Fire - Literal or symbolic

Malachi 3:2 But who may abide the day of his coming? .... for he is like a refiner's fire , and like fullers' soap:
1Co_3:15 - All saved, so as by fire
Mark 9:49-50 or every one shall be salted with fire .... Salt is good ....

Jesus is often symbolized as the sacrificial Lamb to pay for the sins of humanity.
Father is symbolized by or connected to a fire that purifies from sin.

Our God is a consuming Fire

Fire Is A Beneficent Agent

How shallow is the common view of "fire" as only or chiefly a penal agent. Fire, in Scripture, is the element of....

"Life"....Isa. 4:5

"Purification"....Matt. 3:3

"Atonement"....Lev. 16:27

"Transformation".....2 Pet. 3:10

And never ever of preservation alive for purposes of anguish.

And the popular view selects precisely this latter use, never found in Scripture, and represents it as the sole end of God's fiery judgments! If we take either the teaching of Scripture or of nature, we see that the dominant conception of fire is of a beneficent agent. Nature tells us that fire is a necessary condition of life; its mission is to sustain life; and to purify, even when it dissolves.

Extinguish the stores of fire in the universe, and you extinguish all being; universal death reigns. Most strikingly is this connection of fire and life shown in the facts of nutrition. For we actually burn in order to live; our food is the fuel; our bodies are furnaces; our nutrition is a process of combustion; we are, in fact, "a flame to the very tips of our fingers." And so it is that round the fireside of life and work gather: when we think of home we speak of the family hearth.

Fire Is The Sign Of God's Being
And what Nature teaches, Scripture enforces in no doubtful tone. It is significant to find the Great Source of life constantly associated with fire in the Bible.

Fire is the sign, not of God's wrath, but of His being.

When God comes to Ezekiel there is a "fire unfolding itself" (Ezek. 1:4, 27) and "the appearance of fire." (Ezek. 8:2)

Christ's eyes are a flame of "fire" (Rev. 1:14).

The seven lamps of "fire" are the seven Spirits of God (Rev. 4:5). So a fiery stream is said "to go before God," His throne is fiery flame, its wheels are burning fire (Daniel 7:9,10). His eyes are lamps of fire (Dan. 10:6); He is a wall of fire (Zeph. 2:5). At His touch the mountains smoke (Psl. 104:32). And God's ministers are a flame of fire (Psl. 104:4...Heb. 1:7). It is not meant to deny that the Divine Fire chastises and destroys.

Purification, Not Ruin Is The Final Outcome
It is meant that purification, not ruin, is the final outcome of that fire from above, which consumes--call it, if you please, a paradox--in order that it may save. For if God is Love, then by what but by love can His fires be kindled? They are, in fact, the very flame of love; and so we have the key to the words, "Thy God is a consuming Fire," and "Thy God is a merciful God" (Deut. 4:24-31). So God devours the earth with fire, in order that finally all may call upon the name of the Lord (Zeph. 3:8,9)--words full of significance.

So Isaiah tells us of God's cleansing the daughters of Zion by the spirit of burning (Isa. 4:4)--suggestive words. And, so again, "By fire will the Lord plead with all flesh." (Isa. 66:16) And Christ coming to save, comes to purify by "fire." (Mal. 3:2).

Fire A Sign Of Favourable Response?
Let us note, also, how often "fire" is the sign of a favourable answer from God; when God appears to Moses at the Bush it is in "fire:" God answers Gideon by "fire;" and David by "fire." (1 Chron. 21:26) Again, when He answers Elijah on Carmel, it is by "fire;" and in "fire" Elijah himself ascends to God. So God sends to Elisha, for aid, chariots and horses of "fire." So when the Psalmist calls, God answers by "fire." (Psl. 18:6-8)

And by the pillar of "fire" God gave His law. And in "fire" the great gift of the Holy Ghost descends at Pentecost."

Fire Is The Portion Of All
These words bring us to the New Testament. There we find that "fire," like judgment, so far from being the sinner's portion ONLY, is the portion of all. Like God's judgment again, it is not future merely, but present; it is "already kindled," always kindled: its object is not torment, but cleansing. The proof comes from the lips of our Lord Himself. "I am come to send fire on the earth," for it is certain that He came as a Saviour. Thus, coming to save, Christ comes with fire, nay, with fire already kindled. He comes to baptize with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.

Therefore, it is that Christ teaches in solemn passage (usually misunderstood, Mark 9:43) that everyone shall be salted with fire. And so the "fire is to try every man's work." He whose work fails is saved (mark the word saved), not damned "so as by fire," by consuming what is evil, saves and refines.

The antient tradition that represents Christ as saying, "He that is near Me is near fire," expresses a vital truth. So Malachi, describes Christ as being in His saving work "like a refiner's fire." And so, echoing Deut 4:24-31, we are told that "our God is a consuming Fire," i.e., God in His closest relation to us; God is Love; God is Spirit: but "Our God is a consuming Fire"--a consuming Fire, "by which the whole material substance of sin is destroyed."

When, then, we read (Psl. 18:12) that "coals of fire" go before God, we think of the deeds of love which are "coals of fire" to our enemies. (Rom. 12:20) Thus, we who teach hope for all men, do not shrink from but accept, in their fullest meaning, these mysterious "fires" of gehenna, of which Christ speaks (kindled for purification), as in a special sense the sinner's doom in the coming ages. But taught by the clearest statements of Scripture (confirmed as they are by many analogies of Nature), we see in these "fires" not a denial of, but a mode of fulfilling, the promise--

"Behold, I make all things new."

-Christ Triumphant-

I beheld till the thrones were cast down and the Ancient of Days took His throne. His clothing is white as snow, and the hair of His head is like pure white wool. His throne is a blaze of flames and His wheels are burning fire. A River of fire streams and issues forth from His presence. Thousand thousands minister unto HIm, and ten thousand times ten thousand stand before Him.

Our Father's Essence Is Fire
Our usual thought of fire has been that it is a purely negative force, working only destruction and loss. But our God is a consuming Fire and, I would remind you, the very same God is Creator and is Life and is Love.

A recurring word throughout the Scriptures is, "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is ONE. -Deut. 6:4-

*** one=echad= compound unity

What does it mean that God is One? It means infinitely more than that God is merely one person, for one in the numerology of Scripture means unity, united, unfragmented, undivided.

