Day 20 after the funeral. What ordeals the soul goes through after death

Losing dear people, we experience the pain of loss. It seems that the deceased will call, come, return. It is necessary to pull yourself together and try not to drown the soul, pouring out a stream of tears. For the first three days she is close to loved ones, not getting used to her condition.

The grief of relatives has a negative effect on the disembodied shell. After, as the spirit left the body, he continued the difficult path to the Kingdom of God. By observing the Christian scriptures, family members can make it easier to take into account the deceased. Especially, this applies to 40 days after the death of a person.

Traditions

The spirit is in places associated with memories, feelings. After, the verdict is announced to him. This stage occurs 40 days after the death of a person. Don't stop reading prayers for his soul. You will help the deceased to be cleansed from sins. The memorial evening, which is held on the 40th day, is organized in a close circle. Do you want to observe church customs? Better check with the priest: what you can and cannot do.

It is usually forbidden to drink alcoholic beverages, a feast.

Table menu for commemoration 40 days after the death of a person

This includes treats:

  • Compote or kvass drink.
  • Light canapes.
  • Salads.
  • Baking (pancakes, pies).
  • Memorial kutia made of grain, with honey.
  • Cutlets, fish.
  • Where does the spirit go?

For 40 days after the death of a person, his soul returns to his native walls. This is the last visit. She says goodbye to her loved ones and relatives in order to leave for Eternal Peace. The soul is allowed to visit places that were dear to it when it was in the physical body. Although relatives may not feel a strong presence of mind. If you want to provide him with peace, invite the person who organizes the memorial evening with all the rituals. He will cope with the emotional situation and help avoid tears that will not bring happiness to the soul of the deceased. The torment of loved ones can, on the contrary, burden the sentence. If you do not want to involve third parties in what is happening, buy a psalter. It describes 40 days after the death of a person.

Alms

A special item for 40 days after the death of a person. Collect the belongings of the deceased, and distribute them to those in need. No need to throw it away! Instead, donate to the temple. These are clothes, personal belongings of the deceased. Leave yourself memorabilia that you cannot part with. It's okay if you give some clothes to friends and acquaintances of the deceased. The amount of alms that you donate to the temple, no matter how mercantile it may sound, is taken into account when deciding on the soul of the deceased. Give alms to people passing by, and they will pray for the peace of your relative.

The canons prescribed by the church for 40 days after the death of a person

Do not stop reading prayer words for 40 days after a person dies.... This must be done both in God's home and in your own dwelling. A commemoration should be organized in the temple if the deceased was a believer. The father can even allow a meal in the church canteen if the deceased relative was registered in the parishioners. On this day, remember all good things about a person, this will ease his lot before the Lord God. Order a memorial service.

What should be taken into account when carrying out a ceremony for 40 days after a person's death?

  • First a prayer service - then a meal.
  • Remember the good deeds of the deceased.
  • Do not drink alcohol, and do not allow fun on the memorial evening.

What should relatives do up to 40 days after the death of a person?

  • You should not touch the things of the deceased.
  • Do not rearrange furniture in his house / room.
  • Try not to talk badly about the deceased.
  • Try to do as many good deeds as possible on behalf of your deceased.
  • Be sure to hang mirrors at home, otherwise the soul can get lost in them. Interestingly, this custom, in the church's view, is considered a superstition.

Outcome:

After 40 days after the death of a person comes the "X hour". The soul went through all the ordeals of hell. The guardian angel presented the good deeds of the deceased to the judgment of the Almighty. The spirit went to paradise and saw the horrors of Hell. Now nothing depends on him. Angels and demons will keep track of the deceased's good and bad deeds. Those close to him prayed tirelessly on earth for his soul. Which is also taken into account when passing the final verdict. In this way, the soul breaks the connection with the material world forever.

Advice: after the loss of your beloved husband, brother, father, go to the monastery, order the magpie. Monks will commemorate your deceased every day for 40 days after the death of a person. The soul went to the afterlife, and it can only be helped by prayers.

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The afterlife and its uncertainty is what most often leads a person to think about God and the Church. Indeed, according to the teachings of the Orthodox Church and any other Christian doctrines, the human soul is immortal and, unlike the body, it exists forever.

