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HELL
The other place is where people have been led to believe is a lot more fun than the empty pinkishness of heaven. "All my friends will be there." Hey, it's party time! Every independent soul believes that this is the ultimate freedom; to snub the Almighty. Their theme song is "I did it my way." They forget that this is all Satan's propaganda. Hell is a dark, isolated place where no one could fashion a tool, write a book, collect anything of value, or do anything worthwhile. The hardest metal there is sulfur. The strongest building material is brimstone, which resembles coal when it is burning. Hell. Rank stinking of sulfurous fumes, combined with the stench of burning brimstone, and of burning flesh. Hell, where a light never shines, and the worm does not die. Hell, where there is no water. Hell, the ultimate slavery, where mere humankind is in thrall to demons and their terrible master Satan. Even if Satan and his horde were chained there, one would have to listen to their shrieks and curses forever. A third of mankind crammed into a few cubic miles. (Perhaps the text of Revelation 12:4 can apply. See "How Many") Hell, where no love exists between mates or families: "But I was only waiting for you to accept Jesus" cries one mate to another, only to be met with utter contempt. Hell, where each one realizes that he is where he deserves to be: The place full of unrepentent liars, murderers, adulterers, whoremongers, gays, lesbians, and pedophiles. You think the people there would be offended by such titles? There are no such polite niceties in that place. (I Corinthians 6:9-11, Revelation 21:18) Hell, the place of all cowards, people who were afraid of Life. There was a solitary shore there once, where millions waited earnestly for redemption, or something, or anything. Beyond that shore was the vast emptiness, a bottomless gulf no one could ever cross. Those millions were redeemed the one and only time Jesus went there. He who descended, also ascended, taking captivity captive, stealing Satan's treasure. (Ephesians 4;8) That was the only light anyone ever saw in that place. The shore will be nearly gone, as the lake becomes full of the bodies of fallen angels and men, lapping close to the edge of the Bottomless Pit. If there are degrees of punishment as there are degrees of reward, then some will be cast on that narrow shore (Luke 12:47-48). Hell, the place of the hopeless: having once looked at the face of God, and seen the glories and joys of Heaven for a brief moment, then to be denied, turned away, cast out finally, forever. The weeping is not so much from the fire as from great loss realized. Some party! So, don't listen to Satan's propaganda about Heaven or Hell. That is not the truth. It is the opposite of what is real. A FICTIONAL ACCOUNT OF SOME WHO WERE ONCE REDEEMED FROM HELL He fell out of the upper darkness directly into the sulfurous lake. His body was covered in a vast cloud of sins. People on the shore of that lake thought that surely this was the worst sinner that had ever lived. Before now, no one had ever entered the lake because it was reserved for proud Lucifer and his angels. People cried aloud at the sight of the one who had fallen into the lake. They cried anew when this One emerged from the lake, walking, and shining with unbearable light. Once on the shore, this One spoke. "Who wants to leave this place and go with me to Paradise?" The vast group of people on the shore were astonished at His words. Many knew instinctively that this was God speaking to them. Others doubted, thinking to themselves, "How could God be covered with sin?" Both doubters and believers knew this One. No one who has ever lived, can look at Him and say, "Who is this?" Everyone knows when they meet Him, that this is God, their Creator. His Name is Jesus. Knowing that, this vast multitude also understood why He came to them. They had died, as Adam had died, because they were mortal. But they did not sin as Adam their father had sinned in the garden when he partook of the forbidden tree. Yes, they had sins of their own, and plenty of them, but the Law was yet given in their lifetimes, for they lived before Moses. So they were here on the shore, by the lake of fire, waiting. They had no place else to go, for Paradise could not have them in their sinful state, but they could not be condemned for breaking a law that was not yet given. There is no Limbo, but they had found themselves in just such a place, —waiting. The One they were waiting for was standing before them on that most desolate shore. He repeated His question: "Who wants to leave this place and go with me to Paradise? I have become the Savior of all men and I offer you eternaL life with me in the Kingdom I am going to inherit." In the future, many theologians would argue about this, and probably write volumes. Some would say that He never really came here, but that it was all merely figurative. Some day, ask one of these people who were here what really happened the day He appeared to rescue them. Some of these people had questions. "How can we leave here? No one has ever left here." These had never seen the power of God at work. Leaving was easy, for the One who created this place, and He wanted to leave with this whole multitude. Others just questioned the whole thing. "We are afraid. This place, we understand, but this Paradise of which you speak is unknown. How do we know you are who you say you are?" They really did know, but were fearful, yea, cowardly. These people might never leave. The Lord knew that this solitary shore would be consumed by the lake as it was filled by its occupants. In that lake would be Satan and all the angels who followed him. Even Death and the Grave would be here. Last of all, members of mankind would be destroyed here. These could go nowhere else, having refused to be redeemed. One day, as this shore collapsed, and as the lake's level grew, there would be some on this shore who would cry and cry for redemption, dying a thousand deaths. They would not be heard; for this day, was their day of visitation. They were afraid. The light of this One blinded them all as He stood before them. For the first time, as their eyes grew used to the light, they saw how they looked. They saw the dirt, and the scars from their former, unredeemed lives. Looking at themselves, and listening to the preaching of this One, they grew more astonished at the fact that He wanted them. Some could take His sweet reasoning no more, and they withdrew toward the back of the group. Others, lost in wonder at His evident love for them, moved closer to hear Him better. This was not a new scene for mankind, for even among the living, daily this same scene is played out all over the earth, as people decide to follow Him or run away. There really is no difference between them and us. As the time of His stay was drawing to a close, His voice increased with passion and urgency to them all. To the thousands and millions there on the compassing shore, He spoke as He moved among them. The greater number followed Him, trying to get close, not wanting to lose Him. They knew not where or how He would take them, nor did it matter, for it would be anywhere but here, and therefore would be better. As He traversed the shore around the lake, others who feared Him, and who had fled to the back of the crowd, now found Him coming around the other side toward them. His light hurt their eyes, so they fled away again. Though He wanted them all, sadly, He knew that a third of them would not follow. Some were ashamed, or proud, or unbelieving, or afraid to follow Him. It did not matter why they chose to stay. Only the fact remained that they would stay here —forever. Once they had divided themselves, not a word was spoken between the two groups. What could be said? Quite suddenly He began to ascend, lighting the upper darkness from which He had first fallen. Those around Him, whom He would lead from this place, were caught up with Him. Soon all those believing on Him were rising too. A new sound broke the stillness of that awful place. Singing! Rejoicing, and a happy tumult from all those being set free! All too soon they were gone, lost in the darkness above. Those that were still thinking about possibly going, began to run toward the place where the others had been. "Don't leave me here!" "Save me too, I want to go now!" . . .But it was too late. He had gone. They were alone again. The place began to wail. Weeping was heard anew in that God-forsaken place, a prelude to the final cacophony that would fill the place all too soon. He had gone. He had bound the master of that place, and had looted his spoil. Happy and joyful were those redeemed from that saddest of places. Weeping, and in despair, were those who chose to remain. The books were balanced now. Those people lost between Adam and Moses were now redeemed, . . or finally lost. The winner was Jesus, who was already looking forward to the final victory over His enemies. The loser was Satan, who had imprisoned those people in vain. The Lord ascended to His throne amid the praise and rejoicing of all the angels of Heaven. As He entered into Heaven, He led captivity captive, in this, His very first campaign. |