Hell's Daily Tally

[NyawehNyoh]

~
I obtain quite a bit of useful information from YouTube; for example how to replace a microwave oven motor, resolve a computer issue, adjust an electric guitar's intonation. and/or the proper way to position a lawnmower for an oil change.

I also tour the world with YouTube, visiting amazing man-made wonders and natural wonders too. I will likely never travel and get to see those wonders for myself as they really are before I'm dead; but out ahead is coming a one-thousand year era on Earth wherein I've no doubt there will be plenty of opportunity to see everything in the next life that I missed in this one.

● Rev 20:6 . . Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.

I suspect that God is keeping a massive, fully comprehensive library that can satisfy all my curiosity-- an archive of information far exceeding the contents of the great library of Alexandria. For example: how did the ancient Egyptians build the pyramids? How did the people of Easter Island move those massive stone heads into position? Is there an end to space; and if so, what's on the other side? Things like that; but also nature's secrets too. How did nature fashion those remarkable rock formations in Utah? Or carve out the Grand Canyon?

There are many mysteries like those that I sincerely hope to find answers to some day. But people in Hell won't be allowed access to God's library. They will never get answers to their deepest questions about the cosmos; nor be allowed to travel to all the exotic places on Earth that they missed in this life before passing on to the next.

Another benefit to the coming era is safety. I will have nothing to fear from the animal kingdom like I do now, and plus; those of us who make the cut will be immortal; so we won't fear heights, nor speed, nor any other risk. I love to explore, but don't like to explore places that might cost me my life, lose an eye, or put me in a wheel chair. Well; in the future, I'll be able to explore every corner of the globe to my heart's content in perfect safety and thoroughly enjoy myself without worrying about hazards associated with the journey like piranha, head hunters, frost bite, hypothermia, violent storms, hijackers, terrorists, bandits, and/or shipwreck.

One thing that prevents many of us from touring the world is old age. Well, diminished capacity will never again be a factor dictating what I can eat and drink, were I can go, nor whether I can make it.

● Rev 20:5-6 . . But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power.

People in Hell are not only in terrible discomfort, but they're also missing out on the pleasures of adventure, discovery, and exploration; which are three very stimulating activities that  just about everybody I've ever met would agree, make one's existence worthwhile.

TALLY UPDATE: 1,901 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 115,788,009 arrivals have checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Sept 03, 2018.
_

[NyawehNyoh]

~
Writing to the Christians in Colossi, the apostle Paul said:

"Do not lie to each other since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator." (Col 3:9-10)

Humanity's original self began its created existence in the image of God (Gen 1:26-27). In other words; Adam started off as an honest man. Clearly then; dishonesty doesn't reflect the image of God, rather, it reflects the Devil's image. (John 8:44)

The Greek word translated "renewed" basically means to renovate; defined by Webster's defines as: (1) to restore to a former better state (as by cleaning, repairing, or rebuilding), and (2) to restore to life, vigor, or activity, i.e. revive.

The word appears in only one other place in the entire New Testament at 2Cor 4:16, which says:

"Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day."

Sometimes renovation requires demolition and beginning all over again from scratch, In other words: total regeneration.

The Greek word translated "knowledge" basically refers to recognition, i.e. acknowledgement, viz: discernment.

Reconstruction of one's innermost being-- especially the conscience --is essential because humanity's intuitive knowledge of what's acceptable and what's unacceptable is unreliable due to the forbidden fruit incident portrayed in the third chapter of Genesis.

This relates to one of the tragedies of Hell. People down there never gave God an opportunity to overhaul their spiritual condition; so now they're no better as persons in the afterlife than they were in this life. After all is said and done-- after the big judgment of Rev 20:11-15 is completed, and the new cosmos of Rev 21:1 is up and running --Christ caps everything by announcing:

"Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile." (Rev 22:10)

In other words: people who end up on the wrong side of things will remain just as much in need of renovation there as they were here-- but it won't be available.