It means that every aspect of God's being and nature is moving in harmony; His justice is not warring against His mercy, His judgment is not pitted against His grace, His wrath is not striving with His love. Every part of the plan, purpose, will and nature of God is ONE unified, united, harmonious, in perfect accord and agreement, all moving toward the same end, the one complementing the other.

The God of love and the God of judgment is the same God and both His love and His judgment are unified to accomplish the same purpose. This is why the Scriptures declare that God is both the "Saviour of all" and the "Judge of all". He is not the Saviour of some and the Judge of others. The very same God who is the Judge of all is also the Saviour of all. He judges all and He saves all! Can we not see by this that His judgment and His salvation are unified and harmonious, working together to effect the same end the restoration of all into God. His judgments are thus unto salvation.

There Is No Conflict: God is One
All the consecration of the Royal priesthood is connected with Fire, for all three sacrifices were accompanied with fire, and perfection is promised through fire. O my brother! My sister! I am afraid there is a great deal of comfortable Christianity that wants to be saved, converted, delivered, Spirit-filled, blessed, prospered, healed, and continually made happy; but it is not the Christianity of Christ.

Many Christians who love the blessings, the gifts and the thrills would like to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit without the baptism of Fire. But what God has joined cannot be sundered. "He will baptize you with the Holy Ghost and Fire" -Matt. 3:11-; there is the promise, what will you do with it?

One Baptism
There is only one preposition in the original, not two as in the English, to show the identity of the two baptisms, or rather that there is but ONE. The Holy Spirit and the Fire are not two items, they are one, for our God is a consuming Fire. Wherever the Spirit descends he brings Fire in His train. "There appeared unto them cloven tongues like as fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost". -Acts 2:3-4-

Fire Is A Symbol Of Purification & Transformation
It consumes the dross and tin of self, the wood, hay and stubble of ignorance and folly. "The Fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is." Everyone shall be salted with fire, baptized in Fire and in the Holy Spirit. Hence the Spirit came upon the disciples in a fiery form because they needed purification, purging, change and transformation. Those baptized with this baptism will know not only the glory and blessing and power of God, but the subduing, melting, abasing, refining, transforming, elevating effects of the Spirit's Fire.

Living Sacrifices
Therefore, to present our bodies and our lives a living sacrifice unto God, is offering ourselves as a burnt offering unto Him. Then the Fire from heaven can come down and consume that which has been presented unto Him and set it aflame and make us a fiery minister of God. -Hebr. 12:29- Our God is a consuming Fire! If we faithfully present ourselves unto Him upon the altar as a continual sacrifice, God will consume the whole life and make us an able minister to manifest His Life unto the world. "He makes His ministers a flame of Fire." -Hebr. 1:7-

The Royal Priesthood -J. Preston Eby-

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It is an interesting fact that brimstone in the Hebrew text is tyrpg, transliterated as gophriyth, which figuratively means the breath of Jehovah. And, to add to this imaginative picture, we find in the New Covenant, as you have so clearly presented, brimstone linked with purification. And so the Greek defines brimstone as theion, and lo and behold theion is rooted in Theos. So the Lake of Fire is the Lake of Theos radiating with His breath and Presence. Escape the Lake? Perhaps we would like to escape our God who is consuming fire.

Brimstone= Gophriyth= The breath of Jehovah

qei'on/ theion = Divine incense with the power to purify

Theion/ qei'on rooted in qei'o/Theios

Theios=

Used by the Greeks in reference to the only true God.

Theios rooted in qeov/ Theos

Theos= The Supreme Deity from which we get Theology.

The Lake Of Fire= The Lake of Theos

The Baptism Of Fire
Such is the reason for salvation by the cross, that is through death; but the great illustration here as elsewhere is to be found in the law, that appointed "shadow of good things," (Heb. x. 1.) which in all its varied forms of sacrifice asserts the same great truth, that only by the fire of God and through death can the earthly creature be changed, and so ascend to God. The offerings were indeed of different kinds, some of a sweet savour, which were offered on the altar in the tabernacle; (Lev. i. ii. iii.) while others not of a sweet savour were burnt on the earth, in some place outside the camp of Israel; (Lev. iv. v. vi.) figuring the varied relations in which men's works and persons might stand to God, and the varying place and manner of their acceptance to Him. But in either case, whether offered in obedience voluntarily, or required penally for trespass and disobedience, the offering was made by fire, and so perished in its first form to rise in another as pillars of smoke before God. If then all this was "the pattern of things in the heavens," (Exod. xxv. 40; Heb. ix. 23.) we have another witness that a transformation wrought by fire is yet being carried on in the true heavens, that is the spiritual world. For no Divine change can be wrought even on God's elect, save by "passing through the waters and through the fires" which are appointed for us, waters and fires as real, though not of this world, as those which burnt on the altar of old, or moved in the laver of the tabernacle. Our Lord can no more spare our nature than the animal was spared of old by the priest who offered it.

And as He in His own body, made under the law, did not shrink from, but fulfilled, the types of suffering, so will He fulfill the same in the bodies of those who are His members, that "being made conformable unto His death, they may attain unto the resurrection from among the dead." (Phil. iii. 10, 11.)

The Way For All Is Through the Fire
In any case the way for all is through the fires, for fire is the great uniter and reconciler of all things; and things which without fire can never be united, in and through the fire are changed and become one. Therefore every coming of Christ, even in grace, is a day of judgment. Therefore there are fires even for the elect both now, (1 S. Pet. i. 7, and iv. 12.) and in the coming day; (1 Cor. iii. 13, 15.) for "our God is a consuming fire;" (Heb. xii. 29.) and to dwell in Him we must have a life, which, because it is of the fire, for fire burns not fire, can stand unhurt in it. Therefore our Lord "came to cast fire into the earth," and desired nothing more than "that it should be already kindled;" (S. Luke xii. 49.) therefore He says, "Everyone shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt." (S. Mark ix. 49.) For this is the very "baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire," (S. Matt. iii. 11.) that "spirit of judgment and burning," promised by the prophet, "with which the Lord shall purge away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and cleanse the blood of Jerusalem; after which He will create on every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and on all her assemblies, a cloud of smoke by day, and the brightness of flame of fire by night; and upon all, the glory shall be a defence; (Isa. iv. 4, 5.) for "He is like a refiner's <page 82> fire, and like a fuller's soap; and He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and He shall purify the sons of Levi as gold and silver are purged, that they may offer to the Lord an offering of righteousness." (Mal. iii. 3). And as by the hidden fire of this present life, shut up in these bodies of corruption, we are able by the wondrous chemistry of nature through corruption to change the fruits and flesh of the earth into our blood, and from blood again into our flesh and bone and sinew; so by the fire of God can we be changed, and made partakers of Christ's flesh and blood. In and through Christ we have received this transmutation; (Rom. v. 11.) and through His Spirit, which is fire, is this same change accomplished in us.

