The Fire of God

[FineLinen]

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 Pet. 3:10

And never ever of preservation alive for purposes of anguish.

The popular view selects precisely this latter use, never found in Scripture, and represents it as the sole end of Gods 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 Gods 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 Gods 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)

Christs 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 Gods 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 Gods 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 sinners portion ONLY, is the portion of all. Like Gods 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. The fire is to try every mans 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 refiners 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, by which the whole material substance of sin is destroyed.

Behold, I make all things new. -Christ Triumphant

[FineLinen]

The Lake of Fire

Fire is the essence of God. It is not a characteristic of His Being.

The Lake is not hell, (all 4 of them). Hells final destination is the Lake of Fire.

The koine Greek defines the Lake with important ingredients, theion and theioo, both of which are rooted in the Source, Theos.

Theion = Divine Fire

The Lake of Fire and Brimstone signifies a fire burning with brimstone; the 'brimstone' or sulphur defines the character of the fire. The Greek word THEION translated 'brimstone' is exactly the same word, THEION, which means 'divine.' -Charles Pridgeon

Please welcome Elwin Roach

https://www.godfire.net/Elwin/286-289-GODFIRE.html

[FineLinen]

The koine theion is the incense of Jehovah and with theioo is rooted in Theos.

The Lake of Fire is the incense of Jehovah rooted firmly in Theos. Make zero mistake: our God is consuming fire; the Limne of Theos is consuming fire in which every last element of sin and iniquity is consumed: every last rotten bit!

The association of fire with purification in both Old and New Covenants is easily traceable. In the Old Testament the prophetic analogy of silver being purified by fire is classically representative of the purification theme of the Bible.

St. Paul, gets to the heart of the matter when he writes about every mans work being tried by fire, yet the man, himself, being saved. NOTE: "saved".  St. John, makes it a point to call the Lake of pur the Lake of Fire, but also of brimstone, which is an old word for sulfur. With sulfur being a common agent of ceremonial purification in temples of worship in ancient times.

Destruction or purification?

Neither scripture nor science recognizes the destruction of anything in the sense of annihilation, that is, of anything being reduced to a state of absolute nothingness. Destruction does not render anything nonexistent, but rather incapable of carrying out its function, as in the destruction of a tank in warfare. The mass of metal is still there, but it can't function as a tank any longer.

Even if you were to vaporize the tank completely, yet, its intrinsic elements would still exist in other forms. Contrary to conventional theology, all things were not created from nothing, and none of the things that have been created will ever face nonexistence, and by that I mean nonexistence in any form. All created things are subject to change, change in form, but not subject to losing their intrinsic existence.

What we have in the process of purification by fire is, first, a separation of the object of purification from all that defiles it, all that is foreign to its intrinsic constitution, and then the removal of the corrupting element.

[FineLinen]

Our God is consuming Fire.

Fire Is A Beneficent Agent

Fire, in Scripture, is the element of Life, purification, atonement & transformation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDK8EG4BD2s

[Mickiel]

I recall the scripture comparing Jesus eyes to fire. Almost like giving us a peek at what's inside of him. Like a furnace , fire may even be inside of God and Christ. They may be fire beings. As humans have blood, they may have fire flowing through them.

[FineLinen]

I recall the scripture comparing Jesus eyes to fire. Almost like giving us a peek at what's inside of him. Like a furnace , fire may even be inside of God and Christ. They may be fire beings. As humans have blood, they may have fire flowing through them.

Mickiel: That is an excellent thought regarding our God!

Essence =

The element of being.

The most significant element & quality of being by its very nature.

God IS LIGHT, LOVE, SPIRIT, FIRE 

[Lazarus Short]

I did a word study over a year ago about "fire" and related words.  It can be read here:

https://tentmaker.org/forum/word-studies/godfire/

[FineLinen]

Laz: thank you for your fantastic study on fire, the Fire of the Fire One.

I am finding His essence is what is drawing us ever onward into His consuming glory. What He is we must become in radiance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMITCb5SD74&list=RDcg-tp-ZcCHk&index=4

[billsull]

 if your not grounded in Jesus Christ Gods presence will go through you like a lake of fire- God shall be all in all

[FineLinen]

Billsull: Welcome to our Tent. We look forward to pleasant days with you.

Our God will indeed be all in all, the scope is the radical all of pas. He will not be all in some, or all in a few, or all in many; He will be all in all.

100 %

If any of us think the Master of Reconciliation refuses to allow 1 morsel of fish and bread to be lost, but loses one broken and bruised member of Adams race, our vision is not upon the God of impossibilities! He seeks till He finds!