TALLY UPDATE: 1,908 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 116,214,372 arrivals have checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Sept 03, 2018.
_

[NyawehNyoh]

~
●  Matt 22:36-40 . . Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

The Greek verb translated "love" doesn't necessarily imply either affection and/or fondness. It's just as much about the way we treat our fellow men as our personal feelings about them. This is the kind of love that we ought to be extending to everyone-- friend, foe, family, and stranger alike. It's the very same love that Jesus taught in Matt 5:44 which reads:

"You have heard that it was said: You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies,"

In other words; you don't especially have to like your neighbors, you family, and/or your enemies, but you do have to be benevolent, i.e. courteous, kind, charitable, tolerant, patient, diplomatic, tactful, gentle, reasonable, fair, deferential, cordial, genial, affable, sociable, helpful, thoughtful, sympathetic, considerate, and cooperative, etc. And of course those all apply to the way that people associate with God too because the same Greek verb is used of loving God as loving one's neighbors and enemies.

The above tells me that quite a few people are on the road to Hell simply because their manners are uncivil, and insufferable, with both God and Man, viz: they not only aren't nice to their fellow men, but they aren't even nice to God-- they don't care about marginalizing Him, tuning Him out, insulting Him, chafing Him, and/or hurting His feelings. In other words: the two most important of all the commandments bounces off their thick skulls like a banana thrown at a Russian tank.

TALLY UPDATE: 1,914 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 116,579,826 arrivals have checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Sept 03, 2018.
_

[NyawehNyoh]

~
● John 18:37-38 . . Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice. Pilate said to him: What is truth?

Pilate's question was meaningful in his day because ancient philosophers perpetually discussed and debated the nature of truth without ever achieving a unanimous decision about it.

Well; one of Webster's definitions of "truth" is: a state of being the case; viz: fact; which Webster's defines as the quality of being actual. In other words: truth is the way it is; viz: truth is reality as opposed to speculation, fantasy, opinion, error, inaccuracy, inexactness, theory, imagination, and false impressions, etc.

Is this the real life?
Is this just fantasy?
Caught in a landslide,
No escape from reality.
Bohemian Rhapsody, QUEEN 1975

TALLY UPDATE: 1,919 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 116,884,371 arrivals have checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Sept 03, 2018.
_

[NyawehNyoh]

~
● Matt 8:11-12 . . I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

"children of the kingdom" is very likely Jacob's posterity; the Jews. Well; for sure, not all of his people will be permitted citizenship in the kingdom predicted in the Old Testament. According to Ezek 20:33-38 a number of them will be culled from the herd and sent elsewhere.

Outer darkness is again spoken of in Matt 22:13 and Matt 25:30

It appears, from comparison of the available data, that "outer darkness" isn't a location, rather, a state of mental anguish characterized by the deepest possible feelings of grief associated with loss.

It's akin to the day that God announced to Moses' people they were going to have to stay in that awful Sinai outback until they were dead. They missed their opportunity to enter the land of milk and honey and there was no way to regain it.

The people must've been pretty upset over that; no doubt they had all been joyfully looking forward to a new life over there; and there was no use in praying about it because God had made up His mind.

I've only experienced deep personal grief associated with irreversible loss but one time; that was when my No.1 nephew passed away suddenly of natural causes at the age of 51. I had held him in my arms upon returning home from three years in the Army when he was only a couple of weeks old.

News of his passing has thus far been the only time in my 79 years that I actually clenched my teeth, sobbing out of control, and choking, while clinging to a handrail in the front room to keep from losing my balance and falling to the floor. Matt 8:11-12  is likely speaking of a similar depth of grief, or possibly worse.

TALLY UPDATE: 1,925 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 117,249,825 arrivals have checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Sept 03, 2018.
_

[NyawehNyoh]

~
The criminal records associated with the great white throne event depicted at Rev 20:11-15 likely will be used to not only condemn people's actions, but also to prove that the people themselves are not the caliber of folk with whom God prefers to associate.

For example: God isn't comfortable with dishonesty. So if the records show that someone is capable of deception, then they will be barred from heaven.

● Ps 15:1-3 . . Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? He who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman. He who does these things will never be shaken.

TALLY UPDATE: 1,930 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 117,554,370 arrivals have checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Sept 03, 2018.
_

[NyawehNyoh]

~
FAQ: What if I was born dishonest?

