Genesis 19:24-25, 27 New International Version (NIV) 24 Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah . . . 25 Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, destroying all those living in the cities . . . 27 . . . and he saw dense smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace.
As modern day Christians we struggle with understanding and accepting some Bible stories. They seem too crazy to have actually occurred as reported. Non-Christians exercise the greatest skepticism, which keeps them from learning what they really need to know about salvation through Jesus Christ.
I suggest a little education will help squash any doubt that you may have. Know this: the Bible stories aren’t simply allegories or fables; they actually occurred. Aside from being so phenomenal, what makes them seem unrealistic is that authors from thousands of years ago recorded what they had witnessed, so their experiences from historical and cultural perspectives are far removed from our own.
Over the last year I’ve done a little study of Biblical archeology. The topic gets complicated quickly for me, as this field isn’t my area of expertise. As just one example, here’s the truth about Sodom and Gomorrah.
We know the Bible story about God’s destruction of these cities that were located southeast of the Dead Sea. Today Bab edh-Dhra occupies what used to be Sodom, and Numeira occupies what used to be Gomorrah. In archeological digs of these two locations, the positively identified remains of the original destruction have been uncovered! It has been determined that fires started on the roofs of cemetery buildings. Furthermore, the debris contains a high percentage of sulfur. These are the facts, but what caused sulfur to rain down is hypothesized. A nearby fault line reflects an earthquake occurred during the time Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. It, too, contains a high sulfur content, and the pressure released from the earthquake along the fault line would have sent sulfur high into the air. The Biblical account mentions the event produced heavy smoke, which would also accompany such an occurrence as geologists have speculated. The Sodom and Gomorrah event has been verified with modern science.
Don’t ever be apologetic for believing the Bible! It is true and trustworthy.