Although John the Baptist saw the Spirit descending like a dove
upon Jesus, yet, when he prophesied the essence of the baptism with the Holy
Spirit the church shall receive from Jesus, he mentioned that it shall be
associated with “fire” (Luk 3:16). Indeed, in the day of
Pentecost, the Holy Spirit revealed His presence in the church in the form of “tongues of
fire” that sat upon each of them (Act 2:3). This indicates
that the essence of the work of the Holy Spirit in the church differs from His
work in Jesus life. While the “dove” symbolizes meekness, the “fire”
in the bible indicates:
Holiness
Fire mentioned associated with God’s holiness several times in
the bible. An example, when the flame of fire appeared out of the midst of the
thorn bush, the place became a holy ground (Exo 3:5). Another example, when the
Lord came down upon the mountain of Sinai in fire, the mountain became
sanctified (Exo 19:23).
But what is holiness? Holiness is influential righteousness.
Righteousness alone is to love good and hate evil, but holiness is
righteousness that influences the others. It makes the good shines and rises;
as well, it exposes the evil and condemns it. When righteousness is combined
with that influential power, it’s called holiness.
When your heart is full of love of others, this is
righteousness, but when your love exposes the hatred exist in the others hearts
and condemns it, that is holiness. When sin cannot settle in your heart, this
is righteousness, but when it cannot settle in the sphere surrounding you
because your purity exposes it, that is holiness.
Holiness
and Fire
Holiness effect on people is similar to fire effect on
substances. The fire tests any material placed in it. It purifies metals and
classifies them, and it burns other materials like wood, hay and stubble.
Things cannot remain the same after passing through the fire, and you cannot
remain the same when you are exposed to God’s holiness. Some matters will burn,
others will change and others will shine.
If Moses wishes to come unto the holy ground, he must pull
off his sandals. He ought to get rid of the objects which are in touch with the cursed
earth. Once Isaiah presented in the presence of the “Holy”, immediately the
unclean matters in his life were exposed and burnt by a live coal from the
altar (Isa 6:3-7). He who desires to go up into the hill of the Lord and stands
in His holy place must have clean hands and a pure heart (Psa 24:3-4). You
cannot come to God’s holiness and keep an iniquity hiding in your heart.
Holiness is like fire, tests everything; it commends good matters and purifies
them, and exposes the evil ones and condemns them.
Holiness
and Meekness
Meekness then appears to contradict holiness. While meekness
gives others the chance to express themselves and disclose their hearts without
fear, holiness condemns the evil hidden in their heart and gives it no chance
to survive.
Meekness does not storm into man. In contrary, it encourages
him to determine his will. But holiness -once man is exposed to it- examines
his depths and brings it out to the light. Man cannot stifle it.
However, there’s no contradiction at all between the
different manifestations of the Spirit. Each one is essential for God’s work.
God chose to work in man first with meekness, through the life of the Lord and
His ministry to give him a chance to understand and repent. But that will not
remain forever. One day man will face God’s holiness. At that moment there will
be no more chances but a prompt judgement.
The
Parable of the Wheat and the Darnel
God’s justice always works through two stages; first, sowing,
and second, harvesting. His justice will not examine man for a matter that man
didn’t learn, or judges a sin without exposing it under the light first. God
does not demand harvest out of what the grace hasn’t already sown, because He
knows that man has nothing to offer but his sins. Holiness reaps what meekness
has sown. And what we have learnt from the spirit of meekness ascends before
God like fragrant incense by the spirit of holiness.
In the parable of the wheat and the darnel, the Lord
explains that the kingdom of Heaven is established through two phases, sowing
then harvesting (Mat 13:24-30).
In the sowing phase two things were planted in the field, wheat
by the owner of the field, and darnel by his enemy. The wheat flourished
and produced grains; the darnel also grew to the size and the shape of the
wheat but had no fruits. That mix cannot stay forever. At the time of harvest,
the two crops will be separated and the difference between them will be
revealed to everyone, useful wheat, and useless darnel.
Sowing is a phase of meekness and endurance; meekness that
let the enemy sow his seed in the field; meekness that gave the darnel a chance
to grow as well as the wheat; meekness that endured a weed which is fitted to
burning. Harvesting is a time for judgement. The darnel must be burnt, and the
wheat must be gathered into the granary. That’s how the fire tests, it burns
the filthy, and approves the precious.
