Sunday, July 19, 2009

Q108 A7: Whether the orders will outlast the Day of Judgment?

Yes. The angels will ever remain in their orders because although after the Day of Judgment men will not be led any more to salvation by the ministry of the angels, still those who are already saved will be enlightened through the angelic ministry.

Angeli semper in suis ordinibus remanebunt quia etsi post diem iudicii homines non sint ulterius ad salutem adducendi per ministerium Angelorum; tamen illi qui iam salutem erunt consecuti, aliquam illustrationem habebunt per Angelorum officia.

Since the inferior angels know the formal aspects of the Divine works by the light of the superior angels, their cognition depends on the light of the superior angels not only as regards the acquisition of knowledge, but also as regards the preserving of the cognition possessed. So, although after the Judgment the inferior angels will not progress in the cognition of some things, still this will not prevent their being enlightened by the superior angels.

Cum inferiores Angeli rationes divinorum operum cognoscant per lumen superiorum Angelorum, dependet eorum cognitio ex lumine superiorum, non solum quantum ad novam acquisitionem scientiae, sed etiam quantum ad cognitionis conservationem. Licet ergo post iudicium non proficiant inferiores Angeli in cognitione aliquarum rerum, non tamen propter hoc excluditur quin a superioribus illuminentur.