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Fire! Is it to be destructive or purifying? What will it’s effect be in our lives. We know it to be harmful but also very beneficial. For all that we have seen pertaining to the manifestation of the fire of the Lord there is still more to be considered. John the Baptist was well aware of the eternal plan and purpose of the Lord. As the forerunner of the Lord Jesus he foretold of a baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire which the Lord Jesus would send to His followers, thus sanctifying them and enabling them for ministry. Mt. 3:11 The fire of the Lord is a seal of a covenant which He made and ratified with His people. For instance the sacrifice which Abram prepared was consumed by the fiery presence of the Lord as He passed between the offering laid out before Him. Gen. 15:17 In the book of Exodus, when Moses was called, the angel of the Lord appeared in a flame of fire to Moses, yet the bush in which He stood was not consumed. This is obviously a different fire than that which is utilized by mankind for a multiplied number of purposes. Ex. 3:2 There are several other instances where this fire of the Lord was lit for a divine reason. Take time to search them out.
Another very important case of the use of fire by the Lord was the lighting of the continual fire which was used in the consuming of the sacrifices in the tabernacle and temple. That fire came from the Lord Himself. It was the duty of the priest to see that the perpetual fire of the Lord was maintained and kept burning. Lev. 6:12-13The introduction of the Lord’s fire was accompanied by His glory. Moses and Aaron had gone in and came out of the tabernacle when the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle before all the people. The fire of the Lord swept into the tabernacle consuming the burnt offering prepared and lying on the altar. Lev. 9:23-24 When the people saw this miracle they shouted and prostrated themselves before the Lord.
The Miracle of fire from the throne of the Lord was repeated again at the dedication of Solomon’s temple, where once again the Lord verified His good pleasure by manifesting His glory as well as His fire. 2 Chron. 7:1.
If His glory and His fire were necessary to prepare these buildings constructed for worship unto Him, how much more do we need the fire and the glory in this day, to really become the temple of the Lord. I say it prayerfully and carefully but in today’s church we need more fire, more unction and less tongues. Most unfortunately, tongues has become that which is sought after rather than the purifying and anointing power of the Spirit and glory of the Lord. He is still the God who answers by fire.