461 Clothman Goes to Hell, Part 5: Did Hussein Go to Hell
“Clothman. If there is no literal hell, as you’ve been saying, then what about thugs like Saddam Hussein who caused the death and suffering of so many? What happened to him after his execution?”
Before dawn on Saturday, December 30, 2006, Saddam Hussein ascended the steps of his hanging gallows. Guards placed the noose of a large rope around his neck as Hussein clutched a copy of the Quran. "He was a broken man," one witness said. "He was afraid. You could see fear in his face."
As Hussein murmured prayers, the guards stepped back and suddenly the trap door sprang open. The rope held fast, his neck snapped and Hussein found himself facing God and judgment (Hebrews 9:27).
To Hussein’s absolute terror, his every sin and act of violence was played out in full - in the presence of God. No escape, no excuse, no exception. His life “…will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire…” (1 Corinthians 3:13-15).
Because time had disappeared, Hussein had no idea how long this divine judgment fire burned. Somehow though, it was consuming all the evil in him, but not he himself. “…and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. For the Lord your God is a consuming fire…” (1 Corinthians 3:14-15; Deuteronomy 4:24).
Then came the moment of truth; Hussein’s final judgment announced by God. As he stood Hussein quaked for he knew what it would be. The verdict was then read: “Pardoned.”
“What?” Hussein collapsed in shock. “Why?”
“God demonstrated his own love for you Saddam in this: While you were still a sinner, Christ died for you. Since you have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall you be saved from God’s wrath through him” (Romans 5:8-9).
Hearing this Saddam knelt in faith and confessed “that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11). And God welcomed Saddam into his mercy and grace where he joined the victims of his atrocities. Indeed the lion and the lamb (the predator and the prey) will lie down together because God destroys his enemies by making them his friends.
“Hussein should be in hell!” shout those who see themselves as more righteous than others – who can’t conceive that God is capable of both judging and forgiving all sin. But there is no need for hell because Jesus took away all sin. “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them…” (2 Corinthians 5:18-19).
I shout “Hallelujah!” because if there is hope for Hussein then there’s hope for all, even for the worst of sinners like St. Paul and Clothman.
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