What is Brimstone in the Bible and Why it Matters

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What is Brimstone in the Bible? I have recently asked myself this question. By studying the use of brimstone in the word of God and researching what it is, this blog will answer that question, not just in a practical sense but in a spiritual sense that can be applied to our walks with Christ as well. 

What is Brimstone in the Bible?

Brimstone in the Bible is often paired with fire, i.e., “fire and brimstone.” Throughout the scriptures, all the way from the word’s first entrance in Genesis to its use in John’s prophecies recorded in the book of Revelation, brimstone, whether paired with fire or not, is used in the context of punishment and/or destruction as a result of God’s wrath.

We will see this in the past tense as we explore the Old Testament references to brimstone and in the future tense as we explore its appearances in John’s visions of the end times.

What is Brimstone?

Before we answer “what is brimstone in the Bible?” we must answer “what is brimstone?”

The term brimstone is interchangeable with sulfur, a non-metallic yellow element known for its peculiar suffocating odor that mimics rotten eggs. Britannica says sulfur, or brimstone, is “one of the most reactive of the elements.”  

This description of brimstone as very reactive started out as an interesting side note, but then got me on the train of thought of brimstone’s frequent pairing with fire in the Bible, and why exactly that is. Upon my research of the reaction of sulfur/brimstone with fire, I found out that sulfur dust ignites very easily, whether that be by heat alone, electricity, flames, and more. Upon it’s ignition, it can combust, which causes toxic gases. These gases, called sulfur dioxide, cause damage to a person’s lungs and airways if inhaled. 

With this information in the back of our minds, let’s move on to scriptural use of this combustible substance. 

Brimstone in the Old Testament

Now, we can answer our question: “What is brimstone in the Bible?” 

Brimstone is found in both the Old and New Testaments, with the Old Testament references setting the stage for its severity in the New Testament, specifically the Book of Revelation. 

Note that these verses are in the New King James translation of the Bible, as it is one that uses brimstone instead of sulfur. Remember the two are interchangeable, so reading such passages in a version that uses sulfur instead does not change the meaning. 

The entrance of brimstone, paired with fire, is found in Genesis at the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

“Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens.”

Genesis 19:24 (ESV)

The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were and are known for their evil, wicked ways that you can see woven throughout the stories of Abraham and Lot. It was the profound wickedness and blatant revolt against anything Godly by the inhabitants of the land that led to the destruction of these cities by a rain of fire and brimstone at the command of God. 

Brimstone is also a small part of Job’s story: 

“They dwell in his tent who are none of his; Brimstone is scattered on his dwelling.”

Job 18:15 (ESV)

This chapter of Job is what we, in the present time, would call a rant by Bildad, a friend of Job’s. Bildad is growing frustrated with Job’s misery and desperation upon losing all that he has, and is claiming that Job does not know God (which is not true). Bildad’s rant is an expression of what happens to those that do not know God. In this specific verse, he alludes, through the use of brimstone, to the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, the cities of the plain, and how they’re lack of fear of God led to desolation. 

David uses brimstone in a Psalm where he feels abandoned by the Lord. 

“Upon the wicked He will rain coals; Fire and brimstone and a burning wind shall be the portion of their cup.”

Psalms 11:6 (ESV)

Earlier on in this Psalm, David expresses his feelings of abandonment and fear of the power of evil (Psalm 11:1-2). However, he follows up with an utterance of his trust in God’s righteousness and justice. “He appeals to God to punish his wicked enemies according to their wickedness.”

The punishment of the wicked that he uses is again, fire and brimstone.

Lastly (though this is not the last of the specific mentions of brimstone in the Old Testament), brimstone appears in Isaiah’s prophecy of the tribulation in the end times. 

“Its streams shall be turned into pitch, And its dust into brimstone; its land shall become burning pitch.”

Isaiah 34:9 (ESV)

This prophecy begins with a warning of God’s indignation with the nations of the world. Isaiah then begins to set the scene for what will happen at the hands of an angry God, part of it being that the dust of the whole land will be turned into the highly reactive element of brimstone. 

This prophecy gives a perfect segue into the next cluster of references to brimstone in the Bible: the book of Revelation.

Brimstone in Revelation

Brimstone appears quite a few times in John’s prophecy about the end times, specifically regarding God’s wrath against those who oppose the Kingdom of God. 

Here are a few of the verses involving brimstone:

“And thus I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone. By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed – by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths.”

Revelation 9:17-18 (ESV)

These verses are contained within the description of the blowing of the sixth trumpet (there is a total of eight), after the opening all seven seals. The blowing of this trumpet marked the beginning of a plague as a result of the divine judgments of God, which was the breath of the creatures riding the horses. This breath, containing fire and brimstone, kills a third part of men. 

“The devil who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

Revelation 20:10 (ESV)

This verse is the final defeat of Satan, as he is let out of prison and faces eternal punishment as he is cast into the lake of fire and brimstone – which we know contains great toxicity. Whether this is a metaphorical fire or a literal one, we will not know until the prophecy is fulfilled, but the same point is made either way. 

“He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be my son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Revelation 21:7-8 (ESV)

This last passage is in the context of God making all things new after the outpouring of his wrath on the evil of the world and Satan. John makes it clear in this part of his prophecy that those who practice sinful things that are against the ways of the Lord will not take part in the heavenly bliss that follows the tribulation, but rather be cast into eternal damnation alongside Satan himself, as he was first cast into the lake of fire and brimstone. 

So What?

After all of this, we have an answer to our original question: “What is brimstone in the Bible?”

Brimstone in the Bible is a means to God’s justice against unrighteousness and, therefore, a stark warning of the great abundance of terrible suffering that awaits those who do not accept the good news of Jesus Christ. In the same way, it is also an emphasizer of that good news, as it sheds light into what all of humanity was doomed to face if it weren’t for the manifestation of the love of God through Jesus Christ’s death on the cross. 

You may enjoy this video on fire and brimstone in the Bible:

ESV – “Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”