A person is always interested in the question, what will happen to him after death, where will he go? The answers to these questions can be found in the teachings of the Church.

The soul after the death of the bodily shell awaits the Judgment of God

Death and Christian

Death always remains a kind of constant companion of a person: loved ones, celebrities, relatives die, and all these losses make you think about what will happen when this guest comes to me? The attitude towards the end largely determines the course of human life - waiting for it is painful or a person has lived such a life that at any moment he is ready to appear before the Creator.

The desire not to think about it, deleting it from thoughts is the wrong approach, because then life ceases to have value.

Christians believe that God gave man an eternal soul, as opposed to a corruptible body. And this determines the course of the entire Christian life - after all, the soul does not disappear, which means that it will definitely see the Creator and give an answer for every deed. This constantly keeps the believer in good shape, not allowing him to go through the days thoughtlessly. Death in Christianity is a kind of transition point from worldly life to heavenly, and this is where the spirit to go after this crossroads directly depends on the quality of life on earth.

Orthodox asceticism has in its writings the expression "mortal memory" - the constant retention in thoughts of the concept of the end of worldly existence and the expectation of the transition to eternity. This is why Christians lead meaningful lives, not allowing themselves to waste minutes.

The approach of death from this point of view is not something terrible, but a completely logical and expected action, joyful. As Elder Joseph of Vatopedi said: "I was waiting for the train, but he still does not come."

The first days after leaving

Orthodoxy has a special concept of the first days in the afterlife. This is not a strict dogma of faith, but the position that the Synod adheres to.

Death in Christianity is a kind of transition point from worldly life to heavenly

Special days after death are:

  1. Third is traditionally a commemoration day. This time is spiritually connected with the Resurrection of Christ, which took place on the third day. St. Isidore Pelusiot writes that the process of Christ's Resurrection took 3 days, hence the idea was formed that the human spirit also passes into eternal life on the third day. Other authors write that the number 3 has a special meaning, it is called the God's number and it symbolizes faith in the Holy Trinity, therefore, it is necessary to remember a person on this day. It is in the funeral service of the third day that the Triune God is asked to forgive the deceased and forgive;
  2. Ninth- another day of remembrance of the dead. St. Simeon of Thessalonica wrote about this day as a time to remember 9 angelic ranks, to which the spirit of the deceased can be numbered. That is how many days are given to the soul of the deceased for the full realization of his transition. This is mentioned by St. Paisius in his writings, comparing a sinner with a drunkard, who sober up during this period. During this period, the soul resigns itself to its transition and says goodbye to worldly life;
  3. Fortieth- this is a special day of remembrance, because according to the legend of St. Solunsky, this number is of particular importance, because Christ was raptured on the 40th day, which means that the deceased on this day appears before the Lord. Likewise, the people of Israel mourned their leader Moses at precisely this time. On this day, not only a prayer-petition for mercy for the deceased from God should sound, but also the forty-mouth.
Important! The first month, which includes these three days, is extremely important for loved ones - they accept the loss and begin to learn to live without a loved one.

The above three dates are necessary for special remembrance and prayer for the past. During this period, their fervent prayers for the deceased reach the Lord and, in accordance with the teachings of the Church, can influence the final decision of the Creator regarding the soul.

Where does a person's spirit go after life

Where exactly does the spirit of the deceased dwell? No one has an exact answer to this question, since it is a secret hidden from a person by the Lord. Everyone will know the answer to this question after their repose. The only thing that is known for sure is the transition of the human spirit from one state to another - from the mundane body to the eternal spirit.

Only the Lord can determine the place of the eternal residence of the soul

It is much more important to find out not "where", but "to whom", because it does not matter where the person will be after, the main thing is with the Lord?

Christians believe that after the transition into eternity, the Lord calls a person to judgment, where he determines the place of eternal stay - heaven with angels and other believers, or hell, with sinners and demons.

The teaching of the Orthodox Church says that only the Lord can determine the place of the eternal residence of the soul and no one can influence His sovereign will. This decision is the answer to the life of the soul in the body and its actions. What did she choose during her lifetime: good or evil, repentance or proud exaltation, mercy or cruelty? Only the actions of a person determine eternal abiding, and the Lord judges by them.

