Hell's Population Clock

[Olde Tymer]

~
I know of the Protestant minister asked by Audie Murphy's widow Pamela to speak
at her husband's funeral. Mr. Murphy, as you may already know, was a 32nd
degree Scottish Rite Mason and a Shriner; but he wasn't a Christian.

(Audie was a highly decorated American combat soldier during WW2)

In amazement, the minister asked Mrs. Murphy why she chose a Christian to speak
at her husband's funeral.

Although Audie himself wasn't a Christian, Pamela was; and she explained that the
Hollywood crowd would be there the day of his funeral, and having hob-nobbed
with pampered celebrities during her husband's acting career, she was fully aware
that many of them were rarely confronted with something serious about the
afterlife.

Well; they got both barrels that day, and were very annoyed because they were
expecting the usual sappy, feel-good rhetoric with which their ilk are accustomed.

Some may feel that Hell isn't an appropriate topic at a funeral. But I think that,
other than Xmas and Easter, you couldn't pick a better time to bring it up,
especially since Christ said that the majority ends up there.

● Ecc 7:2 . . It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of
gaiety, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this seriously.

According to the Bible; not many great people are called (1Cor 1:26). If that's true,
then we have to expect that the majority of the world's best and brightest
achievers-- the really big names in sports, science, medicine, law, politics,
technology, business, industry, religion, entertainment, and education, etc --don't,
and won't, make it to safety when they pass on.

As I watched some of the splendor and pomp of President Gerald Ford's funeral
back in January of 2007, I couldn't help but wonder if he was in a position to really
appreciate it; as I suspect people in Hades would certainly no longer really care
anymore whether they were given an unknown pauper's disposal in a City
incinerator, or reverently placed in a grand tomb in the National Cemetery with
world-wide television coverage.

POP CLOCK UPDATE: 96 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 6,667,200 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

~
● Deut 27:26 . . Cursed be anyone who does not confirm the words of this law by
doing them.

Something that should be emphasized is that the curse is irrevocable; so it's very
important to come to grips with it; and the sooner the better.

● Matt 5:18 . . For assuredly, I say to you: till heaven and earth pass away, not one
jot or one tittle will by any means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.

In other words: whoever deserves that curse is absolutely certain to get it.

In point of fact, Deut 27:26 is grammatically present tense rather than future,
indicating that the curse is instant-- no delay and no waiting period. i.e. it's already
on the books hanging over people's heads like a guillotine just waiting for the man
in charge to give the executioner a signal to let go the rope keeping the blade in
check.

POP CLOCK UPDATE: 101 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 7,014,450 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

~
FAQ: Can you cite an Old Testament example where God approved human
sacrifice?

REPLY: Yes.

● Gen 22:1-2 . . Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham,
and said to him: Abraham! And he said: Here I am. And He said: Take now your
son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah; and offer
him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.

NOTE: According to Gen 18:23-33, Abraham wasn't above challenging God's
judicial sensibilities. Had the old boy seriously believed that offering his son Isaac
as a burnt offering was wrong, he would've said something; in point of fact, he had
three days to think about it. (Gen 22:4)

Did Abraham slay Isaac? No; but did Abraham offer Isaac? Yes.

● Gen 22:9 . .Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And
Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his
son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood.

You see, once a gift dedicated to God is placed on an altar, it's a done deal--
whether the offering is dead or alive makes no difference. In point of fact, the letter
to Hebrews credits Abraham with offering his son in obedience to God's command.

● Heb 11:17 . . By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he
who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son

Had God disapproved human sacrifice, He would've stopped Abraham before Isaac
was laid on the altar.

But the real clincher is the 53rd chapter of Isaiah, which speaks of a human
sacrifice fully arranged, sanctioned, and worked out by none other than "the arm of
The Lord". In other words: it was a task wherein God rolled up His sleeves and
really got down to business.

POP CLOCK UPDATE: 106 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 7,361,700 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

~
FAQ: The Bible says Jesus went and spoke to the spirits in prison while he himself
was in the form of a spirit. (1Pet 3:18-20) Is that speaking of his three days and
nights in the afterlife per Matt 12:40 or some other time in history?

REPLY: It's at some other time in history: specifically in the days of Noah leading up
to the Flood. (Gen 6:3)

FAQ: The "my spirit" in that passage was the spirit of Christ? How so?

REPLY: The spirit of Christ inspired all the prophets, which of course included our
man Noah. (1Pet 1:10-12 & 2Pet 2:5)

FAQ: The spirits in prison per 1Pet 3:18-20 aren't fallen angels?

