20151022 Thursday, October 22 2015
Lamentations 04: The Lessons And Prophecies Of Sodom

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed"

The Messiah's "shake off the dust of your feet" teaching is famous (see also What Gospel Did Jesus Preach? and What Was The Lesson Of John 3:16?), but it's often repeated without all of what the Messiah said - about the lesson and prophecy of Sodom.

"10:14 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. 10:15 Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city." (Matthew 10:14-15 KJV)

The Messiah spoke about other cities that rejected His Word with the same Judgment, including the city of Capernaum, where He lived during His Ministry.

"11:23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 11:24 But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee." (Matthew 11:23-24 KJV)

The lesson of Sodom includes yet-future prophecies. Notice the connection between the destruction of evil, by immersion in water in the time of Noah, with the coming destruction of evil, by immersion in fire at the time of Judgment.

"17:26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 17:27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. 17:28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; 17:29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. 17:30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed." (Luke 17:26-30 KJV)

The apostle Peter described the very same lesson and prophecy, of past and future.

"2:5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; 2:6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; 2:7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:" (2 Peter 2:6-7 KJV)

Jude also explained how what happened to Sodom was an object lesson of what is going to happen to all who refuse to repent of any kind of evil (see also The Lesson Of Lot's Sons And Daughters In Sodom).

"1:7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. 1:8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities." (Jude 1:7-8 KJV)

The "two witnesses" will be the last two true prophets before the return of the Messiah (see The Battle Of The End-Time Prophets). They will be martyred in Jerusalem, which is referred to as "Sodom and Egypt" - "Sodom" because of their LORD-rejecting iniquity, and "Egypt" for failing to accept the LORD's deliverance to the righteous promised land i.e. the Exodus generation failed to enter the Promised Land because they refused to obey the LORD (see Why 40 Years In The Sinai?).

"11:7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. 11:8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. 11:9 And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. 11:10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.

11:11 And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. 11:12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. 11:13 And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven." (Revelation 11:7-13 KJV)

Jerusalem was destroyed in the time of Jeremiah (see A Faithful Winner Among Unrepentant Losers) because the kings and high priests of the Kingdom Judah defiantly rejected the Word of God in favor of their iniquity (see the Fact Finder question below). The principle of "Sodom" was and is exactly the same through time.

"4:1 How is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street.

4:2 The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!

4:3 Even the sea monsters draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones: the daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness. 4:4 The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them.

4:5 They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills. 4:6 For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her.

4:7 Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire: 4:8 Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick.

4:9 They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field. 4:10 The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.

4:11 The LORD hath accomplished his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath devoured the foundations thereof. 4:12 The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem. 4:13 For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her, 4:14 They have wandered as blind men in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments. 4:15 They cried unto them, Depart ye; it is unclean; depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, they said among the heathen, They shall no more sojourn there.

4:16 The anger of the LORD hath divided them; he will no more regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not the elders. 4:17 As for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help: in our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save us. 4:18 They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come. 4:19 Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.

4:20 The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the LORD, was taken in their pits, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the heathen. 4:21 Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz; the cup also shall pass through unto thee: thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself naked. 4:22 The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will no more carry thee away into captivity: he will visit thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will discover thy sins." (Lamentations 4:1-22 KJV)

Fact Finder: What does "iniquity" mean? What does "decadence" mean?
See Iniquity In History And Prophecy and Decadence In History And Prophecy