From a general reading over the gospels, it seems that Jesus uses FIRE to symbolize hell more than any other symbol.  For example: “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting FIRE prepared for the devil and his angels’” (Matt. 25:41)

  • Sodom and Gomorrah judged by fire: “but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.” (Luke 17:29) (see also Gen. 19:24-25,28)
  • Symbolic of judgment of hell to those who don’t believe: “Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them…are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.” (Jude 7) (see also 2 Peter 2:6)
  • Judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah revealed to Abraham (Gen. 18:17-21)
  • Lot’s sons-in-law didn’t take it seriously: “But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be joking.” (Gen. 19:14)
  • When Abraham had the judgment of fire revealed to him, knowing that cities of people would die, he immediately interceded on their behalf:

Gen. 18:

22 The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD . [5] 23 Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare [6] the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing-to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge [7] of all the earth do right?”
26 The LORD said, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
27 Then Abraham spoke up again: “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, 28 what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city because of five people?”
“If I find forty-five there,” he said, “I will not destroy it.”
29 Once again he spoke to him, “What if only forty are found there?”
He said, “For the sake of forty, I will not do it.”
30 Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?”
He answered, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”
31 Abraham said, “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?”
He said, “For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it.”
32 Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?”
He answered, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.”
33 When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.