"MARAN ATHA" AND THE SOTERIOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCE OF THE ESHATON

Abstract

: ESCHATOLOGY IS A THEOLOGICAL WORD THAT REFERS TO "THE THINGS TO COME" OR "THE LAST.” OF COURSE, THOSE THAT WILL SUCCEED THEIR EARTHLY LIFE. IT DOES NOT MEAN THE FINALITY OF CREATION AND EXISTENCE, BUT ONLY THE SEGMENT OF EARTHLY LIFE, WHICH IS READY, BEGINNING NOW THE ETERNAL ONES. IT WILL BE AN ENDLESS STAGE. IT IS THE STAGE THAT CROWNS THE WHOLE HISTORY OF CREATION. NOTHING WILL FOLLOW ESCHATOLOGY AFTER ETERNITY. WHAT WILL FOLLOW LIFE ON EARTH CAN BE HAPPY OR UNHAPPY, DEPENDING ON HOW ONE HAD LIVED. HAPPINESS WILL BE UPON THOSE WHO HAVE LIVED IN CHRIST AND DESIRED TO FORM THE CLOSEST POSSIBLE COMMUNION WITH HIM, HAPPINESS BEING GIVEN BY THE CULMINATION OF COMMUNION. UNHAPPINESS WILL BE UPON THOSE WHO HAD NOT LIVED IN COMMUNION WITH GOD AND DID NOT DESIRE TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH LIFE IN CHRIST AND IN THE CHURCH, EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE BAPTIZED. THE REASON FOR CHRIST'S INCARNATION IS ETERNAL EXISTENCE. HE BECAME MAN TO DIE FOR OUR SINS AND TO GIVE US ETERNAL LIFE. SO, TRUE LIFE BEGINS THE MOMENT WE PASS INTO ETERNITY. ALL GOD'S ICONOMY IS FOCUSED ON ETERNAL LIFE. IF IT WERE NOT FOR THE FALL OF THE PROTOPARIANS, THEN ETERNAL LIFE WAS STILL AT CREATION. GOD BRINGS EVERYTHING INTO EXISTENCE SO THAT THEY CAN ENTER ETERNAL LIFE. WITHOUT THIS ENTRANCE INTO ETERNITY EARTHLY LIFE WOULD BE MEANINGLESS, EVEN IF WE LIVED IT WITH CHRIST. BUT BECAUSE IT DOES EXIST, COMMUNION WITH CHRIST IS THEREFORE ENRICHED. MEANING IS GIVEN BY ETERNITY WITH GOD, NOT JUST A CERTAIN TIME LIVED WITH GOD IN THIS LIFE, THIS WAS FULFILLED THROUGH CHRIST. THE PRESENT WORK, THEREFORE, CAPTURES THE TREATMENT OF THESE ISSUES FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF SEVERAL VISIONS, AUTHORS, WHO COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER IN IDEAS AND CLARIFICATIONS. CERTAINLY, THIS THEME IS NOT EXHAUSTIVELY DEBATED, AND PERHAPS THE HOLY FATHERS HAVE TREATED THIS THEME LESS THAN CONTEMPORARY THEOLOGICAL AUTHORS. SURELY, IN ANCIENT TIMES, MORE EMPHASIS WAS PLACED ON LIVING IN A WAY THAT WAS PLEASING TO GOD, SO THAT THE RESPONSE GIVEN BEFORE GOD WOULD BE TOWARDS ETERNAL LIFE. THE ROLE OF THE AUTHOR IN DEALING WITH THIS THEME WAS TO GIVE SUFFICIENT DETAILS ABOUT UNIVERSAL ESCHATOLOGY IN GENERAL, UNIVERSAL JUDGEMENT AND ETERNAL LIFE, SO THAT PEOPLE MIGHT ACQUIRE MORE FAITH THROUGH KNOWLEDGE, AND MIGHT BE STRENGTHENED TO WORK VIRTUE IN LIFE, AND FINALLY ACQUIRE ETERNAL LIFE