The Fire of God

For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from the one side of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it?

Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live? (Deu 4:32-33).

T he mountain was engulfed in thick cloud. Thunderclaps, lightning flashes, and earthquakes shook the mountain vigorously. Jehovah, the God of Israel, had descended on it as He said He would. It was so scary that the people trembled and hid themselves. And even Moses, the man of God, was terrified. Referring to this incident later, he said, “I exceedingly fear and quake” (Heb 12:21).

It was three months after they had come out of Egypt. Their journey had brought them into the desert and they camped right by Mt. Sinai on this safer side of the Red Sea. It was here God spoke to Moses and commanded him to tell the children of Israel of His plan to meet with them to establish His Covenant. God’s message to the Israelites began this way:

“You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. And now if you will obey my voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then you shall be a peculiar treasure to Me above all the nations; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exo 19:3-6).

Moses was then told to tell the congregation that God would descend on Mt. Sinai, and would speak directly to the people, that all might hear His voice. They were commanded to sanctify themselves for three days, and on the third day the Lord God would come down in the sight of all the people. But they were to stay away from the mountain upon which the Lord God would descend. They were not to go near nor touch it. So Moses set a boundary beyond which they should not go. Everyone was to stay behind this boundary, under penalty of death.

On the third day, Mt. Sinai was enveloped in thick cloud; the mountain quaked and was filled with smoke as God descended upon it. There were flashes of sky-rending lightning followed by roaring thunder interspersed with the sound of trumpets.

It was a frightening occasion. The message from Mt. Sinai is clear: man, under the first covenant, cannot approach the presence of God. Mount Sinai, the place where God delivered the Law of the First Covenant, is a literal mountain. It is a physical mountain that can be touched, but must not be touched.

Man in his physical nature cannot approach the presence of God. That which is flesh is flesh, and that which is spirit is spirit. The physical or flesh nature cannot please God. The flesh cannot stand before the Fire of God. The natural man, or man without Christ, cannot survive the Fire of God. He cannot approach the Presence of his Maker. He will be consumed, together with his wood, hay, and stubble, and all that he calls good works will perish with him in the fire, “for our God is a consuming fire.”

So the message displayed by Mt. Sinai is “NO ENTRY” or “KEEP AWAY.” This covenant tells man about the presence of God and then tells him he must stay away. In fact, it keeps him away from it. Because the way into God’s Presence was not yet made manifest.

“For you have not come to a mountain that may be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word should be spoken to them” (Heb 12:18).

This passage from the Book of Hebrews describes man approaching the presence of God under the old covenant. Under this first covenant, it all had to do with the physical. It was a physical mountain, one that could be touched. There was a physical blazing fire, and a visible cloud covered the mountain. The scenery was covered with thick darkness, accompanied by whirlwinds and earthquakes. Their experience of the Presence of God and the Law which they received from Mt. Sinai was associated with fear, with awesome manifestations, and with fiery judgment.

“But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel” (Heb 12:22-24).

The author of the Book of Hebrews contrasts the rigid atmosphere of justice under the Mosaic Law from Mt. Sinai with salvation and grace under the work of Jesus Christ on Mt. Zion.

Mt. Sinai is an earthly mountain; Mt. Zion is heavenly. Mt. Sinai is a physical mountain that can be touched by a man’s hand; Mt. Zion is spiritual and cannot be touched physically. Mt. Sinai is the mountain of God from which people are kept away; Zion is the mountain of His holiness and the City of our God, where His people dwell in His Presence. Zion is a desirable city unto which people are invited to dwell in the presence of God.

We are come unto Mt. Zion, the City of the Living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. Mt. Sinai stands for bondage and slavery, but Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, is free; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. Mt. Sinai and the Presence of God on it instill fear and terror, while Zion is associated with the love of God. The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus came from Mt. Zion. She is the City of God, and the Good News of Jesus Christ is published within her walls.

Man without Jesus Christ must face the terror of Sinai. He must live under the Law of sin and death. Without Christ, he cannot escape the terrifying judgment of fire from Mt. Sinai, for he is under condemnation.

