 7:38): and ‘Things which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, which God hath prepared for them that love Him’ (I Cor. 2:9), and many other passages which lack their proper context. Let us ask our opponents then where these things are written, and when they are unable to tell, let us produce them from the Hebrew. The first passage is in Hosea, (Hosea 11:1), the second in Isaiah (Isaiah 11:1), the third in Zechariah (Zechariah 12:10), the fourth in Proverbs (Prov. 18:4), the fifth also in Isaiah (Isaiah 64:4).
St. Jerome’s Apology for Himself against the Books of Rufinus
Book II,
by St. Jerome,
345-420 A.D.



PROPHECIES OF
THE BAPTISM OF JESUS CHRIST

The voice of the Lord is upon the waters: the God of glory hath thundered: the Lord is upon many waters. The voice of the Lord is mighty; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
Psalm 28:3-4, LXX

The sea saw and fled: Jordan was turned back. The mountains skipped like rams, and the hills like lambs. What ailed thee, O sea, that thou fleddest? And thou Jordan, that thou wast turned back? Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams, and ye hills, like lambs? The Earth trembled at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob; who turned the rock into pools of water, and the flint into fountains of water.
Psalm 113:3-8, LXX

And there shall come forth a rod out of the root of Jesse, and a blossom shall come up from his root: and the Spirit of God shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and godliness shall fill Him; the Spirit of the fear of God. He shall not judge according to appearance, nor reprove according to report: but He shall judge the cause of the lowly, and shall reprove the lowly of the Earth: and He shall smite the Earth with the word of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips shall He destroy the ungodly one. And he shall have his loins girt with righteousness, and His sides clothed with truth.
Isaiah 11:1-5, LXX

Seventy weeks have been determined upon thy people, and upon the holy city, for sin to be ended, and to seal up transgressions, and to blot out the iniquities, and to make atonement for iniquities, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal the vision and the prophet, and to anoint the Most Holy. And thou shalt know and understand, that from the going forth of the command for the answer and for the building of Jerusalem until Christ the Prince there shall be seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks; and then the time shall return, and the street shall be built, and the wall, and the times shall be exhausted.
Daniel 10:24-25, LXX

Since, then, the angel Gabriel also recounted these things to the prophet, as they have been understood by us, as they have also taken place, and as they have been all clearly described in the Books of the Maccabees, let us see further what he says on the other weeks. For when he read the Book of Jeremiah the prophet, in which it was written that the sanctuary would be desolate seventy years, he made confession with fastings and supplications, and prayed that the people might return sooner from their captivity to the city Jerusalem. Thus, then, he speaks in his account: "In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, who was king over the realm of the Chaldeans, I Daniel understood in the books the number of the years, as the word of the Lord had come to Jeremiah the prophet, for the accomplishment of the desolation of Jerusalem in seventy years," etc. (Dan. 10:1, et seq., LXX)
After his confession and supplication, the angel says to him, "Thou art a man greatly beloved:" for thou desirest to see things of which thou shalt be informed by me; and in their own time these things will be fulfilled; and he touched me, saying, "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people, and upon the holy city, to seal up sins and to blot out transgressions, and to seal up vision and prophet, and to anoint the Most Holy; and thou shalt know and understand, that from the going forth of words for the answer, and for the building of Jerusalem, unto Christ the Prince, shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks."
Having mentioned therefore seventy weeks, and having divided them into two parts, in order that what was spoken by him to the prophet might be better understood, he proceeds thus, "Unto Christ the Prince shall be seven weeks," which make forty-nine years. It was in the twenty-first year that Daniel saw these things in Babylon. Hence, the forty-nine years added to the twenty-one, make up the seventy years, of which the blessed Jeremiah spake: "The sanctuary shall be desolate seventy years from the captivity that befell them under Nebuchadnezzar; and after these things the people will return, and sacrifice and offering will be presented, when Christ is their Prince." (Jer. 25:11, LXX)
Now of what Christ does he speak, but of Jesus the son of Josedech, who returned at that time along with the people, and offered sacrifice according to the law, in the seventieth year, when the sanctuary was built? For all the kings and priests were styled Christs, because they were anointed with the holy oil, which Moses of old prepared. These, then, bore the name of the Lord in their own persons, showing aforetime the type, and presenting the image until the perfect King and Priest appeared from heaven, who alone did the will of the Father; as also it is written in Kings: "And I will raise Me up a faithful priest, that shall do all things according to My heart." (I Sam. 2:35, LXX)
In order, then, to show the time when He is to come whom the blessed Daniel desired to see, he says, "And after seven weeks there are other threescore and two weeks," which period embraces the space of 434 years. For after the return of the people from Babylon under the leadership of Jesus the son of Josedech, and Ezra the scribe, and Zerubbabel the son of Salathiel, of the tribe of David, there were 434 years unto the coming of Christ, in order that the Priest of priests might be manifested in the world, and that He who taketh away the sins of the world might be evidently set forth, as John speaks concerning Him: "Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world!" (St. John 1:29) And in like manner Gabriel says: "To blot out transgressions, and make reconciliation for sins." But who has blotted out our transgressions? Paul the apostle teaches us, saying, "He is our peace who made both one" (Eph. 2:14); and then, "Blotting out the handwriting of sins that was against us." (Col. 2:14)
That transgressions, therefore, are blotted out, and that reconciliation is made for sins, is shown by this. But who are they who have reconciliation made for their sins, but they who believe on His name, and propitiate His countenance by good works? And that after the return of the people from Babylon there was a space of 434 years, until the time of the birth of Christ, may be easily understood. For, since the first covenant was given to the children of Israel after a period of 434 years, it follows that the second covenant also should be defined by the same space of time, in order that it might be expected by the people and easily recognised by the faithful.
And for this reason Gabriel says: "And to anoint the Most Holy." And the Most Holy is none else but the Son of God alone, who, when He came and manifested Himself, said to them, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me" (Isaiah 61:1; St. Lk. 4:18); and so forth. Whosoever, therefore, believed on the heavenly Priest, were cleansed by that same Priest, and their sins were blotted out. And whosoever believe it not on Him, despising Him as a man, had their sins sealed, as those which could not be taken away; whence the angel, foreseeing that not all should believe on Him, said, "To finish sins, and to seal up sins." For as many as continued to disbelieve Him, even to the end, had their sins not finished, but sealed to be kept for judgment. But as many as will believe on Him as One able to remit sins, have their sins blotted out. Wherefore he says: "And to seal up vision and prophet." (Dan. 10:24, LXX)
For when He came who is the fulfilling of the Law and of the prophets (for the Law and the prophets were till John), it was necessary that the things spoken by them should be confirmed (sealed), in order that at the coming of the Lord all things loosed should be brought to light, and that things bound of old should now be loosed by Him, as the Lord said Himself to the rulers of the people, when they were indignant at the cure on the Sabbath-day: "Ye hypocrites, doth not each one of you loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound these eighteen years, be loosed on the Sabbath-day?" (St. Lk. 13:15,16) Whomsoever, therefore, Satan bound in chains, these did the Lord on His coming loose from the bonds of death, having bound our strong adversary and delivered humanity. As also Isaiah says: "Then will He say to those in chains, Go forth; and to them that are in darkness, Show yourselves." (Isaiah 49:9, LXX)
On Daniel,
by St. Hippolytus of Rome,
170-236 A.D.

