Salted with Fire by Uriah Smith

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, Cal. · Jul 1, 1875

Salted with Fire.

By Uriah Smith

"For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt." Mark 9:49.

This is considered by some a strong text in favor of the eternal suffering of the lost. Thus T. S. La Due, on a little pamphlet on "Annihilation," p. 71, says:—

"Salt is known, the world over, as the preservative; and the meaning here is that the fire with which those 'who depart into everlasting fire' are salted, while it burns, will preserve that which it burns; and as it is unquenchable and everlasting, that which it burns will be everlasting."

The reader will perceive that Mr. La Due, to support his view, has precisely inverted the conclusion which logically follows from the premises. This is the way in which error is always sustained; it is by putting high for low, and low for high, the front for the back, and the back for the front, light for darkness, and darkness for light.

Burning is a process of consuming. Without this consuming there can be no burning. It is a singular idea to say, as Mr. L. says, that the fire while it consumes also preserves. It is a contradiction of terms. A person must be under severe pressure to resort to such a conclusion.

A more logical method of treating this question would be to consider the nature of the element brought to view. Because the figure of salting is used, does that change the nature of the material referred to? That would be a singular conclusion. When anything is salted, the salt is sprinkled all over it, its effect strikes all through it. The nature of salt is to preserve, to be sure; but suppose the material used is of just the opposite nature, to destroy; then what would be the effect? This is the point to be considered, and by this, the idea which our Lord wishes to inculcate by this language must be determined. While salt preserves, fire destroys. Fire is the most striking symbol of destruction that can be used. Now if a person should be treated with fire as a sacrifice is treated with salt, the fire surrounding him, and its effects striking through him, what would be the effect? The effect of thus using so destructive an element as fire would be complete destruction. It would consume the person entirely.

The use of the figure of salting does not necessarily denote preservation, unless the material used is a preservative in its nature. And here is where Mr. L. misses the right conclusion, and many others with him. But fire is not a preservative; it is just the opposite; the agent of entire destruction. Therefore, when Christ declares that every one (of the wicked) shall be salted with fire, it is a threatening of complete and utter destruction by fire, even the fire of Gehenna. Therefore, instead of upholding the popular view, this text is in harmony with the rest of the Bible in teaching the utter destruction of the wicked. U. S.