REPLY: You mean like Ps 58:3, which says:

"The wicked are estranged from the womb; these who speak lies go astray from birth."

Well; that's pretty serious.

● Rev 21:8 . . . All liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.

FAQ: But I'm not a degenerate liar. I'm basically honest and lie only on occasion.

REPLY: No, you are basically dishonest-- the meanwhile managing your natural impulses; keeping their control over you to a minimum.

But let's face it: liars don't need a rule book, instead; they need a miracle to liberate them from themselves so they don't end up on the wrong side of things. In other words: they need an overhaul from top to bottom and inside and out, i.e. a full and complete renovation to get rid of that lying streak they were born with.

TALLY UPDATE: 1,935 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 117,858,915 arrivals have checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Sept 03, 2018.
_

[NyawehNyoh]

~
FAQ: What if Adam had eaten some fruit from the tree of life prior to trying the forbidden fruit?

REPLY: The tree of life doesn't work like a vaccine, rather, it's a remedy; portrayed in the Bible as a treatment for whatever ails you. (Rev 22:2)

In other words: under normal circumstances Adam had no use for the tree of life at first because he was already in perfect health. Adam was created in the image and likeness of God, i.e. he was immune to the aging process: an advantage he lost by tampering with the forbidden fruit when he was instructed not to.

● Gen 2:16-17 . . The Lord God commanded the man: You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.

Well; Adam didn't pass away within 24 hours after eating the forbidden fruit. In point of fact he continued to live 800 more years beyond the birth of his son Seth. (Gen 5:4)

So the death that Adam underwent due to tasting the forbidden fruit began with his loss of perfect health, i.e. Adam's body became infected with mortality which, if left untreated, is 100% fatal. Mortality is a lingering death that gradually broke Adam down to the point where his body could no longer keep going.

The tree of life wouldn't prevent Adam from contracting mortality, but the tree would've cured it and restored him to perpetual youth had he been allowed access to it.

TALLY UPDATE: 1,941 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 118,224,369 arrivals have checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Sept 03, 2018.
_

[NyawehNyoh]

~
FAQ: There are no human sacrifices specified in the covenant that Moses' people entered into with God on oath in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Plus, according to Deut 4:2 and Deut 5:29-30 it is prohibited to revise the covenant. Since Jesus was a Jew whose religion was governed by that covenant; then how was it legal for him to die for the sins of the world?

REPLY: The Bible's codified laws are not retroactive (Deut 5:2-4, Gal 3:17) This is extremely important because Jesus was designated, and scheduled, to die for the sins of the world prior to the voice of God creating even a single atom for the current cosmos. (1Pet 1:18-21 & Rev 13:8) In other words: the cross was anticipated.

TALLY UPDATE: 1,949 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 118,711,641 arrivals have checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Sept 03, 2018.
_

[NyawehNyoh]

~
Insensitive folk who come from the womb unable to feel compassion, are in very grave danger of the sum of all fears.

● Matt 5:7 . . Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

● Jas 2:13 . . For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy.

NOTE: There are a number instructional web sites offering lists of helpful do's and don'ts to assist sympathy-challenged people to at least respond properly to others' misfortunes.

TALLY UPDATE: 1,954 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 119,016,186 arrivals have checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Sept 03, 2018.
_

[NyawehNyoh]

~
God cautioned Cain:

● Gen 4:7 . . If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.

"to have you" indicates complete control over one's life so that Cain wouldn't just be slipping into sin now and then, rather; sin would become his lifestyle should he become independent enough to allow ignoring God to become a habit.

FAQ: How was Cain supposed to know what's right seeing as how God had not yet codified any of His laws?

REPLY: His brother Abel was a prophet. (Luke 11:50-51)

TALLY UPDATE: 1,959 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 119,320,731 arrivals have checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Sept 03, 2018.
_

[NyawehNyoh]

~
● Rev 20:13 . . I saw the dead, and they were judged, every one of them

That verse says that "every one" of them were judged. Well; I don't know precisely how many every one will eventually number, but let's say that it's 100,000.

If each of these 100,000 cases were to take an hour to complete, we'd be looking at roughly 4,167 calendar days, i.e. 11½ years-- that's if the judging by a solo judge goes around the clock 24/7/365.

