Hell's Daily Body Count

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Matt 7:13-14 . . Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is
the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate
and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Matt 22:14 . . For many are called, but few are chosen.

Few and Many are relative quantities regardless of their amounts.

For example; no matter how many people are represented by the great crowd
depicted at Rev 7:9-10, their number will be less than the number of folk
represented by the dead depicted at Rev 20:11-15.

In other words: the number of people ultimately saved will be less than the number
of people ultimately lost no matter how big or little their respective numbers turn
out to be.

BODY COUNT UPDATE: 284 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures
in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 21,333,796 new arrivals have
checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Feb 04, 2021.
_
 
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1Cor 1:26 . . Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in
the world's eyes

That verse is useful for illustrating that "few" doesn't always pertain to a handful,
rather, it's simply a contrast between the majority and the minority, least vs most,
large vs small, maximum vs minimum, ounces vs pounds, dimes vs dollars, feet vs
yards, etc.

Some of the Bible's uses of the word "wise" don't always apply to folks born with a
high IQ. Wisdom can also pertain to education; which doesn't make someone eo
ipso smart, it just makes them informed; and if informed enough, they can even
qualify as an expert witness in legal matters.

Anyway; education and/or a high IQ have their uses; but are insufficient when it
comes to spiritual matters. In point of fact, those kinds of wisdom 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.

"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.


NOTE: 1Cor 1:26 isn't saying that no smart people become Christians; only that on
the whole; the smart folk constitute a smaller percentage in comparison to the not
so smart folk.

BODY COUNT UPDATE: 287 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures
in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 21,559,153 new arrivals have
checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Feb 04, 2021.
_
 
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1Cor 3:9-15 . .We are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.
According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I
laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But let each man be careful how
he builds upon it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid,
which is Jesus Christ.

. . . Now if any man builds upon the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones,
wood, hay, straw, each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it,
because it is to be revealed with fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of each
man's work. If any man's work which he has built upon it remains, he shall receive
a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall
be saved, yet so as through fire.

The judgment above is commonly mistaken for the judgment spoken of in Rev
20:11-15. But there are crucial differences worth noting.

1» The fire spoken of at 1Cor 3:5-15 burns the people's works. The fire spoken of
at Rev 20:11:15 burns the people.

2» The people walk away alive from the fire spoken of at 1Cor 3:5-15. None of the
people walk away alive from the fire spoken of at Rev 20:11-15.

3» The people are awarded at the judgment spoken of at 1Cor 3:5-15. The people
are punished at the judgment spoken of at Rev 20:11-15.

The passage is sometimes appropriated by Catholics to defend the doctrine of
Purgatory. However, a note in the current official Catholic Bible-- the 2011 New
American Bible -says: "The text of 1Cor 3:15 has sometimes been used to support
the notion of a purgatory, though it does not envisage this."

If perchance there are Catholics reading this, I should clue them that the non
Biblical materials (foot notes) in the 2011 New American Bible have a nihil obstat
by Reverend Richard L. Schaefer, Censor Deputatus, and an imprimatur by Most
Reverend Jerome Hanus, O.S.B. Archbishop of Duguque.

Nihil Obstat is defined as: The certification by an official censor of the Roman
Catholic Church that a book has been examined and found to contain nothing
opposed to faith and morals.

Imprimatur is defined as: Approval of a publication under circumstances of official
censorship.

BODY COUNT UPDATE: 290 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures
in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 21,784,510 new arrivals have
checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Feb 04, 2021.
_
 
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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 frightened them, i.e. scared 'em out of their wits.

I have been challenged on occasion as to how I know for sure that my religion is
true. 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 to "know" the terror of the Lord, we'd be
singled out as kooks and crackpots; but for some of us, fear is the only persuasion
that works.

BODY COUNT UPDATE: 293 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures
in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 22,009,867 new arrivals have
checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Feb 04, 2021.
_
 
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Christ is often thought of as a pacifist. But the fact of the matter is, Christ and the
Old Testament's fearsome God are in total agreement.

John 10:30 . . I and my Father are unified.

