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And he (Abraham) looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace. Genesis 19.28
The punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment….’ Lamentations 4:6.
The sinners left in the cities suffered ‘eternal fire,’ but we are also told it took place ‘as in a moment‘. The fires are not burning today. What the sinners suffered was the consequence forever of that fire and brimstone storm. |
They did not go anywhere else to continue suffering and being punished.
This Bible story is given as an example, so that we, like Lot, can come out of sin and avoid the fires of destruction. The effects of that fire were eternal. The sinners of those cities and everything connected with their sin were overthrown instantly from the power and force of the fire. It was as a huge furnace. Its work was completed and only the story remains of those wicked inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrha. We still use the word ‘sodomy’ to describe their perversions. Those destroyed in the Flood too, were people whose imaginations were only evil.
When God punishes sinners, they are destroyed. His punishments do not go on forever and ever. Those who burned in the fires will not go on living. They will be reduced to ashes and be gone forever. The fire will do its work and the results will be eternal. With God there is justice and mercy. The justice of the punishment and the end, but the warnings of mercy to leave the sin that rebels against God. |
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Jesus’ teaching about the damnation of the wicked.
Jesus too spoke of a time of damnation and punishment of evil-doers. John 5:28,29.
Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
Jesus gave a strong example of one whom He would consider to be worthy of damnation. |
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| But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation. Mark 3:29 |
The Valley of Hinnom, also known as Gehenna.
‘Gehenna’ is often translated as ‘hell’ in different Bible versions. This is another example that the Bible uses to describe the fires that will destroy the wicked. It is the fire in the valley of Hinnom, also known as the Gehenna of fire, or the hell of fire. This is where the expression ‘hell fire’ comes from. |
| The valley of Hinnom was south-west of Jerusalem. It had been a beautiful valley with cultivated gardens, and the palaces and summer homes of the wealthy. King Solomon had a garden in the Valley of Hinnom with a royal music grove. But among the trees idols came to be set up and later it was here in an area called Tophet, that infants were sacrificed by burning, on the altar of Moloch in ways too horrible to describe and where the little bodies were buried or totally consumed by the fires. Occult practices and spirit worship also |
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