SAINT THOMAS, ESCHATOLOGY
AND VIRTUAL REALITYAt the end of the world there will be a "new heaven and a new earth". What exactly does that mean, and, besides the vision of God, what will the life of resurrection be like? Scripture speaks of the life to come in very figurative terms, which has given rise to a great disparity in the history of exegesis of the relevant passages. Contemporary theologians, such as Karl Rahner, in Sacramentum Mundi, do not dare hazard any concrete explanation. "Eye has not seen and ear has not heard" is enough for them, quite like the old-time Muslim fundamentalist Ahmad ibn-Hanbal who in all theological questions kept to the rule "bi-lâ kayf," "don't attempt to make any explanation.
Thomas Aquinas, however, could not take that approach. His "fides quaerens intellectum" pushed him to accommodate what he could ascertain by faith with what the science of his day had to say. As we shall see, his work on this subject is ridden with untenable positions and needs to be redone. Who would venture to take on such a task? It is formidable, demanding not only a credible exegesis of Scripture, but also an excursion into the world of cosmology and earth science that is extremely vast and constantly evolving. The present article is only a sketch of what needs to be done.
Thomas' treatment of the question
It is mainly in Thomas' earlier works that we find any discussion of the life of the resurrection. His commentary on the Sentences is quite detailed and has been transferred to the Supplement to the Summa theologiae. The other major treatment of the subject is in the Questiones disputatae, De potentia, question 5. This question covers the conservation of things in being by God. After the first four articles of a metaphysical nature, he asks whether heavenly motion will ever stop (a. 5), whether man can know the time this will happen (a. 6), whether the elements will then remain in existence (a. 7), whether the elements will still interact (a. 8), whether plants, animals and mineral compounds will remain in existence (a. 9), and whether human bodies will remain (a. 10). Some of these questions come up here and there in Thomas' other works, but not as fully as in these two works.
Let us now turn to what Thomas says on the subject in Quaestiones disputatae. In a preliminary discussion of methodology in the preceding question on creation (q. 4, a. 1), he points to problems both in the area of science and in that of exegesis. As for scientific opinion, one must avoid taking a position that contradicts the Faith. Likewise one must not pass off a legitimate scientific opinion as a matter of Faith, because if such an opinion is proven to be false it will expose the Faith to ridicule.
As for exegesis one should not read into Scripture any meaning that is false or which contradicts its clear basic teaching on creation and the resurrection. Also no single interpretation should be imposed on a text to the exclusion of different interpretations that could also accord with the text and context.
Thus it is quite reasonable to suppose that Moses and the other authors of Scripture had the divine gift of knowing the various true interpretations that people could give a text and that all these meanings come under the literal meaning intended by the author. And even if exegetes find other truths that can be accommodated with the text that the author did not understand, there is no doubt that the Holy Spirit, who is the principal author of Scripture, understood them. Thus any truth that can be accommodated to the context is the meaning of divine Scripture.
Let us see how Thomas applies this methodology to the question of eschatology in the articles of question 6 mentioned above. For Thomas, the motion of heavenly bodies will certainly come to an end: Revelation 10:5 says that time will be no more, whereas time is the measure of heavenly motion. According to (medieval) science, the heavenly bodies do not move from any intrinsic active principle, such as gravity or impetus, but from an angelic pusher. Thomas rejects Ibn-Sînâ's position that the purpose of heavenly motion is to acquire a constantly new place, because in circular motion this would imply an infinity in the order of final cause, which is impossible. He also rejects the opinion of Ibn-Rushd and the Arab philosophers in general that the purpose of heavenly motion is to retain a resemblance to God in his causative action. Although this position is rationally tenable, Thomas' own position is that the purpose of heavenly motion is to fill up the number of the elect. This is because to cooperate in bringing about the being of rational souls is the only purpose that is worthy of these superior incorruptible bodies. As for the time when this will happen, only God knows and those to whom he might choose to reveal it.
Thomas did not think that heavenly bodies have gravity, and thus did not realize that to stop orbital motion would also require suspending gravity if these bodies are not to crash into the nearest body of greater weight.
