### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Greek word **káminos**, represented by `{{G2575}}`, refers to a **furnace**. It appears **4 times** across **4 unique verses** in the Bible. The term describes a furnace, a structure designed for creating intense heat, and is used metaphorically to illustrate concepts of divine judgment, purification, and overwhelming power.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In biblical usage, `{{G2575}}` appears in powerful apocalyptic and parabolic contexts. It is most frequently associated with judgment, described as a "furnace of fire" into which the wicked are cast, resulting in "wailing and gnashing of teeth" ([[Matthew 13:42]], [[Matthew 13:50]]). In the book of Revelation, it is used to describe the source of a great smoke that rises from the bottomless pit and darkens the sun [[Revelation 9:2]]. It is also used in a description of the glorified Christ, whose feet are "like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace," suggesting immense purity and power [[Revelation 1:15]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help clarify the imagery associated with a furnace:
* `{{G4442}}` **pŷr** (fire): This word for "'fire' (literally or figuratively...)" is explicitly joined with `{{G2575}}` to form the phrase "furnace of **fire**," which serves as a place of final judgment [[Matthew 13:42]].
* `{{G4448}}` **pyróō** (to kindle, glow, be refined): This verb, meaning to "be ignited, glow...be refined," describes the action within a furnace. It is used to depict feet that **burned** as if in a furnace, implying purification [[Revelation 1:15]].
* `{{G2586}}` **kapnós** (smoke): A great furnace is used as a simile for the source of immense **smoke** that billows from the pit, linking the furnace to overwhelming and obscuring phenomena [[Revelation 9:2]].
* `{{G5421}}` **phréar** (pit, abyss): Defined as a "hole in the ground...figuratively, an abyss," this word is connected to `{{G2575}}` when the smoke from the **pit** is compared to the smoke of a great furnace [[Revelation 9:2]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{G2575}}` is centered on themes of finality and intensity.
* **Divine Judgment:** The primary theological use of the term is as a symbol of eschatological punishment. The "furnace of fire" is a definitive image of the fate reserved for the unrighteous at the end of the age [[Matthew 13:50]].
* **Intense Purification:** In the vision of Christ, the image of feet burned in a furnace signifies a state of absolute purity and strength, refined by immense heat [[Revelation 1:15]]. This connects the furnace to a process of trial and perfection.
* **Apocalyptic Power:** The "great furnace" in Revelation illustrates a source of overwhelming, world-altering events. The smoke it produces is so great that it darkens the sun and air, symbolizing a divine event of immense scale and consequence [[Revelation 9:2]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{G2575}}` **káminos** is a potent biblical metaphor. While it simply means **furnace**, its scriptural applications are profound. It serves as a stark symbol for both the unquenchable fire of divine judgment [[Matthew 13:42]] and the purifying intensity of divine glory [[Revelation 1:15]]. Whether describing the final punishment of the wicked or the refined appearance of Christ, the image of the furnace communicates a sense of ultimate and inescapable power.
TRV