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Cities of Ash
Abraham
knew that his nephew was making a big mistake when Lot chose to move his
family to Sodom. The cities of the lower Jordan valley were beautiful
and lush, but they were also very corrupt. "The men of Sodom were wicked
and sinners before the Lord exceedingly." Genesis 13:13. Finally, God
decided to destroy these sinful cities for their abominations, but first
He sent two angels to Sodom to rescue Lot and his family.
Before entering Sodom, these angels took on the appearance of two
wayfaring men. Lot saw the two handsome strangers when they first
entered the gates, and knowing that the streets of that wicked city were
far from safe at night, he urged them to find refuge in his home. But
wicked men were watching, and that evening they gathered about Lot's
door and insisted that he bring out his guests so they might abuse them.
Lot tried in vain to reason with the perverse mob gathered at his door.
Their demonic obsession only intensified, and soon the crowd began to
threaten Lot as well! At this point, the angels could no longer conceal
their true identity. They pulled Lot inside the house to safety and
struck the maddened mob at the door with blindness.
Early the next morning, the angels told Lot and his family, "Escape for
your life! Do not look behind you. ... Escape to the mountains, lest you
be destroyed." Genesis 19:17, NKJV.* "Then the Lord rained upon Sodom
and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven."
Genesis 19:24. Only Lot and his two unmarried daughters were spared, for
his wife looked back to Sodom with longing and was turned into a pillar
of salt. God's Word tells us that in the last days, world conditions
will resemble that of Sodom-and so will the punishment!
* The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (c) 1979, 1980, 1982, by
Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. |
 1. What
two cities are given as an example for the destruction of the wicked?
2 Peter 2:6
. And turning the cities of __________ and Gomorrha into
ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto
those that after should live ungodly.
Answer:
___________________________
Note: God
destroyed those two cities with eternal fire--the same kind of fire
that will destroy the wicked in hell.
 2. When
will the wicked be destroyed in hellfire?
John 12:48
. The word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the _____
_____. (two word answer)
2 Peter 2:9 The Lord knoweth how to ... reserve the unjust unto
the day of judgment to be punished.
Matthew 13:40-42 So shall it be in the end of this
world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall
gather ... them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace
of fire.
Answer:
___________________________
Note: In
the above texts, the Bible clearly states that the wicked will be cast
into the fire in the day of judgment at the end of the world--not when
they die. This obviously means that no one is in hell now. It is only
fair that no one should be punished until his case has been decided in
the judgment. People are rewarded or punished at the second coming,
and not before (Revelation 22:12).
 3. If
the wicked who have died are not in hell yet, where are they?
John 5:28,
29 . The hour is coming, in the which all that are in the
________ shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; ... they that
have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
Job 21:30, 32 The wicked is reserved to the day of destruction.
... Yet shall he be brought to the grave, and shall remain in
the tomb.
Answer:
___________________________
Note: The
Bible assures us that the wicked who have died are reserved in the
grave until the resurrection at the end of the world. They will hear
Jesus' voice calling them and will come forth from the grave, not from
hellfire.
 4. What
is the reward, or punishment, of sin?
Romans 6:23
. The wages of sin is _______; but the gift of God is eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Answer:
___________________________
Note: The
punishment for sin is not everlasting life in hellfire, but the exact
opposite--death. We all die the first death (Hebrews 9:27), but the
Bible says that the death the wicked will die in hell is the second
death (Revelation 21:8). From the first death, all are raised for
punishment or reward; but there is no resurrection from the second
death. It is final. In addition, if the punishment for sin is
everlasting torment in hellfire, then Jesus did not pay the penalty.
 5. What
are the only two choices for all men?
John 3:16
. That whosoever believeth in him should not ________, but have
everlasting life.
Answer:
___________________________
Note: The
concepts of limbo and purgatory are not found in Scripture. The Bible
teaches only two choices--eternal life or eternal death (Deuteronomy
30:15).
 6. What
will happen to the wicked in hellfire?
Psalms
37:10, 20 . For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be. ...
But the wicked shall perish, ... into smoke shall they
_________ _______. (two word answer)
Malachi 4:1, 3 The day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; ...
and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh
shall burn them up. ... And ye shall tread down the
wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet.
Answer:
___________________________
Note: The
wicked in hell will go up in smoke. Only ashes will remain.
 7. Where
will hellfire be located?
Revelation
20:9 . They went up on the breadth of the __________, and compassed
the camp of the saints about, ... and fire came down from God out of
heaven, and devoured them.
2 Peter 3:10 The elements shall melt with fervent heat, the
earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
Answer:
___________________________
Note: Hellfire
will be here on earth, because it will be the earth on fire.
 8. Will
the devil be in charge of hellfire?
Revelation
20:10 . And the devil that deceived them was ________ into
the lake of fire and brimstone.
Answer:
___________________________
Note: No!
Far from being in charge of hellfire, the devil will be cast into the
fire. It will finally turn him to "ashes upon the earth," and God says
of Satan, "Never shalt thou be any more." Ezekiel 28:18, 19.
 9. Will
the fires of hell ever go out?
Isaiah
47:14 . There shall not be a ______ to warm at, nor fire to
sit before it.