The decree to rebuild Jerusalem was issued in 457 B.C. 69 weeks of years is 69 x 7 years or 483 years. 483 years after 457 B.C. is 26 A.D. - the year of Jesus Christ's baptism. Jesus Christ - the Most Holy - was anointed with the Holy Spirit at His baptism. (See St. Matthew 3:13-17.) Jesus Christ had a three and a half year ministry. Then, He was crucified, blotting out iniquities.

PROPHECIES OF
THE MINISTRY OF JESUS CHRIST

I will raise up to them a prophet of their brethren, like thee; and I will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them as I shall command Him. And whatever man shall not hearken to whatsoever words that prophet shall speak in My name, I will take vengeance on him.

Deuteronomy 18:18,19, LXX

The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me; He hath sent Me to preach glad tidings to the poor, to heal the broken in heart, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind; to declare the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of recompence; to comfort all that mourn; that there should be given to them that mourn in Sion glory instead of ashes, the oil of joy to the mourners, the garment of glory for the spirit of heaviness: and they shall be called generations of righteousness, the planting of the Lord for glory.

Isaiah 61:1-3, LXX

Therefore let us lie in wait for the righteous; because He is not for our turn, and He is clean contrary to our doings: He upbraideth us with our offending the Law, and objecteth to our infamy the transgressings of our education. He professeth to have the knowledge of God: and He calleth Himself the Child of the Lord. He was made to reprove our thoughts. He is grievous unto us even to behold: for His life is not like other men’s, His ways are of another fashion. We are esteemed of Him as counterfeits: He abstaineth from our ways as from filthiness: He pronounceth the end of the just to be blessed, and maketh His boast that God is His Father.

Wisdom 2:12-16

Be strong, ye relaxed hands and palsied knees. Comfort one another, ye fainthearted; be strong, fear not; behold, our God rendereth judgment, and He will render it; He will come and save us. Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall hear. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the stammerers shall speak plainly; for water hath burst forth in the desert, and a channel of water in a thirsty land.

Isaiah 35:3-6, LXX

They that go down to the sea in ships, doing business in many waters; these men have seen the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep. He speaketh, and the stormy wind ariseth, and its waves are lifted up. They go up to the heavens, and go down to the depths; their soul melteth because of troubles. They are troubled, they stagger as a drunkard, and all their wisdom is swallowed up. Then they cry to the Lord in their affliction, and He bringeth them out of their distresses. And He commandeth the storm, and it is calmed into a gentle breeze, and its waves are still. And they are glad, because they are quiet; and He guideth them to their desired haven.

Psalm 106:23-30, LXX



PROPHECIES OF
THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION
OF JESUS CHRIST

The first man, Adam, is a type of Christ. St. Paul called Jesus Christ "the last Adam." (See I Cor. 15:45-47.)

And God said, Let Us make man according to our image and likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the flying creatures of heaven,and over the cattle and all the Earth, and over all the reptiles that creep on the Earth. And God made man, according to the image of God He made him, male and female He made them. And God blessed them, saying, Increase and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the seas and flying creatures of heaven, and all the cattle and all the Earth, and all the reptiles that creep on the Earth. And God said, Behold I have given to you every seed-bearing herb sowing seed which is upon all the Earth, and every tree which has in itself the fruit of seed that is sown, to you it shall be for food. And to all the wild beasts of the Earth, and to all the flying creatures of heaven, and to every reptile creeping on the Earth, which has in itself the breath of life, even every green plant for food; and it was so. And God saw all the things that He had made, and, behold, they were very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Genesis 1:26-31, LXX

Notice that in the first chapter of Genesis it says that God created both man and woman on the sixth day of the week, Friday. The place and the manner in which God created man and woman are described in the second chapter of Genesis.

And God planted a garden eastward in Edem, and placed there the man whom He had formed.