NOTE
It is surely a significant fact, that the two words used in Hebrew to express destruction, signify also, and are used to express, perfection; and that the word for a sacrifice by fire in Hebrew is the same as that for a bride or wife; e.g. Numbers xxviii. 6. By this double sense a veil covers the letter, veiling yet revealing God's purpose; for His purpose to the creature is through destruction to perfect it, and by fire to make it a bride unto the Lord. For a kindred reason some of the angels are called Seraphim, that is burning ones; for like the Lord, whose throne is flames of fire, (Dan. vii. 9,10.) they also are as fire; as it is written, "He makes His angels spirits, His messengers a flame of fire." (Heb. i. 7, and Psalm civ. 4.)

As With The First-Fruits, So With The Full Harvest
And as with the first-fruits, so with the harvest. The world to be saved must some day know the same baptism. For "the Lord will come with fire," and "by fire and by His sword will He plead with all flesh, and the slain of the Lord shall be many." (Isa. lxvi. 15, 16.) The promised baptism or outpouring of the Spirit must be judgment, for the Spirit cannot be poured on man without consuming this flesh to quicken a better life;

1 Cor.3:11-17
For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man's work shall be made manifest; for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved; yet so by fire.

"Every man's work shall be made manifest; for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is."

In the plan of God, fire has a very outstanding place. Even in the natural world fire is the greatest known purifier. Disease and filth may resist water and any type of disinfectant or fuller's soap, but nothing can withstand fire. The garment in Israel wherein was the plague of leprosy was to be burned with fire, -Lev.13:52-, because that was the only sure way to destroy the disease, and the house wherein was the plague of leprosy was to be pulled down and carried away to an unclean place outside the city, presumably the gehenna of fire. -Lev. 14:24-

Fire in scripture is often, if not always, a symbol of God.

Quote

For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire... -Deut. 4:24-.

"Did ever people hear the voice of God out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live?"

"Out of heaven He made thee to hear His voice, that He might instruct thee; and upon earth He showed thee His great fire, and thou heardest His words out of the midst of the fire." -Deut.4:33,36-

Ezekiel saw the Lord as a fire enfolding itself. -Ezek.1:4-
John in his Patmos vision, beholding the Lord Jesus Christ, saw His head and hair white like wool and His eyes a flame of fire. -Rev.1:14-

At the revelation of Christ from heaven with His mighty angels, He will come "in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting (aionian) destruction (olethros) from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power." -1 Thess. 1:7-9-

When John the Baptist spoke of the coming outpouring of the Holy Spirit, he likened the Spirit to a fanned fire, saying,

Quote

I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance; but He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: whose fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. -Matt.3:11,12-

When God appeared to Israel in Sinai, the sight of the Lord was like devouring fire. -Exod. 24:17-

When the Holy Spirit fell upon the waiting host at Pentecost, He appeared unto them in cloven tongues like as fire, which sat upon each of them. -Acts 2:4-

The number of places throughout the holy scripture in which fire is mentioned in connection with the Lord are numerous.

Fire is a symbol of the Glorious One
We should also be aware of the difference between natural fire, with which we are all acquainted, and the fire of God, which is spiritual and descends from heaven. The fire that burned in the bush of the wilderness in Moses' day was not the same kind of fire that now destroys our forests, or burns in our hearths, and the fire that fell upon the altar of God in the wilderness, was not the same fire that was offered by Nadab and Abihu. -Lev.10:1,2-

Neither is the fire that fell on Pentecost to be confused with the bonfire the barbarians made when Paul was shipwrecked on the Island of Melita.

The Fire of Pentecost and the Lake of Fire are identical in substance. Both are related to God, the only difference being in their purpose and work, the Lake of Fire to consume all dross and corruption, and the fire of Pentecost to sanctify, fill, and empower that which is being purified.

There is an illuminating passage in Numbers 31:23 that appears to be a type of the judgement we are considering.

Quote

Everything that may abide the fire, ye shall make it go through the fire, and it shall be clean; nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of separation; and all that abideth not the fire ye shall make go through the water.

In verse 22 we are told what things were to be committed to the fire for purification. The gold, the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead--all these things were to be purified by fire when they were brought back by soldiers from battle, but those materials which could not endure fire were to be cleansed by water.

What we must understand is that the way into the Presence of the Glory Being is by fire. We cannot escape it, nor do we desire such a road, for we long to know Him! The way into the Tree of Life is through the fiery swords flashing/swirling in every direction. The experience of baptism in both water, and the Spirit, is to bring us to an end of ourselves, where we enter into newness of life, the Life of God Himself. The way to life is by way of death. It is God's way. All of us must pass through the flaming swords of His Presence if we are to dwell with Him.

By Fire
"For behold, the Lord will come in Fire, His chariots shall be like the stormy wind, to render His anger with fierceness, and His rebuke with flames of Fire.

For BY Fire will the Lord execute judgment, and by His sword, upon all flesh: and the slain of the Lord shall be many". (Isaiah 66:15-16 Amplified)

"For, lo, Jehovah in Fire cometh, and as a hurricane His chariots, to refresh in fury His anger, and His rebuke in flames of Fire. For BY Fire and by His sword, doth Jehovah do judgment with all flesh, and many have been Jehovah's pierced ones." (Isaiah 66:15,16) (Young's translation)

There has been much misconception concerning the Fire of God, and while we would not dare to think we grasp all the answers, we would like to present some of the thoughts which God has quickened to our heart by His Sprit. For "BY Fire" will the Lord plead with "ALL" flesh. The word plead (Hebrew, shaphat) is correctly translated by Young as "do judgment," with all flesh. The word "JUDGMENT" actually refers to the corrective processes of God, the training up, the disciplining or girding up, bringing into alignment wayward creation. And in this great process of restoration, the Lord is going to use Fire as part of his dealing with us all.

