Hell's Population Clock

[Zuno_Yazh]

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According to Jesus Christ's testimony as a credible expert witness in all matters pertaining to the afterlife; most of the world's responsible souls haven't been making it to safety when they cross over to the other side.

 

● Luke 13:22-24 . . And he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

 

● Matt 7:13-14 . . Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

 

● Matt 22:14 . . For many are called, but few are chosen.

 

Webster's defines "many" as consisting of, or amounting to, a large but indefinite number; while "few" is defined as consisting of, or amounting to, only a small number; viz: relative to many then, few is the lesser. Bear with me while I flesh this out.

 

According to the US Census Bureau: as of April 01, 2017 @ 08:07 pm New York Time, the population in the United States was approximately 327,455,896 with a death rate of approximately one every 11 seconds; which translates to an average of 7,854 American deaths of all ages, races, and genders during just one 24-hour calendar day.

 

According to 2009 US Census data; roughly 27.3% of America's daily deaths are under the age of 19, which would indicate that approximately 5,710 of the current daily death rate per 24 hours are adults.

 

Giving the "many" the benefit of the doubt by limiting their maximum percentage to 51%, would indicate a minimum of 2,912 American adults transferring to perdition every day: which translates to roughly 121 per hour.

 

That's a very conservative estimate as Christ didn't really specify exact percentages to represent the quantities of "few" and "many". But just think: by the time CBS completes its half hour evening news report, a bare-bones minimum of 60 Americans become new arrivals in the fiery sector of the netherworld.

 

Using the ratio of 2,912 condemned souls per 327,455,896 population: computing the number of condemned souls worldwide from a currently estimated global population of 7,463,832,616 people, would suggest something like 66,374 new arrivals in the fiery sector of the netherworld every 24 hours; which translates to approximately 2,765 global souls every sixty minutes on the clock.

 

That rate would fill the 51,800 seats of the new Yankee Stadium to capacity in roughly 18 hours and 44 minutes. In other words: if the world's daily number of condemned souls started filing into the stadium at 06:00 am this morning, then by 00:44 am tomorrow, the stadium would be full to capacity.

 

Christmas and New Year are even worse. A study done of 26 years of death certificates shows that coronary fatalities are, on average, 11.9% higher on those days than any other days of the year; with non-heart deaths spiking to 12.2% higher.

 

Christianity's hell never closes; no, not at all: it's open for business 24/7/365 nonstop and indifferent to global warming, Wall Street crashes, massive layoffs, outsourcing, high school shootings, terrorism, tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes, storm surges, nuclear meltdowns, air, water, and soil pollution, a mission to Mars, freeway pile-ups, brown-outs, threatened species, the price of oil, student debt, GMO, trade deficits, protests, Federal debt, factory recalls, outsourcing, overpopulation, desertification, genocides, revolutions, civil wars, acid rain, road rage, oil spills, conscious decoupling, ISIS, LGBT marriage, Obamacare, blood diamonds, fracking, twerking, and/or President Donald Trump's tweets.

 

If classical Christianity's perception of Jesus Christ and the hereafter is correct; then it's apparent that souls never stop cascading into the abyss in an endless procession like the unbelievable millions of poultry broilers passing annually through Tyson chicken-processing plants on their way to Wendy's, McDonalds, Carl's Junior, Jack in the Box, Burger King, Chic-fil-A, KFC, A&W, Arby's, Dairy Queen, Taco Bell, et al; and to supermarkets and restaurants all over the USA and wherever else Tyson vends its meats. The slaughtering and the butchering never stop.

 

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[Zuno_Yazh]

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According to the Bible; human existence consists of three parts: body, soul, and spirit (Gen 2:7, 1Thess 5:23 and Heb 4:12).

 

According to Matt 10:28, the body and the soul are perishable. However; though the body is perishable by any means, the human soul is perishable only by divine means; i.e. the deaths of body and soul aren't simultaneous.