According to Daniel 7:13-14, John 5:22-3, and Acts 17:31, Messiah has been designated to preside at the event. However, there's reason to suggest that he won't be handling every case himself.

● 1Cor 6:2-3 . . Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts? Do you not know that we shall judge angels? (cf. Matt 12:28)

Moses was assisted in his judicial duties by a select group of Jewish men. (Ex 18:17-26) It's possible that certain among Messiah's followers will be recruited to serve as judges with him in the same manner, which will expedite his case load considerably.

There's a few points related to that scene worth special mention.

1» According to Jude 1:14-15 the dead will be given a fair trial.

2» According to Matt 12:36, every word that the dead have spoken will be used as evidence both against them and/or for them; not just their serious words, but also their careless words.

3» The scene doesn't depict one future out of a variety of possible futures; no, it depicts the actual future.

TALLY UPDATE: 1,965 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 119,686,185 arrivals have checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Sept 03, 2018.
_

[NyawehNyoh]

~
● 1Kings 22:18-23 . . I saw the Lord God sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left. And Jehovah said: Who will entice Ahab to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one said this while another said that.

. . .Then a spirit came forward and stood before The Lord and said: I will entice him. And The Lord said to him: How? And he said: I will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. Then He said: You are to entice him and also prevail. Go and do so. Now therefore, behold, The Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; and Jehovah has proclaimed disaster against you.

Now that is scary. Can you just imagine the horror of being targeted like that and not aware of it! (cf. 2Thess 2:8-12)

TALLY UPDATE: 1,970 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 119,990,730 arrivals have checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Sept 03, 2018.
_

[NyawehNyoh]

~
Canadian folk singer Gordon Lightfoot released a sentimental song back in 1975 that speaks volumes about sympathy. Its lyrics are very touching. Here's a few that I feel especially appropriate when talking about things like sickness, death, and the hereafter.

Rainy day people always seem to know when it's time to call.
Rainy day people don't talk, they just listen till they've heard it all.
Rainy day lovers don't lie when they tell 'ya they've been down like you.
Rainy day people don't mind if you're cryin' a tear or two.

I sometimes wonder how much sympathy one can expect in the fiery netherworld. I mean; sure they'll understand how we might feel about the unfortunate circumstances in life that led us down there, but once you're there, everyone's pretty much in the same boat and the others are all longing for sympathy too.

In point of fact, I'd not be surprised if the competition for sympathy down there is on the level of dog eat dog; and likely a fair number of sympathy hoarders demanding total market share of it. I can just hear their feigned indignity; like this:

"Oh, stop whining already! Don't be such a baby. I deserve a lot more pity than you. I've been down here for two millennia and you've only been down here for a decade. What've you got to cry about? You should be grateful that your time down here is shorter than mine."

I'd imagine that after a few years in that place the only sympathy that people can feel after a while is sympathy for themselves because nobody is getting out down there; they're all lifers so it's not unlikely that the only humanity that inmates pay forward in that place is misery.

TALLY UPDATE: 1,977 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 120,417,093 arrivals have checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Sept 03, 2018.
_

[NyawehNyoh]

~
● 1Cor 1:26 . . Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world's eyes, or powerful, or wealthy when God called you.

Faith in Christ isn't an achievement like a Nobel prize in chemistry nor as if one ran for public office or climbed a corporate ladder. None of us would be an integral member of Christ's body were it not for God's incredible IQ and His access to a remarkable variety of supernatural resources.

● 1Cor 1:30 . . God alone made it possible for you to be in Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made Christ to be wisdom itself; he is the one who made us acceptable to God. He made us pure and holy, and he gave himself to purchase our freedom.

NOTE: Education and/or a high IQ have their uses; but are insufficient when it comes to spiritual matters. In point of fact, too many smarts can actually be an impediment. Take for example Carl Sagan. Had his knowledge and his IQ been a spiritual advantage, then Carl would've stood on the side of intelligent design instead of opposing it.

It's tragic that Carl went to his grave with his curiosity and so many scientific questions about the cosmos unanswered, and to top it off, a day is coming when even Carl's pale blue dot will no longer be available for study.