Let me give you Moffatt's translation for this verse: "On the WHOLE WORLD the Eternal will pass sentence with His Fire and sword." I like the emphasis that is given for ALL FLESH, when he says, THE WHOLE WORLD - for not one person is going to miss the hand of God in this operation. But, the application of Fire is going to be far different than much of our past conception, or shall I say, of traditional teaching of error. For first of all, God has quickened to us the truth which has changed our understanding greatly, when He caused us to know that Fire IS REMEDIAL IN ITS PURPOSE. And through we didn't always understand it that way, thank God for the revelation given by His Spirit. There is a remedy that is wrought out by the process of Fire.

Continued HERE

Consuming Fire by Ray Prinzing
Consuming Fire - that now burns, Devouring all the flesh that spurns The move of God which now returns To fuse us into one with God.
Energy force - His power divine, In perfect balance to align Each soul that thou dost now refine Into the harmony of God.
Restoring to our first estate, Thou didst become the narrow gate Leading into the way that's strait, For our returning into God.
Consuming Fire - this we know, That though we're caught within thy throe, Ere thou dost turn our loss to praise Acceptable unto our God.
A friend, and not a foe, thou art, Thus on the altar of our heart Remain with us, to now impart The glorious triumph of our God.
Until in Christ we, too, shall be Fulfillment of the mystery - A living, bright reality, Consuming Fire of our God!

DEVOUR THE ADVERSARIES
This doesn't say things which many teach, it doesn't say the Fire will eat up all the ungodly. The word "adversary" used here, in the Greek is actually a word meaning CONTRARY, or opposition. If we resist His inworkings, there remains for us a fiery experience that will burn out all the contrariness-- all the rebellion of our self-natures. It didn't say we would be burned up, nor does it imply that we'll stay there for ever, but merely speaks of purging out all the opposition and contrariness.

Fire is Three-Fold
Yes, Fire is three-fold. There are three statements in the Word which define "Fire". First, we read, "Our GOD is a consuming Fire." (Hebrews 12:29). There is no need to look outside the Word of God for answers; the scriptures contain the needed definitions. Amen?

God is spirit-- that is His substance. God is love-- that is His nature. God is also light and Fire, they are His manifestations. We speak of fiery trials, HE IS IN EVERY ONE OF THEM. May we go even farther? He is the source of the Fire in our fiery trial, "HE" is the Fire thereof. You say that God's hand is resting upon you-- you say that He has filled with His Spirit and His anointing is upon your life, guiding you into all truth. Then don't be amazed at the fiery testing that is your also, for with every advancing step into new truth, there needs to be a purging out of error and past traditions which are contrary to pure truth.

The Fire to burn out the dross is the Holy Spirit God has placed within, Your GOD is your Fire. The reason you are conscious of the Fire is because there remains something in resistance to the move of God, but after all is brought into submission, it doesn't matter if the circumstances don't change, for by then you have been so changed you no longer consider them as a Fire in your life. The Lord places you into a situation which almost "burns" you up, and by your unyieldedness to God you are completely miserable. But when you at last begin to yield to His will, you find that all of the situation has become a haven, and learning to be content in whatever state you are in, you are no more adversely affected by the Fire, you delight in it.

God knows the desire of your heart, and He is answering the desire within to be like Jesus. He says, "Lo I am with you always." Where are you, Lord? I'd like a blessing. God says, "Here I am, I'm the Fire which is purging you." HAVE YOU RECOGNIZED HIM AS SUCH? We see Him in the burning bush, don't be afraid, the bush won't be consumed - you aren't gong to be burned up by the Fire, all that is consumed is the opposition to the will of God. His presence, so holy and pure, is Fire to all uncleanness.

There are other kinds of fierce Fire, wild fire, they only destroy and lay desolate, BUT GOD IS A FIRE THAT PURIFIES AND BRING INTO RIGHTEOUSNESS. God's mighty Fire does not leave you in a state of devastation, He is the same Presence that also BUILDS YOU UP IN FAITH AND LOVE, so that your cleansed life is to His glory. Once the carnal thought and imagination of our mind is purged out, then that same Fire-PRESENCE illumines to your heart to the glorious life-giving verities of God.

Is Not My Word Like As A Fire, Saith The Lord?
Second, we find that the Word, also, is Fire. "Is not My WORD like as a Fire? saith the Lord." (Jeremiah 23:29).

"I will make MY WORDS in thy mouth Fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them." (Jeremiah 5:15).

The Lord is going to plead with ALL FLESH BY Fire, it will be by the Fire of HIS WORD, and all the false and insipid creeds of man will turn into ashes before the mighty burning truth. Truth alone will cause every mighty burning down into nothingness. The anointed Word, given in a spirit of love, is Fire. And such truth needs no defense, for as a Fire it defends itself; mishandle it, and you will surely be burned.

Flashing Fire
Thirdly, and all of these do blend together into one, "Who maketh His angels (messengers) spirits, His ministers a flaming Fire." (Psalm 104:4). Note: they are HIS ministers, not some man's. "Ye are bought with a price, be not ye the servants of men." (1 Corinthians 7:23). GOD WILL MAKE HIS MINISTERS A FLAMING FIRE. Also note this word "flaming", it is the same as used in Genesis 3:24, "a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life." And it means A FLASHING Fire, speaking of a sudden or startling burst of light.

Think of it-- when God begins to plead with all flesh BY Fire, and into all those dark, secret assemblies, suddenly appear His ministers as a flashing, flaming Fire, to expose and reveal every under-cover, sneaky, corrupt thing of man. What a consternation it is going to produce. In the midst of the gross darkness covering the earth, suddenly a flashing outburst; GOD ANSWERING BY Fire, until all will have to shut their mouths and be still, truth at last prevailing. Amen.

The Purpose? To Purify!
"And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall PURIFY the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering into righteousness." (Malachi 3:3). "When He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold." (Job 23:10).

The Fire is to try, to assay, prove and purify. The Fire is to try, to assay, prove and purify. "The fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the Lord trieth the hearts." (Proverbs 17:3).

HERE

My friend: What a wonderfully terrible thing it is to have one's life, world-view and doctrines burned away by the One who changes worms into butterflies! For the past little while I have been exercised regarding our Lord's words to His follower's "If you save your life you will destroy/apollumi it.....if you apollumi/destroy your life for My sake and the Gospels, you will save it." In destruction there is most assuredly Life, and we can rest with absolute confidence in the One who rends that He may heal.

A recurring word throughout the Scriptures is, "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is ONE/ echad (compound unity) -Deut. 6:4-

What does it mean that God is One? It means infinitely more than that God is merely one person, for one in the numerology of Scripture means unity, united, unfragmented, undivided.