Genesis 2:8, LXX

And God brought a trance upon Adam, and he slept, and He took one of his ribs, and filled up the flesh instead thereof. And God formed the rib which He took from Adam into a woman, and brought her to Adam. And Adam said, This now is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of her husband. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave to his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

Genesis 2:21-24, LXX

God created woman from man in a garden. Jesus Christ was crucified in a garden. (St. John 19:41) Adam slept when God pierced his side and removed a rib to form a woman for him. Sleep in Scripture is often used as another term for death. (See I Thess. 4:15, for example.) After Jesus Christ died on the cross, a soldier pierced His side with a spear. (St. John 19:34)
Remember when man and woman were created. God made them both on the sixth day of the week, Friday. God made Adam. Adam slept. Then, God formed Eve from one of Adam's ribs after piercing his side. Jesus Christ was crucified on a Friday.
It also says in Genesis that God rested on the seventh day, Saturday.

And God finished on the sixth day His works which He made, and He ceased on the seventh day from all His works which He made. And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He ceased from all His works which God began to do.

Genesis 2:2,3, LXX

Jesus Christ (who is God) literally rested in the tomb on the seventh day of the week after being crucified on Friday.
The Passion of Christ is prophesied about in the Book of Wisdom.

Let us see if His words be true: and let us prove what shall happen in the end of Him. For if the just Man be the Son of God, He will help Him, and deliver Him from the hand of His enemies. Let us examine Him with despitefulness and torture, that we may know His meekness, and prove His patience. Let us condemn Him with a shameful death: for by His own saying He shall be respected.

Wisdom 2:17-20

The Holy Prophet Isaiah also prophesied about the Passion of Christ hundreds of years before the Book of Wisdom was written.

O Lord, who hath believed our report? And to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? We brought a report as of a child before Him; He is as a root in a thirsty land: He hath no form nor comeliness; and we saw Him, but He had no form nor beauty. But His form was ignoble, and inferior to that of the children of men; He was a Man in suffering, and acquainted with the bearing of sickness, for His face is turned from us: He was dishonoured, and not esteemed. He beareth our sins, and is pained for us: yet we accounted Him to be in trouble, and in suffering, and in affliction. But He was wounded on account of our sins, and was bruised because of our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and by His bruises we were healed. All we as sheep have gone astray; every one hath gone astray in His way; and the Lord gave Him up for our sins. And He, because of His affliction, openeth not His mouth: He was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth. In His humiliation His judgment was taken away: who shall declare His generation? For His life is taken away from the earth: because of the iniquities of my people He was led to death. And I will give the wicked for His burial, and the rich for His death; for He practised no iniquity, nor craft with His mouth. The Lord also is pleased to purge Him from His stroke. If ye can give an offering for sin, your soul shall see a long-lived seed: the Lord also is pleased to take away from the travail of His soul, to shew Him light, and to form Him with understanding; to justify the Just One who serveth many well; and He shall bear their sins. Therefore He shall inherit many, and He shall divide the spoils of the mighty; because His soul was delivered to death: and He was numbered among the transgressors; and He bore the sins of many, and was delivered because of their iniquities.

Isaiah 53, LXX

Jeremiah prophesied that Christ would die by crucifixion on wood.

But I as an innocent lamb led to the slaughter, knew not: against Me they devised an evil device, saying, Come and let us put wood into His Bread, and let us utterly destroy Him from off the land of the living, and let His name not be remembered any more.

Jeremiah 11:19, LXX

King David, likewise, prophesied about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in the 21st Psalm.

For many dogs have compassed Me: the assembly of the wicked doers hath beset Me round: they pierced My hands and My feet.

Psalm 21:16, LXX

There is a prophecy about the Cross of Christ in the Book of Wisdom, too.

For blessed is the wood whereby righteousness cometh.

Wisdom 14:7

The Holy Prophet Zechariah prophesied about Christ being pierced on the Cross, too.

And they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced.

Zechariah 12:10

King David prophesied that the Roman soldiers would cast lots upon Christ's clothing. (See St. Mark 15:24.)

They parted My garments among themselves, and cast lots upon My raiment.

Psalm 21:18, LXX

The Holy Prophet Jeremiah prophesied about the death of Jesus Christ and His burial in a tomb. (See St. Mark 15:46 and St. Luke 23:53.)

RECHS. The breath of our nostrils, our Christ Lord, was taken in their destructive snares, of whom we said, In His shadow we shall live among the Gentiles.

Lamentations 4:20, LXX

TSADE. The fowlers chased Me as a sparrow, all Mine enemies destroyed My life in a pit without cause, and laid a stone upon Me. Water flowed over My head: I said, I am cut off. KOPH. I called upon Thy name, O Lord, out of the lowest dungeon. Thou heardest My voice: close not Thine ears to My supplication. Thou drewest nigh to My help: in the day wherein I called upon Thee Thou saidst to Me, Fear not.

Lamentations 3:52-57, LXX

King David said in the Third Psalm that he lay down, slept, and awoke.

I lay down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord will help me.

Psalm 3:5, LXX

This passage from this Psalm is prophetic of Christ dying (sleeping) and rising from the dead (awaking out of sleep).
In the Fifteenth Psalm, there is another passage about the death and resurrection of Christ.

I foresaw the Lord always before my face; for He is on my right hand, that I should not be moved. Therefore my heart rejoiced and my tongue exulted; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: because Thou wilt not leave my soul in Hell, neither wilt Thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; Thou wilt fill me with joy with Thy countenance: at Thy right hand there are delights for ever.

Psalm 15:8-11, LXX

Jesus Christ descended into Hell after His death (as a victor, not as a victim). He pulled the righteous dead out of Hell (i.e, Hades or Sheol). His Body did not rot in the tomb. It did not experience any corruption. Jesus Christ arose from the dead on the first day of the week, Sunday.
There are other prophecies of the resurrection of Christ in the 43rd and 81st Psalms.

