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WHATEVER HAPPENED TO HELL?
By
Michael L. Trapasso
Attorney and Counselor At Law
DOCTORATE IN JURISPRUDENCE SUMMA CUM LAUDE
Preface
ONE NIGHT, I AWOKE FROM A DEEP SLEEP; AS I WAS
AWAKENING, I SET-UP IN MY BED. I HEARD THESE
WORDS SPOKEN TO ME,
"WHATEVER HAPPENED TO HELL?" IMMEDIATELY, I KNEW
I WAS BEING INSTRUCTED BY THE LORD TO WRITE THIS
BOOKLET - WHATEVER HAPPENED TO HELL?
The John Wayne of our family was my Uncle Ray – he was a tall Texan,
handsome ... and yes, a cowboy. His cattle ranch was on the outskirts
of Huntsville, Texas. Strong and independent, he seemed to have little
need or interest in religion. Something happened that changed all of that.
In 1978, this rugged cowboy was working in his pasture when suddenly
he began to experience chest pains. He rested under an old tree, but
was no better. A few hours later he was in the emergency room having
suffered a massive heart attack. The emergency staff worked tirelessly
to save him. Soon, however, he lost consciousness ... only to awaken to
a greater and deeper consciousness.
As his life slipped away, he descended, according to his own testimony,
to a place that was unmistakable: into the regions of the damned! This
rough, tough icon of masculinity experienced such terror that it melted
away the persona of fearlessness.
After he descended into this bottomless pit, absolute horror gripped him
as the doors to this black hole of hell began to open for him. He knew
once he entered, there would be no exiting of this place of eternal night.
The staff was able to save his life before he made an entrance into
this hellish abyss. Upon regaining consciousness, he told the story of
what happened to him. He asked for a Bible and read it. In it, he found
a description of the place he had been to and never wanted to return
again - a place called ‘hell.’ So shaken by the experience, he not only
became deeply religious, but later became a pastor, warning others
of that dreadful place.
After my Uncle’s experience and the life-changing effect it had on him,
the question of hell’s existence was settled for him. Many people, however,
if not most, while believing in a heaven, doubt that there is such a hell.
PURPOSE OF THIS BOOKLET - E- BOOKLET
The purpose of this BOOKLET is to address such questions as: Is there
a rational basis for a belief in hell in this day of enlightenment? Is hell
really real? We think the evidence shows there is not only a rational basis,
but a compelling one - and so much so, that it demands a response from
a reasonable person.
NATURE
Nature has proven to be a wonderful teacher. Take the lowly ants for example.
Merely watching them for a while, one learns the value of organization, hard
work and cooperative effort for the common good.
Birds too, have not only aided our understanding of the dynamics of flight,
but flamed our passion for freedom. Is there anyone who has watched
these creatures soar effortlessly thru the sky and not admired the beauty
and value of their freedom? As long as birds fly, they will remain a testimony
to mankind that freedom is better than bondage, better than tyranny.
Even the changing seasons of the year are nature’s witness and reminder
of the transitory nature of our own lives. And speaking of our lives, nature
has a clarion message – for those who will listen – about the nature of the
afterlife.
Nature, indeed, strongly suggests the nature of reality beyond the grave.
Consider the‘extremes in life expressed the imprint of dualism’ upon our
very existence:
birth/death,
entrance/exit,
day/night,
good/evil,
healthy/sick,
odor/odorless,
taste/tasteless,
balanced/unbalanced,
silence/noise,
happy/sad,
up/down,
right/wrong,
yes/no,
victory/defeat,
sight/blindness,
straight/crooked,
pure/impure,
sweet/bitter
seal/unloose,
break/fix,
dry/wet
loud/silent,
white/black,
open/close
and positive/negative (electricity) to cite a some examples. Yes,
this dualism, this two-ness, this either/or – as forms of opposite extremes,
is plainly the nature of our reality. Amazing isn’t it?
