Your View on The Aerial Toll Houses (Orthodox Only Please)

[Jude1:3Contendforthefaith]

So, They sell this book in our Church Bookstore and I just wanted to know your personal opinions on this, not as a debate but just your own personal opinion. Thanks.

The Departure of the Soul


Amazon.com: Customer reviews: The Departure of the Soul According to the Teaching of the Orthodox Church

.

 

[ArmyMatt]

many saints support it, it's Scriptural, in the hymns and prayers and icons. so it's true, but not to be taken literally.

 

[Jude1:3Contendforthefaith]

many saints support it, it's Scriptural, in the hymns and prayers and icons. so it's true, but not to be taken literally.

Thanks for the answer Father Matt.

Some More Videos :

 

[Jude1:3Contendforthefaith]

Anyone else care to share their view ?

 

[HTacianas]

So, They sell this book in our Church Bookstore and I just wanted to know your personal opinions on this, not as a debate but just your own personal opinion. Thanks.

Home - The Departure of the Soul - A St. Anthony’s Greek Orthodox Monastery Publication

https://www.amazon.com/Departure-Ac...show_all_btm?ie=UTF8&reviewerType=all_reviews

The first time I ever heard of the idea I looked into it. It's not something I put much stock in. I suppose it's good to know about it just in case.

In the end, we are commanded to make the world a better place. If we do that I don't see how we have to fear the toll houses.

 

[Jude1:3Contendforthefaith]

The first time I ever heard of the idea I looked into it. It's not something I put much stock in. I suppose it's good to know about it just in case.

In the end, we are commanded to make the world a better place. If we do that I don't see how we have to fear the toll houses.

True. If I'm not mistaken, I think they have more to do with Unrepented From / Unconfessed sins.


.

 

[~Anastasia~]

I really wanted to explore this in the thread I made about Fr Seraphim Rose's book - The Soul After Death. I think he did an excellent and very straightforward job of explaining it.

I wouldn't suggest reading "Theodora" and then thinking it's going to happen just like that. In fact, I don't think Theodora is a good read for most people (myself included).

But it's really simple in the way I've come to understand it. Demons tempt us, try to deceive us, and do whatever they can to damage our souls or pull us away from God through our entire lives. When the soul departs the body and the eyes are more in the spiritual realm, we are able to see such things. And the demons don't give up trying at the moment of death. If anything, they may intensify because they are in a unique situation to frighten (or maybe tempt?) us because now we can see them.

Bottom line to me - don't be surprised by a last-ditch and maybe very strong attempt by the demons to capture our souls. I would hope I can also remember they are liars - whatever happens they can't be trusted to tell the truth.

There will be angels too. God does not abandon us. But I can easily imagine that suddenly being thrust into the spiritual realm (at least as far as now being able to perceive it) can be a confusing and/or terrifying experience for a newly reposed soul.


As far as particular temptations, booths, "tolls" and all the rest - I think that's taking things too literally. I suspect what happens is tailored to each person's weaknesses, since that's how demons operate. But they have no authority and they certainly aren't our judges.

I think it's true that this is potentially a spiritually perilous transition though. It only makes sense when we consider that we don't canonize every pious person who lives, partly because we don't know what happens to anyone's soul as they go through this.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but that's what I get out of everything I've read so far.

 

[ArmyMatt]

and doesn't it make sense that the demons would come when we are most vulnerable (i.e. at death)?

 

[Jude1:3Contendforthefaith]

I just found these from this forum :
do we believe in this?



