Sodom and Gomorrah

[Achilles6129]

1) Where were Sodom and Gomorrah located?

It seems to me from the conversation which took place near Bethel in Gen. 13 (between Abram and Lot) that Sodom and Gomorrah were located either where the Dead Sea is today or at the northern end of the Dead Sea. Bethel is at the far northern end of the Dead Sea, so this would be the only logical location.

2) How did God destroy Sodom and Gomorrah?

My suggestion is that he destroyed it through a comet strike. Regardless, the means of destruction was clearly devastating because Lot's wife was turned into a pillar of salt.

3) What are the theological implications of this destruction?

Sodom and Gomorrah are clearly important theologically because they are mentioned elsewhere in Scripture. Particularly notable is Christ's reference to them regarding the time of his return. Particularly important questions are why God intervenes at the point in time which he does and how long God will wait before intervening to stop evil. Also, the "outcry" that God speaks of when talking about Sodom and Gomorrah is significant. Exactly what is this "outcry"?

 

[Ken Behrens]

Sodom and Gomorrah is included in the Bible because it was a turning point both for Abraham and for Lot.

A big key to it is that there were three strangers, then there were two, then there were three, then there were angels, then they were men, then they are angels again. Very confusing.

There are several suggestions that it was technological. Abraham saw them "Standing", an Egyptian idiom of the time for "setting up to do something". How did they blind the people at Lot's front door with the staff? How did they travel 35 miles over water in the few hours left in the afternoon after eating brunch with Abraham? What was the third man/angel/stranger doing; why did he not go into the city? What changed Lot's wife into salt? The xiucoatl of the Mexican indians is also witnessed in Egypt, in connection with something that looks like a staff turning into a serpent, and, if assumed to be real, answers most of these questions nicely.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

implications

J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)
The New Testament in Modern English by J.B Phillips copyright © 1960, 1972 J. B. Phillips. Administered by The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England. Used by Permission.
----
Jude 1:5-9
[ Past history warns us that the unfaithful have mingled with the faithful ] I want to remind you of something that you really know already:

and although the Lord saved all the people from the land of Egypt,

yet afterwards he brought to their downfall those who would not trust him. And the very angels who failed in their high duties and abandoned their proper sphere have been deprived by God of both light and liberty until the judgment of the great day. Sodom and Gomorrah and the adjacent cities who, in the same way as these men today,

gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion, stand in their punishment as a permanent warning of the fire of judgment.

Yet these men are defiling their bodies by their filthy fantasies in just the same way;

they show utter contempt for authority and make a jest of the heavenly glories.

------
2 Peter 2:1-9
But even in those days there were false prophets,

just as there will be false teachers among you
today.

...... Many will follow

their pernicious teaching and thereby bring discredit on the way of truth.....

.... YHWH(GOD) did not spare angels who sinned ....

.. YHWH did not spare the ancient world but only saved Noah

(the solitary voice that cried out for righteousness) and his seven companions

when he brought the flood upon the world in its wickedness;

... YHWH reduced the entire cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes (when

YHWH sentenced them to destruction as a fearful example

to those who wanted to live in defiance of his laws

), and yet saved Lot the righteous man, in acute mental distress at the filthy lives of the godless—

Lot, remember, was a good man suffering spiritual agonies day after day at what he saw and

heard of their

lawlessness—... ...

the Lord knows how to rescue a good man surrounded by temptation,

and how to reserve his punishment for the wicked until his day comes.
--------



Romans 9:29
And previously, Isaiah said:

‘Unless the Lord of Sabbath had left us a seed,

we would have become like Sodom and

we would have been made like Gomorrah’.

 

[ken777]

1) Where were Sodom and Gomorrah located?

It seems to me from the conversation which took place near Bethel in Gen. 13 (between Abram and Lot) that Sodom and Gomorrah were located either where the Dead Sea is today or at the northern end of the Dead Sea. Bethel is at the far northern end of the Dead Sea, so this would be the only logical location.

2) How did God destroy Sodom and Gomorrah?

My suggestion is that he destroyed it through a comet strike. Regardless, the means of destruction was clearly devastating because Lot's wife was turned into a pillar of salt.

3) What are the theological implications of this destruction?

Sodom and Gomorrah are clearly important theologically because they are mentioned elsewhere in Scripture. Particularly notable is Christ's reference to them regarding the time of his return. Particularly important questions are why God intervenes at the point in time which he does and how long God will wait before intervening to stop evil. Also, the "outcry" that God speaks of when talking about Sodom and Gomorrah is significant. Exactly what is this "outcry"?

I think a clue to the destruction of Sodom & Gomorrah is found in Genesis 19:4 Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom—both young and old—surrounded the house. (NIV)

Clearly there was a widespread acceptance of sexual perversion although obviously not everyone would have been homosexual. After giving a graphic description of homosexual behaviour Paul says: Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. (Romans 1:32)

If Jesus' reference to "the days of Lot" (Luke 17:28-30) is a sign of His return, then surely the legalization of same sex marriage - and the prosecution of those who have declined to participate - points to recent developments in western society.

 

[Original Happy Camper]

I think a clue to the destruction of Sodom & Gomorrah is found in Genesis 19:4 Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom—both young and old—surrounded the house. (NIV)

Clearly there was a widespread acceptance of sexual perversion although obviously not everyone would have been homosexual. After giving a graphic description of homosexual behaviour Paul says: Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. (Romans 1:32)

If Jesus' reference to "the days of Lot" (Luke 17:28-30) is a sign of His return, then surely the legalization of same sex marriage - and the prosecution of those who have declined to participate - points to recent developments in western society.

So based on these statements those that approve or support (Democrats) the LGBT are lost unless they repent.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

So based on these statements those that approve or support (Democrats) the LGBT are lost unless they repent.

