PURGATORY

First let me say that we have no intention of bashing anyone. We came across the word and wanted to know the biblical meaning of it. Of course what we came across does not line up with the Bible so here are the results.

Normally here we give a definition, and we shall.

King James Bible-Not listed
Strong’s Concordance-Not listed
Strong’s lexicon-Not listed
Easton’s Bible Dictionary-Not listed
No definitions
NO titles or authors
No subject tags
No within books

Okay that is that the word is not there so that is the end of that, or is it. Let’s look a bit further.

Catholic Bible-Not listed
Douay-Rheims Bible-Not listed [Catholic Bible]
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops-Not listed
American Bible-Not listed {Catholic Bible]

Well that should really be the end of it, the Catholic Bible does not even include the word in it’s Bible, or should I say Bibles. But lets go a little further and read this interesting tidbit I found at the Catholic web site which really, if you think about it, and it is true, explains why we have all got it wrong and they have got it right.

Quoted from the Catholic web site] Catholics were responsible for writing the New Testament (under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit), the Catholic Church doesn't "interpret" the Bible. We explain it. Protestants can only "interpret", because they are not the author (guided by the Holy Spirit), and therefore, can only guess at the possible meaning of a chapter, passage or phrase, just as anyone can only guess at any author's intentions in any other book. As the author, the Catholic Church is the only proper authority to consult in matters pertaining to the Bible.

Roman Catholicism is the only major Christian denomination that teaches the specific doctrine of purgatory as a "place or condition" experienced by some souls after death. Acording to Catholic belief, immediately after death, a person undergoes judgment in which the soul's eternal destiny is specified. Some are eternally united with God in what is called Heaven, often envisioned as a paradise of eternal joy. Conversely, others are destined for Hell, a state of eternal separation from God often envisioned as a fiery place of punishment.

Okay I have to interject here for a moment. According to Catholic belief…immediately after death…eternal destiny is specified…some are eternally united with God in Heaven….others are destined for Hell, a state of eternal separation from God….. Did I miss something there, it does not mention a half way house to stay until you are prayed out of it. Just my thoughts.

PURGATORY [Catholic web Site]
The place or condition in which the souls of the just are purified after death and before they can enter heaven. They may be purified of the guilt of their venial sins, as in this life, by an act of contrition deriving from charity and performed with the help of grace. This sorrow does not, however, affect the punishment for sins, because in the next world there is no longer any possibility of merit. The souls are certainly purified by atoning for the temporal punishments due to sin by their willing acceptance of suffering imposed by God. The sufferings in purgatory are not the same for all, but proportioned to each person's degree of sinfulness. Moreover, these sufferings can be lessened in duration and intensity through the prayers and good works of the faithful on earth. Nor are the pains incompatible with great peace and joy, since the poor souls deeply love God and are sure they will reach heaven. As members of the Church Suffering, the souls in purgatory can intercede for the persons on earth, who are therefore encouraged to invoke their aid. Purgatory will not continue after the general judgment, but its duration for any particular souls continues until it is free from all guilt and punishment. Immediately on purification the soul is assumed into heaven. (Etym. Latin purgatio, cleansing, purifying.)

So there you have it a regilion that doesn’t even have the word in it’s Bible, is the only major denomination that teaches this doctrine. See we have to understand that they explain what isn’t there,while we on the other hand only interpret what is there.

If God had thought He would need help of mere mortals to get sinners out of the pit, then He would have said so. Had He wanted the bottomless pit to be called purgatory then He would have included it in His Word. Here again it looks like people have taken a scripture and changed it to fit their needs and wants. But we need to realize they are only explaining what we are interperting.
Revelation 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. We can't stress that scripture enough to all of us. But to be honest they have not changed the word of God. NO indeed, they are explaining it. Again it is us the believers that are interpreting it.

What scripture do they use? Revelation 20:1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
They are right in one sense, there is escape, but not in the way they go about it. Money can't do, the Pope can't do, and nothing will work unless God wills it to happen.

During this 1000-year period the enemy of man is going to be chained and cast down with force, and with much vengeance, into a prison house (think of it as a "holding cell" in a jail house), where there is the possibility of escape, but not the lake of fire, which is eternal doom, Rev 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. Had he gone to the lake of fire he would have never been able to come back to earth. After the thousand years, he is to come back to the earth for a little season. The bottomless pit will be his kingdom and he will rule from there until the final effort of his long struggle against God has ended. God will and does rule from His throne in Heaven, so Satan will rule from his throne in the pit.

He had been permitted to break out, from his own place and prison, to be able disturb the churches, and deceive the nations; now he is brought back to that prison, and put there in chains. He thought the strength of the dragon and smartness of the serpent would be enough to protect and save him. He failed, refused or just plain didn't care that God is so much stronger than both of these and when God takes hold, He holds fast and there is no breaking away from Him. Christ shuts, and none can open; He shuts by His power, seals by His authority; and His lock and seal even the devils themselves cannot break open.

The chain I think is the Word of God. We can see how this is done by what takes place under our own eyes. A man may be drunken and lawless, but if he repents under the influence of the gospel he ceases to serve Satan. The devil loses his power over that man. When that time comes for which the saints in all ages have longing fully looked for, when the laws of God shall be written upon every heart, then Satan, bound with a chain, the chain of truth, shall be deprived of influence on the earth.

The chain is a sign of severe restraint. Satan is a spiritual being and you cannot bind a spiritual being with a regular chain. Putting him in chains is a way of limiting of his power and ability to function, which shows us his being totally removed from the earth.

Let us now a minute to remember these three very important events in the life of satan; he was cast down from Heaven because he went around accusing his brethren and for believing he was better than God; he then became the prince of the earth; he thought he had defeated Jesus on the Cross at Golgotha and that his power was going to be secure. Now, for the final time he will be cast down into the lake of fire forever.

God Bless,

rECj/LJG