According to the book of Revelation of John Chrysostom, we can conclude that the human race awaits two judgments - an individual one for each soul, and a common one, when all the dead will be resurrected after the end of the world. Orthodox theologians are convinced that in the period between the individual judgment and the common one, the soul has the opportunity to change its sentence, through the prayers of its loved ones, good deeds that are performed in its memory, memories in the Divine Liturgy and commemoration with alms.

Ordeals

The Orthodox Church believes that the spirit on the way to the throne of God goes through certain ordeals or trials. The traditions of the holy fathers say that ordeals consist in exposure by evil spirits, which make them doubt their own salvation, the Lord or His Sacrifice.

The word ordeal comes from the Old Russian "mytnya" - a place for collecting fines. That is, the spirit must pay a certain fine or be tested for certain sins. The personal virtues that the deceased acquired while on earth can help pass this test.

From a spiritual point of view, this is not a tribute to the Lord, but full awareness and recognition of everything that tormented a person during his lifetime and with which he was unable to cope with it to the end. Only hope in Christ and His mercy can help a soul overcome this line.

The Orthodox lives of the saints contain many descriptions of ordeals. Their stories are extremely vivid and written in sufficient detail to vividly imagine all the pictures described.

Icon of the Ordeal of Blessed Theodora

A particularly detailed description can be found in St. Basil the New, in his life, which contains the story of Blessed Theodora about her ordeals. She mentions 20 trials by sins, including:

  • word - it can heal or kill, it is the beginning of the world, according to the Gospel of John. The sins that are contained in the word are not empty statements, they have the same sin as material, committed deeds. There is no difference between cheating on your husband or saying it out loud, dreaming - the sin is the same. Such sins include rudeness, obscenity, idle talk, incitement, blasphemy;
  • lie or deception - any untruth told by a person is a sin. This also includes perjury and perjury, which are serious sins, as well as dishonest judgment and underweight;
  • gluttony is not only the delight of one's belly, but also any indulgence of carnal passion: drunkenness, nicotine addiction or drug addiction;
  • laziness, along with trash and parasitism;
  • theft - any act, the consequence of which is the appropriation of someone else's, belong here: theft, fraud, fraud, etc.;
  • avarice is not only greed, but also the thoughtless acquisition of everything, i.e. hoarding. This category includes bribery and refusal of alms, as well as extortion and extortion;
  • envy - visual theft and greed for someone else's;
  • pride and anger - they destroy the soul;
  • murder - both verbal and material, driving to suicide and abortion;
  • fortune-telling - turning to grandmothers or psychics is a sin, it is written there in the Scriptures;
  • fornication is any lustful action: viewing pornography, masturbation, erotic fantasies, etc.;
  • adultery and sodomy.
Important! For the Lord there is no concept of death, the spirit only passes from the material world into the immaterial one. But how she appears before the Creator depends only on her actions and decisions in the world.

Days of remembrance

This includes not only the first three important days (the third, ninth and fortieth), but any holidays and simple days when loved ones remember the deceased and commemorate him.

The word "commemoration" means commemoration, i.e. memory. And first of all, it is a prayer, and not just a thought or bitterness from separation from the dead.

Advice! The prayer is performed in order to ask the Creator for mercy for the deceased and to justify him, even if he himself did not deserve it. According to the canons of the Orthodox Church, the Lord can change His decision about the deceased if his relatives actively pray and ask for him, performing alms and good deeds in his memory.

It is especially important to do this in the first month and on the 40th day, when the soul appears before God. Throughout all 40 days, the magpie is read, by prayer every day, and on special days a funeral service is ordered. Along with prayer, relatives these days visit the church and the cemetery, give alms and distribute a memorial treat in memory of the deceased. These commemoration dates include subsequent anniversaries of death, as well as special church holidays commemorating the dead.

The holy fathers also write that the deeds and good deeds of the living can also become the reason for changing God's judgment on the deceased. The afterlife is full of secrets and mysteries, none of the living know exactly anything about it. But the worldly path of everyone is that indicator that can point to the place in which the spirit of a person will spend all eternity.

