"Rain upon the wicked coals and brimstone; and a burning wind shall be the portion of their cup." This is as it is stated (Proverbs 26:21), "As charcoal is to embers and wood to fire, so is a contentious person to kindling strife." The Holy One, blessed be He, said, "Whoever exalts himself will ultimately be judged with fire." This was seen in the generation of the Flood, as it is written (Job 6:17), "When they are hot, they vanish; when it is hot, they are consumed out of their place."
This was also the fate of the people of the Tower of Babel, as it is written (Genesis 11:8), "And the Lord scattered them abroad from there upon the face of all the earth, and they stopped building the city." The people of Sodom were also punished with fire, as it is written (Genesis 19:24), "Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire." Pharaoh was struck with hail and fire, as it is written (Exodus 9:24), "And there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail."
Sennacherib was consumed by fire, as it is written (Isaiah 10:16), "Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire." Nebuchadnezzar was also punished with fire, as it is written (Daniel 3:22), "Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego."
Shem's descendants, including Elam and Ashur, were burned in front of him, as it is written (Genesis 10:22), "The sons of Shem: Elam, and Asshur." Sisera was fought against from the heavens, as it is written (Judges 5:20), "They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera." Edom was judged with fire, as it is written (Daniel 7:11), "I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spoke; I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame."
Gog and Magog were also punished with fire, as it is written (Ezekiel 38:22), "And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone." All the other nations will also be judged with fire, as it is written (Isaiah 66:16), "For by fire and by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh: and the slain of the Lord shall be many."
The traps used to capture animals are also made of coals, as it is stated (Proverbs 7:23), "Till an arrow strike through his liver; as a bird hastens to the snare, and knows not that it is for his life." Fire and brimstone are also used for purification, as Rabbi Yudan said, "When a person smells sulfur, his soul trembles because it knows that it will eventually have to endure it, as it is written (Jeremiah 18:17), 'I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; ' There are four cups of retribution for the nations of the world, and four cups of salvation for Israel."......