First of all, we must clearly know something: God did not create us to suffer, but to rejoice. Where do we see the man first? In heaven! According to the Holy Scripture, especially that of the New Testament, man was destined for inheriting heaven, not hell. The fact that so many people die does not mean that God’s purposes for man suffered any change. No! God is love (I In 4, 8) He Takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 33, 11), on the contrary, He desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (Timothy 2,4)
Most instructive is the following happenstance: at the Dreadful Judgement the Lord would tell the righteous: ”Come you, blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world!” And He would tell the sinners: ”Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devils and his angels!” (Matthew 25, 34, 41) Whence is clear that according to God’s good plan, heaven was prepared for men and hell for demons.
Archimandrite SERAFIM ALEXIEV
Source: ganduridinierusalim.com