Awake, wherefore sleepest Thou, O Lord? Arise, and do not cast us off for ever.

Psalm 43:23, LXX

Arise, O God, judge the Earth: for Thou shalt inherit all nations.

Psalm 81:8, LXX

When Jesus Christ arose from the dead, God arose. Jesus Christ is God. (See St. John 8:57-59 and 10:29-33.) The Holy Prophet Hosea prophesied that Christ would arise from the dead on the third day.

After two days He will heal us: in the third day we shall arise, and live before Him, and shall know Him: let us follow on to know the Lord: we shall find Him ready as the morning, and He will come to us as the early and latter rain to the earth.

Hosea 6:3,4, LXX

We who are united to Christ also arise with Him. (See Rom. 6:3-5, Eph. 2:5,6, and Col. 3:1.) There is a prophecy in Tobit about God delivering people from Hell (i.e., Hades or Sheol, not Gehenna).

Blessed be God that liveth for ever, and blessed be His kingdom. For He doth scourge, and hath mercy: He leadeth down to Hell, and bringeth up again: neither is there any that can avoid His hand.

Tobit 13:1,2

Christ descended into Hell and preached to the dead. (See Eph. 4:9 and I Pet. 3:18-20.) He delivered the righteous dead from Hell and brought them to Paradise. (St. Luke 23:43)
Another prophecy about Christ delivering people from Hell is found in the Book of Wisdom.

For Thou hast power of life and death: Thou leadest to the gates of Hell, and bringest up again.

Wisdom 16:13



The truth of the Lord endureth for ever.

Psalm 116:2, LXX

As for the Truth, it endureth and is always strong; it liveth and conquereth forevermore.

I Esdras 4:38

I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.

Jesus Christ
St. John 14:6

Thy Word is Truth.

St. John 17:17

The Spirit is Truth.

I John 5:6

The Church is "the pillar and ground of the Truth." (See I Timothy 3:15.)

People who believe that truth is unimportant feel comfortable believing a lie.

~Me

Strive for the truth unto death, and the Lord shall fight for thee.

Ecclesiasticus 4:28

Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they might have right to the Tree of Life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

Revelation 22:14,15

Blessed be the God of Truth... Great is Truth, and mighty above all things.

I Esdras 4:40,41

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PROPHECIES OF
THE ASCENSION OF JESUS CHRIST
INTO HEAVEN
Lift up your gates, ye princes,and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of Glory shall come in. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord strong and mighty,the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your gates, ye princes; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of Glory shall come in.Who is this King of Glory? The Lord of Hosts, He is this King of Glory.
Psalm 23:7-10, LXX
God is gone up with a shout, the Lord with a sound of a trumpet.
Psalm 46:5, LXX
Thou art gone up on high, Thou hast ledcaptivity captive, Thou hast received gifts among men, yea, for they were rebellious, that Thou mightest dwell amongthem.
Psalm 67:18,LXX
In hisEpistle to the Ephesians St. Paul interpreted the words, "Thou hast received gifts among men," to mean, "Thou hast given gifts tomen."
“Wherefore he saith, When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.” (Eph. 4:8)
As though he had said, Why art thou high-minded? The whole is of God. The Prophet saith in thePsalm, “Thou hast received gifts among men” (Psalm 67:18, LXX), whereas the Apostle saith, “He gave gifts unto men.” (Eph. 4:8) Theone is the same as the other.
Homilies on St. Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians
Homily XI
by St. John Chrysostom
347-407 A.D.
In thenext place, turning his address to the Lord Himself, “Thou hast gone up,” he saith, “on high, Thou hast led captivity captive, Thou hastreceived gifts in men” (Psalm 67:18, LXX). Of this the Apostle thus maketh mention, thus expoundeth in speaking of the Lord Christ:“But unto each one of us,” he saith, “is given grace after the measure of the giving of Christ: for which cause he saith, He hath goneup on high, He hath led captive captivity, He hath given gifts to men.” (Eph. 4:7,8) …And let it not move us that the Apostle makingmention of that same testimony saith not, “Thou hast received gifts in men” (Psalm 67:18, LXX); but, “He hath given gifts unto men.”(Eph. 4:8) For he with Apostolic authority hath spoken thus according to the faith that the Son is God with the Father. For in respectof this He hath given gifts to men, sending to them the Holy Spirit, which is the Spirit of the Father and of the Son. But forasmuch asthe self-name Christ is understood in His Body which is the Church, wherefore also His members are His saints and believers, whenceto them is said, “But ye are the Body of Christ, and the members” (I Cor. 12:27), doubtless He hath Himself also received gifts in men.Now Christ hath gone up on high, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father (St. Mark 16:19): but unless He were here also on theEarth, He would not thence have cried, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?” (Acts 9:4) When the Same saith Himself, “Inasmuch asto one of My least ye have done it, to Me ye have done it” (St. Matt. 25:40): why do we doubt that He receiveth in His members, thegifts which the members of Him receive?
On the Psalms
Psalm LXVIII
Blessed Augustine of Hippo
354-430A.D.

