1.10. Speaking of Fire

Speaking of "Fire"

Isn’t it rather strange, that this whole business of "eternal torment," "eternal death," and the "salvation of all" seems to center around what kind of "fire" we are going to meet? John said the Judge of all men would immerse people with the Holy Spirit and fire. Jesus said His words were "Spirit and life." Remember the words of the disciples on the road to Emmaus, "Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked with us ...?"

There was a time when I felt led to go into a particular jewelry store. I had no desire to enter, as I had felt I had worn out my welcome with the Jewish woman owner. Being located next door to my business, I frequently visited her trying to lead her to Christ. She, in very definite words, told me she had had enough. But following the leading, I entered again. She was by herself. The meeting was very awkward, but I felt I couldn’t leave. A customer then entered. The owner went to the back to get a custom piece of Jewelry this customer had ordered. "You will like this piece of Jewelry, Gary," said the store owner. Seeing from a distance that it was a silver cross, I told her that I really didn’t care for religious jewelry of any kind. When she handed it to the customer, I could see that it was the words "Let go, Let God" in the form of a cross. At this point I found myself giving the shortest testimony I had ever given of how Jesus delivered me from alcoholism. With my head bowed down, I spoke for perhaps one and one half minutes. Upon finishing my brief testimony, this stranger came up to me and gave me a giant hug and said something like, "Your words are burning in my heart!" I will never forget that incident. I knew that short little testimony touched the very heart of her being and the best description she could come up with was "fire!" I present this story as a way of introduction to a subject much misunderstood by all of us. Let us look into the subject of "fire" from a Biblical point of view and not from our imaginative religious artists such as Dante and His "Inferno" and Michael Angelo’s "Last Judgment." Let us put the wild scenes of our carnal imagination aside and look into the "fire of God."

Perhaps the best way to test which of the three doctrines of the ultimate fate of all mankind is true, is to test each doctrine with the ultimate acid test, "fire." If "eternal torment" or "annihilation" by fire is the wages of sin, then surely, the scriptures should be full of examples to that effect. Symbols, parables, and real events in the scriptures should boldly declare this fate, and with no confusion or contradictions. But when we comb the scriptures for examples of a fire barbecue finale, instead, everywhere we look we find heaven filled with fire and even earth filled with fire. As a matter of fact, when we really analyze fire, apart from misuse of fire, fire is very beneficial. Will we attribute to God that He will ultimately misuse fire? Let us look at the subject of fire.

First of all, we know today, that we are literally on fire. Do we not burn our food? The military has binoculars which see in the dark. They see heat. Human beings can be seen because they are giving off heat. We are slowly burning. Does not fire make meat taste better and rid it of disease? Do you not enjoy the warmth of fire in the winter time? Do you enjoy the comforts of electricity, light, radio, computers, telephones, ovens, laser technology, etc.? Fire, when properly controlled, is very beneficial to mankind. Apart from the sun, there would be no life on this planet. Even the stars billions of miles away are helpful to man in navigation and make the dark night more enjoyable to behold. When we come to the scriptures, it is even more abundantly clear, that "fire" is the very symbol, not of death, not of eternal torment, nor of fearful judgment, but of life itself. Fire, in the scriptures, is not a symbol of His judgments, but of His very being! It is here we find the true touchstone of which of the three teachings we have been discussing is true.

Fleshly minded thinking is very fearful of God who is an all-consuming fire! His fiery presence, however, will not destroy or eternally torture, but will purify, will cleanse us from sin, from false images of Him, from earthly thoughts. From science we have discovered that fire does not really destroy, in the sense of leaving nothing. Fire takes compound elements and reduces them to simpler forms. Did He not say, "Unless you become as little children, you will not see the kingdom of God." Simple thoughts. Religions, all of them, are very complex. The longer it has been around, the more complex it becomes. When Peter talked about the "very elements will melt with heat," he was talking about something much more complex than atomic elements that would be melted. The Greek word translated "elements" in 2 Peter 3:12, is the word "stoicheion." When one looks at other places this word is used such as in Galatians 4:3; Galatians 4:9, we discover that atoms are not what Peter had in mind. The very laws, rudiments, principles which hold people in bondage will be burned. Systems of religion will be destroyed! The word "religion" comes from two Latin words "re" and "ligare" which means to "return to bondage."