In other words; Christ would never disapprove of the Flood, nor of the incineration
of Sodom and Gomorrah. In point of fact, via the person of the Word of God
depicted in the opening verses of John's gospel; the gentle Jesus was on hand for
those events, and only too happy to lend a hand.

John 8:29 . . He that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I
do always those things that please Him.

It sometimes puzzles me why Christ's enemies weren't more afraid of him because
when you think about it: if he could cure blindness, then he could just as easily
cause it, and if he could cure paralysis, then he could just as easily cause that too;
and if he could cure the deaf and the dumb, then he could just as easily take away
people's ability to speak and hear; and if he could cure leprosy, then he could just
as easily infect people with it.

And if he could multiply a little to feed thousands, then he could just as easily
thwart abundance to cause the starvation of millions; and if he could calm a storm,
then he could just as easily generate a hurricane; and if he could replace a severed
ear, then he could just as easily remove an ear; and if he could turn water into
wine, then he could just as easily turn water into acid; and if he could exorcise
demons, then he could just as easily muster demons for wide-spread possession.

The first time Christ came, he came as a victim; the next time he will come as a
conqueror. One day out ahead, the sweet little babe away in manger is taking the
reins of this planet, and his administration will be neither soft hearted nor soft
headed.

Ps 2:9-12 . .You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces
like pottery. Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth.
Serve The Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the son, lest he be angry
and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment.

BODY COUNT UPDATE: 296 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures
in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 22,235,224 new arrivals have
checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Feb 04, 2021.
_
 
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I once heard an interviewed US Navy SEAL explain how that if SEALs were to play
hop scotch, it would turn violent because they don't like to lose.

There's a humorous incident depicted in Dante's Inferno where these two guys, who
were bitter rivals in life, are quarreling over who deserves to be in Hell more than
the other.

Well; I think it goes without saying that people competitive to the bone are not the
kind of folk with whom God prefers to associate.

Matt 5:9 . . Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

BODY COUNT UPDATE: 299 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures
in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 22,460,581 new arrivals have
checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Feb 04, 2021.
_
 
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Rev 16:17-18 predicts a global earthquake so powerful on the Richter scale that
cities all over the world will collapse at once.

Something like 2,829 lost their lives when the World Trade Center was demolished
by a terrorist attack in 2001. Well that was only a few acres of New York City. Just
imagine the body count when all of Manhattan comes down at once. along with
other major cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Mexico City, Paris, Moscow,
Beijing, Tokyo, et al. The carnage will be beyond belief; and a great many of the
dead will be infants and underage children.

The Bible says that we should consider not only God's benevolence, but also His
severity. We're dealing with a someone far more terrifying than even North Korea,
Communist China, and/or regimes in Africa.

BODY COUNT UPDATE: 302 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures
in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 22,685,938 new arrivals have
checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Feb 04, 2021.
_
 
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Years ago it wasn't unusual to be called a religious fanatic for believing the
Genesis account of the creation of Man. Well; recently somebody online
called me an ignorant bigot because I stand by the Bible's physical gender
designations and refuse to accept the new political designations, e.g.
transgender and non binary.

Do they seriously think that the One who intelligently designed the cosmos--
all of its forms of life, matter, and energy --won't have the last word on their
gender identity?

Ps 2:1-5 . . Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain
thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel
together, against The Lord, and against His anointed, saying: Let us break
their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in
the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall He
speak unto them in His wrath, and vex them in His sore displeasure.

BODY COUNT UPDATE: 305 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures
in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 22,911,295 new arrivals have
checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Feb 04, 2021.
_
 
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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" is metanoia (met-an'-oy-ah) which
essentially 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 believe in Hell is not when they get
there, rather, before they get there.

BODY COUNT UPDATE: 308 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures
in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 23,136,652 new arrivals have
checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Feb 04, 2021.
_
 
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John 3:16 . . For God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting
life.

The love in that passage is conjugated from the Greek verb agapao, which informs
me that God experiences compassion for the world without particularly liking
anybody. In other words: John 3:16's love is civil and humane but doesn't
necessarily express fondness or affection.