[darryl]

i believe i fdo know the Truth ...im not a universalist as they believe all roads lead to God but i believe Christ is the only way to God....i know God resolves to redeem all creation and what he resolves to do H e does....he will not fail....yes, i believe there may be a form of temporal punishment / chastizement for truly evil people but its corrective in nature...im sure they will experience Gods holy fire as punishment....but we must ask what makes a person evil ?...sometimes its their circumstances ...i believe in the lake of fire they will come to know and experience the horror and suffering they have inflicted on others and that process will be hell for them....utter burning hell...burning their conscience...but i do believe they will ultimately call out for Christ out of the depths of their pain and suffering...after they fully realize what they did in this life...and Jesus will hear them and restore them..but much of their evil rotten sinful soul may be destroyed by the power of Gods holy fiery love...and that will be an agonizing process..it is a possiblity some  WILL suffer greatly in the lake of fire but it will NOT be eternal....they will be ultimately restored.....i pray we all are lead in the ways of Jesus love and peace

[jabcat]

:thumbsup:

[darryl]

:thumbsup:

:thumbsup:

[FineLinen]

I did a word study over a year ago about "fire" and related words.  It can be read here:

https://tentmaker.org/forum/word-studies/godfire/

Praise God for the hammer, the file, and the furnace. The hammer molds us, the file sharpens us, and the fire tempers us."

[FineLinen]

Faith like all aspects of our Father begins in Him. The called out ones know they live not by their faith, but the faith of the Son of God.

The Lake of Fire is an experience of all that is left of the natural man coming to an end. The only individual not "hurt" by the second death is the overcomer, who cannot be hurt any further. They have been hurt over and over again in the mighty movings of the Prince Leader of reconciliation.

Do you know how the ancient refiner knew when he was finished, and the heat could finally be turned down?

It was when he looked into the cauldron and saw his own reflection in the shining silver. As long as the image was muddy and rippled with flecks of slag, he knew he had to keep working. When his face finally showed clearly, the silver had been purified.

Our Father sees when His refinement is complete.

[FineLinen]

Theion = Divine Fire

The Lake of Fire and Brimstone signifies a fire burning with brimstone; the brimstone or sulphur defines the character of the fire. The koine Greek theion, translated brimstone, is exactly the same word, theion, meaning divine, or Divine Fire.

Sulfur is the tenth most common element by mass in the universe, and the fifth most common on Earth. Though sometimes found in pure, native form, sulfur on Earth usually occurs as sulfide and sulfate minerals. Being abundant in native form, sulfur was known in ancient times, being mentioned for its uses in ancient India, ancient Greece, China, and Egypt. Historically and in literature sulfur is also called brimstone, which means "burning stone".

Our God is a Divine burning stone.

"Throughout the history of these kingdoms, the God of heaven will be building a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will this kingdom ever fall under the domination of another. In the end it will crush the other kingdoms and finish them off and come through it all standing strong and eternal. It will be like the stone cut from the mountain by the invisible hand that crushed the iron, the bronze, the ceramic, the silver, and the gold." -MSG

[FineLinen]

In addition to worthless impurities being burned away, smelting(burning) together with a flux can restore that portion of the metal once lost to oxidization (rusted) back into it's pure (un-rusted/unoxidized) original state, reversing the damage, and ensuring nothing of the original starting metal is lost!!

Our God sure knows His metallurgy!

[Mickiel]

I've always thought that God and Christ were fire beings. Because of the description of his eyes in Revelations. Fire inside them like a furnace of futuristic hot blood type minerals pulsating with life. Probably enables them to fly. Maybe their even flame throwers.   Fire is always around them , I see no reason it would not be a part of them.

So I think it's safe to assume there are many lakes of fire in the kingdom. They probably swim In them. We have water in our bodies, so we swim in it and drink it, they may do the same with fire.  Drink it like water. Fire is perhaps the strongest element in heaven.

[FineLinen]

My brother: it is unwise to assume anything regarding our Father. He is continually going beyond anything we can think into realm of unimaginable glory.

The essence of our God is FIRE. This is not a characteristic of God, but what He is in His nature, joined with LIGHT SPIRIT LOVE, all flowing in absolute accord within Himself. The Lake is flowing out of the Fire Being, reaching to all aspects of fallen mankind, yes, as far as the curse is found. Nothing of the old man nature will survive, NOTHING.

[Mickiel]

My brother: it is unwise to assume anything regarding our Father. He is continually going beyond anything we can think into realm of unimaginable glory.

The essence of our God is FIRE. This is not a characteristic of God, but what He is in His nature, joined with LIGHT SPIRIT LOVE, all flowing in absolute accord within Himself. The Lake is flowing out of the Fire Being, reaching to all aspects of fallen mankind, yes, as far as the curse is found. Nothing of the old man nature will survive, NOTHING.

I do assume a lot , I pray it harms no one. Peace

[Mickiel]

 I think I have what's called "A speculive mind" where scripture is concerned. When the facts are not there , I may use  conjecture. We are dealing with a book of knowledge that needs spiritual discernment , which I often either don't have , or don't have enough.

[darryl]

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 Pet. 3:10

And never ever of preservation alive for purposes of anguish.

The popular view selects precisely this latter use, never found in Scripture, and represents it as the sole end of Gods 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 Gods 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 Gods 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)

Christs 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 Gods 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 Gods 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 sinners portion ONLY, is the portion of all. Like Gods 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. The fire is to try every mans 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 refiners 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, by which the whole material substance of sin is destroyed.

Behold, I make all things new. -Christ Triumphant

wonderful thesis !...thank you !