When the Western mind encounters the word “fire,” it often conjures images of witches being burned at the stake, nuclear bombs, or Dante’s depictions of individuals tormented by flames, which has significantly influenced Western Christian theology. However, in the Bible, Judaism, and other ancient civilizations, fire, though potentially painful, primarily symbolized purification.
In ancient agricultural societies, including those in the Near East, fire was sometimes used to clear fields of stubble and weeds after the harvest. This practice helped prepare the soil for the next planting season and could also control pests and diseases.
According to HELPS Word-Studies, the Bible use of “fire”:
4442 pýr – fire: In Scripture, fire is often used figuratively – like with the “fire of God” which transforms all it touches into light and likeness with itself. God’s Spirit, like a holy fire, enlightens and purifies so that believers can share more and more in His likeness. Indeed the fire of God brings the uninterrupted privilege of being transformed which happens by experiencing faith from Him.
Fire in the Hebrew Scriptures and Jewish Thought
In the Hebrew Bible (E.g., Isaiah 1:25, Isaiah 48:10, Jeremiah 9:7, Malachi 3:2-3, Zechariah 13:9.), fire is never depicted as a symbol of eternal torture in Hellfire. Still, it does represent many other significant concepts, particularly purification. One notable instance is the ritual of burning the Red Heifer described in Numbers 19:1-10. In this ritual, a completely red heifer without blemish is slaughtered and burned entirely with fire. The resulting ashes are then used to create water for ceremonial cleansing.
Similarly, Numbers 31:23 details the purification process for items taken from non-Jews. The passage indicates that items are required to undergo purification by being subjected to fire. This process underscores the symbolic use of fire in purification rituals.
In Malachi 3:2-3, the passage uses fire as a metaphor for Israel’s purification, similar to how a refiner uses fire to purify metals:
But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver.
Malachi 3:2-3
In Jewish thought (e.g., Avoda Zara 75b), fire often symbolizes a process of purification and refinement. It is used to cleanse impurities and sanctify both objects and individuals. This is evident in various rituals and symbolic acts described in the Torah, where fire removes impurities and makes something pure and holy.
In the Hebrew Bible and Jewish tradition, fire also signifies God’s presence, divine judgment, and transformative power. For instance, the burning bush encountered by Moses (Exodus 3:2) symbolizes God’s holy presence, while the fire on Mount Sinai represents divine revelation and covenant (Exodus 19:18). These instances illustrate the multifaceted symbolism of fire in biblical and Jewish thought, emphasizing purification, sanctity, and divine interaction with humanity. However, the Hebrew Scriptures never use “fire” in reference to an ongoing torture in hell.
Jesus, also a prophet of Israel, used these same familiar images of ‘fire’ to metaphorically describe God’s response to the horrible evils in our world. He won’t let them go unchecked. The fire of God’s justice will one day consume evil and purify His beloved children once and for all (2 Peter 3:3-9; Revelation 21:1-4).
Matthew 3:10-12
In contrast with the Hebrew Bible and Jewish thought, the Augustinian-Calvinist perspective frequently employs the symbol of fire in a literal sense to endorse their belief in the perpetual torment of Hellfire. John the Baptist’s words in Matthew 3:10-12, for instance, are commonly cited in this context:
And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
Matthew 3:10-12
Jewish parables are deeply rooted in the agricultural context, resonating with a society whose daily life and economy were intricately tied to farming. This background is crucial for interpreting parables about master-servant relationships, wheat and chaff, and other agricultural metaphors. In Matthew 3:10-12, John the Baptist employs these familiar agricultural images to convey his message of Israel’s looming judgment.
In context, John the Baptist is speaking about impending judgment on Israel if it fails to repent. In Matthew 3:7-8, John warns the religious leaders that wrath (which, in Old Testament terms, often meant the violent conquest of Israel by its enemies) is coming upon the nation. However, Israel could escape it if it bore fruits worthy of repentance. When John speaks of the axe being laid at the root of the tree, he is saying that Israel’s judgment is imminent.
Wheat and Chaff
Then, John goes on to speak about Jesus. The imagery of wheat and chaff is particularly telling. In agriculture, wheat grows as a single plant with both grain and chaff. The process of winnowing and threshing involves separating the valuable grain from the worthless chaff. This metaphor suggests that within each individual, there is a mixture of good and bad. The good (wheat) is preserved, while the bad (chaff) is destroyed.
When John uses the image of the wheat and the chaff, he describes the common practice of farmers gathering the harvest on their threshing floor, where the wheat is separated from the chaff with a winnowing fork. This tool was a cross between a rake and a shovel so that large scoops of grain could be tossed into the air while also creating a bit of a breeze. The heavier grain would fall back to the ground, while the lighter chaff would get blown off to one side, where it would pile up against a low wall of the threshing floor. Once the wheat and chaff had been separated in this way, the grain would be taken away for storage, while the useless chaff would be set on fire. Since chaff is light and insubstantial, it’s not even usable as fuel as it burns very quickly, leaving almost no ash behind and very little evidence that it ever existed. If we are to take John’s illustration as speaking of Hellfire, then we once again end up with a case for final annihilation, not eternal torture.