 

I have yet to encounter a passage in the Bible clearly, conclusively, and without ambiguity stating that the third part of human existence-- the spirit --is any way perishable; either by the hand of man or by the hand of God.

 

Solomon believed that God reclaims the spirit upon the death of the body (Ecc 12:7) but Solomon didn't go on to say what God does with it.

 

Portions of the book of Ecclesiastes are often quoted as proof texts that there is no conscious existence in the afterlife; but Solomon's knowledge went no further than the grave; while Christ's knowledge goes well beyond the grave. It is far better to listen to Christ's teachings about the afterlife than Solomon's because Solomon's knowledge was incomplete; whereas Christ's knowledge is unlimited. (John 1:1-3, John 3:31-34, Col 2:3 and Col 2:9).

 

● Luke 11:31 . .The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

 

● Matt 17:5 . . Behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

 

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[Zuno_Yazh]

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● Matt 13:42 . . there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

 

Prior to becoming a Protestant, my religious training was via Roman Catholic catechism classes. Although they did a good job of instilling within me the reality of hell's eternal fires; it wasn't until I saw a painting by Gustave Doré depicting a scene from Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy that I realized the degree of despair gripping the minds and hearts of people in hell.

 

Souls down there know it's permanent; that's what makes hell so much worse than any other source of misery one can possibly imagine. If only they could see a light at the end of the tunnel; but that's just it: there is no end of the tunnel; it loops, like the Large Hadron Collider; within which they just go round and around and around; so to speak.

 

They say hope springs eternal in the human heart. Well; not down there. No; down there hope is futile. The fires are bad enough; but it's the permanence of hell that I would imagine hurts the most.

 

[Zuno_Yazh]

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People have been filtering into perdition not only since the time of Christ, but since before the Step Pyramid of Djoser, and even before the Flood. I won't speculate how many years that might be, but h.sapiens is thought by some to have achieved full behavioral modernity something like 50,000 years ago. (There's new evidence for human existence as far back as 150,000 years) Anyway; whether that extends clear on back to Adam and Eve I have no clue; but just think: if it does, then Cain and others from his era have been down in the netherworld all this time.

 

It's difficult for the human mind to appreciate 50,000 years. I've been on the Earth for just 74, and I've noticed that my childhood is so far in the past to me now as to seem more like a fantasy than a memory. But you know; when you're talking about eternity, 50,000 years isn't even a drop in the bucket. If it were a drop in the bucket, it would be a bucket with no bottom; which is roughly akin to the futility of a gnat attempting to drink up the Atlantic ocean.

 

But just think: time stands still in hell: it's for the now; it's an existence. People who arrived there yesterday didn't begin doing time in jail like Lindsay Lohan expecting to get out some day; nor is perdition a temporary tour of duty like shipping out to Afghanistan. No, people in hell are in it as perpetual residents; they're in a rut.

 

They go year, after year, after year, after year, with no relief from the pain and discomfort: no vacations, no recreation, no reading materials, and no hobbies-- there's absolutely nothing to do but reminisce and writhe in fire. The mental atrophy, and the boredom that must result from that kind of mindless existence is beyond estimation.

 

In life, everybody enjoys God's blessings; even the really bad people. We're all breathing fresh air, basking in sunshine, drinking cool water, savoring tasty foods, listening to birds chirp, star gazing at night, throwing snow balls at each other in winter, river rafting, fishing, snow skiing, tending gardens, pruning shrubs, greeting friends during the holidays, spending days with grandkids; and all that sort of thing. In the Bible's hell, there are no blessings of any kind at all: only perpetual sadness, vexation, despair, and want.

 

In hell's unruly society; it's reasonable to expect quarrels, bickering, hard feelings, vendettas, rivalry, selfishness, insensitivity, irritation, aggravation, and ugly words exchanged between people. Is there really any good reason to be courteous and/or respect your fellow man's human rights in the Bible's hell; or to be kind, forgiving, affable, genial, courteous, cordial, charitable, altruistic, tolerant, generous, and patient? I was once discussing the netherworld with a co-worker and he remarked: "Hell won't be so bad; I'll have plenty of friends down there". Yes, he probably will have lots of friends in hell; but I really don't think he should count on them being friendly.

