FINDING PURGATORY IN THE BIBLE
By Emmanuel Jacobo
May 12, 2020
Where is Purgatory in the Bible?
(Comprehensive Series of Events to find where Purgatory is).
This is a task like a detective probing potential evidences, criminal scenes and potential criminals to solve a crime ala English Sherlock Holmes or Columbo of the former American detective television series “Columbo”. The similarities with this task is the detective work of finding the evidences and so for me, inside the jungle of 31,000 verses (8,000 in New Testament) in the Bible.
Note: Purgatory word is not in the vocabulary yet when the OT and NT Bible books were written. However, the realities are there in many passages in the New Testament. This is quite a challenging task knowing that the Purgatory word is not mentioned anywhere in the Bible but with series of events in passages, that state or realm can be deciphered, found and identified.
A. Proof that Prison, Paradise, and Bosom of Abraham is one and the same place.
I. Luke 16:19-31 – Lazarus is in the Bosom of Abraham (good side of Sheol/Hades where the Old Testament Prophets who are captives are waiting)
II. Before dying in Luke 23:43 – Jesus promised to meet the Good Thief in Paradise.
III. At death, Jesus in 1 Peter 3:18-20 and 1 Peter 4:6,
Peter described Jesus
going to “Prison” to: 1. Preach to Unrighteous Dead; 2. Pickup the OT prophets to resurrect with him in Matthew 27:52-53 and went to heaven with him in Ephesians 4:8-10. and 3. Jesus will meet the Good Thief in Paradise/Bosom of Abraham/Prison.
Based on the description above, This meeting place between Jesus and the Good Thief is Paradise, where he pickup the OT prophets (Abraham was there and his OT gang) called Bosom of Abraham where Lazarus was. This is also called Prison by Peter.
Conclusion: Paradise, Bosom of Abraham and Prison is the same one place.
B. Next: I will prove that “Prison” is the Purgatory after Jesus Death, Resurrection and Ascension.
Three Specific Resume to qualify for Eternal Life with sample passages as proofs:
I. PERFECTION
Matthew 5:48; Matthew 19:21,
II. HOLINESS
In Hebrews 12:14; 1 Peter 1:15-16; Liviticus 19:1-2
III. PURITY
Revelation 21:27; Revelation 19:8, Ephesians 5:3,
Since no one can accomplish that requirements except maybe 1 in a million people, God designed something for us so we can attain the required hurdles so many will have chance, how?
God designed a waiting place or state or process (By the way. Non-Catholic Christians call this place or state “Sleeping state”) as a “ Cleansing, Purification, Perfection or Holiness Process before entering Eternal Glory in Heaven.
The Non-Catholic Christians sleep there until Jesus 2nd Coming. While the Catholics have 2 scenarios 1. Some will wait all the way to Jesus 2nd coming (just like the Non-Catholic Christians). 2. The rest can fulfill or serve their short prison sentence (the process of Perfection) after which when perfected they can be freed for heaven.
3 passages as proofs of Purgatory among others:
Matthew 5:25-26,
25 Make friends quickly with your accuser, while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison; 26 truly, I say to you, you will never get out till you have paid the last penny.
in this passage, the message is a call to be righteous as can be because at death if not holy and perfect yet one shall be sent to prison to commute a sentence to pay for all his/her transgressions. This is the purification process in Purgatory for “Perfection” required in heaven.
1 Corinthians 3:13-15,
13 the work of each builder will become visible, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each has done. 14 If what has been built on the foundation survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15 If the work is burned up, the builder will suffer loss; the builder will be saved, but only as through fire.
In this passage, the builder’s work will be tested for “Perfection”. If the work is already “Perfect” the reward is straight to Heaven. If not yet perfect, the builder will be sent to Purgatory for purification process to be “Perfected” as required in Heaven.
In 1 Thessalonians 4:14-16,
14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have FALLEN ASLEEP. 15 For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have FALLEN ASLEEP. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the DEAD in Christ will rise first;
I highlighted with capital letters Fallen Asleep (2x) and Dead and my question is – where do you think these Fallen Asleep and Dead souls are waiting for Jesus 2nd Coming? –
I think Peter called that waiting place “Prison” and we Catholics call that state “Purgatory”.
Other Passages:
Matthew 5:48; Hebrew 1:3; Hebrew 12:14; Hebrews 12:22-23; Matthew 19:21/Mark 10:21/Luke 18:22; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Matthew 7:13-14; 1 Peter 1:6-7; Revelation 21:27; 2 Timothy 1:9; Ephesians 5:3; Philippians 2:14-16;
Romans 12:1; 1 Corinthians 3:13-15, Matthew 5:21-26 and Matthew 12:32-36 and Matthew 18:34-35 and Luke 12:59 and 2 Timothy 1:16-18 and Hebrews 12:29 and 1 Peter 1:7 and 1 Peter 15:29-30 1 Peter 3:18-20 and 1 Peter 4:6.
Since Jesus described a place as the Bosom of Abraham (Abode of the just) and Peter mentioned Prison; while Old Testament people called that place Sheol which Paul probably knew where the Dead Souls are Fallen Asleep, it made sense that the same place or state is being populated by both the “Saved” Unrighteous at the Bosom of Abraham and also the Wicked at the place of torment with the rich man on the other side.
I think that the Evangelical Christians who are in “deep sleep” waiting for Jesus’ 2nd Coming for Final Judgement is in the same place as the “Prison” we call “Purgatory”.
God Bless!
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