In the metaphor of wheat and chaff, the wheat could be seen as representing the good within us, intertwined with chaff—undesirable elements like sin and imperfections. This imagery aligns with Paul’s teachings about the unworthy parts of ourselves being refined through fire, “if it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames” (1 Corinthians 3:15), highlighting a purification process where our sins and flawed nature are eradicated, leaving only what is pure, even if the only good left is God’s image.
This process is not about inflicting torment on individuals, a concept often oversimplified in teachings as a dichotomy of the saved and the damned, but rather a process of purification. This idea resonates with the core Christian doctrine of transformation, which calls believers to partake in the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4) by casting off the old self for a renewed existence in Christ. This metamorphosis entails separating the spiritual wheat from the fleshly chaff, retaining the soul’s intrinsic worth while eliminating sinful traits.
The act of winnowing and threshing, integral to this metaphor, could symbolize the meticulous separation of one’s virtues (the wheat) from one’s vices (the chaff), which can be seen in Christ’s admonition in Luke 22:31, where Simon Peter is told that Satan has desired to sift him as wheat—testing his faith and character. Likewise, Paul’s epistles to the Galatians (2:20) and Colossians (3:9-10) echo this sentiment, illustrating how Christians should manifest their faith by adopting the new self, constantly rejuvenated to mirror the image of God.
Ultimately, the imagery highlights not eternal damnation in Hellfire but rather spiritual cleansing and purification, accentuating the transformative path of faith we are invited to embark upon. This process is immensely beneficial in realizing the blessings that God intends for us in this life. However, those who fail to repent will face their sins’ dire and ruinous outcomes. This is the warning John delivers to the leaders and the entire nation of Israel. John employs the metaphor of fire to denote this destruction. In other words, John is warning: If you won’t repent—remove your chaff—God will do it for you!
Burning of Chaff and Unquenchable Fire
When John says that the “trees will be thrown into the fire” (Matt 3:10), he is not literally talking about actual plants punished in Hellfire but is using the imagery of cutting down a tree, which then gets burned. Many trees are cut down and then used to make planks of wood for building and construction. The trees of the lowest quality are, however, harvested and utilized as fuel for cooking and heating.
John states that those who won’t repent will be symbolically cut down and burned. This signifies their worthlessness, as they will not be of any significant use when judgment arrives, representing their misdeeds.
The term “baptism by the Holy Spirit and fire” mentioned in Matthew 3:11 is similarly interpreted. The Holy Spirit and the fire are not at odds but complement each other. Baptism, meaning “immersion,” suggests that just as metals are purified when immersed in fire, so too is this a metaphor for cleansing. The passage indicating Jesus will administer this baptism by fire does not imply Jesus will literally stand in hell with a massive flamethrower, burning people forever, but rather alludes to the symbolic purification of Israel.
Fire naturally dies out slowly. In contrast, unquenchable fire, unlike quenchable fire that must be maintained, suggests it will not stop until it fully completes its task. It burns all it is meant to burn and fully consumes everything fed into it. Chaff does not burn eternally; it burns quickly and then is gone. Thus, describing this fire as unquenchable indicates it burns hot and fast until there is nothing left to burn: “For everyone will be salted with fire.” (Mark 9:49)
Gregory of Nyssa’s beliefs may indeed reflect this view:
God has one goal…some straightway even in this life purified from evil; others healed hereafter through fire for the appropriate length of time.
Eusebius, in his Ecclesiastical History, writes about a Christian named Julian who was burned to death for being a Christian. Eusebius describes this fire as being an immense fire. The Greek words he uses are puri asbestō, exactly the same words used by John in Matthew 3:12. Eusebius goes on to use the exact same term to describe how other Christian martyrs were killed. Clearly, when Eusebius used this phrase, he was certainly not saying that these Christian martyrs went to Hellfire. The bodies of these Christians were reduced to ash in the fire, not sent to everlasting torment.
Conclusion
Matthew 3:10-12, when understood in its historical and cultural context, along with the agricultural metaphors used by Jesus, points towards a punishment of purification and transformation rather than eternal conscious torment. The fire mentioned symbolizes refining and cleansing, which is necessary for sanctification. This interpretation aligns with the broader biblical narrative of redemption and restoration rather than unending torture.
Similar to 1 Corinthians 3:12-15, where works are tested by fire, the “chaff” represents the sinful, unworthy parts of ourselves. This metaphorical fire purifies by burning away sin and impurities, leaving only what is good and valuable. The core message of Christianity revolves around transformation—becoming “partakers of the Divine Nature” (2 Peter 1:4). This involves shedding the old nature and embracing the new nature, as emphasized in Galatians 2:20 and Colossians 3:9-10. The imagery of winnowing and threshing, along with the “unquenchable fire,” can be understood as a process of refinement, separating what is usable (e.g., our souls, God’s image, good deeds, and faith) from what is not (sin and falsehood).
This article was a copy-paste from my new book on hell: HELL: A Jewish Perspective on a Christian Doctrine
