Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire. -- Jude 1:7, New American Standard.
Jude 7hws sodoma kai gomorra kai hai peri autas poleisAS SODOM AND GOMORRAH AND THE ABOUT THEM CITIES,5613 4670 2532 1116 2532 3588 4012 0846_96 4172ton homoion tropon toutoisTHE LIKE MANNER TO THESE (ONES)3588 3664 5158 3778_95ekporneusasai kai apelthousai opisw[CITIES] HAVING COMMITTED FORNICATION OUT AND HAVING GONE OFF BEHIND1608 2532 0565 3694sarkos heteras prokeintai deigma purosFLESH DIFFERENT, THEY ARE LYING BEFORE SOMETHING SHOWN OF FIRE4561 2087 4295 1164 4442aiwniou dikeen hupechousaiEVERLASTING JUSTICE HAVING UNDER.0166 1349 5254 -- Westcott & Hort Interlinear
Many who believe in the idea of man having an inherent immortal soul often point to Jude 1:7 as proof of such an immortal soul. Actually, we find nothing in Jude 1:7 about human souls being alive while dead, nor do we find anything about the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah having immortal souls that are tortured in fire forever. There is nothing directly stated in Jude 1:7 about Hades (Sheol). There is definitely nothing in the Jude 1:7 about anyone being kept alive for eternity in torment.
Jude 1:7 is the only place that the compound word often transliterated as "Hupecho" (Strong's #5254), shown as "hupechousai" in the Westcott & Hort Interlinear above, is found in the New Testament. It is made up of the two words, transliterated as Hupo (Strongs' #5259, meaning "by, under") and Echo (Strong's #2192, have, hold, hold fast, etc.).
In the context, Jude spoke of various ones who had turned away from the truth that they had, and who were living a life of sin. Jude provides a warning to these of the danger of punishment, and illustrates this by how God did not fail to punish Israel when Israel fell into sin. He also spoke of the angels who sinned, how they are kept under bondage of darkness until the judgment day. As a further illustration, and in parallel to the earlier examples, he speaks of Sodom and Gomorrah, and how the destruction of those cities provide an warning example of undergoing the punishment of eternal fire. The fire that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah was not eternal, since that fire is definitely not still burning today, thus that fire must be symbolic of another fire that is eternal. The symbolic "fire" spoken of here is "eternal", but this does not say that anyone is consciously burning in that fire for eternity.
Jehovah did indeed use actual fire in the destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and the inhabitants of these cities (Genesis 19:24,25), but it should be evident that the fire He used is not still burning in those cities to this day. Most are familiar with the Bible narrative of how God spared only Lot and his family -- except for Lot's wife who disobyed -- from that fire and its destructive work. That literal fire is certainly not burning and continuing to inflict pain for all eternity. That fire effected its work in destroying those cities and all of in those cities. Jesus plainly tells us: “It rained down fire from heaven and destroyed them all.” (Luke 17:29) Jesus did not say that the fire preserved them alive to suffer forever, but rather that it destroyed them; Jesus said nothing about their having an immortal soul that is being tortured in fire for all eternity.
Jesus, in agreement with the rest of the Bible, rather than saying that they are consciously suffering for eternity, showed that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah will come forth in the resurrection time for a judgment or trial for eternal life. (Matthew 10:15; 11:24; 10:12) Ezekiel also mentions the captives (those held captive in death) of Sodom as being released from the captivity of death in the day of judgment. (Ezekiel 16:53-56) Jesus stated concerning Sodom that it will be "more tolerable" for the people of Sodom in the day of judgment than for those Jews who had seen Jesus' works and still refused to believe. Rather than claiming that they are now suffering for eternity, he was saying these will come forth in the resurrection of the “last day ” (John 12:47,48) of judgment, the Millennial age, when the world in general will be on trial for life everlasting or the second death. Those who are raised in the judgment of that "last day" are raised from death and Hades (Sheol), a combined description of the death in Adam --as opposed to the second death -- and its resulting oblivious condition. (Revelation 20:13) Thus, they are included in the oblivious condition of Hades/Sheol (Ecclesiastes 9:5,10), but they are not in that condition for eternity, since they will be raised for judgment in the "last day". The death of those Sodomites (as well as the inhabitants of Gommorah) were included in the "death" that Paul wrote of in Romans 5:12-19, in which he writes that “death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those whose sins weren’t like Adam’s disobedience,” and then describes that condemnation of death as being due to Adam’s sin. (Romans 5:12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:21,22) The people of Sodom and Gomorrah who died in the fires that rained down upon them are included in this "death" that reigned from Adam until Moses, thus the punishment that they are still under to this day is that of being dead in hades/sheol, from which all will be released in the day of judgment when they will be judged anew by the things written in the books that are opened to them in that day. -- Revelation 20:12.
What then of the "eternal fire" or "everlasting fire" in Jude 1:7? While the "fire" spoken of here is certainly not the literal fire that destroyed those cities, the literal fire surely is representative of Jehovah's fiery zeal or jealousy, which "fire" is indeed eternal, everlasting. In other words, Jehovah's zeal or jealousy for righteousness will never be extinguished. Zephaniah wrote that “all the earth will be consumed by the fire of his [Jehovah’s] jealousy.” (Zephaniah 1:18) And we also read: “For you must not bow yourself to another god; for Jehovah, whose name is Jealous, he is a jealous God.” (Exodus 34:14) “With foreign gods they moved him [Jehovah] to jealousy; and with idols they provoked him to anger; they sacrificed to demons, not God.” (Deuteronomy 32:16,17) “And Judah did evil in the sight of Jehovah, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they committed, more than all that their fathers had done.” (1 Kings 14:22) “And my anger will be spent, and I will make my fury rest on them, and I will be eased. And they will know that I, Jehovah, have spoken in my zeal, in my fulfilling my fury on them.” (Ezekiel 5:13) “Surely I have spoken in the fire of my jealousy against the rest of the nations.” — Ezekiel 36:5.
Jehovah's jealousy for His name and for the righteousness represented in His name is therefore provoked by any unrighteousness. One can see this for himself by taking Strong's Concordance and looking up the references to Jehovah's jealousy. It is this fire, representing Jehovah's determination to act against any unrighteousness, that is eternal; Jehovah's fiery jealousy will be forever ready to act against any unrighteousness, should there be any.This fire of his jealousy, his determination to act against all unrighteousness, is eternal; it will be forever; it will forever be ready to act against any unrighteousness, should there be any.
Nevertheless, some have claimed that "eternal fire" is a metaphor for the total and irreparable devastation these cities experienced. It doesn't mean that the actual fire is still going strong. Those who hold to this view may claim the word "eternal" in this context refers to the judgment's completeness and finality. According to this hypothesis, the fire itself was not permanent, but the effects of the devastation were. If this hypothesis is correct, it still does not agree with the idea that "eternal fire" means eternal suffering in a hell of flames.
Nevertheless, some have claimed that "eternal fire" is a metaphor for the total and irreparable devastation these cities experienced. It doesn't mean that the actual fire is still going strong. Those who hold to this view may claim the word "eternal" in this context refers to the judgment's completeness and finality. According to this hypothesis, the fire itself was not permanent, but the effects of the devastation were. If this hypothesis is correct, it still does not agree with the idea that "eternal fire" means eternal suffering in a hell of flames.
For links to other studies related to what happens to a person when they die, see our page: Life After Death.
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