4. Is It True That in the Life to Come the Righteous Will Enjoy Inexpressible Joy and Unspeakable Blessedness?

Both the Word of God and the holy fathers teach us to believe that inexpressible joys and unspeakable blessedness await the righteous in the life to come. The Word of God says: Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man, what God has prepared for those who love Him (1 Cor. 2:9). Chrysostom declares: “There, all is peace, joy, gladness, sweetness… all is day, all is light, a constant longing for good.” Ephrem the Syrian adds to this: “There,” he says, “is a singular, longed-for, everlasting rejoicing, eternal gladness, a light that knows no evening, a sun that never sets… There is the sound of those keeping festival…; there is an incomparable joy of which human lips cannot speak” (Ephrem Syr., vol. 3, pp. 32-33). “There is neither sorrow nor sighing, but each person, according to the grace given him, rejoices inwardly in his own measure” (p. 30). Thus both the Word of God and the holy fathers teach us about the inexpressible joy and unspeakable blessedness that await the righteous in the life to come.

Is this indeed the case?

Our venerable father Seraphim of Sarov once spoke to one of his disciples in this way: “Once I was delighted by the word of my Lord Jesus Christ, where He says: In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places—that is, for those who serve Him and glorify His holy name. I dwelt upon those words of Christ the Savior and desired to behold those heavenly dwelling places, and I prayed to the Lord that He would show them to me, and the Lord did not withhold His mercy from me. He fulfilled my desire and my petition: and so I was caught up into those dwelling places, though I do not know whether with the body or apart from the body. God knows—it is beyond understanding. But of that joy and heavenly sweetness which I tasted there, it is impossible to tell you.” With these words, Father Seraphim fell silent. At that moment he leaned forward slightly, his head with closed eyes bowed downward, and with the outstretched palm of his right hand he moved gently and evenly before his heart. His face gradually changed and emitted a wondrous light, and at last became so radiant that it was impossible to look upon it; on his lips and in his entire expression were such joy and heavenly rapture that one could truly have called him at that moment an earthly angel and a heavenly man. Throughout the whole time of his mysterious silence he seemed to be contemplating something with tender feeling and listening to something with wonder. But what precisely the soul of the righteous man was enraptured by and rejoicing in, God alone knows.

After a rather prolonged silence, sighing from the depths of his soul, the venerable Seraphim said further to his disciple: “Ah, if only you knew what joy, what sweetness awaits the soul of the righteous one in heaven, you would resolve to bear every sorrow, persecution, and slander in this temporal life with thanksgiving… There is neither sickness, nor sorrow, nor sighing there; there is joy and inexpressible sweetness; there the righteous will shine like the sun. But if even the Apostle Paul could not himself explain such heavenly glory and joy, then what other human tongue can explain the beauty of that heavenly dwelling in which the souls of the righteous find their home?”

So it is true—it really is as both the Word of God and the holy fathers say—that inexpressible joy and unspeakable blessedness await the righteous in the life to come. So the Lord truly spoke the truth to His disciples: your sorrow will be turned into joy (John 16:20). I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you (John 16:22). And true as well, finally, is what the Seer of Mysteries indicated: and His servants will serve Him… and they will reign for ever and ever (Rev. 22:3–5), as He also said: To the one who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne (Rev. 3:21). What shall we add in conclusion to everything that has been said? We will add only a little: with our whole soul we desire for you that, picturing to yourselves more often the inexpressible joys and unspeakable blessedness which the Lord has prepared for those who love Him, you yourselves would strive with all your heart and soul to attain them; that you would remember that our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly await a Savior (Phil. 3:20); and finally that, remembering this, while living on earth in body, you would at the same time live in heaven in spirit. Amen.