Crowded Cities
Pushing, shoving, and a general air of discontent with having so many others around is typical of the crowded city. With the heat and smoky air people also become irritable, and violence breaks out as a common occurrence. Fresh drinking water would surely help sooth frayed nerves, but congestion demands that jammed city dwellers settle for recycled water. To add to the tension, some crowded cities seem to attract all races, and problems from racial mixing develop. The general condition that results is an ugly lack of peace and love among fellow creatures of the same species.
The city of the damned will certainly be jammed (Matthew 7), and pushing, shoving, and discontent will surely be typical there also. With the heat and smoke billowing up around all souls, there will be irritation and violence in plenty. Many of the lost will cry out for water of any kind (fresh or not), but to their dismay it will be denied them (Luke 16). Fortunately, man’s nature of making a negative issue of racial differences will be no problem. The total darkness in hell will prevent anyone from noticing anything about their fellow lost souls. The general condition of the crowded city below will become a burning, turbulent, rolling mass of screaming, cursing, and hatred filled souls hopelessly lost in outer darkness. Indeed, there will be a distinct lack of peace and love there.
Now the present generation has achieved a high educational level which makes many people doubt the existence of the crowded city called hell. Belief in hell is commonly ranked with belief in the tooth fairy and leprechauns. However, the place is discounted and ridiculed, its veracity does rest upon the words of Jesus Christ. He spoke of hell (and heaven) in “no uncertain terms.” Christ was a historic person as even secular and atheistic historians reveal. Therefore, the existence of hell ultimately rests upon the integrity of Jesus Christ. As the Jewish Messiah and revealed God-man of all ages, did He tell lies or the truth? To deny hell is to bash our Lord’s sincerity, AND the veracity of the Scriptures.
-- Isaiah 33:14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling has seized the godless: "Who among us can dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us can dwell with everlasting burning?"
-- Matthew 10:28 "Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell." Jesus Christ said that.
-- Mark 9:43 ". . . it is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire." Jesus Christ said that.
-- Luke 16:24 (the lost) called out, ". . . I am in anguish in this flame."
* No one makes an honest case for the Gospel without presenting the Biblical hell.
The fact of people being crowded into cities is indeed a distressing fact of life. Even more distressing is the idea of those same unfortunate souls being assigned to an infinitely worse crowded city called hell. Fortunately, each and every person has the opportunity to improve his or her destiny through faith in and obedience to Christ. Admittedly, the fear of hell probably moves only a few toward salvation, but each soul is worth more than the world. To sum up, it should be said that if any person dislikes crowded cities, he should avoid hell at all costs. "Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are they that put their trust in him." Psalms 2:12 Choose Jesus he is alive, and be blessed.
Many other titles: www.gospelnotes.org * * F. J. Stone * *
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