But anyone who is in Christ Jesus is no longer under condemnation. The fiery judgment is not for this one, for he has been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. God’s children need not be afraid, for He loves them. It is true what the Scripture says, that God is a consuming fire, but to believers, He is a loving Father. “For the Father Himself,” the Lord Jesus said, “loves them.”

Most people, including many Christians, have only heard of the Fire of God in relation to judgment. They only know Mt. Sinai. They’ve read about the lake of fire and heard evangelists preach about fire and brimstone by which the devil, his angels, and all who do not accept the Lord Jesus will be judged. Yes, this is true. Judgment is reserved for all who reject the salvation of God. And our God is a consuming fire. But we, the children of God, are not of them that go into perdition, but of them that believe and receive the salvation of God.

The message in this small book is primarily intended for those who have been redeemed and are at peace with God. It is to encourage and edify all who are of this precious faith, and by the Holy Ghost, set their hearts afire for God.

As we meditate on this together, fellow saint, it is my prayer that the Holy Spirit will enlighten us and cause us to understand and enjoy the beneficial side of the fire of God.

We surely need to keep the words of encouragement sent to us through Apostle John in our mind. These words are in the opening section of the Book of Revelation:

“Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is coming; and from the seven spirits which are before His throne; even from Jesus Christ the faithful Witness, the First-born from the dead and the Ruler of the kings of the earth.

“To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and made us kings and priests to God and His Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen” (Rev 1:4b-6).

If you are a child of the Living God, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, you have nothing to fear. Let it be settled in your heart and mind, once and for all, that both the Father and the Son love you. The Lord Jesus said so, and our beloved Apostle confirms it in the passage above. Referring to our Lord Jesus, he wrote, “Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.” He loves us so much that He willingly died for us so that we would become God’s children and escape the fiery judgment to come. Yes, it’s true, the fire of God may perform some uncomfortable missions in our lives, but the end of it will make you and me better.

People often see the destructive side of fire. It is true that fire, especially wildfire, can be destructive, but we don’t need to look far before we see several beneficial aspects of fire in our lives. There are two sides to this marvelous agent of God’s working in our world, and what you see and experience depends on which side of it you are on. This is even more true of the heavenly flame.

When the fire of God descended on Mount Sinai, it was too terrifying for the children of Israel; they fled from the mountain and begged that God would not speak to them anymore. But it was from the midst of this fire that the covenant and the blessings of God came unto Israel. It was by fire, the Pillar of Fire, that they were protected while in flight from Egypt. The Pillar of Fire acted as their source of light, warmth, protection, and guidance at night, but that same Pillar of Fire was a barrier and a terror to Pharaoh’s army pursuing them from behind. It depends on which side of the fire you are.

The flame from the fiery furnace killed the mighty men from Nebuchadnezzar’s army who tied and threw the three Hebrew children into the furnace. But the three children of God, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who were actually thrown into the furnace were seen walking unharmed in the midst of the fire. They were seen fellowshipping with a fourth man in the fire. And guess who that was? You got it! The “form of the fourth man is like the Son of God” (Dan 3:25).

When most people hear of fire, they immediately think of a forest fire or wildfire that destroys buildings and sends people’s futures up in smoke. But the benefits derivable from fire are manifold: cooking, preservation, purification, blacksmithing and smelting of metals for tool making, pottery, lighting, protection when camping, repelling predators, heating shelters, cauterizing wounds, purifying water and precious metal, etc.

So there are two sides to the operation of fire. On the one side, fire consumes and devastates; on the other, it preserves and purifies. Fire is useful in destroying worms and for preserving food. God uses it to destroy all the pernicious dross, hay, and stubble in our lives, thus purifying us. Gold is purified in the fire.

The Apostle John, banished to the island of Patmos, saw the Lord and wrote his account of what he saw and the Lord’s message in the book of Revelation. Let’s consider for a moment what he saw:

“I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.

“And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle” (Rev 1:9-13,).

John saw one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot and walking in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks. He saw Him with His head covered with wooly hairs as white as snow. His feet looked like fine brass burnt in a furnace. His countenance was as the sun shining in full strength. And His eyes were as a flame of fire.

