ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

Tu’apulelulu Fepueli 9, 2023 

גפרית Fire and Brimstone

Maka vela mo e afi

GENESIS 19:24 (KJV)

THEN THE LORD RAINED UPON SODOM AND GOMORRAH SULFUR AND FIRE FROM THE LORD OUT OF HEAVEN.

SENESI 19:24

Pea na‘e toki faka‘uha ‘e Sihova ki Sōtoma mo Komola ‘a e maka vela mo e afi mei He‘ene ‘Afio, ‘io, mei langi;

Because of Sodom and Gomorrah, the material gofrit, "brimstone" or "sulfur," is forever synonymous with cataclysmic demolition. The destruction of these cities was an uncreation, like a preview of the end of the world. Before, the vicinity was "like the garden of the LORD" (13:10). After, "the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace" (19:28). When describing God's coming wrath, Isaiah takes a page from Genesis, saying Edom's soil shall be turned into gofrit (34:9). The prophets smelled in gofrit, as it were, the aroma of sin's ultimate undoing.

"History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme." Mark Twain said. When Revelation describes hell as the "lake of fire and brimstone" (20:10 KJV), it sees the final punishment "rhyming" with Sodom's punishment. Indeed, Jesus says, "On the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all - so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed" (Luke 17:29-30). Yet just as the Lord rescued Lot from Sodom, he "knows how to rescue the godly from trials" (2 Pet. 2:7-9). On the day Christ is revealed, he will deliver us and bring us into his kingdom of peace.

Lord Jesus, call us out of darkness into your marvelous light of freedom