• St. Athanasius the Great, in his famous life of St. Antony, describes the following: "At the approach of the ninth hour, after beginning to pray before eating food, Antony was suddenly seized by the Spirit and raised up by angels into the heights. The aerial demons opposed his progress: the angels disputing with them, demanded that the reason of their opposition be set forth, because Antony had no sins at all. The demons strove to set forth the sins committed by him from his very birth; but the angels closed the mouths of the slanderers, telling them that they should not count the sins from his birth which had already been blotted out by the grace of Christ; but let them present — if they have any — the sins he committed after he entered monasticism and dedicated himself to God. In their accusation the demons uttered many brazen lies; but since their slanders were wanting in proof, a free path opened for Antony. Immediately he came to himself and saw that he was standing in the same place where he had stood for prayer. Forgetting about food, he spent the night in prayer with tears and groanings, reflecting on the multitude of man's enemies, on the battle against such an army, on the difficultly of the path to heaven through the air, and on the words of the Apostle who said: 'Our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities and powers of the air' (Eph 6:12; Eph 2:2). The Apostle, knowing that the aerial powers are seeking only one thing, are concerned over it with all fervor, exert themselves and strive to deprive us of a free passage to heaven, exhorts: 'Take up the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day (Eph 6:13), that the adversary may be put to shame, having no evil thing to say of us (Tit 2:8 )."


• St. John Chrysostom, describing the hour of death, teaches: "Then we will need many prayers, many helpers, many good deeds, a great intercession from angels on the journey through the spaces of the air. If when traveling in a foreign land or a strange city we are in need of a guide, how much more necessary for us are guides and helpers to guide us past the invisible dignities and powers and world-rulers of this air, who are called persecutors and publicans and tax-collectors."


• St. Isaiah the Recluse (6th century) teaches that Christians should "daily have death before our eyes and take care how to accomplish the departure from the body and how to pass by the powers of darkness who are to meet us in the air."


• St. Hesychius, Presbyter of Jerusalem (5th century) teaches: The hour of death will find us, it will come, and it will be impossible to escape it. Oh, if only the prince of the world and the air who is then to meet us might find our iniquities as nothing and insignificant and might not be able to accuse us justly."


• St. Ephraim the Syrian (4th century) thus describes the hour of death and the hour of judgment at the toll-houses: "When the fearful hour comes, when the divine takers-away command the soul to be translated from the body, when they draw us away by force and lead us away to the unavoidable judgment place — then, seeing them, the poor man comes all into a shaking as if from an earthquake, is all in trembling. The divine takers-away, taking the soul, ascend in the air where stand the chiefs, the authorities and world-rulers of the opposing powers. These are our accusers, the fearful publicans, registrars, tax-collectors; they meet it on the way, register, examine and count all the sins and debts of this man — the sins of youth and old age, voluntary and involuntary, committed in deed, word and thought. Great is the fear here, great the trembling of the poor soul, indescribable the want which it suffers then from the incalculable multitudes of its enemies surrounding it there in myriads, slandering it so as not to allow it to ascend to heaven, to dwell in the light of the living, to enter the land of life. But the holy angels, taking the soul, lead it away."


• St Cyril of Alexandria explains this further: "As the soul ascends, it finds tax officials guarding the ascent, holding and preventing the souls from ascending. Each one of these custom stations presents its own particular sins of the souls. But, by the same token, the good angels do not abandon the soul to these evil stations. At the time of its accounting the angels offer in turn the soul's good works. In fact, the holy angelic powers enumerate to the evil spirits the good acts of the soul that were done by word, deed, thought and imagination. If the soul is found to have lived piously and in a way pleasing to God, it is received by the holy angels and transferred to that ineffable joy of the blessed and eternal life. But, if it is found to have lived carelessly and prodigally, it hears the most harsh word: 'Let the ungodly be taken away, that he not see the glory of the Lord' (Isa 26:10). Then the holy angels with profound regret abandon the soul and it is received by those dark demons so that may fling it with much malevolence into the prisons of Hades."

An early Church catchiest, referring to custom officials who collected taxes, relays to us the common Church teaching: "I know of other tax collectors who after our departure from this present life inspect us and hold us to see if we have something that belongs to them." The same catchiest goes on to say: "I wonder how much we must suffer at the hands of those evil angels, who inspect everything and who, when someone is found unrepentant, demand not only the payment of taxes simply, but also seize and hold us completely captive" (Origen).

This view is upheld by our great Father, • St. Basil. Speaking about the courageous athletes of the faith, he teaches that they too will be scrutinized by the "revenue officials," that is, by the evil spirits. The same Father also says that the evil spirits observe the departure of the soul with so much more vigilant attention than do enemies over a besieged city or thieves over a treasury house.