There is only one preposition in the original, not two as in the English, to show the identity of the two baptisms, or rather that there is but ONE. The Holy Spirit and the Fire are not two items, they are one, for our God is a consuming Fire. Wherever the Spirit descends he brings Fire in His train.

There appeared unto them cloven tongues like as fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. -Acts 2:3-4-

He makes His ministers a flame of Fire. -Hebrews. 1:7-

HERE

The way for all is through the fires, for fire is the great uniter and reconciler of all things; and things which without fire can never be united, in and through the fire are changed and become one.

Therefore every coming of Christ, even in grace, is a day of judgment. Therefore there are fires even for the elect both now, (1 Pet. 1:7, and 4: 12) and in the coming day; (1 Cor. 3:. 13, 15.) for "our God is a consuming fire;" (Heb. 12: 29.) and to dwell in Him we must have a life, which, because it is of the fire, for fire burns not fire, can stand unhurt in it.

Therefore our Lord "came to cast fire into the earth," and desired nothing more than "that it should be already kindled;" (S. Luke 12: 49) therefore He says,

Quote

Everyone shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. -Mark 9: 49-

For this is the very "baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire," (Matt. 3: 11) that "spirit of judgment and burning," promised by the prophet, "with which the Lord shall purge away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and cleanse the blood of Jerusalem; after which He will create on every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and on all her assemblies, a cloud of smoke by day, and the brightness of flame of fire by night; and upon all, the glory shall be a defence; (Isa. 4: 4, 5) for "He is like a refiner's fire, and like a fuller's soap; and He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and He shall purify the sons of Levi as gold and silver are purged, that they may offer to the Lord an offering of righteousness." (Mal. 3: 3). And as by the hidden fire of this present life, shut up in these bodies of corruption, we are able by the wondrous chemistry of nature through corruption to change the fruits and flesh of the earth into our blood, and from blood again into our flesh and bone and sinew; so by the fire of God can we be changed, and made partakers of Christ's flesh and blood. In and through Christ we have received this transmutation; (Rom. 5: 11) and through His Spirit, which is fire, is this same change accomplished in us.

NOTE:
It is surely a significant fact, that the two words used in Hebrew to express destruction, signify also, and are used to express, perfection; and that the word for a sacrifice by fire in Hebrew is the same as that for a bride or wife; e.g. Numbers 28: 6. By this double sense a veil covers the letter, veiling yet revealing God's purpose; for His purpose to the creature is through destruction to perfect it, and by fire to make it a bride unto the Lord. For a kindred reason some of the angels are called Seraphim, that is burning ones; for like the Lord, whose throne is flames of fire, (Dan. 7: 9,10.) they also are as fire; as it is written, "He makes His angels spirits, His messengers a flame of fire." (Heb. 1: 7, and Psalm 104:4)

And as with the first-fruits, so with the harvest.
The world to be saved must some day know the same baptism. For "the Lord will come with fire," and "by fire and by His sword will He plead with all flesh, and the slain of the Lord shall be many." (Isa. 66: 15, 16.) The promised baptism or outpouring of the Spirit must be judgment, for the Spirit cannot be poured on man without consuming this flesh to quicken a better life;

NOTE:
Isa. 40: 7; and compare Rev. 8: 6, 7, which describes the effect produced by the breath or spirit of the Lord sounding through the trumpets of the heavenly sanctuary, and "His sword, which cometh out of His mouth," (Rev. 19: 13, 15) is that Word, which kills to make alive again. God is indeed "a man of war;" (Exod. 15: 3) but His warfare and wrath, unlike the "wrath of man, which worketh not the righteousness of God," ( James 1: 20) works both righteousness and life, and is set forth in that "warfare of the service of the tabernacle" (See Numbers 4: 23, 30, and 8: 24, 25; margin: and compare 1 Tim. 1: eighteen) by which that which was of the earth was made to ascend to God through fire a sweet sacrifice.

HERE

Brimstone=Gophriyth= The breath of Jehovah

Brimstone=qei'on/ theion = Divine incense with the power to purify

Theion/ qei'on rooted in qei'o/Theios

Theios=

Used by the Greeks in reference to the only true God.

Theios rooted in qeov/ Theos

Theos=The Supreme Deity from which we get Theology.

The Lake Of Fire= The Lake of Theos

As demonstrated six or so posts up. It is not the Lake of Theos, it is the Lake of Fire.

To demonstrate the Root Word Error:

Example of Root Word Fallacy in Greek:

The word "labour" is: kopiao, literally means, "exhausting bodily effort"

The the root word is kopto, literally means, "to cut, strike, smite; to cut from, cut off; to beat one's breast for grief"

So when we read:

Ephesians 4:28 He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labour, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need.

So is Paul is actually saying...

He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must cut off his own hands, which is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need. Or was he telling the thief to stop stealing from others, and begin to work to share with others.

Basing our theology on the root words, would have us believe Paul was telling us to make sure theives cut off their hands!

It is not the Lake of THEOS, it is the Lake of Fire and it is fueled by man's dead works and set ablaze by the judgment of Gehenna.

Dwellers In Fire -G. Campbell Morgan-

HERE

The man who partakes of God's character can live in God's fire. You may well fear fire if you are a sinner. You may well fear the burnings if your hands are full of bribes and there is blood in your garments. You may well fear the fire if you are unholy, unrighteous, but not if you are right with God.

To use the magnificent and daring word of Peter, the man who himself partakes of "the Divine nature" can live in the fire of the Divine nature. Hell and heaven are one in atmosphere, and the atmosphere is a burning, blistering pain, or a shining, beauteous glory, according to what I am in myself.

Nothing can live in fire but that which is of the nature of fire. Nothing can live in fire but that which will take hold of the fire and be unweakened thereby. Who is it that can dwell in everlasting burnings and be unafraid? He that walketh righteously and speaketh uprightly. He can dwell in the fire.

This is the great rock upon which faith fastens in the midst of toil. I may be speaking to some tonight who are greatly overburdened in their toil for God. Perhaps there are some worshipping with us who have come from the country, and down there in your village or town it seems as though God was being beaten, it looks as though the Assyrian must triumph over Judah. It is not so.

God is in this age burning, burning, burning, and only that can remain which partakes of the fire nature, which answers the call of righteousness and becomes righteous. The mightiest foe cannot abide, God will burn it to destruction.