REPLY: The language and grammar of that passage indicate Peter's spirits are the
afterlife remains of folks drowned in the Flood.

POP CLOCK UPDATE: 112 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 7,778,400 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

~
● Gen 6:1-2 . .When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters
were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful,
and they married any of them they chose.

If we posit that the "sons of God" were believers and the "daughters of men" were
not; then it would appear that back in Noah's day, believing men threw caution to
the wind and built themselves harems of unbelieving women. What happened to
those believing men when it came time for the Flood? Well, for one thing; they had
lost their piety.

● Gen 7:1 . .The Lord then said to Noah: Go into the ark, you and your whole
family, because I have found you righteous in this generation.

None of the other sons of God in that day were righteous-- Noah was the only one;
therefore they weren't invited aboard the ark. So all of those men-- whose women
were chosen based solely upon sensual allure sans any spiritual prudence
whatsoever --perished in the Flood right along with everybody else; and if there
were children, they perished too.

● 1 Cor 15:33-34 . . Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character.
Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who
are ignorant of God-- I say this to your shame.

POP CLOCK UPDATE: 118 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 8,195,100 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

~
● Ps 146:3-4 . . Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there
is no help. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his
thoughts perish.

* Princes would be equivalent to Local, State, and Federal governments which are
typically very skilled at getting themselves elected while not so skilled at managing the
electorate's best interests.

Some people honestly believe the passage above teaches that people cease to exist
when they pass away; but were their belief true, then Christ would've ceased to
exist when he passed away on the cross and in order to restore the Lord's body to
life, it would've been necessary to first create the man himself back into existence.
No; I'm pretty sure that Psalm says something very different.

The Hebrew word translated "thoughts" can just as easily pertain to plans, ideas,
and schemes.

Consider all those people who perished in the World Trade Center, in the Japan and
Indonesia tsunamis, and the Haiti earthquake. None of them woke that day
planning on it being their last on earth. No, on the contrary; they had people to
see, places to go, and things to do: but before the day ended; whatever was on
their minds lost its importance-- their priorities went right out the window and
became no more significant than green cheese on the moon.

All their plans, their dreams, their schedules, their appointments, their schemes,
their problems, their aspirations, and their loves went right down the tubes as they
were suddenly confronted with a whole new reality to cope with.

While preparing for a new world tour, Michael Jackson died in his sleep. As a result;
his tour wrapped on the spot.

When my eldest nephew was paroled from prison; he quit drinking, and began
going to college with the goal towards becoming a counselor. For 2½ years all went
well. His parole officer was happy, and my nephew was on track and getting good
grades. His future looked assured. And then on the morning of Sept 25, 2015, he
dropped dead to the floor of natural causes. As a result; his college education, and
his hope to become a counselor, dropped dead to the floor right with him.

* Jackson was raised a Jehovah's Witness, but it's possible he may have passed
away believing in Kabbalah, or Islam, or New Age spirituality. Apparently his
religion at death is thus far a mystery.

Well, either way: if traditional Christianity is true and reliable, then Jackson is likely
in a place now for which he was utterly unprepared. And can you imagine the
suffocating stagnation endured by entertainers like him as they languish day after
day, year after year, in an environment where not one single note of music is heard
for singing and dancing?

POP CLOCK UPDATE: 123 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 8,542,350 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

~
Here in the USA, even the worst among the worst have the right to an attorney,
and if they can't afford one, the system will appoint a public defender for them.

But in the fiery sector of Hades; people are abandoned. For example: the names of
Abraham and Lazarus are given in Luke 16:19-31, but the rich man's name isn't
given. He's a forgotten man.

● Prov 10:7 . .The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall
rot.

Christ's followers have the advantage of a competent defender 24/7/365

● Rom 8:33-34 . . Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?
Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus who died? More than that, who was raised
to life; who is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us?

POP CLOCK UPDATE: 128 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 8,889,600 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

~
● Ecc 1:2-4 . . Meaningless! Futile! complains the Teacher. Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless. What does a man gain from all his labor at which he
toils under the sun? Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains
forever.

The earth is dumber than a pizza box; 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 will be dead in 100 years; and Yosemite won't even
notice. Though a child born today may be intelligent enough to eventually
understand quantum mechanics and play classical guitar like Andrés Segovia; yet
Yosemite's sentinels-- stupid, mute, and uneducated - will easily outlast it.

POP CLOCK UPDATE: 133 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 9,236,850 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

● Rev 20:14 . . And death and hell was cast into the lake of fire.

The Greek word translated hell in that verse is haides (a.k.a. hades) which in
Hellenistic philosophy is an afterlife facility where all the dead go: the good dead as
well as the bad dead regardless of age, race, gender, and/or religious preference.

