.
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 findings suggesting that human existence goes as
far back as 150-300,000 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 let alone
300,000. I've been on the Earth for just 75, 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 Martha
Stewart 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
discomfort: no vacations, no recreation, no reading materials, and no
hobbies-- there's absolutely nothing to do but reminisce. 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 moaning, shrieking, yelping, howling, gnashing teeth, and
the constant complaining. I can only imagine how annoying it must be 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 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.
_
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