BODY COUNT UPDATE: 311 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures
in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 23,362.009 new arrivals have
checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Feb 04, 2021.
_
 
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People penned up in the fiery section of Hades may or may not be fully aware of all
they've lost. Many are doubtless aware of at least their loss of immortality; 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 association with Christ.

We today are living in what's sometimes called the church age; which is an era that
began with the day of Pentecost per Acts 2:1-2 wherein Christ has been busy
assembling the "my church" he spoke of in Matt 16:18.

The "my church" is very fortunate because it is a joint-heir (a.k.a. heir in common)
with God's son in his Father's estate. (Eph 1:11 and Rom 8:16 17)

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 His son, He bequeathed everyone associated with His son.

For example: supposing a benefactor's estate totals 60 acres of land, 18 gold bars,
plus a hedge fund worth 200,000 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, 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 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 3:35 . .The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand.

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

Heb 2:5 . . It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come

It's a good thing that God's son has been appointed chief executive officer of his
Father's estate because I don't think anybody else among men could ever be relied
upon to manage it properly.

Point being: disbelievers in today's era who fail to be accepted into the "my church"
will end up as deprived paupers in the afterlife, whereas those associated with
God's son will be members of a powerful oligarchy-- wealthy and privileged beyond
imagination.

BODY COUNT UPDATE: 314 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures
in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 23,587,366 new arrivals have
checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Feb 04, 2021.
_
 
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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.

Prior to the invention of radio and television, it was likely thought entirely
miraculous that God is able to observe the brain's imaginations, but now I'm not so
sure. Modern technology has led me to suspect that the human brain broadcasts
signals that can, with appropriate equipment, be received and processed into sound
and pictures that can then be observed and/or recorded like episodes of Murder She
Wrote and the Good Witch.

Modern technology has actually helped to make God's ability to observe dreams far
more believable than ever before. Plus, if the brain is sending signals, then it can
likely receive them too, so that God can send a dream, or an imagination, or a
vision, or a bright idea to your head with little more difficulty than a cell phone
sending a video of your vacation in Tahiti to friends back east in New Hampshire.

Don't laugh. There was a time when it was thought impossible to fly to the moon;
that is until the Russians successfully launched their first Sputnik back in October of
1957.

BODY COUNT UPDATE: 321 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures
in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 24,113,199 new arrivals have
checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Feb 04, 2021.
_
 
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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 criticize 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.

BODY COUNT UPDATE: 325 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures
in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 24,412,675 new arrivals have
checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Feb 04, 2021.
_
 
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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 us in advance for the culture-shock tsunami with
which we are sure to be slammed.

BODY COUNT UPDATE: 328 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures
in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 24,639,032 new arrivals have
checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Feb 04, 2021.
_
 
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Ps 115:17 . .The dead do not praise The Lord, nor do any who go down into
silence

"The dead" in this Psalm likely refers to the folks spoken of in verses 2-8

"any who go down into silence" are again the folks described in verses 2-8.

Psalm 115 tells me that those folks in verses 2 thru 8 might just as well be mute in
the afterlife because The Lord no longer lends them His ear, i.e. they're dead to
God and permanently cut off from His benevolence, viz: The Lord has no interest
whatsoever in either hearing their prayers, nor regarding their worship.

Compare them to the folks spoken of in verse 18 which reads:

"It is we who extol The Lord, both now and forevermore."

Ergo: the time to seek God's favor is now in this life, rather than later after people
have passed on and realized their mistake.

The primo parallel to that is Jacob's brother Esau. Upon realizing the loss of his
father Isaac's blessing, Esau broke down sobbing like a little girl, begging for
another chance; but to no avail.

Isa 55:6 . . Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.

BODY COUNT UPDATE: 331 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures
in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 24,864,389 new arrivals have
checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Feb 04, 2021.
_
 
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FAQ: Was Adam's disobedience a hell-worthy transgression?

A: No.

