Xlll

“Are you tempted to feel jealous over Seven’s Camaro?” Destiny asked Brock as they traveled down the interstate in Destiny’s pale yellow VW bug.

“No, you know I prefer Mustangs. Especially Shelby’s.”

“You keep looking in the rearview mirror.”

“I don’t like how close he’s following.”

“You have to admit it’s a nice looking car.”

“It’s a fine looking car, but fluorescent green?”

“I like the color,” Destiny said as she looked over her shoulder at Seven’s Camaro.”

“To each his own.”

A couple of hours later, they pulled off the highway onto a gravel road and began the last two miles of their trek.

“He’s keeping plenty of distance now,” Brock chuckled. “This gravel road is one of the reasons I sold my Shelby.”

“Wow, you weren’t kidding about this being a hundred year old house,” Seven Sallie said as Brock showed him around the acreage. “Pretty shabby, it looks two hundred years old.”

“It is pretty rough,” Brock admitted calmly, even though Seven’s tacky bluntness irritated him . “Since I bought the place, I’ve spent almost all my time on the inside. Hopefully by next fall the outside will be done.”

When they stepped inside, Seven whistled admiringly. “Wow, looks like a fancy mansion on the inside. Nice work.”

Brock felt a surge of pride and  then shook his head. He had always tried to live by the philosophy that people can only bring you down if you let them. But reality proved that words have power. In only a few minutes time he went from desiring to punch Seven to giving him a friendly pat on the back.

Brock showed Seven to his room as he helped him carry his things in. Seven asked to use the restroom and then declared he was ready to get to their Bible study about hell. Brock made his way to the sofa and sat down hard, groaned and rubbed his temples.  Concerned, Destiny went to him, sat on the edge of the couch and gently rubbed his back. “What’s wrong Sweetie?”

“I’ve got a powerful headache,” Brock said with a moan. Destiny had noticed him wincing numerous times during the last hour of their drive. Now she winced herself at the possibility of having to entertain Seven by herself.

“Do you want me to get you a couple of aspirin?”

“Please.”

“I told you not to drink anymore of that Deathwish coffee,” she said gently. “You had four cups when you normally have no more than two cups of half café.”

“I only had two cups of Deathwish.”

“Sweetie, I saw you go to the pot four times.”

“But only the first was a full cup. The other three were just a splash each time. Well, I suppose pretty generous splashes. ”

“See.”

“But I hadn’t slept good. That coffee was really perking me up.”

“You probably have a caffeine hangover.”

Destiny turned toward the steps when she heard Seven galloping down. Brock got up quickly, groaned, clutched his head with both hands and laid back down.

“What’s with him?” Seven asked with a frown.

“He’s got a bad headache,” Destiny replied.

“That came on pretty sudden,” Seven Sallie said and then smirked. “He must want to get out of our study about hell.”

“Not so,” Brock said as he sat up. He started to stand up, but quickly sat back down. “Dee, could you get me a couple more aspirin?”

“Sweetie, that’s too many at once. That’s bad for your stomach. Just lay back down, I’ll study with Seven.”

“You,” Seven Sallie said with a frown.

“Why not?” Destiny said with a shrug. “Brock and I come from the same perspective.”

“It just won’t be the same. I wanted to put Brock in his place,” Seven Sallie said. A soft snore emanated from Brock as if in reply. “How could he have fallen asleep so quick?”

“He was pretty tired.”

“I have plenty of Deathwish coffee.”

“I think he needs sleep, not another caffeine high.”

“Oh well,” Seven sighed. “I guess we’ll just have to study later.”

“What about me? Are you afraid you might actually be put in place by a former stripper and porn star?” Destiny asked with hands on hips and a challenging step toward Seven.

Seven was startled at the defiance in this dainty woman. Then her girlish beauty combined with a fierce scowl, light pink scar on her cheek and small bump on her nose made him laugh. He had never seen an adult look so cute and tough at the same time.

“Don’t you mean dancer and actress?” Seven asked.

Destiny thought about kicking him in the shin. Then she made herself turn on a radiant smile. “Yes, I do. I stand corrected. Now let’s go correct you on the erroneous concept of eternal torment. I see you have your Bible. Shall we proceed to the kitchen table?”

“We shall, me lady,” Seven replied.

“First of all, I want to apologize Seven,” Destiny said as they sat down.

“For what?”

“For saying I want to correct you and put you in your place,” she said with a sigh. “Seeking spirituality is not a competition, it’s a way of personal growth, a way of life.”

“No need to apologize,” Seven Sallie said and then shrugged. “But I can’t help it. I want to put you and Brock in your place.”

“No offence, but you can be so annoying.”

“None taken,” he replied with another shrug. “It seems to be a specialty of mine.”

“And you seem to have perfected it.”

“Okay, now I’m offended,” Seven Sallie said, and then they both laughed. “Alrighty then, do you want to go first?”

“Why don’t we start with you explaining your position and then I’ll go over ours.”

“Sounds fair. Okay, why don’t we turn too…”

“Seven, do you mind if we begin with prayer?”

