One presence, received differently
Hopko explains the final encounter with Christ as joy for those who love Him and torment for those who reject Him. This is the theological basis of the unchanging-source interaction. St. Isaac describes Gehenna in terms of love painfully recognized and resisted—not the disappearance of divine love.
Scripture
- John 3:16-21 — Response to Christ and the exposure of deeds.
Primary sources
In Hopko’s modern Orthodox teaching account, the sentence about those who reject Christ reads:
Hopko interprets the final presence of Christ as joy for those who love Him and anguish for those who hate Him.
For those who hate the Lord, the same Presence will be infinite torture, hell and eternal death.
Passage context and translation
Hopko's teaching account interprets opposite final encounters in relation to the same divine presence. This is a modern Orthodox account, not an explicit biblical identification of two rivers.
Before the excerpt
Context summary: The preceding sentence describes the joy of those who love the Lord.
After the excerpt
Context summary: The paragraph applies the account to Christ's glorious coming and later discusses divine love.