What are ordeals? Archpriest Vladimir Golovin

After the funeral, the restless soul is between heaven and earth; many relatives, close people of the deceased, ask themselves the main question of what happens to the soul on the 9th and 40th days of death. This is an important period for a deceased person, since it is decided where he will go next, where he will spend the rest of eternity in oblivion. The Holy Scripture says that 9 and 40 days after death is the beginning and end of the heavenly path, close people should help so that the soul goes to heaven, finds eternal rest.

Where the soul dwells after death

According to believers, the souls of the departed are immortal, and their afterlife is determined by the perfect deeds on earth during their lifetime - good or bad. In Orthodoxy, it is believed that the soul of the deceased does not immediately ascend to heaven, but at first it remains in those places where the body previously lived. She has to appear before God's Judgment, and while there is time to see her family and friends, to say goodbye to them forever, to get used to the thought of her own death.

Where is the soul of the deceased until 9 days

The body is buried in a cemetery, but the soul of a deceased person is immortal. The Christian Church has established that on the first day after death the soul is in confusion, cannot realize what is happening, and is frightened of separation from the body. On the second day, she wanders around her native places, recalls the best moments of her life, observes the process of burying her own body. There are many places where the soul is after death, but all of them were once dear, close to the heart.

On the third day, she is ascended by angels to heaven, where the gates of paradise are opened. The soul is shown paradise, the opportunity to find eternal peace, a state of complete peace. On the fourth day she is lowered underground and shown hell, where all the sins of the deceased and the payment for their commission during his lifetime are well known. The soul sees what is happening, waits for the Last Judgment, which begins on the ninth and ends on the fortieth day.

What happens to the soul on day 9

The question why they celebrate 9 days after death has a well-reasoned answer. On this day, counted from the moment of death, the soul rises before God's judgment, where only the Almighty will decide where it will continue to while away eternity - in heaven or hell. Therefore, relatives and close people go to the cemetery, commemorate the deceased, pray for his entry into heaven.

How to remember correctly

Knowing what happens on the 9th day after death, relatives must remember the deceased, and remember only the best and the brightest about his life and deeds. Church commemorations will not be superfluous, for example, you can order a magpie for repose, a memorial service or other Christian rituals in the temple. This is only for the benefit, plus the sincere faith of Orthodox Christians. God releases torment to sinners, and relatives and friends should not be greatly killed for the deceased. To remember correctly, you need:

  • to speak only good things about the deceased;
  • set a modest table, exclude alcohol;
  • remember only good things;
  • do not laugh, do not have fun, do not rejoice;
  • behave modestly, restrained.

What happens to the soul after 9 days

After the 9th day, the soul goes to hell, can clearly see all the torments of sinners, sincerely repent. She must remember all her wrong actions, obey, admit the wrongness of her own actions and thoughts. This is a difficult stage, so all relatives should only support the deceased in prayers, church rituals, thoughts, memories. To reliably determine what happens to the deceased soul on the 9th and 40th days of death, it is necessary to resort to the Holy Scriptures.

Where is the soul of the deceased until 40 days

Many do not understand why they commemorate for 9 and 40 days. The answer is simple - this is the beginning and end of the divine path that the soul takes until it gets its place - in hell or paradise. It turns out that until the fortieth day since the death of the deceased, she is between heaven and earth, experiencing all the pain, longing of relatives, loved ones. Therefore, one should not grieve too much, otherwise it will be even more difficult for a deceased person to find eternal peace.

Why is 40 days after death celebrated?

This is a memorial day. Means goodbye to a restless soul. On this day, she acquires her place in eternity, finds peace, experiences humility. Up to forty days after death, the soul is fragile and vulnerable, susceptible to other people's thoughts, insults, slander. She is torn from the inside with pain, but by the 40th day a deep calmness comes - the realization of her place in eternity. Then nothing happens, only oblivion, pleasant memories of a life lived.

How to remember correctly

Knowing what happens to the soul on the ninth and fortieth day of death, close people should treat it with compassion and ease its torment. To do this, you should not be very much killed by the deceased, throw yourself on the chest of the deceased and jump into the grave at the funeral. Such actions will only make the soul worse, and it experiences acute mental anguish. It is better to grieve in thoughts, pray more and wish her "Land, which will rest in peace." We must try to cope with emotions. All that is required from relatives is bright thoughts and complete humility, that this is what God ordered, nothing can be changed.