Yes, the carnal, religious mind has always been fearful of God. When God manifested Himself as fire on the mountain, the children of Israel told Moses they didn’t want to meet Him. The flesh and carnal (fleshly) thinking never wants an encounter with God. The carnal mind wants to worship its own creation and concepts of God. He will consume, burn all earthly thinking (low life) and break it into lowly, meek, simple, child-like faith. Prideful religious thoughts cannot stand in His Presence. Perfect Love casts out fear. Religious systems are built on fear. These complex systems of myriads of do’s and don’ts, rituals, creeds, formulas will be reduced to nothing, for that is what a lie is . . . nothing.

"By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:8-10). An encyclopedia could be written on this beautiful verse which few Christians really understand. If truly understood, this verse alone would dismantle the religious monstrosities of the world. If one studies this verse carefully, one will discover that salvation is an "All God" situation depending upon nothing but Himself. Is not Jesus Christ the author and finisher of your faith (Hebrews 12:2)? We are His workmanship; we are created in Christ Jesus; the works are His prepared before the foundation of the world. It is the faith of Jesus that saves us and finishes our salvation.

Look, Abraham wanted to cut a covenant with God. I won’t go into the long details of how covenants were made in those days, but the final part of the ritual was cutting some animals in half (flesh) and walking between the pieces saying something to the affect "If you break this covenant, then let your body become as one of these animals." "As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him" (Genesis 15:12). Then: "And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces. On the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram" (Genesis 15:17-18). This is the kind of covenant that God makes with all of us. Our flesh falls asleep and is ridden with fear. Then God cuts the covenant with Himself, Father and Son. Man under the fear of death which was inherited from Adam, is absolutely incapable of cutting any kind of covenant with God. Our religious do’s and don’ts fall far short of God’s free gift. The works of our flesh will be burned up. The above covenant requires two parties, but man was not one of them. In this passage, God represents Himself as a "smoking oven" and a "burning torch." In this covenant, that which was burned up was flesh, but not Abraham’s body. It was his works that were burned up. He is the Father of many nations and "all the families of the earth" will be blessed through the "man of faith" who fell asleep while cutting a covenant with God. You, too, will fall asleep, and the works of your flesh which you offer Him for your salvation will be totally destroyed and counted as nothing. The "salvation" that we are to "work out" are the "good works" God put in us when we became part of His body. They are His works, his gifts, not ours, lest we boast.