Now think about it; for peace of mind, a person may choose to believe that
there is birth, but no death; that there is day, but no night; that there is
good, but no evil; that there is sweet, but no bitter; that there is a positive
charge, but no negative. Would disbelief in these opposites – that is, in
death, night, evil, bitter and a negative charge cause these to not exist?
Of course not! The whole world could believe these realities do not exist,
but it would have no effect ... they would just continue to be real.
Yet, this seems to be precisely the state of mankind. Let me explain.
The majority of people believe in a heaven or some vague notion of a
pleasant state in the life to come. They not only believe this, but also
believe their loved ones will be there with them.
But if you were to ask these same people, “Do you believe there is a
place called hell in the life to come and is it possible you or your loved
ones could be there for eternity?” Many, if not most, would say, “No”
to both questions. No offense is intended, but such thinking is irrational.
It seems that mankind – to overcome the fear of the unknown – imagines
one place, but denies the other. Nature, by way of the ostrich, tells us
that sticking-the-head-in-the-sand approach to dangerous or unpleasant
realities, doesn't make the danger disappear. Now I ask the reader to
consider this: “In this dual nature of our existence, as illustrated in the
examples above (birth/death, etc), is even rational to believe there is no
dualism in the life to come of extremes, only a heaven but not a hell?
SIGNS FROM ABOVE
To many, because they have neither seen nor experienced the reality
of hell, they, therefore, do not believe it exists. Unfortunately, such
reasoning is flawed. For example, while reading this pamphlet, you
may be sitting perfectly still ... or so it seems. All of your senses, at
this precise moment, would suggest to you this calmness, this stillness
is in fact your state of reality. The truth is, however, – right now – you,
the author and the rest of humanity are spinning thru space on the
earth’s axis at a speed of up to 1,000 m.p.h. (depending on your
exact location). Buckle your seat belt. You are also traveling even
faster – approx. 67,000 m.p.h. in a circular motion around a huge,
flaming ball we call our sun. Are you dizzy yet? Hold on to your hat.
You are also traveling approx. 490,000 m.p.h. as our solar system
travels around our galaxy!
This journey by you thru space doesn't seem real does it ... but it
is ... you space traveler you! Does the fact it doesn't seem real
negate such reality? No, it doesn't and the point is, neither would
a disbelief in a place called hell negate its reality.
BLACK HOLES
Yes, nature speaks to those who will listen. The sun is wonderful,
bathing the earth with light and heat. But there is a dark side to the
universe: black holes. The nature of black holes is such that
descriptions of them are found – not just in science books – but in
horror stories and films as well.
Black holes are invisible holes in space. You can't see them with human
eyes, nevertheless, they're there. If warning signs could be posted in
space before these gigantic suck holes, the words, ‘ABANDON ALL
HOPE, YE WHO ENTER IN’ would be appropriate. Black hole is an
apt name because even light itself cannot escape from the clutches of
a black hole! If it be true that the phenomenon of black holes is a sign
in the heavens, what warnings do they declare? Are not black holes
analogous to that which is described in the afterlife? Strange is it not,
that Jesus Christ described hell as an ‘outer darkness’ from which there
is no escape – an eternal black hole one might say. (Matt. 8:12, 15:46,
22:13; Luke 16:26).
FIRE BENEATH OUR FEET
Earlier, reference was made to the reader’s perception of sitting still
while reading this booklet. It was pointed out, however, contrary to
such perception, we are all ‘men in motion’ (ladies, pardon the use
of masculine gender for both sexes). At times, we rely too much on
our five senses to grasp the nature of reality around us.
Consider the earth, our temporary abode. Whenever in flight, the
author looks forward to getting his feet planted on the ground
again. The ground, envisioned as security, is of course the upper
crust of the earth. This crust varies in thickness, but on average,
it is only about twenty miles deep. That, my fellow earth dweller,
means that this safety net we call the crust, is only an extremely
small percentage of the earth’s mass – approximately .0005%. Relatively
speaking, this very thin layer is the only thing protecting us from being
pulled down by gravity to the next layer, the mantle. The mantle is
approximately 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. Extremely hot considering water
boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit. This mantle is approximately 1800 hundred
miles thick.