* The Jews spent some time under the thumb of Greek culture so it's no surprise
they would pick up some of their afterlife terminology.

Anyway by the time of the event depicted by Rev 20:11-15, haides will be empty
and its purpose obsolete having been replaced by the lake of fire.

FAQ: According to Rev 20:14, John saw death discarded in a lake of fire. Well;
death is an abstract. How then can it be spoken of as an object that can be picked
up and thrown like a baseball or a javelin?

REPLY: That passage is likely speaking of death as a category consisting of
everything and anything one can possibly imagine that God considers dead to
Himself, i.e. whatever it is with which and/or with whom, He prefers not to
associate-- including the father of death, i.e. that old dragon the Serpent from back
in the book of Genesis.

In that respect, the lake of fire could be thought of as a sanitary landfill, viz: there's
a really big Spring cleaning pending on God's to-do list.

POP CLOCK UPDATE: 138 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 9,584,100 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

~
Hell is a society where evil is neither discouraged nor restrained; so we have to
expect that when new folks arrive there they will be subjected to discord, hatred,
meanness, factions, cliques, mistrust, prejudice, bias, caste systems, double
standards, partiality, racism, sexism, favoritism, deceit, surmising, dishonesty,
gossip, slander, sarcasm, cynicism, ridicule, envy, rivalry, resentment, gossip,
character assassination, slander, complaining, confrontations, quarrels,
assertiveness, heated debates,

. . . chafing, trickery, grudging, stonewalling, bitterness, silent treatments,
revenge, stubbornness, cold shouldering, snobbery, egotism, dominance,
demeaning comments, pecking orders, gangs, arrogance, attitudes, subterfuge,
treachery, betrayal, suspicion, conceit, vanity, superiority complexes, depression,
melancholy, antisocial behaviors, sociopaths, toxic rejoinders, smart-Alek retorts,
snide remarks, and quite possibly violent brutality so cruel and so terrible that if it
were possible to die from it; they would.

POP CLOCK UPDATE: 143 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 9,931,350 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

~
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
plausible.

A farmer went out to the barn in the dead of night after a snowfall to sneak a pull
from his secret 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 footprints.

One can only imagine the anguish that parents in the netherworld must feel
knowing that they inadvertently raised their children in an ideology that led them
down a road to the infernal regions 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.

POP CLOCK UPDATE: 148 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 10,278,600 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

~
● Luke 16:22-25 . . It came to pass that a rich man died, and was buried. And in
Hades lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham on the other side of an impassible
barrier. And Abraham said: Son, remember . . .

I should think that one of the negative aspects of perdition 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. Apparently God has some sort of file transfer
protocol that silicon valley has yet to discover.

The older one gets, the more memories they accumulate, and many of those
memories haunt us with terrible regret. Well; some folks' regrets can be
rationalized, but for others; their past will forever be an albatross hung around their
neck

POP CLOCK UPDATE: 153 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 10,625,850 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

~
● Gen 6:5 . . God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that
every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

The thoughts of the heart are somewhat different than the thoughts that go
through the mind; and are often blocked out, viz: "repressed"; defined as a mental
process by which distressing thoughts, memories, or impulses that may give rise to
anxiety are excluded from consciousness and left to operate in the unconscious, i.e.
the subconscious which, in Freud's opinion, is a repository for socially unacceptable
ideas, wishes or desires, traumatic memories, and painful emotions.

In other words: the subconscious is an area of our being that we struggle to
prevent becoming public; and thus become tormented with inner conflicts that
sometimes become so unbearable that they result in nervous breakdowns: and
even suicide.

● Matt 15:19 . . Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts

So then, it's not how our mind works that defines us, no, it's how our heart works
that really defines us; and our hearts are capable of influencing our self awareness
so that we end up with a false impression of ourselves.

● Jer 17:9 . .The human heart is most deceitful and desperately wicked. Who really
knows how bad it is?

God is able to peer into the heart's contents. That means He will be confronting
people with things about themselves that they suppressed and kept under wraps all
their lives; and that's why I sometimes say only a fool would take their chances
with God. They have no clue the extent of the psychological tsunami they're
walking into.

● Jer 17:10 . . I, The Lord, search the heart and examine the mind

● Rom 2:16 . . God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel
declares.

POP CLOCK UPDATE: 158 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 10,973,100 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_

 

[koberstein]

.
According to Matt 7:13-14 and Matt 22:14; relatively few make it to safety in the
afterlife compared to relatively many that don't. Bear with me while I flesh this out.