Assyria is very proud. She spoils, though none has spoiled her. She deals treacherously, though none has dealt treacherously with her. For a time evil has a glamour and apparent glory about it. Take heart, and be at rest, oh, warrior of the King! The one thing that evil cannot do is lock its door against God. He wraps it about in the flame of His own being, and there is no evil house in London, no evil man or movement that is not already in this all-embracing fire. I thank God that my heart knows it.

Fire, Sodom, Gehenna and the Lake

All fire is not the same.
Obviously the fire of the bush that burned, but was not consumed (when Yahweh first met with Moses) was not the same as the fire with which they cooked their meals. God's fire is different. Strange fire was not to be used in lighting God's altars. And even in the natural, lightning is different from fire that burns wood -- even though lightning can heat up a tree to the point of combustion, and thus we have a forest fire which was actually ignited by an electrical charge completing a circuit and "arching."

So how are we to know the character or nature of fire when we read of it in Scripture? The answer is the "context," or what the text says about it. Consider the situation with Sodom and Gomorrah in Gen. 19:24.

Sodom
The NIV says "Then the LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah -- from the LORD out of the heavens." We are acquainted with the results. The whole burnable area was burned up, and vs. 28 tells us that the smoke (from the burnable items) of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace. Now this is interesting, in that we see that apparently there is burning sulfur in the heavens (or, is it here simply lightning from the sky?).

Are the heavens, then a storehouse of fire and brimstone (sulfur)? It would appear so, from this account.

Next, what was burned up?

Flesh, and other combustibles (probably wood, hay and stubble). The men died prematurely by an act of God. It was a physical judgement just like other physical judgments from God upon men throughout the OT. Yet, we read in Jude 7 that this judgment was "an example (a specimen; something pointed out to the sight) of fire pertaining to the ages (or: age-lasting fire; fire having its source in and qualities from the ages)..." Now please note: the fire did not continue burning after all the fuel was consumed. It is not burning now. So, the fire was not "eternal," which is a subject to be discussed at another time. The fire did what God wanted it to do: destroy the men and the towns of that area.

Fire & Brimstone
To compare the terms "fire and brimstone" (or: burning sulfur) here with that in the book of Rev., let's read it from the LXX (the Greek version of the OT): "And the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah qeion (theion) and fire from the Lord from out of the midst of heaven." I give here the Gr. word often translated "brimstone," or "sulfur," for you to note its spelling. This word is actually the neuter form of qeioV (theios) which means: Deity. With the definite article (the) before it, it means "the Divine nature." The same words are in the Greek text of Rev. 19:20 where we read of "the lake (or: pond) of the Fire (a figure of God) continuously burning within [the] Deity (theion)." So if its the same as that which killed those of Sodom and Gomorrah, what will it do to those who take the mark of the beast? I suggest that it will kill them. But what does this mean?

Second Death
Well, it's called "the second death" when "death and the Unseen (hades) are cast into the lake of fire," in Rev. 20:14. But, in effect, the figure here (and I suggest that this is figurative language -- but that is for the Holy Spirit to show you) is the consuming of both death and the Unseen (hades), for these are both temporal things that have to do with His creation. It would also consume wood, hay and stubble (man's worthless works -- I Cor.3:12-15), as well as all flesh -- just as it did in Gen. 19:24. Now note vs. 15 of I Cor. 3: "but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."

Now lets consider Sodom, again.

God calls Sodom Jerusalem's sister in Ezk. 16:48. And in vs. 49 lists Sodom's iniquity: "pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness... neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy."

Now in vs. 51, we see that Jerusalem "has multiplied [her] abominations more than [Sodom and Samaria], and has justified [her] sisters in all [her] abominations which [she] has done." This is echoed by Jesus in Matt. 10:15, "Truly I say unto you, 'It will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city." Then, speaking to Capernaum, He says in Mat. 11:23-24 that Capernaum will be brought down "as far as the Unseen (Hades)," and, again, "it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom, in the day of judgment, than for [Capernaum]." So, it would seem, that although Sodom and Gomorrah were consumed by God's fire and deity, it was not the end for them.

Back to Ezk. 16:53, "When I shall BRING AGAIN their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters... then will I bring again the captivity of thy [Jerusalem's] captives in the midst of them."

And vs. 55, "When thy sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former estate... then you [Jerusalem] and your daughters will return to your former estate."

The Fire Of Deity
Now here, we've been talking about the same fire that judged Sodom and Gomorrah, and the fire and deity in Rev. 14:10 & 19:20. Same exact words in the Greek. Now here in Rev. 14:10-11, they are being examined (tested, as gold is tested for quality) by the touchstone "in the presence of The Little Lamb" into "the indefinite periods of time which comprise the ages." Note that the figure is "the little Lamb," not the King or the Judge, nor the Jailor. Present before them, like the serpent on the pole in the wilderness, is the Lamb, having been slain, but living. And within the flames of His divine nature, they will be purged of their dross (ref. to Mal. 3:2-5), and when they behold Him, they will see the Glory of the Risen and Reigning Lamb, and will be transformed into the same image (2 Cor. 3:18).

Gehenna
Now consider the contexts of Jesus saying that it is better to pluck out your own eye or cut off your own hand than to be cast into the fires of Gehenna. Very few will think that Jesus was speaking literally of digging out a physical eye, or of chopping off a literal hand. He was using hyperbole, a figure of speech, saying "stop looking at things that cause you to miss the mark -- don't let the lust of the eyes lead you astray; stop doing (putting your hand to) things that lead you into failure and error."

Figures
If you can accept that He spoke figuratively here, then why should His words of the consequences of continuing in error not also be figurative? And if this be true, then of what is "the Gehenna of fire" a figure? It was a picture of the end of a criminal's life -- he might well end up being crucified by the Romans, and then thrown in with the burning garbage and manure and the bodies of dead inedible animals within Jerusalem's city dump: Gehenna. So what did it represent? I suggest it represented the end of a wasted life -- one of constantly missing the target (sinning). He came to call them higher, to proclaim the kingdom of God and to show them the Way, the Truth and the Life. Anything else is loss and waste, and He was simply saying, "Don't waste your life." And further, He indicated that one can be maimed, or have scars of the former life, and yet be in the kingdom -- in Life. Yet He is in the habit of making the waste places a garden (Isa. 51:3) -- because of His grace and mercy.

His love and grace are with you.

Jonathan Mitchell

HERE

Jonathan Mitchell New Testament

HERE

The Lake of Fire & Brimstone
The Lake of Fire and Brimstone signifies a fire burning with brimstone; the word "brimstone" or sulfur defines the character of the fire.

