but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all— so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse emphasizes the suddenness of destruction precisely on the day Lot escaped. This highlights that even moments of deliverance can be immediately followed by devastating judgment for those left behind, underscoring the critical, narrow window for escape.
but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all— so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is explaining to his disciples that the coming of God's kingdom and the Son of Man will not be outwardly observed, but will come as a sudden surprise to the world. He uses the examples of Noah's flood and the destruction of Sodom to illustrate how people were caught up in their everyday lives, completely unaware of the impending judgment, and how believers must remain watchful. This event is presented as a parallel to the judgment that will occur when Jesus returns.
The Bible paints vivid pictures of God's judgment. What do the stories of Noah and Lot teach us about the certainty and surprise of divine justice?
Jesus uses the destruction of Sodom as a stark warning. It wasn't just a future event; it happened suddenly to people going about their daily lives.
Daily Life vs. Divine Judgment
What does the specific imagery of 'fire and sulfur' tell us about the nature and severity of God's judgment?
The description of 'fire and sulfur rained from heaven' is a powerful, terrifying image. It's not a subtle judgment; it's an overwhelming, consuming force.
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The Nature of the Judgment
This imagery serves as a potent symbol of the wrath of God against sin and rebellion, a judgment so severe that it leaves nothing untouched.
Understand the original words
Sedom · Hebrew Proper Noun
An ancient city known in the Bible as a symbol of extreme moral depravity and rebellion against God, resulting in catastrophic divine judgment.
pyr kai theion · Greek Noun Phrase
A frequent Old Testament motif representing divine judgment and the manifestation of God’s holiness and wrath against sin and impurity.
apokalyptetai · Greek Verb
Literally an 'unveiling' or 'apocalypse'; it refers to the climactic point when Christ will no longer be hidden from the world but will be made manifest in His power, glory, and judicial authority.
Jesus uses the destruction of Sodom as a stark warning, illustrating that divine judgment can fall suddenly and unexpectedly on those caught up in worldly affairs, just as it did on the inhabitants of Sodom, highlighting the need for constant vigilance.
~2000 BC— this verse
Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
God destroys the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and sulfur as judgment for their sinfulness. Lot and his family are rescued.
c. 1400 BC
Exodus from Egypt
The Israelites escape slavery in Egypt, a formative event showing God's deliverance of His people.
c. 1000 BC
United Monarchy Established
King David establishes Jerusalem as the capital, a period of national unity and prosperity.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem
The Babylonians destroy Jerusalem and its Temple, leading to the exile of the Judean people.
c. 538 BC
Return from Exile
Cyrus the Great allows the Judeans to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple.
c. 4 BC
Birth of Jesus
Jesus is born in Bethlehem, marking the beginning of God's ultimate plan of salvation.
c. AD 30-33
Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus
Jesus is crucified and rises from the dead, conquering sin and death.
This passage in Genesis directly describes the event that Luke is referencing, detailing how 'the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven.'
2 Peter 2:6Peter explicitly uses the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah as an example ('condemnation of ungodly people') for those who live in sin and disregard God's judgment, making it a strong parallel.
Luke 17:26This verse immediately precedes the reference and draws a direct comparison between the days of Noah and the days of the Son of Man, with the destruction of Sodom in the following verse serving as another vivid example of sudden judgment.
Matthew 24:37-39Jesus makes a similar comparison to the days of Noah in Matthew's Gospel when discussing the end times, highlighting the unsuspecting nature of those caught in destruction, though Luke specifically mentions Sodom here.
Luke 17:32Jesus' command to 'remember Lot's wife' immediately follows this verse, using the tragic fate of Lot's wife, who looked back at the destruction and was turned into a pillar of salt, as a warning against lingering attachment to the world being judged.
calvinLuke 17:26-37: "And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man."
- But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38. For as in the days that came before the deluge, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, till the day when Noah entered into the ark, 39. And knew not until the deluge came, [160] and took them all away: so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 40. Two men shall then be in the field…
clarkeLuke 17:29: "But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all."
It rained fire and brimstone - Instead of it rained, Genesis 19:24 justifies the insertion of the pronoun he, as implied in the verb εβρεξε; for it is there said that Jehovah rained fire and brimstone from Jehovah out of heaven.
The verse emphasizes the suddenness of destruction precisely on the day Lot escaped. This highlights that even moments of deliverance can be immediately followed by devastating judgment for those left behind, underscoring the critical, narrow window for escape.
Jesus is explaining to his disciples that the coming of God's kingdom and the Son of Man will not be outwardly observed, but will come as a sudden surprise to the world. He uses the examples of Noah's flood and the destruction of Sodom to illustrate how people were caught up in their everyday lives, completely unaware of the impending judgment, and how believers must remain watchful. This event is presented as a parallel to the judgment that will occur when Jesus returns.
Jesus is explaining to his disciples that the coming of God's kingdom and the Son of Man will not be outwardly observed, but will come as a sudden surprise to the world. He uses the examples of Noah's flood and the destruction of Sodom to illustrate how people were caught up in their everyday lives, completely unaware of the impending judgment, and how believers must remain watchful. This event is presented as a parallel to the judgment that will occur when Jesus returns.
"but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all— so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed." — The verse emphasizes the suddenness of destruction precisely on the day Lot escaped. This highlights that even moments of deliverance can be immediately followed by devastating judgment for those l…
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Last reviewed October 2026