The
Baptist’s Prophecy
John the Baptist prophesied how the Spirit works in Jesus
life through those two phases. He prophesied the sowing phase, “Behold the
Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (Joh 1:29,
MKJV). The term “the Lamb” indicates meekness and
endurance which are the essence of the sowing phase. First, the grain of wheat
must fall into the ground and die to bring forth much fruits.
But John also prophesied Jesus in the
harvesting phase, “Whose fan is in His hand, and He will cleanse His floor and gather
His wheat into the storehouse; but He will burn up the chaff with
unquenchable fire” (Mat 3:12, MKJV). Again, we see the harvest as a time for
separation and judgement.
Apparently, the Baptist fiery mission made him
too excited about the harvest in a manner overlooked the sowing phase which he
himself prophesied and saw it manifested in the form of a dove. He got offended
in the Lord when he waited for the act of fire to take place, but nothing
happened. He sent men to Jesus asking if He is He who should come or they
should look for another. The Lord answered him that He is still sowing; behold
the blind sees and the lame walks. Jesus lightens people’s eyes before judging
them for living in darkness. He cures the lames before condemning them for not
walking His path. He opens the deaf ears before charging them for not
listening. Sowing first, then harvesting. Although the Lord endured the sowing
phase with pain, humiliation and blood, yet it was essential for the
satisfaction of God’s justice.
The
Time of Harvest
When the time of sowing was over, the wheat had already
grown out of the death of the divine grain of wheat. The Pentecost day came; it
was also the Jew’s harvest feast (Deu 16:9-10). In that day, the Holy Spirit
manifested Himself in the form of “tongues of fire”, announcing the
beginning of the harvest. Christ, through the church, turned the world upside
down (Act 17:6). That was the act of the “fan” which handles the corps in the same manner to
separate the grains from the chaff as the Baptist prophesied (Mat 3:12). Then,
the wheat was gathered into the storehouse (Act 4:32), and the darnel was bound
in bundles (Act 4:27). Around the wheat, there was a sphere of good fruits such
as peace, grace and healing. On the mean while the darnel camp had nothing but
hatred, envy and intrigues. It was just a few decades before the fire
burns the darnel. The Roman Emperor, Titus, seized Jerusalem and burnt it with
fire. That was the fate of a city rejected the gospel of grace and did not know
the time of her visitation.
At
the Garden of Eden
When God created man, He gave him everything abundantly.
Before creating him, He prepared everything needed for a joyful life; abundant
garden, and earth and heaven full of all sorts of creatures. Before God demanded
man to honour His rights, He gave man all his rights (presuming that man has
any right before God). God gave man to indulge all the trees in the garden. He
gave him to rule all other creatures. He gave him the company and support by
creating them male and female. He gave him a free will to choose, as obedience
cannot be expected from a tied will.
Isn’t it the meekness we were talking about that gives
everyone their rights? What right man did not get; or should we say what good
thing man was not granted by God? When God requires something from man, He
requires what He previously has given him. Man is required to love as a mere
reaction of God’s perfect love. Man is expected to obey at least as an
appreciation to the freedom and glory which God has crowned him with.
But the spirit of meekness was not just towards man, but
also towards the crafty serpent. The Lord gave it the chance to accuse God. How
amazing was the meekness that hemmed the Garden of Eden! Even man’s attempt to
sin against God wouldn’t be suppressed. But undoubtedly, after the work of the
spirit of meekness is finished, another spirit will follow:
The
Spirit of Judgement
After man got his opportunity and exercised all the rights
God granted him, it’s now time for God to demand His rights and exercise His
sovereignty. The Lord came to the Garden of Eden, but this time with the spirit
of judgement to condemn sin. He charged Adam, Eve and the serpent each
according to their sin. Notice that none of them objected to His judgement or
requested a softer charge. They knew they had no excuses. They have been given
everything they needed, yet deliberately chose to sin. Notice also that the
spirit of judgement was symbolized in a powerful expressive figure which is:
A
Flaming Sword
“And He placed cherubs at the east of the garden of Eden, and a
flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life” (Gen 3:24,
MKJV)
The first time we see the fire in the Bible was when God
placed a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of
life. The fire was combined with the sword to express a dual truth which is
God’s holiness (the fire) demands death (the sword) as a judgement of sin.
God’s holiness and His judgement are keeping man apart from life now. Man
wouldn’t have eternal life. He doesn’t dare to approach the tree of life
because he would have to pass through the flame of God’s holiness and the sword
of His justice. Since in man no good things dwell, perish is certain to anyone
approaches the flaming sword. Passing through the fire of God’s holiness will
burn him entirely; nothing of him will remain to pass to life.