Let us look into the Kingdom of our Father and see what we behold. As we have been told by scripture, our God is an all-consuming fire and He is a jealous (zealous in some translations) God. We find this in Deuteronomy 4:24. He then tells them they will worship idols, do evil in His sight which will cause Him to be angry. He will then utterly destroy them, but then immediately tells them He will not forsake them, nor destroy them because He is also a merciful God and will not forget the covenant He made with our fathers (Deuteronomy 4:24-31). Unless we understand that He has the power to kill and then make alive again, this kind of talk is foolishness. But our Father and Potter of men can and will refashion us for our good. As we approach His Kingdom, the flesh and carnal mind become extremely fearful. Why? Because flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom. We already mentioned Abram. When Ezekiel was approached by Him, His glory appeared as fire (Ezekiel 1:27-28). This righteous man fell like a dead man. When Isaiah saw Him, the house was filled with smoke and a seraphim had to touch his lips with a hot coal because he, Isaiah, became a man of unclean lips. The hot coal took away his iniquity (Isaiah 6:6-7). When Daniel saw the "Ancient of Days," His throne was a fiery flame, its wheels a burning fire and a fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him (Daniel 7:9). In Daniel we also read of the three young Hebrew men thrown into fire 7 times hotter than normal and One like the Son of Man in their midst. When one truly refuses to worship the images made by man’s carnal mind, this kind of fire will only burn off the ropes put on by religious men! I do not hesitate to say, most reading this article are bound by ropes of religion, whether you are sitting on a padded pew, or at a home Bible study. Zechariah says He will be a wall of fire to Jerusalem (Zechariah 2:5). God’s ministers are a flame of fire according to Psalms 104:4; Hebrews 1:7. He purges the blood of Jerusalem by the "spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning." When this happens "then the Lord will create above every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and above her assembly, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night. For over all the glory there will be a covering" (Isaiah 4:4-6). In Malachi chapter 3, Yahweh describes Himself as a refiner’s fire to purify the sons of Levi and to purge them as gold and silver that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness. Please note these are God’s priests being purged (burned) by fire for a good purpose, that they might present a righteous offering unto the LORD. Speaking of the sons of Levi, the priestly group, it is when His own people offer to the world "strange fire," that God really gets mad (Leviticus 10:1-2). When the real fire is present, the types and shadows do not need to be paraded. These two Israelites were robbing God of His glory. They wanted to perform the "shadow ritual" when the reality was actually present. Much that we count as holy and righteous will disappear when the True Righteousness appears. Does "eternal torment" or "annihilation" really glorify Him or is it beginning to sound more like "strange fire"? When our Father answers prayers or manifests Himself in the earth, how does He manifest Himself? Moses saw Him as a burning bush (Acts 7:30-31). Gideon was answered by fire (Judges 6:21). David’s prayer was answered by fire (1 Chronicles 21:26). When God filled Solomon’s temple, how did He manifest? By fire (2 Chronicles 7:1; 2 Chronicles 7:3)! Elisha was aided by chariots of fire (2 Kings 6:17). The very Words that come out of His mouth are fire (Psalms 18:8). I do not have enough pages in this book to declare that "God is an all-consuming fire"!

Now, man under his own religious system of do’s and don’ts, whether it is based on the Bible or not, will always be fearful of the "All-Consuming Fire." By the "law" shall no one be justified in His sight and therefore comes that expectation in the carnal mind of adverse judgment leading to an awful decision. If we choose "eternal torment" or "annihilation" as the end for anyone on this earth, we will find our conscience will condemn us to the same fate. And so, should the fire fall into our own laps, we will most certainly have a right to be fearful. With our conscience in such a condition, we will gravitate towards teachings that put off judgment as long as possible. Therefore, these systems have consigned the ultimate judgment to the end. The Bible shows no such thing. We are constantly judged. We are told we are to judge ourselves. We are to learn to judge amongst each other. The judgments of God are in the earth today. Nature all around us declares this, but because of our fear of meeting our Maker, we deceive ourselves. In preparing this article, I read some of the leading teachings on the doctrine of annihilation. One very well written book was entitled, "The Golden Future" published by Bible Fellowship Union in England. The author begins the book by declaring "The voice of God has two mediums of expression -- the Bible on the one hand, supreme in the sphere of ethics, and on the other hand Nature, now rapidly yielding her secrets to the scientist and investigator." This statement, perhaps, unveils the depth of the error of "annihilationism." Where is God in this statement? He can only speak to man by a little book or by trees and birds and clouds? How foolish! Has He lost His presence? Is He mute? Is His fire out? Are dreams and visions off limits now? Have words of knowledge and prophesy disappeared now that the incorrectly called "New Testament" has appeared? Does the dove again have no place to land? Where did this idea come from that because God added 27 more books to the Bible, He can only speak through the Bible and "nature"? In these last 27 books, do we not find angels? Don’t men and women dream dreams and prophesy? Does He not also speak to men like He did with Paul? Are men and women no longer supernaturally gifted? Were the dead no longer raised? The last 27 books reveal that rather than these things being eliminated, they were increased! If you have not experienced this increase, please don’t blame God, perhaps you need to move out of the realm of unbelief you reside in. Let us return to the fire!