It is necessary to remember the deceased correctly on days 9, 40, every year on the day of his sudden death. This is an unpleasant event for the whole family, which must be held according to all the rules. So.

In countries where historically long and strong Christian traditions have developed, everyone knows that after death of a person the third day after the sad event, the ninth day and the fortieth day are of particular importance. Almost everyone knows, but many cannot say for what reasons these dates - 3 days, 9 days and 40 days - are so important. What happens, according to traditional ideas, with the soul of a person until the ninth day after his departure from earthly life?

The path of the soul

Christian ideas about the posthumous path of the human soul may differ depending on a particular denomination. And if in the Orthodox and Catholic picture of the afterlife and the fate of the soul in it there are still few differences, then in various Protestant movements the spread of opinions is very large - from almost complete identity with Catholicism to moving away from tradition, to the complete denial of the existence of hell as places of eternal torment for the souls of sinners. Therefore, the Orthodox version of what happens to the soul in the first nine days after the beginning of a different, afterlife life is more interesting.

Patristic tradition (that is, the recognized corpus of the writings of the Fathers of the Church) says that after the death of a person for almost three days, his soul has almost complete freedom. She not only has all the "baggage" from earthly life, that is, hopes, attachments, full memory, fears, shame, the desire to complete some unfinished business, and so on, but is also able to be anywhere. It is generally accepted that during these three days the soul is either next to the body, or if a person died away from home and family, next to his loved ones, or in those places that, for some reason, were especially dear or remarkable for this person. On the third tribute, the soul loses complete freedom of its behavior and is taken by angels to Heaven to worship the Lord there. That is why on the third day, according to tradition, it is necessary to hold a memorial service and thus finally say goodbye to the soul of the deceased.

Having bowed to God, the soul goes on a kind of "tour" around paradise: the Kingdom of Heaven is shown to it, it gets an idea of ​​what paradise is, sees that unity of righteous souls with the Lord, which is the purpose of human existence, meets the souls of saints, and the like. This “sightseeing” journey of the soul through paradise lasts six days. And here, according to the Fathers of the Church, the first torments of the soul begin: seeing the heavenly delight of the saints, she realizes that she is unworthy of sharing their fate due to her sins and is tormented by doubts and fear that she will not go to heaven. On the ninth day, the angels again take the soul to God so that she can glorify His Love for the saints, which she just could observe herself.

What's important these days for the living

However, according to the Orthodox worldview, one should not perceive the nine days after death as an exclusively otherworldly affair, which does not seem to concern the surviving relatives of the deceased. On the contrary, it is precisely forty days after the death of a person that for his family and friends is the time of the greatest convergence of the earthly world and the Kingdom of Heaven. Because it is during this period that the living can and must make every effort to contribute to the best possible fate of the soul of the deceased, that is, its salvation. To do this, you need to constantly pray, hoping for God's mercy and forgiveness for the soul of her sins. This is important from the point of view of determining the fate of the human soul, that is, where it will await the Last Judgment, in heaven or in hell. At the Last Judgment, the fate of every soul will be finally decided, so that those of them who were placed in hell have the hope that prayers for her will be heard, she will be forgiven (if a person is prayed for, even though he committed many sins, which means that there was something good in him) and will be worthy of a place in paradise.

Ninth day after death of a person is in Orthodoxy, no matter how strange it may sound, almost festive. People believe that the soul of the deceased has been in paradise for the last six days, even if as a guest, and now it can adequately praise the Creator. Moreover, it is believed that if a person led a righteous life and won the favor of the Lord with his good deeds, love for others and repentance for his sins, then his posthumous fate can be decided after nine days. Therefore, the loved ones of a person should, on this day, firstly, especially earnestly pray for his soul, and secondly, hold a memorial meal. Funeral on the ninth day, from the point of view of tradition, they should be "uninvited" - that is, no one should be specially invited to them. Those who wish the soul of the deceased all the best should themselves remember this responsible day and come without reminders.

