In biblical literature, brimstone, often paired with fire, serves as a powerful symbol of divine judgment and destruction. The term "brimstone" is synonymous with sulfur, a substance known for its pungent odor and ability to burn intensely. Throughout Scripture, brimstone is used figuratively to convey the severity of God's wrath and the ultimate fate of the wicked.

Old Testament Usage

The imagery of brimstone is prominently featured in the account of Sodom and Gomorrah's destruction. Genesis 19:24 states, "Then the LORD rained down sulfur and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the LORD out of the heavens." This event serves as a paradigmatic example of divine retribution against sin and immorality. The use of brimstone here underscores the totality and irrevocability of God's judgment.

In the prophetic literature, brimstone continues to symbolize divine wrath. Isaiah 30:33 describes the fate of the Assyrian king: "For Topheth has long been prepared; it has been made ready for the king. Its fire pit has been made deep and wide, with an abundance of fire and wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of burning sulfur, sets it ablaze." Here, brimstone is used to depict the consuming and purifying nature of God's judgment.

New Testament Usage

The New Testament also employs the imagery of brimstone to describe the final judgment. In Revelation, brimstone is frequently mentioned in the context of eschatological punishment. Revelation 14:10 warns, "He too will drink the wine of God’s anger, poured undiluted into the cup of His wrath. And he will be tormented in fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb." This passage highlights the eternal consequences of rejecting God, with brimstone symbolizing the unending torment of the wicked.

Revelation 19:20 further illustrates this concept: "But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. Both of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur." The lake of fire and brimstone represents the ultimate destination for those who oppose God, emphasizing the finality and severity of divine justice.

Theological Implications

The figurative use of brimstone in Scripture serves as a stark reminder of the holiness and righteousness of God. It underscores the seriousness of sin and the inevitable judgment that awaits those who persist in rebellion against the Creator. The imagery of brimstone, with its connotations of fire and sulfur, conveys the purifying and consuming aspects of God's wrath, which seeks to eradicate sin and restore divine order.

For believers, the symbolism of brimstone serves as a call to repentance and faithfulness. It is a vivid reminder of the consequences of sin and the necessity of seeking refuge in Christ, who offers salvation from the wrath to come. As such, brimstone, in its figurative sense, functions as both a warning and an invitation to embrace the grace and mercy available through Jesus Christ.Job 18:15
It shall dwell in his tabernacle, because it is none of his: brimstone shall be scattered on his habitation.
Nave's Topical Index

Psalm 11:6
On the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.
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Isaiah 30:33
For Tophet is ordained of old; yes, for the king it is prepared; he has made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, does kindle it.
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Ezekiel 38:22
And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain on him, and on his bands, and on the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.
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Revelation 9:17,18
And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.
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Revelation 14:10
The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
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Revelation 19:20
And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that worked miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
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Revelation 21:8
But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
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Elements of Prophetic Interpretation.
... HIGHLY FIGURATIVE, or SYMBOLIC Prophecies"the laws and use of Tropes and Symbols
being ... Risen saints."Rev.19:7, 8. Lake of fire and brimstone"The place of ...
/.../a brief commentary on the apocalypse/elements of prophetic interpretation.htm

The Fear which Terminates in the Second Death.
... have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone; which is ... The
description is clothed in figurative language, affording only a partial view of ...
/.../lee/sermons on various important subjects/sermon xx the fear which.htm

Miller's views on the Second Coming of Christ.
... and make good sense; and that in every case where the language is figurative, we
must ... drive them from the earth into the lake of fire and brimstone, where they ...
/.../hayward/the book of religions/millers views on the second.htm

The Eternity of God
... The wrath of God is compared to a stream of brimstone. ... There is a figurative description
of God in Daniel 7:7. The Ancient of Days did sit, whose garment was ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a body of divinity/3 the eternity of god.htm

The Doctrine of the Last Things.
... unmistakable language and those that are set forth in words symbolic and figurative. ...
their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the ...
/.../evans/the great doctrines of the bible/the doctrine of the last.htm

Joshua's Conquest.
... the Jews were simply God's instruments just as were the waters of the flood or the
fire and brimstone in the ... 16) The element that is figurative or illustrative ...
/.../tidwell/the bible period by period/chapter viii joshuas conquest.htm

Christ's Work of Destruction and Deliverance. Rev. John H. James.
... of everything like personality, and to refine it away into figurative representation
of ... be cast into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone." Many good ...
/.../the wesleyan methodist pulpit in malvern/christs work of destruction and.htm

The Great Assize
... stand before God; and the books were opened" (a figurative expression, plainly ... be
"cast into the lake of fire burning with brimstone," originally "prepared for ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 15 the great assize.htm

Of the Incapacity of an Unregenerate Person for Relishing the ...
... book naturally leads us to consider these merely as figurative phrases, which ... as
it is afterwards expressed, into the lake that burns with fire and brimstone. ...
/.../practical discourses on regeneration/discourse v of the incapacity.htm

The Wages of Sin
... What is the object in adopting this figurative mode of representation ... You have a
"lake of fire and brimstone," and you see lost sinners thrown into its waves of ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/finney/sermons on gospel themes/iii the wages of sin.htm

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