More important is what YHWH'S WORD SAYS.
Anyone who approves or supports sin, in any politic no matter which one, and anywhere besides politic also,
are or may be subject to judgment the same or worse as those on whom the tower in Siloam fell.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

i.e. as it is written somewhere in SCRIPTURE, both/ all politic parties will probably be judged on the last day more severely than Sodom and Gomorrah.

 

[Original Happy Camper]

1) Where were Sodom and Gomorrah located?

2) How did God destroy Sodom and Gomorrah?

My suggestion is that he destroyed it through a comet strike. Regardless, the means of destruction was clearly devastating because Lot's wife was turned into a pillar of salt.

Archaeology evidence that it was as the Bible says "brimstone" not a comet.
https://www.wyattmuseum.com/cities-of-the-plain.htm

 

[ken777]

So based on these statements those that approve or support (Democrats) the LGBT are lost unless they repent.

Paul said they "deserve death" ... then went on to say "for all have sinned". In some cases God "winks" at ignorance but deliberate rebellion against His word indicates an unrepentant state. Whether they are lost or not is up to God but I would not want to stand before Him in that state.

 

[Original Happy Camper]

Paul said they "deserve death" ... then went on to say "for all have sinned". In some cases God "winks" at ignorance but deliberate rebellion against His word indicates an unrepentant state. Whether they are lost or not is up to God but I would not want to stand before Him in that state.

So you are implying what I said that they would be lost if they do not repent is correct because you "would not want to stand before him in that state."

"... for you shall know them by their fruits" I only judge men by their fruits only GOD knows their hearts. This is a Biblical concept.

 

[ken777]

So you are implying what I said that they would be lost if they do not repent is correct because you "would not want to stand before him in that state."

"... for you shall know them by their fruits" I only judge men by their fruits only GOD knows their hearts. This is a Biblical concept.

I don't think we are able to judge the eternal state of anyone though I would certainly judge that anyone supporting "gay rights" was not suitable to hold a position in my church.

 

[Original Happy Camper]

Leviticus 20:13 King James Version (KJV)
13 If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

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

Sodom was not destroyed due to "they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;" they were destroyed due to their unrighteousness mainly perverted sex.

So if Homosexuality is a sin that is found in the Laws that Moses wrote, as dictated by GOD to him, why are not the other laws that he wrote that could not be fulfilled not in effect, IE clean and unclean meats ect? (Christ fulfilled the Sanctuary law)
Matthew 4:4 King James Version (KJV)
4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

"... for you shall know them by their fruits" I only judge men by their fruits only GOD knows their hearts. This is a Biblical concept.

Odd choice of words here.
Those who are unregenerate (didn't repent, not forgiven) have all the fruits of wickedness, visible all their lives. In Sodom they did not even try to hide it.

And, YHWH HIMSELF could not find ten who repented. Otherwise HE would have spared the city.

Like Y'SHUA says of HIS return; will HE find faith on earth?

- will HE find ten who repented in any city ?

 

[Original Happy Camper]

I don't think we are able to judge the eternal state of anyone though I would certainly judge that anyone supporting "gay rights" was not suitable to hold a position in my church.

I agree

 

[Jipsah]

I think it's great that we can always manage to isolate Big Sins, and that they generally manage to be sins that we're not tempted toward. Reassures us that our sins aren't as egregious as Those People's are.

 

[Original Happy Camper]

I think it's great that we can always manage to isolate Big Sins, and that they generally manage to be sins that we're not tempted toward. Reassures us that our sins aren't as egregious as Those People's are.

James 2
10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

1 John 3:4
Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

 

[BobRyan]

1) Where were Sodom and Gomorrah located?

It seems to me from the conversation which took place near Bethel in Gen. 13 (between Abram and Lot) that Sodom and Gomorrah were located either where the Dead Sea is today or at the northern end of the Dead Sea. Bethel is at the far northern end of the Dead Sea, so this would be the only logical location.

2) How did God destroy Sodom and Gomorrah?

My suggestion is that he destroyed it through a comet strike. Regardless, the means of destruction was clearly devastating because Lot's wife was turned into a pillar of salt.

3) What are the theological implications of this destruction?

Sodom and Gomorrah are clearly important theologically because they are mentioned elsewhere in Scripture. Particularly notable is Christ's reference to them regarding the time of his return. Particularly important questions are why God intervenes at the point in time which he does and how long God will wait before intervening to stop evil. Also, the "outcry" that God speaks of when talking about Sodom and Gomorrah is significant. Exactly what is this "outcry"?

In the book of Daniel "Holy Watchers" declare a decree against Nebuchadnezzar and he sees this in a dream. Daniel advises the king to turn from his wickedness to avoid the disaster - and the king ultimately ignores Daniel - and then suffers.

There is in the Bible the concept of "probationary time" and when that time is used up judgment falls.

It falls on local empires as we see in the case of the Babylonians "you have been weighed in the balance and found wanting - your kingdom is given over to the Medes and the Persians".

But it also falls on the entire planet - as we see in Genesis 6 and as will happen at the 2nd coming.

 

[1213]

1) Where were Sodom and Gomorrah located?

I think book the Exodus case gives good reasons to believe that they were located at Masada Plateau. There is for example sulfur balls found and many other signs of the event.

 

[Achilles6129]

Archaeology evidence that it was as the Bible says "brimstone" not a comet.
https://www.wyattmuseum.com/cities-of-the-plain.htm

If this is from Ron Wyatt, he is not a reliable source.

 

[Achilles6129]

I think book the Exodus case gives good reasons to believe that they were located at Masada Plateau. There is for example sulfur balls found and many other signs of the event.

Where specifically is this at in the book of Exodus?