Beneath it is the earth’s core, approximately 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit – hotter
than the sun! While not continuously cognizant of this reality, we are reminded
of it, nevertheless, when we see on the national news pictures of an explosive
volcano. The ascending smoke, the ground shaking force, the spewing of hot,
molten fire and lava, high into a black sky are the voice of nature speaking
once again. Such explosive events in nature sound an alarm. They say in the
natural (with overtones of the spiritual) what an ancient prophet, John the
Baptist warned. He spoke of fleeing from the ‘wrath to come,’ warning those
who don’t, they would suffer destruction by ‘unquenchable fire.’(Matt. 3:8,12)
So too, volcanoes remind us that we live on a fiery ball, protected only by a
few miles of ground. Were this thin layer suddenly removed, our fate would
be sealed by fire.
Based on an ancient text of Scripture (I Peter 3:20), the ground might properly
be analogized to the longsuffering and mercy of God, only temporarily protecting
us from the wrath to come.
WITNESS SUBSTANIATION
This booklet began with my uncle’s testimony of having descending into the
regions of the damned. His witness bore great weight with many who knew
him because of the immediate, radical change that he made in his life. His
witness is not alone, however; there are many others.
My wife’s physician, Dr. Donald R. Whitaker of Jefferson, Texas is an
outstanding doctor. In fact, he was honored as Doctor of the Day six years
in a row in Oklahoma. Dr. Whitaker was an avowed atheist. Something
happened to him that changed all that. In 1975 he was diagnosed with acute
hemorrhagic necrotic pancreatitis. After surgery was performed on
him, he was expected to live only six hours, no more than seventy-two.
While he lay dying, suddenly, according to his own testimony, he slid
down into a “black void like you can’t believe, it is so black...” He had a
feeling of ‘impending doom.’ He was so frightened, he couldn't stop
shaking. After this terrifying descent, he saw what appeared to be
flickering fire. Three times during this, the longest night of his life, he
descended into the horrid blackness. According to his own testimony, he
was prayed over by a Christian friend for approximately three days after
coming off the respirator and laying in a coma. After receiving prayer, he
then came to know Jesus as his Lord and Savior and received a miraculous
healing. Since that time (some twenty-five years ago), he has radically
changed his life, still proclaiming Jesus as his Lord and Savior.
In 1933, Kenneth Hagin’s heart stopped beating; he had an incurable heart
condition. He descended down, down, down into a pit. “Darkness encompassed
me ‘round about – darkness that is blacker than any night man has ever
seen,” is how he described that awful experience. The farther down he went,
the darker and hotter it became. At last as he descended, he could see fingers
of light on the darkness wall. Like Dr. Whitaker, he also traveled downward
three times. Likewise, this experience caused him to cry out to God resulting
in salvation; later Kenneth Hagin was healed of his heart condition that five
doctors said he had to die from.
OTHER DEATH BED TESTIMONIES
In the summer of 1849 in New York City, there was a Cholera rage. As a
result, Davis W. Clark witnessed many a person’s dying words. He made a
compilation of these testimonies in a 569 page book entitled, Death Bed
Scenes. Below are just a few examples from his book of the some of the last
words of people who were dying:
“I see a sad, horrible night approaching, bringing with it the blackness of darkness
forever ... this is but the beginning of sorrows!”
“until this moment, I believed that there was neither a God nor a hell. Now I know
and I feel that there are both and I am doomed to perdition by the just judgment
of the Almighty.”
“Last night I believe I was in hell and felt the horrors and torments of the damned!
But God has brought me back again and given me a little longer respite.”
SACRED WRITINGS
Various ancient texts from Christendom’s sacred book, the Bible, warn of such a place as described by those whose testimony is cited above:
“And as he was tormented in Hades ... he cried out and said ... send Lazarus to
dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in torment in this
flame.” (Luke16:23-24) “Their part will be in the lake that blazes with fire and
brimstone.” (Rev. 21:8).
