Pop Clock Update
-
I sometimes wish there were tour buses to hell so people could see what's in
store for them down there; and not only the degree of suffering that people
can expect in the next life, but also hell's impact upon the human mind.
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 mankind is thought by
some to have achieved full behavioral modernity something like 50,000
years ago. 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 70, 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. It would also be akin to a Forrest Gumpster trying to fill a
sieve with water from a tap.
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". No he won't.
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.
Conditions are really bad, and everyone is sad, blue, and lonely. After a few
years of the conditions I'm describing, I should think most folks break, and
go mad from the stress.
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 iPhones, no
iPads, no computers, no Twitter, no texting, no FaceBook, 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: 6 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the
figures in post #1 are within reason, then something like 333,486 new
arrivals have checked into the fiery sector of hades since December 10,
2014.
========================================
