What does the Bible teach about "fire" in the phrase "Hell fire"?
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There is a view known as annihilationism which regards the final penalty as complete extinction of being. In this view the "fire," if literal, devours the impenitent, thus bringing about their everlasting destruction, or if symbolic stands for that annihilation itself.
A good reference along these lines is the book by Edward William Fudge, The Fire That Consumes: A Biblical and Historical Study of the Doctrine of Final Punishment published by iUniverse.com, Inc.: Lincoln, NE (2001) in which he states on page 428:
"Eternal fire" is certainly not a temporary punishment which holds any promise of restoration, but it fits very well the idea of everlasting extinction such as befell the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, as Genesis describes, the rest of the Old Testament reminds, Jesus warns and Jude plainly says. The phrase argues against restorationism but not against conditionalism.
"Unquenchable fire" is usually taken to mean perpetual pain, and it might mean that - if we had no Old Testament prophets to explain the language. There it clearly signifies a divine judgment which cannot be stopped or slowed down until its destruction is complete.
As mentioned in one of the suggestions, perhaps it would be more profitable to elicit a response from those who hold this view.
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The use of fire is the closest to explaining God's punishment in a way that the common people would understand at that time. If we take a longer look at not only Jesus teachings at the time, and the ability to receive those teachings; what we will find is that those assertions, not an offence to God, but are still objectionable, will be disdained by others. While at the same time offenses against God, have eternal repercussions; offenses against man are only temporary wounds.
As anyone who has ever suffered a burn, will tell you that is the worst pain of all. Not only is it unbearable in its intensity, it is progressively increasing up to the point of being completely consuming.
The best example of the finality of fire is evident in cremation. All that is left is ashes, which is a form of dust, to which God decreed that our physical bodies would eventually return. Cremation is only an abbreviated form of natural decomposition.
The people of his time would have witnessed fire in both its controlled and uncontrolled forms. By using fire to relay the finality of God's judgment could not have been better related to anything Material, nor could its severity be better relayed.
Hope this helps.
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