“ ... there no longer remains any other sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful
expectation of judgment and a fiery indignation...” (Heb. 10:27)“... but the sons
of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; there will be the
wailing and the gnashing of teeth.” Matt. 8:12)
Jude 1:6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
Jude 1:7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
Jude 1:12-23: Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for
ever...And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire...;
DECEPTION
Suppose with me for a moment that there really is a satan, that he and an army
of fallen angels were thrown out of heaven ages ago. Suppose with me further
that he hates God and that this satan knows his destiny is eternal damnation.
What would you expect him to do? Would he not try and turn mankind away
from God? Would he not try to bring as many people as he could to hell with him?
Assuming this is true, how then would he implement such a master plan? First,
would he not contradict what God has said to mankind about a coming judgment?
In fact, this is precisely what we find satan doing in the opening pages of the Bible
written thousands of years ago. In Genesis the 3rd chapter, we have an account of
the woman God made for Adam being lied to He tells her that, contrary to what God
has said, she will not suffer destruction for disobeying God. Convinced, she
disregards what God has said, but to her horror, she suffers the fate God
had warned her of. Likewise the masses today, like this first woman, have been
deceived too. They no longer believe God will punish sin and disobedience; they
no longer believe they themselves will suffer the fate God has warned of: an
eternal night in a place called hell. (Some of you might say, "I don't believe
this, I believe in evolution." Friends, I taught evolution both at the high school
and college level. After teaching the theory of evolution to my students, I would
then inform my students that I was required to teach you this "junk science"
they call evolution, but that evolution has no basis in reallity - but is pure
fiction without repeatable verifiable experiments to prove the same. It is not
worthy to even be called a theory, but is a modern day myth used by man
to run from accountability to God Who will judge all in the last day. I would then
given them mountains of solid, scientific evidence to support creation.)
Back to reality, Satan has a second ploy that’s just as dangerous and effective
as the first. This second strategy is simple: change man’s perception of hell. How?
Have so-called heroes – rock stars, movie stars and the like, make light of hell,
make fun of hell. Make hell the butt of all kinds of jokes, of plays, movies and
books. Begin the brain washing at an early age – create cartoon characters of
a cute red devil with a pitch-fork in his hand and cause the little ones to laugh
and laugh real hard. Continue the process by putting such imagery on products
and labels. Let the bigger-than-life tough guy, magnify his machismo by saying,
“hell this and hell that” so that hell itself becomes in the public’s mind, no more
than a ‘cuss word’ rather than reference to an actual place. The sheep will
surely follow. His plan has worked rather well, don’t you think?
The next time you hear a joke about hell or you see an audience mesmerized
by some movie star demeaning the reality of hell in word and deed, remember
that someday the laughter will stop.
JUSTICE
“I want justice” is a cry from the lips of mankind, regardless of their station in life.
Whether it’s the victim of a crime or the perpetrator of that crime mistreated in
prison, both want justice.
Some would define justice as the impartial assignment of merited rewards or
punishment. The desire to right the wrong is universal. No wonder we have a
Justice Department! From the dawn of history, the world has known injustice on
a global scale. This universal desire for justice will be perfectly meted out at the
end of time described as the Day of Judgment. Daniel, the Jewish writer,
described it as some arising to everlasting life, others to everlasting shame
and contempt.