"For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind." (Isa 65:17)

"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away." (Rev 21:1)

Can you imagine how delighted Carl would've been to explore Heaven's libraries where everything to know that can be known about the cosmos is stored? But alas, Carl will never find out because he was at best an agnostic, at worst an atheist.

TALLY UPDATE: 1,983 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 120,782,547 arrivals have checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Sept 03, 2018.
_

[NyawehNyoh]

~
● 2Cor 5:11 . . Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men;

The Greek word translated "knowing" means to know firsthand, viz: by experience rather than by education and/or instruction.

In other words: there were incidents at various times in the lives of Paul and his contemporaries when God scared 'em out of their wits.

Well; there's nothing like a good old fashioned close encounter of a third kind to convince even the most resistant skeptics; and Paul's history attests that his was a really stubborn case.

Of course if any of us were to claim we've experienced the terror of the Lord, we'd be singled out as kooks and crackpots; but for some of us, fright is the only persuasion that works.

TALLY UPDATE: 1,988 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 121,087,092 arrivals have checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Sept 03, 2018.
_

[NyawehNyoh]

~
When God is ignored; He can be expected to reciprocate.

● Prv 1:24-33 . . I called you so often, but you didn't come. I reached out to you, but you paid no attention. You ignored my advice and rejected the correction I offered. So I will laugh when you are in trouble! I will mock you when disaster overtakes you-- when calamity overcomes you like a storm, when you are engulfed by trouble, and when anguish and distress overwhelm you.

. . . I will not answer when they cry for help. Even though they anxiously search for me, they will not find me. For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear The Lord. They rejected my advice and paid no attention when I corrected them. That is why they must eat the bitter fruit of living their own way. They must experience the full terror of the path they have chosen. For they are simpletons who turn away from me-- to death. They are fools, and their own complacency will destroy them. But all who listen to me will live in peace and safety, unafraid of harm.

Case in point is Mr. Esau.

"Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears." (Heb 12:16-17)

The Greek word translated "repentance" basically means to change one's mind; viz: to reconsider.

Esau was secular to the bone. But he "got religion" right quick when he saw his way of life costing him the blessing; but alas, the poor slob was a day late and a dollar short; so to speak.

Lesson to be learned: The time for people to be giving Hell some serious thought is not when they get there, rather, before they get there.

TALLY UPDATE: 1,993 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 121,391,637 arrivals have checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Sept 03, 2018.
_

[NyawehNyoh]

~
● John 3:16 . . For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

The love in that passage is translated from a Greek verb that expresses compassion for the world without particularly liking anybody. In other words: that kind of love is civil and sympathetic but doesn't necessarily express fondness or affection.

FAQ: God in His wrath condemns folks to the fiery netherworld while at the same time feeling pity for them?

REPLY: God forbid that He be one to obstruct justice by letting His feelings overrule and/or outweigh the facts. No doubt God would rather be kind than cruel; but sometimes circumstances just won't permit.

TALLY UPDATE: 1,999 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 121,757,091 arrivals have checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Sept 03, 2018.
_

[NyawehNyoh]

~
Apple Computer co-founder Steve Jobs once said (in so many words) that people don't know what they want till it's shown them. Steve may not've been as proficient with electronics as his pal Woz, but I gotta say: Jobs was one heck of a promoter.

People imprisoned on the wrong side of the netherworld may or may not be fully aware of all they've lost. Many are doubtless aware of at least their loss of creature comforts; but I'm not so sure they know about the bulk of their loss because not even that many Christians are aware of all they've gained by their unity with Christ.

● Isa 52:13 . . Behold, My servant will prosper; he will be high and lifted up, and greatly exalted.

The Word's flesh came into the world with limited acclaim, but departed the world highly honored by means of the Father making that man His heir apparent.

● John 3:35 . . The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.

● Heb 1:1-2 . . In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by His son, whom He appointed heir of all things

The benefit of this for those of us who at one time were alienated from God and on a road to Hell is nigh unto impossible to believe.

Christ's believing followers have been adopted into God's family circle, thus making them eligible for an inheritance.

