Considerations Of The End

Εἰ γὰρ θάνατος αἰφνίδιος, ἢ πόλεων σεισμοὶ, καὶ ἀπειλαὶ οὕτω ποιοῦσι τὰς ἡμετέρας ψυχάς· ὅταν τὴν γῆν ἀναῤῥηγνυμένην ἴδωμεν καὶ πεπληρωμένην πάντων ἐκείνων, ὅταν τῶν σαλπίγγων ἀκούσωμεν, ὅταν τῆς φωνῆς τοῦ ἀρχαγγέλου πάσης σάλπιγγος λαμπροτέρας οὔσης, ὅταν τὸν οὐρανὸν συνανελκόμενον, ὅταν αὐτὸν παραγινόμενον τὸν ἁπάντων βασιλέα τὸν Θεὸν, τίς ἄρα ἡμῖν ἔσται ἡ ψυχή; Φρίξωμεν, παρακαλῶ, καὶ φοβηθῶμεν, ὡς ἤδη τούτων γινομένων· μὴ τῇ μελλήσει παραμυθώμεθα ἑαυτούς· ὅταν γὰρ πάντως δέῃ γενέσθαι, οὐδὲν ἡ μέλλησις ὠφελεῖ. Πόσος ὁ τρόμος; πόσος ὁ φόβος τότε; Εἴδετέ ποτε τοὺς ἀπαγομένους τὴν ἐπὶ θάνατον; ποίαν νομίζετε αὐτοῖς εἶναι τὴν ψυχὴν, τὴν μέχρι τῆς πύλης ὁδὸν βαδίζουσι; πόσων θανάτων οὐ χείρονα; τί οὐκ ἂν ἕλοιντο καὶ πρᾶξαι καὶ παθεῖν, ὥστε ἀπαλλαγῆναι τῆς ἀχλύος ἐκείνης τοῦ νέφους; Ἐγὼ πολλῶν ἤκουσα λεγόντων τῶν φιλανθρωπίᾳ βασιλικῇ μετὰ τὴν ἀπαγωγὴν εἰς τοὐπίσω κληθέντων, ὅτι οὐδὲ ἀνθρώπους ἑώρων τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, τεθορυβημένης τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ ἐκπεπληγμένης καὶ ἐξεστηκυίας. Εἰ τοίνυν σωματικὸς θάνατος οὕτως ἡμᾶς φοβεῖ, ὅταν αἰώνιος παραγένηται, τί πεισόμεθα; Καὶ τί λέγω περὶ τῶν ἀπαγομένων; ὄχλος περιέστηκε τότε, οἱ πλείους οὐδὲ εἰδότες αὐτούς. Εἴ τις ἐκείνων τὰς ψυχὰς περιεσκόπησεν, οὐδεὶς οὕτως ὠμὸς, οὐδεὶς οὕτω θρασὺς, οὐδεὶς οὕτω γενναῖος, ὃς οὐ καταπεπτωκυῖαν αὐτὴν ἔχει, παρειμένην ὑπὸ τοῦ φόβου καὶ τῆς ἀθυμίας. Εἰ δὲ ἑτέρων ἀναιρουμένων τὸν θάνατον τοῦτον, τὸν ὕπνου οὐδὲν διαφέροντα, οἱ μηδὲν κοινωνοῦντες οὕτω διατίθενται· ὅταν ἡμεῖς αὐτοὶ τοῖς μείζοσι περιπίπτωμεν, τίς ἄρα ἔσται κατάστασις; Οὐκ ἔστιν, οὐκ ἔστι, πιστεύσατε, παραστῆσαι λόγῳ τὸ πάθος. Ναὶ, φησίν· ἀλλὰ φιλάνθρωπος ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ οὐδὲν τούτων ἔσται. Οὐκοῦν εἰκῆ γέγραπται. Οὒ, φησὶν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς ἀπειλὴν μόνον, ἵνα σωφρονῶμεν. Ἐὰν οὖν μὴ σωφρονῶμεν, ἀλλὰ μένωμεν κακοὶ, οὐκ ἐπάξει τὴν κόλασιν, εἰπέ μοι; οὐκοῦν οὐδὲ τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς ἀποδώσει τὰς ἀμοιβάς; Ναὶ, φησίν· ἐκεῖνο γὰρ αὐτῷ πρέπον ἐστὶ καὶ ὑπὲρ τὴν ἀξίαν εὐεργετεῖν. Ὥστε ἐκεῖνα μὲν ἀληθῆ καὶ πάντως ἔσται· τὰ δὲ τῶν κολάσεων οὐ πάντως, ἀλλ' ἀπειλῆς ἕνεκεν καὶ φόβου; Πόθεν ὑμᾶς πείσω, οὐκ οἶδα. Ἂν εἴπω ὅτι ὁ σκώληξ αὐτῶν οὐ τελευτήσει, καὶ τὸ πῦρ οὐ σβεσθήσεται, ἐὰν εἴπω ὅτι ἀπελεύσονται εἰς πῦρ αἰώνιον, ἂν τὸν πλούσιον παραγάγω ἤδη κολαζόμενον, πάντα ἀπειλῆς εἶναι ἐρεῖτε. Πόθεν οὖν ὑμᾶς πείσω; Σατανικὸς γὰρ οὗτος ὁ λογισμὸς, χάριν ἀνόνητον χαριζόμενος, καὶ ῥᾳθύμους ποιῶν. Ἅγιος Ἰωάννης ὁ Χρυσόστομος,Ὑπομηνα Ἐις Την Προς Θεσσαλονικεις Ἐπιστολην Πρωτην, Ὀμιλια Ηʹ   Source: Migne PG 62.441-442