Jesus said, "I am come to send fire on the earth" and on the day of Pentecost "tongues of fire" came upon a group who testified in the power of the Holy Spirit and 3000 persons were added to the ekklesia. John and James wanted fire to come down on the Samaritan’s heads to destroy them and Jesus told them, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of, for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s live but to save them" (Luke 9:55-56). I am afraid Jesus would have to repeat these words to most of the ekklesia, because this spirit is still very much alive in those who belong to Him. John the Baptist tells us that Jesus would "baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire" (Matthew 3:11). Everyone shall be salted with fire (Mark 9:49). Fire will try everyone’s works (1 Corinthians 3:13). People will be saved "so as through fire," even though their works will be burned up (1 Corinthians 3:15). There is a scripture where He tells us to be like Him. He tells us to pour coals of fire on our enemies heads. Those coals of fire are love (Romans 12:20)! He tells us to expect fiery trials (1 Peter 4:12).

Going into the last book of the Bible, should we expect to find a different kind of fire than what we have seen throughout the rest of the Book. We find lampstands that are the Ekklesia, seven stars in His right hand, gold refined by fire, lightnings, seven lamps of fire burning before the throne which are the seven Spirits of God, mornings stars, His eyes like a flame of fire, and a sea of glass mingled with fire.

It seems we had better get used to fire, in a literal sense, symbolic sense, and a spiritual sense. God did manifest Himself on earth as fire that consumed material substances. He also spoke of fiery trials, but they were not necessarily being burned at the stake as a heretic. He spoke of good deeds as "hot coals" on our enemies heads. The tongues of fire on the disciples heads did not burn their physical flesh. The tongue James says that "sets the course of nature" on fire has not destroyed this world with literal fire (James 3:5-6). The 7 Ekklesia are not literal stars and Jesus Christ is not a literal lamb. The book of Revelation begins with a sentence the carnal nature has overlooked. The carnal nature cannot receive the things of the spirit and as a result always finds itself overlooking the obvious. The book begins by saying in the King James Bible that this book is "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass: and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John" (Revelation 1:1). The word for "signified" is a verb whose noun form "semeion" literally means "a sign." A sign that says "to Jerusalem" is not Jerusalem. It points in the direction of the real city of Jerusalem. It is helpful to find the place called Jerusalem, but it is not Jerusalem.

Paul said he went to the third heaven and saw things unlawful to speak about (2 Corinthians 12:2-4). I know he said "I know a man in Christ . . . was caught up to the third heaven," but I am certain Paul was speaking of himself. Why was it unlawful for him to speak of these things? I also know a man who was caught up to the third heaven and I will tell you why it was unlawful for Paul to speak of these things. The spirit world, the real world cannot be truly expressed by human language. The clearest expression in human language falls far short of painting the reality of that world. The expression "unlawful" was used by Paul to say that if he talked about it in human words, it would not truly express the reality, it would fall short, which is what the Greek and Hebrew word for "sin" really means. I point this out that we may read the Book of Revelation with a proper perspective. We are dealing with symbols here which are mere representatives of spiritual realities. Do not expect frogs coming out of people’s mouths, a physical woman sitting on a beast which is also a city which will utterly be burned with fire. Why do people always put a physical sword into Jesus’ hands when in fact it is a sword coming out of His mouth? Because that picture looks foolish to the natural mind, so we put the sword in His hands. The churches are not really stars nor candlesticks. Jesus doesn’t really want you to be 212 degrees or minus 32 degrees indicating you are hot or cold but not lukewarm. The kings of the earth never really fornicated with this woman on a beast which is really a city. Is Jesus really dripping in blood? Is there really a winepress He is treading and is He really a dead Lamb sitting on the throne? The Hebrew language is a language designed to create great pictures. It is a picture language full of great exaggeration to magnify things. Unless one leaves much room for hyperboles, allegories, and parables, one will most certainly twist the scriptures to their own destruction. While the last 27 books of the Bible come to us in Greek, they borrow the symbols of the Hebrew to convey to us the symbols He uses to express spiritual truths. Even in the last 27 books, Jesus did not speak apart from parables.