Sing to God that rideth on theHeaven of Heaven, eastward: lo, He will utter a mighty sound with His voice.
Psalm 67:33, LXX
When Jesus knew in Himself that Hisdisciples murmured at it, He said unto them, Doth this offend you? What and if ye shall see the Son of Man ascend up where He wasbefore?
St. John 6:61-62
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believein God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a placefor you.
St. John 14:1-2
I came forth from the Father, and am comeinto the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father
St. John 16:28
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PROPHECIES OF
THE DESCENT OF THEHOLY SPIRIT
And itshall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, andyour old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. And on My servants and on My handmaids in those days willI pour out of My Spirit. And I will shew wonders in heaven, and upon the Earth, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke. The sun shall beturned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and glorious day of the Lord come. And it shall come to pass thatwhosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved: for in Mount Sion and in Jerusalem shall the saved one be as the Lordhath said, and they that have glad tidings preached to them, whom the Lord hath called.
Joel 2:28-32, LXX
For then will I turn to the peoples a tongue forher generation, that all may call on the name of the Lord, to serve Him under one yoke. From the boundaries of the rivers of Ethiopiawill I receive My dispersed ones; they shall offer sacrifices to Me.
Zephaniah 3:9-10, LXX
And who then is this, and what is the sign of Him thatrises? In the words of the Prophet that follow in the same context, He says plainly, "For then will I turn to the peoples a language"(Zephaniah 3:9, LXX): since, after the Resurrection, when the Holy Ghost was sent forth the gift of tongues was granted, "that theymight serve the Lord under one yoke." (Zephaniah 3:9, LXX) And what other token is set forth in the same Prophet, that they should"serve the Lord under one yoke? " "From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia they shall bring Me offerings." (Zephaniah 3:10) Thou knowestwhat is written in the Acts, when the Ethiopian eunuch came from beyond the rivers of Ethiopia. (Acts 8:27-39) When therefore theScriptures tell both the time and the peculiarity of the place, when they tell also the signs which followed the Resurrection, havethou henceforward a firm faith in the Resurrection, and let no one stir thee from confessing "Christ risen from the dead." (II Tim.2:8)
CatecheticalLectures,
Lecture XIV,
Chapter 7,
St. Cyril of Jerusalem,
318-386 A.D.
PROPHECIES OF
THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS CHRIST
AND THE RESURRECTIONOF THE DEAD
I beheld until the thrones were set, and the Ancient of Days sat; and Hisraiment was white as snow, and the hair of His head, as pure wool: His throne was a flame of fire, and His wheels burning fire. Astream of fire rushed forth before Him: thousand thousands ministered to Him, and ten thousands of myriads, attended upon him: thejudgment sat, and the books were opened. I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which that horn spoke, until thewild beast was slain and destroyed, and his body given to be burnt with fire. And the dominion of the rest of the wild beasts wastaken away; but a prolonging of life was given them for certain times. I beheld in the night vision, and, lo, One coming with theclouds of heaven as the Son of Man, and He came on to the Ancient of Days, and was brought near to Him. And to Him was given thedominion, and the honour, and the kingdom; and all nations, tribes, and languages, shall serve Him: His dominion is an everlastingdominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom shall not be destroyed.
Daniel 8:9-14, LXX
For as the lightning cometh out of the East, and shineth even unto theWest; so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shallfall from heaven, and the powers of the Heavens shall be shaken: and then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven: andthen shall all the tribes of the Earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and greatglory. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds,from one end of heaven to the other.
St. Matthew 24:27-31
But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give herlight, and the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in Heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of Mancoming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then shall He send His angels, and shall gather together His elect from the fourwinds, from the uttermost part of the Earth to the uttermost part of heaven.
St. Mark 13:24-27
And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; andupon the Earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for lookingafter those things which are coming on the Earth: for the powers of Heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of Mancoming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; foryour redemption draweth nigh.
St. Luke 21:25-28
And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of theirsight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which alsosaid, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into Heaven, shall socome in like manner as ye have seen Him go into Heaven.
Acts 1:9-11
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep inJesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by nomeans precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel,and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up togetherwith them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
I Thessalonians 4:14-17,NKJV
Let us thensee what he now also says. “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we that are alive, that are left unto the comingof the Lord, shall in nowise precede them that are fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout, withthe voice of the Archangel, and with the last trump.” (I Thess. 4:15-16) For then, he saith, “The powers of the Heavens shall beshaken.” (St. Matt. 24:29) But wherefore with the trumpet? For we see this on Mount Sinai too, and Angels there also. But whatmeans the voice of the Archangel? As he said in the parable of the Virgins, Arise! “The Bridegroom cometh.” (St. Matt. 25:6) Either itmeans this, or that as in the case of a king, so also shall it then be, Angels ministering at the Resurrection. For He says, let the deadrise, and the work is done, the Angels not having power to do this, but His word. As if upon a king’s commanding and saying it, thosewho were shut up should go forth, and the servants should lead them out, yet they do this not from their own power, but from thatVoice. This also Christ says in another place: “He shall send forth His Angels with a great trumpet, and they shall gather together HisElect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” (St. Matt. 24:31) And everywhere you see the Angels running to andfro. The Archangel therefore I think is he, who is set over those who are sent forth, and who shouts thus: “Make all men ready, forthe Judge is at hand.” And what is “at the last trumpet”? Here he implies that there are many trumpets, and that at the last the Judgedescends. “And the dead,” he says, “in Christ shall rise first. Then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caughtup in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
“Whereforecomfort one another with these words.” (I Thess. 4:18)
If He is about to descend, on what accountshall we be caught up? For the sake of honor. For when a king drives into a city, those who are in honor go out to meet him; but thecondemned await the judge within. And upon the coming of an affectionate father, his children indeed, and those who are worthy tobe his children, are taken out in a chariot, that they may see and kiss him; but those of the domestics who have offended remainwithin. We are carried upon the chariot of our Father. For He received Him up in the clouds (Acts 1:9), and “we shall be caught up inthe clouds.” (I Thess. 4:17) Seest thou how great is the honor? And as He descends, we go forth to meet Him, and, what is moreblessed than all, so we shall be with Him.
Homilies on St. Paul's First Epistle to the Thessalonians,
Homily VIII,
by St. John Chrysostom,
347-407 A.D.
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise,and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the Earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
II Peter3:10
And Job died, an old man and full of days: and it is written that he will rise again with those whom the Lord raiseth up.
Job 42:17, LXX