 

And the din: think of the volume of noise down there with all the wailing and sobbing, and the screams, shrieks, yelps, howls, and gnashing teeth. I get rather irritated by the behavior of late night comedy audiences. I can only imagine how much worse I'd be annoyed in hell with its thousands and millions of people making all that kind of racket.

 

But just imagine bringing with you a craving for tobacco with none available. Or longing for a cocktail with no liquor in sight. A desire for music, with no way to produce it. A skill for writing, with no pen and paper. Yearning for a walk out in nature, with no world to do it in.

 

People in the Bible's hell will never again smell a sea breeze, sit in the shade of a tree, take deep breaths of mountain-fresh air, play at sports, hear a bird chirp, see a sunset, watch a lunar eclipse, jog in the park, strum a guitar, enjoy a Christmas dinner with loved ones; nor make little pigs of themselves gobbling barbecued spare ribs and corn on the 4th of July.

 

Sports and recreation are gone: no more World Series, no more Super Bowl, no more Olympics, no more Las Vegas, no more Indian casinos, no more lottery, no more Lego World, no more Sea World, no more NASCAR, no more golf, no more surfing, et al.

 

No baths, no showers, no sleep, no TV, no radio, no iPods, no computers, no Twitter, no texting, no FaceBook, no Instagram, no YouTube, no MySpace, no internet, no clean sheets, no breakfast, no lunch, and no dinner. No snacks, no gum, no candy, no flowers, no parks, no rivers, no snow, no seasons, no picnics, no malls, no fast food, no trades, no careers, no trendy fashions, no jewelry, no cosmetics, no concerts, no operas, and no hobbies; absolutely nothing of this world that brings people the pleasures and the satisfactions of just being alive.

 

No pets are allowed in the Bible's hell and no flowers or vegetation of any kind. The absence of birds, fish, and animals of course precludes the citizens of hell ever again spending a day at the zoo. The one advantage of the lack of pets and vegetation in hell is the absence of fleas and allergies. I suppose you could say that's at least one good thing about it. There's a bright side to everything I guess; even to that place.

 

POP CLOCK UPDATE: 3 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures in post #1 are in the ballpark, then something like 199,122 new arrivals have checked into the fiery sector of hades since Apr 01, 2018.

 

[Zuno_Yazh]

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Through me; the way to the eternal city.

Through me; the way to eternal sadness.

Through me; the way to lost people.

 

Justice moved my supreme maker:

I was shaped by divine power,

By highest wisdom, and by primal love.

 

Before me, nothing was created

That is not eternal: and eternally I endure.

Abandon all hope, you that enter here.

 

The Divine Comedy

by Dante Alighieri

Inferno: canto 3, v.1-9

 

Dante's poetic epic is called a comedy because it has a happy ending as opposed to a tragedy; at least for Dante anyway. The souls that he and Virgil pass along the way through the Inferno portion of Dante's odyssey will never, nor anon, have a happy ending; hence the sign above the entrance to the netherworld: "Abandon all hope, you that enter here."

 

Webster's defines "despair' as: to no longer have any hope or belief that a situation will improve or change. Well; down in the Inferno section of Dante's concept of the netherworld, despair is a way of life.

 

Hope springs eternal in the human breast;

Man never is, but always to be blessed:

The soul, uneasy and confined from home,

Rests and expatiates in a life to come.

 

Alexander Pope

An Essay On Man, 1734

 

Well; if perchance Mr. Pope failed to make the cut, no doubt he knows by now that wishful thinking is exactly that: wishful.