• St. John Chrysostom likewise calls demons "revenue officials" who threaten us and who are "overbearing powers with a fearful countenance that horrifies the soul that looks upon them." In another place St. John says that these evil spirits are called "persecutors and revenue officials and collectors of taxes in the Sacred Scripture." According to St. John, even the souls of innocent infants must pass through these toll-houses, for the all-evil devil seeks to snatch their souls, too. However, the infants make the following confession (according to St. John): "We have passed by the evil spirits without suffering any harm. For the dark custom officials saw our spotless body and were put to shame; they saw the soul good and pure and were embarrassed; they say the tongue immaculate and pure and blameless and they were silenced; we passed by and humiliated them. This is why the holy angles of God who met and received us rejoiced, the righteous greeted us with joy and the saints with delight said, 'Welcome, the lambs of Christ!'"

Probably the clearest and most comprehensive account of the toll-houses is that given by an angel of the Lord to St. Macarius of Egypt: "From the earth to heaven there is a ladder and a each rung has a cohort of demons. These are called toll-houses and the evil spirits meet the soul and bring its handwritten accounts and show these to the angels, saying: on this day and such and such of the month this soul did that: either it stole or fornicated or committed adultery or engaged in sodomy or lied or encouraged someone to an evil deed. And everything else evil which it has done, they show to the angels. Then angels then show whatever good the soul has done, charity or prayer or liturgies or fasting or anything else. And the angels and the demons reckon up, and if they find the good greater than the evil, the angels seize the soul and take it up the next rung, while the demons gnash their teeth like wild dogs and make haste the snatch that pitiable soul from the hands of the Angels. The soul, meanwhile, cowers and terror encompasses it, and it makes as if to hide in the bosom of the Angels and there is a great discussion and must turmoil until that soul is delivered from the hands of the demons. And they come again to another rung and there find another toll-house, fiercer and more horrible. And in this too, there is much uproar and great and indescribable turbulence as to who shall take that wretched soul. And shouting out aloud, the demons examine the soul, causing terror and saying: 'Where are you going? Aren't you the one who fornicated and thoroughly polluted Holy Baptism? Aren't you the one who polluted the angelic habit? Get back. Get down. Get yourself to dark Hell. Get yourself to the outer fire. Get going to that worm that never sleeps.' Then if it be that that soul is condemned, the demons bear it off to below the earth, to a dark and distressing spot. And woe to that soul in which that person was born. And who shall tell, holy Father, the straits in which the condemned souls will find themselves in that place! But if the soul is found clean and sinless, it goes up the Heaven with such joy."

Descriptions of the aerial toll-houses may also be found in the following Saints' lives: St. Eustratius the Great Martyr (4th century), St. Niphon of Constantia in Cyprus (4th century), St. Symeon the Fool for Christ (6th century), St. John the Merciful (7th century), St Symeon of the Wondrous Mountain (7th century), St. Macarius the Great (4th century), St. Columba (6th century), St. Adamnan (8th century), St. Boniface (8th century), St. Basil the New (10th century), the Soldier Taxiotes, St. John of the Ladder (6th century), etc. This very ancient teaching of the early Church Fathers and ascetic Saints is confirmed by the experience and teaching of saints more modern.


