When the world comes
to its inevitable end, and all human souls are judged by Jesus, does that mean
that there is a set amount of human souls? Why do you think God would have made
a certain amount of souls, but make His kingdom last forever? If the possibilities
are endless, do you think there are infinite human souls, and if not, what
limit do you think God would stop at?
Hey!
This
is a particularly interesting question because there are a number of theories
surrounding the amount of souls that exist in the world, but biblically, we
don’t get a ton of evidence supporting one over the other. But ultimately,
there are three schools of thought. One that suggests that the number of souls
in the world is limited, one that asserts that only humans have souls, and a
final theory that proposes that all things have souls (this was mainly
Aristotle and his concept of the vegetative, sensitive, and rational soul,
Reasons for the Faith A).
The
implications of each are particularly fascinating. But in hopes of answering
your question, we’ll look at Plato and his theory of limited souls. Plato
suggests that there is a set number of souls, which inevitably leads to the
notion that there are human beings walking around without souls, or at least
human beings that are awaiting a soul. Christopher More wrote a really
interesting book called “Dirty Job”, that discussed this very issue. The
premise was that souls passed from human to human through death. Essentially,
when one person died, his or her soul was released into the world and
eventually landed with a new individual, the person meant to have that soul.
There is a certain degree of romance in this. Our soul is literally meant for
us, and shared by others. In a fascinating way, it is the soul that connects
humanity.
However,
the issue with this kind of theory is that it does not connect the soul to our
humanity. In other words, we can be human without a soul, or as we are awaiting
one. My problem with this line of thought is that I believe that the soul is
intricately connected to our humanity. I do not think that we are human without
it.
If
we look back at the moment in Genesis when God makes man, He breathes a nashema (soul) into him. This, in a lot
of ways, seems to be the differentiating factor. There is every reasons to
believe that the world was inhabited by humanoid like creatures that existed
prior to Adam, but they were, as Adam suggests, not man. They were something
else in their entirety, and consequently, it was the soul (the imago dei) that
separated Adam from these humanoid animals. Thus, the soul is what makes us
human, and without it, we have no image of God, we are not a representation of
the form and ultimately, we are not us.
In
accordance with this notion, I would argue that there are an infinite number of
souls in the world. Every human possesses one. And that is part of the beauty.
We contain God within us, and yet we take nothing from Him. And that is the very thing that allows for
God’s kingdom to be eternal. It is not bound by space or time and consequently
it can contain a limitless number of souls.
Another question : If
God and heaven are eternal - or outside of time, timeless. Does that mean when
we die and go to heaven, we will be able to see the souls of people who have
yet to pass away on earth? For example, my grandfather who died when I was a
baby would be able to see my soul in heaven as if I'd already passed right now.
So this is ultimately a question of
omniscience. And I do not think that when we die we necessarily inherit God’s
understanding of time or His eternal vision. Obviously this is highly
theoretical, but when we talk about time in regard to God, we must understand
that He sees all things in the present. Your question reflects a good
understanding of this notion, but I think it is important to know that heaven
is not eternal in the same way that it is a permanent present. The grounds for
this claim center on the fact that, biblically, we understand that the Kingdom
of God is “…yet to come.”
Now,
amongst the many theories concerning heaven, there are two that carry
particular credence. Either heaven and the Kingdom of God are one in the same
and we are at rest until Christ assumes His earthly throne, or heaven and the
Kingdom are two distinct notions, and there are those who currently reside in
heaven and those who have yet to come. The former of these two notions is
problematic due to the fact that we see Christ ascend to “heaven” near the
start of Acts, and we have reason to believe that Mary was assumed into heaven
as well. However, Christ does not really offer us anything regarding the state
of heaven, but He constantly references the Kingdom, claiming that it is an
earthly Kingdom and that it is near. Consequently, we do not really know what
happens to people after death. Be it the apostles, the saints, or anyone for
that matter.
The
Church of course teaches that some go to heaven and we can pray to them for
guidance, but unfortunately, this isn’t really a scriptural notion, it is more
of a theological one. Heaven is a very elusive concept, and appropriately so.
In our fallen state, why would we assume that we can comprehend perfection?
On
the other hand, if heaven is in fact separate from the Kingdom that Christ
speaks of, then it is where He currently reigns while awaiting the end times. I
think this type of thinking is far more satisfactory to most because we like to
think that after death, we go to heaven and all is made well. But unfortunately
what feels best is not always correct. But who am I to say? Maybe there is a
golden gate and fluffy clouds, and maybe we do meet Christ face to face after
we parish. That is certainly a beautiful way to think about death.
But
wherever we end up, I do not think we are all there simultaneously. Maybe we
wait for those who are to come, and maybe we even have the chance to guide
them. Regarding your Grandpa, I think that he is waiting for you. Not in an
anxious fashion, there is probably none of that in heaven, but in a wonderfully
tranquil way. He knows you will arrive eventually and time is nothing there, so
we probably do not feel the weight of it in the same way we do on earth.
Regardless
of what it all looks like in the end, the one thing I can say with some
confidence is this: In death, everything is illuminated. And only then are we
made perfect in His truth.
I
hope this helps to shed a little light on these topics. Your questions are
fantastic ones, and not easy to answer. Thank you.
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