I was writing a study on Mystery Babylon when the Lord opened up something to me concerning the everlasting fire that is never quenched; and also the smoke of burning that rises up forever and ever. I never really put much thought into this subject before, but I do not believe this everlasting fire is a natural fire as one might suppose; but rather the fire "symbolizes" the fire of God’s anger.
So let’s compare spiritual things with spiritual by looking at several verses of scripture.
When something burns, naturally it produces smoke right? But here we also see the "smoke of torment" rising up forever and forever.
Revelation 18:9 “And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see "the smoke" of her burning,”
Revelation 18:18 “And cried when they saw "the smoke" of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!”
Revelation 19:3 “And again they said, Alleluia And "her smoke" rose up for ever and ever.”
Revelation 14:11 “And "the smoke" of their "torment" ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.”
We know by scripture God’s "anger" is as a consuming fire…..
Deuteronomy 4:24 “For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.
Psalm 74:1 “O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? why doth thine "anger smoke "against the sheep of thy pasture?”
Job 15:34 “For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate, and "fire shall consume" the tabernacles of bribery.”
Isaiah 33:14 “The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with "the devouring fire"? who among us shall dwell with "everlasting burnings?”
Notice the wording here compared to the wording in Revelation above concerning the smoke of their torment that ascends up forever and forever.
Isaiah 34:1-10 “Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it.2 For "the indignation" of the Lord is upon all nations, and "his fury" upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter.
3 Their slain also shall be cast out, and their stink shall come up out of their carcases, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood.4 And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.
5 For my sword shall be bathed in heaven: behold, it shall come down upon Idumea, and upon the people of my curse, to judgment.6 The sword of the Lord is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatness, and with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams: for the Lord hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea.
7 And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness.8 For it is the day of "the Lord's vengeance", and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion.
9 And the streams thereof shall be turned into "pitch", and the dust thereof into "brimstone", and the land thereof shall become "burning pitch".10 It shall not be quenched night nor day; "the smoke thereof shall go up for ever": from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever.”
Sounds like hell on earth don’t it? Now listen to "the fire that is never quenched"…
Mark 9:43 “And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
Mark 9:45 “And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:”
Now notice how God's anger and wrath is "like" a fire
Deuteronomy 32:22 “For a "fire" is kindled in mine "anger", and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and "set on fire" the foundations of the mountains.
Psalm 21:9 Thou shalt make them as a "fiery oven" in the time of thine "anger": the Lord shall swallow them up in "his wrath", and "the fire" shall devour them.
Isaiah 30:27 Behold, the name of the Lord cometh from far, "burning with his anger", and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of "indignation", and his tongue as a "devouring fire":
Isaiah 66:15 For, behold, the Lord will come with "fire", and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render "his anger with fury", and his rebuke with "flames of fire".
Jeremiah 15:14 “And I will make thee to pass with thine enemies into a land which thou knowest not: for a "fire" is kindled in "mine anger," which shall "burn" upon you.”
Jeremiah 17:4 “And thou, even thyself, shalt discontinue from thine heritage that I gave thee; and I will cause thee to serve thine enemies in the land which thou knowest not: for ye have kindled "a fire in mine anger", which shall "burn forever.” (= everlasting fire)
Continued on next…
So let’s compare spiritual things with spiritual by looking at several verses of scripture.
When something burns, naturally it produces smoke right? But here we also see the "smoke of torment" rising up forever and forever.
Revelation 18:9 “And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see "the smoke" of her burning,”
Revelation 18:18 “And cried when they saw "the smoke" of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!”
Revelation 19:3 “And again they said, Alleluia And "her smoke" rose up for ever and ever.”
Revelation 14:11 “And "the smoke" of their "torment" ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.”
We know by scripture God’s "anger" is as a consuming fire…..
Deuteronomy 4:24 “For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.
Psalm 74:1 “O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? why doth thine "anger smoke "against the sheep of thy pasture?”
Job 15:34 “For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate, and "fire shall consume" the tabernacles of bribery.”
Isaiah 33:14 “The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with "the devouring fire"? who among us shall dwell with "everlasting burnings?”
Notice the wording here compared to the wording in Revelation above concerning the smoke of their torment that ascends up forever and forever.
Isaiah 34:1-10 “Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it.2 For "the indignation" of the Lord is upon all nations, and "his fury" upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter.
3 Their slain also shall be cast out, and their stink shall come up out of their carcases, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood.4 And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.
5 For my sword shall be bathed in heaven: behold, it shall come down upon Idumea, and upon the people of my curse, to judgment.6 The sword of the Lord is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatness, and with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams: for the Lord hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea.
7 And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness.8 For it is the day of "the Lord's vengeance", and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion.
9 And the streams thereof shall be turned into "pitch", and the dust thereof into "brimstone", and the land thereof shall become "burning pitch".10 It shall not be quenched night nor day; "the smoke thereof shall go up for ever": from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever.”
Sounds like hell on earth don’t it? Now listen to "the fire that is never quenched"…
Mark 9:43 “And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
Mark 9:45 “And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:”
Now notice how God's anger and wrath is "like" a fire
Deuteronomy 32:22 “For a "fire" is kindled in mine "anger", and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and "set on fire" the foundations of the mountains.
Psalm 21:9 Thou shalt make them as a "fiery oven" in the time of thine "anger": the Lord shall swallow them up in "his wrath", and "the fire" shall devour them.
Isaiah 30:27 Behold, the name of the Lord cometh from far, "burning with his anger", and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of "indignation", and his tongue as a "devouring fire":
Isaiah 66:15 For, behold, the Lord will come with "fire", and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render "his anger with fury", and his rebuke with "flames of fire".
Jeremiah 15:14 “And I will make thee to pass with thine enemies into a land which thou knowest not: for a "fire" is kindled in "mine anger," which shall "burn" upon you.”
Jeremiah 17:4 “And thou, even thyself, shalt discontinue from thine heritage that I gave thee; and I will cause thee to serve thine enemies in the land which thou knowest not: for ye have kindled "a fire in mine anger", which shall "burn forever.” (= everlasting fire)
Continued on next…
