Coals of Fire

PastorJohnsHouse Blog on “Coals of Fire”

Hey Daddy ~

[Concerning the recent Blog] What exactly does it mean to “heap coals of fire” upon someone’s head? Is that a reference to a cultural practice of the day? Or do we not know anything more about it, other than it would hurt pretty badly? 😛

Thanks,
Bekah

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Good question. I know what it means, but as to whether it also referred to some cultural practice of the time, I don’t know.

The phrase “heap coals of fire” on an evil-doer’s head means to make things worse for them in the Final Judgment. Solomon advised his children to treat evil-doers kindly so that in the Final Judgment, their damnation will be even worse than it is already going to be. We know that an evil-doer is on his way to eternal fire because Jesus, and men God throughout the Bible, said so (e.g., Mt. 25:41). But if those evildoers have done wrong to people who were good to them, and not just to sinners like themselves, then they will be worthy of “greater damnation”. This “greater damnation” is the “coals of fire” that a good person can heap upon the head an evil-doer.

dad