The word theion translated as "brimstone" is exactly the same word theion which means "divine." Sulfur was sacred to the ancient Greeks; and was used to fumigate, to purify, and to cleanse and to consecrate to the deity; for this purpose they burned it in their incense. In Homer's Iliad (16:228) one is spoken of as purifying a goblet with fire and brimstone. The verb derived from theion is theioo, which means to hallow, to make divine, or to dedicate to a god. (See Liddell & Scott Greek- English Lexicon, 1897 Edition)

Both theion and theioo are rooted firmly in Theos.

To any Greek, or to any trained in the Greek language, a "lake of fire and brimstone" would mean a "lake of divine purification." The idea of judgment need not be excluded (see chapter 10 on the judgments of God). Divine purification and divine consecration are the plain meaning of the ancient Greek. In the ordinary explanation, this fundamental meaning of the word is entirely left out.

Rev. Charles H. Pridgeon M.A.
President & Founder of the Pittsburg Bible Institute

Those Glorious FireWalkers
If we may, we'd like to share a brief little thought with you. We believe it will be worth the time it takes to read it, in that it may help to reveal the purpose of God behind some of those increasingly difficult spiritual trials and testings with which you've been confronted of late. And perhaps it may answer the question why, in spite of your most ardent prayers for relief, they have not just gone away. Obviously, God has had a reason for their intensification!

Recently, the Lord spoke a word to my heart concerning a brother for whom we had been praying. It was a word which we felt was to be taken positively, as a form of encouragement. Moreover, in the course of the dealing, He made me to know that this word was not just applicable to this brother alone, but to ALL who have been called to conform to the glorious image of Christ. The Spirit said quite simply to me,

Quote

I have determined to hold his feet to the fire, until they look like Mine.

Immediately following these words, John's description of the resurrected Christ in Rev. 11:5 came to mind...

Quote

And His feet were like unto fine brass, as if they had been burned in a furnace...

The thought is almost frightening, isn't it?
Have you ever heard anyone use the age-old idiom of "holding one's feet to the fire"? What they meant by this was that they were going to keep the pressure on that individual, they were going to give him no rest, they were going to bear down upon him with such force and intensity, that he would finally assume his moral obligations, line up with their desired expectations, conform to a certain standard of conduct or consciousness, etc. It was another way of saying that they were not going to release that person from the heat of intense scrutiny and high expectation, until they saw a change in him.

Now, does this not describe how our Lord is dealing with all of His children in this hour? Yes, it is true that Jesus loves us just the way we are. And, yes, His love for us is unconditional.

Quote

But aren't you glad that He loves us so much that He will not leave us in that condition? His highest desire for each of us is that we should ultimately look like Him; and He will go to any length to make this a reality. Therefore, He holds us in the fire, even when we kick, and scream, and think we've had enough. He knows just what it will take to achieve the objective. And He works incessantly toward that goal, in spite of our objections. He is settled with the idea that once we share His vision, then we shall understand why all this was necessary for our making!

There are several things we might mention about the appearance of Christ's feet. Firstly, John's description of them was never meant to be taken literally. This should be apparent, since he referred to them as being "like unto...". This shows plainly that he was speaking in a metaphorical sense. He was creating a word-picture in the minds of his readers...and what an excellent picture he gives!

Secondly, the mention of His feet speaks figuratively of His walk (which incorporates the consciousness, character, conversation, and conduct expressed or displayed in the sight of men and angels). It's another way of commenting on the expression of His life in general; the demonstration and exhibition of that life, as He makes contact with the earth (the realm of humanity).

Brass
As many of you know, brass, in biblical symbolism, represents judgment. This is seen by the fact that both the altar and the laver, in the outer court of Moses' tabernacle, were made of brass. And this, of course, was where the disobedience and defilements of the people were dealt with. Sacrifices were offered upon the brazen altar for the sins of the people; while the brazen laver was for the cleansing of the priests. Jesus was the fulfillment of both of these (as well as every other piece of furniture in the tabernacle), in that He took the judgment, and bore the sins of the whole world upon Himself at Calvary. He vicariously absorbed the penalty for all our transgressions, so that we would not have to! Praise God! Because of His virgin birth, because He came into this world without the sinful legacy with which others were born (Psa. 51:5), He did what no other human being was qualified to do. But besides that, has it ever occurred to you that Jesus, in order to remain eligible for His all-important role for lo, those thirty-three long years, had to be judged Himself? This is a fact that is worthy of consideration.

Quote

Not only during those forty days and nights in the wilderness, but throughout His entire life, He had to be subjected to the extreme fires of testing, not as the Son of God, but as the Son of man, that He might be able to completely identify with mankind, and that He might perfectly fulfill His calling and election. He took the heat like a man, in order that we might become the sons of God!

Burned=Glowed
While I was reading over this passage from Rev. I :15, I noticed something conveyed in the original Greek which is almost overlooked when read only from the Authorized version. There is a condition described here which plainly reveals God's ultimate, eternal purpose for holding, not only Christ's feet to the fire, but ours, as well. The word, "burned", as is used in the King James translation, should more accurately be rendered, "glowed" (this is the way it appears in the Greek New Testament). Is there a difference? Most assuredly there is!

Quote

We know that in order for something to burn, it's composition must be of a combustible nature. But for something to glow (perpetually), it must be of a more enduring substance.

Now, both burning and glowing are responses to the fire. And for a short duration, even that which is in the process of being burned may emanate a momentary glow (much the same way a "falling star" shines temporarily, until it burns out). But we know that in the fulness of time, the fire will at length reveal the true constitution of a thing. Beloved, it is an undeniable fact: the fire cannot be fooled! If the substance is ignitable, it will eventually be reduced to ashes. But if it is not, then it will simply be refined to the highest degree of purity. The fire makes manifest the basic make-up of the material, and openly declares its consistency for all the world to see.

Feet Like Fine Brass
Looking again unto Jesus, our Author and Finisher who gives us faith, we see that when our Lord trod upon this earth, He gave us the perfect example of what it's like to have "feet like unto fine brass". Why, He was the greatest "firewalker" that ever lived! For centuries, men in various parts of the world have mystified multitudes of spectators, by walking (or, at least, creating the illusion of walking) upon hot, glowing coals of fire. In fact, in some cultures, a walk among the fiery embers was even required of those who had hopes of being initiated into the ranks of their priesthood. It was looked upon as an act of moral purification.