According to the US Census Bureau: as of Sept 09, 2023 @ 01:55 pm New York
Time, the resident population in the United States was approximately 335,553,998
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 were
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".

Using the ratio of 2,912 condemned souls per 335,553,998 population: computing
the number of condemned souls worldwide from a currently estimated global
population of 8,002,749,532 people, would suggest something like 69,450 new
arrivals in the fiery sector of the netherworld every 24 hours; which translates to
roughly 2,893 souls every sixty minutes on the clock.

Yankee Stadium's football seating capacity is 54,251. At the rate of 2,893 souls per
hour, those seats would be filled in roughly 18 hours and 46 minutes. In other
words: by 12:45 am NY time tonight the stadium's seats would be maxed if the
world's daily number of condemned souls started filing into the stadium at 06:00
am NY time this morning.

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.

The netherworld never closes; no, not at all: it's open for business 24/7/365
nonstop and indifferent to climate change, Wall Street crashes, massive layoffs,
outsourcing, high school shootings, terrorism, tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes,
storm surges, nuclear meltdowns, underground coal fires, toxic aquifers, illegal
immigration, disappearing ground water, drug cartels, human trafficking, pandemics,
air, soil pollution, a mission to Mars, freeway pile-ups, brown-outs, threatened species,
the price of oil, Falun Gong organ harvesting, election fraud, pipelines, student debt,
GMO, trade deficits, the war in Ukraine, Chinese imperialism, Antifa, Black Lives Matter,
North Korea's nukes, Federal debt, factory recalls, overpopulation, desertification,
ethnic cleansing, revolutions, civil wars, acid rain, road rage, oil spills, starter marriage,
ISIS, Hamas, LGBT marriage, blood diamonds, fracking, twerking, and/or former US
President Donald Trump's legal problems.

If standard 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.
_

So there is an EZ pass on an expressway lane to Hell with a bottomless pit. Don't worry speeders will not be ticketed

 

[Olde Tymer]

~
The wrath of God is interesting. For example:

● Isa 13:9 . . Behold, the day of The Lord comes-- cruel; with both wrath and fierce
anger

The Hebrew word for "wrath" in that statement is 'ebrah (eb-raw') which indicates
an outburst of passion. In other words: the wrath of God won't be weeping big wet
crocodile tears while it's slamming the dead at the Great White Throne event
depicted at Rev 20:11-15; no, they will be terminated with extreme prejudice; viz:
their judgment will be administered with choler. (cf. Isa 63:1-6, Rev 19:15)

Webster's defines "fierce" as a behavior exhibited by humans and animals that
inspires terror because of the wild and menacing aspect of fury in attack. Ferocity is
an aspect commonly seen among carnivorous beasts savagely attacking prey.
There's neither sportsmanship nor sympathy in ferocity; only sheer terror, brutality,
and blood lust.

"cruel" is defined as: disposed to inflict pain or suffering; viz: devoid of humane
feelings

● Heb 10:27 . . A certain fearful expectation of . . . fiery indignation

"fiery indignation" is quite a bit more severe than ordinary indignation. It speaks of
someone who is seriously ticked off; and so angry that they're actually red in the
face.

There are people out there in pews all around the world who have been so coddled
by sappy versions of Christianity that they have no concept of the magnitude of the
lethal tsunami of rage and violence coming their way to get them.

Another interesting aspect of the wrath of God is the person appointed to
administer it-- none other than the sweet little babe away in a manger.

● John 5:22-23 . .The Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the
Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father.

● Acts 17:31 . . For God has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by
the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from
the dead.

● Rev 19:15 . . He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treads the winepress
of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

POP CLOCK UPDATE: 163 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 11,320,350 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

~
● Acts 2:31a . . his soul was not left in Hades

Classical Hades is divided into sections where the souls of all the dead-- regardless
of age, race, gender, or religious preference --are assigned in accordance with the
quality of their pre-death existence. The worst section is a deep abyss called
Tartarus; which is utilized in 2Pet 2:4

Luke 23:13 says Jesus' soul waited for his body's recovery in a better section of
Hades he called paradise; translated from a Greek word for parks and recreation,
i.e. an Eden.

According to Luke 16:23 the poor slobs over in the hell section of Hades can look
across to paradise and see what they're missing: sort of like destitute urchins
gazing thru the window of a posh restaurant at what people have on their plates;
which speaks very loudly of want and privation.

FAQ: Paradise is down in the netherworld?

REPLY: Well; it pretty much has to be in order for Abraham and the rich man to
communicate with each other in Luke 16:19-31.