• St. Seraphim of Sarov relates: "Two nuns passed on. Both had been abbesses. The Lord revealed to me that their souls were having difficulty getting through the aerial toll-houses. Three days and nights, I, a lowly sinner, prayed and begged the Mother of God for their salvation. The goodness of the Lord, through the prayers of the Most Holy Mother of God, finally had mercy upon them. They passed the aerial toll-houses and received forgiveness of sins." Likewise, St. Theophan the Recluse writes: "No matter how absurd the idea of the toll-houses may seem to our 'wise men,' they will not escape passing through them. What do these toll-gatherers seek in those who pass through? They seek whether people might have some of their goods. What kind of goods? Passions. Therefore, in the person whose heart is pure and a stranger to passion, they cannot find anything to wrangle over; on the contrary, the opposing quality will strike them like arrows of lightning. To this someone who has a little education expressed the following thought: The toll-houses are something frightful. But it is quite possible that the demons, instead of something frightful, might present something seductive. They might present something deceptive and seductive, according to the kinds of passions, to the soul as it passes through one after the other. When, during the course of life, the passions have been banished from the heart and the virtues opposed to them have been planted, then no matter what seductive thing you might present, the soul, having no kind of sympathy for it, passes by it, turning away from it with disgust. But when the heart has not been cleansed, the soul will rush to whatever passion the heart has most sympathy for; and the demons will take it like a friend, and then they know where to put it. Therefore, it is very doubtful that a soul, as long as there remain in it sympathies for the objects of any passion, will not be put to shame at the toll-houses. Being put to shame here means that the soul itself is thrown into hell."


In another place, • St. Theophan (continuing his letter to the brother of the woman who was about to die) writes: "In the departed there soon begins the struggle of going through the toll-houses. Here she needs help! Stand then in thought, and you will hear her cry to you: Help! This is where you should direct all your attention and all your love for her. Immerse yourself in prayer for her in her new condition and her new, unexpected needs. Having begun thus, remain in unceasing crying out to God to help her, for the course of six weeks, and indeed for longer than that. In the account of Theodora, the bag from which the angels took in order to be separated from the tax-collectors was the prayers of her elder. Your prayers will do the same; do not forget to do this. This is love!" Significantly, all of this testimony is confirmed by the liturgical prayers of the Church.


• St. Ignatius Brianchinov cites over 20 examples of references to the Toll-houses in the Divine service books and this is not a complete list!

 

[Jude1:3Contendforthefaith]

A Quote from Tertullian :

On Demonic Encounters at the Departure of the Soul — Classical Christianity


• Tertullian (160-220 A.D.)
Undoubtedly, when the soul, by the power of death, is released from its concretion with the flesh, it is by the very release cleansed and purified: it is, moreover, certain that it escapes from the veil of the flesh into open space, to its clear, and pure, and intrinsic light; and then finds itself enjoying its enfranchisement from matter, and by virtue of its liberty it recovers its divinity, as one who awakes out of sleep passes from images to verities. Then it tells out what it sees; then it exults or it fears, according as it finds what lodging is prepared for it, as soon as it sees the very angel’s face, that arraigner of souls, the Mercury of the poets. (A Treatise on the Soul 53)

 

[Jude1:3Contendforthefaith]

From:
State of the Soul After Death


In the Octoechos attributed to • Saint John of Damascus, we find a clear reference to the tollhouses. The eigth canticle from the canon at Matins reads, "O Virgin, in the hour of death rescue me from the hands of the demons, and the judgment, and the accusations, and the frightful testing, and the bitter tollhouses and the fierce prince, and the eternal condemnation, O Theotokos."


In another hymn attributed to • Saint John of Damascus we read, " When my soul shall be released from the bond with the flesh, intercede for me, O Sovereign Lady.. that I may pass unhindered through the princes of darkness in the air." Last among these canticles of Damascene is "Grant me to pass through the noetic satraps and the tormenting aerial legions without sorrow at the time of my departure, that I may cry joyfully to Thee, O Theotokos, who heard the cry, ‘Hail’:Rejoice, O unshamed hope of all."




Also From :
Aerial Toll-Houses - OrthodoxWiki


• In both the Greek and Slavonic Euchologion, in the canon for the departure of the soul by • St. Andrew , we find in Ode 7: "All holy angels of the Almighty God, have mercy upon me and save me from all the evil toll-houses."


Likewise, in the Canon of Supplication at the Parting of the Soul in The Great Book of Needs are the following references to the struggle of a soul passing through the toll-houses:
"Count me worthy to pass, unhindered, by the persecutor, the prince of the air, the tyrant, him that stands guard in the dread pathways, and the false accusation of these, as I depart from earth." (Ode 4, p. 77).
"Do thou count me worthy to escape the hordes of bodiless barbarians, and rise through the aerial depths and enter into Heaven…" (Ode 8, p. 81).
"[W]hen I come to die, do thou banish far from me the commander of the bitter toll-gatherers and ruler of the earth…" (Ode 8, p. 81).