And at that time Michael the great prince shallstand up, that standeth over the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of tribulation, such tribulation as has not been fromthe time that there was a nation on the Earth until that time: at that time thy people shall be delivered, even every one that iswritten in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some toreproach and everlasting shame. And the wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and some of the many righteous as thestars for ever and ever.
Daniel 13:1-3, LXX
So when the first was dead after this number, they brought the second to make him a mocking stock: and when theyhad pulled off the skin of his head with the hair, they asked him, Wilt thou eat, before thou be punished throughout every member ofthy body? But he answered in his own language, and said, No. Wherefore he also received the next torment in order, as the formerdid. And when he was at the last gasp, he said, Thou like a fury takest us out of this present life, but the King of the world shall raiseus up, who have died for His laws, unto everlasting life. After him was the third made a mocking stock: and when he was required, heput out his tongue, and that right soon, holding forth his hands manfully. And said courageously, These I had from Heaven; and for Hislaws I despise them; and from Him I hope to receive them again. Insomuch that the king, and they that were with him, marvelled atthe young man’s courage, for that he nothing regarded the pains. Now when this man was dead also, they tormented and mangledthe fourth in like manner. So when he was ready to die he said thus, It is good, being put to death by men, to look for hope fromGod to be raised up again by Him: as for thee, thou shalt have no resurrection to life.
II Maccabess 7:7-14
Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when thedead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in Himself; so hath He given tothe Son to have life in Himself; and hath given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. Marvel not atthis: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; they that have donegood, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
St. John 5:25-29
But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus fromthe dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells inyou.
Romans 8:11,NKJV
And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by His own power.
I Corinthians6:14
PROPHECIES OF
THE LASTJUDGMENT
For the Kingdom of Heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. Andunto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightwaytook his journey. Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. Andlikewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid hislord's money. After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. And so he that had received fivetalents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside themfive talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I willmake thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord,thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well done, goodand faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thylord. Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thouhast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strowed: and I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thouhast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowednot, and gather where I have not strowed: thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at mycoming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even thatwhich he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing ofteeth.
St. Matthew 25:14-30
When the Son of Man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory: and before Him shallbe gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and He shallset the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed ofMy Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was an hungered, and ye gave Me meat: Iwas thirsty, and ye gave Me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took Me in: naked, and ye clothed Me: I was sick, and ye visited Me: I wasin prison, and ye came unto Me. Then shall the righteous answer Him, saying, Lord, when saw we Thee an hungered, and fed Thee?Or thirsty, and gave Thee drink? When saw we Thee a stranger, and took Thee in? Or naked, and clothed Thee? Or when saw weThee sick, or in prison, and came unto Thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as yehave done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me. Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand,Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his angels: for I was an hungered, and ye gave Me nomeat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took Me not in: naked, and ye clothed Me not: sick, and inprison, and ye visited Me not. Then shall they also answer Him, saying, Lord, when saw we Thee an hungered, or athirst, or astranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto Thee? Then shall He answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you,Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to Me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: butthe righteous into life eternal.
St. Matthew 25:31-46
Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgestanother, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God isaccording to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things,and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the riches of His goodness and forbearance andlongsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent hearttreasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; who will render to everyman according to his deeds: to them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternallife: but unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation andanguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; but glory, honour, and peace, to every manthat worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: for there is no respect of persons with God. For as many as have sinnedwithout law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the Law shall be judged by the Law; (For not the hearers ofthe Law are just before God, but the doers of the Law shall be justified. For when the Gentiles, which have not the Law, do bynature the things contained in the Law, these, having not the Law, are a law unto themselves: which show the work of the Lawwritten in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing oneanother;) in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
Romans 2:1-16
For we must all appear before the judgmentseat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good orbad.
II Corinthians5:10
And I saw agreat white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the Earth and the Heaven fled away; and there was found no place forthem. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which isthe Book of Life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And thesea gave up the dead which were in it; and Death and Hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged everyman according to their works. And Death and Hell were cast into the Lake of Fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was notfound written in the Book of Life was cast into the Lake of Fire.
Revelation 20:11-15
Everyone is ultimately confronted with one of two possiblefates: eternal punishment or eternal bliss. What one does in this life determines his or her fate in thenext.
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ETERNAL PUNISHMENT
Andthey shall go forth, and see the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against Me: for their worm shall not die, and their fireshall not be quenched; and they shall be a spectacle to all flesh.
Isaiah 66:24, LXX
Woe to the nations that rise up against my kindred! The Lord Almighty will take vengeanceof them in the day of judgment, in putting fire and worms in their flesh; and they shall feel them, and weep forever.
Judith16:17
But thechildren of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
St. Matthew 8:12
There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth,when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the Kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrustout.
St. Luke13:28
Andwhosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the Lake of Fire.
Revelation 20:15
But if a man is a sinner, he shall receive aneternal body, fitted to endure the penalties of sins, that he may burn eternally in fire, nor ever be consumed.
Catechetical Lectures,
LectureXVIII,
by St. Cyril of Jerusalem,
318-386 A.D.
And the Devil and his demons and the man that is his, that is theAntichrist and the impious and the sinful, will be given over to everlasting fire: not material fire like our fire, but such fire as Godwould know.
An ExactExposition of the Orthodox Faith,
Book IV, Chapter 27,
by St. John of Damascus,
645-750 A.D.
The final place of the wicked is called Gehenna. Those who go there will not be able to repent. They will be sinful and impious forever.
He that isunjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still.
Revelation 22:11