However, in reality, funerals are almost always invited in a special way, and if more people are expected than the dwelling can accommodate, then they are held in restaurants or similar establishments. Funeral on the ninth day, this is a calm memory of the deceased, which should not turn into either an ordinary party or a funeral gathering. It is noteworthy that the Christian concept of the special meaning of three, nine and forty days after the death of a person was adopted by modern occult teachings. But they gave these dates a different meaning: according to one version, the ninth day is marked by the fact that the body supposedly decomposes during this period; according to another, at this turn, that of the bodies, after the physical, mental and astral, which can appear as a ghost, dies. 40 days after death: the last frontier

In the Orthodox tradition, the third, ninth and fortieth days after a person's death have a certain meaning for his soul. But it is precisely the fortieth day that has a special meaning: for believers, this is the line that finally separates earthly life from eternal life. That's why 40 days after death, from a religious point of view, the date is even more tragic than the very fact of physical death.

Fight for the soul between hell and heaven

According to Orthodox ideas, which originate from the cases described in the Lives of the holy cases, from the theological works of the Fathers of the Church and from canonical services, the soul of a person from the ninth to the fortieth days passes through a series of obstacles called aerial ordeals. From the moment of death until the third day, the soul of a person stays on earth and can be near his loved ones or travel anywhere. From the third to the ninth days, she dwells in paradise, where she is given the opportunity to appreciate the benefits that the Lord, as a reward for a righteous or holy life, gives souls in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Ordeals begin from the ninth day and represent such obstacles in which nothing depends on the human soul itself. A person changes the ratio of his good and evil thoughts, words and deeds only in earthly life, after death he is no longer able to add or subtract anything. Ordeals are, in fact, "trials" between representatives of hell (demons) and heaven (angels), which have an analogy in the debate between a prosecutor and a lawyer. There are twenty ordeals in total, and they represent certain sinful passions that all people are subject to. During each of the ordeals, demons present a list of a person's sins associated with this passion, and the angels announce a list of his good deeds. It is generally accepted that if the list of sins for each ordeal turns out to be more solid than the list of good deeds, then the soul of a person goes to hell if, by God's mercy, good deeds are not multiplied. If there are more good deeds, the soul proceeds to the next ordeal, as in the case if sins and good deeds are equal.

The final decision of fate

The doctrine of aerial ordeals is not canonical, that is, it is not included in the main doctrinal code of Orthodoxy. However, the authority of patristic literature has led to the fact that for many centuries such ideas about the posthumous path of the soul are actually the only ones within the framework of this religious confession. Period from ninth to fortieth day after death a person is considered the most important, and the fortieth day itself is perhaps the most tragic date even in comparison with death itself. The fact is that, according to Orthodox beliefs, on the fortieth day, after going through the ordeals and contemplating all the horrors and torments that await sinners in hell, the human soul for the third time appears directly before God (for the first time - on the third day, the second time - on the ninth day). And it is at this moment that the fate of the soul is decided - where it will stay until the moment of the Last Judgment, in hell or in the Kingdom of Heaven.

It is believed that by that time the soul had already passed all possible tests, which should have determined whether a person could deserve salvation with his earthly life. The soul had already seen paradise and could feel how worthy or unworthy it was to share the fate of the righteous and saints. She has already gone through ordeals and can imagine how many and grave her sins are. By this time, she must completely repent and rely only on God's mercy. That is why the fortieth day after death is perceived by the Church and the loved ones of the deceased as a key milestone, after which the soul goes either to heaven or hell. It is necessary to pray fervently for the soul of the deceased, proceeding from at least three motives. Firstly, prayer can influence the Lord's decision regarding the fate of the soul: attention is drawn to both the very fact of the care of those close to a person and the possible intercession of the saints before God, whom they pray to. Secondly, if the soul is nevertheless sent to hell, this does not mean final death for it: the fate of all people will finally be decided during the Last Judgment, which means that there is still an opportunity to change the decision through prayers. Thirdly, if a person's soul has found the Kingdom of Heaven, it is necessary to adequately thank God for the mercy shown to Him.

