Unquenchable Fire

[hobie]

“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: where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” Mark 9:43, 44.

Some ask what is the unquenchable fire that scripture speaks about that burns the wicked? Doesn't that mean it will never go out? Of course, it doesn't. To quench means to extinguish or put out. No one will be able to put out the fire of hell. That is the strange fire of God. No one will be able to escape from it by extinguishing it.

We see it also in “But if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the Sabbath-day, and not bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath-day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched.” Jeremiah 17:27.

But is it still burning today, we need to read and see how the Bible uses the word "quench." It does not mean fire that will never go out. Isaiah says of that fire, "Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: there shall not be a coal to warm at, nor a fire to sit before it." Isaiah 47:14.

After it has accomplished its work of destruction, that fire will go out.

 

[NewCreation435]

the scripture your referencing doesn't prove that the fire will go out. It actually proves the opposite.

Revelation 20:10
10 "And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever."
You notice it says that there torment will last for ever and ever. That is because that flame will not be extinguished.

Then we see that in verse 14, the lost also are thrown into this lake of fire
14 "Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire."

i can understand wishing that this was not so, but that doesn't negate that scripture says that this will happen.

 

[Tigger]

The unquenchable fire is God’s unbridled presence, therefore no the ever eternal all mighty God will never (as you stated) “ go out”.

 

[hobie]

It is quite clear, the fire has a purpose and it finishes once that is done. No one can deliver themselves from its flame by putting it out, but finally not a coal will be left.

Jeremiah prophesied that Jerusalem would burn with a fire that could not be quenched, but it burned down to ashes. We see it described in 2 Chronicles 36:19-21:

'19 And they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof.
20 And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia:
21 To fulfil the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years.'

You can see how the Bible uses the word "quench." It does not mean fire that will never go out. It only means what it says, "unquenchable." It can't be quenched.

Now how what about the expressions "eternal" "everlasting" which are used to describe the fires of hell? There is absolutely no contradiction when we allow the Bible to supply its own definition of terms.

The fact is that eternal fire does not mean a fire that will never go out. The same expression is used in Jude 7 concerning the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrha.

"Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire."

It is quite obvious that Sodom is not still burning today. So we can see once it achieves its purpose, it finishes.

 

[NewCreation435]

It is quite clear, the fire has a purpose and it finishes once that is done. No one can deliver themselves from its flame by putting it out, but finally not a coal will be left.

Jeremiah prophesied that Jerusalem would burn with a fire that could not be quenched, but it burned down to ashes. We see it described in 2 Chronicles 36:19-21:

'19 And they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof.
20 And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia:
21 To fulfil the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years.'

You can see how the Bible uses the word "quench." It does not mean fire that will never go out. It only means what it says, "unquenchable." It can't be quenched.

Now how what about the expressions "eternal" "everlasting" which are used to describe the fires of hell? There is absolutely no contradiction when we allow the Bible to supply its own definition of terms.

The fact is that eternal fire does not mean a fire that will never go out. The same expression is used in Jude 7 concerning the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrha.

"Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire."

It is quite obvious that Sodom is not still burning today. So we can see once it achieves its purpose, it finishes.

Good job of mixing references to fire. The verse in 2 Chronicles isn't talking about the eternal fire of hell at all, but about Jerusalem burning when Babylon attacked it. Of course that didn't last forever. The second reference you gave actually speaks of eternal fire, which you are ignoring.
You can make the Bible say whatever you want if you don't mind ignoring context.

 

[Michael]

“For as the new heavens and the new earth
Which I will make shall remain before Me,” says the Lord,
“So shall your descendants and your name remain.
23 And it shall come to pass
That from one New Moon to another,
And from one Sabbath to another,
All flesh shall come to worship before Me,” says the Lord.

24 “And they shall go forth and look
Upon the corpses of the men
Who have transgressed against Me.
For their worm does not die,
And their fire is not quenched.
They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.”
- Isaiah 66:22-24

After all is said & done, and God is dwelling on earth with man, Christ (Head & Body) is ruling over Creation and ministering Life & Healing to the nations, we find that one of the great deterrents to any future rebellion by man will be a sight-seeing field trip' that will be available to any who decide they have a 'better way' than God. When the thought arises, a messenger of God will lead that one to this visible place where they can look upon those who "transgressed against God", where "their worm does not die, and their fire is not quenched."

Our modern, popular, yet unScriptural belief in "heaven" as our eternal home has led to much confusion and misunderstanding of what the Bible declares.
Praise God that He is unveiling Truth in our day, as we we draw nearer to the "great and terrible Day of the Lord."