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conception of death is understood in its deep significance, in its spiritual meaning, it will readily
be seen that sheol cannot be the abode of the souls of those who die in the Lord, Prov. 5:5;
15:11; 27:20.
There are also several passages in which sheol and hades seem to designate the grave. It is not
always easy to determine, however, whether the words refer to the grave or to the state of the
dead. The following are some of the passages that come into consideration here: Gen. 37:25;
42:38; 44:29; 29:31; I Kings 2:6,9; Job 14:13; 17:13; 21:13; Ps. 6:5; 88:3; Eccl. 9:10. But though
the name sheol is also used for the grave, it does not necessarily follow that this is the original
use of the word, from which its use to designate hell is borrowed. In all probability the opposite
is true. The grave is called sheol, because it symbolizes the going down, which is connected with
the idea of destruction. For believers the Biblical symbolism is changed by Scripture itself. Paul
says that they go down in death as a grain is sown in the earth, from which springs a new, a
more abundant, a more glorious life. In the Old Testament the word sheol is used more often
for grave and less often for hell, while in the corresponding use of hades in the New Testament
the contrary holds.
D. THE ROMAN CATHOLIC DOCTRINES RESPECTING THE ABODE OF THE SOUL AFTER DEATH.
1. PURGATORY.
According to the Church of Rome the souls of those who are perfectly pure at
death are forthwith admitted to heaven or the beatific vision of God, Matt. 25:46; Phil. 1:23;
but those who are not perfectly cleansed, who are still burdened with the guilt of venial sins
and have not borne the temporal punishment due to their sins — and this is the condition of
most of the faithful at death — must undergo a process of cleansing before they can enter into
the supreme blessedness and joys of heaven. Instead of entering heaven at once, they enter
purgatory. Purgatory is not a place of probation, but a place of purification and of preparation
for the souls of believers who are sure of an ultimate entrance into heaven, but are not yet fit
to enter upon the bliss of the beatific vision. During the stay of these souls in purgatory they
suffer the pain of loss, that is, the anguish resulting from the fact that they are excluded from
the blessed sight of God, and also endure “the punishment of sense,” that is, suffer positive
pains, which afflict the soul. The length of their stay in purgatory cannot be determined
beforehand. The duration as well as the intensity of their sufferings varies according to the
degree of purification still needed. They can be shortened and alleviated by the prayers and the
good works of the faithful on earth, and especially by the sacrifice of the mass. It is possible
that one must remain in purgatory until the time of the last judgment. The Pope is supposed to
have jurisdiction over purgatory. It is his peculiar prerogative to grant indulgences, lightening
the purgatorial sufferings or even terminating them. The main support for this doctrine is found
in II Maccabees 12:42-45, and therefore in a book that is not recognized as canonical by the