According to Gen 2:17 it was a death-worthy transgression rather than hell-worthy.
In other words; the proper penalty for Adam's mistake was simply his loss of
immortality. (cf. Gen 3:19 and Gen 3:22)


NOTE: In order for death to resonate in Adam's understanding, it had to be death
as he understood it in his day rather than the way that modern Bible thumpers
construe it in their day. In other words: to Adam's way of thinking; death was
physical rather than spiritual, i.e. normal and natural.

BODY COUNT UPDATE: 334 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures
in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 25,089,746 new arrivals have
checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Feb 04, 2021.
_
 
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Judg 17:1-6 . . A man named Micah lived in the hill country of Ephraim. One day
he said to his mother: I heard you curse the thief who stole eleven hundred pieces
of silver from you. Well, here they are. I was the one who took them. The Lord
bless you for admitting it; his mother replied.

. . . He returned the money to her, and she said: I now dedicate these silver coins
to The Lord. In honor of my son, I will have an image carved and an idol cast. So
his mother took two hundred of the silver coins to a silversmith, who made them
into an image and an idol. And these were placed in Micah's house.

Micah's mother (call her Ophelia) broke the very first commandment of the
covenant that Moses' people agreed upon with God on oath per Exodus, Leviticus,
Numbers, and Deuteronomy by making statuettes to represent God. (Ex 20:2-4

The interesting thing about Ophelia's religious confusion is that Jehovah was her
God; but in the wrong way; viz: her religion was a mixture of truth and error. The
sad part is; Ophelia's mixed up religious beliefs didn't lead only just herself into
disfavor with The Lord, no, it led her offspring into disfavor too.

Christians sometimes extol the mothers of the saints. Well let me tell you
something about mothers. They may mean well; but just because they are mothers
doesn't make them right. Ophelia is a timeless case in point. Mothers are the best
Judas Goats one can imagine. They can lead their children to disaster with far more
effectiveness than the demon world because mothers have the advantage of trust.
Kids are naturally inclined to rely upon their parents, so they are easy victims of
misinformation when the source of that misinformation is moms and dads-- most
especially moms.

You know what can be even worse than going to Hell? Your own children following
you there: and they trusted you. Can you just imagine the mental and emotional
anguish that mothers must feel in the netherworld knowing they brought up their
children to follow an ideology whose pot at the end of the rainbow is filled with
brimstone instead of gold?

BODY COUNT UPDATE: 337 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures
in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 25,315,103 new arrivals have
checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Feb 04, 2021.
_
 
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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 entail, but let's say that it's the number of new
arrivals in today's update.

BODY COUNT UPDATE: 340 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures
in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 25,540,460 new arrivals have
checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Feb 04, 2021.

If each of those 25,540,460 judgments were to take an hour to complete, we'd be
looking at 1,064,186 calendar days, i.e. 2,915+ solar years; that's if the judging
goes around the clock 24/7/365.

Just think of that. In only 340 days, enough cases have accumulated on our
hypothetical docket to keep the great white throne busy a minimum of twenty-nine
centuries. Of course that's only for starters because today's update doesn't take
into account the number of lost souls prior to Sept 18, 2017 and going all the way
back to Adam.

I once commented to a Christian friend about how long it might take for God to
judge the whole world. My friend responded: Well; he has plenty of time.
_
 
.If each of those 25,540,460 judgments were to take an hour to complete, we'd be
looking at 1,064,186 calendar days, i.e. 2,915+ solar years; that's if the judging
goes around the clock 24/7/365.
Please correct me if I am wrong; it appears that you have failed to take several things into consideration:

1) time as we now know it, no longer exists at the Great White Throne Judgement.
REV 20:11And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

2) GOD has HIS own economy of time.
2 Peter 3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
 
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Rev 20:13 . . I saw the dead, and they were judged, every one of them

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 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.

A Danger Foreseen
Is Half Avoided.

Cheyenne Proverb

BODY COUNT UPDATE: 344 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures
in post No.1 are in the ball park, then something like 25,840,936 new arrivals have
checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Feb 04, 2021.
_
 
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