2206.-The Worm and the Fire

Pacific Press Publishing Company · MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA · Sep 4, 1907

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 33, No. 36.

2206.—The Worm and the Fire.

Kindly explain Mark 9:44, "Where their worm dieth not, and their fire is not quenched."

Jesus was pointing to the ultimate punishment of sinners. To show how effective that punishment was, He used for an illustration a fact perfectly familiar to His hearers. Outside of Jerusalem was a valley which was used for the worship of Moloch and for other horrible rites. It was degraded and made a dumping-place for the offal and decay of Jerusalem. Upon this worms constantly preyed, and constant fires were kept burning to consume what the worms did not eat. The object of both worm and fire was utterly to destroy forever the refuse. So God declares the worm shall eat the wicked, and they shall be utterly burned with fire. See Isa. 51:6, 7; Matt. 3:12, and many other passages. Jerusalem, because of her wickedness, was burned with fire which God declared should never be quenched. Jer. 17:27. This meant that it should not be quenched till it did its work. See the fulfilment of this in 2 Chron. 36:19-21. The name in Hebrew of this valley was the "valley of the son of Hinnom." See Jer. 7:31-33; 19:4-6. In Greek this is "Gehenna," translated "hell." It was a figure of utter destruction.