• In the Octoechos, there are many references to the Toll Houses:
"When my soul is about to be forcibly parted from my body's limbs, then stand by my side and scatter the counsels of my bodiless foes and smash the teeth of those who implacably seek to swallow me down, so that I may pass unhindered through the rulers of darkness who wait in the air, O Bride of God." Octoechos, Tone Two, Friday Vespers
"Pilot my wretched soul, pure Virgin, and have compassion on it, as it slides under a multitude of offences into the deep of destruction; and at the fearful hour of death snatch me from the accusing demons and from every punishment." Ode 6, Tone 1 Midnight Office for Sunday


• In the Saturday Midnight Office, the prayer of St. Eustratius, contains the following:
"And now, O Master, let Thy hand shelter me and let Thy mercy descend upon me, for my soul is distracted and pained at its departure from this my wretched and filthy body, lest the evil design of the adversary overtake it and make it stumble into the darkness for the unknown and known sins amassed by me in this life. Be merciful unto me, O Master, and let not my soul see the dark countenances of the evil spirits, but let it be received by Thine Angels bright and shining. Glorify Thy holy name and by Thy might set me before Thy divine judgment seat. When I am being judged, suffer not that the hand of the prince of this world should take hold of me to throw me, a sinner, into the depths of hades, but stand by me and be unto me a savior and mediator..."


• Theophilus of Antioch In the Alphabetical Sayings of the Desert Fathers, (who reposed in 412 a.d.) we find:
"The same Abba Theophilus said, "What fear, what trembling, what uneasiness will there be for us when our soul is separated from the body. Then indeed the force and strength of the adverse powers come against us, the rulers of darkness, those who command the world of evil, the principalities, the powers, the spirits of evil. They accuse our souls as in a lawsuit, bringing before it all the sins it has committed, whether deliberately or through ignorance, from its youth until the time when it has been taken away. So they stand accusing it of all it has done. Furthermore, what anxiety do you suppose the soul will have at that hour, until sentence is pronounced and it gains its liberty. That is its hour of affliction, until it sees what will happen to it. On the other hand, the divine powers stand on the opposite side, and they present the good deeds of the soul. Consider the fear and trembling of the soul standing between them until in judgment it receives the sentence of the righteous judge. If it is judged worthy, the demons will receive their punishment, and it will be carried away by the angels. Then thereafter you will be without disquiet, or rather you will live according to that which is written: “Even as the habitation of those who rejoice is in you.” (Ps. 87.7) Then will the Scripture be fulfilled: “Sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” (Isaiah 35.10).
"Then your liberated soul will go on to that joy and ineffable glory in which it will be established. But if it is found to have lived carelessly, it will hear that terrible voice: "Take away the ungodly, that he may not see the glory of the Lord." (cf. Isaiah 26.10) Then the day of anger, the day of affliction, the day of darkness and shadow seizes upon it. Abandoned to outer darkness and condemned to everlasting fire it will be punished through the ages without end. Where then is the vanity of the world? Where is the vain-glory? Where is carnal life? Where is enjoyment? Where is imagination? Where is ease? Where is boasting? Riches? Nobility? Father, mother, brother? Who could take the soul out of its pains when it is burning in the fire, and remove it from bitter torments?"


• St. Mark of Ephesus wrote:
"But if souls have departed this life in faith and love, while nevertheless carrying away with themselves certain faults, whether small ones over which they have not repented at all, or great ones for which – even thought they have repented over them – they did not undertake to show fruits of repentance: such souls, we believe, must be cleansed from this kind of sin, but not by means of some purgatorial fire or a definite punishment in some place (for this, as we have said, has not been handed down to us). But some must be cleansed in they very departure from the body, thanks only to fear, as St. Gregory the Dialogist literally shows; while others must be cleansed after the departure from the body, either while remaining in the same earthly place, before they come to worship God and are honored with the lot of the blessed, or – if their sins were more serious and bind them, for a longer duration – they are kept in hell [i.e., Hades], but not in order to remain forever in fire and torment, but as it were in prison and confinement under guard."