John, banished to the treacherous isle of Patmos, was in the spirit and heard a voice. As he turned to see who was speaking, he saw the Lord in His glorified body. He saw Him—not as he had seen him before on the shores of Galilee, but as One whose appearance transcended any natural description.

As John looked upon Him, his attention was attracted to His eyes, which blazed like flames of fire. His eyes were like lamps of fire, shining forth the light of God wherever they turned; and everyone and everything upon which these rays fell received both the light and a quickening energy from God.

When the flames of fire from His eyes fall on those who live in darkness, light instantly shines upon them. When the flames are turned upon those who live in lethargy and cold formalism, they receive a quickening spirit and come alive for God.

His countenance, the appearance of His face as John saw Him, was as the sun shining in full strength. No one can look into His face and remain the same. Eyes as a flame of fire, and face as the sun shining in full strength: that is the face of the Sun of Righteousness, shining with healing in its rays.

The beams of light and the flames of fire emanating from the face and the eyes of the Son of man carry life, healing, and illumination. They are rays of life and not of death. They are flames that bring forth light and illumination and not darkness. They arise from the Sun of righteousness and have healing in their wings. For whomever His eyes are turned upon, darkness is dispelled and the light of life springs forth, for “in him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not” (John 1:4, 5). And anyone who looks upon Him will live and never walk in darkness, but will enjoy the light of life. “They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed” (Psa 34:5).

“That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;

The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up” (Mat 4:14-16, Isa 9:2).

A vast majority of humanity has for centuries sat in utter darkness and under the dominion of death, but the One whom John saw, whose appearance was as the Son of man, whose eyes were as a flame of fire, whose face was as the Sun shining in full strength, has come to shine upon them. The flames of fire from His eyes will deliver them from the darkness and from the cold gloomy shadow of death inside which they are imprisoned. They will be set free into the glorious liberty of the sons of God.

As we gaze into the face of the Son of man, we are transformed by those eyes that are flames of heavenly fire. Many things in our lives are deeply hidden, but the eyes of the Lord, the luminous flame, will expose everything and bring to light every work of darkness. He will shine forth the glorious light of His illuminating eyes until we are all refined and brought forth as pure gold!

And as we continue gazing into His eyes, we will be set on fire by the Son of man, whose eyes are as flames of fire. When a man is on fire for God, he is completely dominated by the passion to seek His face.

Saul of Tarsus initially had a terrible obsession. His passion was to destroy the followers of Jesus. He excelled in this beyond any of his colleague. He was obsessed with the one goal: to go from town to town, arrest and jail the people of the way, then torture them and make them recant if possible, or else kill them. He could not think of anything else, for this was his dominating obsession. He used every force at his disposal to fulfill this obsession. Then he met the Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus and experienced a complete turnaround. He was saved and miraculously transformed from a persecutor to a pioneer of the way he had previously opposed. Transformed from the gutter-most to the utter-most, he became obsessed with the mission to edify and strengthen the very people he had been persecuting.

Our Lord Jesus spent his brief time on earth driven by a passion to please the Father. His meat and drink was to do His will, and His goal was to reveal the Father and make Him known. He was driven by love and compassion for all men in every walk of life. It did not matter if they were rich or poor, Jew or Gentile, friend or foe; he loved them all. He lived to meet their needs, to heal the sick and teach the kingdom of God, and to expose the hypocrisy of the religious system that men had created to exploit them. He could draw a multitude at any time with his marvelous miracles, yet he gave himself to twelve men, to train them in the ways of God.

What is it that fills your mind? What do you plan your life around? What is it you are most willing to spend your time and money for? What in life are you most obsessed with? For some of us, it is our families. For others, it is their jobs or careers, and for some others, it is convenience and pleasure.

Worldly people are obsessed with and fervently zealous about things of the world. But what about us, the saints of God? What are we zealous for? What is it that fills our minds? What ambition consumes you and me? What are we on fire for? In this day and hour, God is raising up a people who will be on fire for Him. He is raising up a generation who will be obsessed with the desire to worship Christ. He is raising up a people whose passion will be to know Him and be known of Him. This is the generation with the magnificent obsession