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ETERNAL BLISS
Eternal Life in the Kingdom of God - a Mystery
For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God,beside Thee, what He hath prepared for him that waiteth for Him.
Isaiah 64:4
Eternal Peace
For in the last days the mountain of the Lord shall be glorious, and the house of God shall be on thetop of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall come to it. And many nations shall go and say,Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will tell us His way, and we willwalk in it: for out of Sion shall go forth the Law, and the word of the Lord out of Jerusalem. And He shall judge among the nations,and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into sickles: and nation shall nottake up sword against nation, neither shall they learn to war any more.
Isaiah 2:2-4, LXX
And the wolf shall feed with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; andthe young calf and bull and lion shall feed together; and a little child shall lead them. And the ox and bear shall feed together; andtheir young shall be together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And an infant shall put his hand on the holes of asps, and onthe nest of young asps. And they shall not hurt, nor shall they at all be able to destroy any one on My holy mountain: for the wholeworld is filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as much water covers the seas.
Isaiah 11:6-9, LXX
New Heavens and a New Earth
For there shall be a New Heaven and a New Earth: and they shall not at all remember the former, neither shall they at all come into their mind. But they shall find in her joy and exultation; for, behold, I make Jerusalem a rejoicing, and My people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and will be glad in My people: and there shall no more be heard in her the voice of weeping, or the voice of crying. Neither shall there be there any more a child that dies untimely, or an old man who shall not complete his time: for the youth shall be a hundred years old, and the sinner who dies at a hundred years shall also be accursed: and they shall build houses, and themselves shall dwell in them; and they shall plant vineyards, and themselves shall eat the fruit thereof. They shall by no means build, and others inhabit; and they shall by no means plant, and others eat: for as the days of the Tree of Life shall be the days of My people, they shall long enjoy the fruits of their labours. My chosen shall not toil in vain, neither shall they beget children to be cursed; for they are a seed blessed of God, and their offspring with them. And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will hearken to them; while they are yet speaking, I will say, What is it? Then wolves and lambs shall feed together, and the lion shall eat chaff like the ox, and the serpent earth as bread. They shall not injure nor destroy in My holy mountain, saith the Lord.
Isaiah 65:17-25, LXX
For as the New Heaven and the New Earth, which I make, remain before Me, saith theLord, so shall your seed and your name continue. And it shall come to pass from month to month, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, thatall flesh shall come to worship before Me in Jerusalem, saith the Lord. And they shall go forth, and see the carcasses of the men thathave transgressed against Me: for their worm shall not die, and their fire shall not be quenched; and they shall be a spectacle to allflesh.
Isaiah 66:22-24,LXX
But the day ofthe Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall meltwith fervent heat, the Earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall bedissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming ofthe day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Neverthelesswe, according to His promise, look for New Heavens and a New Earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
II Peter 3:10-13
And I saw a New Heaven and a New Earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of Heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of Heaven saying, Behold, the Tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God.
Revelation 21:1-3
For God hath appointed that every high hill, and banks of long continuance, should be cast down, andvalleys filled up, to make even the ground, that Israel may go safely in the glory of God, moreover even the woods and everysweetsmelling tree shall overshadow Israel by the commandment of God. For God shall lead Israel with joy in the light of His glorywith the mercy and righteousness that cometh from Him.
Baruch 5:7-9
For evildoers shall be destroyed: but they that wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the land. And yet alittle while, and the sinner shall not be, and thou shalt seek for his place, and shalt not find it. But the meek shall inherit the Earth;and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
Psalm 36:9-11, LXX
But the righteous shall inherit the Earth, and dwell upon it for ever.
Psalm 36:29, LXX
Now God made promise of the Earth to Abraham and his seed; yet neither Abraham nor his seed, that is, those who are justified by faith, do now receive any inheritance in it; but they shall receive it at the resurrection of the just.
Against Heresies,
Book V, Chapter 32,
by St. Irenaeus of Lyons,
120-202 A.D.
But it is not satisfactory to say that the universe will be utterly destroyed,and sea and air and sky will be no longer. For the whole world will be deluged with fire from Heaven, and burnt for the purpose ofpurification and renewal; it will not, however, come to complete ruin and corruption.
From the Discourse on the Resurrection,
Part I, Chapter8,
by St. Methodius of Patara,
260-312 A.D.
Behold now the sky, and pass through it in thought to the regionbeyond the sky, and consider the transfiguration to take place in the whole creation; for it will not continue to be such as it is now,but will be far more brilliant and beautiful, and just as gold glistens more brightly than lead, so will the future constitution of theuniverse be better than the present: even as the blessed Paul saith "Because the creation also itself shall be delivered from thebondage of corruption." (Rom. 8:21) For now indeed, seeing that it partakes of corruption, it is subject to many things such as bodiesof this kind naturally experience: but then, having divested itself of all these things, we shall see it display its beauty in anincorruptible form: for inasmuch as it is to receive incorruptible bodies, it will in future be itself also transfigured into the nobler condition.
An Exhortation to Theodore after His Fall, Letter I,
by St. John Chrysostom,
347-407 A.D.
Wherefore it hasbeen said, "They will perish, but Thou dost endure" (Psalm 101:26, LXX): nevertheless, the heavens will not be utterly destroyed. Forthey will wax old and be wound round as a covering, and will be changed, and there will be a New Heaven and a NewEarth.
An ExactExposition of the Orthodox Faith,
Book II, Chapter 10,
by St. John of Damascus,
645-750 A.D.
The New Jerusalem
OJerusalem, the Holy City, He will scourge thee for thy children’s works, and will have mercy again on the sons of the righteous. Givepraise to the Lord, for He is good: and praise the everlasting King, that His tabernacle may be builded in thee again with joy, and letHim make joyful there in thee those that are captives, and love in thee for ever those that are miserable. Many nations shall comefrom far to the name of the Lord God with gifts in their hands, even gifts to the King of Heaven; all generations shall praise theewith great joy. Cursed are all they which hate thee, and blessed shall all be which love thee for ever. Rejoice and be glad for thechildren of the just: for they shall be gathered together, and shall bless the Lord of the just. O blessed are they which love thee, forthey shall rejoice in thy peace: blessed are they which have been sorrowful for all thy scourges; for they shall rejoice for thee,when they have seen all thy glory, and shall be glad for ever. Let my soul bless God the great King. For Jerusalem shall be built upwith sapphires and emeralds, and precious stone: thy walls and towers and battlements with pure gold. And the streets of Jerusalem shall be paved with beryl and carbuncle and stones of Ophir. And all her streets shall say, Alleluia; and they shall praise Him, saying,Blessed be God, which hath extolled it for ever.
Tobit 13:9-18
And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of Heaven from God, having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious,even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; and had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, andnames written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: on the East three gates; on the Norththree gates; on the South three gates; and on the West three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in themthe names of the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb. And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gatesthereof, and the wall thereof. And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city withthe reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. And he measured the wall thereof, anhundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. And the building of the wall of it was ofjasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all mannerof precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; the fifth,sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, ajacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street ofthe city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are theTemple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and theLamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the Earth do bringtheir glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shallbring the glory and honour of the nations into it. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoeverworketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. And he showed me a pure river ofwater of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on eitherside of the river, was there the Tree of Life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leavesof the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be init; and His servants shall serve Him: and they shall see His face; and His Name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no nightthere; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever andever.
Revelation 21:10-22:5
O Jerusalem,look about thee toward the East, and behold the joy that cometh unto thee from God. Lo, thy sons come, whom thou sentest away,they come gathered together from the East to the West by the Word of the Holy One, rejoicing in the glory of God.
Baruch 4:36-37
Arise, OJerusalem, and stand on high, and look about toward the East, and behold thy children gathered from the West unto the East by theWord of the Holy One, rejoicing in the remembrance of God. For they departed from thee on foot, and were led away of theirenemies: but God bringeth them unto thee exalted with glory, as children of the kingdom.
Baruch 5:5-6
And I say unto you, That many shall come from the East and West, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the Kingdom of Heaven.
St. Matthew 8:11
And they shall come from the East, and from the West, and from the North, and from the South, and shall sit down in the Kingdom of God.
St. Luke 13:29
No More Death, No More Pain, No More Sorrow
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for theformer things are passed away
Revelation 21:4
Then some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is a resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, saying: "Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies,having a wife, and he dies without children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. Now there wereseven brothers. And the first took a wife, and died without children. And the second took her as wife, and he died childless. Thenthe third took her, and in like manner the seven also; and they left no children, and died. Last of all the woman died also. Therefore,in the resurrection, whose wife does she become? For all seven had her as wife." And Jesus answered and said to them, "The sonsof this age marry and are given in marriage. But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from thedead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, beingsons of the resurrection. But even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord 'theGod of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live toHim."
St. Luke 20:27-38, NKJV