 

[Baptist63]

Every description you gave certainly describes what an individual will face that leaves this world without having received Jesus Christ as their Lord & Savior. However I also believe our small human minds cannot possibly entirely grasp the true awfullness of what hell will be like. As frightful as the picture you painted for us is, hell will even exceed the worst any of us can portray in mere words or even possibly imagine. But those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord & Savior are going to a heavenly home that also far exceeds anything our minds can ever imagine in it’s glory & beauty. Even with all of it’s beauty, what will make heaven, heaven will be because of who is there. I’ll get to see and bow down before The One who died for me & gave His all for me.

[Zuno_Yazh]

4 hours ago, Baptist63 said:

However I also believe our small human minds cannot possibly entirely grasp the true awfullness of what hell will be like. As frightful as the picture you painted for us is, hell will even exceed the worst any of us can portray in mere words or even possibly imagine.

 

I understand well enough why there has to be a reckoning; but I do not understand why it has to be so severe. I would not be disappointed if the lost were exterminated in the lake of brimstone depicted at Rev 20:11-15. Why they have to suffer in it till time without end is a mystery. I accept it, but I just don't get it.

 

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Edited April 6, 2018 by Zuno_Yazh

[Zuno_Yazh]

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● Luke 13:4-5 . . Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

 

The koiné Greek word for "tower" in that passage is purgos (poor'-gos) which is an ambiguous word that can mean not only an isolated structure like a skyscraper; but also a special battlement which protrudes from the face of a castle's curtain wall-- consisting of crenellations, merlons, and machicolations --providing occupants a tactical advantage for observing and defending the curtain wall's exterior face. Sometimes though, purgos were simply architectural facades that made otherwise insipid stone walls aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

 

In the days prior to steel reinforcing bar and structural steel beams, purgos (which were often constructed of either stones or bricks or wood) weren't all that stable, and sometimes crumbled; thus detaching themselves from the curtain wall like an old swallow's nest; resulting in pieces raining down on whoever happened to be standing below. The tower depicted in Luke was possibly a decorative part of an architectural enclosure surrounding the pool of Siloam. (cf. John 9:7)

 

The people who were killed when that tower collapsed, weren't killed by the hand of God. No, they were just simply in the wrong place at the wrong time; viz: it was just dumb luck. It's like when people plan all month for a camping trip in the mountains. Upon arrival, they set up camp; and after lunch, walk a hiking trail. Just then, a tree limb, that's been silently growing in the forest for who knows how many years, suddenly decides to snap off and fall to earth right then; subsequently killing one of the campers just as they walk under it.

 

One minute earlier and it would have missed. One minute later and it would have missed. But no, the limb falls right on cue as if the forces of nature conspired to hold that tree limb in place till just the right moment; waiting for that one specific person to walk under it.

 

In a similar incident Friday, Feb 19, 2010 --a centuries-old Mosque minaret in Meknes Morocco collapsed and fell into a crowd of worshippers during prayer time, killing 41.

 

Saturday, June 27, 2010, a 6-month-old baby girl was killed and her mother seriously injured when the pair were struck by a falling tree branch in New York City's Central Park Zoo. The girl's father was taking their picture near the sea lion exhibit when a branch above them suddenly snapped off and fell.

 

On Tuesday, July 3, 2007; nineteen year-old Ramiro Gonzalez was returning home to Nyssa Oregon from a week-end honeymoon in northern California with his bride Idalia asleep in the back seat when their 1997 Pontiac Grand Am hit a cow twenty miles east of Burns. The Pontiac went off the road, through a fence, and burst into flames. Idalia escaped with only minor injuries, but Ramiro died at the Ste. Charles Medical Center in Bend the very next day.

 

Ramiro and his bride didn't get to live in a home of their own for even one single minute of their marriage-- never had a baby, never joined the PTA, never saved for college, never went to ballet lessons, nor to soccer or little league, never went on family picnics, never took home movies and photos at Christmas, Easter, or birthdays, never went to the beach and built sand castles --no, their entire future, and all their dreams of family life, were shattered in an instant by a lame-brained bovine; and Ramiro wasn't even 20 years old yet.