Until came the man who could pass the flaming sword and
remains alive. The fire of God’s holiness struck Him, smelting
His heart like wax in the midst of His bowls (Psa 22:14). The sword
of judgment was awakened against Him striking Him to death (Zec 13:7) (The
sword was asleep since Adam’s exile from the Garden of Eden, because nobody
dared to approach it). After passing the flaming sword carrying our sins and
representing us, Christ was raised from death in the fullness of life. His life
did not end at the flames of God’s holiness, but paid the wage of sin and
remained. While bearing our sins on His body facing the penalty of death, He
carried within a pure nature that pleases the Father. For this reason, it was
not possible that He should be held by the power of death (Act 2:24). He passed
the flaming sword to the tree of life, and made the road open to those who have
been united with Christ and hid in Him (Rev 2:7). They will not be hurt by the
flaming sword, because “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ
Jesus”
(Rom 8:1, MKJV). Only for them, the flames were quenched by
the blood of the Saviour, and the sword was halted by His body.
The
Work of the Dove and the Fire in the Israelites
In the past, God began His working in the people of Israel
with the spirit of grace and meekness that gives man generously and
unconditionally. He gave them to be a free self-determined people after their
slavery. He gave them a homeland after they were strangers.
Later, they were given the law to live according to God’s
holiness. Again, we see the spirit of meekness gives man all his rights before
the spirit of holiness demands God’s right. God did not give the Israelites the
law in the land of bondage where they were bound to others, but after they were
given the right of a free will and free deeds. The law was the requirements of
God’s holiness from a man who enjoyed his freedom; it was the harvest that God
wanted from the land of the man in whom the grace worked generously.
Because the law reflects the requirements of God’s holiness,
we saw the fire when Moses was receiving the tablets of the testimony, “And Mount
Sinai was smoking, all of it, because Jehovah came down upon it in fire” (Exo 19:18,
MKJV).
Another
Failure
Just as Adam failed to offer a satisfactory harvest to God
despite the good sowing God has done in his field, the people of Israel also
failed to revere God’s holiness in their life despite all His beneficence to
them. That’s because man’s heart is wicked; it turns away from God easily. What
Adam has done in the Garden of Eden became a natural inclination for all
mankind.
The repetitive failure of man was expected. That’s why the
law included a ritual legislated to deal with sin. That ritual was another
revelation of the position of God’s holiness towards sin. The ritual was
called:
The
Sin Offering
If a man sinned, he must bring a sacrifice to the priest at
the door of the tabernacle or at the entrance of the outer court. The sacrifice
is burnt on the bronze altar; another image of death accompanied with fire
indicates that God’s holiness judges sin with death.
And as the flaming sword restricted man from approaching the
tree of life, here, we see the bronze altar restricts him from proceeding
inside the tabernacle. In both cases, the meaning is the same; God’s holiness
and justice restrain man from having a fellowship with God (who symbolically is
present in the Holy of Holies).
The bronze altar was the first thing man meets as he comes
to the tabernacle. It was also the last thing he dares to approach. Everyone
brings their sacrifice to the bronze alter, then they turn around and leave.
The people were not allowed to pass the altar and step into the Holy Place.
God’s
Purpose
The purpose of that repeatedly symbolic ritual of sacrifice
was to emphasize that God’s holiness does not reconcile or live with sin.
Anyone who dares to proceed to the presence of God will certainly die. Because
God loves man, He allowed him to substitute himself with an animal sacrifice.
As man watches the animal dies and burns with fire, this truth abides in his
conscience; for anyone to enjoy the presence of God, he must pass the fire of
His justice first. Since nobody could pass that fire and survive, the path to
the Holy Place remained closed until the Saviour comes.
The
Altar of Incense
There were two locations flaming with fire at the
tabernacle, the bronze altar, and the altar of incense. The fire must remain
aflame continuously on the two altars. The bronze altar, where sacrifice is
slain, symbolizes the holiness of God avenging transgression.
The good news was there is another altar that gives hope to
entering into the Holy Place. That altar is made of wood overlaid with gold. It
is placed in the Holy Place before the veil which leads to the Holy of
Holies. On that altar fire is seen continuously not to burn a slain animal, but
to light the incense, and ascend a sweet savour before God.
The
Two Acts of the Fire
The fire had two acts at the tabernacle, to burn the
sacrifice for atonement, and to burn the incense for a sweet savour before God.