The Pacific Crest Trail (a.k.a. PCT) traverses the north/south length of three
states-- California, Oregon, and Washington. No matter where hiker trash might be
located on the trail at any given moment-- whether south in Campo San Diego, or
crossing the Columbia River on the Bridge Of The Gods, 2,140 trail-miles to the
north in Cascade Locks Oregon --they're all on the very same PCT.

Paradise is sort of like that. There's a section of it in the netherworld (Matt 12:40,
Luke 16:19-31) another in a celestial region that Paul labeled the third heaven
(2Cor 12:2-4) and yet another is located with God. (Rev 2:7)

POP CLOCK UPDATE: 168 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 11,667,600 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

.
A forgiven sinner is still sinful, and they'll go right on sinning same as before and
thus needing forgiveness again and again ad infinitum.

● Gen 6:5 . .The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become,
and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.

● Gen 8:21 . . Man's thoughts and actions are bent toward evil from childhood.

● Jer 13:23 . . Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Then may
you also do good who are accustomed to do evil.

Well; in light of the passages above, it's certainly no surprise to me that people
need to upgrade the very core of their being so that they would, by nature, be the
children of Heaven rather than the children of Hell that they are now.

● John 3:7 . . You should not be surprised at my saying you must be born again.

POP CLOCK UPDATE: 173 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 12,014,850 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

.
The lake of fire depicted at Rev 20:10-15 is primarily a gallows, so to speak, for
carrying out death sentences.

According to Dan 12:2 and John 5:28-29 there's only one resurrection allotted per
person. Therefore nobody is coming back from the lake because they will use up
their one resurrection to stand and face justice at the Great White Throne event.
People walk away alive from the fire spoken of at 1Cor 3:5-15 whereas nobody walks
away alive from the lake.

FAQ: You say there is but one resurrection allotted per person. What about all those
people in the Bible who were restored to life? Was that it for them?

REPLY: Dan 12:2 and John 5:28-29 speak of "the" resurrection; which is quite a bit
different than common resurrections because those in the Bible returned folks to
their former existence, whereas "the" resurrection moves people forward to an
existence in the future; which may, or may not, be to their advantage.

● Dan 12:2 . . Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to
everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.

● John 5:28-29 . . A time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his
voice and come out-- those who have done good will rise to live, and those who
have done evil will rise to be condemned.

POP CLOCK UPDATE: 178 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 12,362,100 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

.
Human life on earth is a composite of body, soul, and spirit. (Gen 2:7, 1Thes 5:23,
Heb 4:12)

The body and the soul are readily destroyed by means of Hell fire (Matt 10:28) but
I have yet to come across a passage in the Bible teaching that the spirit is
destroyed by that means; or by any means for that matter.

In what condition people will exist in the lake of brimstone depicted at Rev 20:11-15
minus a human body and a human soul I don't know. It might be that the human
spirit is transferable.

What if God is able to move people's spirit around at will and attach it to a body
and soul other than a human body and soul; say, the body and soul of a demonic
being? The very thought of such a possibility is disturbing.

● Ecc 12:7 . . Then the dust returns to the earth just as it happened to be and the
spirit itself returns to God who gave it. (cf. Luke 23:46)

The million-dollar question is: What comes next for people's spirit when it gets back
in God's hands?

POP CLOCK UPDATE: 183 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 12,709,350 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

.
POSIT: I'm special; God understands me. Although He probably may not let others
off; I'm sure God will make an exception for me because I'm not like other people;
I'm different.

REPLY: Unfortunately, the Bible's God can't do that. If He were to make exceptions,
God would be neither equitable, nor honest-- and worse, it would go against His
grain, compromise His integrity, sin against His conscience; and cause Him to lose
the world's respect.

No, God doesn't grade on a curve: everyone is treated equally in God's courtroom.
In a system of divine absolutes; there is neither a curve nor an exception: nobody
gets any favors, nobody is special, and nobody is a protected species.

● Deut 10:17 . . Jehovah shows no partiality and accepts no bribes.

● Acts 10:34 . .Then Peter began to speak: I now realize how true it is that God is
impartial.

● Rom 2:5-11 . . For there is coming a day of judgment when God, the just judge of
all the world, will judge all people according to what they have done. He will give
eternal life to those who persist in doing what is good, seeking after the glory and
honor and immortality that God offers.

. . . But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who
refuse to obey the truth; and practice evil deeds. There will be anguish and
calamity for everyone who practices evil-- for the Jew first and also for the Gentile.
But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all practice good --for the
Jew first and also for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism.

POP CLOCK UPDATE: 188 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 13,056,600 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_