Modern man can do practically everything, but the mystery of death remains a mystery even today. No one will say exactly what awaits after the death of the physical body, what path the soul has to overcome and whether it will be. Nevertheless, the overwhelming testimony of near-death survivors suggests that life on the other side is real. And religion teaches how to overcome the path to Eternity and find endless joy.

In this article

Where does the soul go after death?

According to church ideas, after death, the soul has to go through 20 ordeals - terrible tests of mortal sins. This will allow you to determine whether the soul is worthy of entering the Kingdom of the Lord, where infinite grace and tranquility awaits it. These ordeals are terrible, even the Holy Virgin Mary, according to the biblical texts, feared them and prayed to her son for permission to avoid the death throes.

Not a single newly reposed will be able to escape the ordeal. But the soul can be helped: for this, the loved ones, who remained on the mortal earth, light candles, fast and pray.

Successively, the soul gets from one level of ordeals to another, each of which is more terrible and painful than the previous one. Here is a list of them:

  1. Idle talk is a passion for empty words and excessive talk.
  2. Lying is a deliberate deception of others for the sake of gaining one's own benefit.
  3. Slander - spreading false rumors about a third person and condemning other people's actions.
  4. Gluttony is an excessive love of food.
  5. Idleness is laziness and a life of inaction.
  6. Theft is the appropriation of someone else's property.
  7. The love of money is an excessive attachment to material values.
  8. Deceit is the desire to obtain value by dishonest means.
  9. Lack of truth in deeds and actions - craving to commit dishonest acts.
  10. Envy is the desire to take possession of the same that a neighbor has.
  11. Pride is self-esteem above others.
  12. Anger and rage.
  13. Spitefulness - keeping in memory other people's misdeeds, a thirst for revenge.
  14. Murder.
  15. Sorcery is the use of magic.
  16. Fornication is promiscuous sex.
  17. Adultery is betrayal of a spouse.
  18. Sodomy - God denies the unions of man and man, woman and woman.
  19. Heresy is the denial of our God.
  20. Cruelty is a callous heart, immune to the grief of others.

7 deadly sins

Most of the ordeals are a standard view of the virtues of man, prescribed to every righteous person by the law of God. The soul can reach the Paradise Tabernacle only by successfully passing through all the ordeals. If it does not pass at least one test, the etheric body will be stuck at this level and will be eternally tormented by Demons.

Where does a person go after death

The ordeals of the soul begin on the 3rd day after death and last as long as the number of sins a person committed during his earthly life. Only on the 40th day after death will the final decision be made about where the soul will spend eternity - in Hellfire or in Paradise, next to the Lord God.

Every soul can be saved, for God is merciful: repentance will cleanse even the most fallen person from sins, if sincerely.

In Paradise, the soul does not know worries, does not feel any desires, earthly passions are no longer known to it: the only emotion is the joy of being near the Lord. In hell, souls are tormented and tormented for an eternity, even after the Universal resurrection of their souls, having united with the flesh, they will continue to suffer.

What happens 9, 40 days and six months after death

After death, everything that happens to the soul is not subject to its will: the newly departed one has to reconcile and accept the new reality meekly and with dignity. For the first 2 days, the soul stays close to the physical shell, it says goodbye to its native places, to close people. At this time, she is accompanied by angels and demons - each side is trying to lure the soul to its side.

Angels and demons fight for any soul

On the 3rd day, ordeals begin, during this period, relatives should pray especially a lot and earnestly. After the end of the ordeal, the angels will take the soul to Paradise - to show the bliss that can await it in eternity. For 6 days the soul forgets about all worries and zealously repents of the sins committed known and unknown.

On the 9th day, the soul, cleansed from sins, again appears before the face of God. Relatives and friends should pray for the deceased, ask for mercy for him. No tears and groans are needed, only good things are remembered about the newly departed.

It is best to dine on day 9 with kutya flavored with honey, symbolizing the sweet life in the presence of the Lord God. After the 9th day, the angels will show the soul of the deceased Hell and torment awaiting those who lived unrighteously.

Pastor V.I.Savchak will tell about what happens to the soul after death on each day:

On the 40th day, the soul reaches Mount Sinai and for the third time appears before the face of the Lord: it is on this day that the question of where the soul will spend eternity is finally decided. Remembrance and prayers of relatives will be able to smooth over the earthly sins of the deceased.