Here's a link that talks about Saint Theodora's Journey Through the Aerial Toll-Houses :

St. Theodora's Journey Through the Aerial Toll-Houses

 

[Jude1:3Contendforthefaith]

A few more Quotes :

• the Octoechos, from the Canon for the dead:
"When my soul desires to separate its bodily ties and depart from life, do Thou appear to me, O Mistress, and destroy the councils of the bodiless enemies, crush their jaws of those who seek to devour me: that I may without hindrance pass the princes of darkness, standing in the air, O Bride of God, "(Tone 2, Sat. Ode 9, Tr. 16)


• Canon to the Guardian Angel:
"All my life I have spent much time in vain, now I approach the end: I pray thee, my keeper, be a protector to me and an undefeated champion, when I will pass the toll-houses of the ferocious keeper of the world"(Ode. 9, tr. 3)


• Small Compline, A Prayer to the Theotokos by Monk Paul:
“And at the time of my departure from this life, care for my wretched soul and drive far away from it the dark forms of evil demons; and in the fearful day of judgment, deliver me from eternal torments, and present me as an heir of the ineffable glory of thy Son and our God.”

 

[ArmyMatt]

yep, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

 

[Jude1:3Contendforthefaith]

Father Matt can I ask you a question ?

In your opinion if a person confesses all of his shameful and embarrassing past sins to a priest before Chrismation and Baptism and then completely repents from his sins through the remainder of his life then he doesn't really need to worry about the toll houses right since the priest has been given authority to forgive sins correct ?

 

[ArmyMatt]

no, we don't ever have to worry about the toll houses. Christ already is victorious. but we need to prepare for them.

 

[Jude1:3Contendforthefaith]

I have another question.

So, people who are unrepentant sinners and not Christian just go directly to Torment in Hades before The Great White Thrown Judgement and don't pass through any kind of aerial toll houses first because they are going to Hell instead of Heaven right ?

 

[~Anastasia~]

Father Matt can I ask you a question ?

In your opinion if a person confesses all of his shameful and embarrassing past sins to a priest before Chrismation and Baptism and then completely repents from his sins through the remainder of his life then he doesn't really need to worry about the toll houses right since the priest has been given authority to forgive sins correct ?

I'm not going to try to answer, but I try to balance these things out in my mind too. So I want to add to your question?

Fr @ArmyMatt, can you comment? What strikes me is that if we focus on confession (often I see mentions about sins not confessed) then are we concerning ourselves too much with legal aspects?

I see Jude1:3 mentioned repentance too. The way I'm understanding toll houses/demonic attacks is that one thing we can do in this life is to loosen the holds that temptations have over us, to be as dispassionate as possible. And this is something that matters when we are faced with demons. At least that's what I've gathered from what I've read.

 

[ArmyMatt]

I have another question.

So, people who are unrepentant sinners and not Christian just go directly to Torment in Hades before The Great White Thrown Judgement and don't pass through any kind of aerial toll houses first because they are going to Hell instead of Heaven right ?

no, everyone goes through them. the damned are just snared by the demons.

 

[ArmyMatt]

double post

 

[ArmyMatt]

I'm not going to try to answer, but I try to balance these things out in my mind too. So I want to add to your question?

Fr @ArmyMatt, can you comment? What strikes me is that if we focus on confession (often I see mentions about sins not confessed) then are we concerning ourselves too much with legal aspects?

I see Jude1:3 mentioned repentance too. The way I'm understanding toll houses/demonic attacks is that one thing we can do in this life is to loosen the holds that temptations have over us, to be as dispassionate as possible. And this is something that matters when we are faced with demons. At least that's what I've gathered from what I've read.

yes. so if there is something unconfessed that the demons accuse you of, your heart's inclination is to repentance and dispassion, so you immediately turn to Christ and that dispels the demons.