What kind of God would God be if He himself did not right the wrong by doing
justice. Is God, Who is called the Righteous Judge, going to allow Adolph Hitler in
heaven with the little children he murdered? Not if God is a God of justice – and
He is. “For truly God’s justice must render back trouble to those who are troubling
you, and give to you, who now are troubled, rest, along with me at the unveiling of
the Lord Jesus from heaven, with his mighty angels, in flaming fire. Then
shall he take vengeance on those who know not God, even on those who do
not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.” (II Thes. 1:6-9)
BURN VICTIMS - LITTLE CHILDREN
As part of a Legal Medicine course in law school, I, along with my classmates,
watched an autopsy at Ben Taub Hospital in the basement morgue. What was
particularly grievous to me was seeing the burned bodies of little children who had
died in a fire. Such a tragedy and horrendous end cannot be adequately expressed
in mere words. Yet there is something out of this tragedy, and so many others like it,
that speaks a clear message to all of mankind. That message is this: Since the God
of heaven allows such a terrible end for the most innocent of victims (though He did
not will it or cause it) and these little victims sometimes linger for many days in
pain before they die, how can you reader, or for that matter, any reasonable
person believe that this same God would not punish the unrighteous and disobedient
in the day of Judgment? Yet so many people have been deceived (by you know
who) into believing God would not permit people to descend into hell.
CONCLUSION
To the question, whatever happened to hell, the answer is “nothing.” Hell remains. It
holds forever, within its grip the lost – some of whom, God forbid, you might even
know. There are no exits, only entrances - no one will escape. Though a person
may deny hell exists, nevertheless, it awaits patiently for them, knowing death will
surely take hold of the lost, terrified and screaming to this bottomless, hellish abyss.
It is in this, their eternal home of the damned, that they really experience full
awareness of their eternal state. The worst part of all, is that they will know that
for sure, they will never, never, never, never ever be free from this damnation.
The Apostle Peter wrote, “But the heavens and the earth which now exist are
kept in store by the same word, reserved for fire until the day of judgment and
perdition of ungodly men...”
Wake up out of your slumber, wake up I say. If your lost, it is really true: something
wicked your way comes.
Today is the day of salvation. Accepting Christ into your life is not about religion,
it is about the privilege of being free from sin and its guilt, and about the peace that
passes all understanding, giving you the assurance that if you died today,
you would be in heaven - a place too beautiful to describe with mere words.
The great news for you, my friend, is, “The Lord is ... longsuffering toward us,
not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance”
(II Peter 3:7-9). Yes, God is a loving God and has provided a way of escape.
“For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the
world through him might be saved” (Jn. 3:16-17). If you haven’t done
so already, I would encourage the reader to trust in the Lord Jesus
Christ. Simply call upon His Name (Jesus Christ) for salvation (Acts 2:21)
by purposing in your heart to turn away from sin (repentance) and then confess
with your mouth that Jesus is Lord of your life at the very moment you are
descending into the waters of baptism in the name of Jesus Christ
for the forgiveness of your sins(Mk. 16:16, Acts 2:38).; receive his Holy Spirit
evidenced by the utterance of another language flowing from your lips. Thereafter live
a life worthy of the glorious salvation ( which was purchased for you with the blood of
God’s only Son, Jesus Christ (II Pet. 3:11.14). One walks worthy, by walking
in love toward others which includes forgiving others of wrong. Live above reproach
as much as possible And remember in your journey thru life, trust in His Grace;
not in your works.
Lastly, join me in That Great Day when He welcomes His own into that glorious
kingdom called heaven while sadly, the masses of humanity who rejected God’s
Only Son, go weeping and wailing into that place called hell. Last, warn
others of this place called hell, and share the good news of your salvation
in Jesus Christ.
Poem about Hell
Ten thousand demons
from a raging, burning hell,
shrieked and screamed when into the
flames they fell.
Oh, from that place of eternal night,
they beg for water, they beg for light,
But there they are and
there they will ever be,
forever cast into that fiery sea.
About the author:
• Doctorate in Jurisprudence summa cum laude 1983 South Texas College of Law.
Practices law in Beaumont, Texas.
• Former science teacher (biology and physical science). Also, a former instructor
in law, math and English.
Founder and Publisher of SCIENCE & SCRIPTURE magazine on the
Evidence for Creationism and against Evolution.
• Author of the books, YOUR CALCULATOR KNOWS and
WHEN GOD CAME DOWN (A story of about God miraculously intervening
in a child custody case),
If this writing has helped you in anyway, the author welcomes you
to contact the person who forwarded or gave it to you.
e-mail address of author: [email protected]
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