● Rom 8:14-17 . . For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out: Abba! Father! The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ. (cf. Gal 4:4-7, Eph 1:4-5)

The Greek word translated "fellow heirs" actually means joint heirs; a.k.a. heirs in common. Here's how that plays out:

A joint-heir is different than a regular heir. Regular heirs are apportioned an individual percentage of their benefactor's estate. But joint-heirs inherit, not a percentage, but the entire estate, as community property, i.e. whatever the Father bequeathed Christ, that He also bequeathed everyone unified with Christ.

For example: supposing a benefactor's estate totals 60 acres of land, 18 gold bars, a fleet of antique cars, plus a hedge fund worth 12 million US Dollars; and he left it all to six heirs in common. In that situation; the heirs are corporately one beneficiary instead of six; viz: all six inherit all the land, all the gold, all the cars, and the entire fund as if each one were the only heir.

The extent of the Father's estate is astonishing. It encompasses not only all that is in Heaven, but also all in the entire universe, plus whatever pertains to the new cosmos spoken of in Isa 66:17, 2Pet 3:13, and Rev 21:1; and I don't know what else.

● John 16:15 . . All things that the Father has are mine

Point being: folks stuck in perdition are wretched paupers in the afterlife, whereas those of us unified with Christ are wealthy and privileged beyond imagination.

TALLY UPDATE: 2,004 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 122,061,636 arrivals have checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Sept 03, 2018.
_

[NyawehNyoh]

~
FAQ: The Bible says that a Christian's life on earth terminates the day they come to faith in Christ; and from then on, God stops keeping a record of their sins. (Rom 6:3-7, Col 3:3, and 2Cor 5:19). What about the afterlife? What's to be done about the sins Christians commit there?

REPLY: They won't be committing any sins in the next life because of a special circumcision performed by an act of God per Col 2:11.

* It must be very devastating when folks below find out too late about that circumcision; and also when they find out too late about Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Ezekiel 36:24-27 which, according to the language, would've rendered them easily righteous enough to associate with God permanently.

TALLY UPDATE: 2,014 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 122,670,726 arrivals have checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Sept 03, 2018.
_

[NyawehNyoh]

~
Jesus sacrificed his life for the whole world; not just part of the world, rather; everybody who has ever lived, and everybody who will ever live, down to the last born on Earth. That says quite a bit about how Jesus feels about some of us.

For example: He may not like me-- at all. In point of fact Jesus just may quite despise me, and candidly declare that I am not the kind of people with whom he cares to associate. Nevertheless, Jesus went to the cross for me too in spite of any disgust he might feel for me as a person.

Now, as I said-- in so many words --Jesus may not be especially fond of me, but there's no doubt in my mind that he at least cares for me. So I played upon his Father's sympathies back in February of 1968 when I prayed a very selfish prayer that went something like this:

"God; I know I'm a sinner. I would like to take advantage of your son's death."

Seeing as how Jesus gave his life for the whole world, then God couldn't very well refuse my request; now could He.

● Rom 5:6-8 . . Christ died for the impious. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

TALLY UPDATE: 2,020 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 123,036,180 arrivals have checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Sept 03, 2018.
_

[NyawehNyoh]

~
In the second chapter of the book of Daniel is told the story of Nebuchadnezzar's dream. He demanded his wise men to tell him the interpretation of the dream but withheld the dream's details; without which they could not answer.

But God had observed the king's dream; and revealed its details, along with its interpretation, to Daniel. Apparently God can hear our thoughts just as audibly as we, and can view the scenes in our heads just as clearly too; making it very difficult to retain some privacy in our own minds.

● Heb 4:13 . . Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight; everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

TALLY UPDATE: 2,025 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 123,340,725 arrivals have checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Sept 03, 2018.
_

[NyawehNyoh]

~
Seeing as how God owns everything in existence, and answers to no one how He goes about managing it all; then what He says goes because nobody can stop Him from making and/or enforcing whatever rules He wishes because God's free will trumps everybody else's free will.

Whether God's ways and means are loving, moral, just, and/or right and wise doesn't matter. It's as futile to criticize lightning for being so bright, and thunder for being so loud, as it is to find fault with God's rules because no matter how much people complain about thunder and lightning; there is nothing they can do to stop those forces of nature from going about their business.