That indicates the dual work of the spirit of fire, it avenges sin exist in
man, and approves any righteousness and raises it before God.
God’s holiness does not just work in a negative way, but in
a positive way too. While fire burns hay, it purifies gold making it brighter
and more valuable. It’s the same meaning demonstrated earlier when harvest and
fire came related to each other, where
the wheat was gathered into the granary and the darnel was burnt with fire.
While the bronze altar is stained with blood and ash, the altar of incense
emits pleasant fragrance. And while the bronze altar locates outside the Holy
Place, the altar of incense locates in the Holy Place right before the Holy of
Holies. The meaning behind these symbols is sin keeps man away from God, and
righteousness brings him to His presence.
The altar of incense added a new dimension to the picture.
There is a hope for man to enter the Holy Place in one case; to have the man
who can pass through the fire of God’s holiness without being consumed, but
rather generates savour that pleases God. Only then man will not be halted at
the entrance of the tabernacle, but rather will continue to the altar of
incense before the throne of God.
In
whom I am well pleased
Since nobody was able to do so, the practice of that ritual
remained until Lord Jesus came to put forth His soul as a sin offering (Isa
53:10), and also bring forth pleasure to the Father (Mat 3:17). He offered a
perfect life pleases the Father and bore a complete death for the atonement of
our sins. His life did not end at the fire of the cross, but was approved,
brightened, and risen from among the dead. He ascended to the Father a sweet
savour forever.
The ritual is now ceased. The veil was torn and the temple
was destroyed. The full truth behind those symbols is now available to us; the
way to the Holy of Holies is open for those who are united with Christ.
The
Church
The judgement work of the Holy Spirit was represented by
fire several times in the Bible, “by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of
burning” (Isa 4:4, MKJV). We saw that fire in the rituals of the Old
Testament. But the work of the Holy Spirit cannot be briefed in symbols. The
Spirit has longed for a live being in which He may dwell and exercises His
judgment work on earth, because the fire of the bronze altar cannot burn the
sin in people’s heart. The Spirit longed for a big body with many members
capable of receiving different gifts. Through that body the Spirit shall reveal
the truth to the world in different manners. That body is the church. The
judgement will start first in that body, because the judgment must begin from
the house of God (1Pe 4:17).
The Lord Jesus prepared that body. He cleansed
them through the word He has spoken to them (Joh 15:3); He bore their sins on
the cross for atonement; they are now a consecrated dwelling for the Holy
Spirit forever (Joh 14:16). The Holy Spirit will convict the world (Joh 16:8)
through them, not through the flaming sword seen at the east of the Garden of
Eden.
The church is the dwelling and the resting
place of the Holy Spirit in an ungodly world. A world that does not know Him
nor it can receive Him (Joh 14:17); a world chose uncleanness as a method, sin
as a way, and the devil as a god. Holiness is not recognized or welcomed in
that world. The church is the only entity which not just bears the fire of
God’s holiness, but also loves it. The church is the only entity that accepts
and rejoices God’s judgement. It’s the only bush that was burned with fire but
hasn’t been burnt up.
The fragrance ascending out of the gold altar
did not satisfy God, because indeed He desired human being through whom the
Spirit can raise a true worship.
The Holy Spirit announced His satisfaction with
that being on the day of Pentecost. His presence was manifested in the form of tongues
of fire sat upon each member (Act 2:3).
The scene revealed that the Spirit dwells in these people is the One
whom the fire of the altars which has been aflame all along the Old Testament
indicated. And that the work He is going to do in them and through them is what
the symbolic altars and fires could not do.
Mutual
Bestowal
While the Father prepared a body for the Son to come to the
world (Heb 10:5), the Son prepared a dwelling for the Holy Spirit in the world
which is the church. The Holy Spirit is preparing that church to be a bride for
the Son (Rev 21:2), and, on the other hand, to be the tabernacle of God with
men (Rev 21:3). The mutual love and
bestowal of the Persons of God are beyond our imagination. But what we can
assert is that those members of the truly church of God are unimaginably blessed
and fortunate.
The
Absence of the Fire
Despite the apparent religious culture which reveres the one
God, the Jewish nation did not significantly differ in her evil and uncleanness
than the other pagan nations. The only difference was, pagans were doing the
evil bluntly and publicly, but the Jews were doing the evil secretly while
maintaining their religious look. The more the dead men’s bones stink inside,
the more they whitewash the outside. As inequity grows inside the dish, they
diligently clean the outside to make it shiny. And as defilement increases in
their heart, they enlarge the borders of their garment (Mat 23: 5-26).