I am afraid most of us are very guilty of picking and choosing what is symbolic, what is spiritual, and what is literal. John’s statement at the beginning of the Book of Revelation says this book is a book of signs. Signs point to a reality, they are not the reality themselves. How does one express something that happens to a nation over many generations in one word or sentence? It cannot be done. The only way to truly understand an event covering millions of people over decades of time in earthly languages is to give "signs," which will fall short of conveying reality.

I have been pierced by the sword which comes out of Jesus’ mouth. He slew me and yet I live! It was not the words written in the book of Revelation about a sword out of His mouth that slew me, but the very Word of God Himself! The reality, not the symbol, nor the written word. And this death actually brought me to life! The carnal mind cannot separate the physical, the symbol, and the spiritual reality. It will bypass the spiritual reality and call the symbol reality. Only when it becomes absurd, will the carnal mind treat the symbol as a symbol. The reason I am spending so much time belaboring this point, is because this desire for man to bring God and His symbols down to man’s language is perhaps one of our greatest errors. We make beautiful parables designed to teach us something very beautiful into something terrible and grossly distorted. The parable of Lazarus and the Rich man is a classic example. I will not go into the 5 parables in Luke 15 and 16 which have been twisted into all kind of devilish foolishness. We have literature and audio tapes on that specific subject. I have spent so much time laying down this foundation of understanding the difference between these three different forms of expression because the book of Revelation is perhaps THE book with which all kinds of liberties have been taken to twist these "symbols, signs" to conform to all sorts of scenarios of what God is going to ultimately do with you, your friends, and your enemies.

Only when we read this book with a heart after Him, only after we have begun to truly be conformed to His image by the renewing of our mind, only when we keep all of His attributes together, not setting one or the other aside, and only when we leave the signs exactly what they were meant to be, MERE SIGNS, can we begin to harmonize and see what this book is all about. Leave the sword in His mouth and then try to kiss Him. And when you have been put to death by His Word and you have died to sin and been made alive to Christ, then you will begin to see that the lake of fire is as much a symbol as every symbol in the whole book. Now let us talk about what the "lake of fiery brimstone" speaks about. Remember, if you have a hard time picturing yourself kissing the Son with a sword in His mouth or if you have a hard time snuggling up to a dead lamb on a throne, you should have just as hard a time seeing yourself, friends, family, or enemies, either being tortured in an eternal lake of burning sulfur, or see them being nuked, or vaporized into nothing. They were not made from nothing and they will not return to nothing!

I find it absolutely amazing how our carnal mind works. The scriptures tell us that our minds cannot conceive the things He has in store for us. His love is infinitely greater than ours, and yet we manage to concoct scenarios which make the love of a mother more loving than the love of our Father. It never ceases to amaze me. One would think that if His love truly manifested in our hearts, we could not help but to hope and believe He will save all mankind, even if our Bible translation said the opposite. It seems even if our Bible said He would torment everyone, it would seem there would be people today who would act like Abraham and Moses and plead and intercede for mankind. Moses, asked Him to forgive Israel when they worshipped the calf and committed many sexual sins. Abraham dared reason with God about Sodom and Lot.

It would seem that those filled with the love of God would spend hundreds of hours combing the scriptures, spend days praying to Him, pleading for mankind. But that is not the case. Most Christians, when doing what they call "Bible Study" spend hours memorizing scriptures to prove He is a tormenter or annihilator. When we try to prove the Love of our Father, we find His love is steadfast and true, even if our translation of the Bible is ridden with error. When your heart is after Him, He will reveal many things to you like what I am about to show you. In the book of Revelation, while I was studying the lake of fiery brimstone for this article, I came across some major discrepancies among the leading selling Bibles. Looking further, checking the Greek manuscripts, there were differences between various manuscripts. As a result, we have renderings such as the following (Revelation 13:8):

"And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" (King James Version).

"All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" (New King James).

"All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast--all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world." (New International Version) Footnote: "Or written from the creation of the world in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain."

"All on earth will worship it, except those whose names the Lamb that was slain keeps in his roll of the living, written there since the world was made" (New English Bible).

"And all mankind -- whose names were not written down before the founding of the world in the slain Lamb’s Book of Life -- worshiped the evil Creature." (Living Bible) (Includes a very long and confusing footnote).