 

March 20, 2008; fifty-seven year old Judy Kay Zagorski, of Pigeon, Michigan, was sitting in the front seat of her father's boat going 25 knots on the Atlantic Ocean side of Vaca Key in Florida, when a Spotted Eagle Ray, with a wingspan of 5 to 6 feet; leaped up out of the water-- for who knows what reason --and collided with Zagorski, knocking her backwards onto the deck of the boat. She died from the impact. Judy's sister, standing next to her, was not injured.

 

On a November morning in 1998, Alan Pakula climbed into his Volvo station wagon and began the 100-mile drive from Manhattan to his Long Island house. The acclaimed movie director of Sophie's Choice, All The President's Men, and The Pelican Brief, had made that trip countless times with no incident.

 

As the 70 year-old Pakula neared exit 49 on the Long Island Expressway just before noon, the tires of a vehicle ahead of him flipped a 7-foot piece of steel rod into the air. Within seconds, the rod shot through Pakula's windshield, smashing into his forehead, killing him almost instantly.

 

Death often comes when people least expect it. As a rule, they don't usually get up in the morning planning it to be their last day on earth. The 169,752 killed, and 127,294 listed as missing in more than eleven countries by the tsunami of 2004, were taken by surprise, and given no warning it was to be their last day on earth.

 

The 2,829 people who perished in a terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, and the 189 who died in the Pentagon, didn't go in to work expecting their lives to end before lunch that day. No, people's lives often end while they still have obligations and commitments, aspirations, things to do, places to go, and people to see; when a car accident, train wreck, act of nature, plane crash, crime, heart attack, or stroke puts an abrupt end to every plan they ever made.

 

Tuesday, Jan 12, 2010, a 7.0 earthquake struck Port au Prince Haiti right out of the blue subsequently causing the loss of more than 200,000 lives. A similar act of nature on March 11, 2011, left 25,000 dead and/or missing in Japan.

 

Okeechobee woman Dawn Johnston, 38, was killed Wednesday June 30, 2010 after part of a portable toilet crashed through her car's windshield. Dawn was driving south on SR 15 shortly after 11 a.m. when two portable toilets fell from the trailer of a pickup truck traveling north,. The portable toilets shattered when they hit the road, and a piece of one of them crashed through the woman's windshield, striking her. Johnston's car then veered off the road and collided with a tree.

 

A rain-saturated hillside above the Stillaguamish River on the outskirts of the rural town of Oso in the State of Washington gave way March 22, 2014 leaving behind a current death toll of 41 souls. The landslide happened to suddenly and so rapidly that nobody saw it coming and/or had the slightest chance of getting out of the way. Listed among the dead and missing was a four-month old infant.

 

Freak incidents like those listed above can happen to anybody in the form of a stray bullet from a drive-by, lightening strike, gas explosion, choking on a piece of meat, electrocution, earthquake, a drunk driver, a fall in the bath tub; bricks dropped from an overpass, or any number of out-of-the-blue surprises. I don't think Christ was saying that repentance will protect people from dying in an unexpected incident, but rather, that if they don't start thinking about the afterlife now, while they have the chance; then they risk being caught off guard by sudden death where there will be no time to think; and they'll find themselves suddenly thrust into the afterlife a lot sooner than they ever expected.

 

I was taught in catechism that repentance always means sorrow and regret for one's sins; but I don't think that's what Christ was getting at.

 

The koiné Greek word for "repent" in his statement is metanoeo (met-an-o-eh'-o) which means: to think differently; viz: to reconsider-- in other words: to change one's mind and/or change one's direction.

 

Christ preceded his statement recorded in Luke 13:4-5 with another like it.

