WHAT IS PURGATORY? Is purgatory a place where people go to be purged from sin before they go to heaven? How severe is the purging and how are they purged?

This series addresses the concerns we all have: the concern for sin, evil, death, dying, and what happens after we die. Is there hope after death? When God created us, humans, he intended for us to live forever in a loving, peaceful relationship with him. But this relationship has been broken by sin.

Here, we address the origin of sin and look more closely at death and dying.

But, instead of looking at death negatively, we look at it in the context of hope, the promised hope based on what Jesus did for us when he died and came back to life again.

From the Sabbath School Adult Bible Study Guide 2022 Quarter 4: Sabbath.School (See also Hope Sabbath School and 3ABN Sabbath School)

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Inviting the Spirit of God

Heavenly Father, give us the desire to search the scripture for ourselves so that we may know what is truth. In Jesus’ Name Amen

There is a popular belief that some people have done bad things, but what they have done is not bad enough for them to go to hell. But they have also not been good enough to go to heaven. So, they go to what is called purgatory. Purgatory and hell are said to be different. The assumption is that in purgatory, a person is purged in flames to take away their sins. When the soul is cleansed from sin, then that person can ascend to paradise which is heaven.

Moreover, the assumption is that the soul’s loved ones, who are alive, can reduce their suffering through prayers and penances.

It is believed that the prayers, good works, and offerings of the living can help the soul get out of purgatory faster and suffer less. 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church is explicit about purgatory: “All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.”—Catechism of the Catholic Church (New York: Doubleday, 1995), p. 291.

It states, too, that their suffering can be alleviated by the prayers of their loved ones, as well as by other acts on behalf of the dead. “The Church also commends almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead.”—Catechism of the Catholic Church, p. 291. (Split)

But what do the Scriptures say concerning these things? David in Psalms 146:4 declares that man is not conscious in death

4 His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. (Psalm 146:4).

Solomon’s testimony is the same Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6, and 10:

5 For the living know that they will die; But the dead know nothing, And they have no more reward, For the memory of them is forgotten.

6 Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished; Nevermore will they have a share In anything done under the sun.

10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going. ((Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6 and 10)

What most people do not know is that the teaching about purgatory is a mixture of two pagan ideologies. It mixes the idea of a forever burning hell with the pagan practice of praying for the dead. These ideologies were adopted into the church in the early centuries as those with pagan beliefs converted to Christianity but brought along with them their pagan beliefs.

Nevertheless, these pagan ideas are contrary to what the Bible teaches. Here are four reasons these religious teachings do not align with what is written in the word of God.

(1) the dead are resting unconsciously in their graves. They are not aware of anything that is happening, according to Ecclesiastes 9:10.

10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going. (Ecclesiastes 9:10) (Split)

(2) the righteousness of a fallen human being cannot be transferred to another fallen human being as in Ezekiel 18:20–22

20 The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.

21 “But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die.

22 None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live. (Ezekiel 18:20-22)

(3) Only Jesus can save us. Jesus stands before the Father and asks God to forgive us for our sins. He is our mediator according to 1 Timothy 2:5

5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, (I Timothy 2:5)

And (4) death is followed by the final judgment in which after we die, God judges us. We get no second chance to turn away from sin and accept God (Hebrews 9:27).

27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, (Hebrews 9:27)

Moreover, the teachings of purgatory align with Satan’s lies about God’s own character. The eternal punishment in an ever-burning hell and purgatory teaches that God is vindictive and unloving.

This has been “Satan’s work since his fall is to misinterpret our heavenly Father. He suggested the dogma of the immortality of the soul. . . . The idea of an eternally burning hell was the production of Satan; purgatory is his invention. These teachings falsify the character of God, that He shall be regarded as severe, revengeful, arbitrary, and not exercising forgiveness.”—Ellen G. White, Manuscript 51, 1890. 

Satan’s lie is that instead of the dead being asleep, awaiting Christ’s return, they’re in purgatory, suffering there until someone manages to get them out. Satan lied to Eve about God in the Garden of Eden, and He continues to lie to us humans to this very day. 

Some may think, what is the big deal, but it is through the deception of Satan that Eve was led to sin. It is also through his deceptions that people today lie, cheat, rob, steal, destroy and even kill. 

Therefore it is necessary for us to know what truth is, for ourselves. The point is if we live a wicked life on this earth, prayers and penance from our loved ones will not get us into heaven once we die. We chose our eternal destiny while we are living.

In most cases, Protestants do not accept the idea of purgatory, but they do believe that the souls of the righteous dead are in heaven. Are they? What does the Bible say? Find out, Day 5 A Paradise with Disembodied Souls

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