● Acts 4:24 . .They lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said: Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is

The Greek word translated "Lord" in that passage is  despotes (des-pot'-ace) from which we get our English word despot; defined by Webster's as a ruler with absolute power and authority.

TALLY UPDATE: 2,031 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 123,706,179 arrivals have checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Sept 03, 2018.
_

[NyawehNyoh]

~
For many of us working stiffs, the first day on a new job is stressful and quite an adjustment. The night before that first day can cause enough anxiety to keep us awake worrying about what we might expect.

I'd imagine that, whether we end up in the right place or the wrong place in the afterlife, we will be just as stressed on our first day there as the first day here on a new job.

The anxiety associated with death is to be expected seeing as how most of us have no experience at all with that particular journey. But I think the majority of my anxiety in regards to death is related to what comes after. Pity there are no guide books available in print to prepare folks in advance for the culture-shock tsunami with which both sides of the aisle are sure to be slammed: a guide for Hell and one for Heaven.

TALLY UPDATE: 2,036 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 124,010,724 arrivals have checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Sept 03, 2018.
_

[NyawehNyoh]

.
Christianity is sometimes criticized as a license to steal because when people come to faith in Christ, the file that God has been accumulating against them gets demolished and from thence He does not begin compiling a new file.

● John 5:24 . . I assure you: those who listen to my message, and believe in God who sent me, have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.

● 2Cor 5:19 . . God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them

● Rom 4:8 . . Blessed is the man whose sin The Lord will never count against him.

The Greek word translated "counting" means to take an inventory; i.e. an indictment.

Christians have quite an advantage because when there are no books on people, then there is nothing on record with which to accuse them, i.e. it's as though they've never been anything but 100% innocent.

This may seem like cooking the books, but God has a way to do it on the up and up without obstructing justice.

TALLY UPDATE: 2,041 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 124,315,269 arrivals have checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Sept 03, 2018.
_

[NyawehNyoh]

.
● Luke 16:26a . . Between us and you a great chasm has been fixed

The barrier between Abraham's side of the netherworld and the rich man's is curious. The Greek word is located nowhere else in the entire New Testament so we can't compare it's application in other situations.

Chasm isn't necessarily a crevasse like a gorge or a canyon. It can also represent a marked division, separation, or difference; for example there is a political chasm between China's communist party and China's regular citizens.

A chasm then, can be likened to the contrast between good and evil, right and wrong, wise and foolish, hate and love, the guilty and the innocent, the one true God and the many tin Gods, the alive to God and the dead to God.

Anyway, this barrier in Luke's story isn't so expansive that people cannot recognize familiar faces on the opposite side nor hear their voice. And if it's a literal gulf, then I think it's reasonable to assume people have been trying to jump in to get away from the flames.

The Bible says that God desires all men to be saved and that He derives no pleasure from their misfortunes. However, once folks are lost in the netherworld, God's attitude towards them takes quite a turn. Folks in Hell are dead to God, and apparently He wants them to be dead to us too; even our loved ones and the BFF for whom we care the most, i.e. personal contact with the other side for hugs and kisses is not allowed.

● Luke 16:26b . .Those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.

NOTE: Luke portrays only a small portion of the geography where Abraham and the rich man conversed; suggesting that the two locations of the chasm where the men stood are peninsulas or narrow cornices.

But I rather suspect that the rims of the chasm are straight and parallel like the banks of a canal; plus extending sufficient distance in either direction to accommodate hundreds, maybe even thousands, of friends and relatives seeking to connect with their loved ones and BFF over on the other side.

TALLY UPDATE: 2,047 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 124,680,723 arrivals have checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Sept 03, 2018.
_

[NyawehNyoh]

.
I once heard a minister tell the story of a fictional busload of Hell's inmates who were given a 30 day furlough for some R&R in Heaven. They all came back the first night because God's world was such a bore.