Quote

But without fear of contradiction, we can boldly declare unto you that no one ever did it quite like Jesus! You see, He encountered all the trials and temptations common to mankind. He was faced with the same kind of pressures wherewith each of us are familiar. There was no area of His life which escaped the all-searching flame; in no thing was He spared.

In fact, we are persuaded that the pressures He encountered were more intense than what any of us might even imagine at this time! Many years ago, the question was posed by wise old Solomon, "Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?" (Prov. 6:28). The answer, up until that time, was a resounding NO! Every man (or woman) who had ever passed through the fiery path of fleshly lusts, trials, or temptations had always come out with "charred feet", so to speak, in one form or another. Every one of them had "flammable" elements in their "soles"; that is, elements which responded poorly to the heat! Oh, they might have been victorious in one situation, only to turn around, and find themselves "flame-broiled" in another form of testing over which they had no power. We know this to be true, because according to the divine Record, "ALL have sinned (missed the mark), and come short of the glory of God." But when Jesus stepped forth on the human scene, He bore an entirely different testimony. We read that He "was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (Heb. 4:15)! It mattered not whether He was being tempted with one of the common sensual allurements which appeal to the natural appetites in man, or whether He was being led along the fiery pathway which passed by the house of that "great harlot", religious Babylon, whose sweet, seductive influences had slain many strong men (Prov. 7:26, 27). Regardless of whether He was walking through one of those challenging natural circumstances, which is generally of a frustrating nature (which had the potential of causing Him to "lose His cool", so to speak), or whether He was being forced to pass through the flaming words and false accusations of His chief critics (whose tongues set on fire the course of nature, being set on fire of hell; James 3:6). ..He always did what was right. And He calmly kept His composure.

Quote

No matter how hot "the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire" made them (Isa. 54:16), and no matter how intense the heat became under His feet, there was absolutely nothing in Him that would ignite! Much to the devil's dismay, Jesus simply would not burn! The flame would not kindle upon Him! Why, He wouldn't even blister! In fact, the hotter the adversary made the trial, the more fervently Christ's feet "glowed"! He radiated with such an intense purity, such indescribable peace, such absolute discipline and self-control, the multitudes were absolutely astonished by Him.

They could not help but admire this Man's walk! It was totally above reproach! Ah, beloved, we believe that it was because of this very thing that He had such influence with the people. They understood that what He taught them, He had first walked out Himself. He not only instructed them in the overcoming life; He demonstrated what it was like to have power over the fire! That made all the difference in the world!

The Lord Of The Fire
The question might be asked: how was it that Christ was able to walk through the midst of such tremendous fires, and remain unsinged? How did He keep from being completely overwhelmed by them? We believe that one of the main reasons was that He stayed focused in the heavenlies. He kept His eye on the Lord of the fire, instead of looking at the fire itself. You see, while His feet were walking out the purposes of God in the earth, His head was in the heavens (John 3:31). He was not the least bit overwhelmed by the fire, because He understood it's origin. He knew from whence it came! We read that "His eyes were like a flame of fire", which, among other things, could be taken to mean that He had a vision of the fire; He knew and understood it's purpose in His life. Unlike Peter, who, while walking on the water took his eyes off the Lord, and filled them with the wind and waves (thus allowing those agitated waters to engulf him), Christ always stayed above the fire, by beholding the presence of the Father in the midst of it. This was reflected in His eyes! (Furthermore, He understood that satan only operated God's "bellows"; which is to say, the power which he had to "heat up" the coals in the fire was first given to him by God; Rom. 13:1, Job 1:6-12)! This enabled our Lord to walk in full assurance of faith through the most challenging, tempting, and life threatening circumstances ever encountered by man, without flinching, and without being distracted from His goal. He was kept in perfect peace, because His mind was stayed on Him (Isa. 26:3)!

Eyes Like His: Feet Like His
Beloved, what was true of Him can also be true of us. We can have eyes like His; which will, in turn, enable us to have feet like His. This walk is available to us today! We read in I Corinthians 10:13 that "there hath no temptation (trial, testing) taken you, but such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted (tried, tested) above that ye are able: but will with the temptation also make a way of escape, that ye may be able to bear it".

Quote

The key-operative line in this passage is that God is faithful. He is in control. He will not allow us to be tested beyond our ability to endure (and, mind you, none of us are going through anything that has not been faced to some degree or another by someone before us). Our God can be trusted in this! He knows our limitations better than we; and when we have reached those limits, He makes a way of escape, that we might bear some more!

It should be pointed out that His way is not an evacuation from the fire, or around the fire; it is a way through it! And through it we shall go, until finally we emerge on the other side of our great tribulation, bearing His victorious testimony of peace which passeth understanding!

This is the destiny of all those who yield themselves unreservedly to the Lord. Even now, the feet of God's king-priestly company of "firewalkers" are being conditioned in the flames of fiery trials and daily tribulation. And even as we speak, a bed of coals heated "seven times hotter" than in any previous generation is being prepared! The stage is being set; the world will be watching. What a breathtaking sight this will be!

Quote

We need not fear, however, for once He has consumed everything in us that can be burned, and refined the metal of our inner nature to its highest degree of purity, then, regardless of the temperature, we will simply "glow" all the more with the glory of God.

Isn't this our real purpose in life, anyway? You see, at such a time, we trust that God will have already taken "the burn" out of the fire for us. And by then, there will be nothing there to threaten us, to make us afraid! (The fire is an enemy to us only so long as there are things in us that respond negatively to it, or as long as there are things that we are afraid of losing to it. But when we truly get victory over it, it will not matter! The sufferings of this present time, or any time in the future, for that matter, are certainly not worthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed in us)! As did our Lord Jesus, we, too, will "glorify the Lord in the fires" by walking in a way that magnifies and radiates His holy name (nature) to the rest of creation. As a prophetic confirmation to these thoughts, Isa. 43:1-2 says, "Fear not; for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; THOU ART MINE... when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee". Praise God for the hope of His calling! As we become victorious over every Adamic tendency in us now, we will then be able to stand calmly and triumphantly with the Lamb on a "sea of glass" (which speaks of a transparent walk, having nothing to hide or be embarrassed of) "mingled with fire" (Rev. 15)! Then it shall be said by the inhabitants of the world, "How beautiful are the feet of Him... and how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things" (Isa. 52:7; Rom. 10:15)! Our feet will glow like His! Hallelujah!