It was the day before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Two angels came to Sodom and they came upon Lot, where he sat at the gate.
When Lot saw the strangers approaching, he stood up to meet them. When they reached him, he bowed down and then greeted them: 'Welcome, my lords! Please come to my house and then you can sleep and eat there, and you can wash your feet. You can then resume your journey tomorrow.'
They politely declined and said they don't mind to sleep on the plains, but Lot insisted. So they went with him.
He prepared a meal for them and they ate. But before they could turn in for the night, men came from the city of Sodom to Lot's house and shouted at him: 'Where are the men that came to you tonight?! Bring them to us, we want to have intercourse with them!'
Lot went outside to speak to the men. After locking the door behind him, he turned to the men and said" 'No, friends, don't do this wrong thing. I have 2 daughters that are still virgins. Take them and do with them what you want ... but leave the men alone. They are under the safety of my roof.'
But the men of Sodom was having none of it and shouted out: 'No, get out of the way!' 'This man wants to tell us to do ... we will do him more harm than what we're going to do to the 2 men!'
So they started to push Lot back to open the door. The 2 men inside quickly grabbed Lot and pulled him inside. They locked the door behind Lot and then smite the men outside with blindness so that they wouldn't find the door. The men eventually gave up and went away.
After it quieted down the 2 men turned to Lot and spoke to him: 'Who else is with you that you want to save? ... Whomever you want to save, take them out of this place as quickly as you can! This place has instigated the Wrath of God, because of the lawlessness of the people. We were sent by God to destroy this place.'
Lot went out and spoke to his 2 would-be sons in law and urged them to go with him. They thought he was joking and only shrugged him off.
And then the dawn broke.
Lot thought he still had time when the angels forcefully guided him, his wife and their 2 daughters out of the city, because Lot had found mercy in the eyes of The Lord. The angels urged Lot to run to the hills, to get as far away from Sodom and Gomorrah as he can. Lot spoke to them and asked to go to a little town that he knew about to be safe there with his family. His wish was granted and so did Lot come to the town of Zoar, and the angels spared the town.
Lot reached Zoar as the sun started to climb into morning.
When He was sure that Lot was save, The Lord striked down at the thorn in His side.
The Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire straight out of heaven.
He burned everything. There was nothing left of the two cities or anything alive, even on the plains around the cities ... not even a plant.
The smoke of the burning earth was seen from wide and far ... and Sodom and Gomorrah was wiped from the face of the earth.
Source: The Bible: Genesis 19