Books:

"You are Loved"
by RebeccaSt. James
THE PATH TO SALVATION
Repentance
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
II Peter 3:9
I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
St. Luke 13:3
Repentance should not be something that we only do once in our lives, but something we do frequently. It is the people who live lives of repentance - "the poor in spirit" - that inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
St. Matthew 5:3
Faith
I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins.
Jesus Christ
St. John 8:24
Baptism
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto Him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.
St. John 3:3-5
And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
St. Mark 16:15-16
Chrismation
Now He which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
II Corinthians 1:21-22
Wherefore we are called Christians on this account, because we are anointed with the oil of God.
To Autolycus,
Book I, chapter 12,
by St. Theophilus of Antioch,
115-181 A.D.
They who are baptized must after Baptism be anointed with the heavenly chrism, and be partakers of the Kingdom of Christ.
Canon XLVIII,
Council of Laodicea,
met between 343 and 381 A.D.
The Eucharist
Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the Flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His Blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth My Flesh, and drinketh My Blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For My Flesh is meat indeed, and My Blood is drink indeed. He that eateth My Flesh, and drinketh My Blood, dwelleth in Me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me.
St. John 6:53-57
Prayer
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Philippians 4:6
Fasting
Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
St. Paul,
I Corinthians 11:1
St. Paul and our Lord fasted. We should fast periodically, too. Fasting is an aid in helping us get victory over the sins in our life.
We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. (For He saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: but in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings.
St. Paul,
II Corinthians 6:1-5
Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He was afterward an hungred.
St. Matthew 4:1-2
For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Roman 8:13-14
Holy Scripture
But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; and that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
II Timothy 3:14-17
Holy Tradition
Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.
II Thessalonians 2:15
And to sum up in a word, we wish that all things which have been delivered by the Holy Scriptures and the Apostolical traditions, may be observed in the Church.
Epilogue of the Canons of the Council of Gangra,
met between 325 and 381 A.D.
Good Works
What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
James 2:14-26
Prayer is good with fasting and alms and righteousness.
Tobit 12:8
Perseverance
But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end.
Hebrews 3:13-14
And ye shall be hated of all men for My Name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
St. Matthew 10:22
In your patience possess ye your souls.
St. Luke 21:19
Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.
Philippians 2:12-13
In a nutshell, one must make a lifetime commitment to following Jesus Christ and adopt an Orthodox Christian way of life in order to inherit eternal life. It is true that we are saved by the mercy of God, but we must still stay busy at doing certain things like prayer, fasting, and obeying the Lord in our daily lives. To find out more, visit your nearest Orthodox Christian church and talk to the priest about becoming a catechumen.

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