The gentiles worshiped idols in large temples seen by
everyone; the Jews worshiped the same idols but in the dark, in the chamber of
their imagery (Eze 8:12).
They did not maintain their religious outer shell because
they loved holiness, but rather because they wanted to keep their proud with
the distinction of being the people of God. A distinction they enjoyed at the
beginning when the Lord of glory dwelled among them. When they lost the
presence of God because of their sins, their pride led them to deny the
situation. They vainly continued to claim supremacy among the nations.
How could a society live like that? How could uncleanness
hides behind that holy appearance? How could people practise both iniquity and
solemn meeting (Isa 1:13) at the same time? The answer is the absence of fire
makes that possible.
The spirit of fire strips the sin and condemns it. In the
absence of that spirit, sin can hide in the heart for long time without getting
seen by anyone. Moreover, man may depict a reverent image for himself and wins
people’s applause. But the most dangerous situation is when the sinful heart
itself loses every sense of iniquity and believes the reverent image it created.
When
the Fire Comes
When the spirit of fire comes, hiding becomes impossible.
The evilness of the Jews was stripped by the righteousness manifested in the
church by the Spirit. Their pride and cruelty erupted like a volcano when faced
by the meekness of the disciples. When love hemmed the church of God, hatred
and envy burst out of the hearts of the priests and the leaders of the people.
The truthfulness of the disciples exposed the priest’s delusion. The leaders of
the Jews can no longer preserve their reverent image; they started to act like
criminals (Act 23:15).
Judgement
Begins from the House of God
The fire does not distinguish between a sin exist in the
Jewish nation and one that exists in the church. In fact, judgement always
begins from inside the house of God (1Pe 4:17). It’s a divine principle to
cleanse the inside before the outside (Mat 23:26). Joining the people of God is
not a permit for a charge-free sinful life, but in contrary, puts us at the
front line before judgement.
(Of course the author is not
talking here about the judgement before the great white throne from which
believers have been redeemed. He talks about God chastening His children for
not self-judging their sins “For if we would judge ourselves, we
would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that
we should not be condemned with the world” (1Co 11:31-32, MKJV) (The
interpreter)).
Ananias
and Sapphira
When the Holy Spirit poured out on the church, He manifested
God’s righteousness in His followers. Spontaneously, they lived the Lord’s
words, “It’s
more blessed to give than to receive” (Act 20:35, MKJV). Many of the owners of lands or houses sold
their property and laid the price at the apostle’s feet (Act 4:34). Barnabas
was a good example of the liberality that hemmed the church.
In this sacred sphere, the enemy moved to seed
darnel in the field. Darnel looks like wheat in shape but fruitless. The
essence of that darnel was not about giving but about taking; about gaining
others’ attention and praise. With that intention, Ananias and Sapphira sold
their field and brought a portion of the price at the apostle’s feet. Their act
appeared similar to that of Barnabas and others. But the fire aflame in the
midst of the congregation examines the essence of the deeds and judges them.
Once the fire detected falsity in the couple’s behaviour, the judgement came
instantly, before that lethal poison of hypocrisy spread out in the sphere.
Ananias and Sapphira fell down expired at the feet of the apostles and were
carried out. The Holy Spirit did His judgement work in the house of God,
before judging the rebellious nation outside.
In Paul’s first epistle to the Corinthians we
learn that the Spirit judges any sin in the believers by strikes begins with
weakness and rises up to death (1Co 11:30), or even by delivering the believer
to the hands of Satan (1Co 5:5).
If we don’t learn to judge ourselves, reject
our faults, and live a life befits our holy God, we will be judged and
chastened by the Lord so that we shall not be condemned with the world.
The
Fear of God
The fire created a fear of God in the church (Act 5:11). A
sacred fear results from continuous consciousness of being in the presence of
the Lord, the “righteous
Judge”. That fear keeps our heart clean, our mind pure and our walk
straight. That fear should pass along with us all the time of our earthly
residence (1Pe 1:17), and cultivate our salvation (Php 2:12).
We don’t see that sacred fear these days. It leaked out of
the church and replaced by carelessness. Undermining holiness became horribly a
commonplace among believers. Secret and disclosed sins spread out shockingly.
Selfness bluntly discloses itself seeking power in the church of God. When we
look around and cannot see God’s judgement restoring things, then we must
shout:
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