As for whether the elements will remain in existence, the key negative verses are 2 Peter, 3:7 "The present heavens and earth are reserved for destruction by fire;" and Rev 21:1 "I saw a new heaven and a new earth." On the other hand in Romans 8:18-25, all creation is said to await freedom from corruption. Thomas says that the fire at the end of the world will not destroy the elements but only purify them. The elements —the classic fire, earth, water and air— will remain with their active qualities, but will have no real action because they are moved movers, depending on the motion of the heavenly bodies. Thus as soon as the sun stops it will not longer cause heat, and fire will not burn (a. 7, ad 19 & a. 8). On the other hand, although the heavenly bodies and the elements lose their proper activities, they retain the activities they have as instruments of separated substances. In this way the sun will still give light and the elements cause sensation, without any corruptive effect.
As for plants, animals and mineral compounds, Thomas decidedly says that none of these will remain, since they are essentially generable and corruptible, dependent on the motion of heavenly bodies. Besides they will all be consumed in the final fire, including gold, which resists normal fire. None of these things will be missed, because minerals exist to nourish plants, plants to nourish animals and animals to serve and nourish man.
As for Revelation 22:2 which talks of the "tree of life" along both sides of a river, Thomas takes this as a metaphor for Christ or for wisdom (a. 9, ad 6). As for the objection that all these things exist for the beauty of the universe and manifest more than the human mind can comprehend of the infinite wisdom of God, Thomas answers that in the resurrected life man will no longer need these things, whether for his own survival or for the glimpse of God's wisdom that they afford, since he will see God directly. Furthermore the perfections of all these other creatures exist virtually in man (a. 9, ad 11).
Thus in the end we have the full number of the elect, naked and transparent to their innermost organs, resting on a stretch of desert sand (if sand approximates the pure element "earth"), interspersed with lakes of inert water, under a never setting sun. Presumably the damned are on the dark side of the planet. Thomas, never a globe-trotter, does not specify at which time zone the sun will stop, and so he does not inform us which will be the dark continents.
Another way
Since this exposition of Thomas is scientifically faulty and, we might add, it exposes the Faith to ridicule, in the light of his own methodology we should look for other possible interpretations of Scripture in consonance with what wee know to be true of the world.
"Time will be no more," perhaps in the sense that the universe, by divine intervention, will come to an equilibrium of perfection, where there will be no more expansion or contraction, but orbital motion will continue. The sun would continue to be an active star with ever renovated energy; so that it will never burn out. The earth too would come to an equilibrium where there will be no more cataclysms or natural disasters to disrupt the life of the elect. All of these people, from the beginning of the world to the end, will fill the earth without any overpopulation problem. Perhaps other planets may also be rendered habitable and colonized. This may not necessarily mean the end of magnum rising to cause volcanoes, earthquakes and continental drifts, but these would all take place gently, just as storms and erosion will not disturb human life.
All this supposes a continuation of the cycles of generation and corruption in nature, with the full range of every variety of plant and animal in an ecological balance with a normal food chain.
As for the human body, under the full influence of the soul in glory, it will be impassible and need no clothing or protection against the surrounding elements. Besides, the world of nature, plants and animals will be totally tamed to man, as man will be to God.
Man will know God by the beatific vision, and in this vision, as Thomas says, will also understand all the mysteries of nature (that he desires to understand). He will also have the real world of nature to look at as an experiential backdrop to what he knows by beatific vision.
By the gift of subtlety, as Thomas says, man will be able to move instantly to whatever point of the earth (or other planets) he wishes. He will be able to communicate to anyone as the angels do, simply by willing to transfer his knowledge to another. Telephones, computers and internet will all be obsolete. The power of speech, however, should remain as a lower but more human way of communication. One will delight in being able to speak in any language one desires. Similarly the fine arts will remain, only much more perfected.
Man will have heart beat and metabolism, but his body will be ever rejuvenated. The effects of glory will enable it to accomplish strenuous activity without fatigue. Eating will be possible —Jesus ate twice after the resurrection— and perhaps even normal. But it will be light and infrequent, since calories will not easily be dispersed.
Since the number of the elect will be complete, there will be no more human reproduction or sexual activity. There will be no rebellion or urge of the flesh, and all emotions will be regulated by the soul in glory. Charity will be perfect, and everyone at utmost peace and understanding with one another. The company of the saints and the story of their lives in the ever-present now of eternity will be an unending source of wonder and admiration.
Then there will be no tears or sadness, but only everlasting joy.