For if sudden death, or earthquakes in cities, so terrify our souls, when we see the earth breaking up, and full with all these things, when we hear the trumpets, and the voice of the Archangel louder than any trumpet, when we see heaven rolled up, and God the King of all himself coming near, how then will be our souls? Let us shudder, I beseech you, and be fearful, as if these things were now happening. Let us not console ourselves because they are things to come. For when it will certainly be, delay does not profit us. How great then will be the trembling and how great the fear. Have you ever seen men led away to death? What do you think is the state of their souls, as they walk the way to the gate? Is it not worse than many deaths? What would they not choose to do and to suffer, so that they might be delivered from that cloud of darkness? I have heard many say, who the mercy of the Emperor has recalled after having been led away, that they did not even see men as men, their souls being so troubled, so struck with horror, and they beside themselves. If then the death of the body so frightens us, when eternal death approaches, how will we be? And why do I speak of those led away? A crowd then stands around, the greater part not even knowing them. If anyone looked into their souls, no one is so cruel, no one so bold, no one so firm, as not to have his soul dejected, and cast down with fear and despair. And if when others are taken off by this death, which differs nothing from sleep, those who do not share it are so affected, when we fall into greater evils, what then will be our state? It is not, believe me, it is not possible to represent the suffering in words. 'No,' you say, 'for God is merciful to men and none of these things will be.' Then it is written in vain. 'No,' you say, 'but only as a threat, that we may be wise.' If then we are not wise, but persist in evil, do tell me, will He not inflict the punishment? And will He not then give the good their rewards? 'Yes,' you say, 'for it befits Him to do good even beyond what is deserved. So the latter things indeed are true and will certainly be, while the punishments will not be at all, but are only for the purpose of a threat and of terror. How I shall persuade you, I do not know. If I say, that 'the worm will not die and the fire will not be quenched,' 1 if I say, that 'they shall go away into everlasting fire,' 2 if I set before you the rich man already suffering punishment, 3 you will say that it is all a matter of threatening. How then shall I persuade you? For this is a Satanic reasoning, a profitless kindness, making you thoughtless and sluggish. Saint John Chrysostom, from Homily 8 on First Thessalonians 1  Mk 9.44 2 Mt 25.41-46 3 Lk 16.22