Everlasting Fire

An unstoppable wall of fire rampaged through Chicago on the evening of October 8, 1871. For three days, the Great Chicago Fire raged, killing more than 300 people and destroying over three square miles of the city. The city’s prominent use of wood for buildings and sidewalks, combined with only an inch of rain between July 4 and October 9, created the perfect conditions for carrying flying embers around the city.

The initial response of the Chicago fire department’s 185 firefighters was quick, but they ended up going in the wrong direction. When the blaze jumped the South Branch of the Chicago River, the enormous amount of heat created a fire whirl that drove the flames high and far. When the city’s waterworks went up in flames, the city’s water mains went dry, making it impossible to stop the blaze. In the end, more than $222 million in property was destroyed. The county coroner could not give an exact number of deaths because some of the victims were incinerated and left no remains.

When Christ described the fate of the wicked, He said they would burn with “unquenchable fire” (Matthew 3:12). This punishment is called the “everlasting fire” (Matthew 18:8) and “eternal fire” (Jude 1:7). While many believe sinners will never stop burning, the Greek word ainos is a relative term and its meaning is determined by the object it modifies. For instance, the reference in Jude is to the fires that completely destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. Those cities do not burn to this day; instead, the results are eternal.

When Jesus said of the wicked, “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41), He meant the effects of this unquenchable fire will be everlasting and that only ashes would remain (Malachi 4:1–3).

Apply It:

Do you have a fire extinguisher in your home? If not, go out and purchase one.

Dig Deeper:

Jeremiah 17:27; 2 Peter 2:6; Hebrews 6:2

Key Bible Texts

Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. (Matthew 3:12 KJV)