"And all the inhabitants of the earth will fall down in adoration and pay him homage, every one whose name has not been recorded from the foundation of the world in the Book of Life of the Lamb that was slain {in sacrifice} from the foundation of the world" (Amplified Bible).

"and all the inhabitants of the earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that was slaughtered" (New Revised Standard Version).

"And ALL who DWELL on the EARTH shall worship him, Whose NAME has not been written from the FOUNDATION of the World in the SCROLL of the LIFE of THAT LAMB who was KILLED" (Emphatic Diaglott).

"And all who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain." (New American Standard) Footnote: Or, written in the book . . . slain from the foundation of the world.

I left the word "worshiped" spelled incorrectly in the Living Bible because that is how it is spelled in the two copies I have. The old translations like the King James and the new ones have something in common, they both made mistakes, like this simple spelling error. However, they also make some great mistakes, some which will affect your whole life and your relationship to God. This passage is an example which I just recently found.

Those of you who carefully read each translation above should have discovered four completely different ways the passage was written. There are clear important doctrinal issues involved. Focus on the clause "before or from the foundation of the world." Notice the KJV and NKJV have the lamb being slain from the foundation of the world, but translations such as the NRSV and the NEB have the names written from the foundation of the world. Others such as the NIV write it is such a way as to not be able to tell when the names were written, and then we have the Amplified which puts the clause in twice to make it appear that the names were written before and the Lamb was slain before the foundation of the world. The NAS notes both ways. That is more honest, but it doesn’t solve the problem for us.

You see, if your name was written in the book before the foundation of the world, and that is why you will not worship the beast, then it is not your doing, it is all God. It is true predestination, something which the "annihilation groups" don’t care for because it takes away "free will."

Now which of the four ways is correct? Or is there a fifth and a sixth way? We are dealing with major doctrines here which Christians have literally killed each other over. Can one determine the true meaning of this passage? Is it important? Does your life depend upon knowing the correct way to deal with this passage? If you were pre-elected, you can’t miss, but those who weren’t pre-elected cannot help but to worship the beast. How can God find fault? Bibles are full of these kinds of problems. Why are not these kinds of issues brought up in Bible studies? I had to find these things out on my own. Now then, if your salvation is depended upon your knowing the Bible and what it says to you, these kind of problems should have you worried. I have 15 feet of shelving full of different Bible translations. Believe me when I say there are major doctrinal differences among the best of Bibles. Does that bother you? It doesn’t bother me.

You see, for me, these tormenting questions are meaningless. I know that if it was up to me, I could never hold up to my part of any agreement with Him. I, like Abram and Jesus’ disciples would fall asleep. I have cast my cares upon Him for I have discovered He truly cares for me, has given His life for me. I know who the author and finisher of my faith is. Do you? If you don’t, you will live in torment. You will work out your salvation in your strength and come up short. It is guaranteed. And all your efforts and all your works which your soul is full of, will find itself cast among the other filth found cast into the Refiner’s Fire, the Lake of fiery brimstone. Or have you not heard that "unbelievers" will have their part in the lake of fire? Those who trust in their own works do not believe Jesus did it all. Unbelievers! Did you not hear idolaters would be cast into the lake of fire? If God is not the "eternal tormentor" or "great annihilator" then have you not been worshipping a false image of God?! Idolater! And if you told those poor sheep around you all the things they must do to get right with God and put burdens upon them they could not carry, and He says He didn’t put any of them on their backs, are you not a liar?! Liars will have their part in the lake of fire! And if the "letter of the law" is truly death and you have been using the "letter" against people, are you not a murderer?! Murderers will have their part in the lake of refining fire! If God truly Loved the world and saved the whole world, are not the Doctrine of Eternal Torment and Annihilation abominable?! The abominable will have their part in the lake of fire! Are you getting the message? With this perspective in mind, let us take a look at the death of this kind of deadly thinking and see if there is hope for the abominable, murdering, lying, idolaters who trusted in themselves and their own works, instead of the finished work of Christ.