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Hell will have all the souls of the evils ones and the Holy Spirit will lock up hell forever with them inside. Then the good souls will come before God and for ever enjoy the love of God and the company of the angels. The blessed will have no hunger or thirst or sleep or sickness and they will not suffer the burning of the sun or cold, but they will enjoy forever glory with the Lord. Podcast: Play in new window | Download God will then say to the damned: “Go now into the eternal fire.” Therefore we should understand that he who has given up God will be eternally punished, and God will not care how much the evil ones cry and lament. Therefore everyone must hasten to care for his own soul and then God will reward those who obey Him with heavenly glory. Podcast: Play in new window | Download God continues speaking: “Then I decided that I did not want my creations being taken by devils. So I came into the world as the child of a virgin and suffered as an infant wrapped in cloths in a crib. Then I suffered being struck and spit on and then given a drink of vinegar and gall. I was whipped and then a crown of thorns was put around my head. Then I was hung on a cross and my side was pierced by a spear until the blood rushed out.” “See the wounds that you made in my hands and feet where I was hung on the cross. I took your pain so that you could enjoy my kingdom. My body was laid in the tomb so that you could be among the angels.” “Why did you give up the life I bought for you? I claim your life because I once gave you mine. Why did you contaminate your own body? Why do you again hang me on the cross? The cross of your sins is worse than the original cross on which I suffered. I was poor in the world so that you would be rich in heaven. But you have not taken care of the needy. Everything you have done to them, you do to me, the king of heaven; therefore you will suffer exile with the devils.” Podcast: Play in new window | Download Alas! We are now able to see the sins in ourselves and are ashamed before all the inhabitants of the world. We must use the eyes of our hearts to inspect our own souls so that God will allow us into heaven. God will speak first to the blessed. “Now receive the kingdom which was made for you. You have merited it by doing what you were commanded and were charitable. You will be rewarded.” But to the evil ones on his left hand, God will speak differently. “I made you and gave you a soul and other powers and set you in paradise. But you listened to the devil and not to me. So you were cast out of paradise and has to suffer.” Podcast: Play in new window | Download On the day of judgment, those who have done evil will see the marks of their sins on the body of God. On the right hand of Christ, the pure will be gathered; those who are evil will be on the left hand and he will command them to depart. There will be three special characteristics of those who are blessed: they will gleam with light, they will be able to see the angels and kingdom of heaven, and they will get to see the punishment of the evil one. The good will get great joy from the misery of those being punished. For others, it will be a time when they can see their own sins and when God will scrutinize their sins within them. Their own punishments will make them suffer, as will the happiness of others. They would have been much better off confessing their sins before this day. Podcast: Play in new window | Download But the sinners will view God with unhappiness. God will demand payment for all of the wonderful things that he did. The sinners will see the treatment of the Lord: the cross, the wounds. The children of men will then perceive clearly how they tormented the Lord. The story of the earthquake at the crucifixion is told. Rocks and trees knew the redeemer, but people did not, even though the first prophesies, from the beginning of time, said that the Child, the precious stone, should come into the world as refuge and help to all mankind, though that noble woman. Podcast: Play in new window | Download The fire will spread across the world, destroying cities and melting mountains. Every creature, animal and bird, will be caught by the flame. Fishes of the ocean will scorch in a sea of fire; the water will burn like wax. There will be much tumult and lamenting among the living. Fire will burn up all worldly filth. God will come to the mountain and shine out above the hosts. He will command humanity to rise from their graves and take up their earthly flesh, which will be made whole. The human multitude will rise up when God loosens the bonds of death. The sky will burn and the stars fall, but spirits will pass into everlasting habitation. Throughout middle-earth, people’s deeds will be exposed and neither will their intentions be hidden. The trumpet and brightness and burning summon to God all human beings. They will carry with them the hoardings of their hearts and God will consider the quality of the souls. Those who bring a bright face to the Lord will be exceedingly blessed. Podcast: Play in new window | Download Suddenly, near midnight, the Day of Judgment will come in the same way that a thief can surprise sleeping men. A great throng of faithful people will come to Mt. Sion. Angels will appear from all four quadrants of the earth and awaken all of the dead. There will also be hosts of angels and devils. The God will appear out of the east. He will be beautiful to the good, but terrifying to the evil. Ahead of him a billowing fire will sweep across the earth. The sun will turn the color of blood, the heavens break open and the stars and moon fall. The flames will burn up all of the living and will also burn the seas with their fishes, the earth with its mountains and the shining heavens. All middle-earth will mourn. Podcast: Play in new window | Download This part of the poem (Christ B), concludes with the famous runic signature of Cynewulf followed by exhortations to be ready for the day of judgment. We are sailing across the ocean in ships and a storm is rising, but we have the grace that God’s Son has granted us a safe harbor. That port was opened when the Rule ascended to heaven. Podcast: Play in new window | Download Praise for God’s bestowal of glories upon heaven, particularly the sun and the moon. Solomon says that God will spring upon the mountains and redeem all the people of the world through that springing. God’s first springing upon the earth was when he, through the Virgin, assumed human form. The second was in the birth of the Christ child. The third was when he mounted upon the Cross. The fourth was his deposition in the tomb. The fifth was the descent into hell. The sixth was the ascension into heaven. Just as God does these wondrous things, so too should we worship him and maintain faith. Podcast: Play in new window | Download All creation should praise the Ruler of the heavenly kingdom. The prophet Job noted that this would happen, saying that God would take the form of a bird. This bird would sometimes fly up to heaven, other times return to the world. There then follows a “sum” catalogue passage very similar to those found in The Fortunes of Men and The Gifts of Men. Podcast: Play in new window | Download Jesus takes his seat at the right hand of the Father in heaven. The angels say that Jesus has defeated the devil and his servants and taken the good souls out of hell. From now on there will be concord between men and angels. The Trinity will have glory without end. Podcast: Play in new window | Download The poet compares Jesus’ entry into the world and his departure from it in Bethany, forty days after the Resurrection. Jesus spoke to his companions, telling them that he would never leave them and charging them to go forth throughout the whole world and preach and baptize. Suddenly, singing angels appear in the sky and they call out to the people Galilee, asking them why they are standing waiting. The angels say that they have come to carry the Lord to heaven. Podcast: Play in new window | Download O blessed Trinity: the poet praises the Trinity and speaks about the angels who worship God. O wondrous exchange: the poet praises God for becoming incarnate through the immaculate flesh of a virgin and thus brought help to mankind. Podcast: Play in new window | Download O King of Peace: the poet praises God’s creation of light and asks the Lord to come now and reveal His mercy. The wolf has driven the flock apart, and so we ask the God come and send the devil to hell and rise up to his own eternal kingdom. O splendor of the world: the poet praises Mary for her purity. He tells of the prophet Isaiah and asks Mary to plead for us. Podcast: Play in new window | Download |
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