There were no wild parties, no clothing-optional beaches, no bars, no night clubs, no porn, no escort services, no pigging-out at buffets, no fights, no profanity, no ribaldry, no free sex, no vulgar late-night comedy, no exotic dancers, no X-rated movies, no junk food, no tobacco, no marijuana, no meth, no ecstasy, no LSD, no hunting for sport, no fishing for sport, and no casino gambling.

And the hellsters didn't particularly care for the isolation. None of the good folk in Heaven wanted to associate with them: they were ostracized, they were segregated, and they were quarantined.

Heaven is a pleasant utopia. It's etiquette, its dress code, and its rules of conduct and civility; were way too constraining for the hellsters. Especially suffocating is the mandatory self control everyone has to exercise in their choice of words to avoid hurting people's feelings.

Take for example Wall Street barracudas. Do you really think they'd be happy in Heaven? Or sweat shop operators? Or influence peddlers? Or lobbyists? Or J walking pedestrians? Or LGBTQ? Or greedy capitalists? Or unscrupulous social networking moguls? Or cheap politicians? Or Communists? Or bookies? Or hoarders? Or black marketeers? Or militant activists? Or Critical Race theorists? Or 1619 Project proponents? No. No. No. You see many of the interests that concern Hell's people are unacceptable in Heaven; and in point of fact, none of Heaven's people even want to hear about that stuff. For them that scene is over and they don't want it back.

You know what else is lacking in Heaven? Religious tolerance. There is only one religion up there. What's that tell you? Well; it tells me that the establishment clause of the US Constitution's first amendment doesn't fly in Heaven. The theocratic monarchy in Heaven insists upon dictating everyone's religious preference.

All in all: Heaven's utopian society, coupled with its 24/7 Big Brother oversight, universal surveillance, and strict morality, was just simply too much to ask in exchange for some time off. Heaven, to the hellsters, was little more appealing than a get-away in one of North Korea's prison camps.

TALLY UPDATE: 2,052 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 124,985,268 arrivals have checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Sept 03, 2018.
_

[NyawehNyoh]

.
If there is any good thing that can be said about the netherworld: it's the great equalizer. Political bullies like Kim Jong-Un, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Benito Mussolini, Xi Jinping, Fidel Castro, Mao Zedong, Idi Amin, Muammar Gaddafi, Robert Mugabe, Pol Pot, and Saddam Hussein, et al are powerless down below; they're just another face in the crowd.

● Isa 14:9-10 . . Sheol from beneath is excited over you to meet you when you come. It arouses for you the spirits of the dead, all the leaders of the earth. It raises all the kings of the nations from their thrones. They will all respond and say to you: Even you have been made weak as we. You have become like us.

Jesus once told a parable that advises folk it's wise to exercise kindness and generosity on this side of life because people on the other side will doubtless remember how you treated them here. The thing is: folks should expect to be victims of a certain amount of cruelty on the wrong side of the netherworld because down there what's the point in being civil? So it's wise to build up a following of folk up here who owe you a favor so that when you arrive down there, you'll have some friends instead of only foes looking to get even.

TALLY UPDATE: 2,057 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 125,289,813 arrivals have checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Sept 03, 2018.
_

[NyawehNyoh]

.
Not everyone is going to be judged on the basis of hearing + believing the gospel of Christ. There are untold millions who never heard, nor will ever hear tell, of Jesus; let alone his crucifixion for the sins of the world.

However, the beauties and complexities of nature: on earth and out in the void, speak loudly and clearly enough that the cosmos-- all its forms of life, matter, and energy --is the result of intelligent design. And the human conscience intuitively knows that there is going to be a reckoning. This is what's known as the everlasting gospel (Rev 14:6-7) and it has been preaching to men all over the globe from the very beginning. (Ps 19:1-6, & Rom 1:18-20, & Rom 2:14-16)

According to Rom 10:18, nature itself is accounted as a gospel. This is pretty cool because by nature's gospel, folks all over the globe-- those categorized as barbaric, primitive, and uneducated --can qualify for God's good graces.

* Can you just imagine the indignation and outrage of an educated genius doomed to the depths of Hell while an illiterate aboriginal with a bone in his nose is carried aloft to the comforts of Heaven?

TALLY UPDATE: 2,062 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 125,594,358 arrivals have checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Sept 03, 2018.
_