Answer:
___________________________
Note: After
sin, sinners, and everything on earth is destroyed, the fire will go
out. It will not burn throughout the ages. An eternal hell of torment
would make it impossible to ever get rid of sin. God's plan is to
isolate sin and destroy it, not perpetuate it. Revelation 21:5 says,
"Behold, I make all things new."
 10. Are
both soul and body destroyed in hell?
Matthew
10:28 . Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill
the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both ________
and ________ in hell. (two word answer)
Answer:
___________________________
Note: Many
believe that the soul never dies, but twice God says, "The soul that
sinneth, it shall die." Ezekiel 18:4, 20. So according to Scripture,
the wicked will be destroyed in hellfire--both soul and body.
 11. For
whom will hellfire be kindled?
Matthew
25:41 . Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared
for the __________ and his angels.
Answer:
___________________________
Note: The
purpose of the fire is to destroy Satan, his evil angels, and sin. If
I refuse to turn loose of the plague of sin, I will have to be
destroyed with it, because if sin is not destroyed, it would again
contaminate the universe.
 12. How
does the Bible refer to God's destruction of the wicked?
Isaiah
28:21 . The Lord ... shall be wroth ... that he may do his work, his
strange work; and bring to pass his act, his ________ act.
Answer:
___________________________
Note: God
can't stand the thought of destroying those He loves. "The Lord is not
... willing that any should perish, but that all should come to
repentance." 2 Peter 3:9. He is constantly saying to them, "Turn ye
from your evil ways; for why will ye die?" Ezekiel 33:11. Destroying
people is so foreign to God's ways that hellfire is called His
"strange act." God leaves nothing out in His desire to save people.
Before they are destroyed, every wicked person will admit that God has
been fair (Romans 14:11).
 13. Doesn't
the Bible phrase "unquenchable fire" indicate that the fire never goes
out?
Matthew
3:12 . He will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into
the garner; but he will ____ up the chaff with unquenchable
fire.
Answer:
___________________________
Note: No!
Unquenchable fire cannot be put out. However, when it has burned
everything up, it goes out. For example, Jeremiah 17:27 warns that if
God's people were not faithful, He would kindle a fire in Jerusalem
that "shall not be quenched." And the Scriptures declare that this
prophecy has already been fulfilled. "They burnt the house of God, and
brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof
with fire. ... To fulfil the word of the Lord by the mouth of
Jeremiah." 2 Chronicles 36:19, 21. That fire could not be put out
until it had consumed everything; then it went out. It is not burning
today, even though the Bible calls it "unquenchable."
 14. Doesn't
the phrase "everlasting fire" mean "unending"?
Jude 1:7
. Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, ... are set forth for an example,
suffering the vengeance of ________ fire.
Answer:
___________________________
Note: We
must let the Bible explain itself. We can see in this verse that Sodom
and Gomorrha were destroyed with everlasting fire as an example of
hell, but those cities are not still burning. They were turned into
ashes (2 Peter 2:6), which is what eternal fire does. It is eternal in
its consequences. (See supplement entitled "The Rich Man and
Lazarus.")
 15. When
Revelation 20:10 states that the wicked will be tormented "for ever
and ever," doesn't that indicate endless time?
Jonah 2:6
. The earth with her bars was about me for ______.
Answer:
___________________________
Note: No.
Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three
nights (Jonah 1:17), yet he said "for ever." I'm sure that it felt
like forever! The Greek word translated "for ever" in Revelation 20:10
is "aion," from which we get our word "eon." It often represents an
unspecified period of time, limited or unlimited. The words "for ever"
are used 56 times in the Bible referring to something already ended.
In one instance, "for ever" describes the life of a faithful slave
(Exodus 21:6), and in another place "for ever" means 10 generations
(Deuteronomy 23:3). With man, "for ever" often means "as long as he
liveth" (1 Samuel 1:22, 28).
 16. After
sin and sinners are destroyed, what will Jesus do for His people?
2 Peter
3:13 . Nevertheless, we, according to his promise, look for new
heavens and a new _______, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
Revelation 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their
eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying,
neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things
are passed away.
Answer:
___________________________
Note: On
the ashes of this purified world, God will create new heavens and a
new earth. He promises joy, peace, and indescribable happiness for all
living creatures throughout eternity.
 17. Will
the sin problem ever rise again?
Nahum 1:9
. Affliction shall not _____ up the second time.
Answer:
___________________________
Note: No!
The promise is specific. Sin will never rise again.
Isaiah 65:17 For behold, I create new heavens and a new
earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
 18. What
penetrating question does Job ask?
Job 4:17
. Shall mortal man be more _____ than God?
Answer:
___________________________
Note: If
your son became a hardened murderer, would you feel that he should be
punished? You probably would. But would you want him to burn alive in
a fire, in terrible agony, for even one day? Of course not. You could
not stand that. Neither could the loving Lord stand to see His
children so tortured. That would be worse than the very worst of all
war atrocities. Is God like that? No indeed! An eternal hell of
torment would be unbearable for God and diametrically against His
character of love and justice.
 19. More
than anything, Jesus wants you to dwell in His glorious new kingdom.
He longs for you to occupy the mansion He has prepared for you. Will
you decide now to accept His offer?
.
Answer:
___________________________
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