 

● Luke 13:1-3 . . There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

 

The record doesn't explain why Pilate executed those men in particular; nor even where the executions took place. But just for brevity's sake, I'll assume for now that those particular men were known insurrectionists, and the executions took place on the grounds of the Temple compound in Jerusalem while the men were there to worship. In other words: the men were pounced upon in a place they would never suspect; and Pilate's soldiers sprung on the Galileans so suddenly and so efficiently that the men had no chance to either escape or to defend themselves.

 

It's at a time like that when your religion of choice had better be the right one because you'll have neither time nor opportunity to reconsider and covert to another.

 

● Ecc 9:12 . . For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.

[Zuno_Yazh]

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Recriminations are a popular response to criticism; but recriminations are futile. They do nothing to mitigate one's own faults. Recriminations are a cowardly way of pulling others down with us so we don't go down alone.

 

I predict there's going to be a quite a bit of resentment and indignation at the great white throne event depicted at Rev 20:11-15 when the doomed see people in white who they know to be guilty of the very same things for which they will be sentenced to the reservoir of brimstone.

 

So; how might I describe human nature? I think I could accurately describe it as both judgmental and defensive.

 

● Rom 2:15 . . Their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another

 

POP CLOCK UPDATE: 6 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures in post #1 are within reason, then something like 398,244 new arrivals have checked into the fiery sector of hades since Apr 01, 2018.

 

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[Zuno_Yazh]

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● Mark 9:47-48 . . If thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

 

Christ's instructions didn't reveal anything new about hell fire. He simply reiterated information that had already been released by an Old Testament prophet roughly 700 years before.

 

● Isa 66:23-24 . . And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord. And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.

 

That rather ghastly scene depicts a sort of tourist attraction similar to the La Brea Tar Pits museum in Los Angeles where the remains of prehistoric creatures, excavated from ancient asphalt deposits, are on display.

 

A worm that thrives in fire is pretty amazing, but not unreasonable. The 4-inch Pompeii worm lives in sea water temperatures of 176° Fahrenheit; hot enough to kill salmonella and sanitize an egg. So I guess if God could create a worm like the Pompeii, it shouldn't be too difficult for Him to create worms that like it even warmer.

 

Q: The human body is organic. So then, how can it survive in flame as perpetual nourishment for those worms?

 

A: The laws of nature are not absolute. They were created in the first chapter of Genesis to control the behavior of created matter, and as such are easily manipulated by the one who designed them.

 

For example: fire totally incinerated the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah but left unscathed a desert shrub that Moses encountered in the Sinai outback while tending his father-in-law's sheep. (Ex 3:1-3)

 

Compare Dan 3:8-27 where a blistering hot fire didn't even so much as singe the clothing of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego while slaying the guards that threw them in the furnace.

 

Q: Won't the worms eventually exhaust their food supply?

 

A: There are incidents in the Bible where small amounts of food stuffs were miraculously multiplied. One example is 1Kgs 17:8-16 where a tiny bit of flour and oil nourished Elijah and a widow woman, and her son, for a good many days during a time of prolonged drought.

 

Another incident is at 2Kgs 4:1-7 where a certain widow's husband died and left her deeply in debt. God multiplied her last pot of oil sufficiently to sell enough to pay off her debts, thereby saving her two sons from slavery.

 

No; I'm pretty sure those worms won't need to worry about running out of human remains with which to sustain themselves.

 

Q: If that scene in Isaiah depicts the lake of fire spoken of at Rev 20:11-15, then how are those wormy carcasses supposed to be visible if they're submerged in brimstone?

 

A: Well, I don't think they'll be submerged; rather, afloat like drift wood and/or apples in a bobbing tub.

 

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[Zuno_Yazh]

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● Eccl 1:2-4 . . Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun? One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.

 

The earth is dumber than a spatula; yet easily outlives its human potentate whose IQ is infinitely greater. Take for example the great granite monuments in Yosemite Valley. Tourists to the valley come, and tourists to the valley go; and one day the Grim Reaper catches up with those tourists and they're gone; yet Yosemite's great stones abide decade after decade; century after century.