Six months after death, the bodily soul will visit relatives and friends for the penultimate time: they are no longer able to change its fate in eternal life, all that remains is to remember the good and pray fervently for eternal peace.

Orthodoxy and death

For a believing Orthodox person, life and death are inseparable. Death is perceived calmly and solemnly, as the beginning of the transition into eternity. The Christian believes that everyone will be rewarded according to their deeds, therefore they are more concerned not with the number of days lived, but with being filled with good deeds and deeds. After death, the soul awaits the Last Judgment, at which it will be decided whether a person will enter the Kingdom of God or go straight to Gehenna Fiery for grave sins.

Icon of the Last Judgment in the Temple of the Nativity of Christ

The teaching of Christ instructs his followers: do not be afraid of death, for this is not the end. Live so that you can spend eternity before the face of God. This postulate contains tremendous power, giving hope for an endless life and humility before death.

Professor of the Moscow Theological Academy A.I. Osipov answers questions about death and the meaning of life:

Baby shower

Farewell to a child is a great grief, but do not grieve unnecessarily, the soul of a child not burdened with sins will go to a better place. Until the age of 14, it is considered that the child is not fully responsible for his actions, since he did not have time to reach the age of desires. At this time, the child may be physically weak, but his soul is endowed with great wisdom: often babies remember their past reincarnations, the memories of which float in fragments in their minds.

No one dies without their own consent.- death comes at the moment when the soul of a person calls it. The death of a child is his own choice, just the soul decided to return home - to heaven.

Children perceive death differently than adults. After the death of a relative, the child will be perplexed - why is everyone grieving? He doesn't understand why going back to heaven is something bad. At the moment of his own death, the child feels neither grief, nor the bitterness of parting, nor regrets - he often does not even realize that he has left his life, feeling as happy as before.

After death, the child's soul lives in joy in the First Heaven.

The soul is greeted by a relative who loves him or simply a light entity who loved children during their lifetime. Here life is as similar to earthly as possible: he has a house and toys, friends and relatives. Any desire of the soul is fulfilled in the blink of an eye.

Children whose life was interrupted in the womb - due to an abortion, miscarriage or improper delivery - also do not suffer, do not suffer. Their soul remains attached to their mother, she becomes the first in line for physical incarnation during the next pregnancy of a woman.

Soul of a suicide

From time immemorial, suicide was considered a grave sin - in this way a person violates the intent of God, taking away the life bestowed by the Most High. Only the Creator has the right to dispose of destinies, and the thought of laying hands on oneself was given by Satan, who tempts and tests man.

Gustave Dore. Suicide forest

A person who has died a natural death experiences bliss and relief, but for a suicide, the torment is just beginning. One man could not come to terms with the death of his wife and decided to commit suicide in order to reunite with his beloved. However, he was not at all near: the man was able to reanimate and ask about that side of life. According to him, this is something terrible, the feeling of horror never goes away, the feeling of inner torture is endless.

After his death, the soul of the suicide strives for the Paradise gates, but they are locked. Then she tries to return to the body again - but this turns out to be impossible. The soul is in limbo, it experiences terrible torment until the moment when a person was to die according to fate.

All people who were saved after death from suicide describe terrible pictures. The soul is in an endless fall, which cannot be interrupted, the tongues of hellfire tickle the skin and become closer and closer. Most of the rescued are haunted by nightmarish visions for the rest of their days. If thoughts about interrupting life with your own hands creep into your head, you need to remember: there is always a way out.

The Simplemagic channel will tell you about what happens to the soul of a suicide after death, how to act to calm the restless soul:

Animal souls

With regard to animals, clergy and mediums do not have an unambiguous answer to the question of the last refuge for souls. However, some holy men speak unequivocally about the possibility of the beast's communion with the Kingdom of Heaven. The Apostle Paul directly declares that after death the animal awaits deliverance from slavery and earthly sufferings; Saint Simeon the New Theologian also adheres to this point of view, saying that, serving in a mortal body, together with man, the soul of the animal will taste the highest good after the physical death.