“No,” Seven Sallie said slowly and with a puzzled expression. “I mean no I don’t mind. Will you do the honors?”

They bowed their heads and Destiny asked for wisdom, guidance and God’s presence. Seven had initially bowed his head, but then peeked at Destiny as she spoke to God. He marveled at the new life Brock had with this intriguing woman in the middle of fly over country. He watched her lips move and began to admire them with carnal fascination. Then he closed his eyes. Not over guilt at the beginnings of lust, but in focused determination with the task at hand.

Seven didn’t even understand his own thoughts. If he was so impressed with how Brock and Destiny had changed their lives for the better, why was he so determined to prove their spiritual beliefs misguided? Pride in his knowledge? Justification of his own irreverent, fallen condition?

With the conclusion of her prayer, Seven began to systematically go from scripture to scripture to prove his point. Destiny patiently waited, knowing she would be repeating the same verses from a different perspective as well as additional scripture for emphasis.

“One more and then the ball’s in your court,” Seven Sallie said. “Go to Mark 9:43. Do see the last part? Go into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched.”

“I agree,” Destiny replied as she spoke for the first time since her prayer. “It simply means man cannot put it out. It doesn’t mean in never goes out. Jeremiah 17:27 says that Jerusalem was destroyed with unquenchable fire. In 2Chronicles 36: 19-21 it says this fire turned the city to ashes. Yet we know this fire went out because Jerusalem is not burning today.”

“What about the everlasting fire Matthew 25:41 warns about?”

“Okay Seven, would you say eternal is every bit as long as everlasting?”

“Absolutely.”

“Jude 1:7 tells us that Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed with eternal fire. But these cities are not burning today. The fire went out after everything was burned up. The effects of the fire are eternal, or everlasting if you prefer, but not the burning itself.”

“What about the verse I showed you that says the wicked receive everlasting punishment?”

“Notice that the word is punishment, not punishing. Punishing would be continuous, while punishment is a single act. The punishment of the wicked is ultimately death and this death is everlasting or eternal death.”

“I thought of another verse,” Seven Sallie said. “Turn to 2 Peter 3:10. See that at the end of the scripture? The earth and the works therein shall be burned up.”

“Right,” Destiny replied with a frown. “You’re making my point. Burned up. Not continuously burning, but burned up.”

“What about where I showed you that the wicked are tormented forever?”

“Forever simply means the duration of a person’s life in that context. In the case of a man, it means as long as he lives. Psalm 48:14 is a good example. It says for this God is our God for ever and ever: even unto death. If you look at Revelation 20:14, it says death and hell were cast into a lake of fire. This is the second death. You see, hellfire does destroy the wicked as well as the earth. But then in Revelation 21:1 John tells us he saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth are passed away. So you see Seven, the earth and the wicked were destroyed the first time by a worldwide flood. But the second and last time the earth will be destroyed by fire. In a nutshell, hell is an event, not a place.”

Seven stared at Destiny with a stunned expression as he absorbed her explanation and perspective. His mind whirled in confusion.

“Look at the unfathomable love of Calvary and the sacrifice Jesus made for you and me to redeem us!” Destiny said as she took a hold of Seven’s hand as her eyes welled up. “God is a God of love and forgiveness. Verse 4 of Revelation 21 says He is going to wipe away all tears, and there will be no more death, pain or sorrow.”

Seven’s lower lip began to quiver and he fought hard to steady it. He may have been a smaller, prettier version of Brock. But he was every bit as macho and then some. Luckily, Destiny let go of his hand and flipped through the pages of her Bible in search of a verse.

“Listen to what Ezekiel 33:11 says,” she began. “As I live says the Lord God. I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked. But that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways, for why will ye die? And in Luke 9:56 Jesus says: For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. Romans 6:23 says: for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. So tell me Seven, do you believe the wicked have eternal life?”

“Of course not.”

“Then how can they be existing in a place called hell?”

“Well, maybe they are there waiting for the judgement.”

“If God is handing out the punishment before the judgement, what would even be the point of a judgement?”

“Well,” Seven stammered. “I don’t know…”

“The book of Ecclesiastes chapter 9 tells us that the dead don’t know anything. The Bible even calls death a form of sleep until Jesus returns and then the resurrection. But the state of the dead is another study in and of itself. Did you want to take a look at that next?”

“No, I’m good for now,” Seven stammered. “I’ve got a lot to think about here.”

“Of course we only scratched the surface on hellfire and judgement,” Destiny giggled. “Do you want to turn to…”

“Dee, I’ve got a headache,” Seven Sallie said. “Maybe there’s something going around.”

Seven rose hastily, grabbed his Bible, and turned to flee.

“Thanks for studying a little with me,” Destiny said.

“No, thank you, Dee,” Seven replied. “I need to take something for my headache.”

“Do you want some aspirin? We have ibuprofen too.”

“No thanks. I have something.”

Destiny watched Seven gallop up the stairs and then heard his bedroom door slam behind him. She prayed for him. Then she prayed that she didn’t do anything in word or attitude to displease God during their study. When she prayed for her husband and his headache, he stirred on the sofa  where he had been sleeping.