 

Most children born this day Apr 09, 2018 will be dead in 100 years, and most certainly all the adults over 30; and when they pass away, Yosemite won't even notice. Though a child born today may be intelligent enough to eventually understand quantum mechanics and seven languages; Yosemite's sentinels-- stupid, mute, and uneducated --will easily outlast it.

 

● Eccl 2:15-16 . .Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity. For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool.

 

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[Zuno_Yazh]

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Judas goats are trained for use in slaughterhouses and herd control. In stockyards, they lead sheep to slaughter; and are also used to lead other animals to specific pens and on to trucks. The term is a reference to the biblical traitor Judas Iscariot.

 

The phrase has also been used to describe goats utilized to locate feral goats targeted for eradication. They're usually outfitted with a transmitter, painted in red and then released. The goats then locate the remaining herds of feral goats, allowing hunters with tracking devices to find and exterminate them. The red paint marks the goat with the transmitter so the hunters know which one not to shoot.

 

You know what can be even worse than going to hell? Your own children following you there: and they trusted you.

 

Here's a sort of cute story I heard once. I don't know if it's true but I guess it's probable.

 

A boozing farmer went out to his barn in the dead of night after a snowfall to sneak a pull from his liquor bottle. Just as he got to the barn door he heard something behind him. Turning, the farmer recognized his little boy coming towards him. In amazement he asked the little guy how he ever managed to find his way out to the barn in the dark. His son replied: It was easy; I walked in your footsteps.

 

Can you just imagine the anguish that parents in the netherworld feel knowing that they inadvertently raised their children in an ideology that led them down the road to hell and all the while sincerely believing themselves doing the right thing? In other words: they actually Judas-goated their children to follow mom and dad down there. For some families, the only thing they have to look forward to in the afterlife is a sad reunion in fire and despair.

 

● Luke 16:27-28 . . Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

 

That poor man had no way to contact his surviving kin and let them know his whereabouts; but his biggest fear was that he knew them all well enough to know that all five were coming down where he was-- there was nothing he could do to prevent it.

 

POP CLOCK UPDATE: 9 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures in post #1 are in the ball park, then something like 597,366 new arrivals have checked into the fiery sector of hades since Apr 01, 2018.

 

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[Zuno_Yazh]

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● Luke 16:25 . . Abraham said, Son, remember

 

I should think that one of the negative aspects of hell is memory. How people down there retain their memories sans the brain cells they left behind with their corpse, I don't know; but they do, just as the rich man is able to experience thirst sans a flesh and blood tongue.

 

The older one gets, the more memories they accumulate, and many of those memories haunt us with terrible regret. However, people in hell not only have to cope with their bad memories, but also the good ones too, and I should think it is remembering the good things they enjoyed in life that makes their situation only worse in the heat.

 

They say it is better to have loved and lost, rather than not to have loved at all. I tend to disagree as I suspect it is far better to not know what you're missing. Ignorance really would be bliss in the once-rich man's situation.

 

Just think: that poor guy is still in anguish down there to this very day; something like 1,958 years since Luke penned his gospel in 60 AD. In the grand scheme of things, that man is only just getting started on eternity because 1,958 years is little more than a warm-up for the main event. To put that in perspective: 60 AD was something like 1,432 years before Columbus discovered America.

 

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[DaveW]

Heya - what qualifications do you have to teach in scriptural matters?

Just wondering......

[Zuno_Yazh]

1 hour ago, DaveW said:

Heya - what qualifications do you have to teach in scriptural matters?

 

There's some information about me in the "Introduce Yourself" area. Look for New Old Man On The Block. My testimony is there too. You'll have to scroll down a little to find it.

 

There's additional information contained in the introduction to the Daily Genesis thread in the "Bible Issues" area.

 

BTW: If you are not competent and/or qualified to teach the Bible, then you are sure as heckfire not competent and/or qualified to discuss it nor to critique others making the effort.

 

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Edited April 11, 2018 by Zuno_Yazh