Who Gets The Fire?

In the Bible, we find that God’s appearance is like fire (Heb.12:29), His throne is a fire (Dan.7: 9), His chariots are a fire (2 Kings 2:11). His law is the fiery law (Deut. 33:2), God the Son is like fire (Ezekiel 8:2), Seven Spirits of God are like fire (Rev. 4:5), and the living creatures around the throne are like fire (Ezekiel 1:13). Heaven certainly looks like a city of Fire. But, why so many fiery things in heaven? It’s because Heaven is a city of passionate love! Fire is symbolic of love (Song of Solomon 8:6, 7).

The fire has an impact depending on whether one is righteous or wicked:

In Ezekiel 28:14, we see that Lucifer “walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire”; Lucifer walked in the very passion of God’s love [fire], but the fire did not consume him because, there was no iniquity found in him. But notice when Lucifer sinned – when he broke the code of fire (Deut. 33:2), there is a change in Lucifer’s standing towards fire. Ezekiel 28:18 reads, “Thou [Lucifer] hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities…therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes. Do you see the change in his standing towards fire after sin?

Likewise, after the fall of man, in Genesis 3:8, when Adam and Eve heard “the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden”, they “hid themselves from the presence of the LORD”. This is because they were fearful of the fire of God’s presence (Hebrews 12:29). God knew this change and He places a sword of love – “a flaming sword” (Genesis 3:24), lest they take and eat from the tree of life and “live for ever” (Gen. 3:22). Why did God place a flaming sword? Because immortal sinner [living forever as a sinner] + living in the presence of God = Eternal Torment. God didn’t want them to be immortal sinners for that would mean, that they would be eternally tortured at the presence of God. Therefore, God offers the solution to the sin problem: immortality and salvation from sin was available through Christ Jesus ALONE (John 3:16; Gen. 3:21).

It is not wicked who will dwell in everlasting burnings [in a place of fire], but the righteous:

Isaiah 33:14,15 The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions.

It is the righteous who will stand on the sea of glass “mingled with fire” (Rev 15:2). It is the righteous who will walk through the fire (Isaiah 43:2). The devil has reversed the equation and says, “no, it is the wicked who will burn forever”. In Gen. 3:24, God didn’t want them to be immortal sinners because, that would mean, they would be eternally tortured at the presence of God forever.

So, we see that the fire has an impact depending on whether one is righteous or wicked. Righteous will dwell with ”everlasting burnings” (Isaiah 33:14,15) in a place of fire (heaven), while the wicked will be consumed by the fire and will be brought to ashes (Psalms 37:30, Ezekiel 28:18). God loves everyone (John 3:16), but God cannot take the wicked to heaven because, if he does, it will be eternal torment to them.

John Mendis adapted the original post which can be found here:

http://everlasting-gospel.blogspot.com/2009/07/righteoues-who-shall-dwell-with.html

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Posted by John Mendis on Nov 29, 2009. Filed under State of Dead, Text Articles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry